Paging Dr. (_____): How to deal with constructive criticism

Hello once again one and all, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls and the trolls in the back row! After a long hiatus I, the Irreverently Tardy Dr. (_____), have returned! Fresh! Renewed! Ready to try your patience with hours of glorious tedium and witless witticisms! I, the Idiosyncratically long winded Dr. (____), am back baby!

And what, I hear you groan from the back row, am I back to do? What great grandiosely grating revelation have I returned to share with you all? I don't know, I'm just some windbag from the Internet. What do you want from me, A poem?

Seriously though, I've decided, in response to Calamareyes post on how NOT to take constructive criticism, to illuminate you, my oh so attentive audience, with how TO take constructive criticism! How wondrously predictable of me! But that's enough meandering on my part; To business!


Paging Dr. (_____): How To deal with constructive Criticism.


Ah everyone's a critic, sad but true. So sad in fact that I'd like to pause a moment and pass out the tissues for a good cry. Alright, that's enough of that, cut it out. Despite how hard it may be to bear, the only real solution to criticism is to learn how to benefit from it. The alternative is to avoid meaningful interaction with people. Say nothing, hear nothing, do nothing, BECOME nothing and no-one.

Obviously the former solution is preferable to the later one.

The first and most important part to taking criticism and turning it to your own benefit is to embrace the philosophy that you can do whatever you are doing better than you're doing it now. You might not know how, or when you could possibly improve. The opportunity to improve might not ever come, But so long as you do not close yourself to the idea, you will always be in the position to seize upon it. And this will be to your gain.

I will be honest, and admit that this is harder than it sounds. It's very tempting to reach a certain level of competence, to rise just above "good enough" and leave it at that. That's because its the easy way out, and it's very feel good. However, similar to my little "do nothing, be nothing" statement above, If you are content with being "good enough" you are very unlikely to ever be great.

Which brings us to the other part on making use of criticism, which is interpreting it.

First off, make the distinction between criticism directed at you, and criticism directed at your work. Someone can think your an awful person, but your work is incredible, and will criticise you accordingly, or vice versa. Just because someone is criticising your work does not necessarily mean they're criticising you, and just because someone is criticising you personally does not mean they're criticising your work.

Second, your critics are basing what they say upon what they perceive about your work/way of doing things. This does NOT mean that all problems are merely in their heads and have nothing to do with what you've done. If you are tempted to make that assumption stop right now, or you'll never be able to make use of other peoples point of view. So long as they express their issues with what you've done in a reasonable manner (see my articles on giving criticism) you have no reason to outright ignore them.

Third, think of your work/way of doing things in terms of positives and negatives. You want people to notice what is good, without focusing on what is bad. The only way to do that is to not give people negative things to focus on. Say you create a website, but people complain that there is too much clutter, and that its a hassle to navigate to where they want to go. They cannot fully enjoy the positive aspects of the site because the negative aspects interfere. The solution is simple: If people complain that it is broken, fix it.

Which is the best way to use criticism, to find out where the problems are and fix them, thereby improving your work. The very best critics will even tell you how to fix the problem even as they inform you of its existence. You will have to exercise your own judgement of course, but always keep in mind that if a person feels the need to speak up, you should listen, and if they can express their point well you should consider taking their advice, especially if they have expertise on the subject. Ignore the abuse, but listen to those who would be helpful.

And that concludes my little article on how to deal with constructive criticism, which I shall now end with a favourite quote of mine (a rather cliché way to close out I know, but I solemnly promise not to get into the habit of doing it.)

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
-Winston Churchill-

How NOT To Deal With Constructive Crit

Hey again, Calamareye here with a Ryuu-related rant.

Our subject today? The layout of Zelda Epic Journeys, and the organizational issues it causes. This is a very long post, especially in comparison to my intro post, so be prepared.

Now you may be asking, "What organizational issues, Cala? ZEJ looks fine to me." Then you may want to go read something else (especially if you're one of Ryuu's fangirls/fanboys as this contains criticism of Ryuu), as it doesn't to me, or from the looks of things, at least three of the currently-active members.

The moderator seems to have noticed that somebody though the flood control was excessive and brought it up in the suggestions thread. In the same post, she also pointed out that PM storage was obscenely low, and this seems to have opened up the doors for criticism from the other members.

None of this seems offensive to me. In fact, one member wrote a very long but very detailed post filled with glorious constructive crit.

His suggestions were well-thought-out and streamlined compared to the current layout.

Quote from [Insert]. This was probably one of the longest posts I've ever seen (not that that's a bad thing) so I just snipped the summary of the proposed changes for brevity's sake:

Alright, so just in case you have trouble understanding what exactly my suggestions do to the size of the forum, I'll make a overall comparison. This is what people see when they view your forum now:

Forum Gates
-Zelda: Epic Journeys Homepage
-Rules and Announcements
-Introductions

Conversations
-Japanese Anime / Manga
-Video Games
-Creation Game Center
-Creation Fics / CreationArt
-Advertisements
-Forum Games
-Chatterbox

Fortunes of Fantasy
-Alternative RPs

The World of Zelda
-Zelda Character Registry
-The Land of Hyrule
-The Land of Termina
-Hyrule of Twilight Princess
-The Great Sea

Adminstrator and Moderator Exclusives
-Authority Office
-Hyrule Castle Courthouse

And with my adjustments, this is what the average user would see: crisp, smooth, and with an overall flow...

Forum Gates
-Announcements
-Help Desk (Optional: for suggestions and site problems. Or just asking for help I guess)

General
-General Chat
-Entertainment
-Gaming
-Artwork
-Zelda

Other/Misc.
-Advertising
-Roleplay

It's almost kind of exciting how much this can all be squished down and generalized.

Makes sense to me. He also pointed out that 'The Royal Courthouse' made banning seem like a game and that leaving the staff forum visible to members was just extra clutter.

Ryuu's response:

I do agree with most of it. But the RP sections are supposed to be more extensive, as the "Epic Journeys" part of the name is hinting towards the various RP sections to keep things filed in a more The Forest Haven type way. But I wanted there to be more than just Zelda, so I had the alternative section for those who want to not do Zelda type stuff. Clumping them all together might make it clean on the outside, but disorganized on the inside.

'More extensive' doesn't do a bit of good if all of your members are turned off by it. And it seems most of them are. And for those unfamiliar with it, The Forest Haven was a fairly large Zelda forum that exploded. Repeatedly. I can't speak for anybody else but damn me if I want to hold up a forum that had numerous problems, power struggles, explosions and other unpleasant acts of that nature that now seems to be permanently removed from the internets as my ideal.

Also, if I remember right as it's been a long time since it was last up, there were about three people roleplaying there when it finally died. Ryuu, his girlfriend and one of Ryuu's friends.

I'd also like to point out he was a roleplay mod there. He's not exactly Captain Objective in this situation, I'd say.

Even his moderator disagrees with the layout:

GameMisconduct29:

If I can offer my two cents, I've found if you divide areas up like you have it's extremely disorganized and trying to remember what happened last is a real pain.

