#characterised in depth in her own game

[rebornofstars]

Hey! How do you feel sepfember is going? I've enjoyed seeing all the lovely art and writings. Hope you're doing well!

luna!! hi!! thank you for the ask 💞

sepfember is going more brilliantly than i ever could have hoped. it's been absolutely wonderful seeing people coming together to create things! i've been trying my best to express my joy in the tags of my reblogs, but i'm not sure anything ever could! it's been truly wonderful. i have loved every minute of it so far - writing the prompt drabbles every day, and checking the tag for other people's work to reblog, and sniffing out beautiful art for the queue... a couple of times people have pinged me on the LU discord too, to show me sepfember art, and it entirely melted my heart. and i can't tell if it's coincidence but i'm seeing more sepfember-unrelated/untagged female focused art on my dash too!

in a franchise that caters a great deal to male gamers (and in my own linked universe bubble where all of our main characters are men), my only wish for this event was to balance the scales just a little - create a little bit of brainspace in our minds for the women. show more people who they are and what their names are and what they do! spare a moment to wonder about their goals and motives and characterisation. because they do exist! there are more women in this franchise than even i thought before this event! and i think they're worth celebrating, don't you?

[gossippool]

what do you recommend for people who are very new to deadpool comics and looking to get into them?

hiii thank u for asking!! this is kind of a complicated question because there's no right answer really. especially with deadpool, there's no actual best starting point because besides the basic origin story that he was experimented on, everything else about him is fair game (he just lies all the time and has false memories about his past) and so all the comics are different and some are pretty much standalones. but here's a list of a few comics depending on what you want to explore (i have not read every deadpool comic ever so this is not the best list but i will get there):

for shorter and more lighthearted reads:

deadpool (2022)—SO so cute wade has a crush on this non-binary assassin and it's actually adorable how much he likes them lol. in terms of shorter deadpool comics i think this one is quite a standout [update: the ongoing deadpool (2024) is brilliant as well and is a direct more in-depth continuation of this]

deadpool infinity comic (2021)—a short partnership with sue storm. funny and the art style is so cute too

deadpool (2018) #6—the issues in this run are all kinda standalone stories (although they all connect at the end). they're all a fun time but this issue in particular is hilarious. comics usually don't make me actually laugh but this one did

for a more meta read that explores exactly what makes wade unique from other superheroes:

deadpool kills the marvel universe (2011)—in my opinion THE most iconic deadpool run, i'm sure everyone's heard of it lmao. a little darker but hey cameos from every marvel character ever. this was the first deadpool comic i ever read and it was a good time

for a familiar face from deadpool and wolverine (for other specific familiar faces you could just search "deadpool vs [character]" and that comic would probably exist):

honestly just search "deadpool and wolverine" and you'll probably get the whole list but here are some i've read that are lovely:

deadpool & wolverine: wwiii (2024)

deadpool vs. wolverine: slash 'em up infinity comic (2024)

weapon x-traction (2024)

for long in-depth characterisation that explores a lot of deadpool lore:

deadpool (2012)—if you've been following me you might know this is my favourite deadpool comic ever. it's pretty depressing and much grittier than the movie deadpool you might be used to, also REALLY long so it can be daunting but it's very worth it imo. it starts to get really good by the good, the bad, and the ugly issue and there's just SO much in it. for me wade in this run is inseparable from wade as a character to me (this comic is also followed up with deadpool (2015) and despicable deadpool (2017). these aren't necessary to read because 2012 kind of wraps up on its own, but it's definitely bittersweet to get to the end)

deadpool (1997)—another hulk of a comic run. i have not read this yet but i've heard very good things about it, and many people say that joe kelly is the defining deadpool writer so you could give it a go! older comics may be a little harder to read though, from experience

for comics featuring ellie (wade's daughter) that you may want to read in order if you want to fully appreciate her and wade's relationship:

deadpool (2012, 2014, 2015)

deadpool (2018, issues #8, #12, #15)

deadpool (2024)

a lot of comics will sometimes redirect you to other comics that explore a sideplot, and the main comic will just pick up where those left off so you could miss some storyline. despite this it's not necessary to read those other comics, but if you want to avoid multiple instances of this when you first go in, then i would suggest starting with the shorter runs!!

i hope this was helpful lmao sorry this got really long but i think the starting point really is different for everyone depending on what they like

[reixtsu]

In an alternate universe, they are real and you are a fictional character.

Includes: Xiao, Aventurine, Diluc, Itto

About you: you are the main antagonist in an anime and video game.

Xiao

Aether begged him for weeks to watch your anime with him before Xiao got annoyed and finally gave in to his wishes. The plot he found a little interesting, so say the least. The story was a little cliche and overall not within his genre. At least that was until you showed up. He tried to understand your motivations and actions, after all, you were the villain. Why did he find you amusing? Why did he find your beauty otherworldly? Xiao starts to watch your anime  secretly during his own time, often acting like he has no interest in you or your anime. However no one can ignore his little blush at the mention of your name. He was obsessed with you and even bought merch and made a secret shrine. Once your arc ends, however,  he will still root for you within the depths of his heart.

Aventurine

Headphones ready? Check. Anime on? Check. Other computers with your playable character on screen? Check. With all of that checked, Aventurine was ready to watch today's new episode of his favorite anime. Why was it his favorite? Because it had you in it. He grinned as you walked up to the screen, but Dr. Ratio roughly shut the laptop, effectively cutting you off. How could he?! He just slammed a computer shut when a goddess was in the middle of making her speech? Aventurine whined as Dr. Ratio dragged him away from his computer and lectured about his unhealthy obsession with you. Luckily, Aventurine was willing to gamble anything for you. He watched your anime every single day, made you his wallpaper, and spent all his money on your merchandise. IN the game you were in, he would gamble so much just to get you maxed out in everything, making you his most prized possession.

Diluc

It all started when Kaeya went on a drunken tangent about you and your anime. All Diluc could do was sit there listening to his brother ramble on and on about you. He didn't think much of you at first, simply keeping in mind about how much Kaeya simped for you. After a lot of pestering, Kaeya finally convinced Diluc to watch your anime with him. At least one anime was the agreement, only one. One became two and two became three. Diluc couldn't stop thinking about you. Your characterisation, design, personality, voice, motivations, everything. You were so fascinating to him. Kaeya would always take the opportunity to tease him about his new obsession with you, but Diluc just brushed it off, proceeding to think about you as he cleaned a few glasses. Mind you, he is a quiet fan of you, and often doesn't make physical attachments with you other than a small image of you in his wallet. If Kaeya ever finds the picture, he swears he will kill him.

Arataki Itto

After seeing a few posters of you hanging around Inazuma, a man fell head over heels for you. Your physic was what got him first, but when he discovered you had an anime, he and the Arataki Gang started binge-watching your anime like their life depended on it. He would show off edits of you and ramble about  elegance to Shinobu every single day, much to Shinobu's dismay. He laughs at every lame joke you say and cries during your backstory. He was a very vocal supporter and wasn't afraid to show just how much he loved you.

