Anime Thigh Thread II

[Artorius]

Beru-kun episode - That ending was interesting, a god at god-mode and some strange skull appearing after it, not sure if Hestia is stupid enough but I wonder if that's some kind of punishment for using divine power unauthorized. If it is, she'd know about it, so it most likely isn't...

[Shinzai]

Speaking of fusing fantasy worlds with RPG gaming elements - it annoys me beyond words. Recently more and more stories I try out do that. I'm not sure if I just avoided those until now or it's a recent tendency, but it's a scourge. It's lazy, bad writing in nine out of ten cases. Is it really so hard to display character growth without literally saying "He levelled up and got 100 extra points in AGI"? There are cases where it fits - stuff like Log Horizon for example, where the people are put in a world identical to a game. But otherwise? In RPG games stats are a necessary evil. No way in hell I can accurately describe a person with X arbitrary numerical values, but the game has to work somehow. It's a compromise. But what is the excuse for a writer who reduces his character to stats on a sheet?

I've been reading "Konjiki no Wordmaster" and it's been somewhat interesting - guy gets summoned into an alternate world as an accidental extra with four "heroes", turns out during the ritual he received a unique magic that allows him to literally sculpt reality with words he writes, on top of that he's got one helluva attitude - flipping off the king who summoned him and leaving on his own within maybe an hour. Fun world, interesting take on a classical premise, great MC. Would be a joy if not for the fact for some reason everyone in the world is reduced to levels and stats. You got a high level and stats? No worries, you can get stabbed in the brain so long as the stabber is low level. Way to ruin a good world with lots of potential by turning it into a fucking joke.

The RPG stats thing is just lazy as shit writing and an easy form of built-in deus ex machina. Can't beat the demon lord? Don't worry, XxYuushaxX93 can kick his ass, because he just got +100 in STR, the first time it's ever happened in the world! He must be the chosen one.

Hestia's Tits and Dungeons manga is stupidly guilty of it too. Bell just levels up to retarded tiers constantly, becoming more and more ridiculous as it goes. The only good way they could do this shit in a manga, is by having them gain 1 of a stat. Or having to split their stats carefully and actually being genuinely gimped in areas they don't have stats. None of that ass-pull shit where they just so happen to get all the armour/weapons/companions that are secretly gods that make their stats irrelevant.

Addendum: Imagine if a MC dumped all his points into STR, forgot to put anything into Wis/Int and was basically retarded the entire story.

[Deleted]

Addendum: Imagine if a MC dumped all his points into STR, forgot to put anything into Wis/Int and was basically retarded the entire story.

I played a tard in Fallout 2. I'd watch the shit out of an adaptation.

[bals]

You got a high level and stats? No worries, you can get stabbed in the brain so long as the stabber is low level. Way to ruin a good world with lots of potential by turning it into a fucking joke.

but kirito-kun saved animay

[Deleted]

but kirito-kun saved animay

RPG stats make perfect sense when the entire story happens within a game. :P

[Shinzai]

I played a tard in Fallout 2. I'd watch the shit out of an adaptation.

Exactly, that shit would be hilarious. Like the guy from How I Stalked Some Dude With An Exposed Nipple And Stumbled Upon The Zenithian Sword to the nth degree.

[BloodyAngel12]

but kirito-kun saved animay

Wafu
http://40.media.tumblr.com/0be77a6ff...u01o1_1280.jpg

[bals]

RPG stats make perfect sense when the entire story happens within a game. :P

but it's a world based on rpg stats.
what's the difference?

[Suicidal Panda]

Just me thinking its a missed opportunity to have a chess piece be part of the CE.

I guess so, but at least they have playing cards!:P

[Deleted]

but it's a world based on rpg stats.
what's the difference?

Because if you're crafting an actual, real world you do not reduce its' inhabitants to 5 stats, a level counter, and an HP bar.

[bals]

Because if you're crafting an actual, real world you do not reduce its' inhabitants to 5 stats, a level counter, and an HP bar.

well that sounds like what the author did.

[Deleted]

well that sounds like what the author did.

I am currently not sure if we're on the same wavelength.

[Suicidal Panda]

speaking of stats and coiling dragon which isn't being discussed at all (Have I mentioned how much I'm enjoying it?). I like how power is vaguely defined yet perfectly understandable still.

[Deleted]

speaking of stats and coiling dragon which isn't being discussed at all (Have I mentioned how much I'm enjoying it?). I like how power is vaguely defined yet perfectly understandable still.

