Indeed what mango said. We both don’t trust Stan at all and we’ve expressed why while others have expressed a desire to see how it could go. I think your last post is more than enough to tell everyone your position. It’s better if we can all move on from that to other topics, if you’re fine with that.
Plus the author already confirmed that realistically they can’t write a romance like that anymore, so it’s not like these discussions will influence them.
I won’t repeat myself, I’ll simply add: having a character change their views on something or someone is not “bad writing”. It’s a sign that a character is realistic and can develop. (Stan wouldn’t have to leave the rebellion or abandon his principles simply for loving MC, anyway, so this drastic change? Wouldn’t be necessary. And he already implied that had he known sooner about MC’s peaceful nature, things might have been different. And in his letter he again mentions how MC can help resolve this conflict. His character wouldn’t have to be changed drastically at all. The foundation is there.)
Anyway, that’s that. I don’t care if we never get that romance, I’m perfectly content with what we have now. But I’d ask for some respect for the author and the story. It doesn’t belong to us. And if it goes in unexpected ways for us, that doesn’t make it bad writing or dumb. We don’t own the story and we haven’t even read it fully.
Stan specifically called out the Arcadie line as a whole, and like all things noble-related, romance with important people = political power. But oh well, there’s no need to continue repeating what i’ve already said. I’ve already explained the reasoning of why i’m saying it doesn’t make sense, so that’s about it.
Can we readers as a whole let that be the last word on the subject of Stan’s character status indefinitely, for the time being? This debate has happened continuously since more than 100 posts ago.
Continuing to keep discussion of that topic (both here, as well as over on the other thread!) is unproductive, and if they have to, the mods will close this (and the other) thread temporarily to reinforce that people who’ve already stated their piece need to take a step back.
The author, @Sofia_D is the only one with the right to reopen that debate; if anyone other than the than the author brings it up, do right by this thread, and either ignore, or flag the post.
Friendly reminder that the purpose of this thread is to provide feedback to the author so that they can improve their story so that it can be the best version it can be.
Discussion about characters or related topics is fine, but it can detract from the thread’s purpose when arguments have been circular. If you truly want to continue this debate, I ask that you take it into PMs between yourselves. Thank you.
Please listen to @AChubbyBlackCat … I’d hate to be summoned here for something that should be easy to avoid.
I guess I better add this to my Watchlist.
On another note, I can’t wait to see what will Aether mastery stat bring.
I hope we’ll get to use Aether at some point (even if it’s for something mundane) because frankly I love magic.
We’re probably going to be able to use it for making things like the Aether-lights that are described in game, if nothing else.
What interests me is the fact that Ariana gave it to us as a sort of contingency. And, for story purposes, our possession of Aether would allow us to maintain the central justification of the d’Arcadie line (we are above mere mortals because our line alone can manipulate this eldritch force) if Ariana were to be…absent.
Personally I hope we get to use aether in more subtle ways. Basically being the opposite of Ariana who basically goes with brute force, we could go with more skill and less strength.
It makes me wonder though if we do become that skillfull, what will be her reaction. In fact I wonder if she felt comfortable giving us the power at all?
I’d imagine that that depends on the quality of relationship with Ariana which we chose at the beginning - which is a feature I rather liked, but it would probably make her reaction tied to that choice on our part.
Yeah, I always headcanon that my mc and her had a teasing but loving relationship. Still filled with some jealousy from my mc’s part, but still loving nonetheless. I do hope that that choice does indeed affect how their relationship goes cause so far we haven’t really seen it. Fingers crossed. 
I still think she did it for MC to become maybe some kind of battery? I don’t know, I don’t think that small amount of magic is enough but maybe a small amount is needed to be able to pull Grand Theft Auto with her sibling’s soul.
This WIP was great! You kept me at the edge of my seat, not knowing what was going on. There were some slow parts, like wandering around the fort, but it was still nice to interact with the LIs more.
Still, I can pretty much predict how Ariana is gonna go full bloodthirsty tyrant maniac where the MC will be forced to stop her in the end. And maybe cue a heartbreaking scene where she says, “Forgive me.” or something like that haha
Doesn’t mean the story is bad though, it’s actually very good! I would be very much pleased if the story doesn’t become predictable down the line. Lots of great potential here.
