Creative Corner

@Meonox

Oh, dear. XD Nonetheless, I remain intrigued.

Looks like I gotta work some author magic, spread some sparkles and work Maramaw in. I'm down with that. It's popular and adorable and I approve.

@OverTheWolf

Yup! ^^ It was 100% real. Dropping hints, giving answers... sometimes they're the same thing. ;)

To be honest, Eve laughed in my head when I read that. I don't think she's in any hurry to leave anyone in Eden alone. >_>

@Skyeset

Your feeling may or may not be correct... it all depends on Adam's and Eve's feelings, along with the trusty ol' drops from Pinkerton. At least Ages is okay, though, and stronger than ever now that he has all three genes. :)

[center][size=5]Mini Update[/size][/center] It was a very good idea for me to take a little break yesterday. Between returning from a sleepover, homework, and getting to see my visiting big brother again, it would have been nearly impossible to work [i]Tainted Eden[/i] among everything else that was happening. Luckily, things will be able to more or less return on-schedule. There is something I would like your collective opinions on, however, and I will get to that in a moment. First of all, [b]Q&A is open today![/b] And, second of all, I have my little off-day sketch for you guys. Ladies and gentlemen, today we have a cute and scared little Mirror who nevertheless does his best to have courage and be kind -- that's right, it's Jac! [center][img]https://s17.postimg.org/4a3msqqe7/rsz_14725246_1746690178927327_954064560_o.png[/img][/center] I hope you all enjoy. :) Anyhow, on to a more serious topic: letters and donations. Words cannot describe how happy I am to receive all of these things from you guys, and how much I appreciate every single one. However, it is fair to warn you all that I am backlogged: as of right now, I have about a dozen letters for my dragons to reply to and about half a dozen donations to all weave in. I want to give time to incorporate them into the narrative properly without necessarily disrupting the flow of the story, and in the past, [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/1954510/29#post_22712203]I was able to do a response update (where everything was displayed [i]en masse[/i]) just fine.[/url] However, this was for one donation that had multiple letters; right now, the raw number of dragons I have who have received letters or objects especially for them -- as well as the volume of messages and things that have been sent for the clan as a whole -- is a bit daunting, and may require a two- or even three-part response update in order to get them all done in one fell swoop. I suppose what I'm trying to ask is this: [b]would you prefer a multi-parter response Eden-sode, or would you rather I steadily weave in the letters and donations?[/b] There are benefits and drawbacks to both. Regarding a response Eden-sode, it would swiftly take care of the backlog and allow everyone's donations and letters to be showcased tomorrow, but the update itself might end up being a "pause" to the story (which may or may not be bad considering what's happening in Eden) and I don't want to make anyone feel like their letter(s) and/or donation is insignificant amidst the pile, since I genuinely appreciate all of them. Regarding the steady weave, it would give each donation (or small group of them) a time to shine amidst the main flow of the story, but it would take significantly longer to incorporate -- which I worry about, since I don't want any of you to become impatient -- and on top of that, some dragons may die before they can even receive their letter(s); after all, that's what happened with Pyros back on Day 26, linked above. Ultimately, it's up to you as to which path I should take to maximize your contentment with [i]Tainted Eden.[/i] I'm perfectly willing to go with either as long as I can make as many of you happy as possible! I will tally peoples' opinions early tomorrow morning, and will act accordingly based on how you all feel as a whole. :) Thanks to all of you in advance, and thanks again for following [i]Tainted Eden.[/i] [size=1]@Meonox @InHeritent @tahwarts @Elzerei @Silverhame @Whimzica @PaintedLiger @Achi @OverTheWolf @fairyhalo @221bdisneystreet @Deathwolf555 @Skyeset @Ambrose @GreyMoth @End3rStorm @NyxHeart @ScienceGal8 @wintergreenroses @Abysea @softbun @Amerigland @Shanuuk @Lae[/size]

@Taintededen

I know I get really excited when i send you stuff, and its not so much that I like to see the responses mixed into the story, so much as just see them, specially considering I know that several of my dragons respond sometimes to the same person. (Maratra now has a following of ooh..6 dragons in the lair?) So I am of the openion you do whichever one works best for you.

Be it a pause where they just enjoy their gifts and letters, or a interweaving. I think that really probably better depends on what the gifts are. Like...if its just letters. (Maratra) it doesn't actually need to weave into anything other than 'a package came and you got letters' verses donated genes which kinda require story...or even the donated objects like the candles for Imi, after all without story these gifts have no where to make sense.

and JAC! OH JAC!

@TaintedEden
I meant to tell you the other day that your avatar looks pretty sweet with all the matchy light fest stuff :)

I have the same ish question as Overthewolf. Just wondering how an active audience effects the story and/or your motivation to write vs having a silent audience?

@TaintedEden

To answer your question: I believe a big Eden-sode where you take care of everything I think would be best. Like OverTheWolf said, it'll be like a filler episode! Which I believe it's fine, it's good to take a break from the main story every once in a while. It cleans out all the letters and donations and you don't have to worry about it. I've seen PO Box openings of different Youtubers and the backlog does get daunting, so I do believe it's best for you to do them all and get it over with. And if gets much too crazy, you could shut down donations for a while until you're done with the current ones, and open it up when you're ready.