[brucestalia]

Hello! So, I'm new to the entire DC fandom and so far, I believe that Talia and Stephanie are very very underrated and are often used just as a love interest or comic relief without a personality or background of their own, especially Talia herself. I'm not personally a brucetalia shipper because I haven't read the comics that well yet but it sounds cool, before I get into that however, can you recommend any comics that show us the background origin of Talia or something about her that doesn't include Bruce? I wanna know how HER life was, HER motives, HER relationship with her family, because I believe that she is often reduced to an Asian villain who's cruel or a love interest without much personality without violence, which is just basic misogynistic writing. Hope it's not too much trouble, thank you :D (also I love your account sm you're great <3)

thank you for the kind words, and also for the ask!! (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) .ᐟ.ᐟ

both talia and stephanie have been sidelined in ways that reduce their complexity—talia often being flattened into either an exoticized femme fatale or a ruthless villain, and stephanie being dismissed as a sidekick with no lasting impact, when they have so much more depth, history, and agency. talia often gets reduced to either a love interest or a one-dimensional villain - when in reality, she has a rich backstory, complex motivations, and relationships outside of bruce.

her character took a turn for the worse (this is an understatement) because of sheer orientalism, islamophobia and anti-arab sentiment that followed in the years after the 9/11 attacks. [ *i would really not recommend reading anything written by grant morrison (especially if you're trying to get into brutalia..) or tom king. it feels incredibly ooc. there's a lot of prevalent misogyny and racism in the writers' characterisation of talia. ] with that being said, here are some great starting points: batman: birth of the demon batman: son of the demon detective comics #411 batman #232 detective comics #750 president luthor: secret files superman: man of steel #120 batman: our worlds at war batman: death and the maidens batman: the resurrection of ra's al ghul* batman and robin (2009-2011)*

as for stephanie: she also suffers from being overlooked or treated as comic relief, whether it be in canon or fanon depictions. some great reads that explore her character are: detective comics #647-649 robin (1993) #111-120 batman: war games batman: the resurrection of ra’s al ghul batgirl (2009-2011) batgirls (2021-2023) batman r.i.p batman and the outsiders (vol. 2) 

if you ever want more recommendations or discussions on their character arcs, feel free to ask! :D

[redlyriumidol]

Sera and character development

So Sera is a character who (imo) gets somewhat the short end of the stick in terms of character development. She's a very polarising character and many people can't stand her- personally I love her now but I wasn't keen on her at all when the game came out. She's brash, rude, has very strong opinions and freely expresses them to the Inquisitor and to others. Sera is also very young, the youngest out of the companions, and I think her immaturity is obvious. She's got internalised racism up to her eyeballs and this makes it particularly unpleasant to romance her as a female elf, which I think was a disappointment to many.

I don't think this initial characterisation is a problem, the problem is that unlike some of the other characters we never really see her tackle her issues over the course of the game. It's easy to blame her for her opinions about elves, but realistically, this hatred includes herself, and therefore it must actually be very painful for her. it's also somewhat antithetical to her goals as a character as someone who stands for the little people- anyone can see that in Thedas, these are disproportionately elves, so caring about elves would actually be logical in her position. Sera's alienation from her identity as an elf is severe, and while I actually do think her feelings are worthy of sympathy (again, this is internalised racism, not a human character who is bigoted towards elves) they're not healthy, they actively obstruct her self-realisation. it's herself that Sera blames for the situation with the baker, it's herself that she hates, her own identity. she's from the alienage but hates people from the alienage. that's really sad, honestly.

In the breakup dialogue with her she says (about herself) "You'd get it if you were smarter. If you understood what it meant to be elven." That's pretty telling of her insecurities and self-hatred, in my opinion.

I think it was a massive wasted opportunity in terms of writing and character development not to give her a questline that interrogates this issue and helps her move past it. The temple of mythal is very personally, viscerally upsetting to her. Despite her repeated denial of it, she does feel connected in some ways to her heritage and I think it's obvious that it's painful for her. So why is it never explored??

In Trespasser, two years on, we do see a Sera who is beginning to grow up. She's very likable in Trespasser imo, her diary gives her a lot of depth. She cares about absolutely everyone. If the Inquisitor is an elf, this is added: "Is s/he all right with the elfy stuff?" and she even shows empathy for the dalish at one point: "Not as bad for dwarves as was for Dalish. Maybe." That's coming from someone who once reacted with disdain towards an elf inquisitor. She's still sceptical, but is slowly becoming less extreme. I'd just have liked for us to see it more explicitly in the actual game.

[erazonpo3]

Erazon's Characterisation Essay (Part 1 - Cynthia Edition)

General preface; This is me snowballing on a thought I had earlier about canon v fanon trends given that it's a pretty evergreen topic. Without getting too much into the subject itself, I made the point that you can use the source material as a starting point for analysing characterisation, but in a lot of cases it's highly interpretive; using Pokemon as an example, most of the non-player characters exist to enable the player's autonomy throughout the game's storyline, and only a small handful have their own detailed arcs and backstories.

Therefore if you want to build on characterisation for them for transformative fanworks, you only have a handful of dialogue lines and some environmental storytelling that borders on olympic levels of mental gymnastics. Things like backstory and character motivation needs to be invented, to which end the concept of 'canon' characterisation becomes pretty insignificant in comparison to the story you are trying to tell, and whether or not that characterisation is thematically appropriate and compelling. Everyone is going to have a subjective opinion about the 'essence' of a character, the core traits that make them who they are, and how integral those traits are for it to be a 'canon' or 'fanon' interpretation.

And yet there's still ways to analyse the games to draw some conclusions that aren't always obvious straight away.

I'm going to go into how I draw characterisation for Cynthia for Way Out, but keep in mind that I don't consider my characterisation perfect or the One True Depiction To End All Others etc and so on and so forth. There's things I need to discard in favour of the story– adults in the Pokemon games, including Cynthia, have a pretty laissez-faire attitude when it comes to kids handling crises so that the target audience (kids) can feel acutalised as they play through the story, but it's not always what I consider a core character trait so much as a function of the medium.

I play up a sense of responsibility and duty that isn't really depicted in the games but is nevertheless an easy takeaway in order to give her character a bit more depth and relateability. And when other people take her character in a different direction, I try to keep an open mind about what they're saying about her character in their story, because their story is not a video game for children nor a webcomic, and they will need to do different things depending on her narrative role.

(I don't have to like it, but I'm no less a subjective soul than anyone else).

I also pull here and there from other sources of inspiration, one I've mentioned before is a meta-analysis of how she's treated by the fandom in general, assuming she'd be treated a similar way as a public figure in-universe. A lot of my character work is about peeling back that legendary status and asking who the person underneath is and how she might deal with the pressures of being expected to consistently meet other people's high standards, and how to balance a healthy competitive streak without it becoming toxic.

But more to the point– here's some material exclusively from Platinum that I think collates to a pretty consistent depiction of her character, to keep in mind and interpret any which way, arranged into some key traits.

She is the granddaughter of a village elder in a traditional rural town.

"My grandma has this sort of bossy atmosphere about her. I think you'll recognize her right away. Yes, I'm sure you will. She's the elder of Celestic Town"

An overlooked aspect of her character that I think holds some of the ripest potential for her character is that we know a fair deal about where her family is from, potentially where she was raised. My personal conclusions are:

It is likely she has an ingrained sense of cultural values of humility, respect, duty, and tradition. While she may not be ruled by these traits, they would influence the way she interacts with the world.

Her interest in mythology is likely inspired the mural in Celestic town, and reflects a value of heritage and history.

It's a common 'fanon' that her grandmother was her primary guardian through much of her childhood, which isn't substantiated anywhere (just because we don't meet her parents as NPCs doesn't mean they don't exist) but this idea strengthens the connection she has to Celestic town and emphasises her position as the elder's heir.

Cynthia introducing herself as a trainer and not a Champion suggests humility; she positions herself as an equal to the player as opposed to a superior.

2. She is earnest and sincere

"...The places we are born. The time we spend living... The languages we speak... We are all different. But the presence of Pokémon unites us. We share our lives with our Pokémon and our happiness grows as we all become greater than we were alone. That is why we can battle and trade with anyone we choose..."

