Okay, I've been using Twitter a lot (as @kittyeden1) and I thought of an idea.
Instead of flooding the Board with badfic reports, we could tweet them, and tag them specifically with a special tag. I'm thinking #ppcalert .
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A Tweet Idea by
on 2013-12-21 11:25:00 UTC
Link to this
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Genius, bloody genius! by
on 2013-12-21 22:04:00 UTC
Link to this
I'm @MondosHair, sounds great!
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Problem with your idea. by
on 2013-12-21 15:14:00 UTC
Link to this
Not everyone here has Twitter (like me. You won't find me on any social network.) or wants to use it for PPC purposes.
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Hum. by
on 2013-12-21 12:41:00 UTC
Link to this
We don't have to report every single badfic in the Board, you know. Some of them just go straight to the Unclaimed Badfic page.
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True, but... by
on 2013-12-21 16:05:00 UTC
Link to this
not everyone checks the Unclaimed Badfic page to see if new fics have been posted there. Also posting them here gives everyone a chance to see how bad the badfics really are (and in some cases, whether those 'fics actually qualify as badfics in the first place).
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I think it has potential. by
on 2013-12-24 03:01:00 UTC
Link to this
I don't Tweet either, but Twitter could be used as a supplement to the Board and Unclaimed Badfic lists. That way the Board isn't quite so swamped with reports. Those who use Twitter can moderate the reports made through Twitter and those who prefer the Board can focus on those made on the Board.
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Well, I found this... by
on 2013-12-24 12:18:00 UTC
Link to this
It's a tool that can track when a tag is used. So if we used #PPCalert, a tweet might go like:
#PPCalert trollfic in Harry Potter, Becoming Female by venusgod
And then include a link.
If we use a website called Twubs, www.twubs.com/PPCalert/ will always have a list of badfics that we can then discuss via Private Tweets.
www.twubs.com/PPCalert/embed/ can also embed the feed into a webpage, so we can put it on the Wiki and/or personal blog. -
Sounds promising. :) by
on 2013-12-24 22:00:00 UTC
Link to this
Maybe it should be taken up with the Powers-that-Be,
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so what I got... by
on 2013-12-21 20:08:00 UTC
Link to this
Thanks to everyone who answered and helped me out, because of what was told to me I changed my Nuzlocke idea a little.
I’ll admit that as of now they are not THAT different but I think I changed them enough that I think that it can now work with in the PPC. Even with these changes it still can’t work then I guess I’ll have to scrap the whole idea, fully this time, and just stick with having my poke girl have a pokemon training back story.
Changes:
1. I’m changing the Homestuck male, non-gt (god tier) cherub to a Homestuck male, gt human.
Reasons: well really it has to do with the fact that the PPC doesn’t hand out portal consoles like candy, so how would one fix this problem in the Nuzlocke I’m planning?
Simple, after looking at some god tier descriptions and powers (and my own head-canons on how some would work) I got the idea to turn my cherub character into a human (the reason for that being, since the scope of this project is already as big as it is I decided that I should just stick to human characters).
The boy in question is named Dean, and he is a Rogue of Space which means he is ‘one who steals from space for the benefit of his teammates’ so he steals velocity, density, and mass from objects as well as space itself.
So I thought that the stealing from space part could work like this: while thinking of a place, he takes his hands and forms a green dot in the air; he then puts his hand into the dot and starts forming a portal with the image in his head on the other side (basically ‘stealing’ the space between the two spaces for his teammates).
Upsides: Don’t need portal consoles that often. (See downsides for why it’s “that often”)
The portal will only close after he fully exits. (See downsides for another possible way)
As long as he remembers/knows what the place looks like, he can portal there.
Downsides: The portal stays stable as long as he is concentrating on the portal, if his attention is diverted for at least minute the portal will instantly close.
He needs to know what the location he is opening a portal too looks like first. (A decent description can work too; as long as he knows what continuum he is opening a portal too)
Unlike the console portals, his can be easily noticed by others. (if there are other people on the other side of the portal they can see it and see the people coming out of it)
I’m not going to talk about my ideas anymore, until after I talk to my sis about everything that everyone has told me and after we talk I’ll post what we have decided to do.
