guize guize guize.
jimquest guy has been pulling something sneaky on us. in the 4 part update in thread 2, pay attention to what's going down with Marley. What do you suppose made him decide to do that?

It's official; I've jumped on the "Orb of Infinite Psyche" bandwagon.

Also, what the hell was everyone talking about with John? The only Johns I know are an alien in a quest I need to catch up on, and a cat whose DENSEITY is so grate he plummits through the FLOOR.

>>312904
There's also SDF's character, John the Sergal. Whose hotness is only matched by her sociopathy.

So where the hell is JimQuest?

>>314570
I'm guessing a moon colony.

>>314029

That makes a bit more sense. To >>314028 , thanks for clearing this up. I misunderstood what you meant at first.

So, the order of things now is:

Light:Guidance/Ignorance
Darkness:Peace/Fear
Dyne:Creation/Arrogance
Void:Renewal/Destruction

Fire:Love/Hatred
Water:Adaptability/Gullible
Earth: Steadiness/Inaction
Air:Destined/Wild

Ice:Protection/Isolation
Electricity:Enthusiasm/Recklessness
Mind:Patience/Deciet
Life:Joy/Sorrow

Thus far, I figure there would be three forces controlling each weapon: Those of the Energies, and Those of the World. I may possibly split it further, but that's more of a 'we'll see' stance. Same with Chaos. Upon mentioning the idea of a Chaotic weapon, I've got just the thing in mind for the plot...

Another thing I'd like to open up is to what your ideas of what each weapon would be. I'd like to introduce one or two, but I'm curious to see what the masses would throw out there. Durandal, you've been such a help thus far, and I thank you for that, as well as the rest of the input I've recieved thus far. Everything's slowly coming together in my head, and I expect to pump out the start of a quest by no later than Sunday.

>>314035
I'm glad I could help. I recently went through something similar to this with the Swords of Virtue, so I know what it's like... only I have over 70 Swords thus far. =P

Oh, and here's another possible grouping of elements I thought I'd offer up. I'm not really satisfied with those excess four elements being grouped together. They don't really fit.

Light
Darkness
Mind
Life

Dyne
Void
Air
Energy (instead of Electricity)

Fire
Ice
Water
Earth


I'll think about the weapons themselves and post in a little bit. Gotta do some art first.

Alright, I'm going to try and get this thing started in an hour or two. I hope people don't mind a text quest.

I'm going to bump the quest with a small blurb of what's happening. Perhaps that'll draw some people into taking some risks.

Oh yeah, and feel free to throw anything out there. Ideas, Criticism, "OH GOD WHAT THE FUCK" things, the usual.

>>313976
The difference would be the hairstyles, originally...
I thought the ears were just off the Feral head, as extra sensors.

>>313960
And then Franklin invented 3v3 Fightmach matches.

>>313982

>fuckyear.jpg

Let's keep the fanart thread just for art discussion. Comments about the quests should be kept in their respective discussion threads.

This one's gettin' too big for it's britches anyway, I'm gonna go ahead and lock it and make another.

New thread is here
http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/314015.html

Your art has definitely improved. There's no doubt about that.

But you're right. It's not all about the art. And... I do hesitate to say this, and feel free to disregard it... but it seems to me that as the art got better, the writing got worse. In OQ 1, you put a lot of attention into details and mood setting through the writing. It feels like that same attention was missing from OQ 2. Maybe it was splitting the attention and time between the writing and art, or maybe you felt the art was supposed to handle that stuff and didn't want to include it in the writing. I don't know. I'm trying to describe it as I see it, but it's hard to put into words.

Anyway, take it or leave it, that's my theory. Hopefully it's either helpful or forgettable.

Keep in mind this isn't just for me, folks. post any ideas you have as well.

>>313962
I understand what you mean.

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/10/06(Tue)19:30 No. 4210 ID: 6faa8c
File 125488264655.png - (13.57KB , 640x480 , Fireyreaver.png )

Here's a more complete image of one of the enemies/allies.

>>313796
I think you are getting too carried away with your response.

I don't believe that strongly as to whether or not it gets made into a new board or not. Discuss it in #tgchan with people in charge.

I am for it, but I don't mind them.

I said my opinion because that is what was asked in the topic of the thread. I believe I made sure to cover both sides, and their aspects without needing to be told that some people cannot do it.

