I'm somewhat hesitant to do that in case someone else has their own ideas for the origin of the Garden that my actions might preempt. That has happened to me several times already. Events dynamically unfolding in the thread, often quite unpredictably, have barred me from using some of my ideas for where to take events or lines of conversation. The context changes in some way that is incompatible with what I had envisioned and oftentimes I can't think of a way to adapt so that these ideas can be used without it sounding really out of place or just not making sense. It's the reason why some of my posts or sections of my posts look so awkward.
Though now it looks like nobody's even posting in the thread, so I guess that's a permission to start some bold action? Hopefully it might revive the thread.
yey
Can't think of a reason not to. I'm a fan of "bold action" myself — I once prodded a dying thread by releasing a Humanoid Abomination intent upon devouring the soul and stealing the body of a Physical God.
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On a somewhat related topic, a lot of what you write about greatly intrigues me. Inter-dimensional conflict, corporate special forces, unfathomable abominations form beyond space- all that good stuff. A friend of mine too, but that's neither here nor there.
I don't have much of that myself- most of my characters are completely normal people with no special connections or supernatural powers whatsoever. You may have seen Grimm, and now there's Wesley. Both soldiers, one a skilled combatant (not Wesley), but neither are anything more than completely physically ordinary Human beings. That puts me at somewhat of a disadvantage when everything around these people involves dimensional rifts and magic powers and the like. I can't really see them being very effectual or doing much at all when going up against those kinds of forces, at least not without making the whole procedure look incredibly contrived.
I've a few ideas to remedy this, and Western Amalgamated (and all those characters who go along with it) looks to be playing a large role in the overarching continuity of these threads, so I was wondering if it would be a good idea for me to introduce a secondary faction into this to spice things up? Feel free to shoot this down, any of you, if you feel it would be a detriment. I'm still very hazy about the specifics of it, and any aspect of it is by no means set in stone. What do you think?
edited 24th May '11 10:41:05 AM by Gault
yey
Don't worry — while the Damur do push against the limit, and Western Amalgamated has some dangerous toys, most of my characters are Badass Normals as well, who get by through a mixture of skill, tenacity, cunning, and external resources they can leverage. I say have fun, just don't overdo the push. If you get over, good on ya, otherwise, best to whistle and walk away.
EDIT: Besides, you don't need to worry about being "tough enough", because that's not really the point. In Castle, one of my characters, an ordinary scientist, royally screwed up, and did nothing of value aside from costing himself an opportunity of a lifetime and making an enemy of a Physical God, but I still consider it a success because it gave me an insight to how he reacts when gets in over his head: he keeps charging forward until he's as far as he can go. WA only plays a large part because I've been working on developing them due to their Wild Card status in my own work — I'm using this as a chance to "get in their heads" and write from their perspective, because I can't do so in my own writing.
edited 24th May '11 11:00:36 AM by KillerClowns
Knowing me, I'll probably ask about every single goddamn decision this faction makes for fear of fucking things up as so described.
The only real way that the faction would make sense to be interfering is if they themselves had inter-dimensional or trans-reality technology themselves. Whether it's something as involved as the Damur or kinda like Stargate where they just find and manage to operate an alien artifact, I'm not sure. Probably the latter.
And I understand what you mean with that example. Maybe it's just the way I see it, but there aren't many situations that I can imagine would end with anything except my guy getting his ass kicked. I'm not sure if that would make for an interesting read or an insight into his behavior. Meaningful conflict is the soul of drama after all, and there isn't that much drama in a simple Curb Stomp Battle.
edited 24th May '11 11:02:48 AM by Gault
yeyI...thought we weren't fighting in this thread?
Whatcha gonna do, little buckaroo? | i be pimpin' madoka ficsNo, I mean, fictional, physical fighting. It sounded as if this faction was going to instigate combat in the Garden. I was wrong. My bad.
