Where are we, now?

Well in the case of RP threads i haven't made any super good ones in a while since "A Grande Adventure" imploded from my crazy busy life. @_@ Can't lately since it's winter and I'm lucky to get a few hours int he winter since I volunteer for Chain Games on my old forum allot. ^^; I am trying to get some idea threads going in the meantime. Heck got the Material Focus Thread off the ground just need to keep it airborne. XD

Nyaha wrote:

I am the 33rd person to join this forum. Etc Etc some other things ok.

Very poignant little exchanges going on in here.

Regards, 179th registered user.

Don´t know, which Number I have - but if someone wants to join my RPGs - here I am.
There is Time to be on in this Forum at least 2 - 3 Times a Week.

PrinceApathos wrote:

Very poignant little exchanges going on in here.

Regards, 179th registered user.

Hey, I like to talk about me, okay? XD Haters gonna' hate.

For Bandur and anyone else wondering, you can find out your number by looking at the url of your profile page. You're number 1306.

You learn something new every Day - thank You!

Btw, Pearl still has her present for Exilon...

XionGaTaosenai wrote:

People thought Monster Girls were an incredibly niche genre, but then Monster Musume became a New York Times bestseller. Sex change is an niche genre, but shows up literally all the time in webcomics, most of which are inspired by/paying homage to the hugely popular Ranma 1/2. Both of those manga have a premise built around a "niche fetish", but they got where they are today despite that, because they built on the premise and evolved from it enough to catch the interest of people who weren't in on the fetish. Similarly, Felarya was and always will be founded on vore, but it would be a tragedy to undersell it and say that it can only be a "vore setting". Every house has a foundation, but we don't live on naked slabs of concrete.

Honestly, I think that's one of the main reasons I stopped contributing in the end. It just became clear that, short of some massive restructuring, Felarya was never going to be what I wanted it to be, and that I wasn't actually ever going to achieve anything by trying to change it.

I still think that's a shame, especially after things like Monster Masume and One Punch Man became so big. Keep in mind, monster masume originated from a bunch of silly fetish comics. And OPM was a one-man (and crudely drawn) side-project until the guy got picked up by a proper manga studio. I can't help but feel like that could have been us. A few retcons here, a shift in tone there, toss a few more shirts on some of the characters, and the meat of the world is more than good enough to actually make a proper product out of. There could have still been silly, fetishy aspects here and there. No one ever wanted to make it a 100% super-serious sort of setting. ...But yeah.

A lot of it goes back to Karbo being emphatic about this being a pure hobby, and a purely for-fun venture. There's nothing wrong with that, of course. Still, it wound up being really frustrating and disappointing to the people who got wrapped up in Felarya enough to try and expand it, and make it more of a meaty world. If there wasn't pushback from Karbo himself, there was always some from the (substantial) group of community members who never wanted the status quo to change. You don't know how many people I've had fight me tooth and nail about the predator sense not being radar, or the idea that humans aren't actually a primary food source, or that military-grade wepaons could even hurt the giant preds at all. It just got to the point where I thought to myself "If we can't even get most of the community to agree on the simplest, most basic facts, how are we ever going to get anything done?"

Either way, I may not contribute any more, but I do still have a soft-spot for the setting. I enjoy some of the art every now and then, although I make a point to stay away from the stories. Other than the drama towards the end, it was a generally positive experience.

[quote="rcs619"]

XionGaTaosenai wrote:

You don't know how many people I've had fight me tooth and nail about the predator sense not being radar, or the idea that humans aren't actually a primary food source, or that military-grade wepaons could even hurt the giant preds at all. It just got to the point where I thought to myself "If we can't even get most of the community to agree on the simplest, most basic facts, how are we ever going to get anything done?"

