Xevvy has a knack for making relatable and memorable characters. He even predicted a major news event months before!
sillycomments101
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A member registered Aug 21, 2021
Recent community posts
You seem to be in pretty deep, but I'll take a chance to help you get back to reason. People don't mean to call you stupid, it's just that the actions you continue to take actively work against your apparent goals. You have multiple demands of the author, but each of them require continued development of the game. Your strategies to achieve your demands are to (a) complain to the author, (b) discourage compassionate comments toward the author, and (c) encourage the withholding of funding for the author. (a) is clearly not working. It's hindering game development, preventing your demands from being met, but you are refusing to stop due to your emotional attachment to that course of action. Let's move on to (b). The artist has opened up to how he takes inspiration from compassionate comments for motivation to develop the game. (b) works against that, hindering game development, again preventing your goals from being met. (c) is set to fail, but this is due to a common misconception. While there is this fantasy about boycotts and voting with your money, the only practical outcome successful boycotts consistently cause is the cancelation of projects. No money, no reason to invest resources. Academic research has reached this conclusion. Cancelation of this project would prevent any progress towards your demands. With this in mind, I suggested two alternative strategies: (1) make your own VN that satisfies your demands, and (2) make compassionate comments toward the author. If you succeed in (1), you would have a VN that meets your demands, and may inspire the author to adjust course. With (2), you would be contributing to the author something he needs to stay motivated to continue this project, making future updates less uncertain.
If your comment is representative of the "gray knights," their out-of-control temper is messing with their logical reasoning. I was genuinely shocked by your comment, and I needed to take a step back, hence the delay in reply.
1) Counseling should be considered even if one feels there is no need; the stigma against counseling should end. That said, the answer is no, I didn't even mention counseling; you're begging the question with your absurd conclusion. To address this misunderstanding, let's go through my comment again. The assumption is that the "gray knights" have some demands of the author and are trying to achieve them in good faith. One way to achieve the goal of a VN that satisfies those demands is to make one yourself. One of the constants of the Internet is that when something is made, others want to make something like it. Overcoming the obstacles of making your VN may inspire KT to overcome his obstacles in a similar manner. Lead by example: because complaining to the author isn't working.
2) The "white knights" have a point. Other strategies are asinine have serious flaws. More in a reply to the other comment.
3) None of this is legal advice. When you make a purchase, you're only entitled to what's advertised (plus any other rights granted by the law). Looking at Patreon, it doesn't look like KT offers a subscription bonus that lets you specify when KT must release an update to the VN, what art direction KT must take for the VN, or further access to KT. Same with plush buying. You may be thinking of how a publicly traded company by law must hold shareholder meetings where shareholders may vote on company decisions. Echoes of Arcane is not a publicly traded company, it's not subject to those regulations, and you have not entered a contract that entitles you to such voting rights. You have the right to complain (but you don't need to pay for that, complaining isn't working, and KT is not obligated to provide a platform for complaints). Beyond what's advertised, any obligation KT has to you is in the same vein as the kind of obligation he would have if you gifted him a birthday present: not legally enforceable.
4) I did not expect to talk about the politics of homelessness. The main takeaway from your example is that private small-dollar charity to individuals is not effective enough to resolve the homelessness crisis. Not "compassion bad." There is no way for KT to cash in compassionate comments for alcohol, but he can cash in compassionate comments for inspiration and motivation to continue development. Maybe you think positive comments encourage complacency. Even if that were true, the empirical evidence shows complaining won't help meet the demands; the best bet is to make more compassionate comments.
I anticipate the other commenters won't like this comment as much. Have you considered that the constant badgering about the delays and missteps may be an emotional overreaction? Doing the same thing and expecting a different result, like a gambling addict. All that achieved was wasting the author's time writing two devposts and burning him out further.
If your goal is to lead the artist to update sooner or give a more detailed schedule, making angry comments won't help. It's clear that it's having an adverse effect by demotivating the author, causing further updates to be more and more uncertain.
Here's some things you can do to help.
1) The less compassionate solution: make your own VN that's just as good, or at least can be produced in a more consistent schedule. Lead by example, and show how it's done. I think that much of this VN's value is the heart the author puts. But if you favor a consistent output, show the author that it can be done (hopefully without sacrificing the personalized quality), while having a free version, avoiding burnout, etc. Development is not linear, but if you can conquer that challenge solo, you would be an inspiration.
2) Make compassionate comments instead. Instead of burning the artist out with constant negativity, why not talk about what you like about the story. Motivate the author by confirming that past art decisions were good. Bring him to a good mood with an ulterior motive. He's had more than enough negative comments to get the point. Compassion is rational.
