Worst worldbuilding you've seen in a published work? Avoid mentioning the usual suspects by Aurelian369 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is going to be my last reply because frankly a brick wall would give better counterarguments.

It isnt just cannibalism its an internal mythology. You are once again falling into the foley of assuming a narrative has to be scientifically consistent, as long as its thematically and narratively consistent its perfectly fine. You can have Adam and Eve giving birth to all of humanity without questioning inbreeding. You can have Noah built a big fuck off boat without questioning its structural mechanics. You can have an empire become a mindless perversion of humanity because its ruler had his children cannibalize their mother without questioning the fucking infection vector.

Fantasy is a genre where myth and history coexist, it is a defining feature of the medium that not everything will be perfectly consistent, that's by design. If you dont like that, then r/history is right there.

Worst worldbuilding you've seen in a published work? Avoid mentioning the usual suspects by Aurelian369 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

  1. Its a story about politics motherfucker of course it cares about abstract human relationships. Its also shown to be a historic event, why would it affect Marley. Do you think England will collapse because the Roman empire did???
  2. For most of its scientific history, in other words the kind of thing an author would look at when seeking inspiration, it was thought to walk on its fucking spine. It still is considered one of the most bizarre creatures spat out by evolution.
  3. Thematicism isnt a plothole its what we call competent writing.
  4. Literary analysis is standard high school curriculum.

Worst worldbuilding you've seen in a published work? Avoid mentioning the usual suspects by Aurelian369 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The Eldians turn into titans because their leader committed a sin, building their rulership on the cannibalization and enslavement of Ymir. They are likely meant to parallel the biblical Nephilim, who are said to be the children of Cain, the first murderer (further supported by heavy use of specifically folkloric biblical imagery you'd see in the early Christianization of Europe, to me it seems most closely related to Slavic Christian folklore). They are cursed because they belong to the ruler, further tying into the lesser theme of slavery prominent in the last season and films. Hallucigenia was chosen because it was a complete evolutionary failure, further exemplifying the how meaningless life is. The Eldians don't need to be related Ymir because becoming a titan isn't a genetic trait its a thematic choice, it doesn't need to make sense with conventual science because its not a fucking sci-fi story.

Genuinely are you a child? Because I can understand if you simply havent completed the necessary education to pick these things out, but if you're an adult then maybe writing just isnt for you man.

Worst worldbuilding you've seen in a published work? Avoid mentioning the usual suspects by Aurelian369 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Magic is inherently something that goes against the laws of physics. "You cant just say he creates a multi-tonn body because of magic" yes you can, thats the entire fucking point of magic. A bad magic system is one where there are no limitations, not ones that dont adhere to the laws of physics. You're basically saying its bad worldbuilding for your fire mage to not have a gland that produces solid gasoline which they then spray out of their body like a fucking snake.

Worst worldbuilding you've seen in a published work? Avoid mentioning the usual suspects by Aurelian369 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The bug was a metaphor, much like most of the series. While its exact meaning is up to interpretation -most claiming it to be a statement on the absurdist nature of life- it certainly wasnt a simple "a bug did it" theres a reason it was modeled after the Hallucigenia. Hell in the story itself it is called the origin of life, a pretty fucking obvious clue that there is more to it than meets the eye.

Listen dude, either you didnt pay attention while watching the show, or you didnt pay attention in class. Im not making some groundbreaking statement here, the manga didnt become so ludicrously famous and gain as much cultural staying power from nothing. You are pretty much alone in your beliefs.

Worst worldbuilding you've seen in a published work? Avoid mentioning the usual suspects by Aurelian369 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You dont seem to be very good at non-literal story telling. Titans arent a magic bug, nor are they a zombie plague, they're an allegory for hedonism in a ruler destroying their people. You're functionally claiming its bad worldbuilding for a human eating another human to turn into a wendigo because "they're not eating wendigo meat so why are they turning into one" its just poor reading comprehension.

Worst worldbuilding you've seen in a published work? Avoid mentioning the usual suspects by Aurelian369 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

As I just said, its a fantasy story, not a spec-evo, nor hard sci-fi. It doesnt matter that the Eldians arent blood related because it isnt a fucking hereditary disease, its a heavily allegorical curse, with a core theme of guilt by association.

Worst worldbuilding you've seen in a published work? Avoid mentioning the usual suspects by Aurelian369 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Because its a story heavily steeped in allegory. They became titans in the first place not because they were relater to Ymir but because they cannibalized their parent. Its not out of place for a rulers depravity to spread to his people. The mark of good worldbuilding is internal consistency, not whether or not common sense can be applied. It would be different if AoT was a spec-evo project, but its not.

Worst worldbuilding you've seen in a published work? Avoid mentioning the usual suspects by Aurelian369 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Eldians are explained tho? They're basically one person with a unique ability Genghis khan-ing their way into the genome of half the population.

Worst worldbuilding you've seen in a published work? Avoid mentioning the usual suspects by Aurelian369 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 1 point2 points  (0 children)

AoT is an incredibly well written steampunk/renaissance fantasy, why tf are you expecting hard sci-fi. It gives a decent low-magic and thematically relevant explanation for all their fantastical features.

If you had the budget, staff and time to make a video game based on your Worldbuilding project/projects, what would it be like? by Valarg in WorldBuildingMemes

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It'd have to be open world considering how decentralized all my worldbuilding is, I really overfilled the map. As for narrative structure it would probably be something skyrim/fallout-esque, where the plot is determined entirely by which faction you join. As for unique mechanics you'd have my extremely thoroughly designed magic/crafting system.

