I’m thinking of giving a few choices, but yes, supplied by the image consultants. If you want, “badboy” types can get black leather. 
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I was joking about the depths of hell thing my reaction was like this (looks at image) boyscout power rangers?
whispers There he is. As for portraying genderfluid character, my best advice is to think about them as their character not their gender. Generally, we often have our pronoun preference and while some prefer staying in the neutral ground, others have their preferred masculine or feminine pronoun. I think, spoken from experience by the way, genderfluid often remains androgynous appearance-wise? Some people prefer leaning to one side compare to another. Not all of us have body dysphoria, it depends on day and who we feels like that day. Erhm, I suppose I need to know the specifics to go into details.
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Everyone knows villains automatically look better than nice heroes
It’s not like it doesn’t happen the other way around… plus I’m pretty sure every girl isn’t invited either,
Jeff and Layla are my enemies now.
Also Ruthless Ruth? So much for secret identities…
You’re absolutely right, which is exactly why for my mc the potential choices are: 1) straight up villain (Scheming maniacal laughter, etc.), 2) my personal favourite the anti-villain, or 3) the anti hero. 
Unless the setting is a parody of course, poor dr. horrible. 
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Too bad we’re not strong enough to be an Ubermensch…
\[quote=“idonotlikeusernames, post:388, topic:21666”]
- straight up villain (Scheming maniacal laughter, etc.), 2) my personal favourite the anti-villain, or 3) the anti hero.
[/quote]
I would rather decide on a case-by-case basis. So villain in my free time but usually stop the other villains?
It was just a Penny. Nothing to cry over.
Why are they your enemies now?
Their super names… they’re at least getting passive aggression from me.
Yeah, that wasn’t at all the meaning I was going for when it comes to clothes 
“Cute” would be one of those words that’s got kinda watered down and shifted.
(Also, sorry for the clothing-related derailment, but at least it’s not toilets )
For what it’s worth, I thought the picture was cute, just in a different sense of the word 
I never saw the show, though.
I do kind of wonder how the demographics ended up the way they did… sorry if my joining the forum makes you feel even more outnumbered
Alex would be cute no matter what he has on…
I find this… troubling.
Oh, okay.
Is this influenced at all by the MC’s stats (i.e. image) or is this a major rebranding anyway?
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It is yaoi, gay anime. I checked a bit, but I stopped to watch immediately. Many Japanese female artists draw yaoi.
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But what is different?
The anti-villain is a person that do bad things because they see no other way to save the world/country/kingdom/whatever. Like Ozzymandias in Watchmen killed hundreds of people to unite the world and stop the WW3, or how Loghain from Dragon Age did several bad things because he thought it was the only way to save Ferelden.
The anti-hero doesn’t follow the moral code that heros follow, they kill, cheat, lie, torture, steal, etc. Like the Punisher or the Red Hood.
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Thanks.
Details
The character in question would probably spend half of their time as male, and half as female, without any non-binary stage. They’d look androgynous (because I don’t really want to give them dysphoria half the time), and would dress appropriately for their current gender. Would they be likely to change their name slightly based on their current gender (from a more masculine to a more feminine version of the same name), and (more importantly) would they experience different personalities (e.g. while female, they are more flirtatious, while male they are shyer, and so on)?
“Mousetrap” is a perfectly viable word, thank you very much.
Well, she’s not giving them her surname, is she?
This would be a stats-based thing.
So? He’s has super powers he should have respect for himself, the only way I’d expect that name is if your power is to shapeshift into a mousetrap.
Then I hope some of the cool stuff goes on the disorder stat, instead of the darkness stat (as for now) my mc still has more light than darkness but has little use for laws and regulations, so this mc is probably gravitating towards anti-hero. I just can’t find it in myself to be really mean to Alex and I always try to free him, probably that’s my mc’s “light” stat is damned high.
Although if the outfit choices are too awful my mc will of course simply refuse to wear them at all. 
