Discussion When author tries to pass off "brain fart" as epiphany.

Discussion in 'Novel General' started by otaku31, Jul 6, 2019.

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  1. otaku31

    otaku31 Well-Known Member

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    So, I was MTLing this CN when I came across an event which had my blood boiling hotter than the MC's atm. :blobangery::blobdevil::blobcurse::blob_catflip:

    Warning: This gonna be a long rant.

    Background:

    One of those "tests in a pocket dimension" which MC participates in. I won't go into details, but participants r basically divided into "academy students/elites" and the "unaffiliated group" (which MC belongs to). There's this secret plot (which MC's aware of) involving the academy group (mostly from influential families, the "bad guys") preventing the unaffiliated (the ordinaries) from passing the test. The former (obviously) outnumber and outgun the latter. The MC & co plan to use the cover of chaos caused by the clash of both sides to reach their goal. The MC's friend "rich fatty" has a "defense shield" gadget- pretty much impregnable which only the MC can actuate (due to his vast Qi reserves) and they plan to use that to safely cross the battlefield.

    MC and co watch as the baddies unilaterally slaughter the unaffiliated players while feeling bad, knowing they can't change the outcome and will only endanger themselves by interfering. While they are sneaking towards exit under the protection of moving defensive umbrella, one of the MC's underlings suddenly stops and lets the shield pass by him. The MC immediately stops and goes back to bring him in, and while wanting to scold him 4 carelessness, the underling goes like how his teacher died protecting a city he was not obliged to protect, just cuz of his beliefs. As one of the unaffiliated, he too wants to fight against the unreasonable tyranny of the privileged elites, even if it costs him his life. B4 running off, he adds that the MC, tho a good person has the flaw that he has never recklessly fought 4 his beliefs. The others want to prevent underling but the MC stops them and continues towards the goal.

    Once MC reaches the end point, he has an epiphany and runs back to play savior, stating something along the lines of how could he deserve to be the boss if he can't even protect his underlings and when his underling possess more courage and staunchness than his cowardly self. He even kills off an elite under full public view (ironically, he had hidden the fact that he had killed 3 elites b4 to prevent unnecessary trouble).

    Ironically enuf, the MC had only known the underling 4 a couple of days (and yet he confidently "judges" the MC). Moreover, he had ridden the MC's shoulders to reach the final assessment. The underling had never done anything for the MC; he had even slandered the MC (not knowing the MC was secretly watching) to make the MC's enemies (who had him cornered) believe he had nothing to do with MC.

    Ruined it by turning a rational MC into a hot-headed idiot. Even the reason 4 said transformation was absolute BS... I simply had to get it off my chest by ranting.

    TL;DR: When the author gives nonsense reason 4 dumbing down MC.

    All this makes me wonder whether the writer considers his readers fools? They may be, actually, when u realize this is one of the top novels on Zhongheng. Link: http://book.zongheng.com/book/837229.html.
    :blob_coughblood::notlikeblob:
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2019
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  2. Flamer

    Flamer [An Old Man] [Shady Dealer]

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    Uh there r some scenes from other novels too that pissed me off too
     
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  3. Flamer

    Flamer [An Old Man] [Shady Dealer]

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    Guess they can’t be realistic at least for once those so called bullshit things they like adding it which looks like a waste to me
     
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  4. lnv

    lnv ✪ Well-Known Hypocrite

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    Sorry, I lost you at MTL... but to be fair, the protagonist was smart until he started reading MTLs and suffered from severe brain damage!
     
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  5. jackateonetoo

    jackateonetoo Wet Dog

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    That's a pretty typical problem with web novels. It's just cheap writing. The author has an outcome or situation he wants to make happen and is too lazy to write it properly and instead uses shitty twisted logic to justify the mc's actions. Logic and reason according to the standards the author himself set, is often dismissed for the sake of easier writing.
     
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  6. Raneday

    Raneday Not Rane

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    I usually drop novels whenever that happens

    lol :blobrofl::blobrofl::blobrofl:
     
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  7. Deleted member 155674

    Deleted member 155674 Guest

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    So, you feel better now after ranting? if not, you should say it all because novels like that do exist and there will be more of them in the future, so, just rant and then, either dump the novel or continue reading it :blob_patpat:
     
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  8. Soren59

    Soren59 MTL Shill

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    Zzz seen that stuff too often I usually rant on Discord
     
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  9. forecast

    forecast [Batoto Veteran] [sakurahana veteran]

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    If he wanted to act, even theunderling. It would be more more logical to do itbefore the clash began so that they can have a bigger fighting pottential.
    Even justice underling should have thought of that as they heard the news.

    I remember this novel where the mc is calm and careful. Legendary mechanical god.
    He prepared a figurehead to be the focus of the enemy forces, he prepared an alternate base , he even changed his name so people cant use cursea on him but during a siege he let a single enemy get away with the reason "i already conquered this town and letting a single enemy won't matter" even though that enemy looks rich and has a rare mount summon.
    He didnt even let a soldier get away the last town he invaded but now he lets a rich looking dude get away eventhough it would only take a simple command for his gunner legion to shoot the guy down.
     
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  10. Nargol

    Nargol Evangelist. Candy-san. Pope of the Cult of Pyoo

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    Lets be honest, anyone who reads this garbage is an idiot. This is a forum for people with at least partially awful taste, myself included
     
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  11. otaku31

    otaku31 Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, it was too sudden, too forced and, IMO, completely unnecessary.

