Creating Character Based Stories in Quest Smith
Adventure Awaits
Understanding Character Creator
The Character Creator is a specialized Scenario type in QuestSmith that shifts the focus toward the player’s identity, relationships, and personal journey. Unlike a standard Story Scenario that begins with a fixed prompt for everyone, a Character Creator scenario builds a completely unique Opening Prompt based on specific choices made by the player.
How Character Creator Works
Playing a Character Creator Scenario typically starts with a customization screen where the player selects pre-determined options. No two adventures start exactly the same way because a specialized AI uses your selections to generate a completely custom start to the story.
- Quickstart: This allows you to jump into the game immediately by selecting random options for each field, including a random name and gender.
- Create a Character: This is the typical method where you go through each category—such as Name, Gender, Class, Race, or Faction—and select exactly what you want to play as.
Comparison of Scenario Types
| Feature | Story Scenario (Default) | Character Creator |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Prompt | Pre-set and remains the same for every player. | Custom-generated based on player choices. |
| Player Input | Uses customizable fields like Placeholders. | Uses pre-determined selectable options (Story Cards). |
| AI Role | Continues from a fixed description. | Acts as a world-builder to create a personalized start. |
How to Build a Character-Based Story
A successful character-based story makes the world feel reactive. To create one in QuestSmith, you should define everything regarding the player's place in the world:
- Identity: Who the player is and their role in the world.
- Starting Point: Where the story begins and the immediate problem they face.
- NPCs: Which characters matter? Important NPCs should have goals, fears, secrets, and boundaries.
- Dynamics: What relationships can change? How will NPCs react to the player's choices?
Example: You are Mara Venn, a junior engineer aboard the survey ship Halcyon. The story begins after the ship drops out of FTL travel and the crew stops answering comms. The tone is tense and intimate, focusing on survival and eerie technical details.
Creating Character Creator Scenarios
To set this up, go to the Plot tab of your Scenario and hit the gear icon ⚙️ under “Opening: Story” to select Character Creator.
- Description: This functions as lore for the world. The AI uses this as world information to generate the starting prompt rather than continuing from it directly like a normal prompt.
- Adding Options: You can add Classes, Races, Locations, or Factions. Creating a new option is the same as creating a Story Card. Use the Entry section for the AI's technical description and the Notes section for the text the player will see during selection.
- Placeholders: You can reference player choices within your prompt using tags like ${character.name} and ${character.gender}.
Gameplay and Plot Essentials
Once you finish character creation, the AI generates the first prompt of your adventure. This might take a moment as it is being personalized just for you. After it loads:
- Plot Essentials: All your selected choices (Race, Class, etc.) are saved here. Check them to ensure the AI didn't make any “edge case” mistakes.
- Story Cards: You can always refer back to these to read more about the options you selected.
- Narrative Flow: After the custom start, the adventure behaves like any other, allowing you to edit, retry, or play freely.