where Pathstriders are a thing, and it comes with powers.
I mean this is where the "this CP is probably not for me" might kick in. Like on the surface I find Aventurine/Ratio dynamic interesting, but as I get to know more it's a bit...ugh. Mostly that Ratio comes off as less of an academic and more of an action hero (why is he a DPS unit?!). Like knowledge is power sure, but gah, there's usually another medium that transforms knowledge into power. As funny as the image of whacking mooks to death with books/chalk/chessboard is, it doesn't really work without the visual gag.
"Armed Archaeologists"
Yup, Indiana Jones influence confirmed. But like I've said, I personally hate that trope, so will probably choose to ignore it.
Taking away all of that for the sake of making him more real life realistic misses the entire point of this being a HSR fandom CP.
Eeeeh, I think it's not missing the point so much as people get different things out of the CP. Clearly for you, Ratio being a competent fighter/adventurer is important. For others, it's the personality, not the powers.
As an example, for me, Jing Yuan's personality and his political position are of far more interest than him being able to summon a giant golden bashy-dude or his command over lightning. Remove all the cosmic powers and paths and Jing Yuan is still an interesting character. In fact, the least interesting aspect to me is HSR's cosmology. The gods, paths, emanators, etc. are the things getting in the way of a good story. Part of the reason Xianzhou story captivates me is precisely because HSR cosmology takes a backseat and actual social dynamics and politics becomes the center of the story.
Even in hard sci-fi, the hardness is meant to serve as a limit on the deus ex machina that the author can pull. But the science itself isn't driving the story, it's the people. (If science is the actual driving force then I may as well go read some well written non-fiction.) If personality of the characters are completely removed from the reality of the readership (aka how we experience human relationships, both personal and social) then the fiction kind of fails the primary purpose of fiction: reflecting the truth of humanity back at the reader.
It's very possible that we're approaching this from two different perspectives. You want an interesting world where it feels like the the HSR lore is being fleshed out/preserved. I want an interesting story where characters are interacting in a way that expands their personhood beyond just the vibes.
Aventurine's maverick tendencies are not necessarily a point of contention between them, but rather, part of the uniqueness that attracts Ratio to him.
People can disagree and find that disagreement precisely what makes the other person interesting. Like, that's a common thing in academia. Yelling at each other because you're approaching the problem from different perspectives, but ultimately respecting and even appreciating the opposing view point.
Ratio can fundamentally disagree with Aventurine's approach and still appreciate, respect, and even be fond of that different approach. I cannot think of a single decent academic who doesn't think the most valuable feedback is the one that disagrees (with good reason of course). If Ratio cares about the truth, he'd absolutely find people like Aventurine, who constantly challenges his perspectives, to be the most valuable. And it's not hard to see how that high esteem grows into fondness.
Now maybe that's not how it's written in HSR, but based on the interview you were talking about, that's the vibe I was getting.
IMO, Ratio prefers to observe and react to events, rather than be completely proactive. IMO if he was the one planning a mission or whatnot, I would expect him to only have a loose idea of how to start things off, and then a whole bunch of potential contingency plans based on what happens afterwards.
Well, you know these guys better than I do.
It would be an interesting way to "confess".
Or these guys wouldn't need to confess. They strike me as the type who will simply grow closer over time and realize after the fact they've started dating and very naturally accept they've become a "couple". Like neither Aventurine nor Dr. Ratio seem to be particularly concerned with the label of being "a couple". They know they're together and exclusive, they know the other person also knows this, what more is there really left to say?
no subject
I mean this is where the "this CP is probably not for me" might kick in. Like on the surface I find Aventurine/Ratio dynamic interesting, but as I get to know more it's a bit...ugh. Mostly that Ratio comes off as less of an academic and more of an action hero (why is he a DPS unit?!). Like knowledge is power sure, but gah, there's usually another medium that transforms knowledge into power. As funny as the image of whacking mooks to death with books/chalk/chessboard is, it doesn't really work without the visual gag.
Yup, Indiana Jones influence confirmed. But like I've said, I personally hate that trope, so will probably choose to ignore it.
Eeeeh, I think it's not missing the point so much as people get different things out of the CP. Clearly for you, Ratio being a competent fighter/adventurer is important. For others, it's the personality, not the powers.
As an example, for me, Jing Yuan's personality and his political position are of far more interest than him being able to summon a giant golden bashy-dude or his command over lightning. Remove all the cosmic powers and paths and Jing Yuan is still an interesting character. In fact, the least interesting aspect to me is HSR's cosmology. The gods, paths, emanators, etc. are the things getting in the way of a good story. Part of the reason Xianzhou story captivates me is precisely because HSR cosmology takes a backseat and actual social dynamics and politics becomes the center of the story.
Even in hard sci-fi, the hardness is meant to serve as a limit on the deus ex machina that the author can pull. But the science itself isn't driving the story, it's the people. (If science is the actual driving force then I may as well go read some well written non-fiction.) If personality of the characters are completely removed from the reality of the readership (aka how we experience human relationships, both personal and social) then the fiction kind of fails the primary purpose of fiction: reflecting the truth of humanity back at the reader.
It's very possible that we're approaching this from two different perspectives. You want an interesting world where it feels like the the HSR lore is being fleshed out/preserved. I want an interesting story where characters are interacting in a way that expands their personhood beyond just the vibes.
People can disagree and find that disagreement precisely what makes the other person interesting. Like, that's a common thing in academia. Yelling at each other because you're approaching the problem from different perspectives, but ultimately respecting and even appreciating the opposing view point.
Ratio can fundamentally disagree with Aventurine's approach and still appreciate, respect, and even be fond of that different approach. I cannot think of a single decent academic who doesn't think the most valuable feedback is the one that disagrees (with good reason of course). If Ratio cares about the truth, he'd absolutely find people like Aventurine, who constantly challenges his perspectives, to be the most valuable. And it's not hard to see how that high esteem grows into fondness.
Now maybe that's not how it's written in HSR, but based on the interview you were talking about, that's the vibe I was getting.
Well, you know these guys better than I do.
Or these guys wouldn't need to confess. They strike me as the type who will simply grow closer over time and realize after the fact they've started dating and very naturally accept they've become a "couple". Like neither Aventurine nor Dr. Ratio seem to be particularly concerned with the label of being "a couple". They know they're together and exclusive, they know the other person also knows this, what more is there really left to say?