9962 réponses à ce sujet

[noxiuniversitas1]

Ohh, it's just an old rivalry, really... Dark Blues v. (scummy) Tabs... kinda like Harvard v. Yale or Yankees v. Sox (sorry, don't know any Canadian equivalent). Epitomised by The Boat Race. Tabs currently lead by 5, although I refuse to concede this year's race. That was intercession by the devil himself

Much as it pains me to say it, Cambridge is actually beautiful.

Oxford's better, though

Modifié par noxiuniversitas1, 22 juin 2012 - 11:09 .

[Smugglers Luck]

This may be a bit off-topic but I don't know where else I can put it. I want to know how you guys got connected to the characters. I read about people upset with the endings and feeling depressed because their Shepards and LIs didn't get a happy ending. I envy those strong emotions.

I mean don't get me wrong. I love Allana Shepard and I love Liara along with the Normandy Crew but I wasn't really torn up over the endings the way I felt that I should. This may be because I joined late in the series. I started at Mass Effect 2 and got the Genesis interactive comic. I also watched videos of Mass Effect 1, even a playthrough but I never actually played through it myself.

Is it just me? Is it because I never played ME1. These characters are special to me and I encountered them at a time when I was feeling really negative about life in general. I feel like I'm doing them a disservice by not being as upset as the rest of the fans.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Modifié par Smugglers Luck, 22 juin 2012 - 11:07 .

[PMC65]

Smugglers Luck

I can only speak for me and the mouse in my pocket ... but the ending left me empty.

No other word to describe it really. My reaction was not cerebral as in plot holes, galaxy exploding, deux something, blah, blah ... No. It was purely emotional as in ... nothing. I was still waiting for the end when the old guy started talking and then "Buy more DLC" pop-up. Wait ... What? But whatabout Shepard? Why is Liara on the Normandy? Was my choice correct? ... crickets and "Buy more DLC" popup.

If others did not feel that then I'm cool. If you threw your body against the screen in rage or jumped up and down like a glorious hero because you loved it or took out the game and replaced it with GoW without a blink ... no response was wrong.

If you loved it ... great. If you hated it ... sorry. I don't know why people think they have to have everyone feel exactly the same way they feel or the same way they think. That would be boring.

That's my quick 2 cent vent.

[Ursakar]

Smugglers Luck wrote...

This may be a bit off-topic but I don't know where else I can put it. I want to know how you guys got connected to the characters. I read about people upset with the endings and feeling depressed because their Shepards and LIs didn't get a happy ending. I envy those strong emotions.

I mean don't get me wrong. I love Allana Shepard and I love Liara along with the Normandy Crew but I wasn't really torn up over the endings the way I felt that I should. This may be because I joined late in the series. I started at Mass Effect 2 and got the Genesis interactive comic. I also watched videos of Mass Effect 1, even a playthrough but I never actually played through it myself.

Is it just me? Is it because I never played ME1. These characters are special to me and I encountered them at a time when I was feeling really negative about life in general. I feel like I'm doing them a disservice by not being as upset as the rest of the fans.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Nope, there is nothing wrong with you. The level of connection varries from person to person. There are a lot of people who didn't feel absolutely anything. They just played the game for "Pew, Pew, ololo bang alien chicks!".
So long as you're not one of those, you're not making any disservice to the game characters.

[MrStoob]

re: Smugglers Luck conversation.

I feel like it's been like a period of mourning.  I'm hoping that the EC  (whether satisfactory or not)  is going to be the burial and I can get on with my gaming life.  

Oh, and yea, you're probably right coz at the end of the day, it's just a bunch of toon actors in a game.

Edit: but personally, at the end of the day I still love 'em.

Modifié par MrStoob, 22 juin 2012 - 11:40 .

[fluffywalrus]

Smugglers Luck wrote...

This may be a bit off-topic but I don't know where else I can put it. I want to know how you guys got connected to the characters. I read about people upset with the endings and feeling depressed because their Shepards and LIs didn't get a happy ending. I envy those strong emotions.

I mean don't get me wrong. I love Allana Shepard and I love Liara along with the Normandy Crew but I wasn't really torn up over the endings the way I felt that I should. This may be because I joined late in the series. I started at Mass Effect 2 and got the Genesis interactive comic. I also watched videos of Mass Effect 1, even a playthrough but I never actually played through it myself.

