The Myrmidon (WIP) (Minor update 03/10/2017)

VioletHikari · 2017-12-14T20:37:29.070Z

nulCat:

minus the chocolate

Gasp, someone doesn’t like chocolate ?! BLASPHEMY!!! Lol, just kidding. One of my aunts isn’t a fan of chocolate either. I usually give her hell for it

Drakeye · 2017-12-14T21:02:07.945Z

i dislike most chocolates. Does that make me a Full bodied heretic, or is it just Diet Heresy?

VioletHikari · 2017-12-14T21:08:52.457Z

Hmmm , I guess a Diet Heresy

nulCat · 2017-12-15T00:51:34.567Z

Oh, i don’t dislike the stuff. it just for some reason hurts my teeth so I’m unable to enjoy it

anon49824592 · 2017-12-20T19:45:49.088Z

I agree. Looking forward to converting the aristos into pablum (they seem like punchable people), and Radjack’s gang is sweet.

I might be getting this wrong because I’m ill and tired, but on the Radjack path (kitchen scene), everyone’s response to MC’s amnesia seems the same: hand on mouth. A bit odd for them to be synchronizing, neh?

Moreau · 2018-01-20T03:29:01.886Z

Hi guys,

Sorry about the long silence, still working through a great many issues here (but quite alright, not to worry).

I’ve come to realize that my odds of actually finishing this story to any reasonable degree will be basically impossible, so apologies for that.

As some small recompense, I’m going to put my notes for all of the plot strands here so you can at least know what would have happened if I had managed to complete the game.

As you will be able to see, there’s actually quite a lot here… so for those who want to skip to their favourite bits, I’ll list them.

The first section is the Rebel Path, the second is the Noble Path, and the third is obviously the Mage Path.
As an added extra just for @idonotlikeusernames, the full and true account of Mr Gray’s origins are placed below all of these, as it is a long and confusing enough story to warrant its own section.

Dropbox

Thoughts on Plot Structures.docx

Shared with Dropbox

Consider it thanks for all of the fine conversation and community you have all provided over the many long months of this game’s existence.

idonotlikeusernames · 2018-01-20T14:04:23.212Z

YaY! It lives and as an extra huzzah I got a belated X-mas present.

Caught a logic error here:

Summary

If you are tough, you break rocks at the quarry with Nex

If you are pretty, you tend bar at the Stone with Momo

If you are smart, you help Navi in her nursing duties

You forget that in almost any case the Flash droid was “designed” to approach perfection. I gather you likely meant for these to be based on the mc’s Myrmidon subtype.
However by human standards, which would be the frame of reference for most other characters “Flash” is at least two of these things as they’re always pretty too and in my case is all three due to selecting tall and muscular at the start. So will it effectively be a choice of jobs for my Flash droid?

catorrina · 2018-01-20T14:39:11.582Z

Sad news, because this is one of the coolest WIPs on site right now (and you’re pretty awesome yourself). But real life comes first unquestionably, no apologies needed. Especially since it sounds like you’ve been through the wringer.

Regardless, I wish you the best with whatever you’re working through. Take care of yourself, yeah?

(And thanks for the summary here)

idonotlikeusernames · 2018-01-20T15:04:05.263Z

As the works of our own Havenstone on this site as well as the old Vendetta WIP show I’m still choosing to retain a faint hope the author might one day choose to return to writing this up as a CoG even if that is unlikely to be anytime soon.

Moreau · 2018-01-20T15:05:52.352Z

idonotlikeusernames:

YaY! It lives and as an extra huzzah I got a belated X-mas present.

Then it was all worth it in the end. Sorry your ‘Gray as Myrmidon’ theory didn’t quite work out… But if it helps, he might have stopped aging altogether as a result of his excursions, so…

Swings and roundabouts.

catorrina:

Sad news, because this is one of the coolest WIPs on site right now (and you’re pretty awesome yourself).

Aw, thank you. What a sweet thing to say, I’m very touched.

catorrina:

But real life comes first unquestionably, no apologies needed. Especially since it sounds like you’ve been through the wringer.

Regardless, I wish you the best with whatever you’re working through. Take care of yourself, yeah?

