Don Dunderhead Looks for Love: A Continuation of Work and Thought Process in Creating a Twine Story
One of my favorite books on how to read is “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” written by Thomas C. Foster. A favorite passage of mine is found on page 46, “ …that reading is an activity of the imagination, and the imagination in question is not the writer’s alone.” Writing a text-based game in Twine is just that, “an activity of the imagination” in which the creators and players can make a narrative-rich game with many endings complete with graphics, audio, and even Google maps.
Two Twine stories, The Temple of No and Horse Master: The Game of Horse serve as models that gave some basic structure, technique, and ideas for the creation of Don Dunderhead Looks for Love. In The Temple of No, the minimalism and quirky artwork are appealing. In Horse Master: The Game of Horse the structure and tone, dark but with heart, served as a guide.
Dunderhead is a story about what love is and what love is not, with a dark cheeky tone that belies the gravity of how we do not love. Yet, just as in the movie “Law Abiding Citizen”, a 2009 action thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray there is more. In Law Abiding Citizen, the theme, jury nullification is almost obscured by the action; in Dunderhead, I hope to do the same, the introduction of important issues almost obscured by gameplay.
Feedback is important. A fellow classmate writes, “I like how you start the story with a mystery like we don’t know who this character is at first, not until we make the right choice in the game. I find it interesting and entertaining how you tied in the app that we use on the UMaine campus and tied other resources of information to the story. Based on what I saw last time and this time, I like where you’re going with this story!” Positive feedback is great and helps with uncertainty.
I expanded the story map to include love thwarts, and am in the process of expanding love beckons. A few tricks include audio, hyperlinks, images, color, and fonts. I will also inquire as to the feasibility of adding Google maps.
Dunderhead Looks for Love
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--
**Don Dunderhead Looks for Love**
[after 1s300ms]
Will the real Dunderhead present himself?
(No hiding from the authorities!)
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[[A]]
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[[B]]
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[[C]]
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[[D]]
[[The love story of Don Dunderhead begins.]]
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sound.effect.Gun3.description: 'a 3rd gun shot'
--
Tricked ya!
{sound effect: 'Gun3'}
[[Restart]]
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--
Fooled ya!
{sound effect: 'Gun2'}
[[Restart]]
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sound.effect.Gun1.description: 'gun shot'
--
Ha Ha! Jokes on you!
{sound effect: 'Gun1'}
[[Restart]]
Don Dunderhead is lonely. [[Does Love beckon]]? Or, is Love [[Thwarted]]?
The other members of the family kidnap Dunderhead, lock him up in a dungeon and throw away the key. Dunderhead [[steals]], [[reads]], and [[ponders]].
Don Dunderhead steals a cellphone from a sentry and continues his search for love on findr. Alas, the authorities always on the lookout for the whereabouts of Dunderhead, use the data collection mechanisms of findr and bring Dunderhead in. Locked up, Dunderhead starts researching the implications of digital privacy. He grapples with the requirement that one of his many nieces attending university is required to participate and download the Safer Community app by Rokmetro , available for free through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Dunderhead decides to boycott modern technology and [[read a book]].
After browsing through the books on his bookshelf, Don Dunderhead went on to read and reread <a href="http://jolineblais.net/nmd443/wp-content/uploads/the-visit-friedrich-durrenmattpdf_compress-1.pdf">The Visit</a> by Duerrenmatt. He became increasingly agitated about the themes the author explores – greed and the [[amputation]] of love.
Don Dunderhead asks of himself, “Must I love myself, replete with unfathomable faults, before I can love another? Staring at the blank walls of his room, Dunderhead contemplates the idea of the value of nothingness. He is consumed with the idea. He picks up *The Tao Te Ching* and realizes the world does not revolve around [[himself.]]
Don Dunderhead asks of himself, “Must I love myself, replete with unfathomable faults, before I can love another? Staring at the blank walls of his room, Dunderhead contemplates the idea of the value of nothingness. He is consumed with the idea. He picks up *The Tao Te Ching* and realizes the world does not revolve around himself.
[[OO! Something shiny]]
Don Dunderhead asks of himself, “Must I love myself, replete with unfathomable faults, before I can love another? Staring at the blank walls of his room, Dunderhead contemplates the idea of the value of nothingness. He is consumed with the idea. He picks up *The Tao Te Ching* and realizes the world does not revolve around [[himself]].