On a Zelda exclusive forum, if you divide it further than per game it gets... Messy, I've found. The topic switch per location doesn't really help and I've had a few people (not just here; I've been at a few others with that sort of layout besides here and TFH) tell me it's thrown them off and kind of discouraged them from RPing.

So I'd definitely prune that to one forum per game, and edit the rules so that whether the party chooses to make a new topic if they switch locations within that forum is up to them.

If your mod thinks your organizational skills are shit (though she didn't say it quite like that) you have a problem with your layout, dude.

Ryuu:

Really? It always helped me out in many ways. One of which is you don't have to search through pages in one topic to find something, in case you're re-reading and want to find a particular event, it's not easy to get to page 44 or so when your latest page is 90+, eh?

But, if it's really putting off people, I'll look into things at least. See what can be done and all.

Oh, god forbid other peoples' minds don't work the same way as yours, and don't like being forced to create separate topics! Letting them have a choice? OH NO, THAT VIOLATES MY STANDARDS OF DICTATORSHIP! Look, I don't see anywhere where GameMisconduct said "NO NEW TOPICS. EVAR." If you don't like the fact that somebody doesn't change topics, DON'T RP WITH THEM. This isn't neurosurgery here.

He said he'd look into it, though, so perhaps something will be done.

GameMisconduct again:

It's not so much the separate topics, as I've done that before with different story arcs with friends. That is a real lifesaver, but it shouldn't be required. The people I've talked to have said it's the subforums for every. Freaking. Single. Area, and I'll agree with that.

And being FORCED to switch forums if you leave to a new area is a bit... Painful as well. I'd recommend creating one subforum per game in the series. Someone suggested a subforum or forum or another area for out of character discussions. I endorse this, because you can let the participants work how it'll be out amongst themselves. If they all wanna switch topics for each location change, sure. If they don't no big deal.

This seems to be the opinion of others as well.

Hoodcom (edited the not immediately relevant remarks out; he essentially just agreed with [Insert] that the staff forum should be set to admins/mods only and that the courthouse needs to go very far away):

I must agree with the whole problem on the switching of forum categories for each area... it was always a bit too much of a pain and confusion for me, which kinda kept me from really getting into the Zelda RP section before.

And we have another. Abhinav:

I agree with Hoodcom, [Inset] (sic) and Gamemisconduct (sic). I think these changes would be very good for the ZEJ community.

Clearly, out of the handful or two of members who post at all anymore, at least three actively think it needs changed enough to post and none of the others have disagreed of yet. One of these is his own mod.

Of course, as I think at least two contributors here know, Ryuu can be extremely touchy. It's been noted that if you say anything that doesn't agree in every possible way with his beliefs, he will refuse to respond.

This has occurred if someone discusses Christianity in a way that isn't entirely gushing over how it's the one real religion, or if somebody points out that there's other religions, as well as those who lack one. This has occurred in other circumstances, but those are the most common.

Though he claimed he was 'looking into it,' there hasn't been a response. [Insert] and GameMisconduct's posts were made on July 29, according to the board settings, and as it's now August 24 in my country, that should be MORE than enough time for a response to the proposed changes. As it stands now, I believe we have a case of 'oh noes, somebody criticized my forum and is being MEAN, I won't respond.'

I mean, shit. 'Looking into it?' All he has to do is run it by Zelda. It's not like he has to run it by Zelda, President Obama, the Pope, the Queen of England and Jesus H. Christ (if that was the case I think it'd get stonewalled somewhere between Obama and Liz, personally).

Running something by a co-admin isn't that time-consuming if you're close to them, in my experience. It usually goes like this for me:

"Hey..." "Yeah, Cala?" "I wanted to make a few changes to the forum." "Oh?" "The members seem to think [x, y, z and q] are needed. Can I go ahead and make the changes?"

The response is either "Oh, sure, you want a hand with that?" or "Eh, I dunno about [z]. Can we compromise with the members?" The changes are enacted within a couple hours if the former and if the latter, within a day of figuring a compromise out.

This is all over IM. A five minute discussion at most, unless my friend needs to eat or go out or something along those lines. I think the majority of the readers here know Ryuu and Zelda both have IM programs, so the month delay is ridiculous.

If you say you're going to do something, follow the fuck through. Do NOT lead everyone on and make 'em think you're gonna do it just to shut them up. Grow some balls and say, "I'm sorry but we have no intention of doing [x, y, z, q and f] at this time. Thanks for your input, though, and we really appreciate your concern for the forum." Is that that hard to do?

I need lunch now. Raging makes me hungry. Cala, over and out.

(All quotes in their full can be found here: Suggestions and Feedback Thread )

LoZ - Shattered Peace: Chapter 1

Le suilon.

Now, unlike with my mock, I will not be copying the whole chapter to this post and going over it in sections. This is mostly because I have already sent the author a somewhat detailed critique.

This is somewhat abridged, I admit - I may have rushed writing it, a little. For that, I apologize.

If you wish to see the whole chapter, then I recommend visiting the provided link, here: Shattered Peace: Chpt 1, by Stormsworder.

Overall, it's a decent fan fiction. I would make some comparative judgment, but since I usually read plenty that is a lot worse than this, that would be insulting.

I cannot speak strongly for accuracy to canon. Due to problems with game systems, I haven't yet beat the game. However, I like to think that I know enough about quality in writing to offer some words.

The story starts in a banquet hall and is full of exposition. This is good and bad. For some fan fictions, explaining what has happened since game events helps reorient the reader. However, if handled badly, the story can seem tedious or pile too much information on the reader.

This chapter isn't terrible for it, but it does have some problems in execution. It chains together a number of character introductions in narrative. This can actually be executed well, with a strong enough narrative, though it might be a bit much for a first chapter.

We do get a bit of character interaction, though, after the introductions run their course. It's a little stiff, at times, but dialogue is sometimes difficult to write. She does not have the problem of using stilted language, for the most part, however, so the dialogue reads like actual conversation.

What would really help is to break up the introductions with stronger character interaction. Perhaps map out the seating arrangement, and go through the characters and offer a part of their conversations to show personality, instead of telling the readers how they act.

A number of characters, from what I know, are not canon - Zelda's gathered a couple of siblings, for example. This is something that does make me wary (I read a lot of bad fan fiction, so I do tend to be overcautious), but I don't get any feeling of Sues or self-inserts from my first impressions. It is worth it to give the characters a chance, and their absences are explained with logical reasons.

There isn't a lot to talk about so far, however - it's an introductory chapter. However, though it has its faults, I think it is worth giving a look.

I don't know if I'll go over the next chapters, yet, but I would still like to thank Stormsworder for letting me use her first chapter as my first critique under the new management.

Namárië.

Fulfilling Your Daily Mutant Squid Quotient

Nice to make your acquaintance. I'm Calamareye and will be contributing from time to time.  You can call me pretty much anything you want as long as I can tell you mean me anyway, haha.