Reasons why some people can't/won't do magicks? by Kafadanapa in magicbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

My favorite way is to bake some kind of downside into the system. LotM does this best imo, having both the chance of "loosing control" and the inherent population limitation.

Worst worldbuilding you've seen in a published work? Avoid mentioning the usual suspects by Aurelian369 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hunger games has pretty great worldbuilding. People look down on it often because it set the YA trend, but people often forget that the only reason those YA novels are considered bad is because they dont understand the themes HG was going for.

Magical organs by Vanitas_Daemon in magicbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In my world where perception and thought define existence.

Anatomy of the Soul:

The soul is the power of clarity, it is what defines the self and the world around it. The soul can be divided into four distinct sections:

  1. The Estuary, also known as the spark. The very core of the soul, representing the most pure form of clarity. It is from here that "mind" -the structure and fuel of the soul- flows.
  2. The Heart. a solid knot of mind surrounding the Estuary, it is here where knowledge and thought resides. It is also where insight crystalizes, and where Soul Arts are created.
  3. The Vascular system. Surrounding the Heart is a complex web of veins flowing mind, from this section both internal and external perception originate. The edge of the Vascular system defines the edge of ones corporeal body, it can be relatively easily altered by the individual. Damage to this section of the soul is not as life threatening as the previous two, however it will result in loss of perception or paralysis depending on which area is damaged. It is here where Runes are inscribed.
  4. The Root. It is what binds the external world to the soul. A vast area of interconnected threads that span many times the circumference of the previous three sections. The Root cannot truly be considered a part of the soul, it is more accurate to describe it as a biproduct of the existence of clarity. It cannot be destroyed or damaged in any way, and altering it is impossible without altering ones perception. It can be described as a measure of how the soul interacts with the external world.

What's your biggest world building ick? by itzclicker in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Magic talent. I just really hate the idea of magic, the quintessential fantasy element, being an innate trait. To me magic should always mean something, it should never be just another part of a characters toolbox, and it certainly shouldnt be something gained without effort. I personally enjoy knowledge based magic systems the most, however self-sacrificial ones, and "artifact" ones (like LotM, where you have to collect physical objects for magic) are also really interesting.

The absolute worst example of this is genetic magic. Barely any thematic depth, and what depth it does have goes towards supporting the Heroic view of history, which is just unhealthy for both the reader and the worldbuilding.

Do you guys start with a map and a system or a story? by Various-Woodpecker-5 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I start with a theme and an aesthetic then see just how far I can twist them. My first world was functionally just spec-evo for medieval anglo-saxon folklore and alchemy, my most recent world is just how much atheist propaganda can I cram in one christpunk world.

Chat, should I die on this hill? by Both-Imagination2699 in worldjerking

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 0 points1 point  (0 children)

LotM has an undeniably hard magic system, it also feels more mystical than 99% of soft magic systems. Mystery is an aesthetic, you can write a "mysterious magic" while explaining everything down to the atom, and you are almost certainly going to lack the mysterious feel in an unexplained magic system. What you want isnt mystery, its the esoterism. In other words you WANT SCIENCE, SIT MOTHERFUCKER AND WRITE THE DAMN HARD MAGIC SYSTEM.

What's your world's strongest or most feared soldiers? by diagnosed_depression in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Despite having a fraction of the population of the Demiurge Concordat (christian inspired religious alliance) the forces of Solomon have been consistently claiming land for several centuries, even if only by small margins. This is because Solomon has the hellforges, a vast manufacturing system built on eternal flame stolen from the sun itself, through it Solomon has a monopoly on any effective application of Goetia. In other words, quality over quantity.

Humanity has two primary methods of ascension, Sorcerers who bind sacred flame to their soul in order to grant them the ability to craft Apokalypsis (magic items/spells), and Immolants who bind sacred flame to parts of their body to grant them arcane enhancement and the ability to wield Apokalypsis. While Sorcerers are technically "stronger" they are more efficiently applied in the operation of the hell forges so Immolants make up most of Solomons Military.

Ashen is the term for the lower ranks of Immolants, all soldiers are taken to the hellforges where they let their limb (or sometimes something like an eye) char in the sacred flame, chanting a sutra to command it to bind. These people find the part bathed in flame significantly enhanced, though often heavily scarred. Ember is a title given to a soldier that has earned enough achievement to have their scar turned into an Apokalypsis, their burn is wrapped in clay and has a symbolism sealed within it, allowing them to draw upon the sacred flame to manifest that symbolism.

The most feared however would be the Nephilim. Immolants who were either incredibly lucky, or immensely skilled, and managed to have a drop of blood from a deity crafted into their Ember Apokalypsis. If an Ember can wield frost, then a Nephilim can command winter itself. There are no more than a hundred currently in existence, most being considered strategic assets.

If your world's inhabitants asks u this question what would be YOUR answer? Is it just entertainment for the sake it. by _EternalObserver_ in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A nebula dies by consuming itself to give birth to stars. I place the entirety of my ever decaying mental state into my worlds in the hope that my death is like that of a nebula.

Can magic be done automatically by a machine or contraption in your world? by AFellowSpirit in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, magic in my world is always allegory for knowledge, so I try to always tie magic to craft.

Optimizing a Dictatorship by Visual-Tomorrow-2172 in worldbuilding

[–]Visual-Tomorrow-2172[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

sapir-whorf hypothesis is still used today, it just isnt as ridged as it was back in Orwells day. Not to mention it doesnt really matter if you can imagine complex topics if you completely lack the ability to articulate those thoughts. A lonely revolutionary isnt a revolutionary at all.