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[quote=“ParrotWatcher, post:396, topic:21666”]\The character in question would probably spend half of their time as male, and half as female, without any non-binary stage. They’d look androgynous (because I don’t really want to give them dysphoria half the time), and would dress appropriately for their current gender. Would they be likely to change their name slightly based on their current gender (from a more masculine to a more feminine version of the same name), and (more importantly) would they experience different personalities (e.g. while female, they are more flirtatious, while male they are shyer, and so on)?
[/quote]
[details=Ooh details :0]I use a gender-neutral name to avoid confusion, it’s likely to be more flexible that way than having masculine and feminine versions. I notice some people have a feminine name and a masculine name though, that’s their preference, name doesn’t really define a person’s gender in my opinion 
Body dysphoria is actually rare when it comes to genderfluid, because of our flexibility, we generally don’t mind much about which body we have. Clothing isn’t that much of a problem, in fact, gender binary that comes with clothing tends to be something gf don’t care much about. I think they can wear whatever they want, depend on their moods.
As for the different personalities with different genders, that sounds more like having dual personality more than being a genderfluid 
Changes are much more subtle, something that shows through demeanours and body language, sometimes through their speech.[/details]
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Thanks. Sorry if I’m getting things wrong. Also, what sorts of timescales are associated with the changes? (I imagine it would depend on the individual, but could you provide a rough estimate?)
I don’t think there’s a time scale for this, but my changes generally phase out between 2-3 days. I often end up in the middle zone so it’s easier for me to go on with my days. Sometimes, it’s sudden, other times, it’s slowburn, but I can guarantee that I don’t wake up one day thinking it’s my boy or girl day
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I’m not genderfluid, so take this with a grain of salt, but I’ll just add on with the perspective of the people I have met:
Most of the nonbinary people I’ve known weren’t genderfluid, rather having a set nonbinary identity. I did have a genderfluid classmate once, who I didn’t actually realize was genderfluid until it came up near the end of class. I guess the presentation didn’t change too much, and the name stayed the same.
I also briefly met a genderfluid person who described a much more extreme experience. It sounded like they just thought they were trans for awhile, really invested in a binary presentation with clothing to fit. But then several months later they started feeling the opposite, shifting to a much more traditionally binary presentation the other way. And then, more months later, shifting back again. It sounded like over time they sometimes had more nonbinary genders, but usually went to the male or female extremes. I don’t know how unusual the above is for genderfluid people, and I don’t know what they did about names, just that they had very distinct presentations, and very long-term and sudden shifts.
Sounds to me like there’s a lot of variety.
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I hope I’m not derailing a current conversation to go back to something older, but it’s taken me some time to get my thoughts organized enough to make replies out of them.
I loved that feeling of being trapped in a world gone mad when my MC first awoke in the alleyway with only a basic understanding of the local language and culture, and not a single memory. Trying to slip through the cracks society on purpose, because drawing attention could be even more dangerous. Feeling both in control of my MC’s actions while painfully aware of her vulnerability gives every choice great tension. It would be so easy to make a mistake, and so easy for a mistake to be disastrous.
So I was disappointed when she suddenly gained powers and that lingering tension I loved — feeling very small in a world that feels very hostile — just disappeared. It didn’t help that the options presented immediately after were full of confidence, without a single worry or fear.
Stop the shadows?
Destroy my enemies?
Protect my new friend?
I feel the options themselves should reflect my MC’s insecurities.
Is this really enough to keep me safe?
Do I leave Layla or drag her along as I run?
What if those shadows attack as a group?
I really liked the different ways to react to Count von Villène’s appearance… and I felt let down when my MC automatically agreed to his offer. She’s absolutely tempted by the offer. But that’s not enough for her. I can’t really see her agreeing to his offer so easily, especially following “I don’t want to talk to a villain like him.”
I can see her following Layla into the Count’s employ. While she doesn’t much like Layla, she feels quite strongly Layla is “better than the alternatives.” Avoiding a separation from Layla would be enough to secure my MC’s cooperation. I can also see the Count having one of his associates coerce my MC into his employ. But without an additional motivation, I can’t see the agreement happening.
I’d like an option to, instead of giving Alex my MC’s supernym, tell him “Yes, Slaughterhouse really would kill his hostage if he caught said hostage calling him ‘the ugly, bald one’.”
