Author Topic: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers  (Read 10016 times)

Róisín

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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #15 on: January 22, 2022, 06:23:58 AM »
Doesn’t the area around our-world Keuruu have some sort of military base? Maybe sheer inertia?
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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #16 on: January 22, 2022, 08:11:55 AM »
Doesn’t the area around our-world Keuruu have some sort of military base? Maybe sheer inertia?
... I can find references to activities of an engineer regiment, NBC trainings of the Rapid Deployment Forces, the Explosives Centre, etc. etc. in Keuruu, but it seems that the outright base they had there has been axed (and apparently repurposed) ...
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Jitter

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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #17 on: January 22, 2022, 09:40:05 AM »
Pioneerirykmentti, the engineering regiment, ended in 2014! So it has been operational in the assumed Y0 of 2013, and during Minna’s planning phase. Now it makes a bit more sense, since real-life Keuruu doesn’t really hold much interest. Maybe Minna wanted a basic small town with an island in the center area and ended up with Keuruu for no particular reason, or maybe it was a mix of the base and the relative non-interest otherwise.

The nuclear power plant at Olkiluoto, fairly close to Pori, was clearly shut down in an orderly fashion in Y0.
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Jitter

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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #18 on: January 22, 2022, 02:49:16 PM »
EDITED several times


Q: questions about the Kade, and what happened with the kadettes

A: the remaining Kade souls fled somewhere with no people to try and hunt them, far out into the wilderness. They may gather back together to form a Kade again, the original soul is not needed. Since a Kade gets stronger when it gets more souls, the net effect was positive. And in this case the remaining souls went further away from humans so that’s good too. It’s also possible they just get confused and float away, not becoming a new Kade at all.

In the prologue the Kade is just walking (wafting) in the woods killing birds and being evil, because that’s how they roll. It’s a relaxing pastime for such evil creatures. It was used to show that it is evil and has a gaze weapon.

The shrouds or pieces of cloth around the Kade are just remnants of what the absorbed mages were wearing, robes and such. I asked if the markings were magical, not as such although “some of the mages may have had magic symbols on their clothing”.

Minna didn’t even remember having drawn the original person who became the Kade. It was just someone with the genetics to become a mage, but got infected early on. She also didn’t remember mentioning the emergency exorcism at all. So, more of the not-quite-as-important-foreshadowing as we thought :)

Oh and the kadettes helped mama bear because they were grateful for the help the bears had given them

Q: string magic

Onni’s spell was exactly what it looked like, a detector. It was inspired by historical practice of driving wolves with fishing line strung between trees. The string spell around the Package was a different thing, “they have probably nothing to do with each other”. No clear answer as to whether other spells exist but they may.

Minna said she makes up the magic stuff when she comes across it and doesn’t have a detailed system prepared.

Q: is Surma one creature or a type or class of giant?

A: “hmm, I’m not really sure. I think it’s just the one. But I suppose there could be some others. It’s the only one encountered so far at least, so now it’s the one boss type creature.”

Q: tokens the team left with Väinö

A: The piece of jewelry was Sigrun’s. Minna said she was thinking it’s some sort of family heirloom, but that Sigrun may well like jewelry like that. Shiny things!

The similar luonto statues Onni and Lalli had may be one’s gift to another, or maybe they had some woodworking class together or something and made them together. When asking for clarification, “did they give them to each other” Minna asked “do you think Lalli gives gifts to other people” after which there was a little discussion on the chat but nothing further from Minna. It was estimated (by the chat) that Lalli might actually give a birthday present or something to someone close.

Q: how much toilet paper are they carrying, or do they use leaves like total barbarians?

A: they use leaves. There’s lot of water around to wash hands so it’s not too bad.

Note I didn’t ask all the questions  :reynir:
« Last Edit: January 22, 2022, 03:33:40 PM by Jitter »
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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #19 on: January 22, 2022, 03:08:33 PM »
"The string spell around the Package"

What is that?  I don't remember a special package.  But then, there's well over a thousand pages so it's easy to forget.

