Dan Cox
@videlais.bsky.social
Pronouns: they/them
Assistant Professor of Game Design
📗Dynamic Story Scripting with the ink Scripting Language
📗Twine Cookbook
🌐: https://dancox.me/
📺: https://www.youtube.com/@DanCox
✍🏼: https://videlais.com
Assistant Professor of Game Design
📗Dynamic Story Scripting with the ink Scripting Language
📗Twine Cookbook
🌐: https://dancox.me/
📺: https://www.youtube.com/@DanCox
✍🏼: https://videlais.com
This is still very much a work-in-progress, but I've been working on some live examples combining Extwee + Snowman to help people understand functionality in Snowman by letting them compile and see the results almost instantly.
October 24, 2025 at 4:46 PM
This is still very much a work-in-progress, but I've been working on some live examples combining Extwee + Snowman to help people understand functionality in Snowman by letting them compile and see the results almost instantly.
After some copying and pasting from Chapbook, and some clean up work over the last day or so, here's the first working version of a toolbar for Snowman. I want to expand the options, and add some style options using HTML elements, but, hey! It works!
October 17, 2025 at 11:35 PM
After some copying and pasting from Chapbook, and some clean up work over the last day or so, here's the first working version of a toolbar for Snowman. I want to expand the options, and add some style options using HTML elements, but, hey! It works!
The Bitsy book needs to be done first, but, yes, I'm also basically sitting on a mostly done "Volume 1" of a series I started back with my Twine 2.6 -- now Twine 2.10 -- video tutorial series a couple years ago. Currently, it is around 145 pages, but it needs new screenshots and an editing pass.
September 9, 2025 at 2:04 AM
The Bitsy book needs to be done first, but, yes, I'm also basically sitting on a mostly done "Volume 1" of a series I started back with my Twine 2.6 -- now Twine 2.10 -- video tutorial series a couple years ago. Currently, it is around 145 pages, but it needs new screenshots and an editing pass.
Mark Sample (@samplereality.bsky.social) talks about scenes in e-lit. He mentions examples like the decade of "Flash scene", years of "Twitter bot scene" and then "golden age of Twine." (I'll try not to take the last one too personally as I _still_ do Twine stuff, but I also totally understand.)
July 13, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Mark Sample (@samplereality.bsky.social) talks about scenes in e-lit. He mentions examples like the decade of "Flash scene", years of "Twitter bot scene" and then "golden age of Twine." (I'll try not to take the last one too personally as I _still_ do Twine stuff, but I also totally understand.)
As announced at #elo25, work toward the Electronic Literature Collection 5 (to be published in 2027) has begun and a call for submissions will soon be released.
We are asking for help translating and spreading the upcoming call.
Past ELCs: collection.eliterature.org
We are asking for help translating and spreading the upcoming call.
Past ELCs: collection.eliterature.org
July 13, 2025 at 2:43 PM
As announced at #elo25, work toward the Electronic Literature Collection 5 (to be published in 2027) has begun and a call for submissions will soon be released.
We are asking for help translating and spreading the upcoming call.
Past ELCs: collection.eliterature.org
We are asking for help translating and spreading the upcoming call.
Past ELCs: collection.eliterature.org
Carried over from NarraScope 2025 (driven from PA back to IL and now to Toronto), I have a stack of Twine Cookbook postcards.
If you see me at #elo25 and would like one, let me know! All money goes to the non-profit IFTF.
If you see me at #elo25 and would like one, let me know! All money goes to the non-profit IFTF.
July 11, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Carried over from NarraScope 2025 (driven from PA back to IL and now to Toronto), I have a stack of Twine Cookbook postcards.
If you see me at #elo25 and would like one, let me know! All money goes to the non-profit IFTF.
If you see me at #elo25 and would like one, let me know! All money goes to the non-profit IFTF.
I've run out of time to anything more on this code in the short term, but the 2.X branch of Snowman is finally working again.
The vague timeline is to finish testing, make sure fixes are in place for existing issues, and get a new build out.
The hope is for a new long-term version out this year.
The vague timeline is to finish testing, make sure fixes are in place for existing issues, and get a new build out.
The hope is for a new long-term version out this year.
July 6, 2025 at 5:52 AM
I've run out of time to anything more on this code in the short term, but the 2.X branch of Snowman is finally working again.
The vague timeline is to finish testing, make sure fixes are in place for existing issues, and get a new build out.
The hope is for a new long-term version out this year.
The vague timeline is to finish testing, make sure fixes are in place for existing issues, and get a new build out.
