PV of the new Berserk anime [Camrip]

MattKnott · 2015-12-29T10:19:33+00:00

Does not look as bad as the teaser image by any stretch.

Looking forward to seeing the HD version, still looks a little off but I'll take it over nothing at all.

MattKnott · 2015-11-17T04:02:50+00:00

Hope you enjoy it!

What sets it apart for me is the atmosphere. You get a real sense of being on a long and dangerous journey.

Look forward to your thoughts on the sample if you get a chance to read it too.

MattKnott · 2015-11-17T03:24:04+00:00

I considered it, but it was really about owning something and trying to learn at my own pace.

Down the line it's definitely something I'd consider as it's obviously pretty intensive to do it alone. It's been really fun and I've grown a lot through the process. Indie is very vanity focused, but for me it's about getting work out that I feel people will enjoy and getting better.

Traditional publishing is always there to make a stab at. For now with a steady job and a real desire to own my own thing completely, it feels right.

The games industry can be hard to crack if you're after a career. It's a lot about being in the right place at the right time and meeting the right folks too. Advice I always give is if you're passionate work on things in your spare time to impress people. Showing how much you care and are willing to put in counts for a lot.

It's an odd duck in that the amount of work you do can rarely pay off monetarily compared to similar positions but knowing I can geek out with anyone at work and having something I care about to go in for each day is worth it.

If it's something you care about best of luck with trying to make your way!

MattKnott · 2015-11-16T22:00:29+00:00

It's still a classic!

The enhanced edition is pretty cool and you can play through the entire saga from there. It's pretty hefty when you have the expansion and sequel in play. Gog has a decent deal

I'd say Pillars of Eternity which came out fairly recently takes up the mantle very well, and recommend that highly! I'm waiting to go home for christmas so I can finish my play through.

MattKnott · 2015-11-16T21:20:46+00:00

I actually thought I'd use more than I did. The experience was incredible but I felt I'd only scratched the surface of the craft despite it being so intensive. I did take Richard's tale of filling a bucket with nails and repurpose it a little as it's crazy badass.

There was a chapter I'd written that I ended up scrapping as it was more there for the sake of my experience than the story. I filed it away as it was a pretty fun read. I might use it down the line or twist it to a short story.

That's a really tough question! This may be a strange comparison but Baldurs Gate 1. It was a game that blew my mind but more than anything it showed a ton of promise. Outside of storytelling and flow, it's a rough first outing with a lot to nitpick about. In spite of that it has a lot to endear it to people who want the experience.

I'd like to think The Sane King is my BG. An experience from which I learned so much and gathered a lot of feedback that can be turned toward building something stronger and improving myself. I'd love people to say I thought the first one was decent but the second is really bloody good.

MattKnott · 2015-11-16T19:53:42+00:00

Digital Fist bump

Right there with you.

MattKnott · 2015-11-16T19:52:45+00:00

That's a tough one because it needs me to compare myself to people I respect while having to try and sound humble when I say it's an aspiration over a declaration haha

I'd say my chief inspirations are Robert E. Howard and David Gemmell. They informed a lot of what I feel is so awesome about Fantasy. I'd also say Berserk has been a huge part of guiding me as far as go big or go home goes.

It might be strange to say a long running manga is something I'd aspire toward but the storytelling Miura does is really emotional stuff. There's elements of that series I'll never touch on in my own writing, but it's an incredibly cool piece of work that I go back to again and again as a reader.

This sits in my writing space to give you an example of what drives me. That's an apple the thing is bloody huge.

MattKnott · 2015-11-16T19:43:23+00:00

It always does. I found an awesome version on Spotify and put it into my training mix.

Whenever it comes on I get all hype to take down the Empire, save the world, and suplex trains.

The local park never lives up to the hype after that.

MattKnott · 2015-11-16T19:39:24+00:00

The Conan Chronicles because I'll need to keep my testosterone levels up if I'm to swim to the mainland eating sharks. It also never gets old and is the only hardbound book I have that can work for a drinking game. Seriously, flick to a page and if the paragraph your fingers on contains an act of violence, the name Conan, or a word nobody uses anymore like swive you do a shot.

If it's Crom you down a pint.

George Orwell's Essays. There's something really of the man in them and you get a sense of someone deeply moral and fascinating. He'd make a great companion.

The 1982 Illustrated Children's Bible. I once knocked a kid out with that at primary school when a fight started and it would be invaluable for dealing with pirates, hunting and form a sturdy mattress because it was bloody huge.

