Spacebattles is harsh...

[TheMonotonePuppet]

SpaceBattles fanfic section has some harsh readers... If you aren't careful, you get roasted. And even then, the comments one gets can make you feel a little toasty... as in toasted, with no butter.
I know I've been lucky on Scribble Hub and Royal Road. I'm taking the time to just appreciate my past reader bases, 'cause whew.

 

[Comatoast]

I need to see this. Link.

 

[beast_regards]

Spacebattles?

Like, did they roast your fic?

Or did they merely criticized your protagonist's inability to systematically murder everyone in the setting?

If it is the latter, then it is not roasting. This is how 95% percent of the discussion on Spacebattles goes.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

I need to see this. Link.

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/freak-out-worm-au-alt-power.1200182/post-106823642

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/freak-out-worm-au-alt-power.1200182/post-106827749

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/villainous-taylor-for-the-win-alt-power.1201922/post-107064203

I mean... torture porn? It's... it's not that bad.

These were the ones that hurt most. Call me fragile, say that they're simply spitting truth, you'd probably be on-point with either statement. But still... oof.

There were a couple others that hurt, but the worst comes from stuff I've seen on others' fics, not mine.

Edit: And honestly, most commenters are quite nice... but I felt like complaining because I do have feelings that don't go away with the words "it's the internet."
Also @beast_regards . Here are the links.

 

[Tempokai]

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/freak-out-worm-au-alt-power.1200182/post-106823642

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/freak-out-worm-au-alt-power.1200182/post-106827749

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/villainous-taylor-for-the-win-alt-power.1201922/post-107064203

I mean... torture porn? It's... it's not that bad.

These were the ones that hurt most. Call me fragile, say that they're simply spitting truth, you'd probably be on-point with either statement. But still... oof.

There were a couple others that hurt, but the worst comes from stuff I've seen on others' fics, not mine.

Edit: And honestly, most commenters are quite nice... but I felt like complaining because I do have feelings that don't go away with the words "it's the internet."
Also @beast_regards . Here are the links.

Nah, it's mild. It could've been worse. They're opinions disguised as criticism. Sure, your writing is probably a torture fic, but the definition on what it is is murky enough to have opinions on it. You can ignore them easily, but have in mind that they're not your readers.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

Nah, it's mild. It could've been worse. They're opinions disguised as criticism. Sure, your writing is probably a torture fic, but the definition on what it is is murky enough to have opinions on it. You can ignore them easily, but have in mind that they're not your readers.

I know... still more painful than I'm used to.

 

[beast_regards]

Oh, Worm.

That's so predictable.

You couldn't be surprised that the Spacebattles have strong opinions about Worm.

 

[N0xiety]

Can't really say much without reading your novel and knowing the full context of their comments, but the comments doesn't seem all that bad tbh. They aren't hurling insults, just expressing frustration. And i will tell you a secret, people who show frustration actually care about your story. Those who don't care just leave without bothering to waste any more time. These people don't even say they are leaving, just that they don't like something, and that they would rather skip it. Again, i can't say much as i don't know the context, but there will always be people who won't like certain aspects of the story, so take it as you will, but it's not all that negative. So long as what they are saying is logical within the context of the novel, i would say it's all fine.

And honestly, i would say negative comments like these are actually better than the low effort alternatives. Like for example i see some authors on Royalroad mass +reputation star low effort comments as 'Tyftc!', and then ignoring all the long criticisms. Makes me wonder, is that what authors really want? The kind of low effort readers that spams 'Tyftc!' in every chapter, which seems so useless to me in the long run, as if having bots instead of actual readers. Sure, i guess it can make the author happy, but i can never bring myself to be that kind of reader tbh.

 

[PancakesWitch]

at least you got a lot of attention

 

[beast_regards]

at least you got a lot of attention

You will get a lot of attention for Worm fics on Spacebattles.

It's their native setting.

Of course, there are only a few approved ways the Worm-fic is allowed to go.

It usually revolves around resolving the plot of Worm in three chapters with 50 unique strategies. Perhaps five chapters, if conquering the multiverse is on course, but you are already taking your sweet time.

There were cases when Worm fic went in unexpected direction, like stating plot was a halluciantion or so, but ...

... well, all that attempts ended with the online equivalent of violent riots.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

Can't really say much without reading your novel and knowing the full context of their comments, but the comments doesn't seem all that bad tbh. They aren't hurling insults, just expressing frustration. And i will tell you a secret, people who show frustration actually care about your story. Those who don't care just leave without bothering to waste any more time. These people don't even say they are leaving, just that they don't like something, and that they would rather skip it. Again, i can't say much as i don't know the context, but there will always be people who won't like certain aspects of the story, so take it as you will, but it's not all that negative. So long as what they are saying is logical within the context of the novel, i would say it's all fine.

And honestly, i would say negative comments like these are actually better than the low effort alternatives. Like for example i see some authors on Royalroad mass +reputation star low effort comments as 'Tyftc!', and then ignoring all the long criticisms. Makes me wonder, is that what authors really want? The kind of low effort readers that spams 'Tyftc!' in every chapter, which seems so useless to me in the long run, as if having bots instead of actual readers. Sure, i guess it can make the author happy, but i can never bring myself to be that kind of reader tbh.

