So, are you gonna wrap it up here, or is Theo going to get roped into a thousand and one sidequest jobs that explore personal stuff?
Either way, this has been awesome as hell, and you're damn good at this, Chia.
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chiasaur11Never doubt a raccoon.Do you think it's trademarked?Registered Userregular
Chapter 18: The end of the whole mess
Post Enclave Entry 1:
Managed to get everyone back home. Talked EC into doing security for a few weeks, until things settle down. Looks like there'll be some tech allowed this time, and the GECK is working well.
Not what I'd do on all counts, but it seems okay. Good enough to leave and not worry about it.
Entry 2:
Uh... well. Heh. Dear Pip-Boy, I never thought it could happen to me...
Hitched.
Old story. Stop for a night in a small town on the way back home to Vault City. Farmer's beautiful daughter. A few drinks. Shotgun wedding. So, uh... yeah. I'm a married man. I have a feeling that I'm never hearing the end of this.
Entry 3:
Yup. Managed to check back in with the Rangers again. I am now a running gag. Okay, sure, I'm also getting a special commendation from the President, the Brotherhood of Steel is making me an honorary member, and I'm drinking free up and down the Core Region. But none of that matters. Now and forever-more, I am the star of "So, there's this rancher, and a New California Ranger comes and asks...", famed in story and song. On the other hand, well, Miria is good conversation. Among other things.
And life's good. I managed to draw a long term assignment around Vault City, so I can get home fairly often.
Entry 4:
Saw Cassidy. Apparently, he's been trying settling down too. We got drunk. Talked about old times, how "the old lady" nags, how much of Vault City consists of assholes (86%, lower than any previous census). The state of the wasteland. (It's getting better. The den's an honest casino town, apparently. Most of the small towns are talking with the NCR, making deals. Ghouls and mutants are shifting a bit east.)
Apparently, the old gang's split up, but as far as he knows, they're all okay. Nice to hear.
And finally, it turns out, in news that I probably shouldn't tell the missus, I may be a father. New Bishop kid.
Entry 5:
Man, I'm falling behind on this. Haven't written an entry in...
Wow. Didn't think it was that long.
Um... I'm not on field duty with the Rangers now. Just kind of honorary these days. Seeing kids around who ask who I am more often than I see old timers who I can talk about the Enclave campaigns with.
Got my first, well, second kid.(Been sending anonymous letters south to Bishop junior. Know he probably won't read them, but it's stuff I wish my dad told me. Be good, don't go sleeping around if you don't want shotguns leveled at you, if someone asks you to do a simple favor, run in the opposite direction as fast as possible) New kid's a beautiful little girl. She's got her mother's eyes and is smart as a whip already.
Vault City joined the NCR, after some ambitious junior councilman with ties in that direction got Lynette ousted and signed some papers. I'm government now. There are some people wondering why the right honorable senator from Vault City insists on wearing combat armor and carrying a Bozar to meetings, but none of them have the guts to say anything. (Well, the ones from Arroyo just go around with awe that they can meet me in person. Guess my legend is alive and well.) I think I made President Peterson piss himself once.
Won't lie. That was fun.
The world isn't perfect, not even safe, (Tribal maniacs to the East, Brotherhood stirring trouble closer to home, and on and on.) but it looks like it doesn't need me to go out and be a hero to keep going, or for my kids to have good, happy enough lives. I think that's as much as any man can ask.
Okay, maybe I want one of those micro-nuke launchers some people have seen back East. I need to find an excuse to fire one.
Ted.
And that's it. Hope it didn't disappoint, and thanks for reading. More thoughts to be edited in later.
((Oh, and I managed a last extra update to Tactics a bit back. In case anyone cares)
gotta be honest here, this was no where near as good as your FO:T let's play.
It felt rushed and barren.
Honestly, I thought the same thing.
Didn't manage to flesh out supporting characters enough either. There are some bits I liked, but generally, I felt I should have done better, and I didn't.
It was solid. Honestly, I don't know if anything could stand up to the Tactics Lets play, since that actually has a linear story progression, and actual, relevant plot points.
