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MSPA: not much happening, unkillable demons on break

tynictynic PICNIC BADASSRegistered User, ClubPA regular
edited January 2012 in Social Entropy++
Nannasprite: "You will soon delve even deeper into a realm of Warring Royalty in a Timeless Expanse. A realm of Agents and Exiles and Consorts and Kernelsprites. Of toiling Underlings and slumbering Denizens. A realm where four will gather ..."

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wait, these four? who are these douchebags? No, no, this won't do at all.

Let's rewind.
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Your name is JOHN EGBERT, and today you will RISE UP.

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Your name is ROSE LALONDE, and today you will DESCEND.

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Your name is JADE HARLEY, and today you will WAKE.

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Dave_Strider.png

Your name is DAVE STRIDER, and today you will TAKE A LEGENDARY PIECE OF SHIT.

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Are you a new reader? You might find the following informative!

What is Homestuck, anyway?

A multimedia internet based extravaganza.
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A sprawling narrative encompassing all of space and time ... and more. Oh, and frogs are important.
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A story about coming of age and the meaning of friendship.
tumblr_lejnsgJnGr1qd80v3o1_500.jpg

A tale orchestrated by one man,
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but executed by dozens ...
http://www.mspaintadventures.com/soundcredits.html
http://www.mspaintadventures.com/artcredits.html

or perhaps, thousands?
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Also, it's a webcomic. The current iteration of the MSPA brand.

Ok, then what's MSPA?

I'm going to let the Big Man handle this one :
There are two key points to understand! They are:

1) MSPA stories exist in the format of "mock games", specifically text-based adventure games. You advance through the pages of the story by clicking links which sound like commands you would type in a text prompt to get a character to do something. Generally, the character will respond to that command on the following page.

2) MSPA stories are largely "reader-driven", in the sense that most of the text commands were supplied by readers through a suggestion box. I would select a command from the list, and then illustrate the result of the command.

When I say "largely reader driven", I mean this approach has undergone a lot of evolution from adventure to adventure, and continues to even now. I'll try to give a sense of what the process was for each adventure.

Jailbreak: This was the first adventure, one I started well before the MSPA site existed. I created it on a forum, where people would post suggestions in replies to the thread. My policy was to always take the first suggestion no matter what, which naturally lead to a very haphazard feel to the story's progression. I also experimented with "branching" the story at one point, splitting it into two paths. But then I quickly brought those two paths back together.

I left Jailbreak unfinished. And it's probably fine that way, as a sort of rambling, silly initial experiment with the storytelling format. I doubt I'll go back to finish it.

Bardquest: This was the first adventure I started after launching MSPA.com, back when I had the "choose your own adventure" format in mind for the site as the primary storying device, in addition to the reader-driven feature with a new on-site suggestion box. But the multiple paths turned out to be quite difficult for me to keep up with, and overall, probably pretty hard for readers to digest as well, especially with a longer story.

Mercifully, this one never made it that far. I chalk it up as an interesting failed experiment, and one that I surely won't go back to finish. After halting BQ, I left the site to gather dust for about six months, then started it up again with Problem Sleuth.

Problem Sleuth: By far the longest adventure, and only complete one to date. When I started, I revised the approach, completely scrapping the multiple paths concept except in a few minor instances. I also started being more selective with the suggestions, not necessarily always picking the first one in the box. This made for a more controlled style of action, allowing elements of planning and puzzle solving, while still creating a pretty whimsical feel to the adventure.

But I feel MSPA evolved in many more ways than that over the daunting span of Problem Sleuth (exactly one year, in fact). The nature of the parody drifted away from text-adventures exclusively to playing off many other sorts of gaming genres, like RPGs, fighting games, etc. The visual style progressed as well, as I started incorporating more and more animated frames and over the top battle sequences. And the reader-driven element shifted very gradually as well, especially as the story took on more readers.

When a story begins to get thousands of suggestions, paradoxically, it becomes much harder to call it truly "reader-driven". This is simply because there is so much available, the author can cherry-pick from what's there to suit whatever he might have in mind, whether he's deliberately planning ahead or not. But as it happened, I was planning ahead much more as the story neared its end, and I would tend to A) pick commands that suited what I had in mind, or B) just call a spade a spade and outright MAKE UP a command for an idea I had, which I did most often for many of the later attacks (like the Sleuth Diplomacy variations, Comb Raves, etc).