@PancakesWitch
... They really aren't that bad. I do know that.
Sometimes though, I want to complain dramatically about the blunt honesty that "carved out my heart" *faints with hand to forehead*. It's so I can work through the stress, change my perspective, and value the criticism/opinions for the thought and care the reader put into it.
Otherwise, the undefined emotions of mine can just compress into genuine, uncalled-for bitterness. This way, talking with online friends about where I winced in pain, I can change it to appreciation.

Like, I get panicky about losing readers, my fic being a black mark on their day. Or worrying about them wondering whether the author (i.e. me) is disturbed. You can say that I just shouldn't worry, but I find I'll stop worrying once I voice the worries to actual people rather than letting them echo inside my head.
@beast_regards LOL! True. @PancakesWitch to emphasize what beast_regards said, there is an entire "Worm" fanfic subforum in SB's Creative Writing so people can "deworm" their SB search, which stands out even more when there is no other fic with its own subforum.

 

[georgelee5786]

If we want to be Uber realists, space battles would take place via rockets and missiles from distances so great neither side can see the other anymore. But that's boring. It is fiction, it takes liberties to be fun

 

[Eleeyah]

Like for example i see some authors on Royalroad mass +reputation star low effort comments as 'Tyftc!', and then ignoring all the long criticisms. Makes me wonder, is that what authors really want?

As an author, I can answer that question. What you end up valuing is the regularity and reliability of the same names showing up month after month. It feels good to know that this specific person likes your work well enough to always be there for the new chapter.

As how the longer comments are managed, that depends a lot on the author, as well as the circumstances. A tftyc doesn't warrant any further reaction. It's easy and the lack of expectations is non-exhausting in it's simplicity.

The only time where I haven't engaged with a longer comment, is when I came online and saw like 15 of them first thing from the same person, with another dozen sets like that by any number of other readers. You need an agent or community manager to keep up with that stuff eventually. You end up having choose between engaging the comment section, which can be rewarding and/or painful, but always exhausting, or writing the next chapter.

 

[N0xiety]

As an author, I can answer that question. What you end up valuing is the regularity and reliability of the same names showing up month after month. It feels good to know that this specific person likes your work well enough to always be there for the new chapter.

As how the longer comments are managed, that depends a lot on the author, as well as the circumstances. A tftyc doesn't warrant any further reaction. It's easy and the lack of expectations is non-exhausting in it's simplicity.

The only time where I haven't engaged with a longer comment, is when I came online and saw like 15 of them first thing from the same person, with another dozen sets like that by any number of other readers. You need an agent or community manager to keep up with that stuff eventually. You end up having choose between engaging the comment section, which can be rewarding and/or painful, but always exhausting, or writing the next chapter.

I see, guess that makes sense, but i still can't see myself spamming thank you in every chapter, and glad that not too many people do it as they can really clutter the comment section. And in this sense i would probably be the difficult to handle kind of reader haha! I generally only comment when i find it necessary, or when juggling ideas, and can leave novels to accumulate chapters for months so i can binge. Which also means author might get a bunch of comments at the same time as i binge dozens of chapters when i return lol.

 

[Xcalibur_Xc]

Yup. Been there last year. When they started to roast, I decided to have fun and wrote mindless and very cringe filled bad space war and used those self-proclaimed critics' names as the story characters.??? You don't even want to know their reaction.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

Yup. Been there last year. When they started to roast, I decided to have fun and wrote mindless and very cringe filled bad space war and used those self-proclaimed critics' names as the story characters.??? You don't even want to know their reaction.

LMFAO! That's amazing! I can't! HAHA!
It's funny when they criticize the fic that you've specifically said is low-effort, right? Like, I said I wrote the "Villainous Taylor For the Win" fic while I had a cold, and that I was not putting much effort into it. It was just something to do while I waited to have a brain that I could use on my main fic.

 

[Xcalibur_Xc]

LMFAO! That's amazing! I can't! HAHA!
It's funny when they criticize the fic that you've specifically said is low-effort, right? Like, I said I wrote the "Villainous Taylor For the Win" fic while I had a cold, and that I was not putting much effort into it. It was just something to do while I waited to have a brain that I could use on my main fic.

Exactly. Some take things too seriously.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

Y'all... my fanfic has been falsely accused again! https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/freak-out-worm-au-alt-power.1200182/post-107525966

I swear... I swear it's not that bad.

 

[beast_regards]

Y'all... my fanfic has been falsely accused again!

Ah... Worm ...

I found your problem right there.

Did you consider a self-insert that travels to the Worm setting to destroy all life in the universe down into bacteria? Not only it would be up to Spacebattles liking, it would count as massive improvement too.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

Ah... Worm ...

I found your problem right there.

Did you consider a self-insert that travels to the Worm setting to destroy all life in the universe down into bacteria? Not only it would be up to Spacebattles liking, it would count as massive improvement too.

LOL!