>>313797
Well, the first half wasn't a response to you. It was just my general response to the thread.

But uh, yeah. Your response was obviously biased from the point of view that quests with pictures are normal and ones without are abnormal and substandard, and should strive to reach the same level as picture quests. You gave good advice on how to do so, but left out the possibility that it might not be necessary to do so.

>>313799

I believe I stated several times the quality wasn't in question.

I did mean for it to sound standard, as the basis was on pictures and text.

But if that was a general post rather than fully at me then A-OK.

>As How do I shot trip has said several times in Before Quest (and rightly so), he avoided creating a picture for a scene because there was no way he could do it justice.

Herein lies the crux of my entire argument, Insomnia. Right there. Read Operator Quest 1, and then read 2. LOOK AT MEIKO. GOOD LORD.

>>313810
That is why you write as well.

Doesn't sound like an argument, more of an anecdote, and I don't even understand what you are arguing.

>>313457
That's better than having her head explode. Five can survive getting shot in the head, so she should be able to at least protect everyone in case One's too wigged out to do anything.

Move here
http://www.tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/313425.html

>>313461
Yeah let's be proper about this and follow their rules.

Wonderful place you guys. Wonderful.

Desu, I would delete this thread now.

>>313460
she is still a bomb(?)
a shot in the wrong place and it's all over

"Rest of the story" link is dead, can I get a new one?

b!5E5cOpffmA 2009/09/28(Mon)14:59 No. 3362 ID: 0e75fd
File 125417518833.jpg - (154.18KB , 739x525 , makinganote.jpg )

>>313120
This was a trium-

...

BAWW

>>313162
D:

WE LOVE YOU BSOD

>>313162
Don't cry! I'm here!

>>313162
Sorry. Bit of a much up in the labs. The invisibility formula works great though. Keep singing!

Aphek, what does Yisi's O face look like?

>>312692

Madam Voodoo!

>>312692
Suzoo Roo the Voodoo Loo

>>312692
Voodoo Lou.
And the Lou does indeed stand for Louis.

All right, I'm starting college on Monday, so expect less updating until I get into a groove.

Sorry that this has been taking so long. Now that the orientation week is out of the way I should be able to get into a schedule. Expect me some time this week.

Q 2009/09/21(Mon)18:25 No. 3174 ID: bd2eec
File 125358270052.png - (48.30KB , 1165x544 , template.png )

Made this because I didn't like the original too much.

You guys understand this isn't gonna go anywhere unless you post, right?

>>312991
I think we are currently experiencing a back-to-school slowdown. Post rates are likely to dip considerably from peak summer levels as people get settled in, then rise slightly when they find a groove. Be patient Trip.

>>312992
Being patient now.

How do I shot trip?!H508X.HbJ6 2009/09/22(Tue)10:39 No. 3203 ID: 6faa8c
File 125364115478.png - (118.60KB , 1165x544 , statcard.png )

Just for kicks.

You could also do text-only quests on the /txt/ board. That is kinda what it's for.

>>312980
But /txt/ doesn't support the occasional image or map.

>>312983
Exactly.
So Textquests are supported here, but you need to work just as hard as illustrated ones.

Actually, I update from several computers, don't use a trip, and have had no problems so far.

You could just use a name instead of a trip,like Nahkh.

>>312902
Being unfazable and super-cool is the enemy of a rounded character.

I know it shouldn't bug me but this is partially what's putting me off starting my own quest, I can draw stick figures sure, but I don't have the artistic ability of many here or the way of putting a spin on things like JimQuest and the top down pixels. (love it by the way)

And yeah, I read the thread of the person that was worried about the same sort of thing, it ought not to really matter if the story/plot is good but it still buzzes at the back of my head.

Reka!zCiuXQBmHU 2009/09/20(Sun)18:54 No. 3110 ID: cd08c0
File 125349808125.png - (98.02KB , 400x400 , personalities.png )

>>312902
> give some pointers on how to succeed in characterizing your characters?
A simple way to do it is to just take one driving goal or feeling, apply it to a character, and then crank that up to 11.
Later on you can add smaller bits to their personality based on what you want them to do, how they react, or random brainstorming, but the initial idea will give them a concrete base to work off of, and help cement them in people's minds.
It also helps keep a recurrent theme for that character, which lets people recall them more easily.

