9962 réponses à ce sujet

[Drussius]

lillitheris wrote...

Drussius wrote...

LOL. Spent about 20 minutes going from system to system on the ME1 galaxy map looking at planets. And I can now say...

That sounds ineffecient… http://masseffect.wi.../wiki/Amaterasu I don’t think it’s visited, just mentioned—all visitable places have location information.

Thanks. But I already looked at the wiki before I started my search in the game. And wikis aren't always perfect. The problem is that I had no reason to have looked up Amaterasu previously, and yet the instant I first saw it mentioned here, it struck my memory somehow. I am almost positive that I saw it somewhere before. And since I had never searched for it or anything relating to it on the wiki, that left the game.

It's still bugging me... But as I said, it was taking too long and was boring me too much to go through the galaxy maps of all three games looking for it... or whatever it was that was close enough to it to make me think I'd heard it before. There was probably just another planet or colony or city name that had a similar cadence or whatever. It may come to me eventually.

[lillitheris]

Drussius wrote...

 The problem is that I had no reason to have looked up Amaterasu previously, and yet the instant I first saw it mentioned here, it struck my memory somehow. I am almost positive that I saw it somewhere before.

I’d wager you’ve seen it in relation to Ashley. As the entry states, her family is from there.

(Locations are one of the things that the Wiki does pretty well.)

Modifié par lillitheris, 16 septembre 2012 - 01:16 .

[Drussius]

Don't have anything to actually say. Just saw this thread at the very bottom of the page and have never seen it drop off page one. So.... bump!

[lillitheris]

Heh…I don’t really, either, except to say that fluffy’s present is online

[Icyflare]

Guess everyone's busy and whatnot? I could ask a question, since it's rather weird to see this at the bottom.

Has anyone else done any types of narratives other than a fanfiction chapter-type prose work (such as poetry, screenplays, original short stories, interactive stories, etc), and how do those things affect your writing?

[hot_heart]

I've done screenwriting. Got a Masters in it, although the main benefit to the course was networking (which turned out to be pretty useless for me as far as British TV goes). Experimented with all sorts of things, though apparently, comedy was my forte.

It's good practice for being economic with your writing, especially dialogue, but it really does nothing for your prose.

[Spiritwolf1]

I write reports, does that count

[Icyflare]

Does it affect how you write?

[Spiritwolf1]

lol, probably why IM not the most descriptive person in the world, just the facts Ma'am

[AustereLemur799]

I'm absolutely terrible at describing things. I couldn't describe a tree, but I could describe what role it plays in the forest. In my fic I actually physically can't do a long-winded description of, say, the Normandy. For instance I'll write about a character using the coffee maker in the mess hall; I won't say beforehand how there is a coffee maker in the mess hall. Character interactions provide more useful information. As you say: facts over description.

Damn, sorry if I'm not making sense tonight. I've had one glass too many...

[Icyflare]

Well, as a reader, I would prefer it if a person didn't go in-depth describing what a coffee maker looks like. For general, everyday things, a brief sentence or two is enough for me to get what it is. For something more exotic, like the inside of a Reaper or something, longer passages would be more appropriate.

In short, you don't need to describe everything. Just the things that are relevant to the plot/characters. Don't go on for three paragraphs depicting a man taking off his pants, please.

Modifié par Icyflare, 17 septembre 2012 - 10:44 .

[AustereLemur799]

I had this conversation with someone whose name I can't remember ages ago. It's quite interesting. Every writer has their own style. Personally I see Thomas Hardy-style description as a gift that I most certainly do not have. I really just can't describe what I visualise. Like the inside of a Reaper... Useful little exercise, but I wouldn't know where to start.

People are just wired differently I guess. But diverse styles are a good thing, or everyone's work would read the same and would be boring. I know my strengths and weaknesses in my writing. I know description is something I find difficult, but I try not to force myself to work too hard on it. I have other features (hopefully) like characterisation. If I'm doing my job right, hopefully the reader won't notice that I have a lack descriptive imagery.

[Spiritwolf1]

I think my weakness are description as well as being less verbose as some. I'm not elegant, more like.. a bull in a china shop. I wish I was more eloquent but I'm not and I guess it practise but at this point in my life I'm not sure I will get better

[AustereLemur799]

I think knowing your weaknesses in your writing is really important. It allows you to accept the fact and gives you more time to focus on your strengths and make them shine. As I said, everyone has a different style.

Eloquence isn't the be-all-and-end-all. Again, that is style. At the end of the day, communicating your point is the most important thing - it doesn't matter how you do it; just that you manage to do it.

And don't put yourself down; you can only improve (that is if you even need to in the first place). I can chart huge differences in my writing style over the last four years. I'm definitely much better now than I was then. I've still got a long way to go, but it's all a journey.

Modifié par AustereLemur799, 17 septembre 2012 - 11:06 .

[fluffywalrus]

lillitheris wrote...

Heh…I don’t really, either, except to say that fluffy’s present is online

You're the best...around!
No one's ever gonna keep you down!

Seriously. Thank you.<3

[Icyflare]

Spiritwolf1 wrote...

I think my weakness are description as well as being less verbose as some. I'm not elegant, more like.. a bull in a china shop. I wish I was more eloquent but I'm not and I guess it practise but at this point in my life I'm not sure I will get better

Eloquence is nice to use if you have it, but I think the more valuable skill is articulation. Just being able to say exactly what you mean so that other people completely understand the message is a more important asset, in writing and real life. But not being verbose isn't a bad thing. Writers like Chekov and Hemmingway have made a living out of creating terse, to the point passages, although much of their genius lies in the subtext of the passages. Being succinct has its advantages too.

