ALTEREGO'S PROFILE

I concur wit the above posts... In one hand I can understand the appeal of telling stories in "videogame format". We're 'creative' people, we have tons of ideas, many of which may not translate well to gameplay; and we're already familiar with the software -say rpg maker instead of flash, for example-. But we really should understand that the software does not make the videogame.

And frankly, I resent that people often conflate the two. Because it sucks when you're under the impression that you're about to play a full-fledged game just to find out that the only interaction you can have with it is: "press X to keep watching" or something like that... Now, if the story and execution are actually good, I may stick for a while: say 15 to 30 minutes? But considering that most "games" that attempt this feel more like watching a play than a movie, I find it unlikely that they'd catch my attention longer than that.
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That being said. FFX didn't feel like you could move all that freely to me. Going from one place to another was like walking on a straight path most of the time, and the story was pretty linear too (albeit all with good reason). So perhaps FFXII is a better option for that poll...

But anyway, what really matters is what you get to do in that world, regardless of how it is set up. In theory I prefer open worlds, but when the only difference between one place or another is a change of scenery, it becomes boring. Give me a reason to do things, to go places... The formula that I like the most is the one found in "Metroidvania" style games. It's really fun to explore and backtrack in those games. Whether is to find hidden rooms/passages, get to previously out of reach places, look for specific monsters/items, or even try to "break sequence", I spend hours running from one place to another and planning what's the best route to get there. =P

Welp! Just to repeat what everyone has been saying: When it comes to criticism, I don't care about a particular number of people that complains about something, because it's not like creating stuff it's a democracy. But I do place more importance on people who seem to know what they're talking about, even if it's just one person; and then I weight that out against what I know...
For example, if someone criticizes a graphic aspect of my game -an area in which I know a thing or two- I'll be more inclined to defend my position. But if someone comes to me talking about arpeggios and such, I'm more likely to listen to that person because my entire musical knowledge can be summarized with whether I "like" a tune or not. So, yeah, sometimes reason > tastes.

It's easy to talk about things like music, though, because I don't think anyone really has anything against music genres. But humor for example, it's a more risqué topic, that ultimately comes down to tastes as well. Take Slap-stick comedy. You don't see much of that stuff nowadays anymore. Some consider it to be childish, or violent, etc. But at the end of the day everything is fair game.

It also depends of what kind of content is being created, I suppose. If it's something I want it to be taken seriously and reach the most people as possible, then I'll be more inclined to compromise my artistic vision to a certain degree. But if for instance, I want to create something a bit more nichey and tongue-in-check, then obviously some people are not going to like that, but I'd do it anyways.

What is the intention of my "game-making"? (Game-making between air-quotes because most of my game-making happens inside my head xP) ...Good question. Well, I think it's just to explore ideas, scenarios, characters, etc. Or to put it simply: to tell stories. Just that. Stories. Period. All kinds of stories. Some may require I tackle complex/delicate subjects, some may reflect what I personally think about something, and yet some may be the complete opposite of all that. I have no interest in sending "messages" of any kind. And it bothers me when people ascribe this property to games or to developers by default, regardless of any actual intent. =/

For similar reasons, there's not a game that has like, touched me deeply, or whatever. I play games mostly for "fun" not to feel validated in any way. But generally speaking about the themes I like, I guess the Soul Blazer trilogy is the series that has resonated with me the most. Other similar games would be the Xenogear/Xenosaga titles, The first two Star Oceans, or the Suikoden series: Games that are about a goal that transcends space or time, or the very people who fight for those goals themselves.

author=Max McGee
This might be a bit much but...then again I'm not sure. It just seems so fucking retarded that he had to apologize for wearing a shirt. I mean I know he didn't HAVE to apologize. Like no one put a gun to his head. But the fact that there's a cultural climate where he actually felt like he SHOULD apologize for wearing a shirt is even worse in a way.

This might be a bit much... xD While I agree with the overall sentiment of this thread that "political correctness", "SJWs", ""feminists"", or whatchuwannacallit, can sometimes get a bit out of hand; I think is important to 'respect' other people's choices no matter why they made them. I mean, if this guy's job was not really in jeopardy, but he still felt necessary to apologize, then I'm Ok with it. Even if he cried and everything (maybe he's really that empathic a person), I'm still Ok with it...

I think it's Ok when people say "you SHOULD do X" because I have no doubt they genuinely believe that's the best thing to do. And until that point is just a suggestion. Is when they say "You MUST do X or else!!!" when it starts becoming a problem... It's not cool to conditionate other people's decisions, but it's also not cool to second-guess them.

author=Yellow Magic
If I were a full-on SJW I'd have ripped you to shreds by now...

Speaking of "SJWs" though. I love that acronym. Every time I see it, my mind can't help but to read "SSJ" instead or think of the "Z-warriors". And all because DBZ is such a guilty-pleasure of mine. xD So when I read the quote above I just lost it! Hahaha! Hahahahahaha... ugh. u_u

Wow, you weren't kidding when you said it was an acid trip! The comic surely displays many dream-like qualities. Even little things like Mew-mew changing sizes there for a moment (which may have been unintentional) reinforce this notion; which is awesome. Overall I'm very happy how this turned out... Also, page 20 is the best. xD

I'm a little sad the comic end on a cliffhanger, though. Because the likeness of us seeing how the story concludes any time soon are slim, even if we start another comic right away *cough cough*