This is a reflection of her position as a narrative foil to Cyrus; where he dismisses the importance of emotion and 'spirit', she holds it in high regard. Thus;

She sees strong emotions as the source of her bond to her Pokemon and therefore the source of her success. While it's not to say she's an overly empathetic person, I think it follows easily that is generally emotionally intelligent (generally).

I think she's self-aware about how emotional she can be too, which is to say it's something she consciously embraces despite knowing she comes across a little overly earnest (and cheesy) sometimes.

"I love the sound a piano makes. I savor every note with my entire being. It's not only my ears; my spirit hears the music it makes... Ehehe, I made myself cringe saying that."

3. She is intelligent

"I think I let myself get carried away and talked for far too long. I'm sorry, and thank you"

This feels like a no brainer (ha) but it's also easy to take someone who comes across as emotional and write them off as being illogical or not having the depth for complex thought. To me, her emotional intelligence goes hand in hand with her analytical intelligence.

Her fascination with mythology is one of her defining traits, and her dialogue is the source of much of the lore surrounding the Sinnoh legendary Pokemon.

Her pursuit of knowledge is one of her defining traits; her interest in mythology and the distant past is referenced more frequently by herself and other NPCs than the fact of her being Champion. "My big sister is studying the myths of Sinnoh. She wants to know how people and Pokemon interacted in the days of myths."

As a Champion, I consider that she's very calculating and analytical. Even without the strategic held items given to her in BDSP, her Pokemon have perfect stats and have solid type coverage. It's not something she would accidentally stumble onto.

"When you are facing a Trainer in battle, you can learn everything about them. What Pokemon they have. What moves they've taught. What items they make Pokemon hold."

4. She is kind

"I want you to keep traveling to many far-off places. I want you to keep meeting all kinds of people and Pokémon. I came all the way here just so I could say that to you!"

A Champion in this game being kind isn't really a revolutionary idea, but it's still something I consider very integral, particularly in conjunction with the prior traits; there is diplomacy and there is compassion, and to me Cynthia balances both.

She is something of a mentor figure to the player, giving them the solution to obstacles on multiple occasissions (HM Cut, the Secret Medicine), and imparts a lot of lore to them. Notably she gives them an egg which hatches into a Togepi; while this event doesn't happen in BDSP and Platinum doesn't have the Fairy type, it's still retroactively made more interesting for the fact that Togekiss' modern Fairy/Flying type grants perfect immunity to her Garchomp's Dragon/Ground typing.

Some of the few interactions the player will have with her is giving medicine to the Psyduck blocking the route to Celestic town, and then delivering a charm to her grandmother– it gives an impression that she is regularly invested in small acts of kindness.

5. Other tidbits

Every time she interacts with you as the player, it is always through the lens of an adult with a public position speaking to a child; I take it as a given that all her interactions have a slight amount of professional distance, and a formality she wouldn't have if speaking to an adult friend.

She reveals that she went on a similar journey as the player character after being given a Pokedex by Professor Rowan, which could imply she experienced similar experiences to the established protagonist journey formula.

There's a slight goofiness to some of her dialogue that suggests she doesn't always take herself too seriously. "You've seen that group of Psyduck huddled with their heads in their, uh, hands...?"

It's a pretty common 'fanon' for Cynthia to have known Cyrus in her childhood, but this isn't really substantiated in text; her dialogue towards him would be a lot colder with that context as opposed to a stranger. It's a common headcanon because giving them a history together strengthens their position as foils, but in my opinion it's equally as interesting that Cyrus succeeds as far as he does because he exists in Cynthia's blind spot- she admits she didn't pay enough attention to what Team Galactic was up to, and can only stand in opposition to him ideologically, unwilling to entertain (or empathise with) his perspective. It hints at a certain stubbornness she has when she believes she's right and someone else is wrong.

This is just what I personally glean from the text; it's possible I've missed something that somebody else considers ultimately integral. But I hope that my writing in Way Out speaks for itself in how I apply all this to her character in the story, and why I feel it's important to do so. Cynthia is the character I second-guess the most in her characterisation because she should always be recognisable, even while going through different arcs. Her values, her intelligence, her sincerity, and her kindness are all things that need to be balanced with the needs of the story; how strong she is is just a relative thing to what any particular scene demands.

There's a lot I could still elaborate on but for the sake of at least attempting to keep this (relatively) concise, I wrote all this to highlight how I try to stay on track with consistent characterisation, which may not be the perfect ideal for this character but nevertheless is the best version for my story. There's nobody I hold to a higher writing standard than myself, and I try to constantly ask myself if I'm really writing what's best for the narrative or if I can do something better. I'm not interested in the most canon depiction that exists for another story, I'm interested in what's right for my story.

And uhhhh peace ✌️

[cephalowaaa]

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Yume 2kki. The meaning is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical physics most of the symbolism will go over a typical player’s head. There’s also Urotsuki’s nihilistic outlook, which is deftly woven into her characterisation - her personal philosophy draws heavily fromNarodnaya Volya literature, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of the game, to realize that it’s not just funny- it says something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike Yume 2kki truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn’t appreciate, for instance, the symbolism in Omurice Labyrinth, which itself is a cryptic reference to Turgenev’s Russian epic Fathers and Sons I’m smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as aediorugap’s genius unfolds itself on their computer screens. What fools… how I pity them. 😂 And yes by the way, I DO have a Yume 2kki tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It’s for the ladies’ eyes only- And even they have to demonstrate that they’re within 5 IQ points of my own (preferably lower) beforehand.

[aotopmha]

I've been finally watching an FF7 playthrough and I did not expect what the game's identity ended up being.

Currently at the end of "Disc 1".

I knew about Aerith's death long before I truly cared about Final Fantasy, but what I did not know about was literally anything else.

Aerith's backstory as an ancient, Sephiroth's characterisation as an horror villain across the game, Barret and Dyne, Nanaki and Seto.

Before Aerith even dies, we learn Sephiroth can literally control Cloud and he first ends up beating her up and then later at the capital almost killing her because of Sephiroth's ability to control him.

It's fucked, but absolutely incredible storytelling by itself.

Sephiroth's minimalistic presence itself makes him a fantastic villain because of his relation to Cloud and whatever screwed up cosmic horror Jenova is.

I did not see any of the psychological aspects of the story coming.

And I think it's an incredibly well-told narrative from just a plain script perspective, too.

Everything matters in some form, very few dialog boxes are wasted.

I also get why everyone is shipped with everyone.

Because all of them have such strong dynamics with each other even if the dialog is really straight-forward.

Guess I'm 100% a fan.

(Also as a massive FF14 fan, FF7 is an absolutely fascinating thematic companion to FF14 and I'm only at the end of disc 1.

I love, love how FF14 does its own thing while paying tribute to all other FFs. It's absolutely a tribute, but still very much has its own identity as a game and narrative.)

I'm turning into kind of a massive FF fan narratively at least, I think – FF7 is fantastic dark sci-fi/fantasy, FF6 fantastic steampunk/high fantasy and FF14 is some of the best long-form storytelling ranging from lower to higher fantasy, light-hearted to dark fantasy and a bunch of aesthetics beyond these basics that somehow all blend.

Now from all other FF stories I've seen fully, I think FF10, FF4 and FF16 are the ones I'd place lower narratively.

I think FF10 is my least fav of these because none of the cast did much for me, FF4 has the least depth narratively, though it is still pretty fun and FF16 suffers a bunch because of its uneven last third or so, even if I like the cast and base themes a bunch.