Development is not linear, subscriptions/plush buying are not commissions, etc. It might be a good idea to disable the comments section as other VN authors wisely have.
I agree that it might be a good idea to just shut down this comment section. Comment sections like these probably aren't the best way to gain useful feedback. The comments may not accurately reflect the readership, and reading each one of them can be counterproductive and demotivational. No freedom of speech is violated if the author simply chooses not to read a particular comment (or provide a platform for it). If it would help the author, maybe he should cut off feedback entirely from nonpaying users (then have an exclusive section for multi-month supporters). This could filter out feedback to perhaps a more manageable level.
Let me just add some closing thoughts.
Reflect on how you said, "In my opinion, and I think that this is one that several other people would share...." If you were to find those other people and galvanize them to hinder authors from writing "bad" stories (perhaps by writing more silly comments or worse; you know this as "Hate Dumb." If you've been deep enough into the Internet to discover TVTropes, don't act like it hasn't happened before), you would have effectively used mob rule to suppress freedom of expression. Not to assume your intent, but don't do any of this.
"I find xyz unappealing (in the context of abc)" communicates the relevant info objectively and falsifiably. If the author had AAA resources, perhaps he could put that data into good use. No one should take "good stories must have xyz" seriously.
If you're 18+ and went to high school, you should know that there seems to be no shortage of people acting unreasonably, sometimes in shocking ways. Human condition, blah blah blah. You seem like a reasonable person. Let's say you were to do something that causes drama (wink, wink), disrupting the status quo, potentially causing harm (perhaps contributing to a chilling effect that leads to censorship). And what if you were to do it again, and again? You're still a reasonable person, right?
The ups and downs in this story can be distressing, and those who can't handle it should avoid it. I want to make it clear that it's not my goal to convince you to not be disappointed (if you can't put together that alcohol and high emotions lead to bad decisions ... you have a gap in common sense and basic reasoning skills. Are you arguing in good faith?). Rather, I wanted to point out and deconstruct some questionable, "problematic" undertones from your post ("good stories must have xyz", dictation of how emotional characters should be handled). I detected a hint of Adris/Dran.
Honestly if the author were to look at my posts, he would probably think they're just another turd in the shitshow. And he would be right.
If I were to continue this conversation, I might address some parts of your post that just bewilder me, that give me a "Not Even Wrong" vibe. Relies on drama for tension? ...Where do I even begin?
Do I really want this to continue? Eh, here it goes.
It's fine for a story to have characters that are not always on their A-game. Classic episodes of "The Simpsons" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" have incompetent characters yet good stories. YMMV of course.
It's realistic for some characters to act emotionally and irrationally sometimes. Bad decisions and miscommunication are facts of life. Why not have a look a some stories that deal with the "human condition"? Like I said, this isn't a children's story. It's not a guide for how to act in these types of situations. As ought to happen in real life, Caelan was later confronted with the seriousness of his transgressions.
Your analysis of the chief scene legit comes from an error in reading comprehension. The CG showing the chief, Ranok, and the guards only shows a split second of the action (compare this to a prose book with a full page image on the right, text as usual on the left). The delay was caused by Ranok trying to attack his father, causing the guards to restrain him. The chief, as Ranok's father, was trying to make an impression on Ranok. Caelan speaks immediately the second after the sword was taken out (EDIT: the delay for Caelan speaking can be explained by clear instructions not to speak to anyone). I've re-read the chief scene to confirm. TBF, I misremembered the slow-motion part.
Instead of claiming "good stories must have competent characters," why not say, "I don't find stories with blatantly emotional characters appealing." It's normal for some people to have different tastes in stories. As much as I feel like horror stories are junk because they always have unfortunate endings, the truth is plenty of people like them and they do have value. I would argue that seriously applying rigid, blanket standards for a story to be "good" can have a chilling effect that may lead to a slippery slope that censors freedom of expression.
I didn't think I was gonna continue this conversation, but here I am.
Overall, Caelan's actions are reasonable though like you said, there are some glaring lapses in judgment.
But what's wrong with the character making a few bad decisions and facing consequences after? Wouldn't the writing be more "contrived", out-of-touch, and boring if Caelan never makes mistakes at all?
Would it be realistic writing for Caelan to never be discovered eventually, when there is sentry duty every night very close to the house, and the wolves are doing the suspicious activity of bringing food from the feast? Is it really unthinkable for drunk, lonely, and jealous Caelan to want to dance with someone?
Notice the "Ominous Whisper" that occurs before certain bad decisions. While this plot device is kinda simplistic, is it really that offensive to your sense of good taste to have a character go through some mental struggles?
Covering up for Vulgor was rational. It would be unscrupulous for Caelan to lose an ally like Vulgor, and in Caelan's best interest to try to be his friend.
