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Also, I used a non gore example because I didn't want to list it publicly out of deference to those who might not want to see such things on the board. I can think of some very gory examples.

But remember, in addition to hurting the character, it should also appeal to the reader, for whom gore greatly increases the squick factor and the percieved pain. A writer can describe pain and misery and the reader would sympathize, however they may not be able to understand how bad it is because some of these methods are just so out there. Add a dose of gore and the reader instantly goes, "I DO NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO ME!!!!!" because gore is assiciated with pain and the amount of pain is related to the level of gore.

Yes, what I mentioned can be done without gore, and gore may not affect the immortal. However, gore affects the reader, and the reader's reaction is as much part of the story as the reaction of a character. Therefore, some things may not be necessary from a character standpoint, but can be added to the story to elicit emotions from the reader to deliver a larger impact.

that's just the experience of pain and misery. Which can, and is frequently associated with gore, but is not inherently tied to gore. I mean, you, yourself mentioned a non-gory example! Drowning isn't gory but it's certainly (or very frequently) painful and miserable! And there's plenty of works that have explored the psychological torture of immortality - just the experience of watching everyone and everything sort of wither around you, you being unaffected by it but unable to help. Which isn't gory at all!

I wouldn't say, once more, that it's the gore that's the problem for the immortal, it's the experience of continued pain and misery that goes on forever and ever which they can't stop, being immortal and such.

Well gore can be used to torture an immortal using methods that would kill a normal person. And if one could keep the immortal restrained, said gore would last forever. How does drowning for an eternity sound? Not fun, right? I can think of much more gory examples that I will not mention here. For further examples look no further than the tv tropes article on "fate worse than death" and "and I must scream".

Aaah, I've always hated the concept of some deaths inherently meaning 'less' than others (which then, naturally, leads into the concept of other lives inherently meaning less than others.) It's an ugly, worrying, and rather dystopian concept to me. But, to be fair, I can't say I'm particularly fond of works in which the protagonists kill swathes of sapient people and not feel a thing about it!

Although, yes, you do add a very good point - the point of emphasis. Putting more detail in order to show us that, well, this bit's important! That is a very good point, indeed. Even in cases where the gore doesn't seem particularly over the top, the impact of the situation can be increased by the detail of it, like, say, someone getting nicked by a knife they know is poisoned, or a character that's been sheltered and never been injured getting injured and being utterly shocked by it. That sort've stuff.

Gore is, as with everything else that gets put into writing, a technique, and it really can be used to great effect in the right places. As long as it feels like it has a genuine purpose and its presence and appearance doesn't 'overstay that purpose,' as it were, and make it feel unnecessary and weird, gore seems perfectly fine.
I think that's the main issue with gore, over other particular writing techniques - the fact that, given its inherently visceral and sort of ugly nature, you just need to be more careful balancing it, so it doesn't overstay its purpose and feel all icky.

Okay, pardon, but I'll need to get some clarification here and there, if you don't mind.

so, what do you intend on using your gore for?

You want to use it as a technique through which you can criticise immortality? How so? I can't see how the experience of gore (and, therefore, the experience of seeing yourself get injured and all,) works to subvert and criticise the concept of immortality - surely an immortal would, by a certain point, have learnt to get over all the icky things that happen when they die and then promptly un-die? I mean, the general idea is that gore is feared because it's a reminder of mortality - the fact that we're all a bunch of squelching biological machines that could just shut down at any moment like any other machine. This is a fear that is irrelevant to an immortal, hence the name!

What is your point about video games? Is it that people try not getting killed because they want to avoid gore? I mean, I doubt it's that point - plenty of videogames lack gore and you don't want to die in them! Not-dying in videogames is more easily attributed to the whole 'I want to win and not lose' mindset. But, yes, I'm not sure what your point there is, pardon.

What do you intend to show by 'describing in graphic detail how it (presumably the gore) hurts the character physically and mentally'? Does this relate to your earlier mention of wanting to criticise immortality?

Also, surely the lack of death in Mount and Blade is more of a game mechanic, than a function of the game's canon and worldbuilding? Surely death exists within the plot, and world and all, the plot and world and all being the things relevant to fanfic, over the game mechanics, oy?

I disagree with the notion that tragedy requires gore, because that is a nonsense notion. It is a tragedy when a young boy grows up without a father figure because his dad's passed away from diabetes type-two, and it hardly stops being tragic by not having any gore about! Or did you mean something else with that point?

