|
jwang posted:I really don't get what's with the obsession with auctions in these Chinese WN. It seems like every other one would involve an auction in some shape or form. My favorite bits are when the MC goes to take a written exam and there are tens of thousands of spectators. Nail-biting stuff.
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2016 21:35
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 1, 2024 08:02 |
|
|
Avulsion posted:My favorite bits are when the MC goes to take a written exam and there are tens of thousands of spectators. Nail-biting stuff. Confucianism at its best right there. It's so embedded into the culture that you'll never be able to dig it out. Now I want an anime about written exams, with dramatic posturing and flashy penmanship.
|
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2016 21:43
|
|
|
Auctions are a way for the mc to display copious amounts of cash, which is even better than power levels in self insert power trip fantasies since it's more relatable to the real world.
|
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2016 23:07
|
|
|
It's a terrible way to show you got money if you ask me. If you really want to show someone with real wealth, have him buy out huge corporations or force people to shut down because they just can't compete. Better yet, you can implement a hostile takeover that's very literal at the same time, so you can show off how ruthless and wealthy you are at the same time, especially when the company is worth bazillions of moolah. Have it be done by the harem of Charlie's Angels and you got the trinity: ruthless, wealthy, and got bitches. Peak alpha male right there.
|
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2016 23:38
|
|
|
Cultivators aren't cutthroat enough for corporations, though.
|
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2016 23:55
|
|
|
The Lord of Hats posted:Cultivators aren't cutthroat enough for corporations, though. Meng Hao is
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 00:21
|
|
|
Sects are really just a metaphor for corporate culture, and the cultivation world is an insert of how unfair the real world seems.
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 00:31
|
|
|
Deadly Ham Sandwich posted:Original English work. Author now posts his story here. http://www.fictiongrill.com/ I had already read Worm and Savage Divinity, but I really enjoyed the Practical Guide to Evil. It really taught me one thing: goblinfire solves all problems
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 01:44
|
|
|
SerSpook posted:I had already read Worm and Savage Divinity, but I really enjoyed the Practical Guide to Evil. It really taught me one thing: goblinfire solves all problems Two other English efforts that I've readily enjoyed: Super Powereds: School program for super heroes trying to make it in a world with secret identities et al. The Gods Are Bastards: Think of a fantasy D&D-esque world that's progressed to the age of westerns. Focuses on a group of students doing fun stuff under the guidance of an immortal archmage who trains adventurers and (occasionally) kills Gods.
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 04:50
|
|
|
SerSpook posted:I had already read Worm and Savage Divinity, but I really enjoyed the Practical Guide to Evil. It really taught me one thing: goblinfire solves all problems While I have my issues with A Practical Guide to Evil, it's really exceptionally good at making a wacky world with lots of humour. As for others: Super Powered was mentioned above and is pretty fun though it does tend to have clear favorites and wank recurrently (as well as characters that are made dumber in order to play to the favorite's strength). For all that it's decently written and does have a lot of plotting/etc. Gods are bastard, also mentioned above, is a lot of fun both world-building wise and plot-wise. It is however very mechanically repetitive (most chapters are structured in the same way which does tend to make one think that there is several boxes to tick when it comes to make the chapters) and there seems to be a lot of "I want to portray the good guys as flawed and the bad guy as complex" that ends up feeling very much like "bash the good guys and glorify the bad guys" sometimes, which can be frustrating but that's an understandable issue for a new writer. Void Domain (https://towercurator.wordpress.com/) is a fun romp in a failed magic school where everyone is messed up and does exceptionally well at having very flawed characters that are relatable and the flaws actually matters when it comes to plotting/consequences, which shouldn't be a surprise but is drat too rare. The Zombie Knight (http://thezombieknight.blogspot.com/) is pulp if pulp had some really, really great dialogs and emotional growth of characters. Also, everyone is a dork. Heretical Edge (https://ceruleanscrawling.wordpress.com/) is another magical school one, except it's very much a 'become a child soldier' magical school that has an intricate plot and very good characterisation all around. Also, dorkiness.
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 17:22
|
|
|
I've been reading Worm, and it is very entertaining. It suffers a little from some minor issues (like kind YA-ish unrealistic dialogue), but it's been a lot of fun to read so far.
|
|
#
?
