Thieves In Time Redux: Why Toad Town?

Thieves In Time Redux Meme #13

Here's how I fixed Thieves In Time...

Anyway, these changes are only the tip of the iceberg...

I know making Penelope the main protagonist is a bold move, but I can't see this story going any other way. Yes, this also means making her fully playable as well.

“Perhaps my favorite character development over the course of the Sly Cooper games was how Bentley went from a stuttering, fragile nerd to a devious, bomb-toting mad genius. His probably has the biggest ego of anyone on the team, and I love him to bits for it!“

Confessed by:  mad42hatter

"I for one love the Penelope twist. The twist of her being the Black Baron, that is!"

Confessed by: Anonymous

Sorry... kinda got lazy at the end with these two.

"I want to know more about Penelope's past, before the Black Baron. Would she be an orphan, or would her Dutch mouse parents still be around? Would they be supportive of their little girl genius, or worried sick?"

Confessed by: Anonymous

How to Write Villains: 10 Traits to Give Your Villains That Are Guaranteed to Make Them More Interesting

They're a parent...but a GOOD parent: Gone are the days where the villain is a parent but they absolutely should not have procreated (or adopted) because wow, they clearly didn't read any parenting books. Give us a horrible, deplorable character but in another life, they were mother/father of the year.

They have a phobia that might be trivial in the face of their schemes: Your villain might be able to storm a highly secure facility and face off against their world's most armed forces and heroes without breaking a sweat, or tame the deadliest monsters known to all, but so help them if they see a roach in their lair or have to go get their blood drawn. Bonus points if the phobia totally incapacitates them.

Their middle name is "Overkill": It doesn't matter what they're doing, they always have to bump everything up a thousand notches. Their scheme involved burning down a building? Well, they decided to burn down the whole neighborhood instead just to ensure the job got done. Bonus points if they're nonchalant about it. Extra bonus points if it keeps happening without their intent.

They have an aesthetic, they're aware of that aesthetic, and they adhere to it religiously: Is your villain grunge? Or perhaps airing more on the side of cottagecore? Maybe they're giving E-girl? Whatever it is, they know exactly what their vibe is, they know how to achieve it, and fuck your hero in particular if they try to mess it up or say it looks tacky.

They'd be okay with being defeated as long as it's by one person/group in particular: Your villain might be the undefeated Big Bad McScarypants on top, but you know what? They would be content if somebody rolled up and actually had the skill and know-how to beat their ass fair and square.

They like learning about things that have nothing to do with/interrupt their schemes: Your villain could be some eons-old eldritch being that has come to Earth to cause the Armageddon, but they keep delaying their plans because they discovered Tumblr and have been doomscrolling for weeks on end and trying to learn what "blogging" is.

They didn't start out as the main villain, but eventually become worse than the main villain: This is majorly for my friends who have different acting antagonists in their stories. This villain wasn't initially the main threat, but after some solid scheming and sinning, they out-deprave the original villain and give "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't" a whole new meaning.

They scheme for gratification: Having a master plan go off and hoping for mass reactions from bystanders is to them as posting art on Instagram and hoping for a couple likes is to artists.

They constantly wonder if it's too late to go back: Their scheming is 50% building a master evil plan for world domination and 50% wondering if it's too late to just stop and live a normal life as a working class citizen.

They act a villain to protect their loved ones: Big Bad McScarypants is only Big Bad McScarypants because they're pushing away their most beloved companions. Bonus points if it's to protect them from another Big Bad.

How 'Sly Cooper 5' should start....

This scenario is the ONLY thing that could persuade me to purchase Sly Cooper 5 if Sanzaru ever makes it. Because it is pretty much the only way to salvage that mess of plot holes and character assassinations that made up Thieves in Time.

P.S. For those of you who are too young to get the “Dallas” reference, here’s the scene that my comic is stealing from spoofing.

Inner Conflict Prompts

Have a character wrestle with guilt over a past mistake.

Introduce a scenario where a character must choose between two equally important things.

Show a character struggling with their own identity or sense of self.

Have a character battle their own fears or phobias.

Introduce a moral dilemma that challenges the character’s values.

Show a character torn between loyalty to their friends and their personal ambitions.

Reveal a character’s internal struggle with jealousy or envy.

Have a character grapple with feelings of inadequacy or imposter syndrome.

Show a character dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic event.

Have a character question their own sanity or reality.

Thieves In Time Redux Meme #19

I did another thing.

That one meme, but with a wholesome twist.

Basically it's Penelope's character arc, but super abridged.