Well... Then You can still join my RPGs. In there You have a bit more `Common physical Sense´ and therefore a bit more of `Your Way´, so to speak.

rcs619 wrote:

I can't help but feel like that could have been us. A few retcons here, a shift in tone there, toss a few more shirts on some of the characters, and the meat of the world is more than good enough to actually make a proper product out of. There could have still been silly, fetishy aspects here and there. No one ever wanted to make it a 100% super-serious sort of setting. ...But yeah.

But Felarya is already a product of sorts, a heavily erotic one based on the gaintess and voraphilla fetishes. But that doesn't make it any less a product. It has an audience that it's delivering content to.

Meanwhile the "Proper product." thing that many people here have wished for never seemed to have an purpose in mind, from the debates I've witnessed, I've never got the impression that the intention was to create an experaice for the community to enjoy, nor did it seem to have an audiance in mind. It just felt like everyone had gone down with 'Worldbuilder's Disease'

And yes, that is an actual thing

Google it

There's always going to be problems with a project (or projects) when everyone on board isn't actually all that clear what the end game is surposed to be. What does "Proper product." Even mean? What would be the premise to replace the old erotic angle? What would be the hook? What kind of audiance is it aimed at? What kind of genre would it be? Will the idea actually spawn stories, comics, drawings or roleplays? Why should anyone take any interest in helping to create them?/Read them?
These are the questions that such a new direction should solve, to get everyone on board and on the same wavelength before you start going into specifics like "how to give humans a chance at surviving an predator."
Without explaination of the goal, such conversations seem aimless, with no context to go on. And people are just going to enter the conversation with their own bias and judgements instead.

rcs619 wrote:

XionGaTaosenai wrote:

People thought Monster Girls were an incredibly niche genre, but then Monster Musume became a New York Times bestseller. Sex change is an niche genre, but shows up literally all the time in webcomics, most of which are inspired by/paying homage to the hugely popular Ranma 1/2. Both of those manga have a premise built around a "niche fetish", but they got where they are today despite that, because they built on the premise and evolved from it enough to catch the interest of people who weren't in on the fetish. Similarly, Felarya was and always will be founded on vore, but it would be a tragedy to undersell it and say that it can only be a "vore setting". Every house has a foundation, but we don't live on naked slabs of concrete.

Honestly, I think that's one of the main reasons I stopped contributing in the end. It just became clear that, short of some massive restructuring, Felarya was never going to be what I wanted it to be, and that I wasn't actually ever going to achieve anything by trying to change it.

I still think that's a shame, especially after things like Monster Masume and One Punch Man became so big. Keep in mind, monster masume originated from a bunch of silly fetish comics. And OPM was a one-man (and crudely drawn) side-project until the guy got picked up by a proper manga studio. I can't help but feel like that could have been us. A few retcons here, a shift in tone there, toss a few more shirts on some of the characters, and the meat of the world is more than good enough to actually make a proper product out of. There could have still been silly, fetishy aspects here and there. No one ever wanted to make it a 100% super-serious sort of setting. ...But yeah.

A lot of it goes back to Karbo being emphatic about this being a pure hobby, and a purely for-fun venture. There's nothing wrong with that, of course. Still, it wound up being really frustrating and disappointing to the people who got wrapped up in Felarya enough to try and expand it, and make it more of a meaty world. If there wasn't pushback from Karbo himself, there was always some from the (substantial) group of community members who never wanted the status quo to change. You don't know how many people I've had fight me tooth and nail about the predator sense not being radar, or the idea that humans aren't actually a primary food source, or that military-grade wepaons could even hurt the giant preds at all. It just got to the point where I thought to myself "If we can't even get most of the community to agree on the simplest, most basic facts, how are we ever going to get anything done?"

Either way, I may not contribute any more, but I do still have a soft-spot for the setting. I enjoy some of the art every now and then, although I make a point to stay away from the stories. Other than the drama towards the end, it was a generally positive experience.