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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #20 on: January 22, 2022, 03:22:28 PM »
The package Hilja carried the beast rat into Toivosaari was shielded by a spell that appears to consist of string tied around the package with plant and bird parts tied into it. This happens in Lalli’s flashback.
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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #21 on: January 22, 2022, 03:38:35 PM »
Ah, thank you.

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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #22 on: February 05, 2022, 05:42:35 PM »
Stream on 5th February 2022

Q: is Mikkel actually a secret agent and a master of disguises?
A: Haha no, Mikkel is just a silly character. There are no secret agents in SSSS, who would they on and why?

Minna didn't comment further about the fence pole shooting thing even though I asked. But she did mention that my line ended in the middle of a sentence (which it did) and that could be because Mikkel makes sure to not be exposed. So, maybe he's just so very secret?

Q: Lalli and Emil's friendship - why is it missing? Are they fighting or something?
A: Uuuh, I guess I've just been really bad balancing everyone's interactions.
Q: So it's not intentional that they have been less special? (I mean friendship, not the shipping version).
A: (laughs at the "shipping version"). No, it's not like they are having a fight or anything. I guess I've just not been enthusiastic enough to work out a lot of the character stuff for the last however long it's been. I've been having my existential crisis, which led to my conversion.

Q: Were you planning something more about Lalli and Emil's dream connection?
A: That was probably one of the plot points which I kind of dropped. I think I meant to use it as a way for Lalli, Emil and Reynir to meet and talk.

She had forgotten that they were all in Lalli's childhood flashback, when she was reminded she said "ok I guess I did use it for what it was intended to."

Q: What about the fire in Emil's dream?
A: That was one of the plot points I would have extended upon if we had visited Emil's home town. I hadn't decided about the details, but it would have been important and tragic happenings. I hadn't exactly planned what would have been burning and why.
(Upon further questions) The fire definitely had something to do with the Västerströms becoming poor. It was probably something to do with the research facility in the town.
Emil's mom did not die in that fire, it was to be important but not tragic that way. Emil's mom is however dead, but she would have died when Emil would have been really young. Also Emil did not cause the fire.

Q: Research facility?? Did his family have special ties to it? Did they establish it?
No, I think Emil's father was just working there.

Minna didn't have details about Emil's mom's death. She said that she would have figured a proper backstory, balancing between overly dramatic and just some really ridiculous cause of death. Then she came up with something on the spot. She actually pronounced it canon in the discussion. Mom had been fed up with dad working too much at the research facility, and committed arson to get rid of the facility. When she was fleeing the scene, she slipped on ice and broke her neck, and died!

So, Emil's a pyromaniac because it's hereditary.

Q: Would adventure 5 have happened in Iceland?
A: No, I don't think I have ever planned an adventure to happen in Iceland. What would they do there? Except visit, like they just did?

Q: Can you tell something about Sigrun's life before the mission?
A: I have no idea, I had not planned that in any detail. She's from a typical, fun, Norwegian hunting town.

Q: The idea of "death of the author", that everyone who reads or sees something makes up their own mind about it.
A: Uf, I hate that, it's the stupid "everyone's truth is their own" thing! I subscribe to the idea that the person who says or writes something is the one who gets to decide what is meant by it.


Q: some people have been worried the site will go down when you are finished?
A: No, it's on the Hiveworks servers and they will keep it up. I'll do what they need me to do to help, but they will take care of it.

The comments will be closed two weeks after opening. Minna made it clear she wants SSSS and the site causing as little disturbance for her new life as possible, she'll just do what Hiveworks needs her to. She doesn't want to be bothered by the need to moderate the comments etc.