And as for the Q&A , here's a question for you. Out of all the dragons, who's your favorite to write?

@TaintedEden

Answer: Do whatever you think is best :) Personally, I just like to read the Powerlocke, so I'm just happy that my donations are accepted, and I'll be happy if you, for exampe, just answer via PM in roleplay-style, if you choose not to include letters in the story (or not answer in-style at all, because, obv, it's your choice~). I'll be content either way!~

Questions tiiime!

If you could turn into a FR dragon of your choice, what breed would you choose?
Isn't it sometimes tempting for a -locke player just to buy a beautiful dragon \ familiar \ something else (especially when there is a new breed\gene around)? How do you deal with it?
What are your favourite moments in the story?
Do you play other videogames (well, FR is technically a game, right?) in the same "hardcore" mode?
Have you read other players' -locke stories? Do you have any favourites?

@TaintedEden Honestly I don't read the letters at all. Like no offense to other people, I'm sure they're great and they get a kick out of seeing them and the response, but I'm following this thread for the story and I feel like the letters, while fun, kind of aren't what I come here to see.
I'd much rather see gifts incorporated over letters/responses, or rather more attention given to them. I just skim over the letters because I don't feel they relate to me, but the gifts often actually have an impact on the story/characters so I care more, if that makes sense?

So do what's best for you I guess? I won't be annoyed if you do mass letter posts but I likely won't read them unless one I sent is there, but then, I don't actually expect a response to my letters either. For me it's more just a fun way to send you gifts instead of a blank OOC gift message. Like Lae said, maybe if you answer the PMs IC then that might be a different way to do it?

