My honest feelings about faction fictions

[Ham701]

Honestly, it's boring ass fuck. More people need to learn from Semaj Nagirrac's work and actually make it interesting by including images that correlate with the story. That way, what I'm assuming is awesome won't be lost to ADD folks like me and the rest of the internet.

Discuss.

[Robot Monkey]

Someone forgot their Ritalin today.

[Bragallot]

Wait, if you didn't read it, how do you know it's boring?

[Ham701]

I'm sorry that there aren't any gifs out there that say "LOL I READ THE FIRST FEW SENTENCES AND STOPPED READING AFTER THAT LOL LOL"

[Bragallot]

I basically agree with you anyway. It's not that I dislike reading (a lot of stuff) but it's just not what I come to this forum for. or it didn't happen applies most of the time, and I also prefer it if the larger part (like, as much as possible) of a story is created within battles, with interludes and aftermaths to fill up the rest if you want to get more story elements across. It takes longer, but in the end it's usually worth it. Zahru for example is a master at this. Maybe not everyone likes that because then the battles decide for them what the story will be, for but me that's what makes it exciting.

[Colette]

I plan on going back and illustrating my story about the AN complete with a miniature AN building and a replica of an RIN dreadnought in the far future, but the honest thing is that:

6. I'd rather be working on my space Nazis faction right now, and

7. Semaj Nagirrac's stuff, while awesome, are not works of literature and would not belong in the artwork forum. They are battle reports, beautifully written and excellently plotted, yes, but in my opinion they are still battle reports.

8. The reason people like Scythe and me write these sort of things is because they are simply too epic to actually represent in a brikwar. Take Landfall, for instance- even in LDD, which you guys hate and would not really work as illustrations anyway- how would Scythe plan on representing the thousands of ships present during his "Shraag shoots up shit" scene? Or the AN- even Fico was on an incredible epic scale, how could I possibly make a battle for invading like one of the biggest major "cities" in the brikverse? We all don't have the number of brix Warhead or Asterios had.

9. How do you read a book? I think having a few faction fictions is fine as long as it doesn't seriously start replacing battles, but seriously, think of the Scythian shorts and their ilk to be like an online eBook or something that just so happens to involve the brik-verse. I'm not claiming you're dumb or anything, but you should at least be able to hold your attention long enough to read a book.

10. Finally, Scythe will skull-fuck you once he finds this thread.

[Bragallot]

Honestly, I didn't even know stories about the Scythians existed.

I believe what Ham is trying to say is that, in the Brikwars environment, people, or at least he, prefer story-through-battle-reports, which makes sense to me.

As for epic engagements, you'll notice that even in literature battles are often described more from a character's viewpoint rather than on a huge scale. Operation Mastercutor for example was an engagement between two full fleets as well, but I chose to 'zoom in' on the most important ships (I remember using some kind of improvised brick-built strategic map to point out what was going on, FISH!!! did something like this as well at one point) while everything else happened off-screen and it was no less enjoyable or more unclear for it.

Finally, if your story is exceeding your collection or imagination to come up with a different solution I think you're probably reaching too far. After all it's not the number of ships that makes a story good. Taking the time to illustrate it or do a battle report for it shows you're actually dedicated and don't just say 'look it has thousands of ships, it's epic!' Not to mention the pacing will be slower, creating a more believable timeline, and making the story easier to process than when everything just happens really really fast. One of the reasons I haven't pulled my Prussians out of the coffin for quite some time is because saying the planet is destroyed now and then starting another battle the day after just makes things go too fast and thus really confusing.

Each to their own of course, this is just how I feel about it. The most important thing about getting content across is that it actually reaches people imo.

[Tzan]

10. Finally, Scythe will skull-fuck you once he finds this thread.

[Colette]

Honestly, I didn't even know stories about the Scythians existed.

Wait, but what other faction fictions are there around here (other than mine)?

[Apollyon]

I do not read a lot of it either. Usually i ignore the wall of text that is often posted alongside pictures of armies/factions. Like Bragallot i prefer stories that grow through actual battles, interludes and aftermaths but telling them in a way that keeps one interested is the hard thing to accomplish. I really like Zahru's and Arkbrik's stuff for example. They have got a talent for including believable characters and i think i have a good idea what is going on within their respective realms of the BrikVerse. One the other hand Bragallot's stories... even though i took part in some of his battles i still have no clue what's going on and who is fighting who and why (no offense, man). As for my own fluff... just look at the not so pretty pics please.

[Arkbrik]

8. The reason people like Scythe and me write these sort of things is because they are simply too epic to actually represent in a brikwar. Take Landfall, for instance- even in LDD, which you guys hate and would not really work as illustrations anyway- how would Scythe plan on representing the thousands of ships present during his "Shraag shoots up shit" scene? Or the AN- even Fico was on an incredible epic scale, how could I possibly make a battle for invading like one of the biggest major "cities" in the brikverse? We all don't have the number of brix Warhead or Asterios had.

I'd say the opposite is true. A picture says more than a thousand words, and a picture of one cool ship is more epic than a sentence describing a thousand cool ships. If you don't have the bricks for a giant battle, you make a smaller battle and say the rest of it is going on offscreen. Giant battles can also get very boring, if you can't overlook everything that's happening. ZZD wasn't awesome because it was gigantic, it was because of Warhead's skill at storytelling and humor. The giganticness helps add to its epic feeling of course, but... if you can't handle it, don't go there.

On the other hand, in writing you can handle things that would be impractical in a battle report, like non-combat stuff, internal thought processes and feelings etc. It's a lot like the difference between movies and books.

[Zahru II]

A picture says more than a thousand words

This a million times; if you can, show, not tell. It's a way more powerful tool. Otherwise I don't mind written stuff, I just don't like scifi that much, I'm biased.