Fallout 2 was very much all over the place. Yeah you had your main story points, but you could finish the game super fast if you wanted, or you could spend an ungodly amount of time doing everything. Hard to find a good balance in there, and I think you did an adequate job.
gotta be honest here, this was no where near as good as your FO:T let's play.
It felt rushed and barren.
Honestly, I thought the same thing.
Didn't manage to flesh out supporting characters enough either. There are some bits I liked, but generally, I felt I should have done better, and I didn't.
It's sort of ironic. FO:T had next to zero story and you managed to put so much detail into everything.
With FO2, a game that can stand on its own without any input from you, you seemed to take the "bottom line" from each city and zip from one to the other, as if you didn't dare or think of changing the original in front of you. From time to time you managed to break away from canon, Goris and "the other smart deathclaw" stand out as an example in my mind.
Perhaps this is too obvious but it's food for thought.
tip.. tip.. TALLY.. HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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chiasaur11Never doubt a raccoon.Do you think it's trademarked?Registered Userregular
gotta be honest here, this was no where near as good as your FO:T let's play.
It felt rushed and barren.
Honestly, I thought the same thing.
Didn't manage to flesh out supporting characters enough either. There are some bits I liked, but generally, I felt I should have done better, and I didn't.
It's sort of ironic. FO:T had next to zero story and you managed to put so much detail into everything.
With FO2, a game that can stand on its own without any input from you, you seemed to take the "bottom line" from each city and zip from one to the other, as if you didn't dare or think of changing the original in front of you. From time to time you managed to break away from canon, Goris and "the other smart deathclaw" stand out as an example in my mind.
Perhaps this is too obvious but it's food for thought.
I think that's part of it, thanks.
The last two LPs, in what has to be the worst kept secret in human history, were pretty much, well, cover banding existing LPs on the forums. I did it because they were good. Thermocaw and Fishman have done exceptional work.
But, somewhere in there, was the arrogant little assumption "I could do better." Not, I should be clear, that I would do better. I'm not saying now that I did. Just that, if I worked very hard, and got very lucky (and luck, I'm not going to kid myself, is a part of creative work as much as anything else.) maybe, just maybe, I could make something better than those who came before me. Then I went, did my best, and the results were the results, for good and ill.
Here? I didn't do that. Not really. When I saw something in Fallout 2 that I wasn't sure about, I shrugged and moved on. I'm not saying my changes would have been for the better (just as likely for the worse), but man. That's bad for creativity. Bad for the work.
I'm not ignoring more basic failures of craft, of course. Again, I could and should have given Cassidy, Vic, and Sulik better characterization if I was going to have them along. I should have worked harder on basic forward momentum. The plot may have been unfocused in basic Fallout 2, but I may have been even worse.
I'm not saying anyone who liked this was wrong. I'm grateful and humbled by the appreciation. But I made mistakes here, and explanations aren't excuses. When and if I do another LP, I'll try to avoid making the same ones. I'll find all new ones instead.
(Also, in what I figure was a derivative flaw, I didn't really bother with figuring out what made the characters tick. I did think of that a fair deal in TFTD, and maybe to excess in Tactics. Like, this is not an exaggeration, I'd figured out the course of half the squad's lives from cradle to grave, wrote exclusively for my own benefit a short story about Farsight's dad, who was years dead when the story started, and on and on. I'll admit it was borderline insanity, but it meant I could slip in and out of their heads. Here, no such effort and it shows.)
Well man, take a break and get refreshed. You also have done three awesome LP's back to back to back. And the tactics one, I dare say, was a step above Thermoclaw's. Plus, I mean, you did freakin TFTD. That can't be understated.
In many ways, you just overworked yourself, dude. Take a chill, relax, come at something else a little fresher.
Speaking personally, narrative LPs like yours are my favorite of all. And I feel they work best when one is willing to, well, just go a little fanficcy. Bring in shitloads of extra detail, mod stuff in if need be, cut loose and go wild and turn the actual content being covered into little more than a springboard. Which is what you did wonderfully with the Tactics LP.
First, if you don't mind a recommendation, I'd like to suggest Jerusalem's GTA:SA LP, which fits into that same style. It's very, VERY good, my personal favorite LP of all time.