Thank you, I’ll focus on dealing with the things in RL that need taking care of, and maybe someday I’ll come back to write a different story, or take the ideas from this one and try to start from scratch.

catorrina:

(And thanks for the summary here)

Yeah, I realized as I was putting all of the disparate notes together into one document that perhaps the story was a little hefty for a first attempt. It took more than 16000 just to summarize the actual story…

idonotlikeusernames:

As the works of our own Havenstone on this site as well as the old Vendetta WIP show I’m still choosing to retain a faint hope the author might one day choose to return to writing this up as a CoG even if that is unlikely to be anytime soon.

Well, maybe you’re right. I’ve certainly not thrown anything away, but perhaps it could do with a little trim. I’m still happy to talk about it of course and perhaps even expand on the lore and story to see whether a slimmer, more focused story emerged.

We’ll see what we see, I suppose.

idonotlikeusernames · 2018-01-20T15:07:58.719Z

Moreau:

Then it was all worth it in the end. Sorry your ‘Gray as Myrmidon’ theory didn’t quite work out… But if it helps, he might have stopped aging altogether as a result of his excursions, so…

Poor, poor Gray, if you ever return to writing this I hope “Lord” Flash and the Prince can cheer the poor lad up some, eh?

Moreau:

Well, maybe you’re right. I’ve certainly not thrown anything away, but perhaps it could do with a little trim. I’m still happy to talk about it of course and perhaps even expand on the lore and story to see whether a slimmer, more focused story emerged.

Whatever you choose to do or not choose to do as it may turn out most of us, including yours truly will be behind you all the way.

Moreau · 2018-01-20T15:09:23.659Z

idonotlikeusernames:

Poor, poor Gray, if you ever return to writing this I hope “Lord” Flash and the Prince can cheer the poor up some, eh?

I should think that murdering Stallvious and poisoning Aveline’s entire life before potentially snuffing it out entirely will be quite enough good cheer for a while, at least.

idonotlikeusernames:

Whatever you choose to do or not choose to do as it may turn out most of us, including yours truly will be behind you all the way.

I’ll be sure to remember that.

FutbolDude21586 · 2018-01-20T15:41:49.708Z

While I am sad to hear this, I understand life happens. While you certainly did not have to provide us with the plot structure layout, thank you!!

RenaB · 2018-01-20T15:53:58.495Z

I’m glad you’re doing alright. I really hope that whatever it is you’re still working through goes as smoothly as possible for you. Of course the most important thing you do is that you take care of yourself and work through whatever it is you’re going through- so no need to apologize for anything! (The silence or this.)

The plot structure is a gift and a great great read, so thank you as well for that!

I hope everything goes well for you in the coming days! And that you get the time and space needed to work through whatever it is that’s going on!

Moreau · 2018-01-20T19:15:12.923Z

idonotlikeusernames:

Caught a logic error here:

Summary
If you are tough, you break rocks at the quarry with Nex

If you are pretty, you tend bar at the Stone with Momo

If you are smart, you help Navi in her nursing duties

You forget that in almost any case the Flash droid was “designed” to approach perfection. I gather you likely meant for these to be based on the mc’s Myrmidon subtype.

However by human standards, which would be the frame of reference for most other characters “Flash” is at least two of these things as they’re always pretty too and in my case is all three due to selecting tall and muscular at the start. So will it effectively be a choice of jobs for my Flash droid?

That mostly comes from the fact that this document was originally written about midway through 2016, so the fact that Flash was initially selected in part for their physical beauty hadn’t really been thought of yet. Working in the pub isn’t predicated on you being beautiful, its predicated on you not having the strength or mental aptitude to do the other jobs.

The term ‘pretty-bot’ was an early placeholder in the text not because the other Myrmidons were likely to be ugly, but because by definition the Concubine would be more beautiful because it could change its appearance to be more in line with what others perceive as beautiful. If you know that your paramour appreciates a slim jawline or a button nose or pillowy lips, you can simply get them for yourself to make them happy. The Concubine is a mirror that reflects what you personally desire, it doesn’t need a specific and static shape.

Incidentally this is why most ancient Myrmidons made for this purpose tend to go insane in a very specific way, their personalities become either segmented into distinct personas or seem to swing rapidly between personality traits from second to second.

It is interesting how the characters evolved and grew over time though, certainly I’ve tried to keep some of the older notes in a safe place for comparative purposes.

FutbolDude21586:

While I am sad to hear this, I understand life happens. While you certainly did not have to provide us with the plot structure layout, thank you!!

You’re quite welcome. It felt rude to leave without at least letting you all know how it all worked out, given all of the conversation and thoughts you’ve all added here.