>>312910

I want to point out here that this only works if you want a certain kind of quest. Real people aren't defined by just one quality - one or two might stand out, but people are way more multidimensional than that. One of the biggest pitfalls writers find themselves in is making a character centered around one thing.

If you're hoping for memorable caricatures, this isn't an issue. If you're hoping for more serious, "deeper" characters, it will only hurt you in the long run.

>>312914
Well, you can always start with a single quantifier, then add more as the story goes on.
A sneaky thing to do would be to do that for everyone; the ones that stick around naturally add more complexity as time goes on, while one-appearance characters are simple and easy.

Alright, I'm just gonna dump info!

Orcs:

Orc civilization was once the widest, greatest, strongest nation on the planet, at one point holding all of the Eastern Lands. They were known for their great feats with Psionic ability, thier craftsmanship, and their literature, great poems of heroic bravery, and other such things. Thier cities were well-run, evenly taxed and employed. They even managed to create plumbing and a crude version of running water. They were run by individual govenors, and these were each in turn ruled by a great king. Every fifty years, this king was retired, and his son or daughter would take his place. Such issues as occur in such arrangements were decided by battle in a nuetral area.
But after four hundred prosperous years the whole civilization fell, and the intellect and grace of Orks fell with it. They lost thier great psionic ability, reducing it to what is left in the minds of the leaders, and they are scattered in an area only one twelth the size of their old kingdom.
Most of the ruins and dungeons adventurers sneak through are of orcish design.

>>312789
Kobolds:
Kobold society, trade skill, and general life has a sort of patina of rushed incompetence about it. Their houses are barely hammered together wooden huts, their crops fail half the time, and they generally make a living by trading what they can make for what they cannot. They are innocent to the thought of large scale war, ignorant of tactics and other such concepts.
There's only really one thing Kobolds excel at naturally, and that, is trapmaking. Many kobolds never discover this talent, since most no longer are able to live in the caves that thier ancestors did, due to Dwarven expansion. But it's still a well-known fact that if you give a kobolkd a hammer, nails, wood, and a thin tunnel, they can make one person's life a horrible, horrible nightmare for all of ten seconds.

Kobold history is a badly kept and disjointed affair. It's agreed that they are somehow related distantly to dragons. Dragon lore mentions them once as the 'little folk who watch', alluding perhaps to their ancient duty of making traps for areas too small for Dragons to enter. Or they were warriors, watching over the dragon as he slept.

Either way, a kobold who discovers the secrets of his or her lineage and works to unlock thier potential would be a scary thing indeed, had they the initiative to do so.

>>312813
Gnolls:
Gnolls are a strange mix of humanoid and canine features, leaning towards humanoid. Well-known for their deceptive manner and preference for ambush tactics, one thing no man ever wants is to sleep alone in a place where a clan of Gnolls lives nearby. Most Gnolls trade lossely with all races, exporting rather well-made swords and armor and importing dried meat and livestock. For some strange reason, as easily as Gnolls destroy, they create. Thier huts and homes are generally well-made, their blacksmiths fall distantly second to Dwarves, and their ability to compose music is only bested by elves. The only reason they retain the tribal system of life is to root out their weak and so they may spread their people as loosely as possible, allowing for insane military campaigns that end within the first ten minutes due to surrounding the foe's camp almost the instant war is declared. They birth in litters of an average of five or six, and children are raised in a commune of the elderly.
Recently, some Gnolls have been leaving their clans early to set out to the large cities and cultivate their crafting skills with races that are better at them.

>>312703
2-aslongasyoucanstayconscious hours?

>>312706
That's a bit intimidating.

>>312723
In my experience, as long as you update at all, people will read and respond.

On the one extreme we have Ant Quest, where if you don't have a suggestion posted within 10 minutes of Bob's last call for orders, you risk him not seeing it. The other extreme seems to be variable, dependent on how long you stay on the front page.
*Usually* through the day, half an hour or so is enough to generate a few responses. If you haven't seen any activity after an hour, it's probably because nobody is quite sure what to do next. If that happens a lot, instead it means you are boring and nobody likes you.

I personally think its better to update a set times, and for a reasonable period of time. Resolve the scene at least before quitting for the day. I personally wait 20 minutes or so between posts, and plan my sessions to run about 4 hours. I don't get tons of replies. I average 3 or so for each frame, but that seems fairly ordinary for the majority of quests.

