Random Questions Thread

Saying "He/She/They like/listen to/read/watch/play [thing] unironically" insinuates that the person genuinely likes and enjoys the thing on its own merits, not simply to make fun of it or similar, and also shows that the speaker thinks liking that thing is uncool, laughable, or weird, usually because they find the thing to be of poor quality.

Edited by CrystalGlacia on Mar 7th 2023 at 10:33:44 AM

I'm with you, FOFD. It's bizarre how irony went from something we learned about in English class to something that the Internet suddenly proclaimed is the most important thing in the Universe.

@Ars. Thank you for your input.

As for your question. I feel like the idea is one that would end up controversial if it ended up a real game. In part because of the unique elements are untested. It prolly isn't SAO tier, but I'd still think designing a game around putting pvp in raids would be more trouble that it's worth for any of the current mmo developers.

@FOFD:

As others have indicated, I imagine that it's due to the rise of people being reported to like things ironically—i.e. not for enjoyment of the thing, but in mockery of it.

Thus there may be cause to specify that a given person (or oneself) is not doing so, that they are enjoying the thing due to finding merit therein.

And it seems natural to me to then use a word in direct opposition to the word being opposed, hence: "unironically".

That said... I honestly don't find it to sound all that dumb. It's an expression that would seem to me to have utility to current cultures.

I mean, this is natural and long-standing, I do believe: culture shifts with the young generally at the vanguard, thus leaving them in general less comprehensible to those older.

It's perhaps just more visible in the age of the internet because the older generations likely have more contact with the younger via the melting-pot tendencies of online discussion.

@MorningStar:

It might be controversial—but then, controversy can draw interest.

As to the mechanics being untested... well, indeed—but then all mechanics are untested when new.

Although in all fairness such a mechanic is not entirely untested: there's some degree of precedent in games like Dark Souls allowing players to antagonistically "invade" the (single-player) sessions of other players.

As to current MMO developers, well, I don't know about them specifically. But then, that isn't necessarily all that important: they're not necessarily the only MMO developers that will ever be. Perhaps such a risk might be taken by a new company.

How old should a child be before they understand how certain institutions work? What I mean is this specific example:

There is a character I am going to post on one of the Critique threads. His young daughter wanted to join the elite military unit he was a part of and follow in his footsteps when she grew up, although she died before she was ever able to grow up. One of the little tragedies about this is that the group in question does not even allow women into its ranks.

What I wonder is, should she have known about this prior to her death? Technically the backstory of this is all over and done with, but it's a weird plot hole that is driving me crazy now that I'm thinking about it.

She was thirteen when she died, so just leaving being an actual child at that point.

You're wondering if it'd be age-appropriate to tell a young girl who wants to be just like her dad that his unit doesn't allow women? I was a weird child, but I feel like I would've understood and been able to handle knowing something like that as soon as I knew what the words meant, so probably as young as kindergarten age, even if I didn't really understand the societal background and other such reasons for it, so she probably could've known as soon she started to express wanting to be like Dad. By 12-13, I was learning more and more about feminism and sexism via the internet, and kids these days are learning about diversity and inclusion as early as elementary school. A simple way to explain to a child why women traditionally haven't been allowed in combat might be to say that women have to keep things going at home while the men are away, not just taking care of the kids, but also working to produce supplies so the soldiers can keep on fighting.

So he tells her, "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but my unit doesn't let girls in combat roles. That's just how it is. Maybe that could change by the time you're grown up." (Even if he doesn't actually think it will.) And then if you make this a more extensive flashback, he could try presenting other options, like working in a support role with the unit, if she's dead-set on Dad's unit in particular and they allow women in support roles, or if it's more about combat, a unit or branch that does allow female combatants (again, assuming that exists in their military). It'd be a sweet little way for them to bond and for him to talk about the importance of support roles and how there's many, many different ways to fight and serve your country other than shooting bad guys.