Second up, seriously, dude, take a breather. At least a couple weeks. Let an idea really percolate in your skull, and when it's boiling over, do it awesomely. Or if you just have to do one, maybe a casual commentary video style thing, to let your narrative muscles still rest.
I would like to apologize if anything I've said here has been too forward or has offended you in any way. You do damn good work, and I'd hate to see that go away in the name of grinding things out.
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chiasaur11Never doubt a raccoon.Do you think it's trademarked?Registered Userregular
Nah.
I probably do need someone telling me to take a break. Makes it easier to go for one.
Thanks. And Merry Christmas to all.
(On an unrelated note, was doing some number crunching on Fallout Tactics when my grey matter had nothing better to do. A tip: If you can get Jim Grimm, do it, and get him Psychotic as his next perk. Then, give him a burst fire weapon. On psycho and afterburn, he can fire miniguns, Ma Deuce, and rocket launchers for just 2 action points, is borderline immune to damage, and has more action points than anyone else.)
Posts
Either way, this has been awesome as hell, and you're damn good at this, Chia.
Managed to get everyone back home. Talked EC into doing security for a few weeks, until things settle down. Looks like there'll be some tech allowed this time, and the GECK is working well.
Not what I'd do on all counts, but it seems okay. Good enough to leave and not worry about it.
Entry 2:
Uh... well. Heh. Dear Pip-Boy, I never thought it could happen to me...
Hitched.
Old story. Stop for a night in a small town on the way back home to Vault City. Farmer's beautiful daughter. A few drinks. Shotgun wedding. So, uh... yeah. I'm a married man. I have a feeling that I'm never hearing the end of this.
Entry 3:
Yup. Managed to check back in with the Rangers again. I am now a running gag. Okay, sure, I'm also getting a special commendation from the President, the Brotherhood of Steel is making me an honorary member, and I'm drinking free up and down the Core Region. But none of that matters. Now and forever-more, I am the star of "So, there's this rancher, and a New California Ranger comes and asks...", famed in story and song. On the other hand, well, Miria is good conversation. Among other things.
And life's good. I managed to draw a long term assignment around Vault City, so I can get home fairly often.
Entry 4:
Saw Cassidy. Apparently, he's been trying settling down too. We got drunk. Talked about old times, how "the old lady" nags, how much of Vault City consists of assholes (86%, lower than any previous census). The state of the wasteland. (It's getting better. The den's an honest casino town, apparently. Most of the small towns are talking with the NCR, making deals. Ghouls and mutants are shifting a bit east.)
Apparently, the old gang's split up, but as far as he knows, they're all okay. Nice to hear.
And finally, it turns out, in news that I probably shouldn't tell the missus, I may be a father. New Bishop kid.
Entry 5:
Man, I'm falling behind on this. Haven't written an entry in...
Wow. Didn't think it was that long.
Um... I'm not on field duty with the Rangers now. Just kind of honorary these days. Seeing kids around who ask who I am more often than I see old timers who I can talk about the Enclave campaigns with.
Got my first, well, second kid.(Been sending anonymous letters south to Bishop junior. Know he probably won't read them, but it's stuff I wish my dad told me. Be good, don't go sleeping around if you don't want shotguns leveled at you, if someone asks you to do a simple favor, run in the opposite direction as fast as possible) New kid's a beautiful little girl. She's got her mother's eyes and is smart as a whip already.
Vault City joined the NCR, after some ambitious junior councilman with ties in that direction got Lynette ousted and signed some papers. I'm government now. There are some people wondering why the right honorable senator from Vault City insists on wearing combat armor and carrying a Bozar to meetings, but none of them have the guts to say anything. (Well, the ones from Arroyo just go around with awe that they can meet me in person. Guess my legend is alive and well.) I think I made President Peterson piss himself once.
Won't lie. That was fun.
The world isn't perfect, not even safe, (Tribal maniacs to the East, Brotherhood stirring trouble closer to home, and on and on.) but it looks like it doesn't need me to go out and be a hero to keep going, or for my kids to have good, happy enough lives. I think that's as much as any man can ask.
Okay, maybe I want one of those micro-nuke launchers some people have seen back East. I need to find an excuse to fire one.
Ted.
