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The only thing Cauldron did in canon was saving Boneshaw, because Contessa's power said her that
The Warcrafter
- Thread starter RHJunior
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The only thing Cauldron did in canon was saving Boneshaw, because Contessa's power said her that
Bayleaf probably inspired his friends to go read the old comic classics or something, remember that the comics only started going out of style in the mid 80s, though that is still something that is a bit on the nose.
Also, I just fininish binge reading this fic, there aren't many that can keep my attention like this and keep me coming back to it.
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Finally got through what you have, looking pretty good so far. I really like the idea of the cosmic bureaucracy with agents and actors, if you aren't opposed I may use that idea in the future.
That being said i do wish we could have seen some build up for Rune becoming one of the Warcrafted, cause that seemed to just come out of left field, I know you put a little bit of an explanation after they meet their agents but it stinks of retcon tbh.
That aside, it seems well written and certainly more imaginative than most worm fiction.
That being said i do wish we could have seen some build up for Rune becoming one of the Warcrafted, cause that seemed to just come out of left field, I know you put a little bit of an explanation after they meet their agents but it stinks of retcon tbh.
That aside, it seems well written and certainly more imaginative than most worm fiction.
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So, I hate to say this, but I'm having to walk away from this story without finishing it. I'm currently on Chapter 19 and, while the story itself is interesting, the writing style has some serious flaws.
Not only is the "tone" of different characters incredibly same-y in their internal narration during different PoVs, you have them using the same speach patterns and kindergartener levels of profanity.
You want your character to talk like he's in Sunday School? Go for it. But don't have Aisha and Taylor going "Oh my gosh!" like some cutsie little girls. Most of the cast, in canon, are quite at home with profanity. Especially Aisha.
You've also fallen prey to all sorts of fanon. Fallen prey and then leaned hard into it and decided to draw all sorts of inferences off bad starting data.
The major kiss of death for my ability to enjoy the story, however, has been the absolutely constant, ham-handed Author Tract level moralizing. It's not just that I disagree with you on multiple points, especially in your blatant celebration of Puritanical sex-negativity, it's that you devote multiple paragraphs to beating people over the head with these points at the cost of story pacing.
Not only is the "tone" of different characters incredibly same-y in their internal narration during different PoVs, you have them using the same speach patterns and kindergartener levels of profanity.
You want your character to talk like he's in Sunday School? Go for it. But don't have Aisha and Taylor going "Oh my gosh!" like some cutsie little girls. Most of the cast, in canon, are quite at home with profanity. Especially Aisha.
You've also fallen prey to all sorts of fanon. Fallen prey and then leaned hard into it and decided to draw all sorts of inferences off bad starting data.
The major kiss of death for my ability to enjoy the story, however, has been the absolutely constant, ham-handed Author Tract level moralizing. It's not just that I disagree with you on multiple points, especially in your blatant celebration of Puritanical sex-negativity, it's that you devote multiple paragraphs to beating people over the head with these points at the cost of story pacing.
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wkz
Probably on the other side of the world from you
Curious you should say this. In canon Piggot's salt-the-earth orders to air strike people on the ground killed Crawler and Mannequin... and took out quite a lot of collateral too.
Our heroine wasn't canonically happy about that, since she was supposed to be one of the "acceptable losses".
Jack slash still got away despite the salted earth bombing run.
He's actually a LOT better than in the distant, distant past. (Go dig up his old webcomics if you like more of the same, that is if I identified the same person correctly. The constant Star-trek lambasting was especially heavy handed). I had to do a double take once the name below the icon finally sunk in.
I'd just treat those rants as alt-viewpoint weirdness coloring the viewpoints of alt-universe characters (which means it totally fits the tone of canon Worm's writing to start with) in an alt-universe from canon Worm to boot... and maintain a politically neutral view to simply enjoy the rest of the story outside those author tracts.
Or if you're so entrenched in your political viewpoint that you can't let go... well... you've already done what's best for you.
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JoshuaSweetvale
Insectovore
- Location
- NL, 65 Million Years Ago
Or you just shrug that the author has issues and move on. He's producing content worth reading despite Dude's legitimate criticisms because it does still innovate.
Insane author is acceptable for me.
Boring author is not.
Insane author is acceptable for me.
Boring author is not.
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- Location
- Missouri
Like I said, it's not that I disagree with the viewpoints it's that the moralizing is outright anvilicous, and the asides about it make the story drag to the point I couldn't maintain momentum.
I'd be complaining just as much about someone spending that kind of word-count beating me over the head about things I agree with, too.
wkz
Probably on the other side of the world from you
Other than the gigantic rant about prudishness due to oil prices and oil byproducts (while also touching on a multitude of other issues and points and 'opinions', and is admittedly quite out of place and can use some word count slashing), iirc most of his politics is stuck in three or four sentences at any one burst.
