#and like coding an if with all these different storylines and options is genuinely incredible and I don’t wanna disrespect the amount of

[kirnet]

I know we’ve all talked this point to death but it’s wild to me that the plan is 7 books. Like, a 7 book series is a LOT for plot heavy novel series with just one linear path instead of a massive undertaking for an if. I expect that from a dense fantasy or sci fi series. Something that has a lot of plot to develop and explore. But a romance??

Having plot as a means to an end for romance tropes is fine. I don’t think anyone goes into a romance series for plot, they go for character and dynamics and tropes. But then how do u justify 7 books…

[aingeal98]

Since you mentioned Reverse Robins au.

I was wondering, if Cass was around for Garzonas incident (happening mostly the same as canon) and had somewhat bonded with Jason at that point.

How do you think she would react to it? Especially since Jason is claiming he didn't kill him?

(Something I am weirdly invested in my own brain's Reverse Robins AU)

Ooh really good question! The immediate thought I have is that Cass would change the nature of the story significantly, because the initial emotional hook relies on the uncertainty of whether or not Jason killed that man. He claims he didn't, Bruce isn't sure, the first big crack in their relationship is formed.

But Cass just... Wouldn't accept that ambiguity. She'd read Jason's body language and decide for herself whether he was lying or not. And so you end up with two potential storylines.

Option 1: Jason didn't kill Garzonas. The man fell to his death. Bruce being Bruce he could find a way to still make this about how he doesn't trust Jason even though he believes Cass when she tells him he's innocent. Because while Bruce and Cass are similar in moral code they do have a key difference with how they approach others with that moral code: Bruce treats his allies as a part of his mission to control. If Jason failed to save that man that means Bruce failed in trusting him. Jason wasn't good enough and Bruce is doing something wrong because Robin should be good enough always. There's a core emotion here of a father genuinely concerned with the mental wellbeing of his son after a traumatic incident but the chances of Bruce actually being able to address that instead of processing it through the lens of The Mission and Batman and Robin are uh. Slim. Meanwhile Cass... Doesn't really expect the same of her allies? If Jason failed to save Garzonas then that's not on him for not being quick enough to save him, it's on Cass for not being there. Jason is Jason it sucks that he wasn't quick enough to stop Garzonas from falling but he's not a good enough fighter to be responsible for every life. That's on Cass. Equally as unhelpful to Jason emotionally but this difference in viewpoint means there's likely to be friction between Bruce and Cass because Cass would feel compelled to defend Jason. He tried to do good, doesn't that count for something? And Bruce would point out that a man is still dead and Cass would take that to heart because she takes everything related to death to heart. Meanwhile she'd be utterly useless at comforting Jason because Jason would be feeling incredibly hurt and angry that this was even a point of contention when the man was so horrible and Cass would do her usual "Maybe he could have changed 🥺" and Jason, hurt and defensive, would snap that he didn't kill the man but he's glad he's dead. So ultimately you end up with all three family members upset and betrayed and not talking to each other until someone (probably Damian) comes around to lecture some sense into Bruce before he loses two more kids.

Option two: Jason did kill Garzonas. Bruce immediately starts spiralling and getting concerned about how Jason is doomed by his bad childhood to be innately violent and evil or whatever classist bullshit he tends to fixate on instead of showing concern for what his son has just been through. Meanwhile Cass... Wouldn't be as betrayed as she was when Kate shot Clayface but she still would be hurt because Robin killed a man... Robin thought this man deserved death, does he think I deserve death too? (The answer is obviously no because no one except for Cass would argue that she and Garzonas are morally alike but lol. Lmao. Good luck getting her to accept that.) She wouldn't be on board with Bruce's concerns because she believes that everyone can change but her insistence of this combined with Bruce's attitude would probably grate on Jason because why does he need to prove himself a good person for letting a rapist fall to his death? Maybe Garzonas should have had better balance if he was going to be such a piece of shit.

