MSPAFA Chat Thread In... The Mysterious Mystery!

[mysticCharlatan]

Edit: Oh yeah, I almost forgot! You will lose lots of readers/suggestors if you don't update in a while, so try to update at least once a week! A lot of my adventures died from that, so be careful.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I killed my second adventure this way. I'll make sure not to make the same mistake with the next one!

And thanks, everyone. You are all a helpful bunch, I don't care what anyone says.

...not that anyone would be saying anything in the first place. Ahem.

[OldManRupee]

Gah! Now I fear for my adventure! I really need to start a proper schedule for updates I AM SO BAD.

[Sparrowsmith]

Gah! Now I fear for my adventure! I really need to start a proper schedule for updates I AM SO BAD.

Personally, I try to spend a few hours a day either drawing, or planning ahead. If I don't have time to update, I'm thinking of stuff that can happen later, so that when I get to that time it'll be easier to update. Nothing sucks more than being ready to update and having a sudden bout of writer's block, or wanting to add just one more thing to a room.

I don't have a schedule though. Just a few short and long term goals.
Then again, my first adventure, and there's only like 70 images so far.

[Levenfish]

Has it been normal for adventures to not have any comments at all and still going on ahead?

I mean, I probably ended up railroading my story so that there is probably no freedom to act, but since the view counter on my thread has been increasing despite the Great Comment Famine of WHATEVER, I assume someone has to be reading it (or secretly bashing it somewhere). Also, I know fully well my art is nothing to look at, and I'm really only using it as a visual guide more than anything else. I'm guessing from the advice here I should probably have a banner and such.

Also, just curious; does anyone else have that urge to spoil everything? You know, when you know what's coming up and it's killing you to not spoil anything because it's a major plot point? Should I just stop thinking so far ahead with the stuff I write?

[Xartarin]

Depends how fast stuff goes. I know with similar things (comics, RPs, etc.) I've gotten the urge to spoil stuff. But with the exception of this poorly planned [s] page hiatus, everything's been going pretty quickly in the forum adventure. "Pretty quickly" for me being that I plan things and they actually happen.

[Violet CLM]

Also, just curious; does anyone else have that urge to spoil everything? You know, when you know what's coming up and it's killing you to not spoil anything because it's a major plot point? Should I just stop thinking so far ahead with the stuff I write?

Discussed earlier in this very thread.

[Shadow Phoenix]

Has it been normal for adventures to not have any comments at all and still going on ahead?

I mean, I probably ended up railroading my story so that there is probably no freedom to act, but since the view counter on my thread has been increasing despite the Great Comment Famine of WHATEVER, I assume someone has to be reading it (or secretly bashing it somewhere). Also, I know fully well my art is nothing to look at, and I'm really only using it as a visual guide more than anything else. I'm guessing from the advice here I should probably have a banner and such.

It happens, mainly to plot driven adventures (without much apparent interaction). This can be fine but it gives the sensation that the story itself is not popular, whereas it's just more read as a traditionnal webcomic.

I finished my first adventure basically by railroading.

[Zolen]

Fear the need to railroading to the point that I created the perhaps ill conceived idea of rewarding people based on comment count. :/

[Jacquerel]

You aren't the first to think of rewarding frequent commenters (and fanartists), the last attempt was met by a fairly equal mix of approval and cynicism though so I don't know if a repeat experience would work well.
People really don't usually like it when they find out that you're (at least in part) making art to get recognition in addition to just for the hell of it!

And honestly I think it might be hard to come up with meaningful rewards unless you don't already have an above average following.

[Zolen]

I more made a idea of "powers" as rewards, powers the readers can command on me "unlocking" with each new reader, in which I will then sort of made a short skit like for example the command "taco fire" gave a bit of a author shenanigan for them to enjoy as a bit of a side event in spoilers while the story is going (yes that means a lot of extra drawing for me). I can say that it half works, and its no secret to anyone that I added that part on in order to get readers.

[Shadow Phoenix]

Sounds nice enough.

I try to reward the roleplaying efforts in my adventure by doing some groups panels of theirs in story avatars, like this one
http://phenixnoir.fr/ascend/ascend036.png

Somehow I'm getting the feeling the roleplaying, while very pleasant is a bit getting in the way of the exploration/puzzle solving aspect of the adventure.

[OldManRupee]

Oh yes! Just wanted to give everybody a heads-up, the next U4G contest will be starting next month! Sign up will be around the last week of July, the contest itself will devour August and a little bit of September (5 weeks to update the adventures this time rather than 4!)

So if you want people to create an adventure for the contest using one of your own discarded plot ideas, now's the time to discard those babies for all to see! The "Adventure Plots Up For Grabs" thread is linked in my signature.

