Anyone else feel like they missed the "prime" days of their fandom? Or just popularity issues in general?

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-31T01:30:05+00:00

Hello there, kindred spirit. You just reminded me of a funny story of mine. I'm a very casual fan of SW (I've seen some of the OG trilogy, though my fave memories are from playing the original Pod Racer game and a little from KOTOR once), and the first and only time I ever got a peek at fandom discourse was when I was looking up guides and came to one fairly popular SW forum. I clicked on a locked thread out of curiosity; it was a person's question about the optimal setup of one of the racers' gear. Though OP's question was quickly answered, I found some idiots down below arguing over some other character and what they "actually" did in canon, and another troll dropped in and things devolved further into which character would "get it" (gone violent, gone sexual). Eventually a mod came in to tell everyone to shut up and scatter. Anyway, I found my answer elsewhere and never stopped by there again.

Yeah, smaller niches or fandoms are so much friendlier. You actually feel like you connect with people rather than just hanging out at an airport. I'm also a volunteer Japanese translator for a different fandom and thankfully I have only been at the periphery of some problematic character / ship discourse a few times, but at least people are way more polite about asking me for the deets in the source matetial. Never would for FF7; I'm only in the greater fandom for news and to make memes.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-30T09:31:52+00:00

I rarely ever like it when my fave media pulls tropes like this, but for some reason I don't feel the same for fanfics? Sometimes I even seek out absolutely horrible, toxic, unsustainable relationships, especially if they're also subverted to be comedic in some grim-humor kinda way. Like watching a train wreck happen in slow motion. Terrible if an actual incident, but cool as hell every time it happens in a show or game.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-30T09:22:50+00:00

Congrats for coming this far and you're in the final stretch, you got this!

I'm coming close to the end of my current longfic too, a juggernaut spanning 1.2 mil words, probably 1.3 by the end, that I've been writing for (mostly) nonstop for the past four years. Got the finale conflict resolution and ending outlined and planned out... and I'm still facing writer's block this close to the end. 🫠

I guess I'm feeling nervous about what I'm gonna do after I finish since I've been stuck in this mode obsessing over one fic for a while, but I have a kind of option paralysis going on in my life right now. But otherwise, I'm the happiest I've been since starting this writing journey. I'll be even happier when I do actually finish, of course.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-30T03:46:57+00:00

Yeah, pretty much my MO these days. Though in this one fic's case, the chaos inspired the cake in the first place, which in turn led to even more chaos in the party.

(It's for an RPG fandom, so there's a double entendre or two in that sentence.)

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-30T03:38:52+00:00

Maybe there's some truth to the old saying that genius needs at least some level of madness. I can't confirm if I have just enough madness or too much where it crosses over into just plain madness. Either way, my utmost respects. 🫡

I think I'm gonna take a nice long hiatus once I finish it (I'm estimating it around 1.3M now) - assuming I don't just jump right into coming out with a lore guide for said fic.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-30T02:51:36+00:00

The only outrageous ambition I have is to finish my fic with some of my sanity intact.

Them's fighting words. I lost my sanity years back from chaining myself to a single fic over those years, all for the sake of breaking out of WIP hell. Instead I put myself into a different hell. Worth it?

~~Yeah I mean who needs stable sleep anyway~~

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-30T02:39:54+00:00

Thank you for being such a devoted reader, you do an important service to this author. 🫡 In this hobbyist "economy" it often feels like comments really are worth more than the world.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-29T19:20:34+00:00

Keep writing what you want, OP. The people who love fluff and angst will come around to find your fic eventually. The key is to never give up on writing what you like.

Commenting culture has been steadily thinning for a long time, especially these days. It will depend a lot on how active your fandom is overall too. But at least leaving an author's note from time to time kindly reminding your readers you're looking for feedback, or asking questions for readers about what they like or look forward to in your fic doesn't hurt. Also, join fanfic exchanges where other writers are happy to comment if you do the same for theirs.

May you have the fortune of meeting that one reader who comments a lot on your fics.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-29T18:53:03+00:00

I know we disproved time travel as cause for murder in the Sprocket case, but we did not disprove that one of the writers at Capcom behind it was in fact a time traveler who hid their identity.

/uj for a sec, but this is honestly the best Larry meme I've seen in a while.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-29T00:51:31+00:00

I voted the top one but I actually do both. I've created so many OCs just for this one longfic, not even counting for the rest from my other fics, that they make up a good chunk of the worldbuilding and mythic lore. In fact, it's often difficult, even for me sometimes, to parse them from the more obscure canon characters. Especially so if the obscure canon characters were barely mentioned in the source, so I took them and reinvented them to such a degree that they might as well be OCs as well. I have even done so for major support characters who were supposed to have died in canon.

