I think, it's not bad to have several different insights saying the same thing, or reinforcing the same concept.
There is no mandatory reason insights can't just be doubling down on other insights we already have.
I say this because arguments of the "but we already have an insight that talks about that" bother me a bit. We don't always need to reach out to cover as much of everything as we can that we must avoid overlapping.
Like, if we found an insight that was "It's important to protect your family" (as flimsy as that is), I'd vote for it even if it already fell within the theme of "One person's desires cannot, alone make a home nor a family". Because, it'd reinforce it. Mono-theme builds have worth, and we've already spread ourselves waaay too thin, I believe. Honesty, Family, Flexibility-yet-tenaciousness, endings, endless progress". Too much noise. We could have easily gone for a single concept and really hammer it instead.
I think, it's not bad to have several different insights saying the same thing, or reinforcing the same concept.
There is no mandatory reason insights can't just be doubling down on other insights we already have.
I say this because arguments of the "but we already have an insight that talks about that" bother me a bit. We don't always need to reach out to cover as much of everything as we can that we must avoid overlapping.
Like, if we found an insight that was "It's important to protect your family" (as flimsy as that is), I'd vote for it even if it already fell within the theme of "One person's desires cannot, alone make a home nor a family". Because, it'd reinforce it. Mono-theme builds have worth, and we've already spread ourselves waaay too thin, I believe. Honesty, Family, Flexibility-yet-tenaciousness, endings, endless progress". Too much noise. We could have easily gone for a single concept and really hammer it instead.
I agree with this, but at the same time, I'd rather not have a domain with a bunch of insights that say pretty much the same thing. Abeo pointed out an interesting way in which the 1st HDW domain insight is both different from our advanced insight and relevant to Ling Qi's current character conflict, which is good enough for me to vote for it.
[X] Even walking alone, footfalls echo beyond your hearing
These insights seem like a sliding scale on how much other people are valued. We also have to consider possible advanced insights and I think these insights give us plenty of goodies. Obviously I will try to argue with a positive outlook on our future to make sure this vote is not just shrugged off at first sight.
First and Foremost these are our insights:
Sincerity is the measure by which the worthiness of the self and ones guests should be measured.
There are endings and Endings, only the very last one is final. Just as winter ends in spring, small endings are new beginnings.
Though a path might be hard and lonely, it has worth if you can present something of beauty to those you care for at the end.
There is no peace in emptiness, no content in stillness. Stagnation is death; act, change, move, think, and grow until the very end.
Branches and trunks bend and sway, but the roots must remain unyielding. Retreat only so far and then no more.
One person's desires cannot, alone make a home nor a family.
[] Even walking alone, footfalls echo beyond your hearing
[] One note never exists in isolation, its meaning is found in the whole composition
[] A song must have listeners to have value, music is a shared experience at heart.
These choices seem to emphasize connections and how they are valued and viewed. What is the common definition of connections? I, the lazy internet user that I am, did NOT open a "proper" dictionary, but looked the word up on search engine every one here surely knows.
Google. IF you didn't get it. The answer is Google...
MIrriam webster for example brought me the following:
1. causal or logical relation or sequence
2. contextual relation or association
3. relationship in fact
4. coherence, continuity
This means for me that none of these insights should never be viewed by itself, alone. Ironic I know.
Through our insights we value: sincerity, endings small and definitive, presenting something beautiful to our loved ones after hardship, a desire to interact and therefore change ourselves constantly and (some may not think it) we have a point where we will make a stand!
The advanced insight is: For home or family all desires need to be considered.
Ling Qi clearly struggles right now in the narrative with including people outside of her loved ones/friends and most of our insights support this. Our advanced insight is pretty blatant about this.
Since I can't read minds I will now throw some insights together as an exercise.
Number 2 and 4 of Ling Qis Insights emphasize change and together give me the impression of "Some things/relationships may end, but we will change and in doing that will grow until the very end."
Number 2 with, for this example, the second option i read as: "Just as small endings make way for new beginnings, we(One note) don't exist in social isolation and find new meaning to our situation after a new beginning. (-> Relationships no matter how small have an inherent value which we can appreciate)
Number 2 with the first option: "Just as small endings make way for new beginnings, people will notice that we walked nearby" (-> We are THE BUTTERFLY effect, they just don't know how we affected them )
Number 4 with the second option i read as " we shall only be content in constant interaction, and one person changing doesn't mean much, but if a group is changing at the behest of us then we shall find meaning in the change. (-> Our actions will inform actions of npc and loved ones alike)
I am Done! Rip it apart. Savor it, hate it. I don't care, but a discussion is very much asked for!
Towards including even the useless Fan Yu and beyond! He after al this time may not be relevant directly, but his actions informs the opinions of people around us Xiulan, I just realized just Xiulan.
If it wasn't obvious from my examples. Here is the vote: [X] One note never exists in isolation, its meaning is found in the whole composition
[] An interesting fact and a useful observation [No insight]
ok, this is a do nothing option. we gain nothing, we lose nothing. i think there is not much to say about it?
