Evolution of Influences

The main seed for this project is hard to pin down.  There were a lot of factors that led the way and eventually found themselves integrated in some form -- the concept of natural-magic wielders called geomancers (a theme I tried to explore in my very first kinetic novel from 2006 but which I never proceeded beyond Chapter/Episode I).  An anime-style RPG with yuri elements which I'd been wanting to collaborate with Christine Love about two years ago.  And about a year and a half ago discussing elements of dieselpunk with IceD (from whom I got introduced to his sister's character design skills and subsequently recruited the first artist for this project).  I still give credit for the small influences that come and go and help shape the project to what it is today, even if the people currently on board may be different.  No creator lives in a vacuum.  I had a vague inkling of what I wanted to do but it wasn't until I decided "Ah fuck my finances, I'm gonna get some expert skills on board." that I became confident about the world of Elspeth's Garden as it became the more or less final form today.  Yeah, at face value it's a world of girls! monkeys! airships!  but it goes deeper than that.  In fact, the very first time I opened a production notebook for this game... around May 2010... the first notes I jotted down were conflicts experienced by real-life people (my relatives, basically).  I passed the mantle of writing responsibility to Taleweaver because I wanted to see what influences he could bring to the table and I wanted to be pleasantly surprised (even if it's supposed to be my game, lol).  It's strange, but I like this light approach - see what people come up with, and run with it.  I've read that the second season of Gunslinger Girls sucked compared to the first because the original author had more sway in its production.  If this had been a solo project, it would have been boring, since my list of references is pretty short compared to people who had done their research through training in their various fields.

Wanting to Make a Classic

I've been thinking about what makes a work a classic.  Lord of the Rings - before there had been no mention of orcs, elves, and treants.  Similarly, Frankenstein.  Dracula.  Anything that comes afterwards are just second-generation ideas.  It's really hard to come up with the original, first-generation idea.  Some people have been pushing for the definitive steampunk work, but I don't see it happening.  Steampunk is essentially Victorian era + 1930s machinery.  And there have been plenty of writing from both time periods.  Not to mention Jules Verne.  The conflicts present in steampunk works are, as expected, mainly about ever-evolving technology and the disruption it causes to traditional societal structures, whether its mechanization of labor, pollution, etc. all cooked into the main theme of adventure.

Maybe the definitive work today should actually be based on present realities?  Thinking about the Great Gatsby, Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird -- they all explored the main societal conflicts of the time periods they portray... the excess of the 20s, the Great Depression, pre-Civil Rights.  I have a big hunch if there's going to be a breakthrough work today (regardless of particular media format), it will have to be about Globalization.  Or Rising China.  Or both.  Something done Tom Clancy style or maybe inject a bit of sci-fi near-future and make it Michael Crichton.  The problem is that whoever is going to make that modern day definitive work will have to do shittons of research, otherwise the political analysts and experts will be calling for a lynching.  Regardless, a Masamune Shirow style near-future China cyberpunk thriller is a theme I want to explore eventually (but first things are first and let's get this steampunk project over and done with).  I know it's ambitious, but there's no way not to go big, since otherwise your project will fade into obscurity.  Making the equivalent of taking your Lego models and making a stop-motion story is not going to cut it anymore.  If no one has played your visual novel, does it even exist?  That's my biggest fear since there is so much media nowadays competing for everyone's attention.  Add to that ever increasing family obligations, and it's hard to justify spending a lot of effort on something unless it were the creator's swan song.  Maybe that's why most of the old guard are either retiring or going pro.  Will Elspeth's Garden be my swan song?  Maybe.  But I'll still be pitching in with other people's projects.  Besides Taleweaver, I've been talking to Komitsuku about an idea which we won't have time to work on until next year.  But this is really a pivotal moment since the results of tis project will determine whether I'll still be making stuff next year, or quietly disappearing (I'll most likely be playing Fire Emblem on 3DS) since consuming content as opposed to producing them is a lot more cheaper, more convenient, and in many cases a wiser use of one's time.

Okay, this has been the most brain-farted blogpost I've ever written.  I just hope when I reread this later it isn't a mess of BS.  Take what you will.