Vast Error
Vast Error is a story where, quite simply, "Twelve trolls play a game."[1] This description is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the original description of Homestuck
(which Vast Error is inspired by) as well as to poke fun at the traditional plot of the average fan-made Homestuck comic, referred to as a "Sburbventure." Vast Error is the 2,302nd fan adventure created on its host site, MSPFA, and is currently the most popular ongoing adventure on the site with over 3,000 favorites.
Vast Error began on March 22nd, 2011 (3/22/2011) on the now defunct MSPA Forums. The comic was soft-rebooted two years later on March 22nd, 2013 (3/22/2013). During these early years, the comic received only 1-3 updates per year, but starting on the December 18th, 2016 (12/18/16), it began to update regularly with the help of its newly formed development team. During its hiatuses, the comic was completely planned out, and in the process the original concept was modified extensively. It officially migrated to Deconreconstruction on February 11th, 2021. All the pages on MSPFA except for the ones in the first act were removed. The final page on MSPFA is now a link to DCRC.
The story contains foul language, violence, gore, and other adult themes. A full list of content warnings can be found on the front page.
Vast Error is still ongoing, and is currently on Act 3, Act 1.
Acts
- ACT 1 - "Slow, Yet Infinite." (Started 3/25/13, ended 10/20/17)
- INTERMISSION 1 - "Hello Again." (Started 10/20/17, ended 10/31/17)
- ACT 2 - "Pop 'Em If You Got 'Em." (Started 10/31/17, ended 10/31/19)
- INTERMISSION 2 SIDE 1 - "Guess My Name." (started 2/23/20, ended 5/15/20)
- INTERMISSION 2 SIDE 2 - "Rejoice and Be Merry." (started 6/9/20, ended 2/12/21)
- ACT 3 ACT 1 - (Title currently unknown) (started on 2/23/21)
Plot
On the birthday of main protagonist Arcjec Voorat, he and eleven of his friends discover their destiny to play a reality-altering, world-ending video game only referred to as "The Game." In Act 1, Arcjec is forced to reconnect with many of his friends, including Taz Poemme, Albion Shurka, Dismas Mersiv, Murrit Turkin, and Laivan Ferroo, despite his objections. On a time limit of planetary destruction via a meteor, Arcjec begrudgingly agrees to play The Game and enters first in the chain of order.
Between Act 1 and 2, the narrator of this story, the skeletal wordsmith White Noise, formally introduces himself, the stakes in which the protagonists will face, and why this story must play out as it does: Two cosmic entities, Gaiaeon and Kheparia, have been conflict for millennia, and White Noise has set up the circumstances ahead in order to support the side of his creator, Kheparia.
In Act 2, White Noise introduces "most crucial character of [the] story," Ellsee Raines. Additionally, the second half of the main cast, Occeus Coliad, Calder Kerian, Serpaz Helilo, Sova Amalie, and Jentha Briati, are introduced. While Arjec begins his journey inside The Game, the remaining eleven trolls continue the chain of entry into the Game. Eventually, Ellsee, with the help of Arcjec, plant towers across the planet they live on, Repiton, to create a shield that will defend it from the impending meteor. This act brings the planet into The Game as its ultimate reward: Saving the planet from its self-inflicted destruction. Ellsee then enters The Game as the last to do so, bringing The Game into the next phase.
As the trolls of Repiton react to the displacement of their world and the main twelve reconnect, the story is interrupted by another narrative force, Mimesis. Bored of the current events, they tell their own tale of four game constructs, the Dead Shufflers. The four, lead by the unrelenting Jack Noir (referred to as the Scathing Sharper), charge into the Hotel California, an extra-dimensional space home to Mimesis. Fighting through the chaos, Jack is able to confront Mimesis, but it proves to be a futile effort. Jack is presented a deal before he is to be killed: To bring Mimesis in contact with Murrit in his next life.
When control of the narrative is regained by White Noise, the story's focus shifts once more to that of its secondary cast. Sestro Enthal and his romantic partner and bodyguard, Hamifi Hekrix, are left to inherit Repiton's controlling entity, the Repiton Corporation, from Sestro's dying predecessor, The Executive. While in the middle of a public speech, Sestro is interrupted by a troll named Edolon Vryche. Edolon attempts to claim his "birthright" as leader of Repition due to being the former protegee of the Executive before Sestro. Though Sestro attempts to reason with him, Edolon unleashes the forces of two of Repition's leading cults in an incursion to usurp power. Sestro, Hamifi, and many others in their aid fight back but are eventually outmatched, being cornered by Edolon alongside high-ranking cult members Pozzol Broyer and Talald Hieron. Though the later two prepare to strike, Edolon lets the group abscond, despite Pozzol's protests. Edolon rebukes, alluding to a greater reasoning that will befit them in the long run. However, Pozzol begins planning a coup in retaliation.
With all of the main cast now inside The Game, Act 3 Act 1 begins with all twelve trolls convening and recapping their own experiences. Calder reveals the attack by Edolon to the group with Serpaz warning them of the danger he poses from personal experience. As each either start or continue their personal quests, a few reminiscence on their childhoods. Jentha recalls her time in the Kindergarten, with one bad day culminating in her extraordinary powers being stripped away. Ellsee fondly remembers her family life with Arcjec, to which Arcjec has seemingly forgotten. When White Noise introduces himself to Ellsee, the two discuss their roles in the grand scheme he has lain out, including stopping the looming threat of Gaiaeon. This danger causes a Murrit from an alternate timeline to connect with Laivan. Though he is skeptical, he learns that their timeline, the main timeline, is the only one capable of winning the Game and saving all of reality from Gaiaeon. Meanwhile, as the real Murrit engages with her quest, he discovers the artifact that his alternate version used to see into timelines, or "probabilities." Unknowingly, though, this device is connected to Mimesis, allowing them the direct connection to Murrit they've been seeking.
This section will be updated as the story updates.
Inception
Vast Error was created by austinado and Sparaze, and was infamously coined in the past as a "deconstruction", or as austinado puts it now, a "deconreconstruction" of its source material, Homestuck. The comic contains several major archetypes and themes of Homestuck, its 'fantroll' community, and the typical fan adventures created for and by that community. Most notably, the main cast of the comic, the trolls, are all lovingly based on tropes commonly found in characters created by the fanbase.
Besides these and quite a few other notable uses of Homestuck's concepts, Vast Error has been stated by its creators to take place within its own contained reality and mythos. There is little connection to the plotline of Homestuck aside from the idea of the troll species and the usage of a universe-ending game, and even then these concepts have major changes as to their purposes and how they function.
Connections to Source Material
Vast Error has been noticed by What Pumpkin and members of the Hiveswap Dev Team. Arcjec can be found in two backgrounds (One accompanied by Ellsee beside him) and Murrit can be found in the background of the Friendsim route of Nihkee Moolah. Both were added in by artist/animator Poinko, who has made track art for the comic on Vast Error Vol. 4. There is a running joke between creators that Hiveswap steals Vast Error's ideas and that they will be sued, along with the idea that Vast Error is the most popular Alternian webcomic and that the cameos of the cast seen in Friendsim are cosplayers.
As of January 2024, Vast Error and its spin-offs are officially licensed.[2]
Gallery
Vast Error's current cover page.
Vast Error's previous cover page from 2018 - 2020.