Your last sentence lost me completely. I'm not sure what gore has to do with a character atoning for crime in the eyes of their mates if they become a bandit.

Yes, ah, pardon for the barrage of questions. Clarification'd be helpful in getting your question, y'know?

I find that a lot of authors who like to use violence use it much too often. Which in turn, makes the entire thing look very artificial. Think of how the characters think, or how a gamer might percieve enemies in a game. One would not notice a mook or redshirt that got killed by the protagonist. In such cases, a simple phrase describing the death should suffice because no one, not even the one performing the killing, cares about it. On the other hand, if this was a final battle of ultimate destiny against a nemesis, or a boss fight, or anything of emotional significance, then the character begins to notice details.
Adding details of the act will add emotional significance to the killing, or hurting, of a character. Basically, it is the difference between "seeing" and "feeling" the violence. So, if the violence is not significant to the characters and plot i.e. hurting a mook, then intricate details should be used less. If it is significant, then more details could, and should, be added. If it is very emotionally significant, then you may do tiny details of you so choose. Although this is my own personal views.

And yes, gore can be used to point out weaknesses of immortality. In fact, this was done in baccano.

May I use it for worldbuilding, such as pointing out the weakness of immortality? In video games, lives are cheap. But people try to not get themselves killed anyway in the games. I intend to show it by describing in graphic detail how it hurts the character, both physically and mentally.

I may also employ for plot significance, but no death, since I hate seeing my characters die. After all, in Mount and Blade, your characters don't die, they retire. How will tragedies work in this world? If one of my characters become bandits, how can they atone for their crimes in the eyes of their fellow friends?

Not just because other people might not like gore. I personally don't have anything against using gore. However, you should be careful that the violence used doesn't become cheap; everything, including gore, should have some significance.

I want to capture the effect of turning the blood option on. As in, we could see people fight while bleeding in the game, and die with blood on it.

My writing skills need work, and as of now, it is barely polished, if you can call it that. I mean, about posting fanfics that I write to this place. The fanfics I wrote have people die in graphic detail.

In Mount and Blade: Warband or its mods, I have the option to turn on or off blood. I intend to capture this effect in writing my fic, but the last time I tried gore, someone compelled me to ditch the fic. So, I am wondering if I am allowed to post such fanfic here, that do have gore.

Generally speaking, as long as you put warnings at the beginning of your mission to let the readers know there'll be heavy stuff, you're okay, but going into full-blown gorn is generally frowned, on, especially if it involves torture of a Sue.

Personal opinion: I've had my agents put through the wringer, but when it came to describing fatal injuries I leaned on the safer side and let the readers know how bad it was by showing the other characters' reactions rather than describing the blood and squishy body parts.

The PPC's supposed to be funny, not horrifying. Try to keep it that way, please.

Well, hello again. It seems that I have been infected by this, fanfic bug again after some years. I hope I had not antagonised anyone during my leave. if so, I deeply regret it and asked for your sincere forgiveness. I have been writing a new fanfic very recently, since I was smitten by Kuroko no Basuke and for some reason, decided to crossover it with Mount and Blade. it has graphic violence though, so I will be not be sharing it here.

Lastly, Hello again!

Um, yeah. This is amazing, and I don't think I could have executed this idea given five years of writing time. I would gush more, but I need to get this typed out in the hour before I leave for work, so let's go.

Editorials
Actually, backing up, I just figured out the title is the scientists saying that are now mad scientists, where they weren't before. Clever!

I like that you manage to get across the personality difference between the Flowers within the bare-bones paragraphs of an editorial column. Love the little Thistle signature you made, too, in color even!

The Leek calls itself a "Leak," though.

Flashpatch
I like that the departmental flashpatch's watermelon gets divided into slices for the divisions. I like the pseudo-characterization you give all the ants to fit them, too.

Cladogram
Haven't actually started the Young Wizards series yet, but I've osmosised some stuff about it from you and Nesh talking about it on the Board. I love the implication here that the Manual represents such a universal good that even characters from other universes can be chosen to follow it.

Yeah, I've never really thought the family tree idea worked for Suvians, and a lot of the Latin names made over the years feel pretty half baked.

On #27 in both versions of the chart, the "terrible" is missing the opening quotation mark.

Stellar
I really like that you use one of the papers to address the idea that science can't necessarily answer everything, especially when limited by the minds and experiences of those performing it. And also the fact that different worlds have different laws, and that the same science isn't guaranteed to work multiverse-wide.