A trip isn't really necessary, but I think a name would probably be useful, just so people know you are making "official" posts. I use a trip only when posting my quest, but I post from multiple locations, so I use a trip as well.

Escavel 2009/09/14(Mon)21:51 No. 2758 ID: c4f697
File 12529902589.png - (186.08KB , 688x1023 , terran scout wip.png )

>>312453
I'm glad you asked! However, I am a little disappointed because Gnome used a lot of the elements seen in Solis for Vresch's utopia.

Pictured here is the stature of your average Terran. No, that's not exaggerated angles, the human form has changed in the indeterminately distant future. Centuries of industrial pollution and dependence on machines (as opposed to natural evolution) have rendered these neohumans frail, thin, and waiflike. The bone structure has become jagged and brittle, the muscles are less pronounced, and the senses dulled. Athletic neohumans are about on par with the average guy of today.

CITY LIFE

The majority of the populace live on arcade planets such as Terra, Hearth, Villanova, and Andrandia. These worlds are covered most notably by colossal urban-industrial zones and (if the planet is adequate) continent-wide automated farming facilities. Since the universal ban on AI systems, machine operator and computer management positions have become the primary occupation of the populace, followed by marketing, administration, entertainment, and business. Manual labor, retail, and service are now 100% automated.

Arcade citizens work eight hours per day, but only require five hours of sleep per night due to aforementioned physical changes. Their job grants them access to a modest three-room home, a personal vehicle, all the mass-produced food they can fit into their faces, clean water, and a wage used to purchase quality items. (The currency is backed by kilowatt-hours: the one resource that is used and produced at the same constant rate. Currency is handle entirely electronically in a government-controlled bank, forcing illegal transactions to rely on barter. The base unit is the Tesla, worth one kilowatt hour.)

It was

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EXTRAPLANET LIFE

A lesser percentage of humanity lives in orbital space stations or migrating metropolis fleets. The second category is not too different from the humans that live on arcade planets, only their primary industry is product transport and the maintenance of the fleet. The station populations on the other hand, range from ten thousand to, at their largest, one million. The stations have such functions as collecting mass amounts of solar energy, zero-gravity materials production, and the maintenance/operation of the Imperial travel routes (more on that later). Station dwellers rarely live in the same place for their entire lives and immigrate/emigrate regularly to planets and other stations.

There isn't much else to say about this class of citizenry except that it is a more precarious life, due to the exceedingly hostile environ that is space and has a higher pay rate than arcade jobs as a result.

>>312558
>However, I am a little disappointed because Gnome used a lot of the elements seen in Solis for Vresch's utopia.
I assure you it was entirely unintentional.

FRONTIER LIFE

Terraformation was a failed experiment. In the early days of the Empire, when it was merely an independent conglomerate known as Planetary Development and still under the influence of separate nations, the issues of overpopulation and the Earth's diminishing resources demanded a new kind of solution. It was believed that Mars and Ganymede could be transformed into human-supporting biomes within a century's time, but a combination of poor cooperation, skepticism, unforeseen accidents, and sheer scientific oversight forced the many human migration programs to end before they ever began. The best remaining relic of this time is the Mars colony that likely will forever be nothing more than a colony.

Instead, it was interstellar travel and tireless exploration the hard way that lead to the discovery of earthlike planets and their subsequent settlement. This method is the method that is still used by the Empire (only now there are sophisticated computer models that can judge the location of these planets to save time).

The life of a citizen in a new colony, be it on a newly found habitable world or in the encapsulated haven of a hostile-planet mining base, is far different from that of an arcade dweller and can be best compared to the frontier towns of old.

More often than not, these new colonies are owned by private companies (there are only 13 owned by the Empire proper and 54 inhabited total). Citizens are employees working for the sustainability of the colony as well as its profitability. Local laws may be different, security may be tighter or looser, living conditions are invariably less comfortable, and it is possible for a man to succumb to the silence. (Man has adapted so much to his mechanical surroundings that the constant electric hum [an extremely faint F minor] of powered devices is necessary to maintain psychological integrity. Pure and absolute silence has been described as deeply

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>>312560
I don't doubt it. Futuristic utopias can only have so much variance.