P.S. Feel free to use any of those plot ideas anyway, the contest is just an excuse to use them, but you can start an adventure with an orphaned plot-bunny at any time! Just bear in mind they won't be eligible for the contest if you start now.

[Sparrowsmith]

U4G?
From the context I'm gonna guess it means up for grabs. Five weeks to make an adventure from one of the ones available or something?
Are there links to last years or anything, I'd like to see what I'd be up against.
I should probably just go to that thread, shouldn't I?


Also, is it poor form to ask your viewers for criticism? I generally work really well with constructive criticism, but at the moment I'm stabbing in the dark as to what the people want.

[Shadow Phoenix]

You can try... Nothing's guaranteed.

[Zolen]

It can be somewhat bias to ask the people who read it, as generally the fact they are there means they like it, to really get more round about it likely would be best to pick from people who have not heard of it or decided not to follow it.

[Sparrowsmith]

I think asking random people for criticism would be even more annoying, but you make a good point.
it's just so hard to figure out what the audience wants sometimes. I really don't wanna blow my first adventure...

[Zolen]

Welp people have been asking on this, another few people asking won't hurt anything.

[Jacquerel]

I don't really see a problem with asking your readers, you're more likely to get a reply than if you issue a general request
As the criticism thread will attest >_>

[Sparrowsmith]

There's a criticism thread? Or am I reading that wrong.

I mean, if there's anything notably wrong with my adventure, there's a link in my sig and I welcome anyone to look. I'd be more than happy to come home and see someone messaged me with 'your anti-aliasing is inconsistent and makes your art look lazy' because it gives me something to fix.
Also, if anyone actually does click the link, take a look at the latest page because there have been several severe art changes (first adventure, and I'm working with another artist, so we've been learning the ropes before making a style.)

In the meantime, a list of recommended do's and don'ts would be really useful, if anyone has the time and wouldn't mind helping out a newbie.
Failing that, I'll just ask my readers. They're a friendly bunch... I assume.

[Jacquerel]

There is a "please give my adventure some constructive criticism thread" but it is hidden in a subforum and barely anyone ever posts in it.

[Seanorib]

Yes, I think I would like advice as well.

Mostly because I'm still making my first adventure.

[Jacquerel]

There's a criticism thread? Or am I reading that wrong.

I mean, if there's anything notably wrong with my adventure, there's a link in my sig and I welcome anyone to look. I'd be more than happy to come home and see someone messaged me with 'your anti-aliasing is inconsistent and makes your art look lazy' because it gives me something to fix.
Also, if anyone actually does click the link, take a look at the latest page because there have been several severe art changes (first adventure, and I'm working with another artist, so we've been learning the ropes before making a style.)

In the meantime, a list of recommended do's and don'ts would be really useful, if anyone has the time and wouldn't mind helping out a newbie.
Failing that, I'll just ask my readers. They're a friendly bunch... I assume.

As for some actual advice... Your art style is sort of OK (maybe stop changing it quite so often? It makes it quite hard to comment on :P) although it is usually a good idea to outline things in a darker version of their base colour, not a lighter one.
Honestly the main reason I'm not reading it is that I've pretty much had my fill of wacky antics in a mysterious environment, with suggestions changing the entire scope of the story. I already saw object duality in Problem Sleuth and seeing it crop up again doesn't exactly make me think "oh good!", no matter how much I loved the original! This is obviously just my opinion and I'm sure there's plenty of people who wish we had fewer story driven plotventures around, but you wanted commentary.
I don't really think you should change your adventure to fit my tastes, as I'm obviously just not the kind of person you are catering for.

Yes, I think I would like advice as well.

Mostly because I'm still making my first adventure.

And in your case, I like your pictures but... I already read Homestuck
Again, I think I'm probably a poor person to give comments on how you could improve the storytelling because I am always turned off by settings that start with a kid in their room with a list of interests asking for a name before they play a world-changing online multiplayer game.
Anything that someone has already written (and probably better, no offence meant but Hussie's probably the best man to write Hussie's concept :V) is going to be a tough sell to me. I think at the very least a Homestuck adventure would have to start In Media Res instead of going through the whole tedious child introduction and tutorials that we've already seen countless times to grab my interest.
Which... it's far too late for you to do.

[Zolen]

There's one of those? Well that might be nice, I have no idea if I am doing anything right. I feel like I am doing 3 adventures for one.

[Seanorib]

Thanks for the feedback, and I did kinda mess up with that whole intro thing. Which is probably why I have so few, if any readers at current moment.

Well, at least there's always room for improvement...

[Jacquerel]

I don't want to be too demoralising or anything, there's obviously still a market around for Homestuck spinoffs.
It's just not one that includes me and I'm the only person yet prepared to answer your question :P