Post by quikbrnfox in Eternum comments

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Based on the screen name, I am assuming it is the trashing of Axel's girlfriend's saggy tits (expressed in exactly that way, in the park and at the party), not Miceala, that are being referred to. That's a fairly standard reaction from some quarters on who is allowed to go where: male minion has head blown off? All cool. Female minion accused of being less than physically perfect despite being a reprehensible person who dishes worse on anyone she sees? Ohhhh, line crossed. I blame Andrea Dworkin, but I'm old.

The critique assumes, I think, a lack of agency that doesn't exist. Maybe, just maybe, Nancy is a unicorn, but outfit wise, Penny, Alex, and (at least from an athletic standpoint) Dalia dress like they do in-game and out-game because that is how they are. Luna, Nova, and Annie have been waiting to do so in-game since they hit puberty. None of them are weak or dependent, if anything, they save MC's ass time after time, because the right one for the situation is always there.

melamermaid317 days ago

I feel like you're picking up things I did not put down.

You're right about Charlotte's saggy tits being one of the examples I noticed, though I didn't want to go into specifics here because I didn't want this to become A Whole Thing (too late ig), but your example is apples and elephants. In this case, male minion getting his head blown off served the story because it (1) showed the praetorian(s) doling out their justice in a harsh, shocking way, which (2) helped us and the MC understand why we should be afraid of them, (3) set up a huge part of the mystery surrounding Eternum, and (4) directly kicked off the change in Axel's character. As far as I could tell, female minion's tits being saggy was not vital to the narrative. Nothing would change if she had perky, or even average, melons except a subpar (imo) joke in one branch of an optional scene. If the tables were turned and Charlotte got her head blown off for attempted assault and Benjamin's tiny dick was the recurring gag, it would still be a case of vital to the narrative vs. totally optional body shaming with no narrative payoff.

Lost me in the 2nd half, though. I actually pointed out that the outfits typically make sense for the scene, and said nothing about the female characters being weak or dependent, so I'm pretty sure we agree!

melamermaid317 days ago

And to be super clear, bringing up this kind of shit isn't about cleansing all fiction from potentially offensive phrases, or never hurting or excluding anyone, ever. That would make for boring stories. But I do think a good writer should at least be aware of what their work says--intentionally or unintentionally--about themself, about itself, about the characters, about the world it's set in and the real one, and potentially, about the reader. And I think Caribdis is a very good writer. For a lesser game, I wouldn't have even bothered mentioning it.

quikbrnfox316 days ago

I'll just politely disagree.

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