About me? Not much to tell. I have a pretty ordinary existence in a pretty ordinary town. I like to read a lot, though, and am more than a bit of a nerd. 

So since I suck at intro posts and really don't know what else to cover I'll cut this off here. See you around.

My Inner Life: Author Notes

Le suilon.

As a note, this will be a long post, quoting a fairly large chunk of text.

I would like to start this post by telling any writers who post online with author notes what not to do when writing said notes.

Do not:

1. Have an author note longer than your first chapter
2. Use 4-11 exclamation points when trying to emphasize your point
3. Be painfully redundant
4. Have huge blocks of paragraphs in all-caps
5. Forget to proof read
6. Do all of the above while whining and then call your critics immature

I decided I couldn't say our blog mocks writing without covering My Inner Life. It is one of the most insane things I've ever tried to read and I've developed what is almost assuredly an unhealthy fascination with trying to fix it.

I will be going over the whole fic with Dr. Whatsisbucket, but I decided to be nice and do the Author's Note alone. Last time he tried to do it with me, he was possessed at least twice by a demon that danced jigs and chanted in backwards Pig-Latin.

I won't be doing the spelling and grammar mistakes because, to be quite honest, I tried doing that, before, and it would honestly take hours and a lot of editing to do. I do not want to waste that much time on this.

For those who don't know, words don't do it justice. This author's note will serve to be a better prelude than I could give.

Disclaimer: My Inner Life was written by Link's Queen. It has long been abandoned, to my knowledge, though I'm sure no one would want to claim this.

Author’s notes: Hello. Thanks for choosing to read my story. As you might know I have become a major Zelda fan in the last year. Ever since I played OoT I have grown a fond interest in Link. I started to notice that after I got really into it, I found that I have a strange gift. A gift to Lucid Dream. I started having dreams about Hyrule, and about Link. In a Lucid Dream you can control your dreams. The dreams became very real, kinda like a second life, and almost every night I would have another. Starting from where the last left off. Even to this day I still have them. I find that they help me get through life. I know this may sound queer, but for me the dreams sure help me out. I have shared this story with many other people and so far all has liked it. Now as you read this it is told from my perspective or first person view.

Here, I have to talk a bit about lucid dreaming - I'm sure most people are aware of what it is: being aware that one is dreaming and gaining some modicum of control. It is actually a skill that can be cultivated and it is something I have been practicing without much success.

I have had all of two lucid dreams in my life and one of them was by accident. The problem with lucid dreams, that I've found, is that awareness of dreaming actually causes a high frequency of waking up much earlier than one might have, otherwise.

I won't say she isn't telling the truth on this point, though I am naturally skeptical, because that's a pointless exercise. I can't know, either way, so I'm going to concede this, at least.

All that being said, that doesn't mean anyone should write their dreams down as stories without reworking them at least a little.

You will find that it is very detailed since I remember it all very clearly to this day. The story takes place after OoT. Nothing after that ever happens. No Majora's Mask. No LttP, or even Oracle of Ages and Seasons. And there is no love relation between Link and Zelda, Link and Ruto, Link and Malon or Link and Saria.

Ignoring all that nonsense about throwing out pairings just to avoid competition (note, too, that they're all female - probably because there's no way a person of the opposite sex could be homosexual or bisexual if you're attracted to him/her), please pay attention to the way she discards canon.

Majora's Mask takes place after Link is sent back to enjoy his childhood, so we can't have that. God forbid he actually enjoy seven years of his life before getting into a relationship. And despite the fact that A Link to the Past and Oracle of Ages/Seasons have completely different Links for their heroes, they don't happen, either.

It is fine to play around with canon, a little, but disregarding massive parts (like, entire games) that take part in different eras is a little much.

Because of my feelings about Link, the person that he gets involved with in this story is myself or actually is my persona. A persona is for those of you who need to know, a representation of ones personality, or in dictionary terms is, (Persona) n. In biology, same as person. So for all you future readers, this story is based on Jenna, a char that is a representation of my personality.

...

Just let me pull out one of my favorite dictionaries, here... (please make a note of it, because Oxford is a real dictionary. Dictionary.com is not)

persona (per·so·na)

Pronunciation:/pərˈsōnə/
noun
(plural -so·nas or -so·nae /-ˈsōnē/)

       * the aspect of someone's character that is presented to or perceived by others:.
               her public persona
       In psychology, often contrasted with anima
       * a role or character adopted by an author or an actor

I don't think I've ever heard the usage of "same as a person." If there was no difference between persona and person, I don't think the word would exist.

But if you think this might be too queer then you shouldn't read this. THIS IS NOT THE TYPE OF STORY FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DISLIKE, OR CANNOT HANDLE SUCH MATERAL AS THE CONTEXT OF THIS STORY.

Well, maybe it's not the queer content but the bad content that bothers them. I mean, if you just said, "This story is awful and only consists of my fangirl wetdream journal. Don't read it," then you'd probably deter more readers.

But if you seriously believe you can handle the content of this story, then read on. If your squeamish about sex, then you should not read this, since this story is a REAL LEMON

and there is a lot of that, heavily detailed. (Between Link and I that is) Especially during the bonding ceremony. There is also some blood content and strong adult language. So if that’s too much then you should turn back now.

Now I have not finished it as of yet. I have to catch up, since the last dream I had was just after Link and I had the blessing ceremony for our twins.(Our 3rd and 4th kids) Right now there is about 100-150 pgs worth. I'm expecting it to reach at least 300-350 probably even more. I will try to up date as often as possible. I hope that some of you like this. I do not mind sharing it. But please understand that this is very PRECIOUS to me, as well as Link. So like I said, if the content of this story sounds, too queer to you, TURN BACK NOW!

"And never come back!" ...sorry. Actually, no, I'm not.

I don't understand the compulsion of writing down dreams, exactly as they happen, and posting them as stories. I've written my dreams down, before. I'd never think of actually showing them to any stranger on the Internet, or any stranger at all, for that matter.

Drawing inspiration from dreams is a better idea and doesn't inhibit the writer from changing something that doesn't make logical sense.

Also, don't post private, personal things on the Internet as stories, if you don't want them to be criticized. Not everyone on the Internet is super friendly.

But to all who wish to continue, happy reading. Thanks,
~*~ Link’s Queen ~*~

Okay, so that wasn't so bad. I mean, it was a bit long and already shows disregard for canon while being overbearing on readers, but --- oh god, it's not over.

Rated R for strong adult language, sex, violence and blood content.
AGAIN AS A FINAL WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS HEAVY SEX, ABULT LANGUAGE AND TALKS ABOUT MY PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH LINK. THIS STORY IS BASED ON DREAMS, DREAMS ABOUT MY LIFE WITH HIM. IF YOU FIND THE CONTENT OF THIS STORY TO BE OFFENSEVE, QUEER, OR PLAIN OUT OFF THE WALL, THEN DO NOT READ ON!!!!!!!