But what I like about them all the most is that even within the turn-based formula they all feel very different to each other, again, narratively-speaking. 16 is very little like 7 and even 4 and 6, the games I consider to be closest tonally handle characterisation and narrative structure pretty differently.

Each game brings something new to the table *the series* has not done before in some form. For example, as far as I know 16 is probably one of the most low fantasy games we've had in the series.

It's not new in the broader context of fantasy media, but it is new for FF.

And I like series that don't sit still like that.

[mysterycitrus]

this isn’t a specific character for the hc game but! i have a meta look behind the curtain question — i’m curious how many of these hcs you had locked and loaded, ready to go, part of your own personal character bibles vs how many you had to sit and think of in the moment

either way holy shit they’re all so so good, i’m still v new to dc but your understanding of the characters is my favorite i’ve seen of any fan creators, respectful and knowledgeable about the canon but also so fleshed out and given so much heart and depth and nuance that dc can really lack sometimes

that is really very lovely to say and i really appreciate it

idk how to describe it exactly — wrt my personal creative process, once ive read enough of a character it just gets really easy to make logical jumps about how to add characterisation that’s internally consistent. i kinda just…. vibe it out? even for characters i don’t necessarily like, it’s very quick to patch stuff together for them provided ive consumed and thought about enough canon material. most of the headcanons ive been writing is just stuff im coming up with as i go through

for example, for donna i knew i wanted to incorporate robbie in some way, so — she holds someone else’s baby -> wally has a new baby -> wally’s new baby probably has red hair, like robbie -> this is naturally upsetting -> rinse, repeat. likewise for her photography as a motif for her lost memories -> she remembers many different lives -> she’s a photographer -> she’d use her photography to capture concrete moments in her life, etc. idk if that makes sense

same deal with persephone… none of those character interactions are planned. i just started writing them and the characters did what they wanted to do. i basically just judged which characters would affect dickie’s tenuous mental state in ways that would best suit the narrative. there are specific books i read to try and monitor accuracy but other than that…… it’s all just vibes. vibes and logical conclusions and trusting that im being true to the character’s intent tehehehe

good luck with ur dc journey! try to avoid anything published this decade 🌝

[talenlee]

Story Pile: Dungeons & Dragons: HonoUr Among Thieves

You may not know about this movie. In the existing fandom of Dungeons & Dragons, the notion of a D&D Movie tends to bring with it a reference to the 2000 movie notable for including Jeremy Irons hamming it up and being unable to save an extremely mediocre production. This was so bad that most people don’t know it has a sequel.

This isn’t that sequel, mind you.

See, that sequel, Wrath of the Dragon God was a truly forgettable 2005-flavoured blip in on the ongoing quest for media legitimacy the brand Wizards of the Coast was investing in sought. It was made with a budget of 12 million dollars, which isn’t blockbuster numbers, and it never went to theatersa – it was a Sci-Fi tv release. It was not a successful film, and that makes it funnier that it had a sequel.

This isn’t that sequel, mind you.

No, that sequel was Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness, and that movie was a 12 million dollar Syfy original and yes that means we’ve jumped forward in time again, and this one dropped in 2012. At this point, there have been three different presentations of D&D movies, and the best you can say about any of them is that they didn’t tarnish the idea of making another one. Not even The Book of Vile Darkness because when that film wrapped, a new project began, in 2013, to start work on the movie that would, eight years later, become this movie.

Spoiler Warning: I’m gunna talk about what happens in this movie, though not in particular depth. This isn’t one of those times I need to step you through all the icky details of a scene. Just broad strokes and themes that hold characters together.

The story of Honor Among Thieves is a story made out of stock parts but not obvious ones. We have a dashing rogue and his goonish barbarian buddy, who start the story escaping a terrible prison in what is probably some specific place in the Forgotten Realms, after a botched heist. They break out, then find their old compatriot, the one who didn’t get caught, is in fact, in a position of wealth and authority and has the winnings from the heist and also Our Main Character’s daughter, who he has raised as his own and who it seems is a bit cold to her biological father.

From there, they have to recruit a party to steal all those things (which includes one child) back, and that is a sequence of events where they find a need in the group, then go to find someone who meets that need, then meet the need of that person in order to recruit them, which is a neat little chain of characterisation through adversity. From there, with the group assembled, you have the quest itself, and how it gets complicated, and how our protagonist has to make the choice between what he thinks he wants and what he really wants, and you know, all that stuff.

It’s a movie. It has a beginning and establishes characters and those characters develop and there’s dialogue that explains things and scenes do two things at once, and for the most part, characters show up that have a job to do in the scene they’re in and things are shown in the movie that are there to do things and have an impact. It is, on the most basic level, a competent movie about characters doing something and developing, and it’s set in a magical world of larger-than-life adventurers struggling against very old, powerful junk left around the world by even more powerful larger-than-life adventurers.

I feel like I need to preemptively warn you that I’m going to talk positively about this movie. When you consider the long history that games have of bad adaptations I think there’s a preemptive defensiveness from the entrenched fans of that media. Now, I can’t say that I am truly a fan of Dungeons & Dragons. I’m a fan of three editions of it, and a few things published in its space, but Dungeons & Dragons is a vast brand and its default footing these days is one that makes me roll my eyes and figure I’ll find my way around to playing something else, don’t mind me. Nonetheless, if all you’re looking for is someone to get mad at ‘the D&D movie’ for being bad, sorry, I just don’t have it in me to feign that kind of irritation. Instead we have the much stranger fact that a Dungeons & Dragons movie got made, but no, not quite, that the fourth Dungeons & Dragons movie got made, and it is both very much a Dungeons & Dragons movie, and a pretty good movie as well!

Where there’s interest in teasing out the ‘flaws’ in it, the ideas from it that build on the game systems, none of that strikes me as particularly worth doing. The game system is designed to give everyone fair access to actions, and shows characters valuing some things differently to what I think a seasoned player of the game I’m familiar with would. Things like cast times, or uses-per-day of an ability or the segue from form to form of a druid, or the development of a single character introduced to the group later for some reason, or the appropriateness of a particular heritage option for a particular choice of class and …

Huh.

A lot of these complaints are just about Doric.

Weird.

Anyway, this can lead to a kind of criticism that this movie, made to present a specific story controlled in a specific way, would not in fact, exist in an entirely purist representation of the game narratives in the game rules presented in a rulebook which I think is pretty stupid. Yes, Dungeons & Dragons could tell this story, and where the rules system wouldn’t allow the direct mapping to the events in the movie, then chances are good, there’s a change being made because a movie is not a tabletop game.

It’s hard to talk about Honour Among Thieves like it’s just a movie that exists. On the one hand, there’s this lengthy history of failed Dungeons & Dragons movies in its history, but those sort of serve to remind that actually, Dungeons & Dragons is just another brand run and maintained by the immense system of systems that is Hasbro corporate trying to Maximise The Brand, a thing they’ve tried with Magic: The Gathering to the extent that there’s multiple non-card game Magic: The Gathering videogames. On the one hand, wow, it’s impressive someone made this charming, fun movie about a collection of interesting characters with different motivations, on the other hand, of course a multi-billion dollar corporation Maximising Brand Identity like Hasbro could do that, and the only question was how many dice they were going to roll before they stopped bothering.

On the other hand, while I said this movie started production in 2013, it didn’t start being filmed in 2013. It started being filmed, and was almost entirely filmed, in 2021, in Northern Ireland and if you’re having a moment of going ‘hang on a second’ then yes, 2021 is the earliest part of the COVID vaccine rollout. This was a movie made while the movie industry was restarting, and that can make some of the strange group scenes, the distance and the focus on character framing a little more interesting.