So interestingly enough despite Cass removing the ambiguity from the situation I don't think there's a way for her to make the situation better and not worse. Especially since she would be around the same age as Jason. Even if she wants to support him and tell him he's not a bad person she wouldn't have the emotional clarity or the correct mentality at that age to comprehend the root of his hurt and would probably just make him even more depressed because not only is Bruce judging him but Cass is supporting him for all the wrong reasons. Because the point isn't about whether Jason did or didn't kill Garzonas the point is that having to confront and then try to save such an evil man before watching him fall to his death is a very traumatising situation for a child to be in and the last thing he needs is judgement on his morals, regardless of whether it's Bruce's concern over Jason's true nature or Cass's self assuredness that what happened was Bad but it doesn't mean that Jason is Bad. There is no one in that house who would go "Hey maybe this evil man's death really wasn't the main problem here and wasn't a definitively Bad thing that Jason must be judged for one way or another." and so Jason would likely feel the same way he did in canon even if the insecurity was no longer from Bruce not believing him, but instead from his reaction to the truth.

Thanks for the ask! I hope this makes sense lmao I had way too much fun teasing through potential outcomes.

[itsclydebitches]

I... don't know how to feel about Penny. Her genuine joy at being "real" was a sweet moment, but it also felt wrong. She was ALWAYS "real". As a young woman with an incurable illness, Penny meant a lot to me. Her status as synthetic, as having something out of her control that made her intrinsically different from everyone else, never made her lesser, despite her personal doubts. She was reassured over and over that her personhood, her feelings, her "realness" were valid, and that was further solidified by her being able to receive the Maiden powers last Volume. But suddenly, instead of something that's accepted as HER, it's "extra"? "The girl that's always been underneath?" She has to be human, be "normal", to be really her? How are people like me meant to take a message like that? Are we not real, not whole, until we're "fixed"?

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, anon, and beautifully put. People who have told me that Penny’s change last episode hurt them have included: some in the trans community, disabled community, chronic illness community (overlap there), queer community (specifically romantically and/or sexually, alongside trans viewers), and the autistic community. As the obligatory disclaimer, obviously not everyone in these groups feels the same way — the posts celebrating Penny’s change have thousands of notes  — but there’s been enough hurt expressed across all these communities that it’s worth taking notice. It’s not a few individuals being critical for the sake of being critical, it’s a wide variety of fans recoiling at the message they found here. Because all of these groups share an important commonality (among others): the world telling them that their difference is bad and needs to be “fixed.” Of course we all saw ourselves in Penny! Her story embodies a hundred different versions of that struggle. 

However, crucially RWBY also showed us an end to that struggle. See, alongside everything you’ve laid out above, I have a problem with Penny’s transformation because it’s an impossibility for everyone watching. “But, Clyde, this is a fantasy series. Everything is impossible.” Bear with me for a second because it’s different when you attach that magic to a real identity  — or a coding for a real identity. See, a trans person, an autistic person, a disabled person, etc. will never have a magic dude show up and magically “fix” them. Some might want that. Others might not. Whether each individual considers that a celebratory part of their identity, or something they would instantly change if given the chance, is not the point here. The point is that no one will ever have that option. A trans person will never get the chance to magic up their preferred body, an autistic person will never get the chance to magically make themselves neurotypical, the disabled person will never get the chance to magically make themselves able-bodied. Every single RWBY viewer exists in a world where they have to live with that part of their identity, perhaps changing it or managing it as needed with certain tools  — surgery, medication, aids, etc.  — but no one gets to magic these challenges away. It’s why the well meaning wish fulfillment of things like, “Blind character can now magically see!” usually doesn’t land well, because the viewers watching recognize that the character was given an out that they a) may not want and thus find incredibly offensive (why are you trying to “fix” me?) or b) will literally never have access to, neatly severing their emotional tie to the character. We no longer see ourselves in them because the character got a perfect fix that will never exist for us. It’s no longer relatable. And yes, for some thinking about a perfect, magical scenario is still a wish fulfillment, but I think it’s a more powerful message to show a character who lives with and embraces their difference, just as the fans must. And RWBY did that. We had whole seasons of Penny being reassured of her personhood (Ruby), seeing the benefit her differences brought to the world (stopping the truck from hitting Ruby, being the Protector of Mantle), and getting to see a world where good people stood up for her (Volumes 7 and 8). That is so, so validating for everyone watching who also questions what benefit they bring to the world, or whether they’re “really” who they want to be. Fans saw themselves in Penny both because Penny’s existence mirrors these groups and because her story said, “We see you. You’re wonderful as you are. Are you struggling with that? Experiencing challenges with your identity? That’s okay. See, Penny is allowed to struggle too. And don’t worry, if Penny can accept herself, you can too. Look at how fantastic her differences are. Look at how much her friends love her because she’s different, not in spite of it.” 

