Posted by The_Meehan on May 29, 2002 at 21:05:09:
In Reply to: Combat vs Non-Combat posted by Stained Glass on May 28, 2002 at 04:06:24:
: ...the main aim of Hunter is to portray normal people having to face up to the supernatural, do combat-orientated characters and posts suit this?
Sure, because it's one way of acting against them, facing up to them. It is not, as others have already stated the only way.
Unhappily for the balance of stories on the List, combat-oriented stories are easier to write; the conflict is readily (if often simplistically) plotted, and more easily conveyed. Characterizations are easier, if often more shallow. Combat-oriented stories are often easier for the reader to comprehend. And the fact that they are often shorter is another plus.
Non-combat oriented stories are harder to write, slower paced, and longer. It takes skill to make character studies interesting, especially for extended periods. Characters are necessarily more complex, since combat cannot be relied upon to provide sufficient conflict. Plotlines are more convovluted, and less readily comprehended.
Essentially, and sadly, the reason there are more combat-oriented stories on the List than others is because skilled storytellers are less common.
And, no, I'm not claiming I'm one of them; I don't write frequently enough, and am thus a LONG way from Carnegie Hall.