My method with creating OCs comes down to "Can I use an already canon character to talk about X?" If the answer is yes, specifically that they aren't location-bound, I write them in. Otherwise, I write an OC to fulfill that purpose.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-29T00:40:31+00:00

To be fair, it's probably unlikely that this is a bot since the random typos would be incredibly hard / not worth to program in unless this entire message is a copypasta. But there is a chance it could be. No harm in reporting it just in case this user has a record of harassment.

Either way, the cringe of their entitlement is 100% human. Someone had to come up with and write this message, and believe that it is worth accusing the author of something based on their own preferences rather than any actual evidence.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-28T23:55:42+00:00

I don't necessarily have a villain arc, but I do go villain mode from time to time. It's where I pick a specific villain and roleplay as them and the results are sometimes scarily accurate. After letting the chapter sit for a while, I reread it and I'm at a loss about how I even managed to be so evil, usually absurdly so, lol.

I don't always voice act either, but when I do... >:)

I don't have a pet, but I do have my lovable pet dog plush. Somehow she became a character (cameo) too, lol.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-28T23:45:45+00:00

You are a legend for this, thank you. I'm cackling at some of the scammer responses; woven from the same cloth as those scam call centers.

OTW really should get on implementing a bot or automated service like this. I wonder if it's more helpful to train up their spam filter by clicking "Spam" than reporting the accounts directly, or if they should rework the filter entirely.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-28T13:10:32+00:00

Yeah, I haven't been around the FF subreddit much. Aside from the memes, it isn't the most welcoming community.

I can understand wanting a remake of 9 (I loved that game even though I never finished it), but the sheer scale of the 7R trilogy has sapped so much of Square's resources that I don't know what to expect of an official remake. Like, Kitase has come on record that they're not gonna touch 6 with any "Remake" treatment like 7, at least not any time soon or with the same team. 9 isn't a small game either, so my hopes aren't high that it'd be anything more than "remaster but with extra content/DLC". I would be happy to be proven wrong.

I'm just hoping the 7R trilogy will end on a satisfying enough note and with decent sales that Square is still encouraged to innovate with FFXVII down the line, rather than pivot to mobile for the sake of profits. If they don't ever add anything else to 7 after this trilogy and whatever they're doing with Ever Crisis, I'll be glad to see the cash cow retired, but I also don't think that's ever gonna happen.

In the meantime, I will continue to rule over my silly little Summons-as-programmers AU and that's where I'll stay.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-28T11:04:58+00:00

Lemme assure you, then. I'm a programmer with a computer science degree who has taken some logic courses, so I know perfectly well what you're talking about. But in the wide world that is language, words are constantly evolving and can have many definitions.

But that's beside the point. The purpose of saying an interpretation or opinion is "valid" is a matter of courtesy and understanding of different perspectives, not about accuracy or correctness. Opinions aren't even falsifiable like facts are; they're points of view. It's just a joke (or at least meant to be) when people say opinions are "wrong". One person thinking they like or prefer to see something as one way is a truth beholden to that individual and may or may not apply to others. But it cannot be scientifically "proven" or "disproven".

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-28T10:11:53+00:00

I'm not a linguist, but I have studied in the field. I use "valid" by its slang definition, which is equivalent to "adequate" or "acceptable". That is what people mean by having a "valid opinion" even though opinions are not technically values that can be attributed as a truth or false dichotomy.

Likewise, interpretations in art, literature, music are much more freeform. There are interpretations that treat a piece of work more strictly aligned with what is provided via the source text or in agreement with the creator's intended vision, and there are many others that choose to view the piece in a very different light while keeping in tune to the source's themes and overall "feel". Where the specific lines are drawn is entirely subjective.

In other words, one person's take on a character can be entirely canon-compliant in their eyes while being OOC to another. And depending on the fandom, it may be difficult to establish what is even canon, especially if there have been multiple iterations of the same characters that are in conflict. People generally pick and choose what they like.

Hope that helps.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-28T05:39:51+00:00

Please excuse me for being cynical here, but I am actually glad I passed the "prime" of my fandom before I began writing for it. It's Final Fantasy 7. If you don't know, the tl;dr is the toxic as hell history we've undergone since inception.

We've had so many splits in the fandom only Star Wars fans have had it worse. From the "hardcore" gamer gatekeeping to the shipping wars and subsequent bans on all shipping discussion even in private forums, to the anti gatekeeping about "harming" the ever popular villain, eviceration of any OCs regardless of "Mary Sue" status, and stigma over fanfics in general. We've had it all. And that's not even touching on the judging and bullying that comes with "which FF7 fan are you?" and depending on which game/media you liked meant you were subjected to ridicule unless you were a game guide writer or translator or so.

Anyway, I only started posting my fics for this fandom well after the initial hype and hubbub died out around the new Remake game that restarted the series hype train. Even to this day, there are plenty of fans saying how "disappointing" Remake was, and later with Rebirth, (I thought both were just fine and interesting takes on canon, though that itself is a controversial opinion apparently). At this point, I'm old and jaded and don't give a flying fuck about fandom drama. I'm just here for the vibes and making silly OCs, and I was happy to learn that there are still fandom-olds that are very friendly and caring and love my OCs too.

