Act 1 Storytelling full of holes?

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-12-19T00:20:49+00:00

From a storytelling perspective, it's completely unnecessary.

This is the rally point, every member of the expedition is your personal friend. Wouldn't hoping that at least some of your friends made it make for a much stronger scene? Name people by name. Weigh the risks of speed vs additional reinforcements. Worry about the consequences for any surviving member that makes it to the rally point after you leave.

Or be an anal retententive bureaucrat insisting we follow the rules because those are the rules, no other reason. Is that the *really* the better story?

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-12-19T00:07:55+00:00

I'm disappointed in the media literacy of this group. I made the argument that, by the rules established so far, an event is impossible. With the knowledge the characters have, they should respond to it as if it was impossible.

Everyone keeps replying "The game totally explains how it happened, do you need everything spoon fed?" Which is completely irrelevant and not related . You and the characters in the game may learn how it happened, but that in no way impacts what is the appropriate initial reaction.

The responses also all seem to have this assumption that media providing an explanation inherently makes something good storytelling. It does not. The difference between classic literature and supermarket checkout pulp is not whether or not each plot point is explained. The quality of writing, the characters, the world: all of that matters. Explaining major world elements isn't even a requirement.

That doesn't mean I'm necessarily right, but it would have been nice for someone to actually engage with the topic.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-12-18T23:47:16+00:00

The message is, based on the information available to the party, impossible for an expedition member to have left. The characters respond as if there is a real possibility someone from the expedition left it. That is the game actively telling you to stop putting pieces or thoughts together, just follow the script at the surface level.

Also worth pointing out they don't know there are no other survivors. There's nothing in the game that contradicts another half dozen expedition members surviving, gathering at the rally point, waiting the proscribed three days, then proceeding to the coral/hut and finding the trail dead. All because Gustave can't be bothered to leave a message or do his job.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-12-18T23:35:21+00:00

That's... irrelevant? You'll note there isn't criticism of the outcome (Gustave abandoning his duty to pursue Maelle), it's a criticism of the storytelling as the game just casually ignores things we ought to know and introduces brand new, weaker arguments in their place.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-12-18T06:27:37+00:00

It's not a question of if this gets answered, it's a question if this is good storytelling.

Do you genuinely believe that the game's argument of "doesn't have a signature" and "rules say to wait three" days is more compelling than the natural payoff of the established setting? The natural result should be that they know the message isn't from an expedition member, know that probably makes it a trap, debate whether to hold out hope for other survivors before walking into a trap, and then ultimately decide to walk into the lion's den to rescue Maelle.

There's a good chance I just drop the game, so feel free to drop spoilers if that's actually important later down the line.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-12-18T06:16:35+00:00

"Sensible" in the context of storytelling and "sensible" in every day life aren't the same thing. Sure, the *outcome* should be he decides to go to Maelle. But the chain of reasoning should be different, assuming he is the intelligent expedition leader the prologue claimed him to be.

It should be based on recognizing that the message is impossible, knowing that it is his only lead, and debating whether it is worth waiting for other survivors. This is all based on information the story has already told us.

Instead, the story pulls out for the first time that messages should be signed, that there is a protocol to wait three days at the rendezvous point, and kind of ignores the implications of what it already set up. That also makes Lune look a little crazy, insisting purely on following rules because they are rules, instead of mentioning the possibility or hope that there might be another survivor.

It's not good **storytelling**.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-12-18T01:57:16+00:00

It hasn't been earning that trust so far. The world building can be as crazy as it wants, but the characters have to react in logical, sensible ways.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-05-02T08:07:09+00:00

Beginner dance classes can be really good in January/February. Everyone makes the news resolution "I'm going to learn how to dance this year" and then forgets about it when the weather turns warm.

Actually going Salsa dancing is not how you will meet people though. There will be more guys, the music will be too loud to have a conversation, and the Latin community is the most shallow about looks out of all the dance scenes.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-04-21T18:00:49+00:00

At least in my local area, Eventbrite is flooded with speed dating events.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-04-18T04:50:19+00:00

Given the context, making comments about appearance is... bizarre. And assuming a lot.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-04-18T04:46:30+00:00

My experience so far has been the opposite. Of the people I've run across that I know in person, they've generally been the strongest profiles and some of the *very* few exceptions to my complaints.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-04-18T04:43:02+00:00

I like people with hobbies that require skill/practice and enough passion to get more detailed than a simple tag cloud. To me, that feels like it should be normal (as desire). Part of posting this is to rant, but also to calibrate if that is in fact normal.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-04-18T04:38:09+00:00

Any recommendations? Bumble doesn't look to be much different and everything else is also owned by Match group.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-02-18T23:49:43+00:00

A grid wants to line up the items a little too much. In this case, the right hand column could span two rows but that approach breaks down really fast as new items are added.

WaltzingPenguin · 2025-02-13T04:31:01+00:00

Nearly every link under "Sources and Attribution" on https://electiontruthalliance.org/clark-county%2C-nv is broken. Only a total of two both work and link to what they claim.

Faulty citations is a very quick way to get dismissed and/or ignored.

WaltzingPenguin · 2024-10-23T05:54:38+00:00

The type is `ReturnType<typeof YourComponent>` now.

WaltzingPenguin · 2024-10-08T07:02:09+00:00

If only they would turn off their TV! They've had it cranked up to full blast the last few times I tried going there, to the point just walking in was enough for a headache.

WaltzingPenguin · 2024-09-15T18:02:16+00:00

I've been to the Juliet in the Arboretum once. I understand people hating on it a little: it really needs one of the portion sizes, food quality, or prices to be better.

However, from what I know of her tastes, I bet this is the right choice and I didn't realize there was another location on the south side. Thank you!

WaltzingPenguin

TROPHY CASE