So, I just did a bit of a re-read of the first chapter, as I figured there might be some juicy details that are typically not mentioned, and I’d say it did:
-Does anyone remember Ariana’s lady-in-waiting? She was apparently a high-ranking military officer, but what happened to her? Is she dead? And if so, does that make what Stan did any worse?
-Ariana was (unsurprisingly, I say) taught the ways of war by Wil, in the South… So, is he partially to blame for her current bloodthirsty nature? Also, and this is more of a personal take, is Wil a war criminal, and is that why Stan is so assured of Arcadie’s bloodthirsty tyranny?
-MC actually had a more free and liberated childhood than Ariana, so is it possible there’s actually some jealousy directed from Ariana to MC, in addition to potentially being vice versa?
-Something I legit never noticed, but which seems like an interesting bit of potential characterization is, before the fateful meeting, King Lavic (MC and Ariana’s father) actually seems sympathetic(?) towards the plight of the emissaries, which I’m not really sure how to take, and it might honestly just be me, as it is very subtle.
-Not a major point, but if brought up, Queen Serene mentions something about how war after the treaty is a possibility rather than a certainty… or, at least, that’s how I took it.
-Something else I thought was interesting is the cause of the conflict, which is apparently a super rare and (for Arcadie, at least) valuable metal known as lutecium, which is allegedly only usable by the d’Arcadie family line, and which is seemingly found in at least prominent amounts in Kalltland- the fact that the Kalltlanders won’t trade it with Arcadie, then, seems to be the cause, rather than the general bloodthirstiness of the d’Arcadie, which might’ve been assumed.
Also, since it’s sorta the most important scene of the demo so far, I think, I felt it might be helpful to post a bit of the immediate aftermath (in spoilers) of that fateful signing, with a bit of my own personal, occasionally meandering, commentary, seemingly for no reason other than to make things harder on myself.
(If anyone knows how to condense text effectively, please let me know and I’ll edit it, as this seems like it might be too long…)
Ariana shrieks.
Blades are sticking out of both of your parents’ necks.
Your sister’s high pitched scream bounces around in your skull, pierces your ears as the soldiers pull their knives out of your parents’ throats.
A spurt of blood lands in the middle of the table, bright red speckles on the dark wood.
You feel sick. (Is this just for an MC who cares for their parents, or does this show up no matter what?)
Your chair falls to the ground as you push yourself up, away from the blood.
Everyone is on their feet in a flash, except for your parents, both toppled over on the table. Blood pools around their heads.
" What have you done?! " Ariana yells in a frenzy, so loud it shakes you, her fists balled up in her hair.
“Death to the traitors!” Wilfred shouts behind you. (Note it is Wil who first shouts for death, not Ariana?)
As if on cue, swords are drawn all around, the metal hissing loudly in the air.
You almost advance, stop (-ing?) when Stanislas calls loudly, “Will! The only traitors here are already dead!” (Curious as to what traitorous deed he believes the royal couple committed… is this foreshadowing or empty justification?)
Wilfred’s head twists around, facing Stan. “What nonsense are you speaking?!”
Stanislas’ voice is hard as steel as he continues, “If you’re able to cast aside your misguided loyalty to them, you’ll realize it’s high time Arcadie went free from this family of warmongering tyrants.”
“This is your doing?!” Wilfred’s voice is as disbelieving as it is pained. " Have you gone mad?! "
“You’re my oldest friend, Will.” Stanislas, sword in hand, is now flanked by three armored soldiers. The Kalltland envoys, unarmed, are hanging back behind them. “I’d rather have you by my side than watch you share their fate.”
His eyes are sharp, darker than you remember. “Will. Kill the heiresses, or die with them.” (Note that Stan is totes, unsubjectively, 100% evil.)
" I will have your heads! " Ariana shouts furiously and you glance back, heavy metallic footsteps sounding behind you.
Um, to hopefully make this more on topic, I also think that the writing for that scene is really great, as is the character writing for Cyril and Ariana (also, MC), and while I guess I don’t really have any active criticism or critiques, I would like to note just how great this demo is, and that the characters, conflict, and world you’ve built for it are just so fun to theorize about and imagine motivations and ultimate fates and goals for. So, that do be cool, I guess? 
I think ariana’s more antagonistic than bloodthirsty, being constantly taught about wars and conflicts it’s like ariana’s constantly given the narrative that she will always people that will oppose her and that she has to be prepared to fight the people opposing her.
