>>95836330 (OP)We've had underwater civilization CYOAs before, and good ones. But I'd like one that captures a more realistic view of what it would be like to be a human introduced to the ocean.
Presumably you would have unlocked some sort of powers under the water. It feels comfortable, your clothes don't feel wet or stick to you. Or maybe you turn into a mermaid, though I prefer keeping my legs. You can see right through the water too, as if you're above ground. You can walk underwater even?
Regardless of whether you're walking or swimming, following the slope of the beach downward and seeing the sparse life around you. If you're somewhere like the Red Sea, maybe there's pretty reef, and then suddenly a large dropoff. Otherwise, you'd probably have to go a while down the wavy incline of sand. As you progress further you'd see more marine life surely, but otherwise just barren sand. It'd make me nervous and a bit breathless.
Eventually you're going to come to a drop off. And what do you do then? Do you swim at the current depth, or do you float all the way down and see what exists below? How far do you have to go out?
I think it'd be nice if you could harness known currents to transport fast once you get far enough out, like those turtles in Nemo. You have just void below you, and you get to zoom through the water.
I'm not sure what point you'd find civilization, or where. I like the idea of extensive cave systems underwater. It would be cool to think about their ecosystem, it's just a different world from ours. Could civilization even exist, or do the mermaids act as hunter/gatherers? Is food scarcity a problem, are they nomadic, all that.
I haven't thought about most aspects of this CYOA yet. But I think capturing the vast unknown atmosphere of the ocean, that would make for a great CYOA.