Amethyst | Creator of Reborn and Starlight I'm a lover before a fighter, but a killer before a kisser. Feel free to talk to me or ask about anything. I'll be nice... maybe ā„
Dear Amethyst, I'm messaging you anonymously bcs I'm not sure if this message will go out publicly on your page. I'm an aspiring Game Dev that's been inspired by your work on Pokemon Reborn and I was hoping to create my own original RPG for my final uni project. However, I barely have any idea where to begin. All I've really done is make a character controller but after that, I have no idea how to implement my narrative or even the turn based mechanics. Looking for advice if you're free to chat.
wellllll if you message anon i have no option but to respond publicly. i don't mind responding directly, but i can only do that if you ask under your account. also, i can't make promises for how promptly i check this inbox or respond, but like, i don't mind answering a question or two when i can.
regardless, happy to inspire or encourage people! a character controller is a good first step-- i always enjoying being able to run the game and just get a sense of the state of things. looking at what's most missing can help you prioritize.
as for the actual How though-- well, that's a whole can of worms innit, but a good place to start is probably just looking up tutorials for your chosen engine. if it's RPG Maker most of the stuff you're describe is already set up for you, you just gotta get familiar enough with the event system. if it's anything else, chances are there are tutorials for, at least broadly, whatever you wanna do. i would like to be able to say otherwise, but unfortunately with the current state of the internet, youtube videos are the way to go with those things. can't find shit through search anymore and if a human is speaking you know it ain't AI. pick one and just try it out, even if it's not exactly what you need then it'll broaden your skillset. it's fine to follow tutorials to the T to learn; just don't hesitate to customize it later when you can.
Disclaimer: cis person and certainly an ally. As a trans woman yourself: what do you think constitutes being a certain gender to a trans person? Gender norms and roles are largely made up by society, and differ heavily across them. When people transition, are they reinforcing gender stereotypes? I have read trans people describing it as an innate feeling and knowledge of being trans. Is it unique to every trans person? Apologies if this is insensitive to ask, feel free to ignore if so.
totally okay. esp with the current social/political sitch, there are a lot of very vulnerable and/or sensitive trans people right now. i'm not one of them. i find these discussions interesting and i'm very happy to help bridge understanding or answer genuine questions. in fact, thanks for taking the leap in asking rather than just sitting on the uncertainty.
this will be long, so let's cut.
let's start with these bits.
what do you think constitutes being a certain gender to a trans person?
...
Is it unique to every trans person?
you've answered your first question with your last-- yes, I'd say it is unique. we can think of it like art. if you have a hundred people watch the same movie and ask them their experience of it, you'll get a hundred different answers. it's like that, only we're not even all watching the same movie to begin with.
I have read trans people describing it as an innate feeling and knowledge of being trans.
blessed are those who know from a young age or without question. but in my completely anecdotal perspective, they are the lucky few. the mode is adolescent despair, mid and early life crises, and misery oscillating against endless doubts as to if one is really 'trans enough' to warrant doing anything about it.
but i want to focus on this bit:
Gender norms and roles are largely made up by society, and differ heavily across them. When people transition, are they reinforcing gender stereotypes?
i can see why you would ask that, and on a certain perspective, yes. most basic example: feminine "boy" transitions to be feminine woman, ergo the exceptions conform to the rules and the two categories each take a step to homogeneity.
counterpoint A: to what extent does a person just living their genuine life reinforce a stereotype at all? i am reminded here of the discussion about climate impact-- yeah a person can go vegetarian and practice zero waste and take the bus and etcetcetc but the overall climate impact of that is going be a drop in the bucket compared to systemic changes or corporate giants going greener. i posit that 'reinforcing gender stereotypes' is a concern not for people living their own lives, but for media, representation, or those who would police and belittle others for their habits or presentation. the more true to ourselves the rest of us can be, the better. if doing so creates trends, so be it.
but let's set that aside and take 'reinforcing gender stereotypes' in this context as both a given and something that Ought to be Avoided. after all, the stereotype itself is an obstacle to self-truth. are we reinforcing these stereotypes? i still say no.
counterpoint B: nonbinary trans people, of course.
but even then, being nonbinary is not necessarily binary. there's a lot of she/theys out there, for instance, you know?
turns out when you open the door to not being one's assigned gender, a lot of people are eager to jump ship, and not necessarily to The Other designated category. if gender is not boxes, is it spectrum? grid? performance art? all models are wrong, and this one stopped being useful. it having been examined for the shadows on the wall it is, new art may be created incorporating those shadows, but that doesn't mean that watching needs be an exercise in ignorance.
but that gets a little too abstract for discussion. so let's reel it back in and focus just on binary trans people. do binary transpeople reinforce their chosen gender's stereotypes?
...definitely sometimes! i think of the concept of babytrans here. i've heard it described like this: when a lot of girls first transition, they want the longest hair and the shortest skirt. but this is reasonable. to use a physical analogy, if you have a bunch of leftward momentum and you suddenly realize you actually want to be going right, you must apply a lot of force to course-correct. for transfems, hyperfemininity is that force. idk what boys do or like tho.
counterpoint C: ...but what about after that? again, speaking fully in-binary, my personal experience and observation is that once someone has been their own correct gender for long enough, years, decades, whatever, and has finally become comfortable with themselves in their chosen gender, that doesn't always mean they want to adhere to it 100%. as with enbies, the door has already been opened. there's nothing to stop one from crossing back through it now and again. in fact, just recently i was observing a group of transfems trading tips for how best to dress butch/masc while still visibly being women.
at the end of the day, the problem with gender stereotypes is only that they are used to limit what one should do. transitioning is already an act rebellion against those limits. can our freedom reinforce those bindings? if so, then whatever small extent it might is vastly outweighed by our example. let's use our joy to show everyone how little those shackles mean.
Is there a backstory for the Ralts in the corrupted Pokeball? Very curious since I always end up using it
that sidequest was inspired by this comic (i'd like to find a better source but searching for anything is impossible and i can't quite read the signature?).
anyway, it stuck with me so i wanted to try and create the same kind of feeling (impossible through only telling), but actually save the pokemon at the end.
the OT, iirc, is 'vermillion', who in universe is certainly dead. i imagined her being connected to barrie's gym. in real life, vermillion was a fleeting member of our community who i remembered in passing and associated with gardevoir. she was at a vulnerable point of life and i did not hear from or about her again after a point. i hope she's well.
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