    :blobamused:

    Exactly what u said. (y)

    Dropped it at the very same ch. :sushi_sigh:

    Well, I don't feel so stifled anymore after venting. Thank you 4 asking. And yes, I dropped it ASAP.

    True. But I think the author wanted MC to play unexpected hero (more impact that way) and be praised by all.
    That "justice underling", tho. :blobrofl::blobrofl:

    The first 50 chs were decent. Tho, the beauty-bathing-peeping-scene from b4 was an early warning sign I should hv paid more attention to. :sushi_sigh:
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2019
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  12. Tsuru55

    Tsuru55 Well-Known Member

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    Didn't read your quote but yeah, i also hate when authors write MCs as being dumb or making really stupid choices.
     
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  13. Ddraig

    Ddraig Frostfire Dragon|Retired lurker|FFF|Loved by RNG

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    I doubt most people here even read that shit let alone mtl it.
     
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  14. tides

    tides Well-Known Member

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    you do realize that these novels are often for children to read right?

    it's like how the power of friendship makes you more powerful than jesus in shonen
     
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  15. Karyehs

    Karyehs Well-Known Member

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    Don't slander Jesus! He's had a lot of friends, which would result in a lot of friendship power! He just let the other guys win out of fear to kill them with a casual punch.
     
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  16. Kadmos1

    Kadmos1 Well-Known Member

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    An author can dumb down a MC if they want seeing as the author is writing the story. However, practically speaking, that might not be a good idea unless they want to experience a backlash of ass-pulls/plot armor complaints.
     
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  17. flannan

    flannan Well-Known Member

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    I have bad news for you. We humans aren't very rational, and our rational mind has only a finite amount of control over the beast-like madness that is our instincts.
    What happened is simply, first the underling, next the MC running out of willpower to act rationally, and flipping out and doing what they believe is right instead.
    An emotionless robot isn't a believable protagonist, and neither is he a fun protagonist.

    Your plan of besieging a town and not letting anybody escape to avoid having witnesses is unrealistic. It's the kind of plan that only works on the paper.
    More importantly, your plan of breaking formation to chase an optional objective (and you don't even know if you can chase him down - rare mount + whatever magics the guy may have bought, right?) is outright stupid. This maneuver is likely to lead your troops into an ambush, or have the opposition use this chance to do something.
     
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  18. otaku31

    otaku31 Well-Known Member

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    I guess it's my fault 4 not explaining properly, but while the MC could be technically categorized as one of the "unaffiliated", he had absolutely no relationship/friendship with said group; they were no better than strangers to him and he had no responsibility to save them. Moreover, the "unaffiliated" could hv chosen to give up and saved their lives but they chose to go through with it; it was their decision to risk death and, as such, they alone should face the repercussions. Don't understand why MC had to save their asses.

    All living creatures possess self-preservation instincts. I can understand people overcoming their innate selfishness/sense of self-preservation to protect their loved ones, but 4 random strangers? How many people do u think can achieve that? Would u do what amounts to throwing away ur life and future for strangers and a 2-day old friend who, I might add, has never done anything 4 u? MC def. wasn't that type. Besides, the MC was never emotionless (even I don't like those kind of MCs); he was a fun protag b4 he went brain dead. A sudden 180 degree character turn serves no purpose (and isn't all that believable, either), other than glorifying the MC as savior/hero. What's worse is that there's no dire consequences to his stupidity, thanks to plot armor. It's poor writing, at best.

    P.S. There's a huge gulf b/w knowing what is right and acting on it, esp. when u r aware that such act would put u in grave danger. That's why the real world doesn't run on idealism, and dictatorships like N. Korea continue to exist.

    The strongest of the so-called beast-like instincts is self-preservation, so the MC acted against this instinct. And "humans aren't very rational" is a blanket statement since the amount of rationality possessed varies from person to person.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2019
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  19. flannan

    flannan Well-Known Member

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    I haven't read the story, but from your words, I'm under the impression the MC is the type who forms bonds easily. More importantly, fighting for ideals is no less important than fighting for people.

    It's good writing. All those people who want "dire consequences" are evil people who hate idealists.

    That's why the MC is usually some kind of fighter, not a coward politician. If you aren't willing to fight for what you believe is right, no kung fu and no magic will help you.
    Real world is shit if you think about it as a story.
     
  20. otaku31

    otaku31 Well-Known Member

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    Well, I don't want an idealistic MC, I want a believable, realistic, relatable MC, which the protag was, b4. The MC is an amiable person, but the new friend is exploitative and judgmental (as I hv mentioned in OP), and the MC is not completely unaware of that. Would u charge into the fray for such a friend? Moreover, the ideals mentioned were more that of the friend than the MC's own. The MC merely felt bad for the victims; he was never outraged enuf to put his life on the line, at least, not b4 the author pulled his shit.

    It's not good writing when the author contradicts himself. Don't go saying that it's certain death to jump into a situation, and then jump into said situation, and emerge unscathed. That's what I meant by dire consequences.

    P.S. I'm not interested in discussing the ideals in the real world (or lack thereof), ideas of good or evil, or the definition of an ideal fighter; I only care that the fiction I read is decent. This one wasn't. Plz don't take offense when I say this, but I hope u keep ur comments relevant to the topic/title- there's a reason I posted this in Novel General, and not General Chat. :sushi_bye::sushi_bye:
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2019
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