Super Moderator Ben: Ask-Me-Anything

[Ben]

A while back, we started the Developer Ask-Me-Anything page, and there were a lot of wonderful questions to Cowbunny, and I want to expand on that topic to answer any questions you may have for me. Feel free to ask whatever is on your mind, I'm an open book. So, without further ado, fire away!

[ChristineMoon]

Heck, I’ll start. Did you become a moderator by being a fan, or did you know cowbunny before the game/ forum?

also, what other interactive fiction games did you play before Timecrest?

[Ben]

I started playing Timecrest a few weeks after its release. Timecrest 1.0 was released September 21, 2015, and I started playing very shortly after. Whenever I encountered any bug, I sent an email to the support team, which was either cowbunny or The Crab. I collaborated with them a lot to debug several bugs, several Apple Watch synchronicity bugs, crashes, I think I got stuck in a time loop once - basically I was in chapter 4 and kept getting sent back to an earlier point in chapter 4 (not how it is supposed to happen 😂), and ended up getting out by using time crystals - I could go on and on, but I worked very close alongside of them, and saw the story develop from the first writing of it. About a year ago, I got in contact with Cowbunny directly; after working with him for so long, it was really nice to have an open dialogue with him. Shortly following that, he gave me an opportunity to revitalize the forums as a moderator, and it has been really a wonderful experience. So yes, to answer your question, I was a huge fan, and it led me to help create this wonderful community existing before our very eyes. One piece of advice that I want to share, be a good person and help others. Who knows where it'll lead you, but it took me here, so always be good to others, and it will come back.

I hadn't played interactive fiction before, but I have been interested in the genre that Timecrest brings to the table for a while, and loved it from the moment I read the description 😁

[ChristineMoon]

Being good and helping others led me here as well.

I know I downloaded Lifeline as the app of the week. I don’t remember whether I had that or Frotz (various 80’s style games where you’d type in commands). I found Timecrest and fell in love with it. It’s the only one of the “choose your own adventure” games that has true changes in the story.

[cowbunny]

Making true changes in the story is difficult! One of the hardest things in writing Timecrest 3 and on is that it becomes more and more complicated. You may have a 100 different choices you have to account for as you write out the paths.

[Nyctofrost]

How did you find Timecrest?

[ChristineMoon]

Nycto, it feels like forever since I’ve seen you here. Welcome back! How’ve you been?

[Ben]

I believe that I first found Timecrest in the Apple Watch App Store. I was looking for some new games for my Watch and Timecrest instantly caught my eye, and the rest is history.

[Guest]

Are there any other quests in the game besides the one in Nightshade forest?

[Ben]

From the Timecrest Administration? Not that we can take at the moment. In the game in general? Arguably yes.