[The Shadowscythe]

10. Finally, Scythe will skull-fuck you once he finds this thread.

Honestly, I didn't even know stories about the Scythians existed.

Wait, but what other faction fictions are there around here (other than mine)?

Ahaha - haha - ha - ha - ha - YEAH.

I remember a post from here long ago - the mona lisa of skullfucking, written by myself in its beauty of pissing off silva . . . my googlefoo fails me, but I am coming for you - and soon I will be coming in you.

In your face.

Your skull, will be my cum-bucket.

AND NOW WE INTERRUPT YOU FOR THE SERIOUS SIDE OF THIS FUKKEN POST.

Yeah, I write brik-fiction . . . seeing as I have just made the term up, I will coin it here and now - brikfiction.



I've had plans for forum battles in the past, hosted through LDD - but I failed myself because I was suddenly hit with the inspiration to do something awesome, and convieniently forgot I was trying to keep a 39 hour a week job (that ended up being closer to 50 hours a week) a 16 hour a week degree, and filling the rest of my time with raising my daughter, desperately trying to complete my course modules/dissertation/degree while organising mine and brikwhores wedding at the same time, and deal with everyone else who pretended to know the meaning of the word stress. I would hit the forums or chat in the middle of the night when I was too tired to do anything else, but too awake to go to sleep and end up talking to Warhead, or Stubby and be all like "You seen this shit? It's awesome - I'm gonna do that too!" then realise I had overstreched myself and fall through in the planning stages.

Right now - I probably could run one of my old LDD battles - I still have all the files saved and ready to go, I simply lack the long term inspiration to pull it off . . . if anyone wants to put some awesome in my was and re-ignite that flame then bloody well go for it.

As for real-brik battles - I have enough Scythian Forces and assorted briks to put up what would be a fairly decent sized Scythian -vs- Immortals battle, with a few sig-figs from the other factions, but I don't have the space to have this thing in the house with small children for the several weeks to keep the damn thing in one piece, so that will have to wait until I can play with my lego, with my daughter - and then find the space in the house to keep the damn thing set up.

BUT - Going back to the subject of brikfiction.

I have a dozen or so creative outlets - I pick them up and put them down like a three year old crack addicted toddler with an internet connection. I have been known to write, draw, storyboard and script at any given point, for at least a dozen different things . . . the brikfiction/Scythian shorts are my attempt to not only vent that creativity - but do it over a long term. More often than not I make about three posts a month - often within a short space of time, and then return to planning my next text-dump.

It has a storyline, beginning - middle - and end, that is designed to fit into the brikverse and tell an epic tale from the point of view of the inhabitants themselves (and there are very, very specific reasons that I write in the style of them being people, rather than minifigs) that can pay homage to the many, many awesome factions and characters and be its own self-contained piece - as in, it is there for people that want to read it, and that would be awesome - but it isn't actually essential to read or for anyone to put figs on a table and fight.

Give me time and space - I will present you with battle reports, perhaps even a forum battle or two - but I will most likely type out a couple of awesome tales while I am at it - draw a few pictures, post up a new build or three, a few new LDD shenanagans and perhaps some other types of bullshit I cannot even think of yet.

And this thread I have seen here? Is someone else being a goddamn asstard because? why? reasons?

My creative outlet too long for you too read it?

Then don't read it - then you don't have to bitch, but you ain't gonna stop me from using my creative outlet.

It needs pictures?

I may make them, I may not - your trolling about it will actually put me off of doing so - so shut yer mouth.

You know what, I could keep going - but it would turn from witty argument/point proving into an outright slagfest with no real point or conclusion, Imma gonna keep doing it - I may do something else with it - and you don't have to have anything to do with it.

Scythe - Out.

[Bragallot]

Yeah, keep doing it if it's your creative outlet. No one's telling you what you should do or even pointing directly at certain people (I didn't even know you wrote stuff so), we're just pointing out what people (on this board) seem to prefer (in general) and why.

One the other hand Bragallot's stories... even though i took part in some of his battles i still have no clue what's going on and who is fighting who and why (no offense, man).

No offense taken Just assuming you mean the fantasy ones, well, I have a heap of characters, factions, sides, history, time gaps that aren't covered by battles (like the destruction of the Empire or the Water Demons becoming the Kingdom's allies) etc. and I know that doesn't make it simple. I don't try to put too much emphasis on the story anyway, partially because there's a constant flow of new members who would be overwhelmed if everything I post has to explain everything, partially because I try to avoid repeating information.

Compare it to Warcraft: The basic premise is simple enough and you don't have to get everything to enjoy the game, but if you want to delve deeper, there's always the possibility. You can check out the battle reports you might not have read, armoury threads that have faction information etc... The most basic thing is that the Kingdom is fighting everyone, from Kerrat to the Undead to the Falx Republic, and so far I've kept the real reasons for these conflicts hidden on purpose, so it's kinda normal you don't know why they're fighting yet. When / If I continue Garth's campaign, some of this will come to light however.

If you want to make sense of it all, this topic is probably the fastest way to go. I've just reworked it to make it as comprehensive as possible, but I also gotta point out that since this story has begun to grow from the point I joined this forum, it's only normal that it's rather huge and complex and probably not something you can just read in a day and have it all figured out at once. Of course I'm always trying to improve without making it too overbearing. Having a map would probably help loads. I should probably do a comprehensive faction guide as well, but you know, time...

[IVhorseman]

If you don't care enough to read them, why are you making an entire fucking thread for it? It's the same problem you guys had with LDD - it clearly says on the thread title what is in it, and if you don't want to read it, fucking don't.

Not choosing to make the effort to read it, but wasting your time making a thread shitting all over other people's creative outlet is straight ign'ant. A thousand bans for you!