The 'WhichWay' Webcomic!

Fleakitten · Post by **Fleakitten** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 5:10 pm

Anyone ever read those stories that give you and option to choose the next path? i.e Go left, page 5, go right page 69.

Wouldn't that option be cool for a webcomic? You put up a poll that lasts, 1-2 weeks ( depending on how fast one can draw ) giving the readers an option about which path the story takes.Which ever path gets the most votes wins.

Garneta · Post by **Garneta** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 5:46 pm

I wouldn't want to be the one actually doing the webcomic...

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:11 pm

We tried it on Cornstalker several times. They're lots of fun, though they usually prove to be difficult to maintain.

Leperdoctor · Post by **Leperdoctor** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:14 pm

Wow, that sounds like a cool idea!! Though I agree with Kat North- I wouldn't want to be the one doing such a thing. <.< But if you give your audience a say in things, they'd probably be more likely to come back. Personally, I loved the "Choose your own adventure" books as a kid, so I'm biased, but...yeah.

Black Sparrow · Post by **Black Sparrow** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:41 pm

It is an interesting idea... although I think you might need to refine the mechanism. People reading through the archives wouldn't get the same experience as long-term readers, and two weeks between updates is rather long to wait.

Wp · Post by Wp » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:29 pm

You'd probably need a different artist per branch path, and it needs just one writer to plan out the paths so that you can overlap some of the outcomes.

Bustertheclown · Post by **Bustertheclown** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:35 pm

That's an interesting concept, which promotes audience participation. Of course, given my druthers, I'd opt to create and publish the thing all in one piece, just like the Choose Your Own Adventure books were. That way, there would be no wait for outcome, and no raging arguments among voters. I'm actually working on a website that this would fit well within, so I might just steal this idea...

Interestingly enough, on the DVD sets of two seasons of my favorite animated show ever, Home Movies, there are illustrated choice stories as special features! They're very entertaining, too.

Sketchywallflowr · Post by **Sketchywallflowr** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:38 am

I think you'd have to make it a weekly poll. For instance, have a poll from monday to thursday and promise the comic on friday. And it'd have to be more about the story than the artwork (or both, if you're one of THOSE types ^_^). And it'd probably have to be a comic not related to anyone's unless the idea of taking your comic on an adventure you never wanted to see it go on is what you're looking for.

But yeah, I'd vote for something like that. I loved the RL Stine books. Reader beware- You choose the scare!

Phact0rri · Post by **Phact0rri** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:49 am

Lobo's Greatest Hits is like that. its pretty neat.

Fleakitten · Post by **Fleakitten** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:07 am

Black Sparrow wrote:It is an interesting idea... although I think you might need to refine the mechanism. People reading through the archives wouldn't get the same experience as long-term readers, and two weeks between updates is rather long to wait.

Good point.

It'd probaly be best to have an explaination about the results of the previous votes and such listed in the archives...

Geekblather · Post by **Geekblather** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:25 am

"Goblins: Through their eyes" does this as a side story, called "Tempt's Fate" where the amount donated to the site affects what happens to the character. Not enough donations, and he doesn't make it out of the dungeon.

I personally really like the idea of interactivity in webcomics. Because my comic is RP-Character driven, people can leave messages for the characters on the message boards (Gwydia is currently arguing with a reader... but she's difficult) and on the chatterbox. So far people really seem to like it, and I want to try incorporating some of those responses into the comic as well.

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:11 pm

phactorri wrote:Lobo's Greatest Hits is like that. its pretty neat.

My love for you now knows no bounds.

I have that comic. It's ratty and tattered from reading it over and over.

That guy · Post by **That guy** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:43 pm

I did a choose-your-own-adventure for Thatguy once. It wasn't illustrated, just a story with links. It's HERE if anyone wants to see it - but it's from back when I was using another server, so there are scads of ads.

Leperdoctor · Post by **Leperdoctor** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:28 pm

That guy wrote:I did a choose-your-own-adventure for Thatguy once. It wasn't illustrated, just a story with links. It's HERE if anyone wants to see it - but it's from back when I was using another server, so there are scads of ads.

Agent McDark shot me.

Stupid bum!!

Skyman8081 · Post by **Skyman8081** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:15 pm

There was a mini-comic on page 105 of Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics" that was like this. You could pick the direction to read in, much like a scrabble board, and follow the story that you wanted. (i.e. whether or not you wanted "Carl" to drive a beer while driving)