[] Even walking alone, footfalls echo beyond your hearing
on the first impression this seems kind of underwhelming. 'actions have consequences' is the type of saying that would earn one a 'you dont say?' response, right?
but on the second look and in the context of the family thing, this is actually something Ling Qi has been struggling with a bit. Not as much about direct consequences, but didnt we have at least 2 scenes by now where Ling Qi apologizes for ignoring the consequences her actions have on her family? I think in this context, the option is actually decent enough that I might vote for it in the end.
[] One note never exists in isolation, its meaning is found in the whole composition
Searching for meaning for something in the bigger context is not actually a bad thing in itself. There is just one downside to me: if meaning is found in the whole, then doesnt that mean that doing something outside of a bigger context is meaningless? I am not quite sure about this insight, but my current tendency is towards no.
[] A song must have listeners to have value, music is a shared experience at heart.
I think this insight tries way too hard to be group oriented to the point where the individual value of *the song* itself and for the *musician* gets ignored. I dont think i can agree to this.
[X] One note never exists in isolation, its meaning is found in the whole composition
I don't think there's danger of outright forcing Ling Qi to be with others. The one note could also be Ling Qi's desire for connection itself, one part of her where the whole may feel like being alone. The insight can mean more than Ling Qi in relation to others. Like how WHR was described as in this very chapter both Ling Qi's solitude and her attachments are but single notes and not the full symphony on their lonesome. Once we get an insight from WHR I think that worry could be dealt with, with that insight and this one acting as push and pull in a harmonious balance for just about any subject.
First thing I thought of when I read this is the indication that LQ's choices for herself have consequences impacting her loved ones. It would be a good counterbalance to FVM and might help with the heart demon. She can still move forward alone, just start being more mindful about what happens when she does. As of right now, LQ isn't great at being mindful of others. She really is too used to going it alone, its a part of her. I don't want that to change but being more mindful wouldn't hurt either.
[X] Even walking alone, footfalls echo beyond your hearing
I like this one because it has obvious play with a couple of her other insights, and it seems to address a source of conflict for her. Internalizing that isolating herself isn't enough to insulate others from her difficulties is a reinforcement of her advanced insight, facing inwards, which I think has been the significant "missing piece" in her understanding of it.
on the first impression this seems kind of underwhelming. 'actions have consequences' is the type of saying that would earn one a 'you dont say?' response, right?
but on the second look and in the context of the family thing, this is actually something Ling Qi has been struggling with a bit. Not as much about direct consequences, but didnt we have at least 2 scenes by now where Ling Qi apologizes for ignoring the consequences her actions have on her family? I think in this context, the option is actually decent enough that I might vote for it in the end.
[] One note never exists in isolation, its meaning is found in the whole composition
[] A song must have listeners to have value, music is a shared experience at heart.
I think that in context of social interaction these two are too radical.
[x] Even walking alone, footfalls echo beyond your hearing
Ok so I really like the introduction to WHR in this update as explicitly about the meditation of the broader concept of boundaries, this is 100% what I hoped for when voting for it, and hopefully the insights from the art will bear it out.
Now, for HDW... I have to say I am disappointed.
[] Even walking alone, footfalls echo beyond your hearing
[] One note never exists in isolation, its meaning is found in the whole composition
[] A song must have listeners to have value, music is a shared experience at heart.
Of the 3, the last seems immediately bad because there is legit value of music that isn't connected to any individual. Zequing's song of the End totally has beauty and fuck anyone that says otherwise. (Extrapolated to other similar songs of Nature). This is denial of beauty unless it is shared.
The second is, again, less than ideal. At its worst it ties LQ's sense of self-worth to being part of a group, which just seems unhealthy, beyond the way we already emphasize the importance of loved ones. I would generally be weary of any insight that tries to tie down conceptually what is meaningful, and in this case the addition seems hardly justified.
The first insight would be the least objectionable, since it acknowledges that one can walk alone, and emphasizes that such steps have consequences/cause connections even beyond what one might perceive. With that cleared, the question becomes if it is a worthy enough insight to permanently engrave as a core lesson on which LQ defines herself, and of that I am significantly less sure.
So overall HDW just doesn't do it for me. Even the first insight doesn't seem like it's adding enough to justify permanent inclusion when we skipped something like CDE's "Ignorance is no better than blindness". I expect something at least as fitting for one of our limited slots.
EDIT: vote:
[X] An interesting fact and a useful observation [No insight]
Finally caught up a few months ago in reader mode! I've started reading through all the discussions and votes and stuff now too. Was gonna vote last time for the art but jesus everyone was getting salty lol. Cheers for the writing the best xianxia story i've ever read Yrs! [x] Even walking alone, footfalls echo beyond your hearing
[x] Even walking alone, footfalls echo beyond your hearing
I really want us to slot in an HDW insight. I really like this art. Each of the techniques are good for a support, and the first technique works with any music art. Having a constant awareness of the perspective of allies is a huge boon in a fight. If the first technique works with our domain, we don't even need an action to set up the technique. That would be amazing for team fights.
The themes of the art are also good for us. Ling Qi has been lonely for a long time, and the art's emphasis on connections is good for her.
The thing I really love about this art though is its successor potential. It is begging to be mixed with other elements. By mixing water with this art, the last technique would be emphasized and it could become a social stealth art. By adding wood, the 3rd technique would be improved because wood arts usually boost resist and health. The art would focus more on defenses and less on perception. We could even mix in other elements because the technique is about finding the connections between things. There is so much potential here.
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