McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Limits on Phenomenal Cosmic Powers
MacPhoenix:
--- Quote from: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on January 24, 2014, 09:36:35 PM ---I'd be inclined to say that the popularity of shows like Sherlock makes it clear that you can write an interesting and compelling protagonist with little to none of that ability. (Don't get me started about what season 3 does in that regard.)
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Is that the bbc version because I am about to get the first season on DVD from Netflix?
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: MacPhoenix on January 24, 2014, 09:43:44 PM ---Is that the bbc version because I am about to get the first season on DVD from Netflix?
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That's the one I meant, yes. I hope you enjoy it.
johnhallow:
One thing I've learned from reading manga is that it doesn't really matter how OP you make your characters as long as you pick antagonists who are actually challenging to them (in their own way).
The mistake Dragonball Z made was to just keep whipping enemies out of nowhere, to the point where it felt ridiculous. You might want to check out Nanatsu No Taizai or Toriko (the latter is kind of cheesy)(okay, super cheesy) for a series where the characters begin ridiculously powerful but you still get that sense of tension. Another example is the Secret Histories series. You've got the Droods with their godly golden armour and the MC gets a gun that never misses and can't run out of ammo... but there's still tension, because there are antagonists who are powerful enough to circumvent these (i.e. doesn't matter if your gun can't miss or run out of bullets if it can't put down the werewolf/infernal creature/other-dimensional monstrosity you're fighting.)
So I don't feel it's so much a matter of /limits/ as a matter of relative threat. You just have to be more inventive when coming up with enemies, though it's good to hint at potential enemies from the get-go so it doesn't feel like you're pulling these things out of your ass ;)
The manga One Piece does this well -- we get the major factions (and World Powers) from the start, and when badasses show up during the course of the series it really doesn't feel like an asspull, because we already knew that all these powerful people wayyy out of the heroes' league exist out there (even if we'd forgotten).
Just draw them out as needed :)
The Deposed King:
--- Quote from: johnhallow on January 29, 2014, 06:15:45 PM ---One thing I've learned from reading manga is that it doesn't really matter how OP you make your characters as long as you pick antagonists who are actually challenging to them (in their own way).
The mistake Dragonball Z made was to just keep whipping enemies out of nowhere, to the point where it felt ridiculous. You might want to check out Nanatsu No Taizai or Toriko (the latter is kind of cheesy)(okay, super cheesy) for a series where the characters begin ridiculously powerful but you still get that sense of tension. Another example is the Secret Histories series. You've got the Droods with their godly golden armour and the MC gets a gun that never misses and can't run out of ammo... but there's still tension, because there are antagonists who are powerful enough to circumvent these (i.e. doesn't matter if your gun can't miss or run out of bullets if it can't put down the werewolf/infernal creature/other-dimensional monstrosity you're fighting.)
So I don't feel it's so much a matter of /limits/ as a matter of relative threat. You just have to be more inventive when coming up with enemies, though it's good to hint at potential enemies from the get-go so it doesn't feel like you're pulling these things out of your ass ;)
The manga One Piece does this well -- we get the major factions (and World Powers) from the start, and when badasses show up during the course of the series it really doesn't feel like an asspull, because we already knew that all these powerful people wayyy out of the heroes' league exist out there (even if we'd forgotten).
Just draw them out as needed :)
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Constant threat and tension are a big part of it and being internally consistent another. Personally I disagree with the constant power bumps but do I know that lots of people like that sort of thing so I can't say you're wrong. Just like lots of people want a sci-fi that they can sit down and watch and not have to concern themselves about whether or not they paid attention to the last couple episodes.
They want it serial. They want it so they can sit down and immerse themselves without all that extra brain straining work. They just want to have a fun time.
Kind of the antithesis of what I like but I'm not so egocentric as to claim no one else does thus making it wrong.
The Deposed King
johnhallow:
Yeah, I'm guilty of being one of those sit down and soak it in people, haha :P
But I do know where you're coming from; a lot of the time the more involved stuff is incredibly rewarding :)
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