Master Your Story: Coding Tips for New and Aspiring Episode Authors
EPISODE CODING TIPS: A GUIDE FOR NEW AUTHORS
Learning to code on Episode can seem tricky at first, but don’t worry—everyone starts somewhere! With a few tips and tricks, you’ll be able to code your scenes and bring your stories to life. Whether you’re new to the Writer’s Portal or just want to sharpen your skills, these coding tips have got you covered.
Start Simple: Get comfortable with the basics like moving characters around, scene changes, and writing dialogue. Use commands like @CHARACTER to position people, and set up scenes with INT. for indoors and EXT. for outdoors (like INT. BACKGROUND NAME - DAY or EXT. BACKGROUND NAME - NIGHT). These are your go-to tools when you’re just getting started.
Use the Tools at Hand: Episode has tons of resources to guide you. Check out the Episode Writer’s Portal for tutorials, plus their YouTube channel for walkthroughs. It’s like having a mini-course at your fingertips!
Create a Practice Story: Make a practice story to play around with coding. No pressure, just a place to test out cool effects, choices, and animations without worrying about perfection.
Take It One Step at a Time: When you’re looking at scripts, break them down. If you're working with templates or pre-made scripts, study how they’re put together. You’ll learn quicker by dissecting pieces than trying to understand everything at once.
Get Involved in the Community: Join Episode Discord server or check out social media groups. The best way to improve is to ask for help and see what other authors are doing. Plus, it’s always fun to get to know people who are as passionate as you are.
Level Up Your Coding Game
Use Templates: Don’t be afraid to use templates for common features like character customization or choices. They save time and ensure you get the coding right every time.
Master Overlays: Overlays make your scenes pop! Whether it’s adding furniture, props, or effects like rain, they add depth. Experiment with positioning and sizes to get the right look.
Character Sizing: Make sure your characters fit in the scene correctly! Use the `&CHARACTER` command to adjust their size. It helps everything flow smoothly and look professional.
Text Effects, Colors, and Animations:
Want to give your dialogue some flair? Use text effects like:
Combine Effects: You can combine multiple effects in one command.
For example:
|color:red,bold,italic| This text is red, bold, and italic { /reset }
Here’s the format:
NARRATOR
|color:red,bold,italic| This text is red, bold, and italic |reset|.
Example:
NARRATOR
|color:blue,underline, animation:flash| This text is blue, underlined and flashes |reset|.
|animation:shake| This text shakes! |reset|.
Quick Explanation:
• You start with | and list your effects, separated by commas, like color:red,bold,italic.
• Close it off with |reset| to stop the effects after that section of text.
Add Atmosphere with Music and Sound: Music and sound effects can completely change the mood of a scene.
Here’s how to use them:
Music: Use the music command to play background music that loops throughout the scene.
Example: music music_sadgoodbye
To turn off the music: music off
Sound: Use the sound command for sound effects that play once.
Example: sound door_bell
Sound effects play one time, so you don’t need to turn them off.
Adjusting Volume: You can control the volume to smoothly fade in or out.
To fade out music: volume music 0 2000 (this fades the music to 0% over 2 seconds).
To fade in sound: volume sound 100 1000 (this fades the sound to 100% over 1 second).
Example: music music_sadgoodbye
# Play background music
sound door_bell
# Play a doorbell sound effect
volume music 0 2000
# Fade the music out over 2 seconds
Quick Tips: Use music off to stop background music. Sound effects don’t loop, so no need to turn them off.
Volume commands can be used for both music and sound effects to control how they fade in or out.
Hide and Show Characters: Use hide CHARACTER and show CHARACTER to make characters disappear or reappear. It’s great for transitions or when you want a dramatic reveal without having them walk in.
Make Actions Happen Together: To have actions happen at the same time, use the & command for one action and the @ command for another. For example:
&zoom on 160 280 to 200% in 3
@CHARACTER walks to spot 1.280 160 0 in 3
This will make the camera zoom in while the character walks, making the scene feel smooth and dynamic.
Spot Directing Characters: Instead of making your characters walk from off-screen, you can just place them directly in the right spot using the &CHARACTER spot command. No walking needed!
Smooth Camera Movements: Don’t forget about zooms! They can make a scene more dynamic. Use commands like @zoom on 200 300 to 150% in 3 to zoom in slowly and add drama. Smooth it out with `easein` or `easeout` to make it feel professional.
Break Up Your Text: Use [nl] to break a sentence in dialogue so it’s easier to read. Like this:
```
Hi.[nl] How are you?
```
Look Like:
Hi.
How are you?
Tips for Writing a Standout Story
Grab Attention Early: First impressions count. Start your story with an exciting scene using overlays, music, and animations. Make readers curious about what’s going to happen next.
Make Choices Matter: Readers love making choices that impact the story. Use if/elif/else coding to create branching storylines. It keeps readers hooked and makes them feel like their decisions really matter.
Use Smooth Transitions: Keep your story moving with scene transitions. Commands like @transition fade in black 2 will help you change scenes seamlessly and maintain a professional feel.
Add Timed Choices for Tension: Use timed choices to add urgency. It’s a great way to make high-stakes decisions feel even more intense. For example:
```
choice [timed:5:top]
"Run!" {
# Scene for running
} "Stay!" {
# Scene for staying
}
```
Keep the Pace Moving: Don’t let the story drag with too much dialogue and no action. Balance out conversations with character movements, sound effects, and choices to keep things exciting.
Backgrounds and Overlays: Don’t just stick to the Episode catalog—there are plenty of free custom backgrounds and overlays drives creators or authors have, and even some awesome paid ones! If you’re looking to invest, check out Dana, Amepisode, Cheyaraskadi, or Elzbiet for great options.