The hope is for a new long-term version out this year.
In my rush to get this posted before I left the room, I just realized I didn't tag @eblong.com.
(And here is the 2019 picture as the reference. The same message many years later.)
(And here is the 2019 picture as the reference. The same message many years later.)
June 22, 2025 at 5:10 PM
In my rush to get this posted before I left the room, I just realized I didn't tag @eblong.com.
(And here is the 2019 picture as the reference. The same message many years later.)
(And here is the 2019 picture as the reference. The same message many years later.)
Chris and I have even more Twine Cookbook postcards. If you are at @narrascope.org and want one, please talk to me or @chrisklimas.com.
(I'll also be at @eliterature.bsky.social in a few weeks with some.)
(I'll also be at @eliterature.bsky.social in a few weeks with some.)
June 22, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Chris and I have even more Twine Cookbook postcards. If you are at @narrascope.org and want one, please talk to me or @chrisklimas.com.
(I'll also be at @eliterature.bsky.social in a few weeks with some.)
(I'll also be at @eliterature.bsky.social in a few weeks with some.)
I have to leave early today from NarraScope, but am delighted to replicate a picture from 2019 (that's still on the website!) of Andrew discussing the importance of community singing to end the conference.
June 22, 2025 at 2:45 PM
I have to leave early today from NarraScope, but am delighted to replicate a picture from 2019 (that's still on the website!) of Andrew discussing the importance of community singing to end the conference.
Did you miss Chris Klimas and I at @narrascope.org today? I will have some of these postcards with me tomorrow (Sunday, 21 June 2025) until I need to leave in the early afternoon. Come say "Hi!" and I can pass you one!
(I also hope to bring some with me during @eliterature.bsky.social in mid-July.)
(I also hope to bring some with me during @eliterature.bsky.social in mid-July.)
June 21, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Did you miss Chris Klimas and I at @narrascope.org today? I will have some of these postcards with me tomorrow (Sunday, 21 June 2025) until I need to leave in the early afternoon. Come say "Hi!" and I can pass you one!
(I also hope to bring some with me during @eliterature.bsky.social in mid-July.)
(I also hope to bring some with me during @eliterature.bsky.social in mid-July.)
Still on my long drive to @narrascope.org for this weekend. I am hoping to get @chrisklimas.com to sign my copy of the Twine Cookbook and catch some talks.
I may need to leave early on Sunday for a family thing, but I'd be happy to chat with folks between things tomorrow, Saturday.
I may need to leave early on Sunday for a family thing, but I'd be happy to chat with folks between things tomorrow, Saturday.
June 20, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Still on my long drive to @narrascope.org for this weekend. I am hoping to get @chrisklimas.com to sign my copy of the Twine Cookbook and catch some talks.
I may need to leave early on Sunday for a family thing, but I'd be happy to chat with folks between things tomorrow, Saturday.
I may need to leave early on Sunday for a family thing, but I'd be happy to chat with folks between things tomorrow, Saturday.
The Story Format Archive now has its own tool, sfa-get, available via npx for downloading either the latest versions of the story formats packaged with Twine 2 or a specific version from the database.
github.com/videlais/sto...
It *should* work as-is, but I'm still testing some edge cases.
github.com/videlais/sto...
It *should* work as-is, but I'm still testing some edge cases.
March 23, 2025 at 9:20 PM
The Story Format Archive now has its own tool, sfa-get, available via npx for downloading either the latest versions of the story formats packaged with Twine 2 or a specific version from the database.
github.com/videlais/sto...
It *should* work as-is, but I'm still testing some edge cases.
github.com/videlais/sto...
It *should* work as-is, but I'm still testing some edge cases.
Hoping for the best, but being ready to strike. Updated my office door today.
January 22, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Hoping for the best, but being ready to strike. Updated my office door today.
I really came around on Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (2022). Team Ninja did a great job trying to make sense of, let's be honest here, kinda nonsense original Final Fantasy and its time travel villain plot.
By far, my favorite part was cut-scenes with random but optimized gear.
By far, my favorite part was cut-scenes with random but optimized gear.
January 22, 2025 at 2:09 AM
I really came around on Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (2022). Team Ninja did a great job trying to make sense of, let's be honest here, kinda nonsense original Final Fantasy and its time travel villain plot.
By far, my favorite part was cut-scenes with random but optimized gear.
By far, my favorite part was cut-scenes with random but optimized gear.