The ending is incredibly PPC to me, in light of the above; continuing to work together in spite of differences.

Narrativium
This was a bit hard to follow due to chemistry being my un-subject, but I do appreciate that you haven't reduced narrativium to an ordinary solid matter. I especially loved the puns inherent in the extractions.

The Rose
When I started reading this, I was excited by the incoming Dark Tower reference . . . but then it wasn't. So I got confused. Is this meant to be an Ardan native's take on TDT's rose? Or was this a separate concept in Tolkien's writings? Or a joke about the center of the universe being shaped like a d20?

Anyway, the formal-sounding Tolkien style in which Norlossë writes lends itself especially well to a scientific publication.

Cannibal
I liked that this got set up by an allusion in one of the earlier stories. Also fun was the callback to "Woodsprite of the North."

Under Sue #1, was the use of "DMSE&R" rather than "DAS" intentional?

Cookbook
The taste metaphors of the review types are quite thoughtful and funny.

As a person who constantly complains about the food culture in my own country, I especially appreciate that the animal agent doesn't comprehend the concept of eating fancy foods for enjoyment. Because no, zoo guest, I don't need to refill that animal's empty food bowl, because the food is measured out to be a day's worth of nutrients, and animals that have food in front of them all day will overeat and get fat, because eating is for survival, not for fun, and you don't get to tell me how to take care of wild animals, suburbanite.

Archaeology
Not much to say here, other than I appreciate the choice of species for this forced split-up gag. I was wondering why you wanted a train agent . . .

Ancillary Canons
I really love your interpretation of how agents of different backgrounds might look at this topic. The note the story ends on is especially nice, allowing that the work the PPC does is bigger than defining what's "real."

This one phrase seems to have an extra/missing word in it? "Containing a radically different view of Middle-earth's nature early days to that seen in the Silmarillion . . ."

Generic Surface
The escalating argument communicated via scientific paper is hilarious and well executed.

I most especially like that you managed to avoid actually describing much about generic surface; after all, the whole point of the stuff is that it's hard to describe! I suspect the scientists' squabble was engineered by Legal to ensure generic surface remains generic . . .

Oh, interesting theory about the light, too. After all, with no visible light sources, the light in HQ must come from the generic surface, yeah?

Suvian Biology
. . . This paper, in particular, must have been an hours-long time sink for you. I can't even imagine going through all those different writings and working out all the different species. The tables alone . . . wow.

You spelled Cocoa Puff's name as "Cocao" both times it appears.

I am sorry for not being as detailed as I usually am, but I'm covering days for my lead keeper's vacation this week, and the only way I could get this written out was to squeeze it in between shifts. I apologize for any mistakes I made in rushing to type this. I also have some letters to the editor in mind, but they'll need to wait for a separate post, as I need to leave in eleven minutes, and haven't brushed teeth yet.

—doctorlit, eating breakfast for the nutrients, not because he likes to eat breakfast

Or follow less things at the same time? Nah, heresy.

Not really seeing that much angst here, neither unjustified one. The glitterbag is pretty much aping Ix's life, with no drawbacks and maximal speshulness, she's got more than a right to be angry andd go personal here (and I agree, throat injuries? Should be dead).

Seeing an agent facing a glitterbag mirroring their backstory is an interesting thing too. Might have to search something like that for Marina... That was a good mission in my book.

It's being announced after the Wimbledon mens final

Matt Cipher has just informed me that the next Doctor will be announced on Sunday!

With the addition of the church of Asgard, there apparently was a church of Hanzo established in Brazil!
Here are some of their principles:

“Preach peace and harmony on the internet and online communities.“
A free Tuesday per month for religious studies (i.e., playing Overwatch).
Consumption of high-calorie foods.
Initiation into the church and baptism completed by playing an Overwatch match — (or, if the new convert doesn’t own Overwatch, the free-to-play Paladins game will suffice).
The term “Hanzo Main” and the act of “rage quitting” a game are considered sins.
Hate speech and toxic behavior in streams are also sins.

It seems fairly legitimate, as there was seemingly a document obtained from the Brazilian Government giving a thumbs-up. https://assets.vg247.com/current//2017/07/churchofhanzo_1.jpg

If anyone wants to translate that, be my guest!

- Maxewell

I'm sure this will get an appropriately snooty reply from the Thistle, and a somewhat more apologetic one from the Flowering Leek. ^_^ Thanks.

hS

This is definitely getting answered. Quite possibly at paper length.

hS