I feel there needs to be some official ground on which to flame- I mean "discuss" the current B & W topics since they are new and fresh (and numbering in the hundreds ) I mean, we can vote, but a number doesn't say much about anything. Details are needed to further educate reasoning behind those numbers, or... something
So, let's roll this ball:
The Ilusacsi Orb
The first and foremost, prolly the only one with a defined system of being, and one of the only ones with a set up, setting, or more than two sentances.
Do tot trust the Unknown
The typo in the title is not a good sign. While the writing is fairly good, it's about three lines of text. I guess cool stuff could happen with this, but, like, ... what? Anyhoo, I think this author could be good, and the story, for that matter, but it needs more... or enough to even be considered there
The Legend of The Blaster
... okay, that seems to be another with some sort of goal, setting, and whatnot.
War of Shadows
Aftermath had a baby! The father? Plagiarism!
Silent Pancake Cries for the Violent Lampshade Of the 4 Armed ?Bannana
Wow. Did anyone actually read this one all the way through? I tried to, but he nonsense was too much. I enjoyed it, but found myself getting horribly lost and missing where I was... so much jumbling.
"He consumed books like some of us consume twinkies."
- Words on Pope John Paul II, 1920 - 2005
[Moved by MintMan on Nov 20, 2005 17:11]
Michael
Posts: 54
Member #224
Apr 29, 2005 5:35
Im probably going to get gunned down for this but what the hey. War of Shadows is not intended to be a poor imitation of The Aftermath although I realise that the post is similar to the first in The Aftermath especially the magic part. My basic idea for the story was to create a country in the middle of a civil war with factions led by warlords against the emperor, Somewhat similar to Sengoku Jidai in Japan. But the focus was more on the darker side of the war with assasinations, backstabbing and politics and in particular the struggles of a mage gone assasin. The bit where magic was explained was very similar but the elements are just the basic and VERY common fire, earth, air and water as well as light and darkness. And the idea of a magic academy isn't exactly an original idea used only in the Aftermath. However if it's generally believed that it really sucks i'll stop.
Lugiatrainer
Posts: 400
Member #20
Apr 29, 2005 8:51
Hrm, perhaps the typo could become part of the story...
Just what ARE the tot, and what would their bias be towards the unknown?
As for the magic stuff, indeed, AtP is hardly the first to use those types for magic, so...as long as it can stay a completley different story from Aftermath, I don't see why its potential shouldn't be used.
[Editted by Lugiatrainer on Apr 29, 2005 8:52]
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Apr 29, 2005 13:20
The magic isn't why it was a rip-off -- each story follows the exact same chain of events for the beginning.
Observe:
Look, something is happening. Main character does something, and now main character thinks back to being taught about the magics in the world, which are categorized.
Now, jump out of flashback into main story again.
I think the main/only difference is the setting: one olden, one ultra-modern.
Michael
Posts: 54
Member #224
Apr 30, 2005 24:57
Well ok then i can see your point
I apologize to all the people involved with Aftermath: The Prologue and promise to do my best to avoid having this happen again
"This department requires no physical fitness program. Everyone gets enough excercise jumping to conclusions, flying off their handle, running down the boss, knifing friends in the back, dodging resposibility and pushing their luck" - sign on an office wall
VinnyD
Posts: 443
Member #9
Apr 30, 2005 1:15
As its creator I forgive you, if only because you were polite enough and well spoken in your apology.
Don't car if it was coincidence or a ripoff, just post some quality work in BW and everyone will be cool.
The Official Man's Man of RE.
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Apr 30, 2005 11:16
I concur; your writing style doesn't suck at all. I mean, the story is actually made rather well.
It is just a very unexpandable beginning for an IAS. Unfortunately, good writing won't make an IAS good, too. Some of the forum stories actually started with very little (and little skill), but were quickly saved by subsequent posting.