Aaaaand then in one fell swoop RWBY erased all that work. Suddenly, Penny was “fixed” and everyone watching had to grapple with the fact that... they’re no longer Penny. This is where their story and her diverge. Penny’s struggles are magically waved away, while the rest of us still have to live with ours. Worse, the story celebrates this erasure, telling the viewers that Penny is at her best now that she’s “fixed.” So how is every real person watching, the ones who don’t have and often don’t want magical fixes, supposed to react to that? By RWBY’s logic, you’re not “really” your gender, or “really” valued, or “really” capable until you have the perfect body to match your soul... but no one gets that. Some of us struggle with our bodies a lot more than others, but no one gets the perfect solution Penny got and a lot of people don’t consider it a solution at all. What was, a week ago, an incredibly relatable storyline has now swerved to create a, “Oh wait. I can’t relate to that anymore” reaction. 

[aion-rsa]

Mass Effect Romances: Legendary Edition’s Best and Worst Partners

https://ift.tt/2RPnEnt

The Mass Effect trilogy is a lot of things to a lot of people, but we completely understand if you see the release of Mass Effect Legendary Edition as an excuse to cruise across the galaxy looking for romance or, at the very least, the chance to hook up with an alien.

Mass Effect wasn’t the first RPG with a romance system, and the first Mass Effect‘s romance options could most generously be described as limited, but the ways that the Mass Effect games compellingly use romance as both a character-building device and a fun diversion has long made them a favorite among those who can’t help but look for love in digital places.

Which Mass Effect romance is the best of them all, though? While we could never deny you your memories of the time you spent with your personal favorite partner, this is our ranking of every romance (no matter how brief) in the first three Mass Effect games.

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18. Diana Allers

Players will have the chance to romance journalist Diana Allers while she’s working on a story about the Normandy in Mass Effect 3. It seems like it’s supposed to be a Captain Kirk kind of moment, but the whole affair feels…off.

Actually, Diana even expresses concerns that her brief encounter with Shepard could potentially ruin her career. Between the short flirting phase and the potential lingering ethical concerns, this romance just falls flat. 

17. Sha’ira

Asari consort Sha’ira is really the only “hidden” romance opportunity in the first game, but aside from that factoid, she’s certainly not the most exciting partner in the Mass Effect trilogy.

It also always felt a bit strange that Sha’ira only sleeps with Shepard if the player says they’re dissatisfied with her gift of words. It almost makes this encounter come across as a kind of a Renegade option, which would have felt better if there was an equivalent Paragon side relationship available. This whole thing just seems like an afterthought.

16. Samara

The “romance” with Samara is hardly a romance at all (at least by Mass Effect standards). If you push past Samara’s code and keep flirting with her, you can eventually get Shepard and Samara to kiss. However, the relationship doesn’t go much further than that. 

It’s interesting that this romance is a bit different than the others so far as that goes, but between the lack of a payoff and the fact you’re kind of forced to push past Samara’s respectful initial “no,” it’s hard to rank this romance above most. 

15. Javik

There are different types of romances throughout the Mass Effect series, but few are clearly intended to be “romances” that the player’s character is meant to regret. 

Yet, that’s pretty much what happens the morning after Shepard sleeps with Javik. While the joke of these two getting together fits into the humorous style of the Citadel DLC the hookup happens in, this is a one-note romance that’s little more than a quick gag. 

14. Kaidan Alenko

Granted, Kaidan becomes a slightly more interesting character in Mass Effect 3 when players are given the chance to rekindle their romance with him before a big battle, but it’s hard to get over just how generic Kaidan was in the original Mass Effect.

Even in a game that offered very few romance options, Kaidan felt like a piece of toast with no butter. It’s not really what you want to see in the morning, but you’ll live with it if it’s your only option. 

13. Morinth

A lot of fans hate the Morinth romance option for the simple fact that it’s the only one in the franchise that leads to the direct death of Commander Shepard. To be fair, that’s certainly not the best outcome. 

Yet, the shock of that conclusion makes this one of the better “one-off” romance options in the Mass Effect franchise. It’s hardly a legendary relationship, but the surprising “payoff” is at least memorable. 

12. Jacob Taylor

One of the great things about the Jacob Taylor relationship from a storytelling and design perspective is that it’s one of those relationships that initially doesn’t seem possible. It’s only after you really start to form a genuine relationship with Taylor that the path to this romance becomes more obvious. 

Still, the hilariously awkward nature of Jacob’s main pick-up line (“But the prize…”) takes this one down a few notches on the overall romance rankings. There’s also the simple fact that a lot of people just don’t like Jacob as a character. 