Q: Do you know how many pages there will be in the final epilogue?
A: Not really. I would have said like 12, but there is some delay with the kickstarter, it was supposed to start in January but now it's delayed. I had planned my pages to last through it, but now I don't know if I should make some more pages. I don't want to just throw up my arms and leave it just at the end. We'll see, it will be something between 12 and 20 pages. I try not to think about it too much, it's messed up.

Topazpearl (who was asking many of the questions, thanks) mentioned that it's ok if she takes a break while the kickstarter is being prepared, but she said she doesn't want to do that either.

Q: When you do come to the end, please make it clear which page is the last one, so people don't need to be left wondering.
A: Yeah, definitely, probably I'll make the last page a "This is the end, good bye!"

Q: Would you do a fake beard and moustache for SSSS characters stream? (thinking aloud what to draw in future streams)
A: No, that would be boring


All in all, she was admitting in her own words that she had been uninterested in developing the character interactions. So let's not read too much into it. Also she's really not sounding keen about the extended epilogue, so let's keep our expectations modest.

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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #23 on: February 06, 2022, 12:22:02 AM »
Well, that explains a lot :/

Thanks for keeping the rest of us up to speed regardless, Jitter!

thorny

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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #24 on: February 06, 2022, 09:43:46 AM »
Stream on 5th February 2022

Q: What about the fire in Emil's dream?
A: [ . . . ] Emil's mom is however dead, but she would have died when Emil would have been really young.
[ . . .]
Then she came up with something on the spot. She actually pronounced it canon in the discussion. Mom had been fed up with dad working too much at the research facility, and committed arson to get rid of the facility. When she was fleeing the scene, she slipped on ice and broke her neck, and died!

That's flat out contradictory. Yeah, she just isn't paying attention any longer.

And yes, thanks, Jitter.

Jitter

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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #25 on: February 06, 2022, 10:49:26 AM »
That's flat out contradictory. Yeah, she just isn't paying attention any longer.

And yes, thanks, Jitter.

Yes, she literally built that during the stream (and she did notice it wouldn’t have been at a very young age for Emil). I think it was more of a joke, even when she said ”you know, this is now canon.”

It does go to show her way of writing. She has some ideas, but only loosely formed, and would further develop them when she gets to it. It has also become very clear she has happily forgotten many details we the fans have been very keen on :) This is apparently quite a typical situation, fans tend to see Chekhov’s guns a lot more often than the authors do :) She doesn’t have a system for keeping tabs on references and foreshadowing so when she forgets she forgets.
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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #26 on: February 06, 2022, 10:49:37 AM »
Thank you so much, Jitter!

One implication I am sort of seeing there: that the 12-page epilogue is not a series of one-offs, but something planned out? (And maybe related to what we see on last week's page?)

Also, I agree that the Emil story seems confusing, but the idea that Emil's mother is the one who started the fire is intriguing... And, hey, no word on why Emil's father is out of Emil's life?
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lwise

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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #27 on: February 06, 2022, 01:35:06 PM »
Maybe the mother started a fire, and died running away, but did not start the final fire.

Actually, I'd prefer to think that this is Minna's joke and not canon.

Jitter

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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #28 on: February 06, 2022, 04:45:43 PM »
Personally,  I’m inclined to think only what is shown “on screen” in the comic is actually canon. When she hasn’t prepared it but just thinks it up there and then, it’s definitely less canonical than actually prepared content.

I’m not sure if I want to ask anything more about the mages and magic, in the fear it will cause her ro make a hasty call. Any thoughts?

Also, Mikkel’s secret career wouldn’t be secret anymore, if she went around streams admitting it on the record! So, of course she would deny it, but does that make it less or more likely to be true? Hmm?
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Re: Loose ends and other questions and Minna’s answers
« Reply #29 on: February 06, 2022, 06:36:22 PM »
Well, maybe they went to Keuruu because Veeti used to live there? Their one known relative even if he's as distant as their grandmother's cousin. Old one, not living long after that.
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