Art Scenes: When Episode animations don’t quite capture what you want, art scenes can really help bring those important moments to life.
Tip: Even if you don’t have a fancy cover or art scenes, it’s totally fine. What matters most is your story!
Track Choices with Points: Add depth to your story by tracking reader decisions with a point system. It can affect relationships or even how the story ends. This makes your story replayable, and readers will love exploring different outcomes!
Use Camera Pans and Zooms for Impact: Panning between zones or zooming in on a character’s face can create suspense and drama. It’s a great way to make your scenes more cinematic.
Layer Your Characters: If you have a complex scene, make sure your characters and overlays are on the right layers. For example, a character walking behind a table should be on a lower layer than the table itself.
Customize Your Speech Bubbles: Speech bubbles can block important parts of the scene if they’re not placed right. Adjust them using @speechbubble is X Y to % so they don’t get in the way.
Personalize Your Intro/Outro: Make your episodes stand out with custom intros and outros. Use special overlays, music, and sound effects. Don’t forget to credit any artists or template creators too!
Using Hashtags in Your Script: Hashtags (#) let you add comments to your script that won’t show up in the story. It’s a great way to leave yourself reminders or notes while coding.
Example:
# Add music here
@CHARACTER enters from left to screen center
Quick Tip:
Use hashtags to stay organized, like:
• # Add overlay
• # Check zoom timing
Advanced Coding Tips to Take Your Story to the Next Level
Branching with Labels and Gotos: If your story has multiple outcomes, use labels and gotos to jump between scenes and create complex choices. Example:
```
label decision_point
# Your choice and branching happens here
goto decision_point
```
If/Elif/Else Conditional Branching: Make the readers choices meaningful by using if/elif/else commands. This lets you create different outcomes based on points or decisions made earlier in the story.
```
if (POINTS > 10) {
# Outcome 1
} elif (POINTS = 10) {
# Outcome 2
} else {
# Outcome 3
}
```
Timed Animations and Overlays: Use timed overlays for smooth transitions. You can shift, scale, or rotate them over a period of time. For example:
```
&overlay OVERLAYNAME shifts to X Y in zone 2 in 2
Advanced Character Movements: Use spot directing to make characters walk more naturally or have them move in specific directions.
Example:
```
&CHARACTER walks to spot 1.280 160 0 in zone 2 in 2 AND CHARACTER does it while walk_neutral_loop
```
Customizable CC Templates: For characters with customizable appearances, use Dara Amarie’s CC templates, which allow players to change hair, skin, and facial features easily.
If you want to create your own, feel free to.
Creating Complex Conversations: When it comes to making your story more interactive, you can use either gains or choice naming to remember what the reader picked. Both options let you create more meaningful conversations and can be used in the same episode or later on.
Using Gains (Flags): Gains are a simple way to keep track of the reader’s decisions. Once a choice is made and the reader “gains” it, you can reference it anytime in your story.
choice
"Apologize" {
gain apologized
# Scene for apologizing
} "Stay Silent" {
gain stayed_silent
# Scene for staying silent
}
if (apologized) {
NARRATOR
They appreciated your apology.
} else {
NARRATOR
They seem upset.
}
Using Choice Naming:
With choice naming, you give a choice a name and then check what the reader chose later in the script.
choice (CHOICE_NAME)
"Apologize" {
# Scene for apologizing
} "Stay Silent" {
# Scene for staying silent
}
if (CHOICE_NAME is "Apologize") {
NARRATOR
They appreciated your apology.
} else {
NARRATOR
They seem upset.
}
Weather and Background Effects: To make your scenes more immersive, you can add weather effects like rain or snow. Just remember, weather effects must always go at the end of a background command.
Example:
EXT. ABANDONED HOME - DAY with effect LIGHT RAIN
If you're using overlays, the weather effect still goes last:
EXT. ABANDONED HOME - DAY with TABLE CAFE with effect HARD SNOW
You can find all the animated weather effects in the script sidebar.
Create Interactive Minigames: Try adding simple minigames to your story by using tappable overlays, timed choices, or point systems. These little touches make stories more engaging and fun!
Polish Your Story
Test, Test, Test: Always preview your story while you’re coding. It helps you catch mistakes and ensures everything flows as you expect. Test it on different devices if you can, so you know it looks good everywhere.
Ask for Feedback: Don’t be afraid to ask others for feedback! Whether it’s other authors or beta readers, having another set of eyes on your story can help you see things you might’ve missed.
Use Control-F to Find What You Need: If you’re working on a long script, searching through it can be tough. Use “Control-F” to quickly find the commands or parts you need to edit.
Balance Action and Dialogue: Too much talking can slow the pace down. Mix dialogue with character actions, choices, or animations to keep things lively.
Don’t Let Characters Go Idle: When characters aren’t talking, don’t leave them standing still. Use animations like @CHARACTER is idle_armscrossed_angry_loop to keep them expressive and engaged in the scene.
Use Community Templates for Customization: If you’re letting readers customize characters, use templates from authors like Dara Amarie. It saves time and ensures everything runs smoothly.
Keep Improving Your Craft
Keep Learning: Episode is always introducing new features. Stay curious! Explore new coding techniques and keep pushing your skills further.
No Need to Rush: Take your time with your story. Don’t rush to publish. The more polished and tested your story is, the more readers will appreciate it.
Don’t Be Hard on Yourself: We all make mistakes when coding—it's part of the process! Stay patient, and don’t get discouraged if things go wrong. The more you practice, the better you’ll get.
Reminder: These aren’t all the tips! Even the most experienced authors, including the popular ones, are always learning something new. No one is perfect at coding, and everyone makes mistakes—even the pros. So don’t be discouraged if you mess up or find it hard at first. Keep learning, and you'll get better with every episode you write!