Thats a little sad to read of course, but I am glad you enjoyed it. Of course, except for a few misunderstandings, I have had a very positive time here as well. And perhaps Bandi's right, perhaps through Roleplaying, you could do things a little more as you'd like. As I understand it, you are the creator and owner of Fiona, the kind Naga. I am pretty fond of her, since she is so unique and gave me a good laugh in the Tomes as well.

(On a seperate note, anyone know if Karbo will finish the story in the tomes? Of course, there is nothing wrong with the vore substroies, but I would like to know what to expect.)

What you decide to do Rcs619 is up to you, but I would like to talk to the senior members of the Felarya community, although, tracking them down is a feat in itself!

Also, can anyone tell me what this Drama was awhile ago? I'm still trying to figure it out.

rcs619 wrote:

You don't know how many people I've had fight me tooth and nail about the predator sense not being radar, or the idea that humans aren't actually a primary food source, or that military-grade wepaons could even hurt the giant preds at all.

I've still occasionally had to point those out to people submitting stories for the Felarya group gallery on dA, but on the whole their response has been "OK, my mistake" and they've rectified.

Today, it seems to me, all three of those points are perfectly well accepted. Nagas can sense when there are humans nearby, but can't precisely pinpoint them using only their predator sense. Giant Felaryans have a varied diet, with lots of fruit and veg and local animals, and they're cautious enough to stay away from humans with big nasty-looking guns.

For the rest, I think certain fruitless debates are best left buried, at this stage.

French snack wrote:

For the rest, I think certain fruitless debates are best left buried, at this stage.

best left buried in favor of what? More fruitless worldbuilding and community stagnation?

I think somethings are worthy of debating, we just need more tact, maturity and honesty.

DarkOne wrote:

best left buried in favor of what? More fruitless worldbuilding and community stagnation?

I think somethings are worthy of debating, we just need more tact, maturity and honesty.

I don't see worldbuilding as "fruitless". Nor do I see a problem of "stagnation", really. Sure: debating new ideas is perfectly fine: go for it. So long as it is, indeed, done with maturity.

That's all I'll say about the matter: I'll leave it to those of you who want to engage in it.

French snack wrote:

rcs619 wrote:

You don't know how many people I've had fight me tooth and nail about the predator sense not being radar, or the idea that humans aren't actually a primary food source, or that military-grade wepaons could even hurt the giant preds at all.

I've still occasionally had to point those out to people submitting stories for the Felarya group gallery on dA, but on the whole their response has been "OK, my mistake" and they've rectified.

Today, it seems to me, all three of those points are perfectly well accepted. Nagas can sense when there are humans nearby, but can't precisely pinpoint them using only their predator sense. Giant Felaryans have a varied diet, with lots of fruit and veg and local animals, and they're cautious enough to stay away from humans with big nasty-looking guns.

For the rest, I think certain fruitless debates are best left buried, at this stage.

Hah, you've been lucky then. Well, and you're a big name. I helped shape a lot of the canon, especially where the current predator-sense and firearm effectiveness are concerned, but you've got a name people recognize.

I could link you to a couple arguments I've had on the subject. I actually had a guy try to cite the wiki entry *I* helped write trying to convince me the predator sense actually is super accurate like radar, and that a lot of species have it. Oh, and that feeling when someone who obviously has no idea how guns work tries to tell you why guns obviously wouldn't work XD. It finally got to the point where I explained, in detail, how a modern HEAT (High-Explosive-Anti-Tank) projectile works, and he finally just wound up resorting to "Well Felarya is magic, so it still wouldn't work" when he had no more answers.

The healing factor is another thing I've had a lot of trouble explaining to people. It seems like there's a lot of people who severely overestimate its effectiveness. Like... people are back on their feet hours after being stabbed, or shot, or they're walking again less than a day after breaking a leg. That's way too close to Wolverine-style super-healing for my tastes. Getting seriously injured like that should always have some weight to it, it shouldn't just be something a character walks off in a few hours with a shrug.