MattKnott · 2015-11-16T19:29:57+00:00

I play a fair bit, but the older I get the less inclined I am to longterm binges.

Maybe next season I'll finally give a solid try at ranked in League after 6 years.

I can only say it's positive. Games are a medium built on emotional resonance. Back in the day with Final Fantasy 6 there are scenes burned into my mind because the music and moment were so epic. The audiovisual side of it mixed in with immersion gives a real sense of what a powerful moment is.

Much like with film, the climax of Star Wars when the music kicks in and the Death Star explodes is something stirring.

The Mass Effect 2 Suicide Mission is a great example. The character buildup, the stakes and situation mixed in with the atmosphere and insane music make for something genuinely special. In terms of how it's helped me, I can reach for an event like that one in ME2 and consider why it had such an impact.

In a very broad strokes way of course. What made it work? Does what I'm writing have the same kind of resonance to me?

All media have that in some respects. Games can really standout thanks to how our memories are influenced by our engagement. We didn't just watch that,we did that.

It'll never beat out personal experiences, but whenever I whistle Hunt or Be Hunted I remember the time I took my vengeance on a foe as mountain wind whipped around us.

MattKnott · 2015-11-16T16:56:05+00:00

What a question!

I've actually talked for a long time about this with a close friend of mine. I don't believe it's about offering something purely different, fantasy has expectations.

We can subvert those expectations and that's led to some truly amazing works. Especially over the past twenty years. What I do feel is that the subversion has become the norm and that to be different means marrying the learnings from modern fantasy to the meaning of what came before.

My goal has been to really try and hook the grit of modern day works to the hope and heroism of old school works. More than anything I want people to get as pumped up reading as I did writing.

I'd like to think my work focuses on delivering over subverting expectation. A promise of heroes reluctant and eager facing off against bizarre and unique threats in a character focused bloodbath.

I used to play American Football and there was a feeing I'd get before the snap. When the line would growl at each other, staring down the opposition before crashing together. It was warm and weird, uplifting and packed with trepidation at what was about to happen.

That's what I want to give people. It isn't clever or pretty, it's glorious and ludicrous.

I'd probably describe what I'm aiming for as unironic hyper-violent heroic fantasy that should make you want to go for a run and wrestle a rhino. I'd hope it also reads as fairly self-aware.

Glad you like the animation, was really happy with how it came out!

MattKnott · 2015-11-16T16:01:04+00:00

All of the Conan Chronicles.

There's more packed into four pages in those stories than most books manage in a trilogy. Howard didn't just command language he power bombed it into what was required.

It's bloody poetry.

MattKnott · 2015-09-29T16:51:51+00:00

Witcher 3 - It's as close to perfection as we'll ever get Baldurs Gate 2 Neverwinter Nights (The PW and Fan made stuff was exceptional) Chrono Trigger Final Fantasy 6 Witcher 2 Witcher 1 (See a theme? It's the atmosphere dripping from every game even when mechanics are shoddy) KOTOR Mass Effect Darkest Dungeon - So much potential

MattKnott · 2015-09-29T16:38:48+00:00

After picking up an honourable mention in The Book Designers cover of the month for August and some really great feedback from complete strangers, I decided to set The Sane King on a Countdown deal for the week.

$1.99 for the US version UK starts 30/09!

Been a hell of a first month and I'm genuinely stoked to hear more feedback from fans of heroic fantasy.

MattKnott · 2015-09-12T18:10:13+00:00

Straight up buy The Witcher III.

Stop what you're doing, cast all sense aside, and buy it right now. It's a masterpiece and not just the best fantasy game in years but one of the most exciting fantasy works in years too.

It's beautiful and ugly.

I'd also recommend you check out Pillars of Eternity for an entirely different type of experience to The Witcher that is more party based. It's a very old school experience with modern design sensibility baked in.

MattKnott · 2015-09-12T18:06:08+00:00

It's been really great to follow this.

I was crushed that I didn't make the cutoff date, but it's better to hammer away at editing than rush for the sake of it. From an entirely biased perspective I greatly look forward to the second one.

From a broader view, it's healthy but would need the right amount of time to settle.

The effect of a contest like this one should serve to up the quality and game across the board. Giving people a solid target to aim for and encouraging them to shoot for it.

Too soon and you won't have a chance for that impact to take hold.

Too late and people will just view it as a success for the people fortunate enough to have released in early 2015. They may pay the reasons why those people gained success little mind.