Which imo is fine.
All the 'school systems sucks even more now, because of course they sucked before, oh yeah' or 'gun control never worked, now it's unattainable with finger lasers around, booya' or even 'hybrid-electric cars are for suckers, haha'*?
It isn't that much different from "this here is justice out here out in the wild, gov" coming from a Wild West sherif, or "You're damned! Damned to hell for this!" from a preacher for whatever X reason, or even "what? You dare blaspheme that vegan shit against the all American burger?"... it's characterization, pure and simple.
Given RL, fictional people are allowed a bunch of viewpoints they feel crusader-styled strongly about, and the more obnoxious are allowed to even preach it, or in this case think deeply about it in their heads (if it sticks is another point altogether...)
Just that... RH? Try not to have too many people share the same viewpoint. Bayleaf's group eventually will leach from each other, but outside groups are kinda allowed to think differently while not being villain piñatas, yet also aligned with the hero's objectives.
*(I especially laughed at this one, simply because I OWN a MPV version of the Prius. The exact same model range being lamblasted as the 'alledged car')
Which imo is fine.
All the 'school systems sucks even more now, because of course they sucked before, oh yeah' or 'gun control never worked, now it's unattainable with finger lasers around, booya' or even 'hybrid-electric cars are for suckers, haha'*?
It isn't that much different from "this here is justice out here out in the wild, gov" coming from a Wild West sherif, or "You're damned! Damned to hell for this!" from a preacher for whatever X reason, or even "what? You dare blaspheme that vegan shit against the all American burger?"... it's characterization, pure and simple.
Given RL, fictional people are allowed a bunch of viewpoints they feel crusader-styled strongly about, and the more obnoxious are allowed to even preach it, or in this case think deeply about it in their heads (if it sticks is another point altogether...)
Just that... RH? Try not to have too many people share the same viewpoint. Bayleaf's group eventually will leach from each other, but outside groups are kinda allowed to think differently while not being villain piñatas, yet also aligned with the hero's objectives.
*(I especially laughed at this one, simply because I OWN a MPV version of the Prius. The exact same model range being lamblasted as the 'alledged car')
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I did say the artwork wasn't mine
EDIT: and for some reason it never occured to me to check your artwork to see if you had done anything to work with ... #moronfeelingintensifies
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The way I recall it is that one of his (many) comics had a Star Trek parody arc that was referenced a few times later, including one further encore scene in a courtroom. The "Sapphire Star" arc between the Star Trek parody and the courtroom arc was excellent (start here and end when you hit the splash page for the following arc). The rest of the comic was somewhere in between, and I wouldn't blame critics for recommending just that one arc.
wkz
Probably on the other side of the world from you
Oh boy that splash page you linked to. It's the arc which cemented my opinion of RHJ, because of how he handled and interpreted a story in the 50s.
My take on source material, "The Cold Equation", is: it was a story created in a time period where human tech hasn't quite caught up with human ambition, meaning all space flight is done by the barest of margins... some oh so very dangerous threadbare margins. Ergo, the tale is a cautionary one of just how dangerous those lack of buffers are, and we really shouldn't expect to continue do things this way once civilians begin to enter space; people will literally DIE if standards don't change.
The webcomic's "the Coldest Equation" took the piss out of that tale by turning it into a story about corporate malfeasance. And yet it works: Our standards and tech has moved on (let alone that advanced civ's standards and tech), ergo stop trying to get by doing dangerous stuff with the barest of margins!
... I'd say I profited overall just by the fact I got to read the original "Cold Equation" because of that arc. Anything else I got out of that is simply bonus gravy.
The webcomic's "the Coldest Equation" took the piss out of that tale by turning it into a story about corporate malfeasance. And yet it works: Our standards and tech has moved on (let alone that advanced civ's standards and tech), ergo stop trying to get by doing dangerous stuff with the barest of margins!
... I'd say I profited overall just by the fact I got to read the original "Cold Equation" because of that arc. Anything else I got out of that is simply bonus gravy.
That being said, walking down memory lane browing the links reaffirmed my opinion that RHJ got a LOT better in how much he does not use his fiction as an author tract.
But I digress. Apologies for this post RHJ, and in your own thread too.
My problem isn't the sex-negativity (although I have a huge problem with that[0]); it's the absolute _stupidity_ behind the 'reasoning'.
Any society which can't produce condoms and birth control pills won't have personal automobiles. Nor will it have personal computers, the internet, nor smartphones. If you're that strapped for resources, _you aren't a third world country_. Yes, I said third word, not first world, for a _reason_.
You also won't likely be a continent-spanning country, honestly, although it's possible if highly unlikely.