Sorry if I look like I’m beating a dead horse but I really, really wanted to do this idea so I just wait to try and do everything I can to make this idea a reality and so I really don’t to give up early on it. :) -
My thoughts... by
on 2013-12-22 01:52:00 UTC
Link to this
Well, having looked at the homestuck wiki and having a bit more of an idea about than before. I'm not sure about your first point. Mainly because as stated before you've got to make sure that your Agents aren't too OP, or have too many Sueish traits, something that God Tier screams out to me as being. I'm not really sure about you're choice of power either, it seems that it could be overused and overpowered. I can see it being used in the way you want it to be, however I'm worried that it could be abused and that you're not looking at the whole picture. Yes it solves the problems of portaling between continuums but it does nothing for helping the PPC communicate with your agents in any way. I mean the only way that they could get missions would be for at least one of them to stay in the RC, which seems to negate your whole effort to keep them in their own worlds.
I hope that helps in some way
Storme Hawk
P.S if you want I'm available if you want someone different to throw ideas at, my email I check most often is thestormehawk@gmail.com
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I have an idea [Also bad SNK fic] by
on 2013-12-21 22:52:00 UTC
Link to this
My idea is that every once in awhile we can make a thread where all of us can post badfic fore everyone to read/possibly claim. WHat do you guys thing?
Also, found an AWFUL attack on titan one
http://www.wattpad.com/28570496-levi-rivaille-3-attack-on-titan -
Badfic by
on 2013-12-23 15:17:00 UTC
Link to this
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9779077/1/Blood-Rose
Um... NSFB, very violent, rape. Also OOC. I don't follow RWBY, but a friend of mine that does assured me that this is very bad. -
We do that anyway. (nm) by
on 2013-12-22 01:46:00 UTC
Link to this
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How is that different from what we already do? by
on 2013-12-22 00:06:00 UTC
Link to this
We have new badfic threads all the time, and while it usually starts with one or two people posting individual atrocities, it often compounds into plenty of new badfics being introduced and at least one person claiming one or more of said badfics for a mission that may never actually be finished. Did your idea have some new details?
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Details/Ideas by
on 2013-12-22 01:41:00 UTC
Link to this
I thought that maybe we could have sub-posts in the thread for each canon, but it looks like badfic threads were already a thing. sorry.
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It's fine. by
on 2013-12-22 01:49:00 UTC
Link to this
You've only returned recently, might take some time to get back into the swing of things.
The Emperor Protects! -
Found any badfics lately? (nm) by
on 2013-12-22 01:52:00 UTC
Link to this
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Oh yes. by
on 2013-12-22 02:43:00 UTC
Link to this
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9899355/1/Prince-Of-My-Heart
I'll leave this one up for grabs. But it's Fem!Aragorn/Legolas.
What.
The Emperor Protects! -
What the-? by
on 2013-12-22 03:18:00 UTC
Link to this
Aragorn...Arwen...she...he...what? My glod, my glod...*starts singing a lullaby with off-key notes and frazzled brain nerves while adding the fic to the Unclaimed List*
~Autumn -
oh no by
on 2013-12-22 03:11:00 UTC
Link to this
please no
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New DIC Mission! (NSFW, Trigger Warning.) by
on 2013-12-23 04:29:00 UTC
Link to this
WARNING: The fic sporked in this mission (and, by extension, the mission itself) deals with the subject of rape. Reader discretion is GREATLY advised.
----**----
In which Florestan, Eusabius, and newbie Wave Crest take trainee Myrin de Chagny on a spin through the worst Gay Aesop ever written:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f49LXFNHrL4095MYITNne7CoEwO96qQJ_btManzxGcY/pub
Seriously, it's gotta be the worst Gay Aesop ever put to fiction.
This mission does not have any minis, nor does it have any loot. However, after this mission, I'm going to unleash Myrin de Chagny across the multiverse. So anyone who wants Myrin can take him.