I took a walking tour of sorts around Normal and ISU today. I'm loosely planning to visit the various coffee and small shops around the Downtown area during what I hope is the first of many such long walks on weekends.
January 18, 2025 at 6:22 PM
I took a walking tour of sorts around Normal and ISU today. I'm loosely planning to visit the various coffee and small shops around the Downtown area during what I hope is the first of many such long walks on weekends.
That upcoming cold weather front is definitely going to hit my area of Bloomington-Normal. Luckily, all I have is course prep for the next several days, and other than getting groceries, can remain inside.
January 3, 2025 at 5:43 AM
That upcoming cold weather front is definitely going to hit my area of Bloomington-Normal. Luckily, all I have is course prep for the next several days, and other than getting groceries, can remain inside.
This was the end of my best run so far of Shiren the Wanderer. I'm quickly reaching the point where I think I either need to find a guide to learn the best way to progress or simply stop. I've had some good runs, but I keep thinking there are systems or even mechanics I don't know about.
November 27, 2024 at 1:32 AM
This was the end of my best run so far of Shiren the Wanderer. I'm quickly reaching the point where I think I either need to find a guide to learn the best way to progress or simply stop. I've had some good runs, but I keep thinking there are systems or even mechanics I don't know about.
I'm preparing for an upcoming discussion of the Shiren the Wanderer games and thought I had soft locked myself in the included video where the scrolls to progress ended up on the other side of the water tile.
You can always exhaust your FG (Fullness Gauge) so that the PC takes damage, turns out.
You can always exhaust your FG (Fullness Gauge) so that the PC takes damage, turns out.
November 22, 2024 at 6:10 AM
I'm preparing for an upcoming discussion of the Shiren the Wanderer games and thought I had soft locked myself in the included video where the scrolls to progress ended up on the other side of the water tile.
You can always exhaust your FG (Fullness Gauge) so that the PC takes damage, turns out.
You can always exhaust your FG (Fullness Gauge) so that the PC takes damage, turns out.
Anything you have in your Library can be found via search and then dragged and dropped into the group. This will copy all of the associated data to the other (group) library.
This works best for single items.
This works best for single items.
November 13, 2024 at 10:39 PM
Anything you have in your Library can be found via search and then dragged and dropped into the group. This will copy all of the associated data to the other (group) library.
This works best for single items.
This works best for single items.
It is definitely confusing for new users. The group stuff has to be done initially through their website (www.zotero.org/groups/). Creating a group creates a new "library" for everyone in the group.
You want the middle option. That way, public people can see the entries but only members can edit.
You want the middle option. That way, public people can see the entries but only members can edit.
November 13, 2024 at 7:53 PM
It is definitely confusing for new users. The group stuff has to be done initially through their website (www.zotero.org/groups/). Creating a group creates a new "library" for everyone in the group.
You want the middle option. That way, public people can see the entries but only members can edit.
You want the middle option. That way, public people can see the entries but only members can edit.
It appears that "tank" relates to weapons and armor within the system. It does reference the term "tank" multiple times for a rule-system from 1981, though.
November 12, 2024 at 10:05 PM
It appears that "tank" relates to weapons and armor within the system. It does reference the term "tank" multiple times for a rule-system from 1981, though.
Does anyone know of an earlier use of the term "tank" in game design before GURPS: Supers in 1988?
(The term "tank" is from 1915, a British codename for "landships" being developed for warfare of the time.)
(The term "tank" is from 1915, a British codename for "landships" being developed for warfare of the time.)
November 12, 2024 at 9:38 PM
Does anyone know of an earlier use of the term "tank" in game design before GURPS: Supers in 1988?
(The term "tank" is from 1915, a British codename for "landships" being developed for warfare of the time.)
(The term "tank" is from 1915, a British codename for "landships" being developed for warfare of the time.)
Gotta love automated cold emails to people. If I wasn't the person to talk to, that would be interesting, no?
June 8, 2024 at 12:05 AM
Gotta love automated cold emails to people. If I wasn't the person to talk to, that would be interesting, no?
I came to really enjoy Dark Souls 2 (2014) by the end of the game, but several hours into Dark Souls 3 (2016) definitely shows its refined design and many improvements from the last game. Playing Elden Ring (2022) before this makes the design choices carried over so much clearer.
May 9, 2024 at 11:22 PM
I came to really enjoy Dark Souls 2 (2014) by the end of the game, but several hours into Dark Souls 3 (2016) definitely shows its refined design and many improvements from the last game. Playing Elden Ring (2022) before this makes the design choices carried over so much clearer.