[0] I had sex with my wife within a couple of weeks before meeting her, we were married within four months after I met her, one month of which was solely due to delays because we were both from out of state, we weren't monogamous while we were married, and her death from cancer two and a half years ago literally nearly killed me; anyone telling me that what we had was cheapened because we loved sex is likely to result in _one_ of us being banned. Hopefully I'll control myself enough that it won't be me. I have no use for sex-negative people.
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Right, I mean obviously there were no historical cases of basic inventions simply not being invented for centuries because no one thought of them.
Oh, wait...that actually happens all the time, from the cradle scythe and the washing board to movable print, silk screen printing, crochet and so much more.
That's ignoring how complicated birth control pills actually are.
Not that I disagree with you about the issues with a society that wouldn't think of inventing birth control, but it's far from impossible, just unlikely and implies some very unpleasent stuff about the society in question.
This isn't a failure to invent, this is _being unable to produce something you know how to make_. If you can't produce condoms and birth control pills due to lack of resources, you aren't going to have anything that resembles Brockton Bay, because you won't have personal automobiles. Or antibiotics.
Fencer
Writer
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- 2nd shift
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Kind of have to agree with this. And even if rubber wasn't available for single use products anymore... well condoms didn't start out as rubber so it's not like their aren't alternatives.
Although my wife repeatedly got a snicker out of the fact that lamskin condoms were popular when she was in high school.
She _so_ wanted to go back in time and explain to the jocks that they were, in essence, *ing a sheep....
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Candom's I'll grant, but only if you're talking about long term unavailability as opposed to a few weeks/months of unavailability at any reasonable price. pills you're wrong about.
However I seem to have missed/forgotten the bit where it was stated there was any sort of long term unavailability for birth control.
Seriously? I thought that sort of thing disappeared when latex condoms were invented.
Weird.
And what do you do if you or your partner have a latex allergy?
Not speaking from personal experience but I hear it doesn't go well..
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Granted, but even then there are alternative synthetics that work as well (if not as cheaply) as Latex.
- Location
- Marietta, OH USA
I did say the artwork wasn't mine
EDIT: and for some reason it never occured to me to check your artwork to see if you had done anything to work with ... #moronfeelingintensifies
hehe. I've got stuff at www.rhjunior.com, also on Deviantart, RHJunior | DeviantArt and on my Patreon site. Ralph Hayes is creating Webcomics | Patreon
Not a matter of complete unavailability, but a matter of steep increase in expense due to the presence of Endbringers utterly buggering up infrastructure seven ways from Sunday.... which is the same result in the end, I'll grant you. It's not acknowledged, but Earth Bet is basically in a state of perpetual war, with a major city being badly damaged or destroyed every three months... to say nothing of the collateral damage (imagine the tsunamis from the sinking of Kyushu.) And that's just from the Endbringers. Wildbow is rather deficient in adequately portraying the economic consequences of having giant damn Kaiju rampaging around wrecking international shipping and destroying manufacturing and resource epicenters (Didn't Behemoth frag Saudi Arabia's oil fields in one chapter?)
Such a situation means a certain amount of privation. Ask anyone who lived through WWII about the "heatless, meatless, and wheatless" days.... things we would regard as mundane staples quickly became luxury items, simply because the materials to make them were rerouted to more urgent purposes.
And so many things we take for granted depend entirely on international shipping.... Forget cheap prophylactics, Taylor lives in a world where plain old black table pepper would be frequently difficult to get.
If anything they probably dump what condoms and pills they make into the Simurgh quarantine zones just to keep the people trapped there from having a nightmare population explosion...
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Essentially: The livesaving pharmaceuticals and infrastructure building/maintaining industries (like for example the automotive industry, simply to get stuff to places) get first go with the raw materials before the stuff that isn't actually that needed so long as you use common sense.
They don't, actually, because they don't _stretch_ like latex. Trust me on this one, they can be painful.
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Okay, seems I owe @sdwood an apology, I did not recall this stupidity existing in this story.
Look you can have the society being one suffering serious shortages even up to the level of WWII europe, with window gardens and backyard gardens used to grow food and people patching clothes and there being a thriving black market for stuff like makeup and shampoo, etc...
...or you can have a society that resembles modern society with teenagers not worrying or caring what goes on in the world and worrying about fashion and high school status.
What you can't have (not in any believable fashion) is the later, while claiming the former is happening.
Nonsense.
Even if international trade was completely eliminated there would be no great difficulty in acquiring alternatives from North America. They may cost a bit more, but they'd be available. And that's if trade was completely cut off, something that obviously is NOT the case in either canon or your story.
My suggestion, don't try and pull a Wildbow by trying to justify the impossible contradictions in your story, given that I didn't remember this issue it obviously doesn't prevent people from enjoying your story, but it isn't something that's possible to defend as logical or possible in the setting.
I'll take your word for it regarding condoms, but I'll note that judging from various types of disposable gloves there are (at least in the last 10-20 years) plenty of options that are just as elastic as latex.