The Gifted and Graceless (WiP)

Hosted Games Works In Progress
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We thought that being paralyzed would obviously give someone telekinesis; I didn’t guess body swapping. For someone severely autistic, our best ideas were a way of communicating (an avatar that translated Amber’s needs to her caretaker) or a type of matter manifestation (whatever she needed would appear, so she’d never have to communicate if she were hungry/lonely/etc. - “cheeseburgers and kittens would just show up.”)

Schizophrenia - our best idea for an adaptation/ability was a supernatural insight into patterns. They could compare their impression of the world with a meta-function that determined whether, e.g., the person they thought was following them was likely to actually be an enemy spy. They could see conspiracies, security flaws, emerging trends that could lead to tragedies, and could be comforted if their powers confirmed that none of those were targeted at them. (My first idea was an objective touchstone to reality, like a database their mind could access that could look up what was thought to be “real”; while useful, it’s not as applicable as a superpower.)

For people with anxiety or PTSD, a protective bubble is a nice thought, or @FairyGodfeather’s time-skipping idea sounds like it would help. But it seems a bit too practical, like it would help if the fear were rational, but a bulletproof shield won’t necessarily stop a panic attack. The best thing I could think of for acute panic is a heightened “flight” response: teleportation. It would be soothing to know that if I were terrified or in danger, I could literally blink to a safe place in an instant. I don’t know whether the long-term effects on my prognosis would be positive, but that’s one of the fascinating things about this concept.

People with Developmental Coordination Disorder - rather than their neurons telling their muscles to move, their powers would animate them, causing perfect grace and feet that sometimes don’t touch the ground.

Language disorders - Someone with synesthesia could have music playing or colors appear as they talk, to demonstrate to their listener how they experience their own words. Someone with severe aphasia could start speaking in pictures.

Progressive dementia or amnesia - The ability to store memories externally. Memories would be like snow globes, and could be watched and remembered at will.

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Some things you might want to check out.

As you’re going about this, a handy list of What Not To Do (aka, all about the Supercrip Trope):

There was a recent discussion about disability in games, though the question was about playing as a disabled character. A lot of these posts are relevant to what you’re doing:

@dashingdon is in the early stages of a WIP about people whose powers come from their phobias. Some of the same ideas might apply:

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Cause that’s my thing!!.. just kidding.

The more the merrier. I’m big on balancing the scales power should always come at a price or some folks lose respect for those abilities. Though people with disabilities and then Given powers could be doubly vulnerable to corruption. Retribution entitlement opposed to sympathy and understanding.

It’s a cool concept. I wish you luck.

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Yep, my First is vulnerable to Empathy cuddles :heart: It’s a real condition, I swear!

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This is what most would expect though - this is illustrative of the pitfalls I see. It’s not that it is a horrid idea, it’s that it is establishing the expected limitations and expectations

@FairyGodfeather and @Sashira are both speaking more eloquently then I and the author clearly is more educated then I will be but I know what I know.

This project is very ambitious and I am still very interested in it. It is just going to take a lot of work for the author to avoid the minefield waiting for them.

Having the MC as “caretaker” puts her/him into one of two categories as far as I can tell so far: either they will be Batman’s butler, Alfred or they will be Duston Hoffman’s Tom Cruise in “Rainman” … and the thing is, neither really should be the reality.

I’m going back to lurking; I’ve said enough for now.

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Thank you very much for your ideas as well as giving me additional information - I will definitely read through those topics. The Supercrip trope is one I do not like, so I will carefully try to avoid it - or rather, try a deconstruction of the trope. I have one character who has an artistic talent who has to face that exact pitfall: People see her as an inspiration not because she is an artist, but because she is an artist with a disability - when all she wants is to be judged based on her work, not how she makes it. I think people like her are pretty much forced into a position where all they can do is take the sympathy that gets thrown at them to stay relevant - and I feel like that could seriously cause someone to feel like nothing more than a pity picture. That is also one of the problems that might arise with disabled superheroes among the population, and I feel that while it is a difficult subject to discuss, if done right it might be able to show readers that falling into that trope is the wrong thing to do.

I will have to check out @dashingdon WiP. The idea sounds very interesting!