RenaB:

I’m glad you’re doing alright. I really hope that whatever it is you’re still working through goes as smoothly as possible for you. Of course the most important thing you do is that you take care of yourself and work through whatever it is you’re going through- so no need to apologize for anything! (The silence or this.)

The plot structure is a gift and a great great read, so thank you as well for that!

I hope everything goes well for you in the coming days! And that you get the time and space needed to work through whatever it is that’s going on!

Thanks, Rena. I’m pleased you like it, and I’m doing very well at the moment. I’ll promise to keep working to get better and I’m sure I’ll be around to look in on your project and many others.

idonotlikeusernames · 2018-01-21T02:14:06.507Z

Can Interactive Fiction Evolve Into Serious Literature

The community has grown up around ideals of total social egalitarianism, which is further refined and reflected in each generation of games released. Where once it was considered pretty risque to have a romance game where you could romance men or women no matter what you looked like, now there are trans characters, disabled characters, even relationship models like polyamory are starting to be included in newer games.

While this is slightly off topic from its original intent I must say that as far as the mainstream of sci-fi and fantasy goes I’m more pleased with what Seth macFarlane’s new show “The Orville” is doing in terms of depicting non-straight relationships and situations then I ever was with Star Trek TNG itself to which the Orville seems to be an hommage in spirit. In addition the fact that it is nominally a comedy show ironically allows the characters to be more human, with all the flaws that entails, in many ways then the perfect people TNG’s Federation was seemingly populated with.

As for the original topic, in my mind the Myrmidon always was serious literature too, though my opinion on such matters counts for very little of course.

Also the “Hero Unmasked” game reminds me of all the possibilities that come with possibly gaining an identical “twin” sibling towards the end of the rebel path. So many delicious possibilities, among the rebels I kind of imagine only Engel and maybe Navi in addition to whomever is Flash’s lover being able to actually tell them apart.

Where it concerns the possible noble ending I also hope Grey keeps up the Chevalier’s habit of wearing those almost impossibly tight trousers (or would they more properly be tights?) of his on occasion.

Moreau:

Thanks, Rena. I’m pleased you like it, and I’m doing very well at the moment. I’ll promise to keep working to get better and I’m sure I’ll be around to look in on your project and many others.

Take all the time you need to get well again, and I’m sure Rena is already getting nervous with the thought of “Sensei” poking around her project.

Moreau:

You’re quite welcome. It felt rude to leave without at least letting you all know how it all worked out, given all of the conversation and thoughts you’ve all added here.

Besides this is only the original plot structure, I’ve no doubt that if our dear author ever takes this one up again half of that stuff will be changed. Just hope the Chevalier and his tight trousers stay.

Moreau · 2018-01-22T21:59:53.223Z

idonotlikeusernames:

While this is slightly off topic from its original intent I must say that as far as the mainstream of sci-fi and fantasy goes I’m more pleased with what Seth macFarlane’s new show “The Orville” is doing in terms of depicting non-straight relationships and situations then I ever was with Star Trek TNG itself to which the Orville seems to be an hommage in spirit. In addition the fact that it is nominally a comedy show ironically allows the characters to be more human, with all the flaws that entails, in many ways then the perfect people TNG’s Federation was seemingly populated with.

I’m sad that I’ve yet to be able to watch The Orville, as it really does seem like they’re getting quite a few things right. While TNG and even later shows were surprisingly coy about non-hetero normative lifestyles, DS9 had some very interesting explorations on notions of gender and sexual identity in the character of Dax (the symbiote more than the individual actors).

Dax’s story lines often placed her character as above gender or sexuality in a sense, knowing that in another few decades she would likely find herself in a male body again. She once started a relationship with the wife of one of her former hosts, and would happily date sapient beings that her contemporaries found disturbing or even grotesque, so focused was she on their inner selves.

Interestingly enough, this liberated attitude seems to extend to the rest of her species, with even unjoined Trills expressing bisexual or pansexual tendencies (Mirror-Ezri in ‘The Emperor’s New Cloak’ for example… although everyone in the mirror universe seems to be a little bi at least…). There are other examples that spring up now and then, but Star Trek has always seemed to shy away from too open an analysis of sexual politics. You can assume that such things are universally accepted if you choose, but nobody ever comes out and says it.

I suppose when Dax tries to get back together with her ex-wife, nobody is worried about her being gay, just concerned about her symbiont being forced to die as a result… But the point still sort of stands.