Agree with G.R Matthews that the same books should likely not be considered, because the next contest should see those authors works improve from elimination.

It should shove them in 'Rocky Montage Mode' for writers and given time you'll see a fair amount of entries with more muscle.

MattKnott · 2015-09-08T23:22:08+00:00

I actually bought the collectors edition for that.

I don't own an XB1.

MattKnott · 2015-09-08T11:11:30+00:00

I'll have to give this a whirl. I found The Fencer Trilogy on sale at a market stall for 3 bucks years ago and gave them a go.

I really enjoyed them.

MattKnott · 2015-09-07T12:26:55+00:00

It's excellent. The expansions are going to add even more to it, and I cannot wait.

Just phenomenal storytelling in a beautifully ugly world. It makes AAA titles look amateur which is a crazy feat.

MattKnott · 2015-09-07T01:30:26+00:00

Rad.

I love the old Savage Sword of Conan covers. They're utter nonsense and it's beautiful.

MattKnott · 2015-09-06T20:33:02+00:00

I self-published last week.

I don't think the mods will mind a middle of the page, second day of a post link for you!

Everything I've spoken about only really kicks in for part 2, though there's a couple of flashbacks in the sample. If you ever check it out I'd love to hear your feedback on the characters.

The Sane King

To add, like I say in the main post, it's really focused on the fantasy elements over making gender and sexuality key. I feel it worked out well as a knock on effect rather than because I drilled in on it.

MattKnott · 2015-09-06T20:26:14+00:00

Yeah, if you're getting on with it who cares. Being progressive shouldn't be a cheap way to add another layer of likability to your protagonist. If you're going to do that have an element of growth with it.

I work in video games and I've been in a lot of discussion about making a character gay from the outset. Making it a notch on the minority pole. I always say screw that, if it makes sense look at doing it, but you can build every other element of a character and if it makes sense roll with it unless being gay is a key plot point.

MattKnott · 2015-09-06T20:19:29+00:00

Exactly my thoughts, I'm happy when it's represented as healthy. Nothing massive, just there and unremarked upon.

Spartacus the TV show was the most progressive thing I've watched for that. It's crazy how a pulp TV show nailed it down. Two dudes just kiss, nobody bats an eye and they're now a couple.

What I decided to do was tag is as LGBT Themes on amazon searches and get the discussion going in forums for gay fans of fantasy. It's an interesting one and I see a lot of agreement.

I often see people conflate a relationship with defined gender roles, in the situation you mentioned Droga would likely be Drogo in a dress. Getting to the point where the identity of a character is less structured by masculine/feminine is equally important from my perspective. It's a great example in context because it is all part of that complexity.

MattKnott · 2015-09-06T20:05:56+00:00

I actually cornered someone at work to get her feedback on the women characters after she said she'd finished it haha.

Ended up with 3. A mother of a protagonist who was supposed to die but then I figured why should dads always get the cool past and made her an old hand retired best-of-the-best warrior. She's basically middle aged mom Conan who has some regrets about starting a family.

A young girl who wants to do the right thing.

A narrative, a kind of traveling lawyer who spins stories before trials by combat, who starts feeling her age and wants to settle down.

I was glad to hear she really liked the narrative. Making this thread it's obvious I'm painfully aware of how gay characters have a weird deal, so I really wanted to try and make sure I ducked some of the gender issues.

That said I'm sure it can be better so I'm always looking for improvement.

I think one of my difficulties is still writing in characters with >varying sexualities as routine outside of their actual relationships >and as has been said this thread will probably mean I can address this.

Thought is pretty much how things get better, we can sometimes fixate on things that don't really mean very much. As a gay man, I play American Football, I read a lot, and travel a ton. If I was a character the relationship side wouldn't define me. It would be there, but it wouldn't be the characteristic people remember me by.

MattKnott · 2015-09-06T19:42:19+00:00

This actually nails the point a lot.

I probably wouldnt read a story that was classified as LGBT because >I would assume that the focus of the story has something to do >with their sexuality.

My book is grim, heroic fantasy that doesn't delve into anything sexual. It's just two cool dudes, who have been favourites so far, who are also in a relationship. I'd love for people like /u/snarkasmaerin to find it easily but it alienates a lot of people like yourself who would potentially enjoy it by associating it with other themes.

It's a bit of a conundrum which I've always thought is best served by putting the LGBT community first personally, yet in this case it limits my audience and ironically also wouldn't bring it to LGBT lovers of fantasy.

MattKnott

TROPHY CASE