11. Steve Cortez

As the first male romantic partner exclusive to male Shepard characters, Steve Cortez helped to break a barrier that some fans wondered if BioWare would ever be willing to break. The absence of that option cast a shadow over the first two Mass Effect games, and it’s great that Mass Effect 3 finally addressed it. 

Still, this isn’t the most exciting romance, and Steve is hardly the most developed character that you have the opportunity to be with. Maybe he would rank higher if he were introduced earlier, but such as it is, he’s one of the lower-tier romance options overall. 

10. James Vega

Mass Effect 3’s Citadel DLC is sometimes called an elaborate piece of fan service, but there are times when that approach at least led to memorable moments that finally gave some fans the payoffs they had been looking for. 

That’s especially true of the DLC’s options romance with James Vega: one of those fan favorites who were previously platonic. It’s hardly the most impactful romance, but so far as one-night stands go, it’s much better than Javik. James even makes you eggs in the morning.

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9. Kelly Chambers

It’s tempting to rank this one higher for the simple reason that many players developed a crush on Kelly and didn’t think they’d have the chance to romance her, but the fact that you can only unlock this romance after making some notable sacrifices (and that it doesn’t last long) means it’s a little tough to put it above some of the other options. 

Still, Kelly’s popularity, the unique circumstances of your courtship with her, and her now-famous dance certainly elevate this fling above most of the other quickies in the game. 

8. Samantha Traynor

Samantha finds herself somewhere in the middle of the romance pack simply because that’s kind of the best way to summarize your romance with her. 

The Traynor romance storyline is pretty engaging, has some great moments, and is surprisingly substantial for being limited to the third game. Yet, there are times when this relationship is almost too normal compared to the more dynamic romances in these games. It just lacks some of that spice you get with other characters. 

7. Ashley Williams

If Ashley only appeared in the original Mass Effect, she would be much lower on this list. Her sometimes awkward (if admittedly funny) dialog and the first game’s generally weaker romance storylines meant that her best quality as a partner was “not Kaidan.”

However, Mass Effect 3 pays off this relationship in some surprising ways. The game does a pretty good job of building off Ashley and Shepard’s previous encounter with a storyline that also manages to stand on its own compared to other romances. It’s just a strong multi-game romance overall. 

6. Tali’Zorah

It’s very hard to rank the Tali romance without acknowledging that some fans are still disappointed it doesn’t lead to the logical payoff: getting to see her face. We do see a blurry picture of what appears to be Tali later in the game, but some players wanted a more direct reveal. 

Even if you were disappointed by that element of the love story, though, it’s hard to deny that Tali and Shepard have one of the most exciting, original, and well-developed romances in the Mass Effect trilogy. Tali’s unique physical restrictions and the chemistry she has with Shepard make the better parts of this romance some of the most memorable in any RPG. 

5. Garrus Vakarian

There’s a degree to which the appeal of a relationship with Garrus is based on the appeal of Garrus as a character. In other words, it’s easy to enjoy hooking up with Garrus simply because Garrus is an easy companion to like.

That said, the Garrus romance storyline is also pretty strong in its own right. It really picks up in Mass Effect 3 when the shock of starting a relationship with Garrus has passed and you really get to appreciate how Garrus is one of those romantic partners that are still their own character and not just your love interest when you’re around them. 

4. Thane Krios

Not every Mass Effect relationship is a happy one, but few are as outright tragic as the romance with Thane. After all, you start your relationship with Thane well aware of the fact that his disease is slowly killing him. 

While that whole thing could have come across like a Lifetime movie of the week, it’s ultimately an incredibly effective story that serves as one of the best examples of how pursuing a romantic relationship with a Mass Effect character really allows you to see them in a different light. 

3. Miranda Lawson

Look, there are just times when the romances we tend to look back on with the most glee were also slightly volatile. When you’re far away enough from the bad times, it’s much easier to look back on the more exciting moments. 

That’s kind of the dynamic that you get with Miranda. It’s not the deepest romance in the game (and the conclusion of this story in Mass Effect 3 isn’t the best), but the many players who found themselves instantly attracted to Miranda for…umm…reasons will certainly remember the first time they figured out how to make this bad romance happen. 

2. Liara T’Soni

Liara’s status as by far the best long-term romance option in the original Mass Effect game is already reason enough to rank her high on this list, but her lofty placement is really all about how your relationship with Liara evolves across the trilogy.

