I want to ask… why does everyone hate Carl? I actually really like that character
Maybe cause he’s a jealous, crazy, violent, jerk who’s penchant for holding things in until letting them out in a violent outburst is extremely dangerous to the group? I mean, if he weren’t that way then even Jason’s stupidity wouldn’t have made him snap like that.
I get the feeling that he wants you to die
- Just a bit more, maybe.
- Most favorite, Heather or Tom, least favorite, Jason.
- More!
- It’s fine where it is.
- Balance.
@JimD, answering your questions:
1. Should there be more or less zombie-related scenes (i.e zombie fights)? Or is there just enough?
Relative to part 3, I’d say less, relative to part 4, I’d say more.
2. Who is your favorite character? Who is your least favorite character?
Favorite: I honestly can’t say. I like nearly all of them.
Least Favorite: Jason (he’s a self-centered prick who doesn’t risk his neck like every one else and has destabilized the group by sleeping with another group member’s girlfriend.)
BTW, I’d love to see both Uncle Lou and Candace enhanced.
3. Do you want more or less moral choices, for example, should I steal or should I kill other survivors?
Not if they’re totally random, but if there is good reason for them, then yes, I think difficult choices increase the realism and emotional impact to the game.
4. Do you feel scenes are adequately described? Are there too many details, or not enough?
I feel the scenes are adequately described, but the appearances of the other characters could at times be a little more detailed. This isn’t a constant though, there are times when the level of character description is perfectly fine.
5. Do you enjoy longer scenes (i.e. Fuel Run mission), or shorter scenes (River and Starr escort, trip with Heather to the woods, etc.)? Or a balance of both?
I prefer scenes that are as long as they need to be to do them justice. That said, Fuel Run did seem a tad long, and the trip with Heather to the woods did seem a little short. I didn’t dislike either scene however. So I suppose my sweet spot is somewhere in the middle, but a balance of both works too.
Jason needs a good PR person. I’ll have to work on some “save the cat” moments for him.
(Save the cat is a story device in which an unlikeable character does something noble or heroic to gain the reader’s favor, like saving a cat in a tree)
@shoelip you cannot judge carl over one mistake (sure it was a big mistake) but he contributed alot to the group, and Jason pushed him into it, hell I always tell him I would do the same, because even in a zombie apocalypse I’m not letting a punk ass nerd talk shit and steal my girl
@TDOT, He tried to beat a guy to death for flirting with his girlfriend! That’s not one mistake, that’s messed up. The only possible way for that to be acceptable is if Jason’s attention to Candace had been unwanted which it doesn’t seem to have been. Carl has issues…a boat load of issues.
That said I like him XD I hope we run into him again.
@zigzag that is true but you must keep in mind Jason had been belittling Carl from the beginning
Reasons why Jason is my least favorite character:
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Jason made a bad first impression at the apartment building where he had time to brag about his computer, but couldn’t be troubled to allow our character to call his sister, finally kicking our character outside at the first sign that there might have been a zombie outside. Thanks a lot you #$%$#&*!
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I don’t recall Jason ever going out on a mission and risking his own skin.
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All the time he’s spent playing on the computer doesn’t seem to have helped the group any as far as I can tell.
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His keeping the finger of the girl he totally forgot about until she was dead is rather creepy.
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At a time when we’re all trying to survive we don’t need division, and he’s creating it big time by sleeping with another group member’s girlfriend.
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The group member whose girlfriend he’s sleeping with also happens to be the owner of the Cathedral in which he and all the rest of us are now staying as guests.
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I haven’t seen any evidence that his interest in Candace goes beyond a selfish desire to get laid. Given the circumstances, acting on that desire with Candace of all people was just plain recklessly stupid.
I’m not giving Candace or Carl a total pass either, they’re certainly flawed too, but they’re not self-centered pricks the way Jason is. I doubt saving a cat would rehabilitate him in my eyes, but I suppose if he shouldered his share of the risk, his computer skills turned out to be more useful to the group’s survival, and/or if I felt he truly loved Candace, I might be more sympathetic, or at least not see him as such a total waste of space. BTW, that doesn’t mean I want any changes made to the character. I enjoy disliking him.
i would prefer he stay the way he is, him risking himself for anybody seems waaaaaaaay out of character especially if theres nothing for him to gain out of it
and i think carl might have over reacted but c’mon this arragont little prick hints to sleeping with his girlfiend, IMMEDIATLLY after carl stopped himself from killing him because he was talking down to him
The hate on Jason feels like it stems at least partially from this idea that he’s not “alpha” or whatever so how dare he steal a more “alpha” male’s girl. Guess what. He didn’t “steal” her. She chose him. She’s not Carl’s property.
he was rubbin it in carls face thats enough for me to hate on him right there
and you known what your partially right, when a big guy acts tough it makes me angry yeah when a twiggy little guy acts like he’s a big man i do get even madder,
- The huge cathedral finale sounds awesome. I’d like fewer zombie encounters in the rest of part 4, to build up anticipation and increase the finale’s impact.
- My favorite is Tom. He’s one of the most intriguing characters, and I’m still not sure if he’s a good guy. My least favorite is Jason (sorry for jumping on the bandwagon).
- More!
- I think some of the action scenes are slightly too detailed, but everything else feels just right.
- Longer ones. IMO, they’re more immersive. (The fuel run is simply brilliant.)
ya spoken true least favorite is jason he just makes me so angry he was gloating to carl about candace so the one time my humanity goes down is because i held back uncle lou and let carl beat him up and i help carl escape
The hate on Jason has nothing to do with his being alpha or not. It has to do with his being a self-centered selfish prick who doesn’t think about anyone but himself. And I most certainly don’t consider Carl any more alpha than Jason, but I do consider Carl to be a lot more useful. That’s an important distinction.
And no, Candace didn’t choose Jason over Carl, she was diddling them both at the same time. Had she told Carl that she was leaving him for Jason, and Carl attacked Jason any way, then I would put more blame on Carl. Instead she and Jason hid it from Carl, and then Jason couldn’t help but be a jerk when Carl confronted him about it. People with the least bit of empathy for their fellow human beings, or even just plain common sense, don’t say stupid things like that to a person who is on the edge of losing his temper without expecting a fight. That’s like waving a red carpet in front of a bull and expecting the bull to just stand there and do nothing.
like @P_Tigras said, Carl was obviously on the edge of losing his temper and he was ABOUT to leave so he didnt do anything drastic, then Jason had to blurt at that last comment, and well… lets just say I dont think uncle lou is fast enough with me on his back
I don’t get why Carl isn’t more pissed of at Candace for being unfaithful, than pissed of at Jason for just being the guy she was unfaithful with.
I like Jason he is like every non writer in the forum here!