# The Cataclysm Diaries: ability to write a journal in-game

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [February 10, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033 "2014-02-10T21:02:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HunterAlpha1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@HunterAlpha1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/HunterAlpha1)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/1 "2014-02-10T21:02:13Z")

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so i was just brainstorming and had an idea:

why now allow us to write on paper in-game? players can keep a journal in-cata, using a pen and paper, and maybe if your pen runs out of ink you could prick your finger and write in blood.

and maybe to ensure this doesn’t become one of those features that never gets used have every character start with a pen and journal regardless of profession.

also, when your char dies, the contents of your journal is in your memorial.

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**Author:** ![Uneron](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/uneron/32/89_2.png) [@Uneron](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Uneron)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/2 "2014-02-10T22:55:06Z")

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Would be cool if in addition to the memorial the journal would also be printed automatically in a separate json file. From there it would be easy to commit to github, resulting in finding actual in-game journals from other players. Of course only journals of a certain quality should be used.

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**Author:** ![FunsizeNinja123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/funsizeninja123/32/118_2.png) [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 10:57pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/3 "2014-02-10T22:57:23Z")

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+1 to this.

And pencils. How we emulate pencil wear down, I have no idea.

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**Author:** ![ChristopherWalken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecccb3/32.png) [@ChristopherWalken](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ChristopherWalken)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/4 "2014-02-10T22:58:19Z")

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> [@Uneron](#):
>
> Would be cool if in addition to the memorial the journal would also be printed automatically in a separate json file. From there it would be easy to commit to github, resulting in finding actual in-game journals from other players. Of course only journals of a certain quality should be used.

That would be very neat if it takes off.

Kerbal Space Program has something similar with the science logs and it’s working well for them.  
Admittedly their playerbase is several orders of magnitude greater than DDA’s.

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**Author:** ![Ferodaktyl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ferodaktyl/32/56_2.png) [@Ferodaktyl](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Ferodaktyl)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/5 "2014-02-10T23:02:22Z")

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it would be better if we had to make our own journals, from paper, card-boxes, whatevers and find pencils/pens with a set number of charges, or improvise them from coal, or feathers.

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**Author:** ![Nighthawk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/nighthawk/32/896_2.png) [@Nighthawk](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Nighthawk)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/6 "2014-02-11T00:03:55Z")

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Give give give give give.

I would love to write journals that other players might actually find.

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**Author:** ![FunsizeNinja123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/funsizeninja123/32/118_2.png) [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 12:32am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/7 "2014-02-11T00:32:11Z")

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I’ll submit my journals to you, Nighthawk so you can make it hella detailed.

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**Author:** ![Zireael](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/zireael/32/956_2.png) [@Zireael](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zireael)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 8:24am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/8 "2014-02-11T08:24:47Z")

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This is a great idea, especially the uploading to github part.

+∞

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**Author:** ![Cherry](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/cherry/32/230_2.png) [@Cherry](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Cherry)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/9 "2014-02-11T18:52:31Z")

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This would be a godsend to all those people in the fanfic subforums.

Plus it would stimulate character roleplay and definitely improve the game experience.  
Yes x 1 million

I wouldn’t agree with the free journal / pencil on start though.  
You should be able to craft a journal as the same quality as those “101 wrestling moves” or “melee fighter’s note” books.

Pencil = 1 skewer + charcoal or whatever. Aren’t there a million pens and pencils in New England?  
But then again, we only need like 1 or 2…  
It should come with say 100 charges and just use 1 for every time we write. Shouldn’t take more than 5 mins to use it.

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**Author:** ![Zireael](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/zireael/32/956_2.png) [@Zireael](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zireael)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/10 "2014-02-11T19:30:35Z")

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I like the craft a pencil and journal idea.

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**Author:** ![Sirbab](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/sirbab/32/944_2.png) [@Sirbab](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sirbab)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/11 "2014-02-11T21:22:05Z")

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My only concern about the log book, is redundancy.

Day 46, i read a SICP, i read Advanced Chemistry, i cooked an egg, i visited: house(13) grocerystore (2)

you know? unless we add substantial writing examples as a base to use, i don’t see it working well.  
That being said, if it were implemented well, i would absolutely love it.

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**Author:** ![FunsizeNinja123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/funsizeninja123/32/118_2.png) [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/12 "2014-02-11T21:23:11Z")

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Pretty sure it’s one of those journals you can write (Or type in our case) in.