Edited by CrystalGlacia on Mar 7th 2023 at 12:27:04 PM

@ Crystal Glacia:

Thank you for the well thought out answer! Actually, you put far more into it than even I did; my question was more about whether the girl would even be aware that the gender-exclusion in her father's branch of the military existed in the first place.

I remember that I actually didn't find out about the areas women weren't allowed in the (United States) military until I was around 19. So I wasn't sure a thirteen-year-old would understand something like that. Granted this is a fictional nation of elves, but the principle remains the same.

Other than that you addressed this very well, and actually your scenario was far better than what my character ended up doing to "resolve" the situation...which was basically just lie by omission and hope she would forget about the dream while entertaining a vague hope that things would change.

So, I have this "unofficial editor" who pressures me to have at least one of the four main protagonists of my story to die so it can be more impactful. Namely, since it's in a huge intergalactic war, having one of them to die would, according to him, further compound the tragedy and senseless waste of life in a conflict of this scale.

Do you agree or there are better ways in showing the four protagonists surviving yet dealing with the consequences of the war given what they had to endure?

Some ideas that came to mind are permanent disability (in such a way that can't fully be corrected in ways that matter); post-traumatic stress disorder; losing family, loved ones, and/or a home, whether physically or losing or relationships as they know them due to some direct or indirect consequence of the war; or just being so changed by the war and their experiences such that they can no longer relate to or fit into the life they had to leave behind and tried so hard to protect.

The characters come home from the war and nothing's the same anymore. Their kids had to grow up with a missing parent and treat them like they're a stranger, and the parent in question may have missed their birth, their first steps, their first day of school, having left a squalling baby and returned home to a fully fledged person in their place. One of them just wanted to be a landscape painter or a musician, but with the nerve damage in their hands, they can no longer manipulate a paintbrush or play their instrument. Their home bears the scars of wartime rationing- several beloved local institutions didn't survive the squeeze, and the adults will go the rest of their lives obsessively stockpiling food and money, even if nothing like this war ever happens in their lifetime again. Their nightmares keep them awake at night, they jump at every little sound, they panic when they can't feel their sidearm, and their civilian bed feels so soft compared to the hard cots and floors they slept on during the war that they feel like they're going to fall straight through the mattress. Perhaps the distance and stress of the war strains marriages so hard they break. Maybe one of their hometowns or home worlds had the misfortune of becoming a manufacturing area for supplies for the war, and the enemy shelled it to kill off a supply line at the source, like what happened across Europe during the World Wars. It's like the war not only never ended, it even followed them home.

War isn't bad just because it kills people; it destroys and irrevocably alters ways of life and culture for every belligerent party directly involved in the war and that happens to get caught in the crossfire, all the way from the leaders to the military to the civilians at home.

That's what more or less I had in mind.

Like, the 4 protagonists are even chosen ones, so them taking a break while the rest handle the remaining parts of the empire is showing how mentally drained they are from the ordeal?

That, and their break back at home is tainted by the war, too, which might be harder and even more tragic than any of them dying. That's a pretty significant theme of lots of war stories- dying can be much easier than living.

Sometimes, I think we focus too much on mortal peril, both in story conflicts and when talking about war, like thinking that dying is the only bad thing about war, or even that a story plot doesn't have real stakes unless it centers around the protagonist avoiding death.

Indeed. That's something the "unofficial editor" should understand more.

That, and having the leader of the American collaborators with the Alien empire being a bigoted white man isn't actually an attack on white people.

How might i write the psychology of a robot (particularly in a way that won't come off as autistic-coded)?

Edited by Nukeli on Mar 9th 2023 at 11:58:08 AM

Was Top Gear broadcast in America in the early 2000s?

I have a 2010-ish draft set in rural Nevada, where one character has a throwaway line about knowing a less usual car's name because she saw it on Top Gear (i don't know if the specific car was ever on Top Gear, but that doesn't matter).

The show premiered on November 21, 2010, on history channel, according to Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_(American_TV_series)

I mean the real one. The one with Clarkson. The British one.