Out of the ideas that you provided the power for people with dementia/amnesia seems amazing. I could see someone who can access their own personal library of memories whenever they need to. It also hits a bit close to home since my grandfather had dementia, so I feel I could write about it well.

The power ideas for Amber sound very great as well. I could see a great way to combine my idea of being able to sense and manipulate emotions with the one of an Avatar. If said Avatar had those abilities and Amber could use it to communicate, then that would be quite interesting, I think! And it would give her a more secure way to interact with others.

The other powers for multiple disorders/disabilities seem nice as well, and I will definitely keep them in the back of my mind.

@Snoe The topic of corruption is of course there. Since this is still a superhero story, that will definitely be a topic that will be explored. Though I will handle it a bit differently, so as to touch it with the sensibility that it needs. It is important to me to show different opinions and personalities, after all.

@Eiwynn Of course it is an idea that needs careful handling. The MC is only the caretaker of Amber, though - not of the entire cast. Their relationship with Amber will be deep and go further than just caregiver/disabled. Since Amber happens to have powers of her own that simply opens the doors for the MC to stumble into this group of people. I very much want to explore what kind of dynamic these characters have with the MC.

If I happen to misinterpret a few of your words, then I apologise in advance. While I speak English for a long time now, it is not my mother’s tongue.

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I love the emotion manipulation idea for an autistic kid, and I like the avatar projection, but I’m not a fan of both combined. Seems to me like that might be too much to handle for her.

Many people with autism express that their energy levels drain quickly in stimulating situations, it seems like it would take too much out of Amber to project and control an avatar of herself (which can in turn control other people’s emotions) on top of all the sensory input she has to deal with already. The only way I can see that working and being beneficial is without the emotion manipulation power on top of it. I could see if she shuts down (blacks out or falls asleep) when she projects the avatar, and experiences things through the avatar instead of her own senses, that would be a good sensory dampener for her. But if it’s just for the purpose of communication…

There are tons of different reasons nonverbal autistic people can’t or won’t speak. Some people can speak but aren’t able to translate their feelings into words, or use language in any meaningful way. Others might not be able to speak, but can communicate with sign language or a communication device. And some aren’t only nonverbal, they’re non-communicative.

If Amber has issues using language or even if she’s completely unable to communicate, it looks like her emotion manipulation power would be more than enough for her to express herself, without the need for words at all, by simply projecting the feeling she has to her caregiver. Then the caregiver will act on it, giving her what she wants/needs whether they understand that she is projecting or not. And whether she herself knows what the feeling is or not.
Much in the same way that a mother covers her child up when she is cold herself, or feeds them when she is hungry herself, regardless of whether the child is actually feeling the same way or not. If the caregiver feels hungry, they will naturally offer her something to eat too, if they are tired, they’ll take a break from hiking regardless if they know the feeling is their own or comes from her.

It would be more interesting to play an MC who has to deal with her emotion control power, like slowly having to learn or guess if a feeling is yours or hers, and when she really needs something or when she is just manipulating you like a mischievous child. More fun than having an avatar hanging around asking you to do things for her, imo.

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I am going to agree with @FairyGodfeather here. Especially since I once worked in this field a very long time ago, in an MHMR house, a place where there is limited but required some supervision, but their ailments did not require state custody. Just licenses by all caretakers(making sure all people meet the state’s guidelines in the care of such people, handling meds, conflict resolution, etc.) These people still have their rights and were allowed to come and go as they pleased (they did have a curfew), but they tended to stay at home(I do not blame them when society openly shuns them).

Even with due diligence and meticulous research, without working in the field or dealing with people that have issues from the mild deaf with anger issues, to ones that required a concoction of prescriptions to keep their brain chemistries in check to be able to function without assistance. No, it would way to easy even with great intentions to mischaracterize, and point at and not show (but still look at the freaks). This is a very touchy subject, like sexuality it personal, but more so now you are affecting whole families.

A guy had a motorcycle accident; he will never speak normally again( no matter how hard he tries it the words come out a garbled mess, think verbal dyslexia on an epic scale, so there was no proper way for him to communicate to you, but he had perfect comprehension of what you were saying), add an explosive temper especially more so with his frustration. Add random seizures being separated from his wife and kids (they could not handle his situation). You had(have) a gentle guy that could go from passive to confrontational in a bat of the eye, but for the most part, he was trying to be who was before the accident.