*Is blown out of her chair* AGH!

*Pulls herself up and pulls exclamation marks out of her hair*

I HAVE GOTTEN WAY TO MANY FLAMES ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THIS STORY WHEN I HAVE PLACED SEVERAL WARNINGS!!!! I WILL NOT ACCECPT ANY MORE FLAMES, RAMBLINGS, CUSSING OR EXCESSIVE LASHING OUT ABOUT THE CHAR JENNA, OR REVIEWS ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THIS STORY, EXCESSIVE LASHING OUT, VICIOUS ATTACKS AGAINST MY PERSONALITY, OR NON-MATURE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISIM!!!

I'm sure you're fit to judge excessive lashing out and non-mature criticism. Wanna ease up on the capslock?

ANY REVIEWS SUBMITTED THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THE ABOUVE GUIDLINES, WILL BE DELETED IMMEDIATELY! THESE WARNINGS ARE NOT THERE TO LOOK PRETTY, THE AUTHORS PLACE WARNINGS FOR A REASON!!! IT IS TO TELL YOU WHAT THE CONTENT OF THE STORY IS SO THAT IF THE READER FINDS THE CONTENT OF THE STORY OFFENSIVE, THEY WILL NOT READ ON!!!

Yeah, that's fine, but what if your story is just bad? Are you going to warn people your story is full of spelling errors, grammatical errors, redundant sentence structures, a meandering plot, and flat characters?

Are you going to warn people that "adult content" isn't just graphic sex, but excessive, pointless sex that go on longer than some chapters?

MANY AUTHORS HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT UNWANTED, EXCESSIVE, VIOLENT AND JUST PLAIN NASTY REVIEWS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED BY READERS ABOUT THEIR STORIES, CAUSING FANFICTION TO GRANT AUTHORS THE ABILITY TO DELETE UNWANTED REVIEWS AND BLOCK CERTAIN READERS!! I WILL SAY THIS FOR MYSELF AND FOR ALL AUTHORS ON FANFICTION. NO AUTHOR TWISTS YOUR ARM OR HOLDS YOU AT GUN POINT OR FORCES YOU IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM TO READ THEIR STORIES!!

No reviewer forces you in any way to read their reviews, either.

I doubt anyone hunted you down, kidnapped your family, and said, "NOW YOU WILL READ MY REVIEW, OR I SHALL DROP YOUR FAMILY INTO THIS VAT OF ACID."

Look, I can use all-caps, too!

LOUD NOISES VIA TEXT.

ALL READERS HAVE THE RIGHT NOT TO READ A CERTAIN STORY!!! IT IS YOUR RESOPONSIBILITY TO READ THE WARNINGS AND DECIDE FOR YOUSELF IF THE CONTENT OF THE STORY IS OFFENSIVE TO YOU, AND TO MAKE THE CHOICE TO READ ON OR NOT!!! AND IT ALSO IS THE READERS RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY ON HOW THEY HANDLE THENSELVES WHEN LEAVING A REVIEW FOR AN AUTHOR!!

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, READERS.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, TODAY!

LEAVING A REVIEW THAT IS VIOLENT IN NATURE ONLY MAKES YOU THE READER LOOK BAD, AND IS VERY IMMATURE.

Writing paragraphs upon paragraphs of a rant, however, is completely mature.

IF ALL US HERE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ADULTS, WELL THEN, LETS CONDUCTIVE OURSELVES LIKE ADULTS AND NOT LIKE LITTLE KIDS!

...on fanfiction.net? I always assume most people there are between the ages of 13-17.

ALSO, ADULTS ABUSE CAPSLOCK ALL THE TIME TO YELL AT YOU IMMATURE PEOPLE THROUGH THE INTERNET.

I ONLY EXPECT THE VIOLENT LASHING OUT AND VICIOUS ATTACKS TO COME FROM TEENANGERS, NOT ADULTS! IF YOU PEOPLE REALLY ARE ADULTS THAT ARE CONDUCTING YOURSELVES IN THE MANORS I DECRIBED ABOVE, YOU PEOPLE REALLY ARE SCARING ME!

Well, you're scaring me, so the feeling is mutual.

IT’S A DAMN SHAME TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE ADULTS OUT THERE WHO CANNOT CONDUCTIVE THEMSELVES IN THE SIMPLEST MANORS THEIR PARENTS HAVE TAUGHT THEM!

Your parents taught you to throw a loud fit when people thought your writing was bad?

ALSO LEAVING MALICIOUS REVIEWS IS ALSO A SIGN OF LOW SELF-ESTEEM.

While that may be true for some people, it is not true for everyone and you shouldn't presume about those people. Really, without seeing those reviews, I'm more willing to assume they weren't any more terrible than "You really suck stop writing forever."

IF ALL YOU PEOPLE KNOW HOW DO IS ATTACK SOMEONE VICIOUSLY, IT’S A SIGN OF SELFISHNESS AND NO RESPECT FOR ONES-SELF! I SUGGEST TO ALL READERS WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT LEAVING A MALICIOUS REVIEW FOR ME, PLEASE GET A HOBBY AND LEARN TO CONTROL YOUR ANGER, BECAUSE YOUR ONLY HURTING YOURSELF, NOT ME! ALSO LEAVING A NASTY REVIEW ONLY MAKES YOU LOOK STUPID, NOT ME!

"I DON'T NEED HELP MAKING ME LOOK STUPID. AND I HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OF MY ANGER, WHICH IS WHY I AM PSEUDO-YELLING AT NO ONE IN PARTICULAR ON THE INTERNET."

I FIND IT VERY RIDICULOUS THAT I HAD TO LEAVE A WARNING THIS LONG, BUT IT IS BECAUSE OF THE VERY IMMATURE READERS THAT HAVE SUBMITTED NASTY CHILDISH REVIEWS!

Other people obviously made you do it, threatening to drop you in a vat of acid if you didn't post this ridiculous, redundant, and painful author note.

Obviously.

AGAIN, PLEASE READ THE ABOVE CONTEXT BEFORE READING ON!!!!

...no thanks.

Furthermore, I have realized that this story needs some heavy grammar corrections, and that the plot needs some work.

Yet, you will leave it up before even bothering to correct it, then later abandon the project and move on to your next favorite fandom.

Also under the advisement of my friend who had just recently completed two literature classes, has stated the reasons why people had classified Jenna as a “Mary Sue” char and labeled her as “flat”. She has come to the conclusion that most people do not know or understand Jenna’s history, so she has advised me to create an origin story to explain about her history before she met Link. That way she will become more rounded and give people a reason to care about her.

If her history only serves to make her more perfect and wonderful, then she'll still be a Mary Sue. Mary Sues are characters lacking in any notable flaws. Typically, any self-insert (which Jenna is) who serves the purpose of letting the writer fulfill fantasies (for which Jenna is) is a Sue.

If your character is just so super awesome special that the character over whom you are lusting almost immediately jumps into a relationship with her, then your character is a Sue.

The end.