There’s an actual narrative to unpack, a question of ‘what can you take from this movie for your game?’ and the most important thing I can point to is that anything in the Forgotten Realms is so generic as to be meaningless so you should just steal it if you like it and not waste your time hanging around in that world.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[ithinkthiswasabadidea]

Well! After 3 and a bit weeks, and an unknown number of hours (but I think it's at least 125+) I've finished The Outer Worlds and its two dlc's. I have to say, going in knowing nothing had me quite surprised by where this game took me!

Like with most games I play, below the cut is my (rather long, actually) review/final thoughts, including the good, the bad, and whatever is inbetween 🚀

In no particular order:

Combat, while repetitive after a while, was still quite fun with all the different weapons, damages and companion abilities. I somehow managed to turn a lot of it into a stealth shooter, sniping headshots whenever I could, which felt like I was going against the grain of the 'chaos and anarchy' theme that the game so loved to remind me of 😅

The looting function in first person pov was.... kinda annoying tbh. And sure, I don't play a lot of fp games, but it left a lot to be desired in general. I also felt like the field of view wasn't quite right?? I had to fiddle with it a fair bit to get it to feel better

The beginning chapter to get the Unreliable up and running was a really good introduction!! Lots of good characters and introducing important decisions early! A tad long in my opinion, though technically that's on me for wanting to uncover every secret of the region and finish all of the quests there before leaving

The complexities of Monarch's socio-political issues, and the Iconoclasts Vs. MSI feud and all of the illegal(?) creature experimentation..... too much of that went over my head 😬 The info was very spread out and hard to put together a timeline or list of facts as to what happened on Monarch and why. I think the ratio of time spent on Monarch to information gained, was quite off, and I'm still not sure if I fully understood everything that happened during that part of the story

It's hard to say whether the stakes felt decently well balanced for the time and emotional commitment invested. On the one hand I'm glad there wasn't a greater sense of urgency, or I think it would've spoiled the side quests and exploration aspects; however, I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling like there were (at times) significant issues with pacing, and narrative structure at some points

It felt suitably rewarding to just explore and solve quests as I went around at my own pace, without there being a serious looming threat or timer running out

I think the dialogue and character quirks and options was where the game really shined! ✨️ Both for the Captain and the companions and npc's. I loved the options we got to choose in dialogue, and how much the companions could add to that in their own way. Conversation was a tad slow at times, but nothing terrible

In terms of companions - fantastic stuff!! Do I think we shouldve been able to romance them? Surprisingly, no. Maybe a quick tryst at most, but otherwise I don't think romance would've added anything further to the game

All were strongly made, and unique. Very obviously, Max and Felix were easy favourites, and I loved how they played off each other, both before and after Max's quest completed

Max was very perplexing, it was super interesting to watch his transformation as he uncovered truths about the colony and his faith. I almost wish he didn't lose so much of his rage after his quest, just because I enjoy seeing why angry characters are angry

Felix, when digging deeper into his characterisation, had a lot of great depth. Sure, he's a generally happy and enthusiastic companion, but you can see just how deeply and emotionally he feels about certain things, which made for some real heartfelt moments

I loved Nyoka!! Spending a lot of time with her on Monarch was very fun, and I really liked her personal values and morals. I feel she was very well done for how much later in the game she came in. Kinda wish we could've helped her with her alcohol dependency though 🙃

Parvati 🥺 such a lovely representation of asexuality. She very much felt like the angel on my shoulder whenever I had her in the party, and it was easy to understand exactly where her compassion came from

Ellie..... listen. I appreciate that she was headstrong, stuck to her guns, and didn't take any shit. But her personality/attitude just wasn't my favourite. I just don't really fuck with characters who only care about themselves

As for the overall tone of the game, not needing to take too many things seriously was quite refreshing, and then when the game DID provide quests or lore that was more grave in nature, you got a good sense that the information was important to take in

I was somewhat disappointed that the main mission was so...... uninvolved? Like most games you feel as though the main mission takes precedence most of the time. In this game it felt like it took a back seat, the ENTIRE game, and was padded around with faction or character or side quests

My favourite questline though, as I've mentioned before, was the SubLight one for Lilya. It was a deeply satisfying quest to finish as it amped up the uncertainty of what was going on and being experimented with, behind closed doors and red tape. A really well done sense of foreboding that came creeping in. The pay off at the end was an interesting one, and I'm certainly not mad about the choice I made, I felt like it was the right one

Really big fan of the music and sounds, the main menu track is delightfully on theme, and the track when bringing the Hope back was sooo beautiful (songs that make me think of the game: Another Dimension, Last Man Standing and See The Sun - all by Mascot. Someone get that band on the TOW2 ost!!)

The attention to detail and extra embellishments on the dlc's were really nice to see, like you could tell that they'd worked hard on adding extras in and making these stories better, more detailed. Came across really well in dialogue 👏

Speaking of dialogue, some of the stuff on Gorgon was so funny, I loved it. A Sprat named Matt is the legal owner of the Sprat Shack Bar??? Brilliant

It was great to hear more companion comments as we went about, and while talking to npc's, super fun to check in and hear their thoughts more frequently

The Gorgon dlc big secret about the marauders was sort of ...... weird? Disappointing? Disproportionate? It just didn't feel like it quite fit somehow. All the build up for... that? Otherwise the atmosphere and the rest of the story was very cool, it was just the actual answer to the mystery that threw me off

For Eridanos, you can't imagine my joy at seeing the whole crew moved in to the penthouse suite, like that was so cute 😄 we should've been able to interact there more

The Eridanos story was a lot lighter and more silly to go through, really playing in to the Inspector role/trope, while the infected enemies were creepily good

I think it was also a better build-up to pay-off ratio than Gorgon, very satisfying to figure things out clue by clue and piece it together

Overall, I did enjoy the game, though I have mixed feelings. I can understand why the game is either really liked, or not liked. The balance between serious and silly was a little jarring sometimes, but I see why it was presented that way. There were a lot of great things like characterisation, dialogue, building up the factions, enemies, allies, etc. However the narrative itself, particularly its pacing and level of importance to the player, left a lot to be desired more frequently than it should've

The concept and story led to a unique and adventurous game, and with remarkably touching and in-depth end credits, which was very satisfying to see where all my choices and consequences led to

I can see both the flaws and strengths of The Outer Worlds, and I'm sure the team has tackled those things to bring us TOW2 in an even bigger and better game! 🚀🌌

[an-aussie-button-masher]

Just One More Run - Five of the Best Roguelike Games

   Are video games a little too predictable for you? Looking for a challenge, but find it frustrating to lose progress with each death? Try the random, ever-changing, ever-progressing nature of roguelikes! Every run through the game features procedurally-generated levels and upgrades so no two attempts are ever the same. Even getting overwhelmed by the usually-unforgiving difficulty isn’t the end, as you can unlock further upgrades and levels through progressing challenges across multiple runs - and you can certainly expect many attempts, considering the merciless hordes of enemies and randomised items you may or may not find. Was that run no good? Try another! I’ve grabbed a handful of the best examples in the genre, all showing off the central staple mechanics of roguelike games while each one brings their own unique twist. Take a look for yourself!

