FAQs
The Ink Guide
What does the ink guide contain?
Updated and revised versions of the two manuals that ship with ink - Writing Your Ink, which takes you through all the features of the language from first steps to complex story structures, and Running Your Ink, which details the features in the runtime library, with a focus on the Unity integration. Finally there's a new third section Ink Patterns which collects useful ink structures for solving more complex design problems.
We expect to bring the revisions to the Writing doc to the open source repository eventually. Ink Patterns will likely stay book-only.
Is the ink guide suitable for beginners?
Yes! We wanted it to be a solid introduction for students and new writers, as well as a useful reference for those who work with ink every day.
Can I order in bulk?
Absolutely: we see the guide as being useful to teaching courses, and we're happy to do bulk orders. Please contact us directly at info@inklestudios.com.
How is the ebook delivered?
We'll send the ebook by email with one to two working days of your order.
What devices can read the ebook version?
The ebook is an ePub file. This is the standard format for Apple devices via the Books app, and readers exist for Android and Windows platforms, and for most e-reader devices with one massive exception: the file cannot be read on a Kindle device.
Will you make a Kindle version?
It's extremely unlikely at this time. We had a Kindle once, we lost it somewhere and it's probably still showing page 17 of a terrible murder mystery wherever it is.
I bought the print guide - is the eBook full price?
If you buy the print and eBook versions together, the eBook version is automatically 20% off. Returning customers pay full price.
Is there DRM on the eBook?
Yes, definitely. So much. It's magical DRM that absolutely will allow you to copy the file between your own devices, but if you give it to someone else it'll make your internal organs slowly wither up. Don't risk it!!
Heaven's Vault
Does the Heaven's Vault novel retell the game's story?
Yes and no. The main character, and her search, is very similar, and a lot of the places she goes and the things she discovers are taken from the content of the game. But it's all been reworked to fit make for a better novel; there are new locations and new characters; a lot more backstory; some things are explained more clearly; and some things have been made more complex too. So it's a remake, not a walk-through. Hopefully it's also a great read.
Are there new translations in the book?
Each novel has a lot of Ancient in the story, but also an (optional!) original full-page inscription left up to the reader.
Are there new Ancient words?
We're not sure. No? Maybe? It depends on what words you happen to know. But if you're hoping for a book of translation puzzles, we should probably stress this is a story book first and foremost!
Shipping
Do I need to provide my phone number?
We will never use it - but delivery services often do, especially for deliveries in more remote areas, or in countries which need to arrange customs documentation with you before they can deliver - so we strongly recommend including one.
Are there shipping restrictions?
We don't think so, but the printing company advises that shipping to Russia is currently "risky" - packages are often extremely slow, and sometimes don't turn up at all. The advice for Russian customers is, apparently, "Purchase at your own risk".
How long will it take to arrive?
Printing usually takes 5-7 days, then shipping takes from 2-14 days depending on where you are in the world. You should get an email when printing is complete and the item begins shipping. (That does mean there's this scary gap between buying, and hearing that it's on its way. Apologies for that.)
So far we've seen times from order to delivery of:
US, UK - 1 week
Canada - 10 days
EU - 2-3 weeks
If you're concerned about your order, drop us a note with your order number using the contact page and we'll check on the status of it for you.
Update: with Christmas + COVID, the printers are seeing up to ten days additional delay in printing, and shipping delays are running up to 3 weeks long. Do feel free to drop us a note if you want to check up on the status of your order.
Other Questions
What do you do with my data?
We pass it to the printers so they can ship your book to you, and then once we're reassured that the delivery has arrived, we delete it. We're a storytelling company; data mining is boring and illegal, so we don't do it.
Why no e-book version?
Several reasons, but the most fundamental is that we're hoping to explore mainstream publishing, and placing it in the Kindle or Apple Books ecosystems would be "publishing" the books ourselves, making regular publishing pretty much impossible. Distributing a PDF, meanwhile, is sadly just giving the thing away forever, for free.
Will the book be translated?
We've no plans for that at this time. The intention is a limited print run now, and then we'll explore the possibility of mainstream publishing, which usually includes translations (and ebooks).
Why no NFT?
Because NFTs are worthless, and enormously environmentally destructive (no, Etherium will never move to proof of stake). Also, the first quantum computer built will dismantle every blockchain in milliseconds. But we will sell you a piece of paper with "this is a unique piece of paper" written on it for £10,000, if you insist.