It was never in my intentions to create Jenna as a “Mary Sue” char or to make her conceited, because I’m not really like that.

...does anyone intentionally create Mary Sues, outside of people satirizing them? And of course you didn't want to make her conceited - conceit is seen as a flaw. Sues don't have flaws.

Jenna is a persona char, one that resembles my personality while this story is being told from her perspective.

And this means she is totally not a Sue ever, ever.

This story is not something that I pulled out of my head like my drawings, it came from my dreams.

Her dreams come from a cookie tin in the pantry.

So I understand that revising this story is going to be hard work and will take time. Since this story is being told in the exact, or close to exact order it happened in the dreams, changing how fast Link and Jenna marry isn’t going to be easy. Even changing how fast they have sex and revising the Lemon parts also won’t be so easy to do.

"Because of all this, I won't do it. I'll only talk a lot about it."

No, seriously - does it really need to happen exactly as it did in your dreams? If it does, keep a dream journal. And don't use ff.net AS a dream journal.

But I’m currently in the process of revising this story, also I have received a college grammar book from my friend and I will be investing in a Beta-Reader. I’m also considering taking to literature classes at JC to help boost my writing skills. But now I say this, if you people, the reviewers really have the intentions to help me, them please do it positively and like a mature adult.

Do as she says, not as she does.

I’m telling you that it is a proven fact that negative motivation NEVER motivates someone to change. It never has and it never will. I’m pretty sure your parents have taught you that people only respond to positive motivation and not negative.

My parents punished me when I misbehaved. I stopped misbehaving.

IT IS A PROVEN FACT THAT I WAS NOT MOTIVATED TO DO BETTER BECAUSE OF MY DESIRE TO AVOID PUNISHMENT. SHUT UP, IT IS. I SAY ITS A FACT.

I’m not close-minded, I NEVER have been. I have always been open to other people’s thoughts and opinions, its when its done in an inappropriate manner that I turn my nose at it and look away. People have to understand that when you’re an adult, you need to conduct yourself like one and learn how to address other people like one.

This is conducted by yelling at people on the Internet for not liking your stories.

You cannot just act childish when you come across something that you DO NOT approve of,

*She-Elf's internal irony meter breaks* OW! MY BRAIN! *Falls over*

you’re only making yourself look bad and that can affect you later on in life.

*Broken irony meter sputters*

AGH. It hurts. My kingdom for a healing potion!

Acting childish and ranting and raving is something I’d expect a little kid would do when he doesn’t get his way. When an adult acts childish over stupid things, that’s looked down upon, and considered to be unhealthy.

*Broken irony meter starts spazzing. The She-Elf feebly points upward at the wall of allcaps rant*

I have seen far too many reviews left for me where the reviewers are just ranting and raving like little kids over this story because they do not like it. It is only making them look stupid and is very unhealthy. I fear that these people have some serious emotional problems if they get that upset over a story. People in control of their emotions and have also obtained some sort of common sense, NEVER let little things get them all riled up.

*Irony meter dies*

...I wonder if I should be worried more at the numbness, instead of the pain...

*Pulls herself back into the chair*

It is very sad when one that is supposed to be an adult, cannot handle them like one. I was NEVER angry with the reviewers not liking the story, it’s how they handled themselves when leaving me the reviews. Getting riled up, ranting and raving, screaming and spitting nails over this story is what has caused me to get upset, not the fact that they didn’t like it.

See, I would take you more seriously, if you hadn't gone on an allcaps rant. I do this because I like Mystery Science Theater 3000. I'm afraid that you're actually serious.

Also as a side note, I NEVER physically hurt ANYONE with this story.

I beg to differ.

I got one reviewer that said. “Oh God please stop writing, your hurting everyone.” Now I want to know where I physically touched that person.

Because the only pain is clearly physical. I'm not saying there's actual pain involved, here, but implying that I have to be stabbed to be in pain is a little stupid.

I want to know how I’m twisting anyone’s arms to read this. I have never done anything of the sort in any way, shape or form and I DO NOT appreciate being accused of that! If you’re emotionally hurt over this, its your fault not mine.

Because it's not your fault if you call people you think have low self-esteem immature, selfish, and so on. They obviously made you insult them so to injure their already low self-esteems so they could enjoy the sweet pain of verbal abuse.

I’m sorry if it did, but I have placed several warnings describing the content of this story and if you know what it contains and you do not like this type of material, then why are you reading it? I do not appreciate getting accused for other people’s actions. It is your choice as the reader to read the content of this story and it is not my fault if it upsets you when you knew from the gecko what it contained. So please DO NOT flame me about it.
I also feel like a schoolteacher teaching a bunch of little kids. And I find that this really wasn’t necessary and shouldn’t have had to come to this, but it is very hard when your reviewers have forgotten how to conduct themselves like adults.

I'm sick of repeating my previous jokes and points. So, have some kittens on a roomba.

If you honestly think that being malicious is a good thing and that you’re not wrong in doing so, well then your blinded by your own selfish pride. People with common sense learn how to take responsibility for themselves and are able to admit when their wrong.

Their wrong what?

Or did you forget that "their" is possessive and takes an object while "they're" means "they are"?

I have found that many of the reviewers that have left me malicious reviews honestly believe that its appropriate behavior for an adult.

A theorized example of the reviews Link's Queen received:

"DEAR COCKFLUTE:

I AM OFFENDED BY THE CONTENT OF YOUR STORY. IT IS TERRIBLE AND IT MADE MY LUNGS EXPLODE. STOP WRITING OR I WILL DROP YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND THE WORLD IN A VAT OF ACID.

I AM TWENTY FIVE AND I BELIEVE IT IS MY RIGHT TO THREATEN PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET. THIS IS CLEARLY APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR FOR ADULTS AND YOU CAN QUOTE ME AS BELIEVING THAT IN EIGHT PAGES OF RANTING.

SINCERELY,
AN EGOMANIAC FULL OF SELFISH PRIDE WHO IS OBVIOUSLY AN ADULT ON FANFICTION.NET"

When it really is that they are too self-absorbed in themselves to admit their wrong. Again that results from selfish pride. One to scared to admit in front of others that they just might be wrong.

Where are you getting this? Psychology 101 For The Overassuming Crazy Person?

Also, how can any of you hold any right to call Jenna conceited when in reality, your contradicting yourself by being conceited as well? Being conceited is again selfish pride and being self-absorbed.

...what? Y- Bu-...

And now for something that makes more sense than Link's Queen.

And yes, it is and always will be a fact that most of the reviewers have been conceited and very contradictive. Please DO NOT leave me a review that only contradicts what you are trying to preach. You should in reality, take your own advice.

Speaking of taking your own advice, do you plan on removing your insane rant and conducting yourself like an adult?

(The answer is no.)

