#martin kcd

[guthraiel]

something something if samuel had his dad present growing up henry wouldve probably had his too since there wouldve been a better chance of radzig actually marrying his mom if there was noone willing to step up something something

[fridgrave2-0]

trying to understand how their faces work bc i love that ot3 of radzig/martin/anna (hc name of henry's mom)

you can clearly see when i gave up

[feelinungry]

remember that Henry was mad at Radzig for abandoning his mother, and himself, only until he heard that Martin knew

he learned of having a different father and one of his main concerns was, if dad knew, would he love me, would he hate me? did they lie to him? the feeling of betrayal not only on his behalf but the parents that raised him

mother was left behind and of course, she had to find a man to marry, she had no choice, but Radzig did, and he didn't marry her even though he knew she was pregnant with his child. he wouldn't blame his mother if he learned that she lied to Martin, too. he blamed it all on Radzig (as he should), and not only because he was the only one at hand, but because he had the power of making choices

the disgust and horror of it all

only to learn,

oh, Martin knew from the beginning. he took you as his own, blood or no blood, and loved you as his own. he knew, he loved you, he called you his son and meant it.

the relief, the baffled response, "he did?", fragile and so afraid

in that moment Henry softens, and forgives.

[dashaskywheels]

While the new Kingdom Come Deliverance art is in progress, let's remember some of my traditional from 2018-2020 ⚔️

Characters: Henry, Radzig Kobyla, Bernard, Jarek, Divish, Hanush, Theresa, Stephanie, Hans Capon, Marius Bilek, Hanush and Radzig - friendly tournament (by the way, I plan to draw a tournament with characters from KCD 2)

Characters: Erik, Robard, Charlatan, Cuman, anniversary art with several characters, Runt, Henry's dreams - Bianca, Martin and mother, Kuno, Tarot card "Fool" with Henry, Tarot card "The Magician" with Hanush, Siege of Talmberg.

Characters: Hans Capon, Henry, Theresa and Johanka, Meme with several characters, Nightingale.

Bonus: previously unpublished sketches with Erik and Istvan Toth. In KCD 2, their relationship was shown as I imagined it to be. It's wonderful to see how Erik's character has developed. It's also good that it's been shown that Istvan isn't a bad character. But I can't stand drama... I hoped to the last that there would be a choice between mercy and revenge 🥺

[brujahinaskirt]

idk man. every so often i poke into reddit to see if there is any kcd 2 news and i feel like the mainstream fandom just did not understand the game at all, even on a rudimentary character-writing level. just for example: somehow i still see walls of dudebros talking about what a wilding madlad babefucking cool guy chick magnet hans capon is, which to me is one of the most egregious willfully-failing-to-engage-with-the-text readings out there. and yet it's everywhere! to this day! i do not know (i do know: it's because they think literary criticism is for girls) how you can sit there and watch this bazillion-hour story unfold and not understand within approx. 3 seconds that hans capon is meant to be understood as a desperately lonely pathetic loser who talks big game about how desirable and badass he is, but in reality is a dork ass lamer whose only friends are the uninterested sex workers he pays to hang out with him, and who freaks out and insta-folds--repeatedly--if henry so much as shoots him a hard look. warhorse hand-fed, speed-delivered that one to us, man. that's the point. that is it. that's why henry befriends him despite their rocky start. that's the basic story, the fundamental device, the vehicle for a narrative that is essentially functioning as a historical Act I of chipping away at the omnipotence of feudal order pre-hussite rebellions. if you refuse to engage with a text to the point where you're missing out on even a surface-level reading of the main character's primary relationship, a human love that is critically juxtaposed with feudal order (the main theme of the game!) in order to highlight feudalism's inherent discomfort & instability, you can't really engage with much else. not radzig's relationship with henry (the biggest plot point, the twist-that-isn't-a-twist), nor istvan's with erik, nor divish's with stephanie, nor martin's with radzig, nor radzig's with the past (henry), nor any of it -- at least not at a level far beyond, "waw, henry really wants that sward!"

and maybe that's why some people still won't shut up about being asked to wait a little longer for that stupid fucking (it's not the point it's not the point it's not the fucking point) sword.