As I said - there is a Lot we seem to agree on.

So welcome to the Club.

Spoiler:

So...Since from what you are saying, This sounds like it was in the past, and not too recent past. Then what's the issue, Most of the people now kind of agree with these point like french snack said. You've technically won except for in the eyes of aurthors or world creators that refuse to accept this or even talk about it because they fear it would be a cobbled sense to try and make sense of which can cause an infraction.

This being why you have your deviant art creators that due their own ideas and with written content of what they think felarya is which can be inconsistent in the more...Well what's the way to say "core" areas while not infringing their drive to create new liberties in trying to add to the world. Which to point to french snack I recall him saying that all of his ideas are in his stories, which means that he's telling you to go read them despite not posting anything on here which is fine. I mean yeah he's missing on out people sharing that exposure and possibly inspiring others but that's his liberty to choose to. However since french snack does his homework (most the time) with what the world setting is in canon and with his canon. He's doing fine. It's just that most of the canon other than from karbo is peoples own interpretations.

As darkone said a lot of times earlier, people have these odd fallacies of what the world's theme and vibe is along with the realism (that is needed in my opinion to explain thing to be little better and consistent). Then you get this meta-endgame where it's like for common people "If I want to know more about felarya to do my own works correctly than I can just read or look at other artist stuff to make sure I think I can get it just about right." I'm one of those that has to sift out between the bad authors/concepts to try and make everything fit. It's Just at least with the deviant art community, they tell you to get to know more about felarya by reading other peoples stuff when you are asking specifics. Which can be informative and good just not all of it is, some of it is pretty bad.

What I would like is for people to have a good main point of reference, and that it was widely known. Or better yet a website that compliments what the forum already does but also helps the exposure of arist/story writers and places them in one spot. Getting people to know each other more because being honest, people either hang out on deviant art or the forum more out of convenience of where their friends are at atm. Or they go to a secluded place like skypes or hangout but that's a given with anything. Just really what i'm asking for is a way for people to get more exposed to peoples ideas so they can get less confused and consistent of what people have to offer, and at the same time this helps karbo understand a little better of how the community is going, should he ever make a move on pointing it a certain direction. (I'm still waiting on him to see what he thinks of retcons and necessary changes.)

More to a point this universe needs to be going a direction If you want world builders to be satisfied instead of throwing in random information or what sounds good to appease people, but so that it can actually go somewhere, The substance of felarya and where it could be going to be consistent and also enticing needs more work. Just that we have to wait on karbo to do that.

As for Rps, to me help in almost the almost in the same manner of throwing information. You make ideas and some interesting characters but with rps it seems more temporary to me because it's only catered for that moment and people with specific interest. Not bashing on it, Infact i encourage it because people become better writers in general with it. Just that I really hate when people come up with something good but they don't share it in a more official manner, then people giving more feedback on what they think is a good idea.

Blue Horizon Should be an Anime wrote:

This being why you have your deviant art creators that due their own ideas and with written content of what they think felarya is which can be inconsistent in the more...Well what's the way to say "core" areas while not infringing their drive to create new liberties in trying to add to the world.

There's this and also there's some who don't agree with the 'rules' cause they are used to Felarya's free'r days when we could do anything. Also some of us don't agree with rules cause it requires total re-writes or dumping ideas totally. =/ As I was face with when Karbo banned Earth. I would have lost Kate and Axel since they were both from Earth. Fortunately "Earths" are allowed now I believe and I don't have to trash them. Just adjusted their bios. Actually they both benefited from the changes cause now they are from parallel worlds and have amusing dialogues where they compare what's different from their Earths XD

There's also a small majority who don't bother to study what Felarya currently is. -u-;; Lazy little...! Sigh. And ofourse those who DON'T READ THE WIKI! XO Seriously! Always irritates me. If you want to write about this setting then read over the known material. At least give it a cursory glance. I mean nobody expects you to read the wiki in a week but at least get the basics.

