What are you researching?

[Scribbler]

This is a thread for all writers to share what they're currently researching for their story. And if you like, you can link the article you used to research.

Currently, the characters in my story are hunting a bear, so I've been researching proper shot placement for quickly and effectively killing a bear, and how to take a hit for when the bear inevitably hits one of the characters who's supposed to be an experienced warrior.

http://www.ballistics101.com/images/bear_images/bearshotplacement.pdf

How to Take a Punch (with Pictures) - wikiHow

Whether you're interested in becoming a professional fighter or you just want to be able to defend yourself in a street fight, knowing how to take a punch can make a big difference in a fight. In addition, knowing how to take a punch can...

www.wikihow.com

 

[Orademo]

Wwii and war tactics, edge weapons, sailing and ships, electricity, roman empire and expansion tactics, sand and derivates and living style in the desert, etc

 

[Moonpearl]

How to pick a flattering floor-length evening gown for petite girls with no curves.
This one has been the most helpful: https://blog.petitedressing.com/tips-formal-dresses-petites/

Also England's minimum age for HRT, the effects of hormone blockers, etc.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

 

[NiQuinn]

Out of pure curiosity,

Deep image reconstruction from human brain activity

Author summary Machine learning-based analysis of human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) patterns has enabled the visualization of perceptual content. However, prior work visualizing perceptual contents from brain activity has failed to combine visual information of multiple...

journals.plos.org

 

[Friend]

Well when you ask that question I have to ask "for which of my stories".

... Because I am a prolific writer like Isaac Asimov, I currently have no less than THIRTY FIVE stories started and currently editing/writing. Probably only will upload a half dozen of them.

But in lieu of your q, I'd say the most "elusive" of topics I can get no research for, and thus have to "eyeball it", is monster race evolutions or 'class changes'. -- For example, in my "the goddess lied to me" story, I am setting up a classless goblin girl evolving to goblin queen and also this makes her more eligible to 'mate' with the protag. Currently dealing with the procreative diffs between human/goblin pairings + what that means for the rest of that fantasy world.

 

[AliceShiki]

Last thing I researched were medieval insults, because I wanted my character to call someone a bastard... But then I realized the implication of bastard in the setting would be of an illegitimate child, and my character had no reason to use this kind of insult in the context... But I couldn't come up with anything that felt right in the circumstances, so I started researching.

... I ended up just going with jerk though.

 

[MrDarkness1234]

For me it just studying what makes a fight sence great cause It's a real headache if I don't know how to write it if not for the YouTube videos online

 

[Kotohood]

I think the moat recent topic I studied was castle defence. How to siege castles and how would a castle be used for defence.

The other topic before that was me researching if there was any battle that have been won with Zero deaths on one side but with massive casualties on the other side. I did found a few high profile battle with like a KDA ratio of 1:150. But other than that, no luck on that front

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

I think the moat recent topic I studied was castle defence. How to siege castles and how would a castle be used for defence.

The other topic before that was me researching if there was any battle that have been won with Zero deaths on one side but with massive casualties on the other side. I did found a few high profile battle with like a KDA ratio of 1:150. But other than that, no luck on that front

Not representative. KD ratios during the medieval era can vary a lot due to varying troop quality and lack of professionalism.

 

[Elateam]

Not representative. KD ratios during the medieval era can vary a lot due to varying troop quality and lack of professionalism.
View attachment 1452

Ah yes, I too am a EU4 and HOI4 player. Just raise morale and discipline and you'll wipe out a mere 50K army /s

I've been doing research on British exploitation in India for ways in which I can do some of that in my story. But I've got to re-research the Caste System now because it's origins and rigidity are a lot more complicated than I would have thought. I've also been researching the Portuguese ships in the Siege of Diu for some historical accuracy in my story, as well as the gunpowder trade.

Also @Assurbanipal_II Thanks for posting that paper with it's title! It looks like a good study and I needed something for when I get to that phase of my story sometime in 20xx.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Ah yes, I too am a EU4 and HOI4 player. Just raise morale and discipline and you'll wipe out a mere 50K army /s

I've been doing research on British exploitation in India for ways in which I can do some of that in my story. But I've got to re-research the Caste System now because it's origins and rigidity are a lot more complicated than I would have thought. I've also been researching the Portuguese ships in the Siege of Diu for some historical accuracy in my story, as well as the gunpowder trade.

Also @Assurbanipal_II Thanks for posting that paper with it's title! It looks like a good study and I needed something for when I get to that phase of my story sometime in 20xx.

Glad to help, albeit EU4 and HOI4 are terrible games. I am still a HOI3 veteran. HOI 4 is too easy and generic for me.