I think what B&W needs is one of its many stories to actually do well. Everyone can start up a new book, but no one seems to realize that they can add to an already existing story; they are much happier having a premise that goes no where instead, apparently.
Michael
Posts: 54
Member #224
Apr 30, 2005 20:47
Thanks
I'm mainly refraining from posting in other people's stories because I don't want to mess with them and want to get a bit more IAS experience. Now hopefully some other people will add to the story.
"This department requires no physical fitness program. Everyone gets enough excercise jumping to conclusions, flying off their handle, running down the boss, knifing friends in the back, dodging resposibility and pushing their luck" - sign on an office wall
MadGoblin
Posts: 1515
Member #2
May 15, 2005 9:18
Nah, Mich, I wouldn't think that. You're one of the only "new" people I would even trust posting in stories plain. I mean, you perfectly integrated Hood in WoS by providing reasonable and interesting backstory and whatnot. I was all, "Shock, he's interacting in an interactive story! Is that even allowed?"
On a different note, how formulaic am I becoming at these storie when adding characters? (onos, I'm revealing myself, but its not like anyone couldn't tell my writing in the first place anyways) I mean, in AtP, I add a holy-esque character with the evilest of the elements at his command, and now, in AtP Jr (I know its not, I just like the name ), I add a dark character who manipulates the goodest of elements "He consumed books like some of us consume twinkies."
- Words on Pope John Paul II, 1920 - 2005
Michael
Posts: 54
Member #224
May 15, 2005 23:50
Thanks. I think the problem with a lot of the IAS's is that people play it more like a video game, focusing on only their characters and pretty much leaving others alone instaed of writing it like a story.
The paradoxical characters work well in chaotic settings such as AtP and Jr. (it isn't too bad a name:)) They add a bit more depth compared to most characters.
This may have been asked already but is there anyway a writer can find out the rating of their post or do we have to wait until the story is finished. Assuming that the removal of the ratings on posts is to stop peoples votes being influenced and not for other reasons.
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
May 17, 2005 16:55
Yeah, I have to get a sort of log-in screen up for B&W. You will be able to view your individual scores and overall total, but little else.
I mean, unless I want to make B&W require its own accounts (which would assure as many people adding to the stories as the forum IASes... waitaminute), it will be very difficult to simply browse backwards to posts you have voted on and see there scores up-front.
I have also been considering a ranking board of stories and authors alike. That'd be some motivation if you had to get your name off of the "Worst Author Ever" list!
boyachi
Posts: 1161
Member #92
May 19, 2005 24:13
Aside from the fact that my computer thinks that it has to voted for EVERYTHING on every site, I think the list would be comical.
BTW Mints, I give you cool points for indirectly keeping a visible scoring system for posts, that at least gives the authors some way to see how well they have done. Mind you sometimes I question it, but yea, if it works the way I think it does, the B vs W gradient adds (avoids the word "color") finesse to the section.
The New Dawn has risen. Are you the one to unlock it?
MadGoblin
Posts: 1515
Member #2
May 23, 2005 11:02
Here's an oddity I've notice: vote number.
While I've seen some really bad posts (that were deleted), earn upwards to 10 votes cast to banish them, the surrounding posts (and really all previous) have half that number.
So, what's the deal? Are people only casting their vote if they utter hate a post? It doesn't work that way, people. Vote, dangs it.
Additionally, I think, as of now, I am the last person to have added to a story or was the post before the last add. Looks like I'm locked out (either physically or by prinicipal) from adding to any others...
I sure wish this junk would fly better, that way the big guns could be taken out...
"He consumed books like some of us consume twinkies."
- Words on Pope John Paul II, 1920 - 2005
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
May 23, 2005 18:29
Oh great, Legend of Blaster got blammed before I had a chance to put up the recent-post-deleting feature for stories, not just the current list of stories.
On that note, how the bleedin' Hel did Legend of Blaster get deleted while trash like two other posts I'm thinkin' of are still live and well?