[somin-yin]

About 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 (Anubis)' personality:

So with the upcoming Egyptian story by Remy (KCD's author) and the fact that Anubis is the god of death, I fear that Remy will butcher him and misportray him by giving him a nasty "bad boy" or bigoted personality like Amrit's (and since RC has seen that sells and Remy has said she knows nothing about Egypt, this doesn't seem that impossible). This is why I want to talk about Anubis' actual personality according to the legends. So, let's start:

Anubis (or Inpu, 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣) was a god with a complex personality. He was often depicted as a calm and serious figure, who was deeply committed to his duties as the protector of the dead. At the same time, he was known to be a powerful and fearsome deity who could bring punishment to those who did not follow the rules of the afterlife. Despite this, Anubis was seen as a kind and gentle god who helped guide the souls of the deceased to the afterlife, as well as to navigate the afterlife and find their place among the gods.

As a compassionate god who cared for the souls of the dead, Anubis was responsible for weighing their hearts against a feather, to determine whether they were worthy of entering the afterlife or not. Despite being associated with death and transformation, Anubis was not a malevolent or sinister deity, but rather a guide and protector.

His personality was also characterized by his wisdom, intelligence, and fairness, often described as a stern and mysterious figure with a powerful presence. He had a measured, thoughtful and stoic demeanor, and was considered to be a fair and impartial judge, who would not tolerate any deceit or wrongdoing. He embodied solemnity and justice and was also associated with loyalty, devotion, and courage.

All in all, Anubis was seen as a wise and powerful deity, with a deep understanding of the mysteries of life and death. His multifaceted personality reflected his role as a guide and protector of the dead, embodying both kindness and power in equal measure.

As you can see, Anubis was far from being a "bad boy" or from being a nasty bigot with inflated ego like Amrit so portraying him like that would be like doing him dirty. Based on the descriptions of his personality Anubis sounds more like Ratan or Ivo Martin in some ways. I truly hope Remy does her research well and doesn't butcher any of the Egyptian gods this time, like she did with goddess Kali.

[hanscapons]

the real mvp of kcd truly was martin. imagine the late 14th century and you fall in love with a woman who has a bastard son with a noble and you not only fully accept it but you raise that boy like he was your own while also still letting his bio father be in his life. ily martin.

[tloaak]

if the kcd dev team are smart they'd develop a black sails-esque situationship between radzig/martin/unnamed mother

[millenniallust4death]

I’m deeply sorry to hear about your father’s passing from multiple myeloma. Having lost both my dad and my husband to this brutal disease, my heart truly goes out to you.

My husband, Martin, battled a particularly aggressive form of multiple myeloma that resisted all available treatments, surviving only 56 days after his diagnosis. He was part of a clinical trial organized by Myeloma Canada—MCRN-003 KCd, which involved carfilzomib, a protease inhibitor, aimed at treating refractory multiple myeloma. This experience is why I am dedicated to fundraising for Myeloma Canada. Despite its tiny size, this organization significantly supports research into clinical treatments, advocates for provincial government coverage of medications to ensure equal access for all Canadians, and provides essential support to patients and their caregivers.

Fundraising for Myeloma Canada is more than just raising money; it's about fostering awareness. Through my posts, many of my Internet stranger friends learn about this rare blood cancer for the first time. This awareness has enabled a few to recognize early symptoms in their family members, leading to early diagnoses and hopefully, more days with their loved ones.

I am so grateful that you are also looking to get involved and make a difference. My modest fundraising goal of $392 symbolizes the 56 days Martin fought multiplied by his 7 years gone. I wish with all of my wounded heart that I could have spent those 7 years with him.

This July, my mom and I are stepping up for a great cause! We're participating in the Multiple Myeloma March, organized by Myeloma Canada. We are committing to walking 200,000 steps around our charming (and often sweltering!) town of Wheatley, Ontario. We'd be thrilled if you would consider supporting our modest goal of raising $392. As a token of our appreciation, every donor will receive a special Martin and GSD postcard (if you feel comfortable sharing your address with me). Check out the donation link below —thank you for your generosity! ❤️

Donate: https://shorturl.at/u84HL

[bohemiaboi]

Martin working his forge in Skalitz

[xzoneblog]

Na co se můžete těšit v artbooku Kingdom Come: Deliverance?

Před necelým rokem jsme si v Xzone řekli, že uděláme pořádný artbook. Takto prostě a jednoduše to bylo. Jako správní nerdi máme rádi různé předměty ke hrám. Trička, figurky, hrnečky, přívěšky... artbooky u nás ale mají speciální postavení. Není náhodou, že máme největší nabídku artbooků ze všech obchodů točících se kolem her a příslušenství. Často si je prostě objednáváme sami pro sebe a snažíme se vyzobávat ty nejzajímavější kousky. V té době zrovna vycházel i celosvětově úspěšný český titul Kingdom Come od Warhorse a hrála ho v tu chvíli snad půlka firmy, takže o kandidátovi na náš první artbook bylo celkem jasno. Nehledě na to, že vyjednávání licence s českým studiem bude určitě jednodušší, než se zahraničím molochem.

