Story Map

Once a scene branches, a plain outline stops telling the whole story. The Story Map shows the scene as a graph so you can see where the player goes next.

You do not need it for every edit, but it becomes valuable as soon as a scene has choices, conditions, jumps, or disconnected draft nodes.

Use it for

Understand flow

See the main path, choice branches, condition routes, and merge points without reading a script.

Edit connections

Create, reconnect, and disconnect node paths from the graph when that is faster than using Properties.

Clean up layout

Move cards into a readable left-to-right structure so later edits are easier.

Find problems

Warnings and disconnected paths are easier to notice when the whole scene is visible.

Relationship to the Explorer

Explorer

The Explorer is the structured outline. It is best for selecting stories, chapters, scenes, assets, characters, variables, and exact nested rows.

Story Map

The Story Map is the spatial view. It is best for understanding and editing graph-shaped scene flow.

Both views represent the same story data, so changes in one should remain consistent with the other.

What connections mean

Most linear nodes connect through Next. Choice nodes connect through each option row. Condition nodes connect through branch rows and Otherwise. Jump nodes leave the current scene and point to a destination scene, with an optional destination node.

The graph does not invent flow. If a node has no connection and no built-in ending behavior, the story path stops there.

Authoring guidance

1. Keep the main path mostly left-to-right.
2. Put alternate branches above and below the main path.
3. Give condition and choice branches enough vertical spacing to read.
4. Merge related branches back into a shared continuation when the story does that.
5. Leave unreachable nodes visible until you intentionally delete or reconnect them.

Readable graphs age better

A clean map is not only cosmetic. It makes future edits safer because you can see what a change is likely to affect.

Why this is different from reading code

In a script-first visual novel engine, branches are hidden inside if statements and function calls. The Story Map makes the same structure visible:

• Choice options become outgoing connection points.
• Condition branches become named routes.
• Merge points can be positioned intentionally.
• Unreachable nodes can be found without mentally executing code.

The map is not only a diagram. It is an authoring surface for graph-shaped story data.

That is the payoff: you can change a route with your eyes open.