Whatcha gonna do, little buckaroo? | i be pimpin' madoka ficsWhile showing off our wang sizes magick and factions seems dandy, I would prefer if our characters connect with one another. Friendships, romance, detest. Wesley and Hector could bud off to support each other in their hardships. Glacia's violinist might have more effect on the garden than you could imagine. You have loads of potential, if you can notice it.
edited 24th May '11 11:09:20 AM by QQQQQ
Considering this conversation, I'm starting to realise how positive it is, plot-wise, that Evan is functionally deceased. Seriously, had he remained with the group, his tendencies toward implacability and enormity would almost inevitably have lead to one of two results:
- Nothing whatsoever, accompanied by boatloads of tension.
- The gruesome deaths of every single character in attendance.
Ha! Thanks for reminding me... some of us (myself included, I confess) do fall into that old trap from time to time. Merciful Heavens, we get worse than six-year-olds with action figures... (Also, I am hereby giving all involved permission to send me a PM with a kick to the 'nads if I need to be reminded how obnoxious such competitions get.)
edited 24th May '11 11:14:36 AM by KillerClowns
I think we just need to learn how to handle our characters more responsibly. For instance, keeping Vince-level, Eternal King-level, and ROSANNA-level beings away from the others.
Or, better yet, solving problems without resorting to combat at all.
edited 24th May '11 11:23:19 AM by CrystalGlacia
"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."
Good, though it implies the limit of either restricting or simply not using characters who are violent bastards. Not that this is a bad thing — violent bastards are too easy to write.
Here's what I'm thinking: the best example of the potentially problematic character type I have is Alice, who is a cold-blooded, murderous sociopath. Normally combat would be inevitable with her. But if/when I use her I'll give her a "no bodycount" order from Sigmund, which she'll respect, to force her to be a... well, the sociopath part will stay, but it'll be a chance to explore her non-violent (or not physically violent) solutions to problems. Lying, deceiving, manipulating, delivering Hannibal Lectures... now I really consider it, taking away Alice's armaments really opens up more doors than it closes.
EDIT: Likewise, the Damur. Learned a good lesson with him. Rather than having him try and fight off Fredrick and Helen
, in retrospect, I should have had him go straight to his most effective trick
, which is both completely non-violent and far more interesting than anything involving the Disruptor Knives.
edited 24th May '11 11:40:09 AM by KillerClowns
Yeah. Exactly. I need to learn how to write cunning solutions to things, as well as manipulativeness. Since physical prowess really will not get you far in a politics-centric story. Otherwise my frail, elderly protagonist would've been dead by now.
Yeah, I should use him next in QQQQQ's Iceberg idea. Though he'd die on the ship since he's male... if he doesn't die of hypothermia on the lifeboat... or of overexertion... or just old age...
"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."![]()
Very good point. Violence is too easy. It's the most base, straight-forward solution. What's much more interesting and intriguing is thinking your way out of problems. It's the limitations, and circumventing them, that make things interesting. Maybe my inability to (I think) do interesting things with my characters in this setting speaks more to my lack of ability as a writer than it does the nature of the setting?
edited 24th May '11 11:40:37 AM by Gault
yeyQuestion: Is there anyone here who does not live either in America (the continent) or Australia? Because I now have enough time to join one of these, but the Writer's Block forum seems to be alive only when I'm asleep. I mean, okay, there are posts, but I fear that in a character development thread, the speed difference would make my character lose much of the stuff going on.
PS: The regions are, you know, examples.
edited 24th May '11 1:15:32 PM by Dealan

Try to evolve your situation from what is currently happening. I give you one hint; Wesley's issues appear to be one tree out of the whole forest. Connect him with everyone else feeling distraught that they could have stepped inside this paradise. What is really going on? What is the purpose of their visit? Take the initiative.
For me, I'm choosing to focus writing my own story to its completion, and so I fear I have to drop out for now.
edited 24th May '11 9:55:49 AM by QQQQQ