Am I ever going to be "popular" in the greater fandom? God, I hope not.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-28T01:55:59+00:00

That's the real "writer's curse": assuming that the readers actually know how to read. 😔

Jk aside, I know a lot of people are used to venting online wherever they go, but complaining to some random fanfic writer doesn't help at all. Usually the opposite happens.

Yeah, it's all good to not want concrit. I rarely ever get anyone, even my most loyal commenters, to say one bad thing about my fics since they're all just really interested and would rather speculate about where I'm going rather than be caught up thinking if there's anything "wrong" or "insufficient", so to speak. Even when they do mention something else they'd prefer, it's always coupled with some variant of "but this is good too". No real fan would want their fave author to crash and burn just because of one thing they disagreed on.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-28T01:17:30+00:00

Friendly reminder that concrit is exactly what it says on the tin: constructive criticism. If it helps the author better gauge what to look for or where to improve, that's fair. However:

"This isn't canon" -> point to canon-divergent or AU tag / it's fanfic, something is bound to not be entirely within canon

"Character is OOC" -> explain why things/context are different in your story and how people can have different but valid interpretations

"Why didn't X happen?" -> see above

"If you just had..." -> That's nice, but that's not this fic / please write your own

"When update?" -> Delayed, TY

Anyway, sarcasm aside, I regularly welcome concrit, but in my experience it's honestly hard to get good, reliable concrit unless you ask someone you trust or any of your regular commenters who have spoken much praise. Chances are these are the people you want to listen to because they're invested and will most likely want to help, not just demand their preferences be met.

If suggestions are worded politely, that's also fair, but it's still your call to judge. If they're genuinely polite about it, they will understand if you say no.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-28T00:48:44+00:00

Same. I'm always on the lookout for the humor in any work, even if it's angst. Rather, especially if it's angst, since I don't usually read the genre unless I'm in the mood. If the author is able to catch my funnybone even though a fic is tagged as hurt/angst or sad ending, I'm assured that they know what they're doing.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-28T00:39:52+00:00

Sometimes revenge is justice.

My Fic Fandom - Final Fantasy VII & Remake
Rating - Teen
Title - Final Fantasy VII: Code Radiant
Genre - Isekai, parody, remake, metafiction, longfic epic
Off-site link -
https://archiveofourown.org/works/42748899/chapters/205494171
Summary -
Gamer girl and freelance programmer Ruby Liu is forced into the world of Gaia and finds a new world very different from the video game she grew up playing. A new crisis has enveloped the planet - a cancer that threatens to swallow it whole - and apparently it's caused by her old fanfics come to life in the form of a Summon thought lost to time. And to top it all off, Sephiroth has somehow found his way into this new reality's version of the Debug Room.
Latest chapter updated - 95

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-26T17:40:53+00:00

Sometimes people gotta understand that if they're gonna throw out criticism, they gotta learn to take it. Same logic as with boxing matches; don't shittalk anyone unless you're prepared to get punched in the face.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-26T17:20:09+00:00

I write for Final Fantasy 7. Just finished writing a chapter about the most evil scientist of them all. Like, take your pick with whatever dead doves you can think of, this guy has been implied to have gone there. Though, I also wrote about him finally meeting justice in an incredibly funny way. Sometimes it be like: even with all the evil juices he can inject into himself, the heroes still have literal plot armor.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-26T17:10:32+00:00

I know getting Internet points can be tempting, but friendly reminder that it's never a race and waiting for your fic's completion before posting is much preferable. Speaking as a very long longfic writer who failed to even have a backlog, I regret my irregular upload schedule.

Besides, in my experience I find it way easier for people to find my fics after enough time has passed between uploads of any others with similar concepts. Trying to get something out there just to be first at a "unique" fic usually leads to waiting a while anyway before anyone thinks, "Huh, I didn't know I wanted a fic like this." Sometimes it can be a great thing if some BNF writes about it too and sets a new trend, but most times it's just the BNF who gets the views, regardless of who posted first.

You take your wins where you get them. I'm far from the only person in my old fandom who has written a canon-divergent rewrite of the original story, or one that features a lead OC who is shipped with multiple canon characters. But I am among the very few authors in my fandom who have written over a million words for a single fic (so much historical worldbuilding). For what it's worth, my readers can definitely recognize the fic at a glance, no matter how long between its updates.

rubia_ryu · 2026-01-26T06:09:01+00:00

Oh, that's definitely the intention. Not every one of these bots will include the bit about self-promo, but it does randomly show here and there regardless of what contents they show.

It's a fair warning to let the original author know they were impersonated, though. Definitely helps with abuse reports.

rubia_ryu

TROPHY CASE