Od začátku jsme byli za jedno, že nechceme žádný polovičatý produkt. Žádné rychlé a snadné řešení. Opravdu plnohodnotný artbook, za který se nebudeme stydět říci si o peníze a zákazníci je snad i rádi dají. Prostě knihu, která by měla mít světovou úroveň srovnatelnou s velikány ve svém oboru, jako je např. Dark Horse. Měli jsme zkušenosti s menšími projekty, které se buď dělali k nějaké předobjednávkové aktivitě a nebo to byly naše edice her, ale opravdu velkou knihu této úrovně jsme nikdy nedělali a pokud mě paměť neklame, tak nikdo v ČR. Teď nemyslím něco přeložit a vydat v české lokalizaci, ale skutečně knihu z nuly vyvinout. Vyřešit licenci, komunikovat s tvůrci hry a společnými silami ji posouvat tak, aby to splnilo jak naši vizi z pohledu tvůrců artbooku a fanoušků, tak i správného vyznění a atmosféry z pohledu herního studia. Vlastně až teď dokážeme říci, že právě společná spolupráce mnoha kreativních lidí na obou stranách byla tou nejtěžší, ale také nejvíce obohacující činností na celém procesu. Věříme, že to bude na výsledku znát.

Od začátku artbook nebereme jako samotný předmět. Jako knihu, kterou si jen proletíte, užasnete nad hezkými skeči a ilustracemi a pak ji uložíte opatrně do poličky, kde většinou netknutá už zůstane. Chceme vytvořit knihu, která bude doplňkem ke hře a hra vlastně obráceně doplňkem k našemu artbooku. Nechceme nějakou příručku nebo encyklopedii, ale spíše vizuálního průvodce hrou. Naším cílem a snem je, abyste při zkoumání historického Talmberka nebo Ratají, hned nalistovali v artbooku, pochopili nějaké souvislosti či se dozvěděli něco dalšího navíc. Proč to tak tvůrci hry udělali a že díky až maniakálnímu perfekcionismu plno různých věcí opravdu takhle funguje a že tam nejsou jen náhodou. Kniha by měla fungovat i obráceně. Při pročítání a listování kapitolami by se měl dostavit pocit, že se na to musíte jít znovu podívat do hry. Ideálně ji hned utíkat zapnout a s novými zkušenostmi prozkoumat danou lokalitu. Pokud se nám to podaří, tak bude naše mise splněna a rádi bychom nezůstali jen u této knihy. Ale to zatím hodně předcházím.

Již brzy ukážeme malinkou ochutnávku z knihy a další zajímavosti z vývoje.

Martin Schovanec

Zde je zatím k nahlédnutí obálka. Formát bude 30x22 cm, pevná vazba, celá v češtině. Cena je 699 Kč a termín vydání je zatím konec března. 

Předobjednat můžete na www.xzone.cz/kcd/ , www.gameexpres.sk/kcd/ či se ptejte u všech dobrých knihkupců.

[guthraiel]

officially finished kcd 2 so now im gonna complete the younger hans and henry meeting fic and some art wips i have because my brain is overtaken by this game HOLY FUCK

(spoilers under cut but its just my rambling mentioning the ending and some plottwists really)

ive been a hansry truther since the first game in the sense that henry is sooo clearly a bisexual loser and so is hans. imo the two most logical choices for henry's romance are hans and theresa, who, in each of the games they're romancable in are the ones who henry has known and trusted longest. theresa in KCD 1 is his childhood friend, the one person who shares his survivors guilt and the memories of skalitz. while in KCD 2 hans is the one person who has been with henry throughout this whole thing and never really left his side (excluding the arguement at the start and the various kidnappings and being taken hostage)

like either way imo those are the most 'cannon' romances to henry and i really wish kcd 2 adressed the existence of theresa a bit. she's by far the most interesting woman in the franchise since warhorse does lowkey struggle to write women in a way that's logical. i mean the way every female around henry throws herself at him except his main LI's who all follow some version of the girlboss trope is... man come on. i actually do really like both rosa and katherine, but i think there could've been just a teensy bit more done with them