Toward the end, the suggestion box was mostly used as a go-to for the frivolous, funny tangential stuff, and rarely anything story-changing. I've come to view this as the only realistic practice for a site with this format, with this many readers. This practice carried over to the next adventure, right from the start.

Homestuck: The adventure I'm currently working on, with a pretty radically different approach from the way the previous adventures started, mostly in the sense that many elements are already preplanned. I don't know if I intended to make a big point of this as huge a paradigm shift for the site. It was more that I started getting ideas for the next adventure well before Problem Sleuth ended, and those ideas just kept cropping up. Much like with crafting the conclusion for Problem Sleuth, the planning just couldn't be helped!

So the use of user commands has been handled in a similar way, insofar as they contribute to a direction I want the story to go in, or to simply produce a humorous tangential effect (which can sometimes lead to story developments I don't anticipate anyway!) But the point is, the reader-driven aspect of MSPA is still in a state evolution, and truthfully is probably drifting away from being a very important factor in the way the story is structured.

It is manifesting in other interesting ways though. With HS I introduced the incorporation of music into the story, and the production of this music has been a collaborative effort among readers. Other ideas and resources like funny images, game mechanic concepts, etc, have made it into the story outside of the institutionalized structure of the suggestion box. I also picked the characters' names from reader input. There are lots of ways I will inject reader input into stories, and finding out how will be the fun part. But it will almost certainly never resemble the madcap charades of Jailbreak or early Problem Sleuth.

The bottom line is, the MSPA format always seems to be in a state of flux, and I will surely continue to bend my own rules in various ways. Honestly at this stage, I am less excited about the reader-driven aspect than I am about the format that has emerged and somewhat crystallized, which is: telling a story through the vehicle of a mock-game, complete with somewhat convincing and detailed mechanics, but without losing sight of it as a parody. That format has been augmented with the use of Flash animations and interactive pages, which is something I'm sure I'll keep exploring.


Anyway, if you really are a new reader, I guess that was a lot to digest! But even if you're not a new reader, I'm sure you gleaned some insight from that.

As always, thanks for reading!

Ok, blah blah blah, where do I read it?

Hey, there was a link earlier, sparky. Or I guess you could click here:

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Larlar on
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Posts

  • unintentionalunintentional smelly Registered User regular
    but tynic i was almost done my "A Very Supermega MSPA Thread" OP :'(

  • AsharaxxAsharaxx Registered User regular
    That is a pretty, concise and informative OP.



    Where the fuck am I

  • NerdgasmicNerdgasmic __BANNED USERS regular
    post it gary

    you can't ever have too many OPs

    let's see that anime one too

  • BaidolBaidol I will hold him off Escape while you canRegistered User regular
    Death to Homestuck

    Steam Overwatch: Baidol#1957
  • JunpeiJunpei Registered User regular
    See, I read that as Dave Strider taking a legendary shit.

  • Duke 2.0Duke 2.0 Time Trash Cat Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    698vO.jpg

    Alternate post
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    Duke 2.0 on
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  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Junpei wrote:
    See, I read that as Dave Strider taking a legendary shit.

    Also acceptable.

    And there's almost certainly fanart of it somewhere.

  • BaidolBaidol I will hold him off Escape while you canRegistered User regular
    Damn it, Duke.

    Steam Overwatch: Baidol#1957
  • SalSal Damnedest Little Fellow Registered User regular
    Excellent OP, tynic

    I hearby award you this OP Craftsmanship Merit Badge

    xet8c.gif


  • WeedLordVegetaWeedLordVegeta Registered User regular
    users are losers

  • unintentionalunintentional smelly Registered User regular
    petition to change the title to "WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK IS HOMESTUCK"

  • ZayZay yes i am zay Registered User regular
    Ban unintentional?

    sthbuf0g7b7y.png
  • SalSal Damnedest Little Fellow Registered User regular
    petition to change the title to "gary blows" 8-)

    xet8c.gif


  • CrowbawtCrowbawt Member of the Midnight Crew Registered User regular
    Nice OP, tynic!