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth    The definitive roguelike for over a decade, The Binding of Isaac set most of the current genre standards in stone. While it wasn’t the first roguelike, it introduced the heavier emphasis on the macrogame progression of progressing challenges across numerous runs and massive item count that have become staples in future games. A scared, crying toddler named Isaac has fallen into his basement to hide from his religious fanatic mother, and now must survive the grotesque monsters and demons he’s trapped with, make use of the junk lying around to upgrade his abilities and weaponise his tears, and escape. With over 700 different items and almost as many achievements and unlocks (as of the Repentance DLC), Isaac is far and away the largest and most in-depth game in the genre. The playerbase is still as strong as ever, and a frequent train of updates from developer Edmund McMillen keeps the game alive and thriving.

Hades II    The long-awaited successor to one of the genre’s most popular entries, Hades II brings a greater focus on narrative and characterisation arcs rarely seen in other roguelikes through Melinoë’s interactions with the Greek pantheon across her countless runs through the Underworld. Determined to rescue her father Hades from the clutches of Cronos, the god of time, Melinoë gains most of her upgrades by encountering and challenging various gods - and the more often you find them in runs, the more familiar and chatty they’ll get with Melinoë and more of their own stories will open up. Much like the first game, Hades II has a beautifully distinct artstyle and incredibly striking and memorable character designs, alongside engaging narrative twists and turns that will keep the player coming back all the way to - and beyond - the game’s full release out of early access.

Risk of Rain 2    A stellar sequel to an old classic, Risk of Rain 2 mixes up the roguelike difficulty scaling by introducing a constant timer. The enemies gradually grow stronger and more dangerous the longer you spend in a run - the player must balance quickly tearing through the levels or carefully searching for more loot and upgrades before the ever-increasing difficulty leaves them out to dry. Beating the second-last level also gives you the option to rewind back to the beginning with all your gear, letting you get even stronger every single loop until you’re ready to confront the brutal final boss. You play as one of several different survivors, each with unique abilities and playstyles, trapped on a deadly planet and surrounded by savage wildlife and scattered ship cargo. Using mysterious teleporters to traverse the planet and find the remains of a previous expedition, the survivors must arm themselves with the strange cargo littering the world, slowly becoming just as monstrous as the creatures they’re fighting.

Dead Cells    How far will you go to earn freedom - especially if you’re not sure it’s even possible? In Dead Cells, you start each run by possessing the rotten bodies of new prisoners to escape a grimy cell in an infested dungeon, hoping this one won’t get torn apart five steps out the door. For an extra level of customizability in each attempt, you can also pick from a selection of starter weapons you unlock throughout the game - perhaps a defensive run this time with a shield, or go full offence with a pair of daggers? The game also introduces metroidvania-esque permanent upgrades to the roguelike formula, unlocking abilities needed to open up new areas and find hidden secrets. Once you look past the grim, dreary atmosphere and the bleak narrative of a decaying kingdom, you’ll find the true goofy lighthearted tone of the game; it’s even become somewhat of the indie-game-crossover central, bringing in weapons and costumes from other indie classics like Castlevania, Terraria, and Risk of Rain.

Enter the Gungeon    Within the depths of the Gungeon, a sprawling labyrinth of bullets and puns, time-travel shenanigans ensue as a small party of “gungeoneers” seek The Gun That Can Kill The Past and aim to erase their past mistakes. Enter the Gungeon brings much more intense bullet hell gameplay, with the player dodging and weaving through complex, intricate attack patterns while unloading your arsenal of guns at swarms of sentient ballistics. It features countless bizarre weapons, from realistic guns to more outlandish firearms like full-auto rocket launchers and giant bullets that fire guns that then fire bullets. Even the most obscure references and puns are turned into guns - you could shoot fish out of a barrel, or use a lower-case letter r as a gun because it vaguely looks like one. Despite the silliness, Gungeon demands a considerable level of skill and coordination for consistently staying alive against the endless Gundead, so it’s perfect for roguelike veterans and newbies alike that seek the extra challenge.

   There’s few gaming genres quite as diverse as roguelikes, with plenty of well-known examples beyond those on this list. Which one is your favourite? Know any other roguelikes that have something to set them apart from the rest? Let me know! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!   Thanks for reading!

An Aussie Button-Masher

[maglors-anion-gap]

1, 11, and 13 from the nice asks, please?

[for this ask game]

A fanon characterization that you love:

I really enjoy fanon lalwen. She's not in the silm and she gets almost no exposition elsewhere so she really is the blorbo personality I invented. Lalwen the best friend of fingolfin, lalwen fingolfin's right hand man, lalwen the loud and the smiling, lalwen the lesbian -- idk I just really like how some folks have turned her into the big, gregarious lady, especially since most of tolkien's ladies fit different niches (tolkien would have exploded if he'd ever met a butch dyke, I don't think he'd know what to do with a woman like that). Otherwise, I like fanon maeglin a lot. Singly handedly fixed tfog for me so that I didn't have to avoidantly flip past chunks of it. Maeglin's canon behavior is obviously a real-world phenomenon (and the reason I had personal issues enjoying tfog) so there's value in analyzing that. But at least for me, it's been very nice to see people examine the interplay between low self-esteem and outward confidence, the trauma of adolescence and the adult responsibility of growth and recovery, inquisitive desire for greener grass and the feeling of freakishness or otherness. I think a lot of it takes themes present in the original but pares away some of tolkien's dated coding and the broader discomfort casual fans might want to avoid.

11. Recommend a fic with an unusual/original headcanon or characterisation that you loved:

I would recommend Half Mourning by @skyeventide! One, I love the idea of Maeglin having Dwarvish tattoos. There's so much depth there; that they'll fade and take a part of his identity with him, how distancing himself from the bad parts of his life has forcibly distanced him from the good or familiar parts as well. Two, Maeglin as a mirror for other people! Gaia has really masterfully captured something I didn't know I needed to see in Maeglin. He's usually written to be either charismatic and biting, or withdrawn and dejected (and to be clear, I enjoy both). But this fic kind of opened a third door: Maeglin who is whatever the situation requires, who has past associations and familiar customs but no real positive tether to his identity, the knowledge that he is not unwelcome but that he does not belong, that the easiest way to avoid scrutiny is to mimic the person in front of him. I felt very called out.

13. Recommend a fic (can be your own!) that features something you wish was written about more:

This is actually a series (sorry) but The Years Start Coming and They Don't Stop Coming by @i-am-a-lonely-visitor! I am very taken with Visitor's Celebhir (trans celebrian). I think a lot of folks (myself included) often write trans characters as having transitioned to their canon genders (for example, transmasculine maedhros is a staple of mine). And I love this, it's great! It's one way to explore. But I think for a while, at least what I saw, there was a bit of a stir across fandoms about best practice for writing trans characters (eughgghhh) and the Arbiters settled on "needs to match canon gender" and then enforced that vigorously. So personally, I love love love it when people take a canon character and say "I'm transing their gender the opposite direction." It requires you to analyze the character, pare them down to the characteristics about them that will never change (similar to the analysis required to set them in a wildly alternate universe) and then overlay on top of that the new characteristics of what it's like to be trans, how they interact with the world now, how that changes their character, etc. For example, Visitor's Celebhir has a certain tension with Galadriel that wouldn't exist in that manner for Celebrian. Very very tasty analysis going on. (I will be posting transfeminine caranthir soon - I say, having said this for the last three months). TL;DR: I think we should trans more characters, and if your first anxiety is "what if I'm transing them wrong??"/"I heard someone say you should never trans a character like this" you're probably *not* transing them wrong and it's going to be fine (and people love to beta so!)

