4 chapters in, and I can't recall any of the characters expressing human emotions besides wanting to bone the obligatory "otherworldly beauty" introduced in ch. 2. Zombies litterally teleport in front of the MCs, and without a hint of surprise, fear, or confusion they immediately execute them. Not only that, but immediately after, these inexperienced gamers dispatch multiple zombies without a scratch (as a scratch would infect them.) These characters are empty, emotionless, and capable of doing anything the story asks them to perfectly.
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LIKEIt's the comment in chapter 2. Zombies literally pop out of nowhere and attack Luna and Boni, trying to kill them, and they shrug it off without any emotional response (so far as is written.) However, 5 minutes later when Sura shows up, Boni can't help but comment on her beauty and ask if she's single. So a god makes an announcement and they don't express confusion, monsters appear out of nowhere and they aren't afraid, but a beautiful girl shows up and they stop to gawk? When the main characters shrug off two world altering events as if they're nothing but stop to stare at a pretty lady. How am I supposed to interpret this? This single emotional response is like a candle in the dark. Normally, it wouldn't stand out. However, in the stark void of characterization up to this point, it's blinding.
Ah that, that was meant as a joke. Boni's personality even throughout the story will make that clear. It becomes apparent as you go as well, that it isn't that they're not "scared," it's that the addition of MMORPG elements makes it MUCH easier to accept and adapt, that say, something like The Walking Dead, where all the zombies are real. Safe to say that when you kill a zombie and it turns into "EXP" instead of an actual corpse, it's easy to accept especially for a gamer who is so used to that concept. Not to mention that MMORPG elements were introduced even before the zombies spawned, which calibrates their minds to be in that "MMORPG mindset." I thought about adding more emotion to it, but with what I just said taken into consideration, it would be more of a "I'll do it because that's what the rest are doing" and it just felt like I'd be adding it as a filler. I hope that explains it. :)
I can see what you mean. However, if you were going to take that route, you should have commented on it to some degree. Maybe even just a passing sentence or two. As it is, I was left in the dark about your intentions. (On a side note, you shouldn't underestimate the psychological impact violence can have, especially to those who aren't used to it. It's not uncommon for someone who's been robbed at gunpoint, even if they aren't hurt, to be afraid to go outside for months or even years afterwards. Likewise, someone who's had their house broken into might have months of fitful sleep. Also, violent games only desensitize you to virtual violence, as we naturally draw a line between what is and isn't real.) Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. I'm glad that you've found an audience who appreciates your work, and I hope that you have good luck in the future.
I'll take that into consideration in the future. :) I'm glad you left a review that tackles something I wasn't completely aware of. It's food for thought. Thanks! Reviews like yours will always be appreciated.
I feel as if no matter how much it came off as a MMORPG, a zombie spawning in front of you in RL.... At the very least the first time, would throw most anyone's emotions in to a chaotic state... (Being gamers means nothing in this scenario) Which in turn would give real emotional responces....Just saying.....
One thing I've observed is that there's a niche where people could care less about how "panicked" a character was. There's actually a lot of people who appreciate you going straight to the nitty-gritty of things. It's a risk, but so far it's paid off. :)
Even in movies and games, 'jump scares' are a real thing, even if u don't have a panic attack on spot u FEEL that initial WTF moment and would have to react to it with little to no prep time. Try and recall the original Resident Evil games it almost solely used this mechanism to instill suspense and a sense of foreboding and lingering fear. And yes u can become desensitized to them if u play those types of games regularly but not everyone does. It's like you're using the 'jumps' but not the 'scares'.