 

[Elateam]

Glad to help, albeit EU4 and HOI4 are terrible games. I am still a HOI3 veteran. HOI 4 is too easy and generic for me.

Honestly I have to agree. I play EU4 with MEIOU and TAXES on very hard now so it isn't as easy as before, but HOI4 is just too easy, even with Kaiserreich it's still too simple. Hopefully CK3 isn't too easy of a game since I really enjoyed CK2 a lot.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Honestly I have to agree. I play EU4 with MEIOU and TAXES on very hard now so it isn't as easy as before, but HOI4 is just too easy, even with Kaiserreich it's still too simple. Hopefully CK3 isn't too easy of a game since I really enjoyed CK2 a lot.

Well, I have no hope. Paradox had become money grabbing assholes during the last years. DLCs with little content, bugs, and horrible quality and product management. Just look at Imperator Rome and Stellaris.

 

[Elateam]

Well, I have no hope. Paradox had become money grabbing assholes during the last years. DLCs with little content, bugs, and horrible quality and product management. Just look at Imperator Rome and Stellaris.

Honestly, you're right. I only ever buy the important DLCs when it's on sale but at the same time it's understandable. They've catered to a niche market of players for the past 20 years. They've been putting out DLC , improving the gaming engine, making the games easier to get a new generation of players into the mix and it seems like it's working, but making the games too simple has hurt them. I've played Stellaris and I can confidently say after 50 hours that I still don't know what I'm doing half of the time but with Imperator Rome and the mistakes they've made (Johann my guy) I can see Paradox learning from them to make a better product in CK3. Victoria 2 was a game that I very much enjoyed because it didn't have a mana system that was so central to the game's progression. If they can make a game that can remove the mana system completely then we'd be talking huge progress in the Grand Strategy genre, but until they find a suitable system it'll still be a stain on their games.

Sorry for distracting from the thread Scribbler!

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Honestly, you're right. I only ever buy the important DLCs when it's on sale but at the same time it's understandable. They've catered to a niche market of players for the past 20 years. They've been putting out DLC , improving the gaming engine, making the games easier to get a new generation of players into the mix and it seems like it's working, but making the games too simple has hurt them. I've played Stellaris and I can confidently say after 50 hours that I still don't know what I'm doing half of the time but with Imperator Rome and the mistakes they've made (Johann my guy) I can see Paradox learning from them to make a better product in CK3. Victoria 2 was a game that I very much enjoyed because it didn't have a mana system that was so central to the game's progression. If they can make a game that can remove the mana system completely then we'd be talking huge progress in the Grand Strategy genre, but until they find a suitable system it'll still be a stain on their games.

Sorry for distracting from the thread Scribbler!

They are in a much more sorry state than you think. They completely ignore criticism and are blocking, banning, suspending all critical voices on their forums with ruthless efficiency comparable to Stalin. Personally, I have already given up all hope, but whatever.

 

[Elateam]

They are in a much more sorry state than you think. They completely ignore criticism and are blocking, banning, suspending all critical voices on their forums with ruthless efficiency comparable to Stalin. Personally, I have already given up all hope, but whatever.

No! Not the Gulags Comrade!

Jokes aside, there has to be a reform of the Paradox forums. The moderators are paid by Paradox and so that just makes them ban anything that's critical of the company. I've just read a reddit post talking about how the guy got banned for criticizing Paradox's move to have a affiliated company sell games through Steam only rather than how it had been before. To be fair, the things the guy had commented kind of explained why he got banned in the first place but Paradox would be a lot safer if they moved to having community moderation. I personally have never followed any discussion that happens in the forums so I wouldn't know how bad the situation has gotten but looking at the few reddit posts there is clearly repression for voicing opinions that go against the decisions that Paradox has made, but also that the bans are the result of fans hitting the "respectfully disagree" button on the criticizer's comments. So looking at the big picture, the forums themselves are pretty toxic and beyond repair. The sub-reddit pages are a lot better place for discussion just because the moderators are fair and aren't paid by Paradox (at least that's what I've seen from the EU4 and M&T pages), though they still have to abide by Paradox company rules.

 

[Devils.Advocate]

...

Most recently I was looking at medieval craftsmen guilds and how the enforce exclusively patented technologies ....

Currently, on the one hand I am looking at metaphyics in relation to the sciences. On the other I am looking at the garden city movement and circular urban design.

 

[Friend]

Oh please deer god tell me circle streets are not a thing!

 

[AliceShiki]

Oh please deer god tell me circle streets are not a thing!

The deer God pats your head, now you're a 3/3 elk. He gallops away.