Other families stayed with their loved ones taking an active hand in their lives, but for the majority, they were swept under the rug like a bad secret. For the ones that towed the line you really think you can tell a story without characterizing and portray what it is really like with zero experience in dealing with these men and women? Or insulting the family by mischaracterizing their loved one’s ailment.

This is a way touchy subject it might be best to try some else, mc with a handicap I can deal with…but NPCs done wrong…Not so much.

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Your answer actually makes a lot of sense. I really enjoyed reading your opinion, and can definitely understand where you are coming from. That was my main idea in the beginning, too. Maybe I’ll stick with it after all.

@Pace675 Just because it is a touchy subject doesn’t mean no one should try to write about it. Sweeping the uncomfortable parts under the rug isn’t my intention, but sweeping everything under the rug because there is a chance to make a mistake can’t be the answer. I’d rather make a mistake, get criticised for it, correct it and gain deeper knowledge of the subject then to stand at a standstill where we can never put characters in these situations because it might offend someone if not done right. If I don’t do it right, I’ll give my best to correct that.

I do not claim that I know what it is like to live with someone who is blind or has suffered a horrible car accident. But my former best friend is on the autistic spectrum, I watched how my grandfather forgot himself because of his dementia, felt helpless because I couldn’t help my mother when she had cancer (she recovered) and have to live with my own anxiety issues and panic attacks. The circumstances are different, the feelings of helplessness, inner anger and more are the same or at least very similar.

We don’t tell people to not write about cancer just because they never experienced it, we don’t criticise others that choose to write about war even though they have never held a gun in their hands. People don’t need to be queer to write about different sexualities and we don’t need to be a person of color to write about racism.

I know that there is a point to what you are saying and that there is a pit here that I can fall in. But just because it is there doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try. What is the other option? To not talk about disabilities at all? Why am I allowed to write about a disabled MC but not about an abled MC with a lot of disabled characters as additional main characters?

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Just saying, you are walking a very thin line, and if you know what you are getting in then do what you have to do. Even in with good intentions can have backlash and yes people need to talk more about this. So if you feel you must write about this be expectant of very critical eyes.

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What about an MC with a handicap done wrong?

It kills me that you people are assuming @Cirrocumulus will do it wrong… Especially when every single thing they have said here points to them being very conscious of the pitfalls, and that they are putting a lot of effort into the nuances in the perspectives, attitudes and opinions their characters will have. I think this is a brave effort that we should applaud, not warn against.

I’m pretty sure that if the author said they were paraplegic and trying to write this same story, you would not be trying to dissuade them or warn them of the difficulties associated with the topic of disability. A paraplegic person has no more experience of autism, or visual impairment, or dementia, or what have you than a non-disabled person does, yet I would bet they could write the story just as well. What’s the difference?

It’s no use telling them in advance to “not do it wrong”, or “I doubt you can do it since you’re not disabled or have not worked with people that have each of the disabilities your characters will have”, that doesn’t help. What helps is concrete critique of (and questions about) what little we know about the characters and story so far, and of the game once we have a demo to try out.

So with that in mind, I have a few questions for you, @Cirrocumulus:

  • You say we can choose the MC’s sexuality. I assume that means some of the NPCs will be romanceable? How many are you planning on (total NPCs, and ROs)?

  • I gather that only disabled people get powers, and you speak of a discovery… Which means there is some sort of tech that gives/awakens the abilities. Does the tech somehow not work on people without disabilities, or is it just that the “powers that be” stricly regulate it and decided to only give it to disabled people? In this world are all disabled people granted this power, or is it just a chosen few? Do they get to choose their powers, does it naturally manifest itself according to their needs, or do some people have completely useless powers?

I like the characters you’ve described so far, they’re interesting. It’s surprising (in a good way) that the richest one of them all wouldn’t want the powers at all.

I don’t really get why a “safe space bubble” would help with OCD… Unless he’s a germophobe as well, that would make sense.

