Jennifer_P: The reason I want to have native inhabitants is that they wouldn't be able to link out in a disaster, whereas we or the D'ni can. Since in my version of the story a big part was following the escape routes of these two groups, it wouldn't make sense unless it was people that had no linking books. They would add to the story infinitely if we got rid of us and the D'ni and said they weren't actually that primitive and they did everything themselves, because then they would be the entire story.
Ah yes; I was only thinking that if you were going to have the D'ni there originally, you wouldn't need the natives.
But anyway, you have a reward for the player if he does everything correctly, i.e. a view of the outside if he escapes. But how about some negative consequences...? I think it adds much more interest when one knows that one path leads to death and one to life, instead of having both paths lead to life! Of course, you can't kill the player, but you could certainly introduce negative consequences as a result of their actions. Just for example, suppose the Miner's route is the correct one, but the Chemist's route will end up bringing the whole mine crashing down around the player. And they would Relto when it did. Naturally, they would come right back to the Age to see what had happened, but at the link in spot instead of the original chamber they would find a small rubbly cave with a single flickering light...that would go out. Sad, ominous "losing" music could play.
Of course, then they could reset the book and do it right.
What do you guys think of that?
, I'll do a second edit on the map post and clarify some things.