also like what the fuck is up with henry's mother. idk if her name or any personality being excluded is meant to be an artistic choice to show how henry remembers her as just 'mom' and ignores any other part of her character but like wtf. both radzig and martin get names, a backstory and a deep relationship with henry while his mother is just. there. i get that this is the 15th century but in the first game it's clear in the tutorial that hal and his mom are CLOSE like i wish we got to see a bit more of that tbh

i have words to say about samuel as a character but none of them are appropriate for tumblr so i will abstain. tldr i actually like him a lot henry getting a brother-butnotreally is actually really sweet. like despite the fact that he lost his family and everything dear to him there is still someone who cares about him in a familial way. i hope we'll het to see more of him in some of the upcoming dlcs although i doubt it since he can technically die during the game (and i'm pretty sure in a canon run you should leave him behind)

okay last point to the characters is one ive had since kcd 1 but THE NAMESSS WHY ARE THEY NAMED THATTT

henry of skalitz my ass bro THAT'S JINDRA 😭😭 jindříšek even!! like i get that ř may have been an issue but just have him be jindra instead of jindřich then???

hans capon is just a bit silly like jan ptáček could be a pronouncable name, not to mention there is SO many characters named jan already so even Jan Capon i could lowkey get behind more

also i do fully believe non czech speakers miss out on the game a bit, there are parts of bg dialogue that are in czech and add just a bit of humour and immersion to the game (like in taverns, markets or during henry's nightmare in suchdol where the skalitz/maleshov people hiss 'you killed us')

okay ttldr this game is really good i just needed to yap since my friends whove finished it dont share any of my sentiments

if u have thoughts to share please do im curious what impression others got

[maugustyniuk]

Enter the World of the Knicks City Dancers with 2 of Their Newest Rookies

Auditions rarely fail to deliver on suspense. But this? This was the nail-biter to end all nail-biters. Hayoung Roh and Chelsea McCloskey, both professional dancers based in NYC, had made it through what felt like endless rounds of cuts, both on Zoom and in person. Out of the nearly 500 dancers (from 30 states and nine countries) who'd answered the Knicks City Dancers' open call for video submissions, just 20 remained—McCloskey and Roh among them. "We were separated into six holding rooms, where we kept trying to figure out the math," Roh recalls. "How many girls are there in total? Who was called back?"

Finally, the women returned to the audition room to dance one last time—or so they were told. Instead, KCD head coach Alyssa Quezada dropped her bombshell: All 20 women had made the final cut. They would be 2021–22 Knicks City Dancers: the latest and greatest edition of one of the most prestigious NBA dance teams. "It was the biggest celebration and the coolest moment of my dance career so far," says McCloskey now. And that was just the oh-so-perfectly-dramatic beginning.

Chelsea McCloskey Photo by Tess Mayer

Making the Team

A KCD audition is grueling by design. "A lot is asked of the Knicks City Dancers throughout the season that they're contracted to be a part of the team," says Quezada, a six-year veteran of the squad who's now in her fifth season as coach. So it makes perfect sense that over the course of four long days, aspirants need to show a lot to the all-female KCD leadership team: head coach Quezada, assistant coach/captain Teddi Bircks, co-captains Alexis Tillman and Brooke Fera, and director Amanda Pierce-Martin. (Any returning Knicks City Dancers also have to reaudition each year if they want to claim a slot on the team.)

Between cuts, auditionees are asked to freestyle, learn combination after combination, apply technical corrections and choreographic changes, and perform full-out as one cohesive squad. Extensive interviews play a role too, because KCD members make plenty of media, promotional and charity appearances during basketball season. "We really need articulate, well-spoken dancers who come across with a presence that is representative of New York," Quezada says. "We want independent, chic, passionate, inspiring, ambitious women, who also happen to be great dancers." New York City deserves—and gets—no less.

On Board the Court Ship

Like many dance jobs, being a Knicks City Dancer is technically a part-time gig. In fact, McCloskey says the team roster currently includes a few schoolteachers, nine-to-five office workers, fitness professionals, professional dancers and college students. But that "part-time" label fails to capture the intensity of prepping for the jam-packed KCD performance calendar, which starts with the NBA preseason kickoff on October 5. Roh says that the KCD's thrice-weekly, four-hour evening rehearsals "feel like being shot out of a cannon. We're learning and taking in a lot, but it's been really fun."

"Versatility" can be an overused buzzword in the commercial-dance realm. For the KCD, it's truly a way of life. Guest choreographers—Lacey Schwimmer, Mandy Moore, Maks and Val Chmerkovskiy, to name a few—come in one at a time to set numbers that range from classic Broadway jazz to Latin fusion to hard-hitting hip hop. Every season, the dancers learn, clean and perform up to 60 complete dances. That way, any basketball fans who show up at all 44 home games won't see too many repeats.