@Meonox I definitely do some prioritization based on the type of gift received. Gene donations are always rocketed to the front of the queue, and I try to integrate many donated objects (like those candles you mentioned) in an organic manner. Sometimes, though, it's easier (and can be fun) to just sort of "take a break" and have my dragons reply to some fun letters and play with their cool new stuff. Thank you for providing your perspective on how you feel when you see your donations in-story! :) Also, I'm really happy you like the Jac picture! ^^ @OverTheWolf Huzzah, questions! :D [quote="In response to OverTheWolf"] [b]How do you think the locke would be doing if you hadn't received any letters or donations?[/b] Definitely not as well as I am now. The letters have become a piece which helps move the story forward, so I know that the plot would have gone in an entirely different direction without them. Apparel donations have been huge to helping me get the feel of characters and their personalities. Battle stone donations have been a huge help, too, in that they've saved me a lot of money versus the Marketplace. Most importantly, though, I feel like several of my currently-living dragons would be dead without the donations of Health Potions, including (but not limited to) Barda, Anzu, Hollowmaw, and Ages. Even if all of Pinkerton's drops for me were the same, I just can't have seen my locke fairing nearly as well without you guys! [b]Did you expect such a huge response to the locke?[/b] I tend to approach my writing with low expectations regarding its reception, and this project was no exception. I got a bit of word out in the Shadow forums beforehand, which attracted the first couple of folks that are on my ping list; however, I really wasn't expecting for the word to spread or for others to stumble upon the thread and get earnestly engrossed. Honestly, I still kind of find it hard to believe. So, in short, this was a beautiful surprise to me. :) [b]Did you expect the locke to be more or less difficult than it is? (And actually, Is it difficult?)[/b] It's about as tough as I imagined it being. The battles themselves on days where I get a food drop can be quite tricky; oftentimes, it's up to the ever-fickle RNG to have my dragons not get critted and die. Even with the potion donations, the on-par fights have been quite difficult. On top of that, I definitely have to grind a lot in order for my dragons to eat and money is slow to come by. This is balanced well with the fact that, at the same time, I don't have dragons dropping left and right. All in all, its difficulty level is just right for me: tense enough to keep me invested as both a player and writer, but not so hard as to regularly frustrate me or incline me to quit. [b]Whose death would devastate you the most right now? The least?[/b] It would hurt no matter who died, but I might need to take a tearful day off if Jac were ever to go; his innocence and kindness really make me want to see him go far. Just the thought of him potentially passing before he can reach the end of his arc is enough to fill me with dread. As for who would devastate me the least, the answer at the moment is probably Sweet, Talstae, or Lagoon -- not because I dislike any of them, but because I simply haven't had enough time to attach myself to these poor girls. (Though, amusingly, I've already attached myself to Peasley -- damn him and his cute muteness.) [/quote] As for the idea of perhaps only allowing one donation per person per week... that might be good, haha. XD It would definitely help with the backlog problem. Thanks for the suggestion! @InHeritent Aww, thank you. ;w; I thought it all came together very nicely, too. Regarding your question... [quote="In response to InHeritent"] [b]Just wondering how an active audience effects the story and/or your motivation to write vs having a silent audience?[/b] It affects things a lot! I have much more motivation to keep carrying on knowing that others are actively enjoying my work, communicating with me and each other, and just in general being extremely nice. It warms my heart and gives me the will to push my limits on how much I write (and the kinds of characters I write) far more than I think a silent audience ever would. Knowing me, if my audience were nonexistent or silent, updates would be far more occasional and I would perhaps only add something on days where a writing prompt is given. However, I doubt I would give up the locke itself until it was really over. I seldom let go of a challenge. [/quote] @NyxHeart I've seen similar videos online from some of my favorite gaming YouTubers! I can't even fathom how they handle having such a backlog without getting monumentally stressed. I like the idea of occasionally temporarily closing donations... or, now that I think of it, I may even consider having one or two days a week that are open to donations and having the rest be closed. Perhaps my off-days? These are certainly things to consider. Regarding your question... [quote="In response to NyxHeart"] [b]Out of all the dragons, who's your favorite to write?[/b] I honestly can't think of a dragon I [i]don't[/i] like writing; though some share similarities with characters I've had in the past, they're all distinct and unique enough for me to really get into their heads and try my best to channel who they are. Picking a favorite is extremely difficult, but out of my currently-living contestants, the one I love to write for most might be Honeysuckle. To me, he's just the right blend of lazy, quiet, mysterious, dorky, and odd; these traits make him intensely distinct from literally any other character I've ever written. But, of course, he wins by a hair. They're all my children and I want to give all of them the screen-time they deserve to grow strong and overcome their obstacles. [/quote] @Lae That's so sweet. ^^ I'm really glad you like my writing so much. I tend to go with the assumption that people want to see their letters in-story, since I don't want to disappoint anyone who took the time to write lovely messages to one or more characters. So, I suppose if someone is okay with their letter(s) not showing up within the story's canon, I could definitely go the route of having one or more dragons reply to the PM in character. And now, on to your questions! [quote="In response to Lae"] [b]If you could turn into a FR dragon of your choice, what breed would you choose?[/b] I'll definitely have to go with a Tundra! The mental image that Tundras are big fluffy cat-dragons is appealing to me, since I'm quite the cat person; and, much like a Tundra, I'm a lover of the cold. Also, I could give even better hugs if I had the warm, fuzzy embrace of a Tundra dragon. [b]Isn't it sometimes tempting for a -locke player just to buy a beautiful dragon \ familiar \ something else (especially when there is a new breed\gene around)? How do you deal with it?[/b] It's deeply tempting, yes. Sometimes I'll go to the Auction House and look at the next dragon that would have counted as my next contestant if I had drawn a piece of apparel that day. Genes and breed-changes are also tempting, since I'm quite in love with certain visions of my dragons and would love to see them come to fruition. Fortunately, I'm very much a believer in following the rules, and will refrain from impulse-buying these wondrous dragons and things simply out of sheer willpower. So far, so good! [b]What are your favourite moments in the story?[/b] My favorite moments in any story I write boil down to a certain category: a point where the characters are allowed to [i]be.[/i] Such an example from [i]Tainted Eden[/i] would include [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/1954510/16#post_22432586]Day 15[/url], when Barda overhears Anzu and Hollowmaw discussing the stars and gets to see them for the first time in the night sky. These moments feel special -- almost poetic -- to me: when the world stops and, even if the world may be tumbling around them, or their situation is dire, they still find moments to be themselves and engage with one another like people. These are the spaces where they grow. (These scenes, however, are not always happy. Though [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/1954510/29#post_22764912]Day 27[/url] also counts for me, I also include horrific moments such as the entirety of [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/1954510/43#post_23048976]Day 36[/url] or bittersweet or sad moments such as the Maratra's monologue on [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/1954510/52#post_23232214]Day 40[/url].) Of course, I enjoy writing comedic scenes, heroic moments, drama, death, and danger as much as the next author, but these little instances of character growth, soliloquy, or interaction are the ones which fill me with the most pride when I reread them. [b]Do you play other videogames (well, FR is technically a game, right?) in the same "hardcore" mode?[/b] *Pokemon music intensifies* [b]Have you read other players' -locke stories? Do you have any favourites?[/b] I have! I think of all of them, the one I'm enjoying the most is [i]Autumn Song[/i] by @Silverhame. It's quite a dark story with complex characters and more than worth the read! (I am keeping this pitch short, though, as to not spoil anything.) [/quote] @softbun I understand. :) There's no need to read the letters if they're not what you come here for. And that totally makes sense. Honestly, I tend to be the author who likes to "plant" items here and there, demonstrating that they exist in the background but allowing their true significances to unfold over time. Granted, this works better in my original novel where I can plan everything than in [i]Tainted Eden[/i] where I fly by the will of the RNG, but I'll consider giving the objects themselves some more spotlight. Thank you for the feedback! Seeing how the discussion is going, it looks like next post may very well end up as a response update, but I'll reconsider if more people speak against it. Either way, I think in my next mini-update, I'll inform everyone -- as I tentatively mentioned to Lae -- that if they're fine with an in-character response over PM as opposed to having their letter(s) automatically woven into the main tale, I will be more than willing to oblige them that way. That may be a good way to keep the most people happy in the long run. ^^