[even-the-tiniest-bugs]

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Wandersong. The humor is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of video games most of the jokes will go over a typical viewer's head. There's also Miriam’s nihilistic outlook, which is deftly woven into her characterisation - her personal philosophy draws heavily from cartoon TV shows, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these jokes, to realize that they're not just funny- they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike Wandersong truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn't appreciate, for instance, the humour in Miriam’s existencial catchphrase "ENOUGH WITH THE SINGING ALREADY!!!" which itself is a cryptic reference to Andrew Hussey’s classic webcomic Homestuck. I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Greg Lobanov's genius unfolds itself on their computer screens. What fools... how I pity them. 

And yes by the way, I DO have a Wandersong tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It's for the ladies' eyes only- And even they have to demonstrate that they're within 5 IQ points of my own (preferably lower) beforehand.

[consceleratuswrites]

Hi Hi hi ANOTHER ANON HERE (I just wanna be private) I just wanted to say I love your work and your writing rocks!

I was wondering, despite the obvious voice lines and what we kinda get from Galactic Emperor Sigma's depiction (for the crumb it was - thanks Blizzard) how do you go about characterizing him? I kinda like how you aren't afraid to make him into a bit of an asshole (lol) do you have a headcanon you go off?

There are quite a few of you guys! And it's all cool - as long as you're all comfortable! Never wanna force anyone x

This is an interesting one as it relates to my personal views on Sigma as a whole, which I could go on for HOURS ABOUT. Mainly because the trailer makes him come across as this maniacal hubris-based scientist who is incredibly intimidating and self-interested in his own research. Then you have the in-game characterisation which is this rather tragic figure being manipulated by an organisation that uses him as a weapon. 

There is this beautiful dichotomy in his character (which is why he's so beloved, as he has this depth on a self-referential level). I do not doubt that he is equally as gentle and a tragic anti-hero as he is an egotistical and (at times) a vicious-mad-scientist force to be reckoned with. That's due to the in-game Canon!Sig voice lines range from quite endearing to being quite callous (to me at least). And I could go on and on about my personal feelings about the mental health allegories that can also be gleaned from him (I'm someone who has pretty bad anxiety and PTSD, so the drifting in and out of thoughts is something that got to me).

So for Emp!Sig, I wanted to magnify those aspects and dial them up to be more ruthless and more arrogant. And I loved that we got this antagonistic-bad-guy version who will call you a "pathetic worm" if you get in his way. But then I like the thought of him being multifaceted here too (I have this saying that I talk to my friends that I think of 'salty and sweet' when I write him). And I like giving him these little anxiety-fuelled moments where he's painfully vulnerable.

I have a lot to thank @akoiromanticstudent for (I tag her a lot as it's her help that's made her indulge this hard, and I love how she writes sig in his professor ways).

I have a literal page-by-page list in my notebook (because I'm crazy and do this for fun HAHA) of who I've taken some inspiration from for his characteristics so here we go I shall list a few (and this isn't even all of it so - lmao YOU ASKED)

Game of Thrones' Tywin Lannister is a massive influence on me as well. His dialogue is excellently written, and he was my favourite character in the series for being this rather diabolical yet magnificent bastard. I love how Charles Dance plays him as this character hardened by the world around him and too far gone with using violence as a means to an end. He's undoubtedly cruel and has this stubbornness that is fun to emulate and spar with.

I also take some inspiration from Hades - the Hellenic god (being a bit more of a neutral yet incredibly threatening force within ancient Greek polytheism). And his representation from the HADES game series and the Disney-fied version (for the back and fourth in his dialogue and dynamic).

I also really loved Peter Stormare's representation of Lucifer from the 05' Constantine film - I love how terrifying and threatening he is with his presence and invading personal spaces. Stormare plays him as this ancient, wise, sinister force, and I just adore it. Despite the film being of typical noughties-popcorn-movieness (but I love it for that too). So I've taken little pieces of that there as well.

Obviously, Star Wars plays as an influence (Darth Vader/Anakin being the tragic villain he is and Palpatine because I just love that silly evil old man.)

There's obviously a few Lovecraftian cosmic horror elements in there as well.

Also adding loads of representations of various Gods, Kings, and Emperors in history, Leonidas being one of them, Ceaser, Odin, Ra the list goes on and on all of which are in the mixing pot.

Thanks for reading this if you did I hope it was interesting - I get started on something and then it grows and grows because, as I said, I'm crazy.

[richardsphere]

How the writing accidentally “protag’d” Jaune, and how to prevent a repeat in V10

Look i’ll defend Jaune every day of my life, he’s a necessary grounding force in the story, a well written tragic figure and often an important voice of reason (as a result of being one of the more grounded figures in the show) and just generally a likeable guy. He’s one of my top 5 characters in the show even. But god you can see that even the showrunners are angry at how much he’s the only character they still really “know”how to write. and the worst part is that all of the choices are individually defensible and often even the right choice for the narrative.   This readmore focusses on speculations regarding the doylist reasons behind jaune’s prominence in certain scenes, and how to make adjust their course-correction strategy to be more effective.

Like i made a post before about how S1-3 were light on characterising Team RWBY because there’s gonna be a roadtrip arc and we’ll give them their own arcs to flesh them out then. And Jaune was verry much crucial in the early game (because he’s simultaneously ruby’s foil, an audience exposition receptical and Pyrrha is going to die and as the regular “normal guy” in the show no one else is better at representing the idea of “a regular life of happiness VS a great destiny that ends in tragedy” for our Achilles paralel). Then S4 splits the party up to give us the chance to characterise Blake, Yang and Weiss with their own arcs, so you’d expect those 2 seasons to give them some depth? But now that these characters are spread across 4 seperate continents we need to set up so many new side-characters for them to interact with that we dont have the time for introspection, we need to flesh out the politics of Menagerie, introduce Fake!Spring maiden, introduce Willow and Klein and Whitley and Jaques first(?) on screen appearance, and introduce Salems other lieutenants and set up the mystery of Oscarpin.... and Oopsie thats S4 done, we didnt have the time to flesh out any of WBY. And because its hard to make Ruby mourn something as abstract as a physical location, we’ll substitute it by making her foil mourn an actual person. So S4-5 doesnt flesh out RWBY, (and strangely does little for Team Sloth, who should probably have been shown mourning Pyrrha as well) but does flesh out Jaune a bit more. (which tbh, is justifiable, he’s the OG exposition-hearer and we’re about to enter the part of the plot where none of our protagonists know whats going on. Being “the guy who doesnt know stuff” isnt a schtick they can maintain for the guy anymore so we need to give him a new thing to do and “grief” is a good-enough thing for now). But at least WBY can have their own arcs to flesh themselves out right? only this is where the writers realise, we cant resolve or explore Yangs issues with Raven too deeply, because the Raven issues are inseperable from the “fate of Summer” mystery so they leave that on a half-resolution.