As a potential romance that spans the entirety of the Mass Effect trilogy (even if her best moments in ME2 are limited to the Shadow Broker DLC), Shepard’s relationship with Liara is one of the most complete and genuine in the original games. Their romance is a simply beautiful story that doubles as one of the better examples of the kind of choice-based long-term storytelling that Mass Effect was built on.

1. Jack

You’ll have a hard time getting Mass Effect fans to agree on the game’s best romance option, but the fact that most of them will probably agree that Jack is, at least, one of the most interesting romance options in the game is a testament to the overall quality of this storyline. 

The great thing about Jack is that you can either choose to engage in a casual relationship with her or, if you know what to do, establish a more lasting partnership that sheds some light on one of the game’s most fascinating companions. The striking differences between those two options perfectly compliments who Jack is as a character and stands as one of the best uses of romance as a character-building tool within a role-playing game. 

The post Mass Effect Romances: Legendary Edition’s Best and Worst Partners appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[rhiannonbassett]

The Future of Storytelling

April 25, 2016

I feel like whenever I’m telling a story, whether a fictional novel or one of these blog entries, it has to be complete in my head before I write it down. This means I rarely get around to writing which I want to change. I’ve realised that nothing is ever complete and stories are constantly evolving so I might as well just write an unplanned story and see where it goes.

I have been thinking about storytelling a lot and how technology has influenced it over the years. I believe there’s much more input from the audience consuming the story than there has ever been before which I think is amazing. There’s an interactive relationship between the creator and the consumer where the creator responds to what the consumer wants which is awesome. This can be seen, especially, in terms of relationships and creators pandering to popular pairings. Especially non-conventional LGBTQ+ ones. There’s easier and more effective ways of gathering information on the target audience and what they would want. I’ve heard of shows where the audience directly effects and changes the actions of the show as if it were a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ story. There’s dozens social media platforms where the audience can share its reactions, its wants, its dislikes and its ideas. The creators can then interact with them and use this information however they want. This is partly the reason why fandom has become so huge.

For example I’m very impressed with some of the new Star Wars storytelling decisions. Humanizing and telling the story of a Stormtrooper is an incredible and rather modern decision. Taking a faceless ‘villain’ solider that are often seen as robots (one might even say a clone haha) and not only giving them a face but autonomy is amazing. Taking a potentially exciting storyline which propelled the first original movie and turning it into a movie is very clever. There was a brave team who sacrificed their lives to steal the Death Star plans so that Luke and co. could attack it. Tell the story of the background characters, that helped the main characters save the day, for they often get neglected. It feels like a fanfiction which I think is awesome.

I think creators listening to and adapting with their audiences is creating better content and makes their audience feel like they are a part of what they love. Fans are hugely powerful and I think being a fan of something is incredible. You have this passion, creativity and happiness for something that can spread. It’s, for the most part, a positive drive. There is a huge market for remakes and sequels at the moment and part of this is due to fandom. Kickstarter funded a Veronica Mars movie. There is a Gilmore Girls reunion show. There are Ghostbusters remakes, dozens of superhero remakes, Star Wars sequels, Star Trek remakes, Fuller House remake, live action Disney movies and so on.

Some stories are being told over and over again in different time-periods, in alternative universes, in gender-swapped roles and with crazy twists. Some stories are apparently timeless. Books and games are turned into movies. Sure, some of them may be bad but at least the option is out there. There are so many possibilities which is exciting. There are more books being published than ever before. There are more books being self-published than ever before. It’s predicted that there will be more self-published books than professionally published ones in the coming years. Different ways of consuming books, like audiobooks, are becoming huge. Crowdsourcing companies are growing and the internet has made starting your own company almost easy. Online shopping has already taken over physical shops. There’s Airbnb taking over traditional hotels and Uber taking over traditional taxis. Reviews, rather than advertising, are valued the most which is awesome because there is genuine interest in wanting to create positive experiences for people.

Technology is making us think differently about the way we tell stories. There is a push to make stories more interactive and immersive. Virtual Reality is becoming a huge platform. Meta-fiction and ergodic literature are growing. There are different layers to films and books where you have to go online or to a certain location to learn a code or more information. The future of branding is hugely linked to all of this. It’s all about experience and emotional connections.

Overall I’m just really excited about what the future holds. Where do you see the future of storytelling going? What stories would you like to see told and how?