Don Dunderhead steals a cellphone from a sentry and continues his search for love on findr. Alas, the authorities always on the lookout for the whereabouts of Dunderhead, use the data collection mechanisms of findr and bring Dunderhead in. Locked up, Dunderhead starts researching the implications of digital privacy. He grapples with the requirement that one of his many nieces attending university is required to participate and download the Safer Community app by Rokmetro , available for free through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
[[...]]
Don Dunderhead steals a cellphone from a sentry and continues his search for love on findr. Alas, the authorities always on the lookout for the whereabouts of Dunderhead, use the data collection mechanisms of findr and bring Dunderhead in. Locked up, Dunderhead starts researching the implications of digital privacy. He grapples with the requirement that one of his many nieces attending university is required to participate and download the Safer Community app by Rokmetro , available for free through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Dunderhead decides to boycott modern technology and [[read a book.]]
After years of keeping his enemies too close for comfort, Don Dunderhead, Capo dei Capo, Mafia Boss of all Sardines off the waters of Sardinia, tackles love. As with all, looks can be deceiving, and sizing up [[love]] is no easy task.
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Don Dunderhead went on to read and reread <a href="http://jolineblais.net/nmd443/wp-content/uploads/the-visit-friedrich-durrenmattpdf_compress-1.pdf">The Visit</a> by Duerrenmatt. He became increasingly agitated about the themes the author explores – greed and the amputation of love. A heated [[conversation]] between a sentry and his wife disturbs his reverie.
Hurtful words are exchanged and Dunerhead wonders why we hurt the ones closest to us the most. Single may be the way to go[[...]]
Don Dunderhead picks up a strange brown coin and mumbles the worlds "In god we trust". He wonders who would trust a god that would allow an old man to almost sacrifice his son. Doesn't seem like love[[...]]
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--
In the end, Don Dunderhead learns to play the guitar. Love songs are his forte.
{sound effect: 'guitar'}
[[Restart]]
Don Dunderhead went on to read and reread <a href="http://jolineblais.net/nmd443/wp-content/uploads/the-visit-friedrich-durrenmattpdf_compress-1.pdf">The Visit</a> by Duerrenmatt. He became increasingly [[agitated]] about the themes the author explores – greed and the amputation of love.
After a rather exhausting fishing expedition, Don Dunderhead narrows his search for love to three bodies of water.
[[Northern Pacific]]
[[Antartica]]
[[European Waters]]
In the Northern Pacific, Don Dunderhead meets Squid Pro Quo. Captivating but at times capricious.
[[sq1]]
[[sq2]]
[[sq3]]
[[sq4]]
Double-click this passage to edit it.
Double-click this passage to edit it.
…takes Squid Pro Quo out to dinner at his favorite Japanese restaurant to determine [[compatibility.]]
explores a mutually beneficial relationship with Squid Pro Quo. Squid Pro Quo wants the original copy of “Research priorities for Robust and Beneficial Artificial Intelligence: An Open Letter” https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Research+priorities+for+robust+and+beneficial+artificial+intelligence%3A...-a0439635265 ; and Dunderhead, well, he wants [[love.]]
…Dunderhead and Squid Pro Quo realize love is not all it is cracked up to be. So, they take turns reading to each other the stories of Inanna, The Illiad, and Romeo and Juliet. Squid Pro Quo starts collecting books and ignores Don Dunderhead. Don Dunderhead shuns the newly converted bibliophile, realizes he cannot please her fish-booty anymore, and resumes his search for the Companion-in-Arms.
…while part of a task force committed to cleaning the plastic of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Dunderhead meets Squid Pro Quo fall. He observes her resolve and dedication as Squid Pro Quo cleans away. Dunderhead asks her out. They enjoy each other’s company, sharing similar values and work ethics. Time will tell how their story will end.
[[Restart]]
Dunderhead and Squid Pro Quo staring into each other’s eyes, do not notice Mobster the Lobster lurking behind the kitchen doors. Mobster the Lobster is jealous of the budding communion as he has always wanted Squid Pro Quo for himself. He rushes out, captures Squid Pro Quo, and puts her on the menu. Don Dunderhead, devastated but not beaten, resumes his search for his Companion-in-Arms.
Together the two exploit “give and take”, one fulfilling one enjoying. They scratch each other’s back to death. The End.
[[Restart]]