And get this: Each production number is staged for 16 dancers, so that on any given game night four women get time off. Keep in mind that the KCD usually rehearse at studios around the city because, as Quezada says, "Madison Square Garden always has the most amazing things going on." All of which means that each Knicks City Dancer gets on the court to learn her track for that night's formations just six hours (!!) before game time. The KCD pull this off for every game with the help of an intricate grid-plotting system, detailed video footage of all dances, and, of course, the coaches' and squad members' brilliant dancer brains. As McCloskey says, "There's a definite science and precision to how everything works on the court. I've never been on a dance team before, so I'm excited to take on all of this new knowledge and skills."

Sparkling Legacy, Even Brighter Future

At a time when some NBA dance teams are reassessing their image and purpose, the Knicks City Dancers keep strutting confidently towards the future. "We're really proud to represent the Knicks as a group of women in a way that feels empowering and inspiring," Quezada says. "I think it's very cool that a lot of other teams are going coed, but I feel like we get the best of both worlds when we perform at halftime and in 'T-shirt toss' dances with the 7th Ave Squad." (That's the Knicks' mixed-gender entertainment and hype squad, which includes some dancers who are more breaking-focused.)

For Roh and McCloskey, there couldn't be a more thrilling way to dance into the post-pandemic era. "I don't think I've ever danced for 20,000 people at a time, and I've definitely never danced at Madison Square Garden before," Roh says. "When I was moving back to New York in May of this year, I could not have imagined that I'd be performing in person here, surrounded by such amazing, strong women. So I'm just trying to soak it all in."

Meet Chelsea McCloskey

●Hometown: Exton, PA

●Training: Lionville School of Dance in Exton, PA; BFA in dance and BA in dance education from Montclair State University in NJ

●Favorite KCD dance: Prince's "It's About That Walk." "It's one of the classic, iconic Knicks City Dancer dances."

●When not in KCD mode, Chelsea: Teaches group fitness at 305 Fitness and Club Pilates locations around NYC and NJ

●Random fact: "When I was a senior at MSU, I got MRSA [a serious antibiotic-resistant infection] from stepping on something while dancing. Luckily, I got emergency surgery, but the doctor almost had to amputate my foot."

●What head coach Alyssa Quezada is saying: "Chelsea is very, very good at taking direction and implementing corrections, all with a smile on her face. She catches your attention and is a joy to watch. We always loved Chelsea the three times that she auditioned before this, and we're so excited that this is her year to make it on the team. It's been an honor and a privilege to watch her grow and mature as a dancer and as a woman."

Meet Hayoung Roh

●Hometown: Irvine, CA

●Training: Civic Dance Center in Bakersfield, CA; Orange County School of the Arts in CA; BFA in dance from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in NYC

●Favorite KCD dance: Lizzo's "Juice." "I can't help grooving to it, nonstop!"

●When not in KCD mode, Hayoung: Dances for a few project-based contemporary and modern companies

●Random fact: 'Hayoung' means 'glory to God' in Korean.

●What head coach Alyssa Quezada is saying: "Hayoung's versatility and 'it' factor were obvious right away from her reel. We really wanted to see what she'd bring to the room, and she certainly did not disappoint. It was a breath of fresh air to watch Hayoung knock it out of the park, seemingly without any difficulty. And she has such a sweet, humble and grounded disposition. You want to talk to her as much as you want to watch her dance."

from Dance Spirit https://ift.tt/2WV3yv3

[feelinungry]

As a kid, I found Harry Potter books and thought,

Hell, I don't give a shit about this present stuff. Mentions of the past? Oh. OH! Founders era, Marauders era my beloved. Interesting. How it all came to be.

I found Naruto and thought,

Present time. Cool. Up to some point. Oh? Bits of the past? What is Boruto? Never heard of it. Village founders era my beloved.

I got into KCD and immediately fell in love only for them to introduce Martin and Henry's mother and let them talk about "long peculiar history" while having Martin and Radzig exchanging meaningful looks and oh,

Oh no

Fuck, PARENTS ERA MY BELOVED

GIVE ME MORE

[jormundgandr]

Kingdom come deliverance, rant

So some people are having issues with KCD, I am one of them, in the second location of Talmberg, the trader wouldn’t come out of the damn grainery for me to buy a lock pick off of, so I ended up jumping on my horse and slipping through the chains of the drawbridge to escape.