According to this list, BBC America aired the original UK Top Gear starting in 2002. I remember that channel was not part of basic cable until maybe a few years ago, so the character would've had to pay extra for premium cable to get access to the channel.

Edited by CrystalGlacia on Mar 10th 2023 at 2:18:37 PM

I'm curious if the following scene invokes a feeling of "helplessness" or "claustrophobia" or some other form of being boxed into a terrible situation.

There is a scene in my WIP's endgame where several characters are trapped in a city where people are turning rapidly turning into werewolves all at the same time and going on a rampage. The characters and a group of terrified people are trying to escape and are attempting to get to some office buildings to escape the horde.

...only for a random member of the group to point out that there are werewolves all over the buildings, quite literally falling out of the windows in some cases; the same with many other buildings in the immediate area.

It's supposed to convey a feeling of overwhelming doom, along with complete confusion as to why this is happening (although the readers know what is going on). I just wondered if it worked out, or if it needs to be refined/changed.

It is impossible to know without reading it. The secret is in execution, not the Idea.

That said, the way it works with me -And I speak for myself-is if there was a Hope Spot first.

As after a long journey, having faced many difficulties looking for this safe place and after many sacrifices and acts of daring and cunning, here they are. The safe building is in front of them, laughter, joy, the big guy pats his friend on the back, theStoic let what seems like a smile, the Action Girl lower her weapon, and the youngest and more likable of the cast run to open the door, even the text should portray victory or joy, If it's a movie I will put a victory music, (In a text form maybe a misleading chapter title will do the affair, like Victory for example).

And then, while the young and likable member of the cast opens the door laughing, he finds the werewolf in front of him.

If you are OK sacrificing this poor kid, now is the time. Killing him now in one hit with his smile still in his face will have an effect (With the condition that he was likable and had a lot of screen time beforehand)

While his friends look in terror, more werewolfs appear gradually until they circle them, and then the heroes and the reader know they are doomed.

If executed well, that will rise an emotion of surprise and shock from me, particularly if the heroes are likable.

Something like the read wedding in A Storm of Swords.

But again, that just me. I am neither a writer, nor do I have any experience in the field.

@ jawal:

Thanks for replying. Yeah, when I wrote the question I figured it would be something subjective that had to be in the execution, but I was just hoping the general premise would be enough to get a hint as to whether I was headed in the right direction. I'm glad it seems like I'm at least in the general area lol.

This scene is intended to be a Shoot the Shaggy Dog ending for a group of long-time side characters that the story follows from time to time and also a way of showing just how horrific the story's current situation is, away from the main characters.

I like that. The whole "get to the office buildings and hide" was literally a split-second thing before they realized that it wouldn't work. Perhaps drawing it out and making it an actual goal before the revelation of werewolves literally swarming the area and sandwiching them would be better.

How do i make a villain who just wants power (Character B here) interesting?

Her rationale for keeping the war going despite the apocalyptic situation is that she'll find more of the macguffin resource or an alternative for it, before or after conquering the world, and then she'll rule over whatever civilians remain and whatever escaped civilians (and soldiers from whichever side as long as they join her) return. The enemy side's leaders, and the leader she was allied with and who left her in charge, however....

On the warlord thing, the original situation was that there was a war, which turned into "an army^note  (Character A's side) vs. a bunch of independent but possibly allied warlords^note  (Character B's "side")" scenario.

Edited by Nukeli on Mar 11th 2023 at 12:28:52 PM

My favorite kind of old-fashioned villains. I wish they were more of them.

If she exists off-screen and the heroes never met her at first, describe her as Sauron or Palpatine, as a master manipulator/warrior who command great power, let her minions speak of her with fear and reverence and her enemies describe her ruthlessness and give anecdotes of places she conquered and enemies she defeated.

However, care must be taken so that when she is met, she lives up to all the hype you give her, if the story is 50 chapters, do not describe her as an evil genius/Lady of War/master politician, only to reveal her as a Smug Snake.

