Just thinking out loud, regarding the categories: What if you could give each chapter within a story a single category as well? Then a percentage could be calculated, like the story has for example: 30% Teen, 25% MILF, 15% BDSM, 10% Non-Consent, 10% Mind Control, 5% Lesbian, 5% Humor & Satire. You could determine the total amount of chapters that are assigned a category. I.e. this story has 30 chapters of Teen, 25 chapters of MILF, etc. Why do this? What could these values be used for? - Currently, a story can only have one category. So even if half the story is totally or partially fitting for one category, it will never be displayed there. With this idea, once could display a story under multiple categories. -- While this might not be an issue for a story with a single strong theme, the fictional example above might already be another matter. If that story is in the Teen category, but features 25% MILF as well, a reader interested in MILF might just skip over it. With this new system, he might just take a look at it and enjoy it. - These values could be used as additional search criteria -- i.e. show me the story with the most chapters of Mind Control -- Or i like Incest, and nothing else. Show me the stories with most % of Incest What about witty authors, giving each chapter a different category, so that they are displayed under all categories? - The percentage and total amount of chapters assigned a specific category should have an influence on the order or ranking within the list of stories when searching by category. -- That way, totally exaggerated of course, when checking the BDSM category, even a story, which has a billion up-votes, but only one chapter of BDSM, should be listed below a story with only 2 chapters total, but both of them BDSM, i.e. 100%, 2 chapters is more than 1 chapter (exact formula and calculations would need to be determined to make it fair). Possible flaw: The idea, that every chapter can be assigned a category, is at the same time a huge flaw itself. Because for the advantages and calculations to work, every chapter would actually need a category. - Not only new chapters, but also all existing chapters. - The majority of authors would probably not update anything.. - Even for new chapters, if its optional, many will probably not do it. - And if its mandatory, it might become just a pain in the ass, with most authors leaving the default value selected. Furthermore, the whole idea as described is very similar to the "Tag"-system, that is already in place. (See: Suggestion: http://forum.chyoa.com/threads/some-kind-of-tag-organization.853/ ) I have no solution to these points yet, and can only conclude, that the benefits probably do not outweigh these negative points. I wanted to share the idea nevertheless. Perhaps somebody else likes it and can come up with a solution to these flaws.
Or alternatively allow a story to be shown in multiple categories. Incest in space is both incest and Sci-fi. It applies for every combination.
Changing the current system, so you have option to assign additional categories to your story, might be much more manageable and compatible with the current system than the chapter idea. There should be a limit to how many categories one can add, to prevent abuse and stories showing up in every single category.
Though people interested in incest are more likely to read that story than people interested in Science Fiction.
Yeah, If the story isn't categorized incest or non consent I've found that it's best to avoid those themes in later chapters.
The problem is with stories that set an universe in the intro and have numerous storyline spreading on very varied fetishes. Those are very hard to categorize.
