Thoughts from the Design Process

[Dragonmystic]

I'm going just going to ramble a bit about my thoughts from the design process. Feel free to ask questions.


Due to the nature of this post, there may be mild spoilers, so I'll put those in spoiler tags. But beware of jumping to conclusions with those spoilers.


On the difference of medium


Comics are different than games. That seems a silly thing to state, but it's important. When playing the game, you need to make sure everything is balanced, mechanics are fair, and people aren't going to abuse things. Above all you need to make sure people are having a good time and that everyone is involved.


With a comic, the story is more important.


What this means is that some mechanics will be thrown out the window (if they don't make sense story-wise), and some characters might be less active, or even gone, if the story demands it. If you want some specifics, know that for this comic:


1. Lunars are not shape-locked. When their animas flare, they can still shapeshift. I mean, they're still a squirrel with a humongous anima flare, but still...


2. Charms are not going to be activated all the time during battles. In play, you'd be silly not to use charms all the time. In the comic, a charm is only activated when it is important, buffs excluded.


3. Training times and mentors will always be important.


Making Characters My Own


In order to make the comic interesting, all the characters need to be interesting, unique, and well-developed. I can't do that with other people's characters. As some of you know, this story is based around an RPG I was in. Ozzy, "Clang" (not her real name,) and Marcus were player characters, along with some other PC's that I'm not going to name right now.


1. I have to make these characters "my own." The comic versions of these characters will be different from their characters, simply because they will be my interpretations of those characters. While I need to be respectful to make these interpretations as close to the original, I need to have the freedom and understanding to get in their heads, and predict what they will do.


2. This applies to the NPC's of the world, too. For example:

Spoiler

Master Chejop Kejak plays an important role in the comic. This is not the definitive Chejop, this is my Chejop.

 

[LaFreeze]

Spoiler

Master Chejop Kejak plays an important role in the comic, even though he does die.

--Dragonmystic edit after the fact.

Spoiler

Seriously spoiler tags if you are going to tell us something like that which hasn't happened in the comic yet.

 

[Dragonmystic]

Where are the Solars and Infernals?


There's only so much scope I can have in the story. I am focusing on the Sidereals, Lunars, and Alchemicals; that's a pretty broad topic as is. Thinking forward, I can't add in Solars or Infernals into the storyline without making it terribly complex, confusing, and...well, uninteresting in its broad scope.


That's not to say that Solars and Infernals don't exist. They are important to the setting, and we will feel repercussions of their actions in the storyline. Think of it as the Western pole in a game set primarily in the East. People know about the West, but we're not going to be sailing around beating up pirates in the East game.


Know, this does not mean that Solars and Infernals will get no screen-time at all. We've already shown an Infernal in my comic's first run. What I mean is that there are not going to be storylines centered around them. No explorations of the complex relations between them and the Unconquered Sun, no explorations of the Yozi and their terrible plans. They will only be shown as an outsider glancing at somebody's house: you can see the lights going on and off, but you don't really know what's going on in there.


Exalts should never be Extras


That being said, an Exalt should never be a one-dimensional extra to fill up the background of the comic. Every Exalt always has a story with them, otherwise they wouldn't be an Exalt! (Dragonbloods are the exception to this.) This is somewhat problematic for me, as I might be tempted to say "And then there are 5 other Sidereals going about their business in the background." But in order to make the world feel real, I'm going to try have a unique personality written for each Exalt that appears onscreen.


Corollary: Mary Sue vs. Unique


The main characters will be shown onscreen to have something special and unique among their Exalts. As an example,

Spoiler

Ozymandius is Mars' (somewhat illogical) favorite Sidereal. She tends to interfere for his benefit in trivial matters, and may even nudge her own plans to accommodate his actions.

This is not because I have to have a "super-special" Exalt for the protagonists...but because all Exalts are super-special. Each one has that unique thing that sets them apart, which leads again to why "no Exalt is an extra."


Of course, this also leads dangerously close to Mary Sue territory. So, I will always make sure to clearly define the limits of their "unique and beautiful snowflake" definitions of character. Returning to the example,

Spoiler

while Mars favors Ozzy, she will still stay her hand from interfering in anything important and destiny-changing. She is a Maiden of Destiny, after all.

 

[Dragonmystic]

Spoiler

Seriously spoiler tags if you are going to tell us something like that which hasn't happened in the comic yet.


This isn't a secret. It's been stated in the past 2 pages. But I'll change it if it makes you happy.

 

[LaFreeze]

There is a huge difference when a character says someone is going to die and when the author confirms one of the authors of the second age is definitely going to die no takes backs.

 

[Dragonmystic]

There is a huge difference when a character says someone is going to die and when the author confirms one of the authors of the second age is definitely going to die no takes backs.

True....but I never said no take backs. >: D


Also, the fact that he will die at some point is probably the least important fact about the whole thing. Do you really expect something as simple and predictable as death to stop him?

 

[LaFreeze]

Yes.

 

[Dragonmystic]

Yes.

Well, fair enough.


And fair enough, I've put some spoiler tags on. I'll be a bit more careful with what I say. But trust me, I have many things planned!

 

[DukeGod]

So, this story is still abouy Ozymandius, Marcus and Clang?


The first page, the one with boobs the first time we see the characters drawn by Benti Bisson IIRC Ozy was sitting on the corner (I got the impression cause that's where the hook swords seemed to be)


But even if he's not that guy. The 4th guy is not taking over as the main character is he?

 

[Dragonmystic]

So, this story is still abouy Ozymandius, Marcus and Clang?
The first page, the one with boobs the first time we see the characters drawn by Benti Bisson IIRC Ozy was sitting on the corner (I got the impression cause that's where the hook swords seemed to be)


But even if he's not that guy. The 4th guy is not taking over as the main character is he?

The story is about Ozzy, Marcus, Clang, and 2 other main characters. I know it seems odd that they haven't shown up much, but don't worry.