I feel like maybe these people are lacking in cultural and interpersonal depth. I set out to play with certain tropes in ways that amuse me (and I know I got that right), but as a culture they seem rather plain.

  • Zonetrooper@lemmy.worldM
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    1 year ago

    I do see what you mean about lack of cultural depth. One thing I would suggest is thinking about them less on a “whole race” level and more on a personal level:

    Imagine a Pukafolk home. In there lives an absolutely average individual in their society, or many if they live collectively.

    • What does this person eat? Is this diet rich, poor, or average? What might someone who is in a different social circle eat?
    • What does their average day look like? Not just the major things, but what little things would they look forward to or get annoyed by?
    • What faith, superstitions, or beliefs about the intangible or uncertain do they hold? I do see you mention faith here, but faith is very rarely monolithic across a society.
    • What job does this person hold? Is it one viewed as desirable, undesirable, or neither? What jobs might those

    Essentially, try to think more about the individual lives of Pukafolk, rather than their species-scale dynamics.

    • The Snark Urge@lemmy.worldOPM
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      1 year ago

      Just a quick reply now: I’m taking this onboard, just distracted from writing by a vacation and catching up with work. Thank you! 🤟