straightforwardly (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
straightforwardly) wrote2017-08-06 12:59 pm
straightforwardly) wrote2017-08-06 12:59 pm
154 | in which I play Dragon Essence
► The next game in my “let’s get this VN backlog down” was Dragon Essence, mainly because I realized that I had two Zeiva games sitting around unplayed, and as a self-proclaimed obsessive Zeiva fan, that just wouldn’t do. I completed it yesterday.
First, before I talk about the endings / my thoughts on the story, I have to say, that dragons all had such gorgeous character designs. *_* Chi An had a great one too. This particular game was actually a collaboration between Zeiva and Kaze-hime (both of whom I followed on deviantart back in high school), with Kaze-hime doing the art, and, I have to say, she did an excellent job. ♥ Everything looked gorgeous.
This game actually ended up being kind of similar to Solstice— not in terms of plot or characters, but in terms of how none of the endings were a straight-out happy one. There were some development notes in the Extra’s Gallery (for this game) that talked about this, actually; I’m going to quote the relevant part here:
On that note— I did like the relationship between Xian Zhao and Chi An a lot, but I wasn’t actually sold on their being in love— which was a pity, considering that was the driving force for the entire plot of the game. I’m not entirely sure why, but something about them just pinged me as really good friends who could one day fall in love, but hadn’t yet. But I liked their relationship and both of the characters to run with it, and ended up really feeling for them in the later chapters, when they start to realize that they’ll probably never actually get to be together.
I actually got the Xian Zhao ending first, and— I find it interesting that the only route where they actually decide to fight to be together, he dies. But I also really love where Chi An ended up in that one? She got to both save her mother and have that life of freedom that she always wanted. So… even though I was sad for Xian Zhao, I actually have a hard time thinking of it as being an entirely unhappy ending, if only because of how much his sacrifice improved her life— and because of how happy he’d have been to have known that he succeeded at getting that life for her.
The Ming Jie ending, on the other hand, was bleak. Holy shit. It’s strange, because in choice-based games my first impulse is usually to follow the expectations placed on the character / not disappoint people (mostly because I really hate disappointing people irl), but if Chi An follows that path— her life becomes what would be my worst nightmare. It’s like her very self is being consumed by the role she places herself in.
I did the Tian Xi ending third, and I loved that one. I guess I just like it when Chi An gets to be free? I also like the emotional complications that come with it— their mutual feelings of cowardice, how the knowledge of the fate she abandoned her mother to will impact Chi An over the years— it’s just all very fascinating to me. This was also the ending where I realized that I… actually have a decent amount in common with Chi An? (...And not necessarily in a positive way BUT OH WELL.) I hadn’t realized it at first because our outwards reaction to things are so different, but so many of the things she said about herself there really resonated with me.
Though I did go “wtf” at some of the things that happened during their confrontation with Yin. Specially, their reaction to the revelation that she’d tried to kill Xi when she abandoned him in the human world. That is, Xi not blaming her actually did make sense once he’d explained it— he’d been saying he was a monster since An’s first meeting with him, and considering his background I can buy that he’d rather think of himself as a monster than to believe that his beloved aunt is really a terrible person— but I can’t believe that Chi An didn’t react more to that revelation.
I do kind of want post-canon fic about her and Tian Xi’s adventures in the outside world, though. Gen fic, I think.
Finally, the Xu Wei route ended up being as iddy as hell for me. I’d braced myself for a reaction similar to that of the Ming Jie ending (because by that point I’d remembered Zeiva saying at one point on their tumblr that the Tian Zhao and Tian Xi paths were about freedom, while the Ming Jie and Xu Wei ones were about responsibility), but I loved it, every moment of it. Maybe she did sacrifice herself to a marriage that she didn’t want in this route too— but she still keeps her sense of self. More, Xu Wei actually respects her intelligence and her spirit. She’s actively fighting for something she cares about— and some of the things Xu Wei says to his guards before she goes to him suggests that she actually has a solid chance of winning.
Also, I’d definitely be up for Xu Wei/Chi An future fic.
ALSO, I’m in love with the friendship between Chi An and Meng Ran. (Meng Ran might’ve been one of my favorite characters, tbh.) I know they only knew each other briefly, but them playing Wei Qi together was the cutest. I also liked how he seemed to genuinely like and think well of her.
As for the bonus— it was so cute! Except for where it was all just a dream, which was depressing— but I’m actually okay with that? Because I liked seeing that vision of a world where everything was as Chi An and Tian Zhao dreamed it could be. Tbh, my only real problem with it was the parts with Yin, but I’m willing to ignore that for the sake of MENG RAN AND XU WEI PLAYING WEI QI AGAINST EACH OTHER. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ That made my heart sing, and I kind of desperately want more of their interactions now. That’s just perfect.
Chi An’s mother swooping in and beating the both of them was amusing too— or, it was, until it occurred to me that that meant Chi An probably got at least some of her intellectualism from her mother, and that it’s possible that her mother felt like she did when she was younger, and just slowly had her spirit crushed out of her by the roles society placed on her. And then it was sad again. Especially when I considered the Ming Jie ending.
► I was playing through the newest Liar! event, and this moment really amused me, because it reminded me so much of Reynir offering to fix Tuuri’s picture frame for her, before remembering, oh wait, he has no idea how to fix broken glass. The Liar MC and Reynir actually have absolutely nothing in common, so that made the comparison even more amusing for me.
► Finally, the O.P.I. Summer Prompt Challenge is a thing! I’m not entirely sure if I’m going to participate (if only because I already have so many stories that I want to write in the near future), but I have thrown some prompts in, and my nail polish-loving heart is just pleased to hear that this exists.Even if I actually like Essie better. Shhh.