Again I find it very ridiculous that this had to be as long as it is,

So do we. Do I have time for a "Get on with it" gag? I think I do.

but it is due to the fact that people not conducting themselves appropriately. Also if I do receive any more malicious reviews, with screaming, spitting nails or ranting and raving over this story because you do not like it then are to self-absorbed to admit that acting like that is wrong, well then you have proven my point! All of this is very self-explanatory!

Which is why you had to "explain" it for eleven hours.

Now PLEASE DO NOT READ ON if you DO NOT plan on leaving me a review appropriately!

Total Word Count: 2,204

I look at this, and I can only think "WHY?" Why would you write this? It's badly written, overly sensitive, and overly aggressive. This sort of aggression trying to make "malicious comments" stop is actually more likely to do the opposite.

Keep that in mind, sane writers: writing long, aggressive author notes trying to get negative reviews to stop rarely stops those negative reviews. Take the criticism, throw out the negativity. I'm not saying "don't get bothered," because some people DO take it too far (delete or flag those, depending on the site you post your material on). However, throwing a fit online really won't fix anything for a number of reasons.

Finally, don't post your wet dreams as fan fiction on the Internet. It really isn't a good idea, as you'll see reading this story.

Namárië.

On the Comfort of Bigots

DarklordIIID says:
For the record, this is the first I've ever heard of homophobia from [Ryuu]. He never mentioned anything against gays in any of our conversations. ... Again, it's everywhere, and hardly that evident in Ryuu's writing, his characters, or himself for that matter.

Guideline 6: Homosexuality
Though we do not deny you the right to create such a character, please be aware that others may be offended by such an act. We wish not to make any members uncomfortable, so if you do wish to make such a character, please refrain from any inappropriate behaviors.

And by "any members", he means of the non-LGBT sort.

The pleas that Ryuu isn't homophobic because he doesn't outright state that he hates gay people can be put to rest with this one rule. This rule makes evident that Ryuu is not only homophobic and heterosexist, but he believes that the "discomfort" that bigots feel when they're reminded that gay people exist is greater and more worthy of consideration than the hurt that gay people feel when they're -- once again -- excluded and made to feel "othered" and less of a person.

This is, of course, because Ryuu is accustomed to the privilege that goes with being a middle-class, straight, Christian, (presumably white) cisgender male in America. He is used to having the status quo cater to him and those like him, and therefore, is used to the automatic assumption that his wants, needs, and comforts supersede those who live outside what he perceives as "normal" and "good." "Hey, you other people. I know society revolves around me 99% of the time anyway, but would you mind thinking about how I feel, for a change? Thanks."

He doesn't consider the effects on others of saying things like:

And even so, I believe the vast of us are straight, so we'd best not want to make everyone else uncomfortable, yes? Just a thought.

Effects such as the feeling that just because someone is a minority, their discomfort is unworthy of consideration. That because more people are straight, their feelings are superior.

That because someone is not straight, they are less than human.

Ryuu's privilege means he doesn't have to deal with being excluded. He doesn't have to know that exclusion hurts. The feeling that you aren't worth being around, that you are less than human, that you are "other", that you are inconsequential and unworthy of consideration just because you are different hurts like a punch in the stomach, except it goes right down into your soul. This is something that straight, white, Christian, American, cisgender males like Ryuu generally don't have to deal with.

StolenFayth said:
I can see why Ryo made the rule. It [homosexuality] may make other members uncomfortable, or it may really upset some people. So it's more for the good then the bad.

It's little wonder, then, that he thinks it's very important that his straight, Christian sensibilities not be disturbed, over all others, because that's the top priority that they "deserve". Hence, the rule is "more for the good [than] the bad"; it's more "good" for you LGBT folks to acknowledge these needs over your own -- or, at least, it's less "bad" to sacrifice your own personhood than to make him feel uncomfortable with your presence.

Of course, there are many straight, white, Christian, American, cisgender males in this country who share this same privilege, but don't go out of their way to exclude and dehumanize minorities with words like, "Your presence makes us uncomfortable, so think about our feelings." Obviously, it's not a requirement to be an oppressive bigot, and to see your personal feelings as superior to the feelings of those who don't share your particular position as a member of the social majority. Ryuu really has no excuse, here.

StolenFayth said:
Everyone has their own views, their own beliefs, and to call them on it, and say it's wrong, is what makes this society unbelievably doomed.

Let's try a little experiment, shall we? Let's change the wording of that rule a little bit:

"Guideline 6: Non-Whites
Though we do not deny you the right to create such a character, please be aware that others may be offended by such an act. We wish not to make any members uncomfortable, so if you do wish to make such a character, please refrain from any inappropriate behaviors."

How do these sound, now?

"I can see why Ryo made the rule. It may make other members uncomfortable, or it may really upset some people. So it's more for the good then the bad."

"There are those of us in ZEJ who finds the [non-white skin] quite disturbing. ... And even so, I believe the vast of us are [white], so we'd best not want to make everyone else uncomfortable, yes? Just a thought."

"From what I know, the people who actually RP here in the zelda section (Princess Zelda and me) are disturbed by that. So, if this just isn't an option for you, I'd like to lay down a couple of extra rules for you specificly.
Namely, please do not flirt with [white] characters of other people. I can't say anyone will like you if you do this.
And if you can minimize such... activity, it'd greatly be appreciated."

"Yes, I am greatly disturbed by it. I'm not afraid to say so."

Would anyone deny the blatant racism, if this rule was against non-white characters instead of gay characters? I think not.

I hope not.

So, why is it different for gay people? Is it because gay people are incapable of feelings? Is it because gay people are less human?

StolenFayth said:
Zismo, you have your beliefs, Ryo his. Do not critisize people on the way they were raised. It goes no where. This is how wars start. Hitler, anyone?

Banned User said:
Good point, Hitler.
He also hated a group of people, look what happened!

...Okay, there's really no other reason for this quote than to laugh at the phenomenal irony of comparing Hitler to speaking out against prejudice.

Armor: Part Feower: Gold and Silver

Le suilon.

While trying to collect sources on gold armor, I discovered that I hate Runescape, due to it being one of apparently a few computer games that allow gold armor.

As such, I have limited sources to work with, save my basic knowledge of armor and my basic knowledge of the properties of gold.

Gold is decent to work with and useful for many things. It is the most non-reactive of metals and does not rust or corrode in the weather.

It is used in electronics, too, as the third most conductive metal.

It is highly malleable and ductile, which allows it to be beaten thin and drawn into threads without breaking.

However, it is a soft metal. Here's a mild exercise in logic: does soft metal sound like it makes decent armor?

Steel is not known for being malleable, yet it was popular in later armored eras. In fact, a common goal in smithing was to make metals harder. Again - gold is a soft metal. You be the judge in that.

Gold is also dense, having a relatively heavy weight. In fact, very few metals are heavier than gold. The only one I can think of is lead.

Sport/ceremonial armors - as in, armor for things like ceremonial jousting matches, could be heavier and clunkier, because speed wasn't a concern. It was only there to be absolutely certain no one was grievously injured in the match. (Of course, here, gold is still unwise because of it's softness.)