Maybe Blaster could get saved when the graveyard is put up... whenever I get my internet connection back up... whenever that'll be.
draggy1234
Posts: 486
Member #97
May 24, 2005 15:41
Uh...I can't vote, apparently. I had gone to the last addition of "War of Shadows" to vote (and I know I hadn't voted on it previously), but when I submitted my vote the page came up with an error saying that I had voted on that addition already.
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
May 24, 2005 17:14
'Cause you prolly did. That, or you double-clicked. Let us see, shall we?
re_draggy1234
Yup, you're just not that bright * uses Toss on draggy1234 with a bit of smartenin' to learn him good *
So to review, you can vote and nothing ever went wrong. Draggs just already voted on that post and didn't know it. Beware the double click, foo's.
MintMan fabricates a bit
MintMan uses Toss on draggy1234 with a bit
MadGoblin
Posts: 1515
Member #2
Jun 23, 2005 1:13
Wow, that wave sure got cut down to size. What's even left from that original burst? Do Not Trust and War of Shadows? Orb?
There's a good question: why hasn't that one gone anywhere? I mean, of all the original stories, it probably had more to its start than any of the others. Heck, "tot" just started, "I'm somewhere, doing something!" and look how wacky that one has gone. Scary how the only other stories left are... both mine.
WoS is getting freakin' awesome and really taking off, DNTtU is getting weird and could really take off, Orb is still sitting there, RoRII is perfect and discussed in its own topic, and To Hell is... flawed in every way
I'm sorry, but, despite being the best written of all the stories, in my opinion, it is by far the most off track. I mean, it was BD, and NO ONE has acknowledged it as being such or has even attempted to identify what any of the monsters are. Heck, the Gate Keeper's familiar was removed from the story, which was kinda odd.
Meh, maybe I'm just a B&W stickler and don't like when things go slightly awry...
"He consumed books like some of us consume twinkies."
- Words on Pope John Paul II, 1920 - 2005
Shinyumo
Posts: 57
Member #236
Jun 23, 2005 10:44
Sorry about that.
I didn't know it was supposed to be BD (I'm really new around here. Really, really new...), although I was kind of wondering why you hadn't described what a Tatzelwurm was...
Well, I'm sorry. If there was a way to edit it, I would change it.
MadGoblin
Posts: 1515
Member #2
Jun 23, 2005 11:46
Nono, it was far from your fault. You just built onto the error that I guess no one ever saw. Largely, it was the second post that kind of disregarded a lot of the info. I mean, I thought it was set up so that the 1st gate keeper (who apparently wasn't the 1st gate keeper according to the latest addition ) ended the initial posting with his familiar by stating "a lumbering shadow loom(ing) over (him) with a brimmed silhouette riding atop".
I mean, I could have said, "I'm the nameless protagonist, I have a Chimera. The first gate keeper is said to have a hydra, the second layer is a steamy jungle with a tribal savage who controls a manticore. The next layer is emersed in water where a merman commands a horde of falcon-fish, the next layer..."
And so on, but that would ruin the whole "interactive" part of it if everything was defined. I guess I assumed by making it BD only that people would have to reserve with their BD accounts and take the hint. Didn't know that Ems actually had the Master Accounts linking into others.
Now I'm ranting! Wee! "You look good for someone who was hit by a car."
"Thus being the only time ever that it can said that I 'look good'."
draggy1234
Posts: 486
Member #97
Jun 23, 2005 13:58
Oops.
I would've thought that the gate keeper from the 1st and 2nd posts wasn't one of the mentioned top generals, or else I'm quite sure that the fight wouldn't have lasted just one post.
) I mean, we can vote, but a number doesn't say much about anything. Details are needed to further educate reasoning behind those numbers, or... something 
), I add a dark character who manipulates the goodest of elements 
waitaminute), it will be very difficult to simply browse backwards to posts you have voted on and see there scores up-front.