  • SCREECH OF THE FARGSCREECH OF THE FARG #1 PARROTHEAD margaritavilleRegistered User regular
    tumblr_lwiurqkdoH1r1p3i2o1_500.jpg

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  • unintentionalunintentional smelly Registered User regular
    Sal wrote:
    petition to change the title to "gary blows" 8-)

    i would be down with this

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Sal wrote:
    petition to change the title to "gary blows" 8-)

    Petition taken under consideration.

  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    thank you, tynic

    Thank you for being the shining beacon

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • BaidolBaidol I will hold him off Escape while you canRegistered User regular
    thank you, tynic

    Thank you for being the shining beacon

    Admittedly, the bar is set pretty lower around here.

    Steam Overwatch: Baidol#1957
  • CrowbawtCrowbawt Member of the Midnight Crew Registered User regular
    Anyone want to watch me doodle a Noirlecrow for a little while

  • NerdgasmicNerdgasmic __BANNED USERS regular
    yes.

  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Baidol wrote:
    thank you, tynic

    Thank you for being the shining beacon

    Admittedly, the bar is set pretty lower around here.

    It's basically underground

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • BaidolBaidol I will hold him off Escape while you canRegistered User regular
    Baidol wrote:
    thank you, tynic

    Thank you for being the shining beacon

    Admittedly, the bar is set pretty lower around here.

    It's basically underground

    People do usually bury their shit.

    If they are polite.

    Steam Overwatch: Baidol#1957
  • NerdgasmicNerdgasmic __BANNED USERS regular
    munkus, do you want to see my fanart

  • ASimPersonASimPerson Cold... and hard.Registered User regular
    Now this is an OP :^:

  • Lord_AsmodeusLord_Asmodeus goeticSobriquet: Here is your magical cryptic riddle-tumour: I AM A TIME MACHINERegistered User regular
    Hullis wrote:
    users are losers

    You stole my joke I hate you forever.

    Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if Labor had not first existed. Labor is superior to capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. - Lincoln
  • CrowbawtCrowbawt Member of the Midnight Crew Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Here, why not

    Tell me if the audio doesn't work or if it's choppy

    Crowbawt on
  • VickyBitVickyBit Registered User regular
    this is a good thread hello

  • Day of the BearDay of the Bear The Qun demandsRegistered User regular
    I appreciate this OP

    hello mspa thread

    m6eoUgQ.jpg
  • WietWiet Mao Mao Registered User regular
    Lovely OP.

    Is this the first time we've had Homestuck in the title rather than MSPA?

    XStly.jpg
  • BaidolBaidol I will hold him off Escape while you canRegistered User regular
    So I'm watching Crowbawt art and I'm pretty sure this is witchcraft.

    Steam Overwatch: Baidol#1957
  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Wiet wrote:
    Lovely OP.

    Is this the first time we've had Homestuck in the title rather than MSPA?

    I was looking through Sabre's old OPs and I realised he tended to use Homestuck. It could have gone either way I guess.

  • WietWiet Mao Mao Registered User regular
    Well, first time I've noticed then!

    XStly.jpg
  • Moth 13Moth 13 Registered User regular
    Holy Shit! A good OP! I don't think there's been one of those around here for almost half a year.

  • Moth 13Moth 13 Registered User regular
    Also Tynic, I request you change "who the fuck are these guys?" to; "who are these douchbags?".

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Moth 13 wrote:
    Also Tynic, I request you change "who the fuck are these guys?" to; "who are these douchbags?".

    oh, good point.

  • ASimPersonASimPerson Cold... and hard.Registered User regular
    Moth 13 wrote:
    Holy Shit! A good OP! I don't think there's been one of those around here for almost half a year.

    Aw dang, dissed :?

  • ThetherooThetheroo Registered User regular
    This is the first decent OP in a good long while

  • ZayZay yes i am zay Registered User regular
    Every op is good

    sthbuf0g7b7y.png
  • LanglyLangly Registered User regular
    Uh tynic I am reading this chart correctly and the unique pageviews hover at fucking 1.2 million?

This discussion has been closed.