(Supernym is an excellent play on pseudonym, by the way. I hope more authors adopt it. I love it.)
Layla’s turn from following Count von Villène’s orders to breaking Alex free comes with so few warning signs it’s jarring, and felt almost out of character. On my first play through, it caught me by surprise so completely I refused to let my MC join her without even considering the situation. But I don’t think it would have taken much to prepare me for that scene. A few subtle clues earlier — maybe she complains about Slaughterhouse’s methods during the café scene. Maybe she gives my MC a pointed (if silent) glance when Slaughterhouse starts screaming about managers, and again when he brags about leaving Mousetrap and Ruthless behind. Some minor hints she’s ready to get out before she takes action.
I’d love an option insult Fist of Justice when she tries to “rescue” (read: kidnap) my MC. Maybe verbally, maybe physically. Perhaps a really angry MC could try to spit on her? Maybe even demand something like “kill me now or set me free, I’ll never cooperate!” Not that my MC likes Count von Villène or what he was doing to her, but when “heroes” leave children to die because it’s profitable for their “publishers”, she sees them all as villains. Legal villains versus illegal villains, no heroes to be seen.
I don’t expect this to change what happens to my MC, but I want her to try. Even if she fails. That said, MCs who like Layla should be offered a chance to beg Fist of Justice and Captain Hero to find Layla “before the Count’s goons hurt her.”
I want the option to disobey. I want the option to disobey everything. I want the option to disobey everything, all the time. It doesn’t need to be violent or even aggressive, though I’m not entirely opposed to keeping those options open. I want the option to be stubborn, uncooperative, unfriendly, and willfully useless at every single interaction with the super-school, its staff, or its students. Not just sometimes, but every single time. I’m not sure I can stress that enough. I don’t want to see my MC cooperate with anything, at any point, on any level, unless I’ve explicitly chosen for her to do so.
I’m just so tired of games where the MC is kidnapped or conscripted… and simply cooperates. As if she wanted to be there all along. The captors want the MC’s name, so she hands it over. The captors want her to go to class, so she goes and takes notes. The captors assign her a dorm room, so she sleeps there. The captors assign her a uniform, so she ensures she meets dress code.
A lot of text games — both ChoiceScript and otherwise — use a similar premise. Sometimes the MC is kidnapped by pirates, other times somebody discovers the MC has powers and takes her to a Hogwarts ripoff. Sometimes she’s The Chosen One, but it’s not destiny or even the villain that forces her to act, it’s a group of “heroes” trying to get a head start on the villains.
It’s not automatically a bad thing.
But it makes it very easy to build an MC who wants nothing to do with the people around her. An MC who hates the people around her, and everything they stand for. And many games will gleefully let you start with an MC like that.
But there are far, far too few that keep it going.
Far too many will occasionally let your MC disobey, but many “choices” they offer will just be three or four different flavors of doing what your MC’s captors want. Even worse, in between choices you’ll find your MC cooperating with her captors without any input at all.
That’s not okay. That’s where it becomes a Bad Thing.
If a game truly needs a cooperative MC, the game’s intro should be written so it only creates cooperative MCs. If a game’s intro is going to create resistant MCs, the rest of the game needs to allow it. Some famous examples:
Mass Effect 2 takes the first option. In the opening, your MC is brought back to life by people she hates. They want her help. She attempts to abandon them and seek aid from the people she actually likes… who turn her away. And of course there’s an outside enemy nobody can stop without a Chosen One. And your MC is the only Chosen One available. So her choices are step up and help the people she hates, or watch everyone die slowly in horrific pain. Given that opening, it’s effectively impossible to create an MC who would refuse to cooperate.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim takes the second option. In the opening, your MC is arrested and nearly executed for committing a minor crime during a period of civil war. Then an evil dragon appears and slaughters an entire village of (mostly) innocent bystanders, distracting your MC’s captors enough she can escape. Given this opening, it’s quite easy to create an MC who would refuse to cooperate. And the game allows it! It lets her join the army that arrested her. It also lets her shun that army and join the rebels who want to overthrow them. It even lets her shun both groups and run off to get married and sit in a shop making potions.