If she often appears, In my view the things to focus on are her intelligence and power, those are the things that endear Villains to people, if she wants just power, that is justification enough. No need for too more justification than "soon all of you will bow before me".

Make her a scene when she faces an enemy and defeat him with cunning, let show betray and ally or kill a minion that outlived his usefulness to establish her villain creed.

An old thing that make some villains interesting, is to make them an evil counterpart of the hero. If the latter have a rare superpower, let the villain have the same power (Only stronger and more developed) If the hero studied under a master/mentor figure, or if he himself a master of some martial or something make the villain a A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil.

The idea is that if the hero himself is likable (And he better be for the story to work) then people will be interested to see a copy of him turn to evil and act without restraints.

Finally, for me-and I speak for me only-those kind of villains lost their mystic if you give them too heavy of a Freudian Excuse (Like her father beat her, abused her or what not) as greed and hunger for power is their trait, that what must be focused on if you do a flashback.

In fact, they are more interesting if you give them a normal childhood and make them star in the way of evil just to get power. If you must give them a justification, make it simple, they started poor and want money and influence, or they were betrayed by a lover and vow to trust no one...etc.

And just do not make them go in a multi-paragraph rant explaining their past.

She features pretty prominently. My current idea is that there's three storylines; Character A and Character B's conflict in the homeworld where they think everybody else has died, and the two armies that had left being split in two (or unwillingly separated) and fighting on two different worlds (one of which is found to contain the resource). So there'd be two other protagonists and two other antagonists on the other two world in addition to A and B. The people on the three worlds initially can't contact each other, but a way is discovered during the story.

I'm not sure how much her and Character A are "counterparts" in that sense (or if they actually know each other somehow), but they are some sort of contrasting characters. Character B is a power-hungry and bloody warlord who wants to take over the world and destroy everything in her way, while Character A is a sweet and caring man thrust into a position he's not qualified for^note  (he isn't even a military officer, he's some kind of a scientist) and desperately trying to save the civilians from the warlord and looming starvation.

That's why i thought being motivated by power and not having a Freudian Excuse would be good. I haven't seen that be common with female villains (unless they're femme fatales, eugh). And how female villains in general are often written differently than male villains (prone to good or "good" motivations, freudian excuses, or being less bad).

TW for gore/violence in this one

So, what would be a realistic reaction for this character would have in response to getting her eyes gouged out?

For context, this occurs at an intense battle during what's probably the climax. Most of the characters are mages and the one I'm talking about has eyes that can emit powerful illusions and is a lie-detector as well (we'll call her Madame for the sake of this question) and IIRC magic in this world is often sight-based, so you must see stuff to cast magic. The main villain involved in the battle is aware of how powerful Madame's eyes are and thus gouges them out with daggers.

Personality wise, at this point in the story, Madame is a headstrong, independent and clever woman that went through a good amount of Character Development to get there and is The Leader of the story's MCs. She cares deeply about her allies, especially her GF and kids who are very dear to her (although she may get annoyed with the antics of the eccentric but powerful newcomer that'd joined the team as the stakes are quite high but she still respects them as they're quite an useful ally).

The reaction I have in mind so far for the eye gouging is that Madame gets caught off as suddenly all she can see is blood and darkness alongside feeling immense pain. Realizing that she'd been blinded and lost access to a decent amount of her magic (including her magical eye powers), she panics and calls out for her GF and her other allies, as she's gotten exceptionally vulnerable. And after the battle where she eventually gets her eyes recovered, she develops a fear of the dark due to that incident.

Edited by Cutegirl920fire on Mar 11th 2023 at 8:22:28 AM

Do you mean her reaction during the battle, immediately on the event?

I'm no expert, so I stand to be corrected in this, but I'd imagine such an event to be painful to the point of being debilitating and/or panicking: I'd expect screaming and flailing and maybe falling down.

Edited by ArsThaumaturgis on Mar 11th 2023 at 9:49:28 PM