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**Author:** ![Sirbab](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/sirbab/32/944_2.png) [@Sirbab](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sirbab)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/13 "2014-02-11T21:24:42Z")

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Oh, oops, i guess i misinterpreted the part about auto uploading as also auto-writing.  
Alright, i retract my previous concern.

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**Author:** ![Slax](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/slax/32/5385_2.png) [@Slax](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Slax)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/14 "2014-02-11T22:27:49Z")

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Wish the game would generate lived-in locations. Survivors that have moved on or died, that is. Something for mid-to-end game explorers. Months or years in.  
Rooms o’ refuse, leftovers. And stories! These scribbles could hint at what’s around whatever location you’re at. Goodies, dangers. That sort of thing.  
Or, you know, you might even find a signed handmade map. You’ll learn to love _insert NPC name here_ like a brother or sister. Mmmm. And then you find their rotten corpse next to a stash of equally rotten food. Shit.

Guess I went off the rails a bit there. OH WELL, I want exploration to be more fun.

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**Author:** ![keldoclock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19b73/32.png) [@keldoclock](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/keldoclock)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/15 "2014-02-11T23:08:29Z")

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> [@Slax](#):
>
> Survivors that have moved on or died

And of course, survivors that are still living.

How many months have we been talking about fixing NPCs? Like four months?

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**Author:** ![Slax](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/slax/32/5385_2.png) [@Slax](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Slax)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/16 "2014-02-12T00:42:42Z")

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Methinks having them “move on” is a way of sidestepping NPCs for now.

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**Author:** ![TheGrifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@TheGrifter](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TheGrifter)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/17 "2014-02-12T03:45:24Z")

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> [@keldoclock](#):
>
> [quote=“Slax, post:14, topic:5033”]Survivors that have moved on or died

And of course, survivors that are still living.

How many months have we been talking about fixing NPCs? Like four months?[/quote]

I’ve pretty much given up on NPCs. It’s one of those things that won’t ever happen. Like me catching Bigfoot on a fishing line, or Jesus coming back from the dead and getting a DUI. I mean, sure, Jesus has a defense, because he turns all water into wine instantly in a sort of “King Midas” touch blessing and curse that has condemned him to alcoholism, but I I digress. What was I talking about?

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**Author:** ![HunterAlpha1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@HunterAlpha1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/HunterAlpha1)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/18 "2014-02-12T15:42:21Z")

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[quote=“Sirbab, post:11, topic:5033”]My only concern about the log book, is redundancy.

Day 46, i read a SICP, i read Advanced Chemistry, i cooked an egg, i visited: house(13) grocerystore (2)

you know? unless we add substantial writing examples as a base to use, i don’t see it working well.  
That being said, if it were implemented well, i would absolutely love it.[/quote]

[quote=“FunsizeNinja123, post:12, topic:5033”]Pretty sure it’s one of those journals you can write (Or type in our case) in.[/quote]yeah that’s what i meant; something to make your game more special because you can keep your own custom journal.

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**Author:** ![Binky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f04885/32.png) [@Binky](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Binky)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/19 "2014-02-12T18:37:55Z")

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Fantastic idea, I feel it could be one of the things that makes DDA really unique !

DF procedurally generates stories/histories and they’re one of the main draws (especially for immersion) so I think journal sharing could work well here - some of the fanfic is really well written (although I’m not much of a fanfic person myself I will admit)

However, I think a guiding format would be good as the diaries would take a HECK of a lot of reading through, and even more so if they were completely free form. It doesn’t need to be too rigid, just perhaps a cap on writing amount (say 150 words per day or something). Conciseness is always good in writing, and we don’t want journals that are just endless background rambling as fanfic journals can be.

I do worry about the quality, but hopefully someone would take up the reigns of journal reader to monitor it.

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**Author:** ![i2amroy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/i2amroy/32/909_2.png) [@i2amroy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/i2amroy)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-cataclysm-diaries-ability-to-write-a-journal-in-game/5033/20 "2014-02-12T18:45:53Z")

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I could definitely see adding this and promoting sharing, but I’m a little hesitant about GitHub adding. It might be better to just open up a new board in the lore/lab section to promote journal sharing, since having to read those could take up a huge amount of development time, and what is great writing in one player’s eyes is not necessarily great in all of theirs. Maybe have a poll system of some sort, and allow the community to rate and choose the best few to go into the game.

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