Concerns over newest chapter · 4:29pm Mar 10th, 2015
Okay, so I've just released the new chapter on Of A Flock and it seems some of you have a few concerns as to the progression of the character and his somewhat misguided motivations.
I would like to use this blog as a off the record diplomatic discussion so that some of you can voice those issues and i can try my best to debate them. Please feel free to say what you want (within reason of course) i wont judge I simply want to clear things up so we can all walk away happier about it.
Also i sort of want to apologize for my comments. i got a bit flustered over the comments and may have been a bit less level headed than i usually was and for that I am sorry.
Now.
I think maybe it is my fault in not explaining exactly why i chose to make the character do what he did so let me try to defend myself a bit.
some of you are saying the character is a doormat. Yes you are right. For now. But its not permanent.
The idea was that the character is scared of telling the truth, partly becuase he is misguided about how he feels the others will react. I tryed to model it a bit like how i felt one would react thrust into an alien world away from their own social norms. the character is scared paranoid that all of these unforeseen circumstances will eventually be put together by Celestia and he will be put away for them or something like that.
The lying to them was simply a way so that he could coordinate an alibi with Gilda to that she and he could strongly state that she didn't hurt him and to explain the fighting so that both of their story matched should they be interrogated separately. However as you lot have commented this is a bad idea and wont help. again you are right, i know that, this is a part of the characters arch and will be delt with in the next chapter. As will the character being a "doormat".
I understand some of you dont like the idea of a shy protagonist that doesn't make what could be seen as the correct choices, but that was what i wanted to write all along. I didn't want to make the same character who is strong and fights back all the time, its been done before better (see anything written by Sir Hat) and more numerously so i wanted to try something different.
I like characters with Faults, faults they learn from, this issues he deals with are for the most part in the heat of the moment and as such made on gut instincts. So I beseech you to simply be patient, i have thought these problems through when i wrote them and I know the characters strengths and weaknesses and how to work with them.
Im not sure if i adressed everyones problems here but i hope this helps.
-Madness
Gilda won't go for it. Shit is about to go down
i agree with your decision as im sick of seeing characters all fit the same stereotype. sir hat's stories feel very repetitive to me because of the characters always having too much brawn rather than brains. not all human beings are the same. some are bound to act differently in given situations. not that i dont like characters like that but when 90% of the stories are like that it does make me turn away from said stories.
so good on ya for making the character different although i do see why some people would be concerned about the protagonist being a doormat since no one likes seeing someone always get pushed around. also faults are fantastic for character growth. thanks for writing this blog and sharing your thoughts with us.
I couldn't get into the comment war so I'll add my 2 bits here. I love this development. The protagonist views himself in the light that to ponies he is a monster. Nothing he has been shown to show him otherwise, so his fear has made him meek. This is similar to those who feel guilt for ancestral transgressions against other groups. They feel a need to capitulate so that others do not view them as hostile. The human feels that any sign of aggression will not be tolerated. As a vet he understands, a dog that bites a human for whatever reason is put down with prejudice. He is trying to suppress his natural instincts in order to survive. In truth that is how he has been living, a refugee, trying to survive in a potentially hostile world.
Meanwhile, Gilda is an abusive spouse by pony standards. What is considered natural for her is again judged violent by pony standards and He knows this. He accepted that side of her and he fears that if they discover even the truth of their relationship it would be enough to punish her and separate them. Then there is Luna and Fluttershy, I suspect that Luna had designs on courting the protagonist but... yeah abusive girlfriend. Of course Luna seeing all this comes to the conclusion she wants simply because that's what happens when the people we care about are hurt. We want someone to blame. Gilda is oviously the culprit because who else could it be. Even if he tries to tell the truth it would seem like a lie. Had he told the truth from the beginning they might have viewed either him or Gilda a a threat. It was a lose lose situation and now shit is about to get more complicated.
Yep, if only he had more time to calm down he might be able to tell the truth a lot more accurately. But then again, I think Gilda would still rush off and beat up the culprits regardless.
2865872 Jesus I don't think i could have wrote that better myself. I think you understand this story even better than I do. I might just have to paraphrase some of this if you don't mind, especially the analogy with the dog. i cant believe I hadn't thought of that before (literally kicking myself for missing that)
2865719 and thank you for that comment I'm glad to see someone agrees with my choice in character
I approve of the way the story is heading, keep it up!
2867178
hehe sure, glad to help. But that was my impression of how he felt. Fear of Celestia if she were to view him as a threat. She does seem to fill the role of over protective authority figure, while Luna is kind of like the kid who sees a stray dog and wants to keep it. Or at least that was my impression of how he views, the political leaders. The Luna bit is more my personal view than anything else, mostly based on the fact that he never acknowledges being personal friends with her before. I kind of imagined if she were somewhat openly affectionate with him he might mistake it for her not seeing him as a person. Like how a girl would act twords a dog but would never treat a guy unless she was completely friendly with him.
2867305 I agree, the protagonist does not have many reasons to trust royalty
he was allowed to live in Equestria, but forbidden to defend, not given citizenship neither he was given no help
luna says to be friends but do not flame or by name if they were nearby would know that just have to live with dignity, is like a friend of minor importance that only you remember the when present
the protagonist has a family to protect is not rare that unnoticed want to protect and maintain a state of submission
I think this is a big issue of trust and communication
protagonisca not trust the royalty or the population in general and celestia and luna believe that would ask for help if needed and that his subjects would be more benevolent
2868353
it's kind of funny, as soon as he gets a girlfriend he stops hanging out with his friends. As he learns he is to be a father he becomes more reclusive to help Gilda with her pregnancy. If he were umong humans they would shrug it off as him being whipped. Here this is one of the signs ponies look out for that he might be in an abusive relationship, most likely because males are sluts and would most likely be bringing other mares around to help/bang. Herd mentality dictates that when an individual withdraws from the herd it's because of weakness or illness. It's a sign something is wrong and the herd will move to protect them. However humans and I theorize griffons are comfortable in small family groups. Exclude everyone else to protect the family. Be it from predators or rival mates, family becomes more important than the society as a whole. The ponies most likely don't realize this, seeing the protagonist more as a stallion rather than human. Most likely a misconception driven by his fear. We humans are skilled as adapting and fitting in.