I was thinking that the guy with OCD might like the telekinesis ability so that he can play out his compulsions and rituals all the while looking to outsiders like he isn’t doing anything at all. That could save some of his energy if he doesn’t have to get up and physically do it, and maybe free up his mind so he can focus better. And I would think it might relieve him of some the embarrassment or self-conciousness of having to do it in public. Fun too, some people might think his house is haunted, with doors banging three times in a row without anyone touching them or the house cleaning itself up seemingly spontaneously.
Great if he’s germophobic too since he doesn’t have to touch anything himself, he can do it with his mind. He could be one of those that adores his powers and never spends a minute not using them. Then again, he might obsess that the germs somehow enter his brain and mind and soul when he uses telekinesis… Just a thought.

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As I said this is a touchy subject, and being as such has little room for error. Am I say he should not do this no, but I am giving forewarning that the reception might not be warm, and if it is done poorly…But if he does do a great job and tells the story without characterizing and stereotyping and get the word out (I am all for that) then good. But with little experience in the field, he will be trying to tell leaves me with skepticism.

Um they are telling their story, not someone else’s now are they and I would be just as critical in reviewing that work as this proposed work. And yes I judge everyone the same. Can someone write outside their field of knowledge of course, but the sensitive nature of this will draw critism either way even done perfectly, but if gets the word out in a good way I am for that.

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@Sithwist Yes, romance will indeed be there, though I will not force any sort of sexuality choice on the player character. That way, the player does not have to resort to a set formula of gay/straight/bi and can always choose what they wish to do. As an asexual, this approach is the one I feel most comfortable with reading, so I want to write it, too.

In total there will be five romance options - three of them male, two of them female. Armin is one of the romance options. Main characters on the team in total will be eight, plus the player character.

The way the story is set up, yes, only disabled people will have powers. The people who are in charge of granting those powers have only recently discovered them and want to profit from it as much as possible. Their thought process is basically: The powers are under better control by us if we give them to only disabled people (who are then indebted to us). The side effects are that they look good in the eyes of society since they help disabled people out and they reduce the costs that the government has to deal with that concern everything regarding disabled people. So the government likes them too. Basically, the people in charge of granting those powers are in a win/win situation.

They sell these powers, as well as donate them for charity. Since they hand out those powers, they regulate who gets which powers in the first place.

The safe space bubble was maybe a sloppy choice of words. I meant a place that said character who has OCD can always go to should he feel threathened in any way. But it does have the downside of him being able to apply his fears to said place, though I think any kind of power that he could have could end up that way. He is a germophobe, yes. I like your idea a lot better, though. It sounds like it could help him more in the long run!

@Pace675 It has little room for error, which is exactly why I want to tackle this! I can grow along the way of writing it and broaden my horizon and if I do my job well, then readers can broaden theirs, too.

I might not work in this field, but I am a huge nerd for psychology, human nature and everything that comes with it. I read a lot and hopefully, have an open mind. As well as my own experiences in life. I think that is enough to approach this subject carefully. If I succeed remains to be seen! =)

I am a girl, though, haha.

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That’s sort of what I was thinking when I heard OCD - telekinesis that manifests only to put things in order. OCD can manifest in various ways, but people who suffer from it can spend an exhausting amount of time cleaning, arranging, tapping, etc. A power that maintained all of that could free them up for other things… unless it was the act of physically doing it that was soothing, in which case they might develop new rituals that aren’t as external.

I suppose that’s the problem with using any mental disorder. Removing a symptom would ease the difficulty but won’t remove the problem in itself. A full “cure” would involve changing the mind to such an extent that they might not even be the same person. I could still see people jumping at the chance to alleviate their symptoms, which could be anything from helpful in the long run to disastrously self-destructive.

Edit:

The more I think about it - this opens up a new set of authorial problems. I was imagining it as a natural process where some people with disabilities manifested counter-abilities. If it becomes an “evil corporation” story, then disabled people being the ones to have powers becomes an artificial process that really has nothing to do with them. Anyone COULD have powers, but disabled people are the ones who’d be easily controlled and make for good TV? It’s a depressing backstory for a dystopia, and one you’d think they’d see through: people with laser eyes and living shadows wouldn’t be very easy to control.

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I applaud both @Cirrocumulus’ determination to write a good story in this area and those who have been warning her about the pitfalls of the concept.

The stories we tell matter. Especially when they’re about an area where society privileges one group of people over another – because stories are one of the key ways that those privileges are inculcated and justified.