First, before I talk about the endings / my thoughts on the story, I have to say, that dragons all had such gorgeous character designs. *_* Chi An had a great one too. This particular game was actually a collaboration between Zeiva and Kaze-hime (both of whom I followed on deviantart back in high school), with Kaze-hime doing the art, and, I have to say, she did an excellent job. ♥ Everything looked gorgeous.
This game actually ended up being kind of similar to Solstice— not in terms of plot or characters, but in terms of how none of the endings were a straight-out happy one. There were some development notes in the Extra’s Gallery (for this game) that talked about this, actually; I’m going to quote the relevant part here:
“All the endings come with a price to pay. Whether it is worth it or not will depend on your personal values. While I realized there are many who want a perfect ending, I decided to stay with my original vision - where the players decide the value of each ending.”As much as I love my happy endings, I do love this a lot from a storytelling perspective, and actually ended up loving most of the endings in this game, even if none of them actually gave the Xian Zhao/Chi An relationship a happy ending.
On that note— I did like the relationship between Xian Zhao and Chi An a lot, but I wasn’t actually sold on their being in love— which was a pity, considering that was the driving force for the entire plot of the game. I’m not entirely sure why, but something about them just pinged me as really good friends who could one day fall in love, but hadn’t yet. But I liked their relationship and both of the characters to run with it, and ended up really feeling for them in the later chapters, when they start to realize that they’ll probably never actually get to be together.
I actually got the Xian Zhao ending first, and— I find it interesting that the only route where they actually decide to fight to be together, he dies. But I also really love where Chi An ended up in that one? She got to both save her mother and have that life of freedom that she always wanted. So… even though I was sad for Xian Zhao, I actually have a hard time thinking of it as being an entirely unhappy ending, if only because of how much his sacrifice improved her life— and because of how happy he’d have been to have known that he succeeded at getting that life for her.
The Ming Jie ending, on the other hand, was bleak. Holy shit. It’s strange, because in choice-based games my first impulse is usually to follow the expectations placed on the character / not disappoint people (mostly because I really hate disappointing people irl), but if Chi An follows that path— her life becomes what would be my worst nightmare. It’s like her very self is being consumed by the role she places herself in.
I did the Tian Xi ending third, and I loved that one. I guess I just like it when Chi An gets to be free? I also like the emotional complications that come with it— their mutual feelings of cowardice, how the knowledge of the fate she abandoned her mother to will impact Chi An over the years— it’s just all very fascinating to me. This was also the ending where I realized that I… actually have a decent amount in common with Chi An? (...And not necessarily in a positive way BUT OH WELL.) I hadn’t realized it at first because our outwards reaction to things are so different, but so many of the things she said about herself there really resonated with me.
Though I did go “wtf” at some of the things that happened during their confrontation with Yin. Specially, their reaction to the revelation that she’d tried to kill Xi when she abandoned him in the human world. That is, Xi not blaming her actually did make sense once he’d explained it— he’d been saying he was a monster since An’s first meeting with him, and considering his background I can buy that he’d rather think of himself as a monster than to believe that his beloved aunt is really a terrible person— but I can’t believe that Chi An didn’t react more to that revelation.
I do kind of want post-canon fic about her and Tian Xi’s adventures in the outside world, though. Gen fic, I think.
Finally, the Xu Wei route ended up being as iddy as hell for me. I’d braced myself for a reaction similar to that of the Ming Jie ending (because by that point I’d remembered Zeiva saying at one point on their tumblr that the Tian Zhao and Tian Xi paths were about freedom, while the Ming Jie and Xu Wei ones were about responsibility), but I loved it, every moment of it. Maybe she did sacrifice herself to a marriage that she didn’t want in this route too— but she still keeps her sense of self. More, Xu Wei actually respects her intelligence and her spirit. She’s actively fighting for something she cares about— and some of the things Xu Wei says to his guards before she goes to him suggests that she actually has a solid chance of winning.
Also, I’d definitely be up for Xu Wei/Chi An future fic.
ALSO, I’m in love with the friendship between Chi An and Meng Ran. (Meng Ran might’ve been one of my favorite characters, tbh.) I know they only knew each other briefly, but them playing Wei Qi together was the cutest. I also liked how he seemed to genuinely like and think well of her.
As for the bonus— it was so cute! Except for where it was all just a dream, which was depressing— but I’m actually okay with that? Because I liked seeing that vision of a world where everything was as Chi An and Tian Zhao dreamed it could be. Tbh, my only real problem with it was the parts with Yin, but I’m willing to ignore that for the sake of MENG RAN AND XU WEI PLAYING WEI QI AGAINST EACH OTHER. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ That made my heart sing, and I kind of desperately want more of their interactions now. That’s just perfect.
Chi An’s mother swooping in and beating the both of them was amusing too— or, it was, until it occurred to me that that meant Chi An probably got at least some of her intellectualism from her mother, and that it’s possible that her mother felt like she did when she was younger, and just slowly had her spirit crushed out of her by the roles society placed on her. And then it was sad again. Especially when I considered the Ming Jie ending.
► I was playing through the newest Liar! event, and this moment really amused me, because it reminded me so much of Reynir offering to fix Tuuri’s picture frame for her, before remembering, oh wait, he has no idea how to fix broken glass. The Liar MC and Reynir actually have absolutely nothing in common, so that made the comparison even more amusing for me.
► Finally, the O.P.I. Summer Prompt Challenge is a thing! I’m not entirely sure if I’m going to participate (if only because I already have so many stories that I want to write in the near future), but I have thrown some prompts in, and my nail polish-loving heart is just pleased to hear that this exists.