Jun 11, 2016 21:29
|
|
|
Cripes, Emperor's Domination suffers terribly from word padding. You get like 3-4 paragraphs describing the same thing. These people should seriously consider getting a friend or someone to help edit each chapter before posting, because I don't really want to read 3 paragraphs of how jaw-droppingly shocking something is.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 02:54
|
|
|
Ytlaya posted:I've been reading Worm, and it is very entertaining. It suffers a little from some minor issues (like kind YA-ish unrealistic dialogue), but it's been a lot of fun to read so far. Worm's major issue is a severe lack of padding. The protagonist goes from one poo poo situation into the next. That having been said, it's a fantastic read and I'd wholly recommend it to anyone who likes the superhero(villain) genre.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 04:44
|
|
|
Yeah, I'm up to Chapter 15 of Worm, and I am very surprised at how good it is. Since it seems like this was written in 2012, I'm really surprised I'd never heard of it before.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 13:07
|
|
|
Why are you people wasting your time reading non-Japanese web novels? Do they even -sama or -chan?
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 13:31
|
|
|
FriggenJ posted:Worm's major issue is a severe lack of padding. The protagonist goes from one poo poo situation into the next. Yeah, I've noticed this. It seems like literally everything goes wrong and things never go as planned. At least the solutions are pretty good, though; so far I haven't really ever felt like a victory just came out of nowhere (at least compared with something like a climactic battle in a shounen manga)..
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 18:54
|
|
|
darkgray posted:Why are you people wasting your time reading non-Japanese web novels? Do they even -sama or -chan? Skitter-sama is coming for you because you give her no face
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 23:17
|
|
|
all ln/wn's are about puerile nerd poo poo, regardless of language. it is just that in china that includes wuxia and xianxia. i happen to like puerile nerd poo poo, is all.
|
|
#
?
Jun 12, 2016 23:20
|
|
|
If you think Worm is one crazy situation to the next, try Pact. It's not as good, but drat if the ride isn't wilder.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 00:04
|
|
|
jon joe posted:If you think Worm is one crazy situation to the next, try Pact. It's not as good, but drat if the ride isn't wilder. Eh pact was so-so, it didn't seem nearly as tightly plotted (which is saying something). I was reading his third web novel but I got distracted and fell behind so I figure I'll just wait for it to be completed and then start again. The third novel seems to be pretty solid, hopefully he's learning from Worm and Pact.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 03:54
|
|
|
Twig, I think, is a much better work than Worm was, and it shows just how much Wildbow has grown since starting his writing career. I'm actually a little upset that it doesn't get more discussion in the web novels thread in The Book Barn. Actually, I'm a little upset that none of these series are getting discussed in that thread, this is the first time I'm hearing about most of these series and I wish I'd known about them sooner.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 08:17
|
|
|
I've noticed a tendency for characters to explain too much in some of the western web novels. It's like after being annoyed by decades of plots that could have resolved themselves if any characters had ever talked to each other they're going too far in the other direction.
|
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 08:22
|
|
|
ISSTH watch: oh poo poo a sudden left turn into shenanigans it's a two-for-one special, the one bit of battle shenanigans allowed in Wait, That Previous Jobber Was A Big Deal Somewhere? and a bonus Khorne's Loanshark. Also meeting his True Rival Of Supreme Destiny! Meng Hao barely realizes he even exists. EDIT: somehow this has become incredible very, very quickly Yinlock fucked around with this message at 13:04 on Jun 13, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jun 13, 2016 12:55
|
|
|
tried worm and void domain. liked the latter, loathed the former.
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2016 04:16
|
|
|
Serious Frolicking posted:tried worm and void domain. liked the latter, loathed the former. Out of curiosity, what didn't you like about Worm? Don't construe this as me challenging your opinion, I'm just curious. I have two main complaints about it but neither are really "dealbreakers": 1. It seems to always go from one desperate "about to lose" situation to the next, which sort of ruins the sense of the tension over the long run because you're always expecting something to bail Taylor out at the last moment. Things just never seem to go according to plan, which is a little strange when Tattletale is around; like, obviously she can make mistakes, but you would at least expect them to be better off than average in this regard. I understand the motive behind this (it's generally not as interesting to have the characters effortlessly own their opponents), but I feel like it's useful to at least give them some room to breath and create the impression they're improving. This is probably the biggest problem. 2. Kind of YA-fiction-ish characters, which doesn't really bother me too much since I'm just reading this for entertainment and don't really care if some characters aren't very complex. Regardless, none of the bad aspects seem to make it worse than any Asian LNs/WNs I've read. If anything it's the opposite; I think the only LN/WNs I've read with remotely comparable writing/plotting are Rokka and Grimgar (though I'd assume that a couple others I haven't read like Baccano/Durarara are also good in this regard). This isn't so much a compliment to these series as it is an insult to everything else, but yeah.