Well, when the discussion happens it happens about latest translated chapters. Hard to go back 7 books and talk about the story without spoiling shit. Be faster! :>

And Coiling Dragon handles power grading quite normally. No stats or anything - just a clear ranking system for the lowly mortals and a not-so-clear bunch of descriptive wollyhoop for all the gods.

[bals]

I am currently not sure if we're on the same wavelength.

you seem to be upset that in "Konjiki no Wordmaster" everything is reduced to stats. a high level char being stabbed by a low level character does nothing. I showed the same thing in sao. the author set up the world "Konjiki no Wordmaster" to behave essentially the same.

[Deleted]

you seem to be upset that in "Konjiki no Wordmaster" everything is reduced to stats. a high level char being stabbed by a low level character does nothing. I showed the same thing in sao. the author set up the world "Konjiki no Wordmaster" to behave essentially the same.

Oh, okay.

Thing is: in SAO the players are trapped in a game. It's not an actual world - it's a game. It's supposed to be artificial and unnatural. Hell, that particular video you linked captures the moment when Kirito makes it a point to show off how abnormal things are in a game, how far removed from the normal life is the fact they are controlled by a few numbers on the character sheet.
Konjiki no Wordmaster on the other hand is supposed to happen in a real world, not a game with simplified, artificial rules. That's a whole different matter. It's supposed to be a serious, believable place the reader can immerse themselves into. Moral ambiguity, real presence of death, political ploys, complex problems... And right into the middle of that we get bombed with fucking levels and HP bars. -.- This is pure laziness and low quality writing from the author. Those levels and stats serve no purpose whatsoever aside from making it easier to force characters to "progress".

[bals]

Konjiki no Wordmaster on the other hand is supposed to happen in a real world, not a game with simplified, artificial rules. That's a whole different matter. It's supposed to be a serious, believable place the reader can immerse themselves into. Moral ambiguity, real presence of death, political ploys, complex problems... And right into the middle of that we get bombed with fucking levels and HP bars. -.- This is pure laziness and low quality writing from the author. Those levels and stats serve no purpose whatsoever aside from making it easier to force characters to "progress".

sounds exactly like sao.
the real world in that title is just like sao.

[Epuration]

Oh, okay.

Thing is: in SAO the players are trapped in a game. It's not an actual world - it's a game. It's supposed to be artificial and unnatural. Hell, that particular video you linked captures the moment when Kirito makes it a point to show off how abnormal things are in a game, how far removed from the normal life is the fact they are controlled by a few numbers on the character sheet.
Konjiki no Wordmaster on the other hand is supposed to happen in a real world, not a game with simplified, artificial rules. That's a whole different matter. It's supposed to be a serious, believable place the reader can immerse themselves into. Moral ambiguity, real presence of death, political ploys, complex problems... And right into the middle of that we get bombed with fucking levels and HP bars. -.- This is pure laziness and low quality writing from the author. Those levels and stats serve no purpose whatsoever aside from making it easier to force characters to "progress".

are you trying to tell me that you don't want to be able to see peoples HP bars irl?

[Deleted]

swords exactly like sao.
the real world in that title is just like sao.

"swords exactly like sao."? I have no idea what are you trying to say.

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are you trying to tell me that you don't want to be able to see peoples HP bars irl?

That would be an interesting superpower. "Oh, is that a DoT? Dude, I think you have cancer. Get checked out."

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sounds exactly like sao.
the real world in that title is just like sao.

Okay, now it makes more sense. ;p


And that's why it's bad and lazy writing? SAO depicts a game, which by definition is oversimplified and artificial. Kirito in SAO is not in an alternate world, he's playing a game. Those stats have a purpose, one of them being making the game reminiscent of actual games we play. Hiiro in Konjiki is not playing a game. He is supposed to be in an actual, real world. He has his actual body not an avatar made of polygons; he interacts with people and not NPCs; he kills animals and monsters, not respawning mobs. Those stats have only one purpose: allowing the writer to be lazy. How do I explain more clearly that a game != real world?

[Shinzai]

"swords exactly like sao."? I have no idea what are you trying to say.

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That would be an interesting superpower. "Oh, is that a DoT? Dude, I think you have cancer. Get checked out"

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Okay, now it makes more sense. ;p


And that's why it's bad and lazy writing? SAO depicts a game, which by definition is oversimplified and artificial. Kirito in SAO is not in an alternate world, he's playing a game. Hiiro in Konjiki is not playing a game. He is supposed to be in an actual, real world. He has his actual body not an avatar made of polygons; he interacts with people and not NPCs; he kills animals and monsters, not respawning mobs. How do I explain more clearly that a game != real world?

So if he dies in the real world, does he die in the game?