Is it just me? Is it because I never played ME1. These characters are special to me and I encountered them at a time when I was feeling really negative about life in general. I feel like I'm doing them a disservice by not being as upset as the rest of the fans.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Everyone reacts and connects to the game differently, so it's no big deal. Everyone takes to the series differently, everyone approacehes it differently, There's no right or wrong way,

I was a bit of a slow burner with Mass Effect. I enjoyed the first one, but due to controversy on ME2 I didn't get into it until later, and kind of forgot about it for a while.
But when I returned and played ME1 for the second time(when I'd decided to give ME2 a shot), I kind of took it a mission at a time, and wrote small journal entries for all the characters, and mini conversations that helped me flesh every character out...because while there was a bit of dialogue in ME, I wanted more. So I decided to expand on each character a bit. That helped me care for them a bit more, and take agency of them a little.

I also wrote a basic backstory for my Shep, and focused a lot on how she progressed through ME1. When ME2 hit...I was kind of hurt over the initial scene. I cared about my Shep, and I cared about my squadmates. I get very immersed in narrative-based videogames, especially if they allow me agency over the main character's creation.

I think if you didn't  play ME1, it's a bit harder to appreciate the initial cast, and to get a full grasp of the story. By the time ME3 came along, they all felt like friends to me. So watching them die, get hurt, succeed, take leadership roles, make amends with each other, and work to free their people...it stirred up a lot of emotions in me. When the ending came, it hurt. It hurt because I felt really good about reuniting the Geth and the Quarians, and for one half of them to cease to exist...it hurt. It hurt to sacrifice the Geth, and it hurt to have to give up on my Shep's ideals over the Synthetic/organic conflict.

I've played through ME3 close to four times, and I still weep when Thane passes. I used to dislike Mordin, but I get a little teary-eyed on Tuchanka. I haven't even seen the Tali swan dive, but just knowing the existence of it makes me incredibly sad (Tali's always been my Shep's BFF, and the thought of betraying her is so unnatural and horrendously heartbreaking that I'm glad I can't actually bring myself to imagine it). These characters felt like friends, I got to know them over the years, I came to care for them. Again, I get immersed in games, and I love well written characters.

So yeah. They're my Shep's best friends, and I care for them. As silly as that may sound to some, I hurt when that ending came, because I wouldn't see them again. Not fresh, for the first time. It was like moving to a new country and knowing that you'll likely not see your friends again, and things won't be like they were. I mourned for quite a while, and that's more or less why I've put to words my Shep's backstory. It'll be my own memento.

Modifié par fluffywalrus, 22 juin 2012 - 11:53 .

[noxiuniversitas1]

Smugglers Luck wrote...

This may be a bit off-topic but I don't know where else I can put it. I want to know how you guys got connected to the characters. I read about people upset with the endings and feeling depressed because their Shepards and LIs didn't get a happy ending. I envy those strong emotions.

I mean don't get me wrong. I love Allana Shepard and I love Liara along with the Normandy Crew but I wasn't really torn up over the endings the way I felt that I should. This may be because I joined late in the series. I started at Mass Effect 2 and got the Genesis interactive comic. I also watched videos of Mass Effect 1, even a playthrough but I never actually played through it myself.

Is it just me? Is it because I never played ME1. These characters are special to me and I encountered them at a time when I was feeling really negative about life in general. I feel like I'm doing them a disservice by not being as upset as the rest of the fans.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Eh, there's nothing wrong with you. I guess if I had to describe my reaction to the endings, it was complete apathy. At first I thought I'd done something wrong, not gotten the best ending. Then I read the forums and realised they really were that bad. I never really raged or anything... but I suppose that's a bigger insult to the devs than anger...

To each their own, yeah? The world would be incredibly boring if everyone reacted in the same way.

[Icyflare]

@Smugglers Luck

I'm with MrStoob on it. After watching the ending, I went through a quick shift through shock, disbelief, horror, before settling into inconsolable grief for a few hours. I couldn't believe that this was how it ends and that Bioware actually thought it would be a satisfactory conclusion. Can an ending ruin an epic, great series? I hadn't thought so, but yes. Yes, it can. The extent of how much it can didn't hit me until I finished ME3.

Like other people have pointed out, people react differently to things. I think it shows that you care about the characters a lot anyways, since you feel that you're doing a disservice to them by not being more upset.

[Ursakar]

My main problem with the endings is that I really expected them to make it like they did in the other their RPGs: Jade Empire, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. and of course my favorite series up to date - Neverwinter Nights.

Right, I know that in NWN all three games weren't actually connected, but I liked to imagine that they were. I've made total of 17 complete playthroughs of all 3 games and every time I've reached the ending of the Hordes of the Underdark, it felt good. As it should because it was a good ending that varied because of your choices.

I mean there was this part of the ending were, if you romanced the spirit of Aribeth. it said that two of you lived a happy life together up to the point where you died of OLD AGE, which could be a pretty big term if you played as an elf. And after you died, Aribeth also passed away and you've met each other in the afterlife. Now that is what I call an end of a romantic subplot.

