Anonymous
8/21/2025, 5:22:06 PM
No.103724836
>>103723922
>>103723922
Now I feel kinda bad if that post I wrote was the reason she changed the title.
Since you're probably reading this thread, Leaflit, I think it's good that you take pride in your work, and it's good to keep pursuing creative endeavors, and since you're passionate about Angel's Sword and you want to make it the best you can, I'm gonna give some harsh honesty that you're probably unlikely to hear much. A reality check, if you will.
When reading the setting's description, my eyes kind of glazed over, and I struggled to pay attention to the details when I tried putting into a TTS to just listen to instead. It could be my proclivity for more Soul Eater levels of outlandish world design, but I doubt that since I've enjoyed what I've read of LotR and even enjoy some pretty fucking generic fantasy manga sloppa too, so I don't think this stuff is inherently repellent to me.
These kinds of details like
>Proudly nestled in the western expanse of the peninsula, Westria graces the serene Pacifica Ocean with an extensive stretch of beautiful coastline. This blessed geographic location yields abundant maritime resources and forms a natural barrier, defining the country's unique character and lifestyle.
and
>The country's terrain unfurls as a grand tapestry of undulating landscapes, a mélange of both flat and incredibly hilly plains. These sprawling expanses serve as the stage for the iconic cavalry of Westria, providing them with ideal grounds to showcase their prowess.
Nobody cares. If you want an example of world design that makes people intrigued, look at something like the Western Air Temple in Avatar TLA. It's simple, but shockingly effective, imo. Just taking a mountainside temple design, but flipping it upside down. Ipsen's castle of FFIX being a reversible castle where the bottom is an upside down second top, is another good example.
It's a common trapping, I've found, for creators to assume the audience will care as much about their setting and ideas as they do, but if the ideas are forgettable then the audience will do just that. Like
>The nation is renowned for its formidable military prowess, symbolized by its "Grand Paladins." These elite warriors are legendary for their ability to single-handedly obliterate entire enemy units, an embodiment of both the raw physical power and divine favor of Westria. In addition to their formidable ground forces,
This doesn't really tell us much of anything, beyond "these guys are really strong." To provide an example you'd know about, think about Elbaf. Oda never has to go super into detail to explain why the World Government wants the giants on their side. Nobody has to outright say a giant is a great military asset, because the simple fact they're big enough to simply pick up a galleon and crack it in half, speaks volumes on its own.
I think your passion for your stuff is great, infectious even, but actually reading the website, you've essentially made "a DnD mod." And not like Divinity 1 and 2 were like an offshoot of Baldur's Gate. These are more like "house rules" kind of mods. Which is fine, especially if that's what you're passionate about. But if the entire medium is just ideas and rules, you've gotta give people a reason to want to think about them. eg I'd bet most Anons on this board who do TTRPG'ing would be ecstatic to do a Jojo campaign, where they're assigned Stands and have to figure out how to raid a gang hideout, or something like that, while those same Anons wouldn't really be that interested in trying Angel's Sword.
>>103723922
Now I feel kinda bad if that post I wrote was the reason she changed the title.
Since you're probably reading this thread, Leaflit, I think it's good that you take pride in your work, and it's good to keep pursuing creative endeavors, and since you're passionate about Angel's Sword and you want to make it the best you can, I'm gonna give some harsh honesty that you're probably unlikely to hear much. A reality check, if you will.
When reading the setting's description, my eyes kind of glazed over, and I struggled to pay attention to the details when I tried putting into a TTS to just listen to instead. It could be my proclivity for more Soul Eater levels of outlandish world design, but I doubt that since I've enjoyed what I've read of LotR and even enjoy some pretty fucking generic fantasy manga sloppa too, so I don't think this stuff is inherently repellent to me.
These kinds of details like
>Proudly nestled in the western expanse of the peninsula, Westria graces the serene Pacifica Ocean with an extensive stretch of beautiful coastline. This blessed geographic location yields abundant maritime resources and forms a natural barrier, defining the country's unique character and lifestyle.
and
>The country's terrain unfurls as a grand tapestry of undulating landscapes, a mélange of both flat and incredibly hilly plains. These sprawling expanses serve as the stage for the iconic cavalry of Westria, providing them with ideal grounds to showcase their prowess.
Nobody cares. If you want an example of world design that makes people intrigued, look at something like the Western Air Temple in Avatar TLA. It's simple, but shockingly effective, imo. Just taking a mountainside temple design, but flipping it upside down. Ipsen's castle of FFIX being a reversible castle where the bottom is an upside down second top, is another good example.
It's a common trapping, I've found, for creators to assume the audience will care as much about their setting and ideas as they do, but if the ideas are forgettable then the audience will do just that. Like
>The nation is renowned for its formidable military prowess, symbolized by its "Grand Paladins." These elite warriors are legendary for their ability to single-handedly obliterate entire enemy units, an embodiment of both the raw physical power and divine favor of Westria. In addition to their formidable ground forces,
This doesn't really tell us much of anything, beyond "these guys are really strong." To provide an example you'd know about, think about Elbaf. Oda never has to go super into detail to explain why the World Government wants the giants on their side. Nobody has to outright say a giant is a great military asset, because the simple fact they're big enough to simply pick up a galleon and crack it in half, speaks volumes on its own.
I think your passion for your stuff is great, infectious even, but actually reading the website, you've essentially made "a DnD mod." And not like Divinity 1 and 2 were like an offshoot of Baldur's Gate. These are more like "house rules" kind of mods. Which is fine, especially if that's what you're passionate about. But if the entire medium is just ideas and rules, you've gotta give people a reason to want to think about them. eg I'd bet most Anons on this board who do TTRPG'ing would be ecstatic to do a Jojo campaign, where they're assigned Stands and have to figure out how to raid a gang hideout, or something like that, while those same Anons wouldn't really be that interested in trying Angel's Sword.