Category: Branching (variant) · Audience: Intermediate (uses story state)

What this shows

A specialization of Branch and Bottleneck common to RPGs: branches converge not at a story beat but at a gate — a checkpoint the player must clear (an item, a stat threshold, a completed sub-quest) regardless of the route taken to it.

How it works

• Three locations can be searched in any order. Each pushes a distinct key into the s.keys array (guarded so re-visiting doesn’t duplicate it).
• The gate is a systemic condition, not a scene: Start shows the “Open the gate” link only when <% if (s.keys.length >= 2) { %>.
• Because the convergence tests a count rather than a specific authored path, the player has freedom over order and completeness of optional content while the author still gets a known world-state at the gate.

This differs from a plain bottleneck: a bottleneck converges at a single authored scene, whereas a gate converges on a flag or count.

Using this in your own story

1. Let the player collect progress (items, flags, a counter) in any order.
2. Gate the next beat behind a condition on window.story.state, not behind one specific passage.
3. Show the requirement so the player understands what the gate wants.

Full source

:: StoryData
{
	"ifid":"45830947-8992-4F18-9F1F-92A1848C94DB"
}

:: StoryTitle
Gate / Quest Structure

:: UserScript[script]
window.story.state.keys = window.story.state.keys || [];

:: Start
A sealed gate blocks the road. It needs **two keys** to open — and you may find them in any order.

Keys found: <%= s.keys.length %> / 2

<% if (s.keys.length >= 2) { %>
[[Open the gate->Gate]]
<% } %>

[[Search the forest->Forest]]
[[Search the ruins->Ruins]]
[[Search the shore->Shore]]

:: Forest
<% if (!_.contains(s.keys, 'iron')) { s.keys.push('iron'); } %>
Among the tree roots you dig out the **iron key**.

[[Return to the gate->Start]]

:: Ruins
<% if (!_.contains(s.keys, 'bone')) { s.keys.push('bone'); } %>
In the rubble you uncover the **bone key**.

[[Return to the gate->Start]]

:: Shore
<% if (!_.contains(s.keys, 'glass')) { s.keys.push('glass'); } %>
Half-buried in the sand lies the **glass key**.

[[Return to the gate->Start]]

:: Gate
Two keys turn in the ancient locks and the gate grinds open. It never mattered *which* two you brought — only that the count was met.

**The End**

[[Play again->Restart]]

:: Restart
<% s.keys = []; %>
[[Begin again->Start]]

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