Countdown to World’s End currently has an opening that makes it pretty easy to build an uncooperative MC. So I’d like to see choices to actually cooperate, choices to pretend to cooperate, and choices to be as obnoxious as a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. And most importantly, I want the game to track those choices, so actions and reactions the player can’t reasonably be asked to choose for the MC still match up with those chosen earlier.
I want to see stuff like…
Administrative assistant: “Just… tell us your name already. I promise, none of us will laugh.”
MC: “You have my fingerprints. Look it up.”
AA: “We tried. You know perfectly well you don’t have a record.”
AA: “Look, I don’t care if you have to make one up, but we need something to call you.”
MC: “I’ll answer to most insults as long as I recognize I’m the target.”
And maybe a little…
Teacher: “Well? Is there a reason you can’t sleep at night?”
Teacher: “Someone keeping you awake in the dorms?”
MC: “If I let myself sleep at night, I’ll be too alert to ignore your lessons.”
Perhaps some refusals can carry permanent consequences, forcing the MC to skip a stat-raising scene…
Coach: “Look, the strength of your power is a little like muscle strength.”
Coach: “It does grow — somewhat — as you mature, but you need to practice and exercise for real results.”
MC: “Good for you.”
Other times it could be pure flavor text…
Teacher: “Maybe it does cover your body, but you’re still out of uniform.”
MC: “So?”
Teacher: “Do I have to write you up?”
MC: “Yes.”
If my MC starts out stubborn, I want her to continue getting scenes like that until I choose for her to start cooperating. It’s okay if she changes because I chose. It’s a problem if she changes without my input. And of course, if my MC starts out cooperative, I want her to continue getting normal scenes until I choose for her to become stubborn — and then she should start getting scenes like that.
We should be allowed to try. We should be allowed to fail. We should be allowed to keep trying — and keep failing — until we succeed or die trying.
Maybe we just aren’t powerful enough (yet) to kill those who will be around us, so we can’t (yet) invoke Retribution on our own heads. Or maybe we are. Maybe set up a bad-end route where we corner a weaker student. MCs who then kill that weaker student while hiding enough evidence become highly suspected, maybe even confined for a time, but otherwise let go unpunished. MCs who take out that weaker student without hiding enough evidence… well, Retribution Clause! It’s not wrong to throw in some Game Overs and Bad Ends. It should take deliberate and repeated effort on the part of the player for an MC to reach one, and throwing one in as a surprise or “gotcha” is definitely wrong, but…
Let us try, let us fail, or prevent us from building an MC personality that would want to try!
Going back to my earlier examples of inappropriately cooperative MCs… I want MCs who, in those situations, can choose to give their real names, give fake names instead, or refuse to speak entirely. I want MCs who can choose to go to class, skip class but hang around the school, or spend the day looking for ways to escape school entirely. I want MCs who can choose to sleep in their assigned dorm room, sleep in someone else’s dorm room, sleep in places that aren’t bedrooms at all, or spend the the entire night awake looking for ways to escape. I want MCs who can choose to wear the uniform, or wear alternate clothing, wear parts of the uniform in ways that don’t follow the uniform rules, or use their powers to mangle and mutilate the uniform.
I don’t particularly want MCs who run around in their underwear, although I suppose that could be viable for some MCs in some games. Not this game, please. It’s too serious.
Wait, now that I think about it… Count von Villène and Madame Nemesis stripped Alex’s shirt off so they could draw magic symbols on his chest. Is my MC also shirtless? Did they at least leave her bra on, or is she completely topless? Maybe one of those “heroes” could blackmail my MC with her own clothing…
Fist of Justice: “Well, I found this blouse and sports bra, but they look like evidence to me.”
MC: “They’re mine!”
FoJ: “What are they worth to you?”
MC: “Give 'em back!”
FoJ: “Maybe if you come with me.”
MC: “Augh!”
MC: “Fine! You win! Just let me get dressed.”
FoJ: “What are the magic words?”
MC: “Please?”
FoJ: “Please… who?”
MC: “Please, Miss Fist?”
Captain Hero: “HA!”
FoJ: “Miss. JUSTICE.”
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