Modifié par Icyflare, 18 septembre 2012 - 12:33 .

[Terror_K]

One can also be too verbose and end up writing everything too purple, or end up pulling a Robert Jordan and spending five pages describing a pretty dress and entire chapters where nothing even really happens.

[Volc19]

Hi there, do you guys think you can help me out with something? I am planning to create a ME3 rewrite, and I'm currently mapping out ideas. The story will feature numerous ancient assets that will assist in the war against the Reapers, alongside developments made by the Rachni, Elcor, Geth and other races in order to bring about a conventional victory. As it stands, I have come to an impasse about how I wish to integrate the Protheans into this story. I have four different scenarios that I am torn between, and I wish to know which one you all prefer.

Option 1- The Last Prothean/Javik.
This would just be introducing Javik, as he is into the story. Chances are I would power him up a bit, as to make him more useful, but he'd be otherwise the same.
Integration method 1- Eden Prime. I would re-do the level and meeting a bit, but it would end the same.
Integration method 2- Disembodied mind. He would be a Prothean mind that was integrated into the Virtual Alien's arc ship. During a plot point involving them, his mind would possess a Collector body and would join Shepard. (If this isn't chosen, within the same situation, the mind of the last Leviathan would replace Javik)

Option 2- The Sleeping Army.
Javik may be among this group, yet it would be a large army hidden away in a bunker. This would basically be Javik's refuge base's plan if he was successful in keeping everyone alive.
Integration methods- Basically the same as lone Javik's. They would either be unearthed or would all be aboard the virtual arc ship.

Option 3- Insane Prothean Reaper.
This is the most drastic difference of the other two. It was speculated on why the Prothean Reaper simply 'didn't work', and this would prove why. Perhaps the extremely strong minds of the Protheans ended up weakening the AI shackles that the Prothean Reaper would be restrained by, and eventually let the collective minds of the Protheans within it to think and act freely. This Reaper would have gone rouge, killing serveral other Reapers and going into hiding. Shepard would find this Reaper, and it would join the war effort (The alternative is the Leviathan DLC, only changing it so that there is only a single living Leviathan remaining).

Option 4- The New Empire.
This would involve the Collectors being cut from Reaper influence, joining the war, and being given the Prothean Cipher from Cerberus. This would involve the Collectors attempting to find their way in the galaxy, and coming to terms with their new identities. And, seeing as the CB was kept in this reboot, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to think that Cerberus wouldn't try to reactivate the cloning devices in the base.

[Terror_K]

@Volc19

Have you considered the option that perhaps there are a few Protheans left in stasis deep within the bowels of The Citadel, ala Vigil's "speculation?" That might be a logical way to add a few more of the species to the ranks in a manner that fits the canon.

[lillitheris]

Personally, and I think I’ve said this before, in my mind including a live prothean was the single worst decision in the design of ME3.

It completely and utterly undermines the entire premise of the series.

That said, the way I went about Javik—SPOILERS—was combining the VI and the Collectors. Someone, haven’t decided if Cerb or Alliance, constructed or invoked a composite intelligence from the VIs and some memory shards, and managed to implant the resultant consciousness in a Collector body that had undergone a process to remove some of the degeneration of the original DNA. End-result: the biggest space troll in history, kidnapped from a Cerberus transport operation on Eden Prime.

…

Really interested in seeing how your conventional (or unconventional) victory works out! Haven’t really seen any works relating to that yet. I opted to go with the Crucible and minimal alterations for sense, but gave a nod toward the unconventional with the plan B of blowing up Charon and everybody in Sol.

Modifié par lillitheris, 18 septembre 2012 - 07:52 .

[Obsidian Gryphon]

I'm puzzled with Volc19's #4 - Cerberus Prothean Cipher.  What? First time I heard of it. Did I miss something in the games?  

[lillitheris]

I don’t recall that, either, but maybe the unsaid part is that they extracted the Cipher while rebuilding Shepard?

[Drussius]

I'm going to refrain from touching on the concept of Volc's story because I'm one of those people who feels that conventional victory should be impossible. And I've seen way too many threads degenerate on that particular argument. It would be interesting to see someone's take on it, regardless of my personal feelings on the matter.

I will say that it seems like you've got several good ideas to start from. And any one of them could work. I wasn't a fan of including protheans myself, but not as set against it as some others. And you've got some decent ideas for incorporating them there. My advice would be to pick whichever one most speaks to you instead of what other people think, and just roll with it. Chances are, the one you feel most inspired by is the one that will be easiest for you to write well.

In any case, good luck with it. It'll be interesting to see someone's take on a conventional victory.

[lillitheris]

^ I do agree with that. I don’t think any of the four outlined options is bad, but I don’t have a clear favorite either.

They do have quite different implications, though…how far have you plotted out what might happen with each?

I will also say that since the game makes conventional victory an impossibility because of sheer numbers—not to mention possibly hundreds of millions of years of successful reaping—the overall plot ought to take that part into account. Something unconventional needs to happen beyond just a fleet battle, I think, so as to not dilute the Reaper threat.

Modifié par lillitheris, 18 septembre 2012 - 10:17 .

[Obsidian Gryphon]

lillitheris wrote...

I don’t recall that, either, but maybe the unsaid part is that they extracted the Cipher while rebuilding Shepard?

That can't be right too? If they had the Cipher, why couldn't they decipher the Prothean vids and open Javik's cryogenic pod? *scratches head*  I hope this isn't something they threw into Leviathan because it's asinine to include at such a late date.

P.S. Don't think Cerberus can extract the Cipher. If they could, they would kidnap VIPs and download every little dirty secret they harboured.

Modifié par Obsidian Gryphon, 18 septembre 2012 - 11:42 .