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2016 19:49
|
|
|
I suspect that he/she didn't get past the first book which is very rough/shaky. Obviously there are plenty of reasons to dislike the novel and not want to continue but I found it really kicked into gear around the Leviathan fight and a lot of people won't read up to there because Wildbow was getting his writing legs. Void domain is absolutely fantastic though good recommendation. Heretical Edge wasn't my cup of tea though.
|
|
#
?
Jun 14, 2016 21:03
|
|
|
I'll try to read past the first book, then. Unfortunately I couldn't even get that far for the two others arkeus recommended. Zombie knight was so incredibly dumb that I didn't get past the first chapter and heretical edge started with a full on "yer a wizzerd harry" scene which is far too ridiculous for me to handle. I kind of skipped past young adult literature for regular sci fi/fantasy when I was growing up so I have a limited tolerance for these twee tween protagonists. It doesn't help that I've also been reading the culture series for the first time so the bad writing stands out even more. Dunno why translated garbage is easier to stomach than untranslated, but it is. I do like void domain, though! Everyone is an idiot by nature rather than to drive the plot along and their terrible decisions have appropriately terrible outcomes.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 01:51
|
|
|
No need to force yourself if it isn't your thing. I had a friend once try to get me to slog through the Sword of Truth series and would never do that to anyone else... ever. I just feel like letting anyone I recommend Worm to know that you should give it past the first book or two before truly deciding whether or not it's your thing. Taylor is a pretty great character and she grows significantly throughout the series. But I, apparently, dig most superhero novels.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 02:01
|
|
|
I read the sword of truth series before I read atlas shrugged, and as a 13 year old idiot I didn't pick up on the incredibly obvious bdsm objectivism.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 02:11
|
|
|
I like Worm overall. The at times absurd pacing and Wheedonesque characters detract from my enjoyment, but just the fact that it has a reasonably well thought out super hero world, if not a believable one, does a lot for me. That the MC has one of the cooler super powers you'd normally see in a side kick or mini-villain clinches it.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 03:10
|
|
|
I just finished Worm, and I really, really loving liked it. Full disclosure, when Taylor hugs her mom at the end, I loving cried. The frog is not without warts, but I'd say it's definitely in the top two or three things I've read on recommendation from the thread. And the running gag of Aisha having a bigger vocabulary than anyone can bring themselves to believe may be whedonesque but it's good damnit. 
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 07:32
|
|
|
Captain Bravo posted:Yeah, I'm up to Chapter 15 of Worm, and I am very surprised at how good it is. Since it seems like this was written in 2012, I'm really surprised I'd never heard of it before. - June 12th Captain Bravo posted:I just finished Worm, and I really, really loving liked it. Full disclosure, when Taylor hugs her mom at the end, I loving cried. The frog is not without warts, but I'd say it's definitely in the top two or three things I've read on recommendation from the thread. - June 15th. Did you even sleep? I'd give Super Powereds a go if you're into the genre. It's fun if entirely different in its grimdarkness.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 08:35
|
|
|
FriggenJ posted:Did you even sleep? lol, I had a few days off of work due to illness and so I just sat in bed and read.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 10:07
|
|
|
Curing Incurable Disease With Semen Description I have a little sister that is hospitalized because of an incurable disease But one day, by her request, we did sexual things. But since then, my little sister got better, and finally she completely recovered. Does doing ecchi things with me cure sicknesses? I was doubtful at first, but then I also had sex with other female patients who’s incurable. Because all those female patients achieved complete recovery, I cured incurable diseases behind the scenes and became the Founder of a sect, on the outside I’m a person who supports incurable diseases and assumed the office as a representative. Then during many years, I had sex with women that had incurable diseases, then after they’re cured I impregnated them. I was called “Founder-sama” and looked at with respectful eyes by the women, this is the story of how I became so.  
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 20:53
|
|
|
Is there a manga adaptation yet?
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 21:02
|
|
|
magical penises curing incurable illnesses are a vn staple. if you arent on that route they just die instead.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 21:09
|
|
|
 Why would anyone even bother translating that?
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 22:32
|
|
|
gwrtheyrn posted:
Wish fulfillment.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 22:37
|
|
|
rizzen posted:Wish fulfillment. None of them ever address the real issues with having a magical healy penis. Like say your dad got cancer. Or you come across some guy bleeding out on the street. Do you have the responsibility to just whip it out? Should your doctor dong be offered freely to anyone who might benefit, even if you might find it personally distasteful? What happens when you contract aids? Big questions that no one in the health schlong genre address.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 22:44
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 1, 2024 08:02 |
|
|
Cynic Jester posted:None of them ever address the real issues with having a magical healy penis. One has done something similar:    The incredibly NSFW follow-up.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2016 23:03
|
|