However, in combat, defense had to be balanced with endurance and agility. Some highly crafted plate was even as light as twenty pound for full plate. As I mentioned previously, a man in a full suit could, in well made plate, perform somersaults.

Heavy armor wears out the wearer faster. It also impedes faster movement. While armor does protect from injuries, it is not impenetrable. There are quite a few good tactics for getting in-between the seams for plate, getting under chain, and so on.

Mobility combined with reasonable defenses is sometimes better than some ideal of impenetrable armor. And in long battles, the less weight on your sword arm the better. If the other man can outmatch you in stamina, it may not matter how impenetrable your armor is.

While I love chain, let's be clear on one thing: one of the biggest benefits with plate armor, aside from the blunt weapon protection, is that it is of lighter weight with far better weight distribution.

If you make armor out of something significantly heavier than other metals, you've ruined that benefit. In addition, by using a heavy and SOFT metal, you've reduced the benefits of wearing a rigid armor, in the first place.

Rigid armor needs to keep its shape. While it could be argued that gold is easier to shape, that only means it's not as capable of holding its shape.

If I complain less about silver, it's because silver could arguably have benefits in a fantasy setting due to the folklore around it as a pure and holy metal. However, I will point out that this argument is somewhat invalid as an armor instead of as a charm or a weapon.

Silver is still on the heavier end of metals. It also tarnishes easily (that nasty kind of blackened look silver sometimes gets is the tarnish). It isn't as soft as gold, but it still isn't a hard metal.

Namárië.

Homophobia and Homophobic Beliefs Are the Same Thing (aka Ryuu's Straight Pride Part Deux)

Ryuu states:
"I think one thing might be that some may find it hard to distinguish 'homophobia' and 'standing up for your beliefs'. ...
But yeah, if Gay Pride can be protected, Straight Pride should be protected too. (And you're so right about the culture thing)"

Siiigh...

Well, goodie. I go on vacation for a little while, and now I have to come back and talk about this, again. Apparently, my first attempt at explaining the problem wasn't good enough. I shall try to rectify that this time.

Indeed, it may be true that when Ryuu and others express anti-gay sentiments, they are "standing up for [their] beliefs". The problem is that these beliefs that they're standing up for are bigoted and homophobic. Honestly, I don't understand how he thinks this is a good justification for anything. If his beliefs are homophobic, then he is homophobic for holding them. He is standing up for homophobic beliefs. There is nothing to distinguish.

Here's a little fun fact: once upon a time, not so very long ago, people used the same arguments against racial desegregation that they do now against homosexuality. Don't believe me? Here's a sample. This part in particular rings a bit familiar, no?

"Tells of “God’s Decree”
Justice Glenn Terrell, dean of the court, wrote a defense of segregation in an opinion concurring with the majority holding. He said that the United States supreme court in ordering desegregation in public schools had “reversed a decree of God Almighty.”

“When God created man he allotted each race to his own continent according to color — Europe to the white man, Asia to the yellow man, Africa to the black man and America to the red man,” wrote Terrell.

“But now we are advised that God was in error and must be reversed.”

This judge is also "standing up for [his] beliefs", is he not? But if he said "I think one thing might be that some may find it hard to distinguish 'racism' and 'standing up for your beliefs'," would any sensible person today accept that? I don't think so. I assume -- I hope -- they would call it what it is: racism.

So, why should I, or anyone else, accept Ryuu's paltry justification for homophobia? Why does he willingly hold onto, and stand up for, homophobic beliefs if he isn't homophobic himself, especially when there are millions of Christians who don't think homophobia is in line with their religion?

Ryuu, your beliefs are homophobic, period. You can stand up for them all you like, but that makes you a bigot. You can try to play wordgames to get out of that, but those who carry a lick of sense will see right through it. Claiming that they're your beliefs is not a get-out-of-scrutiny-free pass. Beliefs are not untouchable and unquestionable. If racism is not justifiable by religious beliefs, then neither is homophobia.

Yes, Gay Pride is protected -- by our First Amendment right to free speech. It's a statement against people who "stand up for [the] beliefs" that gay people are disgusting reprobates that deserve to be ostracized and punished for being gay. It's a statement against people like you, Ryuu. Straight Pride makes about as much sense as White Pride, and is just about as reprehensible in good society. What do straight people have to be protected against? Is straight marriage going to be outlawed at any moment? Do you feel fear every time someone asks about your relationship? Do you wonder if your boss will fire you if he finds out you're straight? Do you have to worry about "BREEDER" being spraypainted on your front door, or that you might be killed for walking arm-in-arm with your girlfriend in public?

It's not enough that American society caters to straight people, that everyone is assumed by default to be straight, and that no one has ever had to worry about how society will treat them if it was found out that they were straight. It seems the simple reminder that non-heterosexual people exist and are oppressed is an attack on heterosexuality, and that when bigots are called on their bigotry, it's not because they're bigoted, but because their critics are heterophobic. What a load of bollocks.

Anyone who has ever invoked Straight Pride always did it as a negative response to Gay Pride. Doesn't that strike you as odd, folks? Even a little?

Ryuu's wrong about one more thing, too: Straight Pride is protected. It's a statement as well, just as protected by the First Amendment as Gay Pride. But just because one has the right to express Straight Pride, and just because one has the right to stand up for homophobic beliefs, doesn't mean he can't be called out as the homophobe that he is, nor does it mean that he is immune to criticism and scrutiny. After all, racist statements are protected speech, too, but everyone with good sense recognizes how deplorable racism is and doesn't tolerate it. People can, and will, still call out racism as a tool of ignorance and hate, just as they should for homophobia. That one has the right to say or believe something doesn't make that belief acceptable or good.

Homophobia and the anti-gay beliefs that Ryuu claims to be standing up for are one and the same. As unjust, ugly excuses for oppressing people, they're not worth standing up for, and I find it appalling that he thinks they are.

Ryuu, by making these statements, you give fuel to the belief that religion is a shelter for hate and bigotry. Is that really the attitude you want to foster?

Character Sheets: Footwear

Le suilon.

Some people interviewing candidates for jobs will judge by the shoes a person wears. Well, I can't speak for what criteria they use, neither do I advocate it being the only criteria, but it isn't altogether a bad idea. Some shoes are just impractical and illogical.

Ninjas don't wear tap shoes, for example.

In role playing, a character's footwear doesn't have to be explicitly mentioned in the character sheet, but it should be given at least a thought. Different types of footwear are more suited to different activities and fit in to different cultures.

My major inspiration for this post was actually a common poor choice in more... artistic mediums (photography, sketches, etc.). A somewhat common occurrence I see in female adventurer art is that they wear high heeled shoes or boots (as though it cancels out the insanity that way).

High heels were worn by both genders throughout history - to boost their height as a show of status, most often. During one historical period, they were used to help in horse riding. So, I can't logically tell you that no character should ever wear high heels.

HOWEVER, adventurers should not wear high heels. Just a little research shows that they're not the best for athletic endeavors - and that they're not really very healthy, long-term, at all.