The dramatic license used when the chief was trying to kill Caelan was explained as the slow-motion memory capture effect that occurs when you're in a life-threatening situation. Really, it doesn't take that long to utter three words (that he was prepared to say in advance).
(Spoilers, obviously)
I think it's interesting how in an earlier cycle, people were complaining that this VN is too upfront with the subject of slavery. Now, people are complaining that they dislike the player character's personality.
While it's possible to not enjoy this VN, I question some of the things you wrote.
A good story doesn't require fully competent role model characters unless it's a children's story.
Like a nuanced story that's not just for children, all the characters have their own internal logic and emotions that base their decisions, and do not always act principled when prevented by the circumstances. For example, Vulgor felt compelled to kill Caelan to avoid the consequences of Caelan's discovery; Vulgor wasn't doing that because he has an abusive personality, rather he was doing what he thought was best given the circumstances. Caelan, given the conditions he faced, needed friendship and proximity. Knowing that deep down Vulgor was not malicious, Caelan felt it was worth the risk to pursue a friendship with Vulgor (he is one of the few people Caelan can talk to without being killed; snitching on him would cost an ally). His clingy "simp" behavior is even addressed the night before Ranok's departure.
While the Sylvan law sparing Caelan's life was convenient for the author, I wouldn't call it a deux ex machina because it was brought up previously, the audience expected the life sparing to happen, and it pertains to future parts of the story.
I don't mean to be petty, but the fact that you played through parts of the VN and it stirred up emotions suggests that the artist succeeded to some extent.
The earlier criticisms about the story's depiction of slavery were well-intentioned, but lacked context. However, the newer criticism of Caelan's personality seem subconsciously based on toxic individualist attitudes. Shouldn't the focus be on changing the xenophobic laws (the overall story, by the way), rather than condemning those who made the mistake of being caught?
If you're wondering why I keep writing essays about this VN, it's because it really is captivating enough for me to write comments about it as I await the next update.
I see Jay winking at me in the banner, as if he knows he's the first one my eyes are drawn to.
(Spoilers)
I admire how brazen the latest update has been. Though I would have liked a more direct answer, I appreciate how the update indirectly answered the burning question, "Why are all the characters so hot?" (Because they're GMO warrior creatures)
I suppose the update also indirectly answers the other burning question: "Why does Adrian feel 'plain' when he has huge muscular arms and a well-defined six-pack?" (He feels inadequate compared to the other GMO warrior creatures)
I think there are some things that ought to be disclosed, besides what's in the description.
This VN is still being written, so you're bound to reach a cliffhanger. There will only be one romantic route in this VN (the player character and Ranok). Plus there's currently no sex at this point, just one nude scene. Also, why don't more artists disclose "animal_genitalia"?
This VN is very captivating and story-rich (which makes the cliffhangers extra rough). While the VN is tender and comforting at times, some people find parts of the VN shocking.
The obvious shocker is how slavery in the society is presented as banal. While in context, the author is condemning slavery, it can be hard to watch a character berate a slave, despite knowing how the slave was forced into slavery.
Some scenes depict distressing situations that would be more fit for a horror story. Plus, there are some odd scenes that can only be explained by an oddball version of "British humour".
If you can tolerate those scenes, this is probably the most promising VN on the site. Even with ongoing delays, development is projected to continue relatively smoothly compared to other indie projects.
Time for another essay! At this rate, the shitshow in the comment section is gonna delay the update even further. You guys act like you need SparkNotes to explain the VN you just read.
(Spoilers)
The hero of the story (in the "Hero's Journey" sense) is Ranok, not the player character (Caelan). The story is about Ranok's journey to become a better chief. Caelan's role, as Enelle suggests, is to be at the right place at the right time to help trigger a change in the wolf society.
Caelan's personality is unlikely to change, because that would betray his moral high ground. Caelan personifies the "moral compass" motif. Of course Caelan seems pathetic, whiny, etc. That's the point. Because of the wolves' indoctrination and immense pressure to conform, any moral criticism of the wolf society will be seen as something that needs to be suppressed by force. Caelan and the other wards are as powerless to the wolves as any progress to move the society forward is powerless to the pressure to conform.
So how does Ranok overcome this pressure? The classic trope: he falls in love (with an outsider). Ranok's taboo relationship with Caelan symbolizes the struggle to move the society forward (notice how Ranok feels he must push Caelan away even though Ranok wants the relationship to happen). That's why a route with Caelan and Vulgor/Varissa/Tano/Tryst/Cora won't work. It would make the story less cohesive, not to mention make development less efficient.
Or maybe I'm the idiot and the author has no intent to continue the story this way. LOL