It’s easy for anyone to replicate those stories of privilege, even if they have good intentions, because they’re part of our reality. It’s especially easy for people who’ve grown up on the “upside” of privilege in a given area. People who have been on the downside of privilege are more likely to be able to question that “reality” and get to a reality beyond society’s stories. They have an advantage. Not an insuperable one, but a real and significant one.

I’m privileged in basically every dimension of my life. That doesn’t disqualify me as a writer. It just means I get to do a lot more listening and imaginative stretching, and have to be prepared for people telling me that I’ve failed. I’m writing a blind NPC in my own WiP, and am ready to have people tell me where I’ve got him wrong.

Seems like @Cirrocumulus is by and large ready for that too, and I wish her well.

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Assumptions about motivations of others is a dangerous thing.

Which is why I said:

and

Bringing up the existence of the minefield of pitfalls now in such an ambitious project is better then waiting for the author to write a 50,000 word demo and then hand them criticism which causes them to abandon the project.

@Cirrocumulus seems both an educated and an able author, so starting the conversation sooner then later will be of invaluable benefit to her. (btw - sorry for calling you a he; guys get offended more if you call them girls, so I tend to err in that direction.)

The reason that care-taking is a topic full of red flags is because it is a complex and often tragic profession. Likewise with granting disabled people “powers” whether that be magic, technology or some super-hero powers by mutations.

Sometimes “walking in another’s shoes” is necessary to understand - being a caretaker is something that I doubt anyone who was one would feel comfortable explaining in general terms. That inability to fling commonalities is what is going to be very hard for @Cirrocumulus to cope with in the medium of a CoG story-game.

If she pulls this off, I’ll be among her best fangirls but I’m under no illusion that the task before her is anything but among the most complex undertaken in this community.

I’m one of the best testers in this world - the fact that I’m here supporting her means I’m excited for her. My experience and knowledge dictates I give her feedback now then wait later.

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@Cirrocumlus Reading through this thread has given me a lot of confidence that you’re going to do your best for this story to portray all the characters with humanity. I’m especially excited, despite the potential pitfalls, for a story that features disabled characters so prominently and the creepy dystopic company. What Sashira said about the company also intrigues me – how are you planning on justifying giving the powers only to disabled people? Wouldn’t the abled people in the story want super powers as well-- some may be like Foe and willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money for it too. If there are some characters with powers they didn’t want like Foe, then why would those like Foe feel indebted? I can’t wait to see the demo so that we’ll have something else to analyse. Have you started writing the story yet, or are you outlining and ironing out details now?

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Thank you so much for your trust in me!

As for the company, I want to base it on the current pharmaceutical industry - so while the company itself isn’t necessarily completely rotten, there are bad apples that spoil the bunch. We know that parts of the pharmaceutical industry are corrupt and I want to paint a similar picture when it comes to said power-giving company. Since this story takes place when powers are a pretty new thing, like highly functioning prothesis in our current reality, not a lot of people get access to such powers. There definitely will be people who buy powers for themselves without being disabled themselves - corruption does play a role here. Though I do not want to spoil too much yet!

In the case of people like Foe there’s more to it than feeling indebted to said company. Foe, as a person who sticks to his firm belief of owning up to your mistakes, has a very different reason for accepting powers than someone who is given powers by a charity organisation for example. And then there are those who save up a lot of money to receive them.

So far I have around 7k words of content, though I haven’t started coding yet. I take part in this year’s nanowrimo and plan to upload a demo of hopefully 50k words at the end of the month. Since I can write 5k words in one day on good days I’m pretty sure I can manage this. =)

Edit: Please excuse the late post, everyone. I was recovering from getting my wisdom teeth pulled out and the healing process on one side took pretty long, which left me with headaches. But all is good now!

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So I wonder how well developed and just how new these powers are. Are they in the experimental phase? Are they stable, or will they malfunction? Will there be adverse effects?

I’ll be curious to see how someone like Foe ends up getting powers when he really doesn’t want them in the first place, and why he would feel indebted if he never uses and gains no benefit from said powers.

Whew, gotta say I’m kinda jealous of your stamina =P
Really looking forward to the demo to this!

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Your WIP sounds fantastic! Can’t wait to see it unfold.