Just take a look at this diagram.

Now, I could rant about how high heels are bad, for the rest of this entry, but I won't. Instead, I'll suggest looking at the footwear of people who do manual labor and different shoes worn by different kinds of athletes. This helps explain what manner of footwear is best for what activity.

Practicality is the main concern, of course, but remember that historical and cultural context also counts. Would a peasant in a European or European-inspired culture wear geta, for example? It is not very likely.

Shoes don't make the man, but different shoes do have their purposes and this should be taken into consideration. It can make your character more authentic and less likely to break her ankle running from that band of orcs your DM may set against you.

Namárië.

Armor: Part Thri: Parts of Chain

Le suilon.Reader, hello! You know what you want to read about? Chain armor! Yes you do!

Here's a quick recap of definitions:

Hauberk: A chain shirt that reaches the knee.
Haubergeon: A chain shirt that reaches the middle of the thigh.
Byrnie: A chain shirt that reaches only the waist.

Now, usually, when one thinks of chainmail, one thinks of a chain shirt only, or occasionally a chain shirt accompanied with a hood thing called a coif Now, note that a coif can refer to other things, so you'll have to make sure that the reader knows that it is a chain coif.

The collar that hangs from the coif is called an aventail (also: carnail).

Now, I actually had to look that up, myself, because I rarely see a coif without all the extra hangings. That just goes to show that you could always use more research.

The coif acts like a helmet while the aventail protects the neck and adds some extra protection to the shoulders. As with all helmet-like objects, I think it looks silly.

However, I love chain, so I think it looks less silly. Besides, neck protection is always good, and since the aventail hangs from the coif, it seems a bit more unavoidable to wear a coif to use it.

However, the difference between the aventail and the gorget or beavor is that one does not require a plate helmet to wear a plate neck protector.

Though, there are mail collars (called pixanes) that can be worn without the coif. These offer some protection to the lower neck and add additional protection to the shoulders.

These are sexy looking. Yes. I don't care if they protect less of the neck than aventails.

Anyway, back to parts of armor.

Chain leggings are called chausses and either covered up to the knee, or much farther up to protect the whole leg. I suppose how much it covered depended on what kind of chain shirt one was wearing, but, just to be safe, I'd probably personally wear the whole leg covering. Just in case someone got under my shirt, yanno.

Always protect that femoral artery, kids!

Chain gloves/mittens are called mitons. Easy to remember.

Next time, there will be a special entry on gold armor and why it doesn't make sense.

Namárië.

Character Sheets: Personality

Le suilon.

Often, whenever character sheets list personalities, I find some sort of problem with it being one-dimensional, contradictory, too detailed, or not detailed enough. This is because there's a delicate balance. It has to be believable, while still being general.

Personalities are hard to write in character sheets, because people are not very likely to be confined into one or two sentences.

Being too specific can result in contradictory sounding personalities. This is because people typically react differently under different circumstances. Allow me to quote fromCharacter Sheet: Domi...

Personality: It seems he has weak nerves, as he's rather skittish and is prone to resorting to panic. There are times when he gains sudden courage and will try to be the hero - but so far, it's only caused trouble.

It would be nice to know under what circumstances he “gains sudden courage,” so that this doesn’t leave open an excuse to change the character’s behavior at random, freely.

The only thing I wanted specified was circumstance, because some people may find it unfavorable to play a more timid character. I am not against a character reacting differently under pressure, but it really depends on what kind of pressure it is. It would be so disappointing for someone to just discard the nervousness and timidness of a character. It's such a rare trait to find, and I like that trait.

However, most people do have circumstances under which they react differently. I treat people differently when I know they're racist, for example. Sometimes, I treat people more positively when they wear Old Spice, because it makes me think of my grandpa and it's soothing.

Some readers will refuse to believe this, but I am not all critical bitch. That is merely one part of me. I tend to largely be sarcastic, but I am also softhearted (yes, I hear you cry "bullshit," and "yeah right." Whatever. It's true).

However, like some people will call bullshit because they don't see me under various circumstances, people will see contradictions in longer, more detailed personalities because these personality sheets are still not detailed enough to show without even more awkward explanations why these are not just plain contradictions.

It's hard to make a concise personality that sounds believable without also sounding flat. It's nearly impossible to capture most characters' personalities in full, in just a personality description. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try, if you include personality in your character sheet.

Really, the best advice is to keep it simple, but not so simple that the personality feels totally flat - perhaps somewhat generic, maybe. This takes working and reworking, sometimes, as it tends to in writing, to get the wording just right.

If possible, role play with that character, first, and then get a better feel for that character's personality. Having actual action behind your character makes it feel more tangible and easier to write out in a summation on a character sheet.

If you never get it right, don't worry. It's not the end of the world, because it isn't necessary to the character sheet. Remember what I said about details.

Namárië.

Armor: Part Twa: Parts of Plate

Le suilon.

I hope you're all ready to learn more about armor! If not, go away. I'm not teaching people who don't want to be taught.

Today, I'm very quickly and lazily going over parts of plate armor. There are plenty of diagrams, if you search for them. It isn't hard. The diagrams make is easy to pick up and understand. I will also include a link that goes over parts of armor, so I won't be covering a lot personally.

Essentially, I'm here to help start things, or offer quick references - not here to do all the research.

Obviously, this leaves off the helmet. Now, I personally don't like helmets because I think they look stupid and cut off too much peripheral vision to be worth the protection. I realize this is stupid, because it protects your head, and you should certainly have wiser opinions than me.

My characters don't wear much armor, anyway, because games with D&D rules have trained me not to - wearing armor increases chances of spell failures for magical characters, if the characters can even wear armor without sacrificing a feat point. Blahblah, I'm lame, blahblah.

Additionally, there are a wide variety of helmets in different styles for different purposes. From my knowledge, helmets typically have a slit for vision, sometimes a visor that can be lifted and lowered.

For reference, here is another diagram I found that includes the helmet and neck guard.

Moving on.

There are a lot of terms to go over, and this is only a survey. So, I'll mostly be leaving it to various diagrams and the reader's individual ability to search for definitions.

A very good guide for definitions would be the Weapons and Armour Guide. It's easier than me restating information, though I will restate that it is not all comprehensive. It's a basic reference and remember that there's always room for more research.

It also includes information on some different helmet types for those of you who don't want to be beheaded.

So, when you read a sentence like:

His shoulders are covered with two joined pieces of gold armor.

The creator's most likely talking about the pauldron, most likely. This could connect to the gardbrace - a part of armor on the left arm giving extra protection to the left shoulder during jousting matches.

Also note that there is a difference between a gauntlet (an armored glove) and a bracer (also called: vambrace). The bracer protects the forearm, and is a very common piece of armor for archers but is not exclusive to them.

The gauntlet rarely protects much past the wrist.

Next time, I will briefly offer information on parts of chain armor. Chain armor is awesome. There may be less pictures and more talking.

Namárië.