Weiss runs away from home, but that doesnt deepen her because “doesnt want to be with Jaques” was one of her first known traits. but at least we know she’s got a brother (who is in like one scene) a butler and moms alcoholism. Which leaves us in Menagerie, where we get some nice exploration of Blakes loving parents, but this arc doesnt really deepen out what makes her tick because Adam isnt in this arc and it turns out that: No Blake does not actually have some deep-seated reason to join the fang, she was just sort of born into it. which sort of waters her motivations down from “freedomfighter trying to achieve justice in a cruel and unjust world” to “Inherited the family business”. (and while “family legacy” is a big thing in RWBY, what with Ruby, Weiss and Jaune all being motivated by that specific thing, there are no other characters in the Menagerie arc that can contrast/foil/emphasise this part of her character so this new reveal about Blakes core motivations is a bit mellow). So after S5, the showrunners look over their charactersheets and realise “dammit, Jaune is currently the most well-defined character?” and they do the first thing they can think of: They eject Jaune from the plot ASAP. They cut the train in two so we can finally have some time with just RWBY and give them a little arc and some characterisation... And someone in the writers room piped up and said “wait, isnt the traincrash the only part we can really justify making Ozpin drop the lamp” and suddenly the “reaching Ansel safely”arc becomes the “Salem’s basic motivations and Ozpin cant be trusted” arc. so instead of “characterising RWBY” we get Ozposition and Salem backstory. But at least we get to see the heroes react to the revelation that Ozpin is full of it right? Well sort of, because while we do get a Qrow Lashing Out scene, Maria pipes in and reminds them “we’re allready holding the lamp, dont get emotional right now we cant afford a second grimm-magnet in this undefensible wilderness position”. (which yeah, fair point i guess she’s making a valid point but also, bad for the writing) And while you’d expect “our mentor cant be trusted” to be the perfect inciting incident for some character introspection, our next destination is the Brunswick farm, where the apathy lives. Now i love the apathy as a concept, and its a well written mini-arc. But whichever writer thought it was a good idea to follow the “our heroes are at the perfect moment for some real character-drama” up with a monster with the power to make characters behave in manners they normally would not behave, needs to surrender their christmass bonus. Like i get that you could argue they’re trying to go for “monster as analogy” but if you want to deepen out the characters here you really want the characters to respond to the issue in different, specific ways that flesh them out as individuals. but instead they are all forced into the same emotional state, which serves only to homogonise RWBY and make them less distinctive and identifiable. So the apathy cuts out our first real opportunity for some RWBY together-in-crisis exploration, but we fix the bike and make our way to Jaune’s Sisters Place for a second “ozpins full of shit” reveal, except this time to characters who arent going to be forced into non-response by Maria/Magic Apathy, and OOPS we just gave JNR the characterbeat that RWBY should’ve had. This is also when someone in the writers room (justifiably) pipes up: “wait, this is our last stop before we leave Mistral isnt it, and we’re not coming back to Mistral ever again afterwards right?”, and someone else answers yes, and the first guy responds “why did our 3 seasons in Pyrrha’s home-place never once make us meet her grieving family again?” and the second guy palms their face and said “allright you’ve got a point” and we get the Pyrrha Statue Scene. Which moves Jaune from “actively seeking death” to “Willing to postpone his his Suicinder until there’s no one left to mourn him”  We kill Adam while the plot prevents Weiss from ever seeing the weight of her family’s sins (yet again) as S6 comes to an end, and despite the writers taking active precautions to prevent it from happening, they’ve once again managed to flesh out Jaune without truly exploring the shows namesake team... And we get to S7, and they do the sensible thing and once again write Jaune out of the story by making him a traffic-cop who will not be involved in any plots or sub-plots for a while. But, We also brought back Penny, This is Watts’ only arc as a villain so we need to make him ominous and let him have his screentime, and we want to be interesting and make this arc Villain VS Villain with Ironwood VS Salem so the heroes wont actually get to interact with any of the antagonists for this plotline, allthewhile introducing Clover and the Aceops, setting up the Spear of Damocles and the Huntresses. So the heroes just spend a lot of time doing small fetch-quests that dont connect to anything too significant as the show tries to set the stage for S8. Also, this is our fourth? concecutive story about learning not to follow authorities blindly (Lionheart, Ozpin, Cordovin, Ironwood) so the show really struggles to sell the heroes trust in Ironwood when he introduces “operation world-wide grim-insurgence”. So a lot of this story-arc sort of falls flat as we spend most of S7 figuring out that, yeah the guy wanting to create a worldwide grimm-insurgence is probably not entirely morally right to do so. So S7 doesnt end up fleshing out anyone but perhaps Ren’s taste in bootleather, as it’s too busy setting up and fleshing out the villains to spend time on our heroes. Weiss does get to interact with her family though to flesh her out more. But the “confronting my asshole dad” thing is short and strangely low-stakes. (We havent seen verry much of Weiss’ homelife even during the V4 bit she was at home, and weiss has been largely sheltered from his “corporate crimes”, never getting to be in any scene that hints or adresses those victimised by the SDC. As a result his arrest at her hands lacks an emotional punch) S7 ends with Qrow broken, clovers death and Ironwood’s villain reveal as well as Penny as the Winter Maiden. S7 was so weak on characterisation for the main-cast, and semi-removed lessons learned in the last 3 seasons to a point where Jaune being largely absent ends up largely shielding him from the “did no one learn their lesson” feeling that permeates S7. And then we get to S8. S8 is still largely Villain VS villain, with our heroes forced to fight logistics of food-supplies and evactuations instead of dealing with any antagonistic force until Ironwood threatens the MantleBomb. This is also our last chance to characterise Penny. We get a little bit of “weiss loves her family” and Yang pining for Blake in the snowfields. But all the plotbeats go to Oscar, Emerald, Penny and the villains again until the team decides to use the spear, S8 is also largely a nothingburger for RWBYJNR is what im saying. Until the climax that is, where we dont get much in the form of characterisation beyond “the ones on the bridge grieve the fallen” but then Penny makes the sacrifice play, And Jaune screams. Now i understand why it couldnt be RWBY members to do the stab, (WBY have no real relation to penny and are already established as the sort-of-pragmatic castmembers who, while not happy wouldnt really “struggle” too much and Ruby needs to maintain her “innocence” for marketability purposes) so obviously Jaune was the only real option because as Ruby’s foil and with Penny being a maiden “ladykiller” has a sort-of second-hand connection to her. but goddamn could the show let the main four do SOMETHING important already without cutting away from their responding emotions for once? Then we get S9,   the show realises again that it needs to get rid of jaune because they’ve overused him again, creates a Jaune-free window for the characters to interact in again but wastes it’s chance again as it focusses on setting up new characters and building the setting and mystery for this new story-arc. Again. So according to some basic patern recognition: when we enter V10, expect Jaune to disapear from the story for the first half-season as the writers will, once again try to give the rest of the cast the spotlight back, only for exposition and worldbuilding to steal said spotlight from the cast anyway. Then when the plot kicks off and its “all hands on deck” Jaune will return to the plot because All Hands includes his healing hands, and that means that Jaune gets to once again be absent for the boring logistics of the narrative, and present for the characterisation bits. so now that we have identified root of the shows current problem, how would I fix it? I’d suggest moving the “Jaune free” plot-zone back a bit. Instead of putting it at the start of the vacuo arc, move it back to the early mid-point. Hell make him extremely prominent during the “boring worldbuilding” phase of our Vacuo arc. Then his dissapearence from the plot the inciting incident for the mid-point of the arc. Put him in prison/coma/other state of not-in-the-show for a bit and make Jaune’s Absence one of the things the rest of the cast can react and emote to/about. For example: Tyrian shows up, Tries to stab someone, Jaune interposes himself and turns out oops thats a poison and jaune slips into a coma. (no jaunes aura did not heal him from Alyx’ poison, the paperpleasers did cause they’re literal magic) How does Ruby respond to possibly losing her First Friend, especially now that she’s already lost her second friend (sorry weiss, but you werent a “friend” until after penny, pre penny you were an aquantence at best) How does Yang respond to Ruby’s response, does she go back to Momsis mode? How does Weiss respond to the guy who saved her life at Haven? How do ReNora respond to losing the last thing that seperated Team Sloth from JNPR being gone, possibly forever if they dont get the antidote from [Medical lab] Does Oscar become the new leader of OREN? (pronounced Orange) just, dont only remove Jaune from the setup, remove him from the actual plot next season.