Modifié par Ursakar, 23 juin 2012 - 12:10 .

[noxiuniversitas1]

Pssshaw, finally finished that one-shot which was bothering me earlier. Now for some happy times

[Drussius]

Okay, I know a similar subject was brought up some number of pages back, but I am curious. How do you all keep focused on writing your fanfics? I set myself a goal of 5k words a day when I started writing. Which was foolish of me because I am one of those people that tanks their goals as a matter of habit. I wrote 10k in a day, 3k the second day, spent several days rewriting and rearranging those two days' worth of material, scrapped some of it and rewrote it, then wrote 1.5k the other day... And now when I boot up the laptop to write, I find myself getting distracted and going off to do other things. Music hasn't helped, playing the ME game hasn't helped. And while some of it is understandable because I do have a family and responsibilities and I can't spend ALL my time writing, when I do have free moments, I find myself choosing to do other things. Or rereading what I've already written and having second thoughts about its quality.

I think that this is because deep down, when I feel like I HAVE to do something (with the sole exception of when it's something I have to do for my daughters), even if it's something I enjoy normally, it becomes a chore. And unfortunately, due to pressing concerns, if I plan to publish this fanfic, it really must be finished, in its entirety, within the month.

How do you keep yourself focused? Do you set deadlines in stone and publish on the days in question no matter how you feel about what you've written? Do you reward yourself for writing a set amount of words or for a set amount of time? Do you punish yourself if you don't/can't? Lingering doubts about the quality of my writing aside, I want to get my fanfic up and perhaps get some thoughts/criticisms on it before I run out of time. I'd love to hear how other writers keep themselves on track.

[Icyflare]

noxiuniversitas1 wrote...

Pssshaw, finally finished that one-shot which was bothering me earlier. Now for some happy times

Congrats. Have more gigantic, overflowing pancakes

Bah, I'm still working on this one-shot I've been sitting on forever. I only have like two scenes and a handful of lines to rewrite and edit, but I m procrastinating like crazy. *does tax returns*

Edit: Drussius, I can't speak for publishing longer works, but maybe you could trick yourself into writing. Pretend you have another story that you desperately need to write and put  lot of pressure on yourself to finish it. Then you'd probably want to avoid working on that too and drabble in your other work to avoid it.

Or just relax about it. You should practice writing regularly if you want to improve, but you can't make yourself enjoy creating a story. Write something different. Write other sections of your stories. Motivation may hit you at the strangest times. I don't know the amount of times I've zoned out in a conversation because I've suddenly thought of a line I need to immediately write down.

My advice would be to not put so much pressure on yourself. Keep a regular writing schedule if possible, but don't force yourself to do it everyday. If you feel frustration at your work, it comes out in your writing. Keep it fun and easy for yourself.

Modifié par Icyflare, 23 juin 2012 - 01:44 .

[PMC65]

Drussius - I write when the characters talk to me.

Sometimes that means 5 chapters in a week and sometimes 1 chapter in 3-4 weeks, although I try and manage 1 chapter a week if at all possible.

Since I am not contracted or making my income on this story but doing it for my own pleasure (if you will) then no pressures. I'm keeping it my happy time and not a chore.

[Drussius]

I don't want my story to be a chore, believe me. I do my best writing when I am just in a writing mood. But unfortunately, that's an irregular occurence. Sometimes I write like a fiend for a week. Then I don't touch my laptop for a month. The problem I'm having is that I got all excited about posting something for public viewing and perhaps seeing some feedback, whether positive or negative, that I could use to improve my work.

The problem is that I suddenly find myself facing the very real possibility of no more internet... at all... in about 6 weeks. Unless something changes drastically. I'd hate to post half of a fanfic and then never complete it, and also never get to see any of the feedback on it, which is the whole point of my writing it in the first place. So I'm trying to keep myself motivated. Sadly, motivation over the last two days has been EXTREMELY low.

I appreciate the responses. I'm trying to get some sense of how other people manage to keep at it.

[noxiuniversitas1]

Drussius, I wouldn't worry too much, mate. Relax, sit back, stare at the screen... don't get frustrated or annoyed at yourself As others have said, this is a hobby, not a job, and certainly not a chore. Just because you have to delay a bit before completing your story doesn't make you any less of an author, or make people any less willing to read your work (personally, I'm about to take a 3-5 week hiatus from my longer story because of work / vacation / relocation commitments). As long as you make your readers aware that there's gonna be a bit of a break, *shrug*. RL trumps fanfic any time, imo... most people who read your work will see that, too.

