HiE - A Quantitative Sampling Part 2 · 9:37am Aug 31st, 2013
Foreword: This is an extension of the previous small project of mine to get at the career choices of HiE protagonists. The feedback inspired me to further see how your typical HiE stories develop, with the hope of constructing a HiE mad lib archetypal template of the genre. The method and the selection criteria are akin to the previous study, with the additional rule that crossover stories are excluded (to ensure the stories are about those 'from our world', and written in the spirit of author/reader immersion), and that only those in the adventure folder are examined (for convenience).
Without further ado, here is the result:
Afterword: Indiscriminate reading of HiE stories is, unfortunately, quite taxing on my sanity. I have taken to create some art (kindly see my user page or at DA) instead of groaning and slapping my forehead in confusion.
Admittedly, the sample size is much smaller this time, but I think clear patterns have already emerged in most categories investigated.
I am rather surprised at the diversity of the first character to meet. Stereotype suggests crash-landing on Fluttershy's doorstep would be common; but alas, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Not one female? Not even one?
1319808 Haha, I certainly recall seeing stories with a female protagonist in other times. But apparently their prevalence is sufficiently low to not pop up even once here.
Clearly, somebody needs to get writing a
HumanWoman in the Crystal Empire fic. Look, it isn't too hard: start from a Ren Faire on Earth (because of jousting, a tenuous link I admit), get struck by lightning, wake up next to crystal heart.Hilarity ensues.
1325012 We probably need to scratch the database deeper if originality is to be claimed; after all, only 30 stories are sampled this time. But that would at least be very refreshing in comparison with your average batch of HiEs. I for one would very much like to see something like that, at least to balance out the repeated exposure to how the Davids and Richards and Charleses roam the Everfree.