I think we need a list of "What you need to know" in Felarya. Both to write and RP here. But I worry if we make even a loose guideline it'll be misinterpreted as *picture the following said by Vader* "You MUST obey these rules or it's too the incinerator with your work! Wha ha ha ha!"

jedi-explorer wrote:

There's this and also there's some who don't agree with the 'rules' cause they are used to Felarya's free'r days when we could do anything. Also some of us don't agree with rules cause it requires total re-writes or dumping ideas totally. =/ As I was face with when Karbo banned Earth. I would have lost Kate and Axel since they were both from Earth. Fortunately "Earths" are allowed now I believe and I don't have to trash them. Just adjusted their bios. Actually they both benefited from the changes cause now they are from parallel worlds and have amusing dialogues where they compare what's different from their Earths XD

There's also a small majority who don't bother to study what Felarya currently is. -u-;; Lazy little...! Sigh. And ofourse those who DON'T READ THE WIKI! XO Seriously! Always irritates me. If you want to write about this setting then read over the known material. At least give it a cursory glance. I mean nobody expects you to read the wiki in a week but at least get the basics.

I think we need a list of "What you need to know" in Felarya. Both to write and RP here. But I worry if we make even a loose guideline it'll be misinterpreted as *picture the following said by Vader* "You MUST obey these rules or it's too the incinerator with your work! Wha ha ha ha!"

Comparing what you wrote with when I arrived on the forums.
A loose guideline to what could be done and some of the characer guidelines would be nice since it might make it easier for newcomers.
most of my early time i spent either in the chatbox or on the wiki trying to learn about the places I had intended to use in my stories, I also spent alot of time going over the character guidlines since they felt like "iron rules" to me. (darth vader)
I haven't been close to the dev art page of felarya that much so i don't know much of what's happening over there.
negav seems really intresting but due to the complexity of it i didn't dare to get too close at the moment >_<.

In end note, (I suck at posting hence why I don't do it so much.)
Some sort of guideline to help would be nice or "Things that are important to know"

The problem I've always saw with "iron rules" (as you put it) is that they tend to be suggested by people ignorant/apathetic of genre.

A fictional world's narrative's rules (how certain themes, subjects and topics are depicted) normally heavily rely on genre. (Or just real life in case of most literary fiction) This gets ignored in the world building process in this community.

There can never be a solid ground work of fuctionable rules as long as there is no agreement what kind of setting Felarya is surposed to be.

DarkOne wrote:

There can never be a solid ground work of fuctionable rules as long as there is no agreement what kind of setting Felarya is supposed to be.

And the views on Felarya tend to differ from person to person which could be both good and bad :/

Izyren wrote:

And the views on Felarya tend to differ from person to person which could be both good and bad :/

Oh come now, it's not that confusing about the core rules, it's what people try to interpret afterwards, and even then, if it was so confusing, well especially since you say it is, then why not bring up the questions that's confusing about it, problem with that is that through this forums life cycle, quite a few of those have been addressed, we just need to hear a well thought out and thorough way of explaining such things along with an actual conclusion.

Also the only reason why they differ in such a drastic manner is because the core 'principles' of the setting contradict each other as of right now. SO people are not so much "different" as they are to make up their own rules because not enough in formation is explained and lacks the organization for people to have appropriate creative variances.

I got drunk and felt some kinda form of nostalgia come over me, So i've come to say hello.

Hello.

I miss all of you! Some of you!  I came here during high school and left after high school, mostly because the users I looked up to were shunned and left but that's neither here nor there.  I once was filled with awe and wonderlust when I thought of felarya and felt comradeship with its users. Sometimes that feeling comes back

Im not sure whats to say tbh, but it was a fun ride.
Who knows, maybe the world building juices will start flowing and I'll think of something

We can only hope Samurai. I just feel burnt out on ideas, and I wish I could do more to help the worldbuilding.