The combat is a little clunky, but the biggest offender is the archery.

Now to put my woes into perspective, the main character’s name is Henry, son of the master blacksmith Martin, a blacksmithing apprentice himself. Now I don’t know about you, but in 15thC Europe a blacksmith would be fairly well built, strong enough to draw a bow, on top of that King Charles of Bohemia decreed that, much like England, peasants familiarise themselves with the longbow for obvious reasons.

Now Henry, who is between 17-22 years old, son of a master blacksmith and apprentice blacksmith himself, who by law would’ve had to practice with a longbow...

draws his longbow like an epileptic having a seizure, I spent the better half of 2 minutes trying to hit a full grown Hare from 10m away and Henry the invalid is throwing his arms around like he’s at a fucking rave.

That is one of the few gripes I have with this game that really

Really

Break the immersion of this otherwise wonderful game.

[brujahinaskirt]

I've never seen anyone mention this, so I will: Kingdom Come is balls-to-the-wall obsessed with symbolism. This is fitting for a medieval game (the medieval world was obsessed with symbolism), and it's loaded with symbols in both its art and storytelling elements. What I find worth remarking on is that KCD takes a far more subtle, literary, and artful approach to its symbolism than most games within its genre; its symbolism thrives in the margins, as with literature. It doesn't flounce in the spotlight with a megaphone as with most games.

[Cut for rambly analysis.]

One of the things I deeply appreciate about the script is that it doesn't talk down to the player. If you don't actively think about the storytelling while you play -- if you don't watch for foils, parallels, symbols, motifs, read character expressions and pay attention to the content of the conversations as well as the emotional delivery -- you'll miss half the meat and meaning and message of the writing. That's a rarity these days; even "writing-based" games tend to spoon-feed players embarrassingly facile stories, childish depictions of trauma, and insultingly thinly-developed character arcs (ahem, rhymes with Why-o-Bear).

And sure, you can shut your brain off or come in with bad faith blinders on and steamroller through KCD's main quest, walking away having had a coherent if mediocre medieval video game experience. But you'll miss Theresa's apples scattering on the ground at the moment the daily life she ambivalently but carefully tended to is torn asunder. You'll miss how Henry's speech tics mirror his mother's word-for-word in delivery and in text. You'll miss that Hans presents himself as a swaggering hunter but is consistently visually associated with a hounded, hunted stag. You'll miss how Henry and Hans's relationship so doggedly parallels what we know of Martin and Radzig's, and to a lesser extent Istvan and Erik's. You'll miss that certain characters' clothing matches or contrasts in color schemes (another enormous medieval obsession). You'll miss how the sacking of Skalitz is what enables village bullies Matthew and Fritz to descend into real villainy, and how Henry gradually gains the sense of self to step outside Matthew's sphere of toxic influence. You'll miss that Radzig speaks honestly to Henry through metaphors and riddles and wordplay since he's far too awkward to speak to him openly. You'll miss that after forming a friendship with a peasant, responsibility-avoider Hans develops a new concern for how his actions affect everyday people, meanwhile layabout loafer Henry develops a sense of accountability to society at large. You'll miss that Theresa is almost always pictured nearby water (rain or rivers or puddles) just as Hans is associated with the forest and Henry is so often cinematically staged facing hills (and usually among flowers). You'll miss the journal entries, some of which are genuinely heartbreaking in the simplicity and earnestness of their longing, and in their hopes for better things ahead.

Some portions of the narrative are so well-crafted in this regard that the weaker portions/writers really stand out. That's the downside of writing in teams, but oh man, with an arty storytelling approach like KCD's, you can fucking tell when someone's writing skill wasn't up to snuff (ahem, Lady Tone-Deafany)... or when the team just wasn't in love with a character or a subplot enough to flesh out the symbolism.

But I'm getting away from my point now and starting to ramble, so I'll rein myself back in.

I edit books, so my storytelling field is a bit different. But by my metrics, the most successful novels—the ones that manage to both perform commercially and offer something of genuine artistic, emotional merit to audiences—do it like KCD does it. The basic narrative must be simple enough for casual readers to understand at a foundational level. But for readers who relish the experience of deep reading—who come equipped with thoughtfulness, a real desire to appreciate storytelling (at context and subtext levels), and the ability to critically & emotionally engage with multiple character arcs at once—there's so much more than the surface.

Many gamers praise game developers for designing game mechanics that don't baby them. Likewise, I praise writers who don't baby me.