And that's it. Hope it didn't disappoint, and thanks for reading. More thoughts to be edited in later.
((Oh, and I managed a last extra update to Tactics a bit back. In case anyone cares)
Why I fear the ocean.
It felt rushed and barren.
Honestly, I thought the same thing.
Didn't manage to flesh out supporting characters enough either. There are some bits I liked, but generally, I felt I should have done better, and I didn't.
Why I fear the ocean.
Fallout 2 was very much all over the place. Yeah you had your main story points, but you could finish the game super fast if you wanted, or you could spend an ungodly amount of time doing everything. Hard to find a good balance in there, and I think you did an adequate job.
It's sort of ironic. FO:T had next to zero story and you managed to put so much detail into everything.
With FO2, a game that can stand on its own without any input from you, you seemed to take the "bottom line" from each city and zip from one to the other, as if you didn't dare or think of changing the original in front of you. From time to time you managed to break away from canon, Goris and "the other smart deathclaw" stand out as an example in my mind.
Perhaps this is too obvious but it's food for thought.
I think that's part of it, thanks.
The last two LPs, in what has to be the worst kept secret in human history, were pretty much, well, cover banding existing LPs on the forums. I did it because they were good. Thermocaw and Fishman have done exceptional work.
But, somewhere in there, was the arrogant little assumption "I could do better." Not, I should be clear, that I would do better. I'm not saying now that I did. Just that, if I worked very hard, and got very lucky (and luck, I'm not going to kid myself, is a part of creative work as much as anything else.) maybe, just maybe, I could make something better than those who came before me. Then I went, did my best, and the results were the results, for good and ill.
Here? I didn't do that. Not really. When I saw something in Fallout 2 that I wasn't sure about, I shrugged and moved on. I'm not saying my changes would have been for the better (just as likely for the worse), but man. That's bad for creativity. Bad for the work.
I'm not ignoring more basic failures of craft, of course. Again, I could and should have given Cassidy, Vic, and Sulik better characterization if I was going to have them along. I should have worked harder on basic forward momentum. The plot may have been unfocused in basic Fallout 2, but I may have been even worse.
I'm not saying anyone who liked this was wrong. I'm grateful and humbled by the appreciation. But I made mistakes here, and explanations aren't excuses. When and if I do another LP, I'll try to avoid making the same ones. I'll find all new ones instead.
(Also, in what I figure was a derivative flaw, I didn't really bother with figuring out what made the characters tick. I did think of that a fair deal in TFTD, and maybe to excess in Tactics. Like, this is not an exaggeration, I'd figured out the course of half the squad's lives from cradle to grave, wrote exclusively for my own benefit a short story about Farsight's dad, who was years dead when the story started, and on and on. I'll admit it was borderline insanity, but it meant I could slip in and out of their heads. Here, no such effort and it shows.)
Why I fear the ocean.
Speaking personally, narrative LPs like yours are my favorite of all. And I feel they work best when one is willing to, well, just go a little fanficcy. Bring in shitloads of extra detail, mod stuff in if need be, cut loose and go wild and turn the actual content being covered into little more than a springboard. Which is what you did wonderfully with the Tactics LP.
First, if you don't mind a recommendation, I'd like to suggest Jerusalem's GTA:SA LP, which fits into that same style. It's very, VERY good, my personal favorite LP of all time.
Second up, seriously, dude, take a breather. At least a couple weeks. Let an idea really percolate in your skull, and when it's boiling over, do it awesomely. Or if you just have to do one, maybe a casual commentary video style thing, to let your narrative muscles still rest.
I would like to apologize if anything I've said here has been too forward or has offended you in any way. You do damn good work, and I'd hate to see that go away in the name of grinding things out.
I probably do need someone telling me to take a break. Makes it easier to go for one.
Thanks. And Merry Christmas to all.
(On an unrelated note, was doing some number crunching on Fallout Tactics when my grey matter had nothing better to do. A tip: If you can get Jim Grimm, do it, and get him Psychotic as his next perk. Then, give him a burst fire weapon. On psycho and afterburn, he can fire miniguns, Ma Deuce, and rocket launchers for just 2 action points, is borderline immune to damage, and has more action points than anyone else.)
Why I fear the ocean.