Proof that the remaining 10% is worth dying for here.
These are recommendations made by Tropers for Skies of Arcadia fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.
You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.
Authors, and Websites
- Author: dreamcastaway
- Recommended by Raxino
- About: A former games journalist who started with Let's Plays before becoming a critic and reporter who sometimes interviewed Skies of Arcadia's developers about the game and Dreamcast development in the Y2K era. Currently working at Double Fine. Yes, the Psychonauts people.
- Fics: Their main project is an ongoing novelization (recommended and outlined below) called To The Horizon but they have completed two other works as of this writing: En Avant, a lesbian romance story between crew members Kirala and Merida and Half Way a slice of life story with a downplayed Author Avatar clerk/scribe who joins Vyse's crew with vignettes from various points in the plot.
Let's Play
- A fully voice acted, narrative Let's Play with emphasis on the [One True Threesome] can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR01kTlJX5g (by Jello Apocalypse)
Eternal Arcadia by Pegasus Knight
- Recommended by SapphireBlue and Arrow
- Status: Dead
- Pairings: There's bits of pairings in there, but they're hardly the focus of the fic. I'm pretty sure there was some Vyse/Fina, and if memory is correct, there might have been a little Aika/Gilder, as well.
- Synopsis: It's basically the story of Skies of Arcadia written like it was a novel. Things are added in and expanded on to add depth to the story.
- Comments: This is probably the best piece of fanfiction this troper has ever seen. It's extremely well-written, for one thing. Seriously, the writing is around the quality you'd see in a published work. While the author does add things in, it never feels like they're messing things up. Instead of ruining canon, it actually enhances the story and adds a lot of depth to it. It sounds impossible, but one look at the fic and you'll understand. The author also expands on existing things, making the whole setting seem more believable. A few things are taken out, but only things that made no difference to the plot. (For example, the boss in Glacia is not in the story. In the game, that thing came out of nowhere, and was unimportant overall) The setting is made more realistic, with things like the people on different continents speaking different languages. All of this is done in a way that still keeps the feel of the actual game. A wonderful rendition of the game's storyline. If you've played the game, this story is a must-read. Do keep in mind, however, that the author seems to have an incredibly busy life, and has had trouble updating regularly in the past, slipping back and forth from Dead Fic territory. The last update to the story was May of 2009, leaving events roughly during the trip to the Great Silver Shrine timewise.
Strange Clothes By Hunter Killer 360
- Recommended by SAMAS
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: OT3, 'nuff said.
- Synopsis: Another novelization of the game, taking a slightly more realistic approach to time, mechanics, and world-building. Rated M for Adult Situations, but reading those parts is fairly optional.
Trade Winds by Relik
- Recommended by SubtleInsanity and Malconvoker
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Aside from the canon Enrique/Moegi, there's a subtle hint of Gilder/Clara. However, as an Adventure fic, Romance isn't the main focus here.
- Synopsis: One year after the events of the main game, Lawrence, despite his endeavors as a former helmsman of the Delphinus, finds himself jobless and penniless as the Golden Age of piracy begins to fade. Luckily for him, the captain of a Discovery crew hires his services- at ten times his usual price, no less! Such charisma, coupled with his new crewmates' assaults on an unidentified ship and an Ixa'takan area, lead the mercenary to discover the hidden machinations of the ancient Glacians... as well as those of his new captain.
- Comments: Beautiful piece of work. The plot, the air of mystery, Lawrence's little quips... all compelling. Don't let the initial flood of original characters scare you away; they're all beautifully written enough for you to take an interest in them. Be warned: the author uses British spelling, so don't chew her out on it. The author has recently gone over the story and tried to change to the American spelling as well as group some chapters together.
Between Three Rogues by Erico
- Recommended by euan112358
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Vyse/Aika/Fina, Gilder/Clara
- Synopsis: There were Valuans, there were Black Pirates, and there were Blue Rogues, and that was enough for Vyse and Aika to wrap their heads around. Then a girl crashed into their lives, and the world became a whole lot bigger. And somewhere during a globe-spanning epic adventure that changed everything, a man, his best friend, and the girl that went sailing off the map with them figured themselves out. Because Blue Rogues always played by their own rules.
- Comments: Yet another fic novelization (though the author explicitly states otherwise), whose greatest strength is the Adaptation Expansion and world-building for all the little details glossed over by the game. Though the main draw is the OT3 development between the three main crew members, there's so much more to read about, from Dyne's status as a Living Legend, to Gilder growing out of his status as The Casanova, to Enrique exploring Valua's past and trying to restore it to its true glory. This fic is not one to be missed!
To The Horizon by dreamcastaway
- Recommended by Aetherwave and Raxino
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Vyse/Aika/Fina, Gilder/Clara, Enrique/Moegi, Luke/Mabel. Very minor Doc/Ramirez stuff.
- Synopsis:The age of exploration has dawned upon the world of Arcadia but not all is well. The skies have darkened as Valua’s war engines expand outwards. Cannons roar and flags of conquest flutter in the wind. In spite of this, brave adventurers set sail across the vast skies in search of untold treasure. And where there is treasure, there will be Air Pirates.
- Comments: This is a very detailed fic that follows the main plot novelization with focus on Adaptation Expansion and A Day in the Limelight moments for the wider cast. Author is a professional writer who mentions Eternal Arcadia as an inspiration. If you know the story of the game, you know where things are heading since the main plot is very faithfully recreated. The big draw is world-building to fill the gaps and explain how the world of Arcadia functions. There's insights on how magic works, stories about legendary air pirates like Dacaat and others, and the landscape of the Valua-Nasr War among other things, and it never feels like Narrative Filigree. The story itself features additions such as an exploration of Fina's powers as The Empath, Enrique's deeper involvement in the Valua plotline, and it even has guest characters tag along in dungeons. The only downside is tendency to reeeeeally Schedule Slip.
