Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2018 11:22:30 GMT -6
I love this show, and I love all the cast members, so know that this is all in good faith and no harm is intended to any of the players, host, or community, I just wanted a platform to talk about it civilly. Also keep in mind, I've only listened up to episode 14 before stopping.
That being said, I want to dissect Valentine. This is not my favorite season and I think it's in part due to the grim atmosphere and the characterizations of the PC's.
No matter the circumstances the PC's can never seem to get a leg up on any situation. I know that's the whole point of cyberpunk/outrun, but I felt some crucial elements of that genre were missing as well (more on that in a moment). There are plenty moments of hilarity as all the cast members are supremely funny, but I just feel the general tone of this season is "helplessness". Everything from the Crown Corp to Ash and the very missions, it feels like failure is ultimately inevitable.
Secondly, the cyberpunk setting, while prominent, doesn't feel like it pops as much as it should. Maybe that's because it's an aural medium and I'm more prone to picture things as only a slightly high-techier modern day city. I don't know. I feel like cyberpunk means like flying cars and body augments and hundreds of robots doing mundane tasks. Again this could all be happening and Austin isn't pointing it out because he doesn't want to break the flow, which I would one-hundred percent understand. In short, it just feels like a modern city setting, and it's not very interesting to me.
Next, the PC's aren't very good people. I cannot get behind these characters when their first act in the game is to steal from somebody else, undeservedly. They broke into a rich person's house, who they did not know, and tried to burglarize them. Then, when they were caught in the act and an officer showed up and they refused to stand down (and attack the officer); so the officer shot them. Then community gathered round and decided to hate this character for just doing his job. He was not in the wrong: the PC's were. Again later, the party tried to stick him with the bill when they were doing something illegal! I really liked Graves because he had so much faith that everything might right itself in the end, and he seemed so determined to make his life workāwhether it be for his kids or for himself (although I'd like to think it's the former as indicated by my short story). But I think that character garnered a lot of undeserved detestation.
About the PC's:ā Frank is completely unaware of repercussions and consequence. Lenora is a party animal who I would probably never have as a friend since she's so self-consuming. Cat is a problem unto herself, as I sincerely have no idea what she was planning, as well as the fact that she's not somebody who works well with others. Eddi is really the only one I don't have much of an issue with and was my favorite PC. Again this is not directed at the players and they shouldn't take it as a criticism of their play-styles, but just how I view the characters.
Another issue is the Forms. The idea was great for the first three seasons, but in this one it fell kind of flat. I'd much rather see something grand, pressing, and/or mysterious, e.g. the waters are inexplicably rising, or there's a giant barrier that's only penetrable from one side.
Finally, I'm just not sure what the overarching story is, especially when I can't root for the characters because I don't think they're good or interesting people. Veltari from season 3 is a counterpoint. I didn't really much like the character at first, but she was interesting and had a clear mission, so while she wasn't a great person at first, I still paid attention to her and her goals. I'd liken it to the newest season of Westworld (for those unawares, it's about a theme-park filled with autonomous robots called hosts, and they're all given drives which are hard-coded into their programming); in the newest season, there are characters who have a clear drive like Maeve who wants to get her daughter back, and then there are those who are shrouded in mystery for suspense like Dolores, although it comes off as hammy and generally annoying. I was firmly rooted in Maeve's story until the end, but Dolores's story was dull and uninteresting until the season finale. My point is, only one character really has a drive that I can see, and that's Eddi. He wants to save the 1/4 Round. Everyone else, I have no clue why there were still in party. Is it because once they're in, they're in it together, or is it simply convenience?
I don't want this post to be a callout and I don't want any of the cast members to feel responsible for anything I just said, it's simply my own opinion and I'm certainly in the minority. I just wanted to put my opinions out there without having to worry about being attacked on the discord server. I did not feel safe putting this there, but I feel if I put it here, we can have a civil and respectful discussion, where other's opinions are respected.
That being said, I want to dissect Valentine. This is not my favorite season and I think it's in part due to the grim atmosphere and the characterizations of the PC's.
No matter the circumstances the PC's can never seem to get a leg up on any situation. I know that's the whole point of cyberpunk/outrun, but I felt some crucial elements of that genre were missing as well (more on that in a moment). There are plenty moments of hilarity as all the cast members are supremely funny, but I just feel the general tone of this season is "helplessness". Everything from the Crown Corp to Ash and the very missions, it feels like failure is ultimately inevitable.
Secondly, the cyberpunk setting, while prominent, doesn't feel like it pops as much as it should. Maybe that's because it's an aural medium and I'm more prone to picture things as only a slightly high-techier modern day city. I don't know. I feel like cyberpunk means like flying cars and body augments and hundreds of robots doing mundane tasks. Again this could all be happening and Austin isn't pointing it out because he doesn't want to break the flow, which I would one-hundred percent understand. In short, it just feels like a modern city setting, and it's not very interesting to me.
Next, the PC's aren't very good people. I cannot get behind these characters when their first act in the game is to steal from somebody else, undeservedly. They broke into a rich person's house, who they did not know, and tried to burglarize them. Then, when they were caught in the act and an officer showed up and they refused to stand down (and attack the officer); so the officer shot them. Then community gathered round and decided to hate this character for just doing his job. He was not in the wrong: the PC's were. Again later, the party tried to stick him with the bill when they were doing something illegal! I really liked Graves because he had so much faith that everything might right itself in the end, and he seemed so determined to make his life workāwhether it be for his kids or for himself (although I'd like to think it's the former as indicated by my short story). But I think that character garnered a lot of undeserved detestation.
About the PC's:ā Frank is completely unaware of repercussions and consequence. Lenora is a party animal who I would probably never have as a friend since she's so self-consuming. Cat is a problem unto herself, as I sincerely have no idea what she was planning, as well as the fact that she's not somebody who works well with others. Eddi is really the only one I don't have much of an issue with and was my favorite PC. Again this is not directed at the players and they shouldn't take it as a criticism of their play-styles, but just how I view the characters.
Another issue is the Forms. The idea was great for the first three seasons, but in this one it fell kind of flat. I'd much rather see something grand, pressing, and/or mysterious, e.g. the waters are inexplicably rising, or there's a giant barrier that's only penetrable from one side.
Finally, I'm just not sure what the overarching story is, especially when I can't root for the characters because I don't think they're good or interesting people. Veltari from season 3 is a counterpoint. I didn't really much like the character at first, but she was interesting and had a clear mission, so while she wasn't a great person at first, I still paid attention to her and her goals. I'd liken it to the newest season of Westworld (for those unawares, it's about a theme-park filled with autonomous robots called hosts, and they're all given drives which are hard-coded into their programming); in the newest season, there are characters who have a clear drive like Maeve who wants to get her daughter back, and then there are those who are shrouded in mystery for suspense like Dolores, although it comes off as hammy and generally annoying. I was firmly rooted in Maeve's story until the end, but Dolores's story was dull and uninteresting until the season finale. My point is, only one character really has a drive that I can see, and that's Eddi. He wants to save the 1/4 Round. Everyone else, I have no clue why there were still in party. Is it because once they're in, they're in it together, or is it simply convenience?
I don't want this post to be a callout and I don't want any of the cast members to feel responsible for anything I just said, it's simply my own opinion and I'm certainly in the minority. I just wanted to put my opinions out there without having to worry about being attacked on the discord server. I did not feel safe putting this there, but I feel if I put it here, we can have a civil and respectful discussion, where other's opinions are respected.