Even if there was a situation where there is no need for it. She’s constantly exposed to battle too, and that limits her perception on how conflicts can be dealt with.
One of the main problems i have with her is that she exercises this philosophy onto mc; in that war room(?) If you play an mc who has a bad relationship with her, she immediately assumes that you’re jealous of her and wants her power, no matter your reason and actions.
She feels the need to exert physical pain onto mc to put them back in “place” which is a big yikes, ik that a majority of the relationship decrease involves fighting her in the yard, but when i played an mc who disagreed with her opinions and was honest about disliking her but never harmed her, ariana in the scene made me feel the big ehhh.
It’s interesting to read this. My mc normally disagrees with her in some areas but since their relationship is high she doesn’t take it out on them. She is a bit condescending with the mc at times though. But overall she doesn’t go off on them.
It’s interesting hearing/reading how jarring the differences are between an mc with high relationship and one with low. So much so that I’ve actually been confused when some people talk about them cause i never experienced many of those things. 
Unpopular opinion here, but I like Ariana at least my MC Vivianne does. I agree I’m worried for her and am afraid I’m gonna need to stage an intervention before the end of the story, but this is kind of my thoughts on why I haven’t given up hope for Ariana being able to be reasoned with. Sorry if I repeat anything anyone has already said!
From the beginning, it’s made clear that the MC was more of an afterthought, with Ariana raised as heir. Obviously this gives Ariana more power and influence, but this also gives MC certain level of leeway in being able to form their own independent decisions and opinions, something that Ariana didn’t necessarily have. She was always the heir—the golden child, the one to lead the kingdom in the future—so it would make sense that in focusing on her more, they would have also drilled things into her head that the MC was able to avoid by virtue of being “the spare”. It seems like a very martial-oriented culture, so Ariana’s “war is the answer” vibe could come a lot from how she was raised.
Does this absolve her of any future responsibility? Certainly not. My intention isn’t to defend Ariana’s actions—I think it’s very clear that this path of revenge (and possibly future warmongering) is unsustainable, even if it is borne out a very understandable anger at seeing her parents murdered in front of her and a desire to see justice served. And it’s not right, the ideas that the parents expressed prior to…you know. But that doesn’t mean Ariana has to follow exactly in their footsteps—with other moderating voices I think that could help her a lot. She’s grieving and probably traumatized (I mean, she did also see our parents die). I really do hope that an MC with a good relationship with her can serve as a voice of reason when she’s going too far in her quest for revenge. But we’ll see, I haven’t gotten any of her low-relationship text 
Seriously, though this is such an interesting story! I love the setting, the characters are all so wonderfully fleshed out, and I’m genuinely intrigued by all the plot threads I’ve seen so far. I cannot wait to see what comes next!
The problem with the “moderating voices” solution is that she doesn’t listen to you even if you have a high relationship with her. It’s something lampshaded numerous times in game, Cyril proposes it, even Arianna proposes it - next scene, she’s condescending at the war table, refuses to make any concessions regarding Thomas and overall you can’t affect anything or change her mind. MC has truly been powerless so far. And outside of MC there aren’t any moderating voices around.
Maybe things will change once she has her revenge but right now this doesn’t look like happy ending 
If the author wanted to show Ariana as redeemable, she’d show that MC has the ability to change her mind sometimes, even on unimportant things.
Good point! I personally think there’s still hope because we’re still reasonably early in all of this going down—and honestly it doesn’t feel like very much time has passed, so I think it’s possible things can take a turn for the better as Ariana finds herself outside of her “parents avenger” and “heir to the kingdom”, as the MC continuously attempts to make their voice heard. Of course, they could also take a turn for the worse…that’s what makes playing this game so fun, a lot of twists xD
Hello!
I’m dropping by for a quick Progress Update.
As I’ve posted on my Tumblr, I’m done with the detailed outline of the whole book.
I’ve just finished writing the 17th chapter out of 26 (demo has 11 chapters).
It’s just the first draft, mind you, and I’m only writing one version of each scene at a time; I want to finish writing ONE version of the whole story before going back to write variations and so on.
I only have enough time to write about a thousand words per day, but better a thousand than zero, is what I think.
Not much else to say, as I don’t want to spoil anything. But let’s just say that I’m really loving immersing myself again in this world.
Stay safe!