Hmm… Got sidetracked there…

idonotlikeusernames:

As for the original topic, in my mind the Myrmidon always was serious literature too, though my opinion on such matters counts for very little of course.

Flatterer. You may continue.

idonotlikeusernames:

Also the “Hero Unmasked” game reminds me of all the possibilities that come with possibly gaining an identical “twin” sibling towards the end of the rebel path. So many delicious possibilities, among the rebels I kind of imagine only Engel and maybe Navi in addition to whomever is Flash’s lover being able to actually tell them apart.

Ha, I love that. You, your ‘brother’ and Radjack coming down from the manor house in the cold light of day. Explaining the circumstances of your harrowing journey and the Lady’s death. The whole time, Engel and Momo are alternating between staring at each other and staring at your new sibling. Almost within the same breath, they both yell “Dibs!”

Momo is just a second too late, and Engel jumps for joy as she pouts petulantly. Without a moment’s hesitation, they take your confused sibling’s hand and lead them away.

Engel’s final words?

“And this one is mine, yes?”

idonotlikeusernames:

Where it concerns the possible noble ending I also hope Grey keeps up the Chevalier’s habit of wearing those almost impossibly tight trousers (or would they more properly be tights?) of his on occasion.

Honestly, getting them off would be enough of an undertaking that it would discourage me from even making the attempt.

idonotlikeusernames · 2018-01-22T22:05:44.085Z

Moreau:

Momo is just a second too late, and Engel jumps for joy as she pouts petulantly. Without a moment’s hesitation, they take your confused sibling’s hand and lead them away.

That doesn’t mean that in time the sibling can’t romance them both now, eh?

In the sovereignty ending the identical sibling does make it easier for the mc to sneak out with Jack on occasion, particularly if they can effectively share ducal duties with their identical sibling on occasion, much like how in some of the possible endings of the Hero Unmasked that mc’s sibling is perfectly capable of hosting his brother’s talk-show without (m)any people being the wiser.

In the abdication ending their lives would be more separate as I don’t think little bro will move permanently to the vineyard with Jack and my mc, instead likely becoming the new city-boy.

Moreau:

I’m sad that I’ve yet to be able to watch The Orville, as it really does seem like they’re getting quite a few things right.

If you do get the opportunity I can highly recommend it, for me only the very first/pilot episode was a bit uncomfortable to watch, it gets smoother from there, wereas, again, TNG took two whole seasons to really hit its groove.
I’ve a more elaborate comment on the TV shows thread on it.

Moreau · 2018-01-22T22:15:20.820Z

idonotlikeusernames:

That doesn’t mean that in time the sibling can’t romance them both now, eh?

No need to leave anyone out. Navi might have to take up Technomancy herself so as to not feel left out…

idonotlikeusernames:

In the sovereignty ending the identical sibling does make it easier for the mc to sneak out with Jack on occasion, particularly if they effectively share ducal duties with their identical sibling on occasion, much like how in some of the possible endings of the Hero Unmasked that mc’s sibling is perfectly capable of hosting his brother’s talk-show without (m)any people being the wiser.

An interesting point. I think I had intended for something like that to happen, although my thoughts were torn between a traditional sibling relationship and something a tad more Alpharius/Omegon, where the two of you refuse to admit that the other exists to confound potential enemies…

Still on the fence about that one…

idonotlikeusernames:

In the abdication ending their lives would be more separate as I don’t think little bro will move permanently to the vineyard with Jack and my mc, instead likely becoming the new city-boy.

They might well strike out alone as an adventurer or traveller, possibly looking to get involved with some of the plotlines you chose not to follow?

idonotlikeusernames · 2018-01-22T22:19:43.835Z

Moreau:

where the two of you refuse to admit that the other exists to confound potential enemies…

Now see that would only make sense on the noble path, where we never gain the sibling in the first place, but the “Iron King” being able to (seemingly) be in two places at once on occasion would rather neatly serve to confound and confuse our mc’s enemies.
For the Reb path I’d very much prefer to have a more traditional and hopefully warm sibling relationship with them.

Moreau:

They might well strike out alone as an adventurer or traveller, possibly looking to get involved with some of the plotlines you chose not to follow?

An intriguing possibility to be sure, though of course the noble and rebel plotlines really are mutually exclusive, him seeking out Arinthas (and possibly being the one to open the Iris) I suppose that wouldn’t be out of the question.