As for motivation... I usually aim to have something done by a certain time and just do it. Sometimes, I'm not terribly happy with the result, but being a perfectionist with a hobby is probably treading a dangerous line if you have a million things to juggle IRL. I know you're not rushing yourself, but getting some good feedback really does help motivate you to continue (yes, a lot of us write for our own enjoyment, but it's also nice to know other people enjoy whatever it is we put out). Perhaps a first chapter if you're happy with it?

@Icyflare please publish already... I really enjoyed "All in"!

Modifié par noxiuniversitas1, 23 juin 2012 - 02:12 .

[Icyflare]

When you mean no internet at all, is this a permanent thing? Like are you moving somewhere completely inaccessible to the wonders of technology, like the tundra or something? Otherwise, you could do what noxi suggests and just mention it in your story when you post it up. Six weeks is still a lot of time to publish some stories. Consider doing one-shots or maybe a shorter version of your work, and post it here so we can all comment on it?

@noxiuniversitas1: The one-shot will be up within 24 hours. I just need to... finish...nit-picking....everything....

[Drussius]

I mean I need to come up with a ton of money to fix a rather severe problem with the roof, which will mean I will probably have to shift "luxury funds" such as internet fees, netflix and premium movie channels to paying off the roof. My finances were stretched tight even before our roof started pouring rain into my older daughter's room. But I can't very well let water pour in through her ceiling every time it rains. I expect to have no internet for probably 6-8 months, if my math is right. Still working on a second opinion for the roofing costs though.

[PMC65]

Drussius wrote...

I mean I need to come up with a ton of money to fix a rather severe problem with the roof, which will mean I will probably have to shift "luxury funds" such as internet fees, netflix and premium movie channels to paying off the roof. My finances were stretched tight even before our roof started pouring rain into my older daughter's room. But I can't very well let water pour in through her ceiling every time it rains. I expect to have no internet for probably 6-8 months, if my math is right. Still working on a second opinion for the roofing costs though.

Alot of places have free wi-fi ... see if there is a place near you that offers that service.

[Caligno]

Well, you can count on getting feedback from me if you ask, at least.

[Drussius]

PMC65 wrote...

Drussius wrote...

I mean I need to come up with a ton of money to fix a rather severe problem with the roof, which will mean I will probably have to shift "luxury funds" such as internet fees, netflix and premium movie channels to paying off the roof. My finances were stretched tight even before our roof started pouring rain into my older daughter's room. But I can't very well let water pour in through her ceiling every time it rains. I expect to have no internet for probably 6-8 months, if my math is right. Still working on a second opinion for the roofing costs though.

Alot of places have free wi-fi ... see if there is a place near you that offers that service.

I may look into it. I wasn't so worried about the loss of internet access though as the inability to get my story up and receive some feedback on it before I do. I figure if I can finish this one, get it published on here and get some feedback, I can use said feedback to write other stories while I'm not able to get online (or able very rarely to get online, if I can find a place with free wi-fi or some other solution). Then when I got things in order and got online again, I'd have other stories to post.

I'm just hoping to be able to focus enough to finish this story up quickly without rushing so much that my writing suffers for it. That way I can get it up before the next time I have to pay the cable bill for the internet in 6 weeks. It won't kill me to spend my time doing things offline for a handful of months. I just want to get some critiques on my writing from neutral parties first so I can put the criticism to good use.

[PMC65]

Drussius - I had no internet for a couple months and found places like coffee shops, library and a carwash even that had wifi so I'd hang out there for a couple hours. The library was best because I didn't feel like I had to buy a cup of coffee or get my car washed.

I also wrote more because having the internet at home meant more time chatting (like this) then writing. LOL!

[jtrook]

So here is a random idea I had. What if you wrote in the ME universe but you made your own characters within it and focused on them? I have this cool story idea but I am a little afraid to write it because it only has two canon characters in the whole story. I know most people read fanfic to expand their characters story but how would you feel if read something where only about 2 characters are mentioned.

[fluffywalrus]

jtrook wrote...

So here is a random idea I had. What if you wrote in the ME universe but you made your own characters within it and focused on them? I have this cool story idea but I am a little afraid to write it because it only has two canon characters in the whole story. I know most people read fanfic to expand their characters story but how would you feel if read something where only about 2 characters are mentioned.

I wouldn't be opposed to it, conceptually, but the first few chapters would have to be quite good to reel me in if canon characters weren't being used to bridge their development.

But if you pulled that off, I'd be into it just like anything else.

[Caligno]

Yeah, I've been thinking of novelizing one of my friend's RP ideas that takes place 100 years after the end of the series. Same problem.

[Fortlowe]

Actually, if you looking for an example JTROOK....well it the link in my Sig.isn't finished, but check Sig. Been stuck in writers block limbo for a year now, but now and again how I want to proceed come into sharper focus.