I'd like to thank Neshomeh, Outhra, and EileenAlphabet for looking over the mission for me. Here's hoping you other PPCers like it! -
My reaction. (Spoilers) by
on 2013-12-24 20:47:00 UTC
Link to this
One of the primary things that bothered me about this mission is that it felt like you were overly focused on your own message. There's nothing wrong with using a story to convey a moral or lesson, but the way it was done here felt very obvious: "A group of agents, one of them openly gay, is assigned a homophobic trainee right before they undertake a mission involving homophobia as a major plot point." It's a scenario that, at least to me, seems artificial. It took me out of the story in a way I don't like.
There was very little action taken by your agents throughout most of the story beyond dialogue. As doctorlit mentioned, a lot of what they did was just comment on fic quotes. This read like a fleshed-out MST in places, which is not what I want out of missions.
The presence of Wave Crest felt entirely unnecessary. He added nothing to the story apart from a few less-than-stellar jokes and a few bits where he yelled at de Chagny. What's more, I didn't really like him. What little I saw of his character I found to be unpleasant and grating.
I was also not a fan of the ending. Logically speaking, there's no way those final confrontations should have gone as they did. The agents identified the types of Sue-specters very specifically earlier on in the mission. This suggested to me that they knew what they were getting into, that they would be prepared to counter whatever tactics the specters would try. And yet, all four agents were mesmerized in very short order. It felt like a cheat intended to force a final confrontation between de Chagny and Eusabius.
There were some parts I liked, to be certain. I'm very glad that you didn't take the easy way out with de Chagny's beliefs and have him completely abandon his preconceptions at the end. As doctorlit said, it's (sadly) realistic.
Finally, let me apologize if any of my comments seemed overly confrontational or harsh. My intention was not to insult or attack. I am just trying to relay my thoughts on your piece as best as I can. -
Re: Mission by
on 2013-12-24 17:23:00 UTC
Link to this
The big, major victory you've pulled off here is using Myrin to show the proper way to portray a homophobic character getting his bigotry shoved back in his face. It's reasonable for him to start out that way, being that he's kinda sorta from Phantom of the Opera's time period. Then you use Eusabius as the counter-example against what Myrin believes about homosexual people, while possessed!replacement!Ike (sheesh) serves as a bit of a dark mirror for Myrin to see and dangerously far homophobia can be taken. Also (sadly) realistic is that Myrin doesn't have a complete change of heart by the end, but still recognizes that he was being hurtful and rude, and that he had been wrong about some things, at the least.
The pacing did get slowed down significantly in this mission, and I think it's mainly because both Eusabius and Myrin have similar meticulous, conjunction-lacking speech patterns. I realize why they both speak that way, but trying to read their dialogue in a realistic way makes some of the conversations stretch on forever, which gets especially annoying when they're doing little more than commenting on a fic quote you've already shown us.
I like the situations with the three different wraiths at the end. Each one had a distinct and recognizable attitude and effect on the PPCers, which makes them stand out immensely from the rest of the mission. I imagine the one that had been possessing Ike is another unique type that's likely to show up again in other PPC spin-offs.
The way Wave Crest makes such ribald jokes is a little off-putting, considering the continuum he's from. I know you set up his reading about human sexuality in "Vals Azul," but as he talks now, he really feels more like a human character who happens to be a pony, rather than an actual My Little Pony character. Specifically, he sounds so similar to Florestan half the time, that Wave Crest almost doesn't feel like he's there at all.
Finally, this exchange confuses me:
“It seems that way,” Wave Crest replied. He then looked up to the other two agents. “So this is what I’ve got to look forward to?”
“Not quite,” said Eusabius. “Missions rarely ever become so trying on a person’s soul. And most of our missions have been rather innocuous.”
“So I noticed,” Wave Crest replied. He then looked up. “I have to say, it’s interesting work. I’m glad they saw me fit to be an agent.”
What has Wave Crest noticed? He's only been on one mission (a horrible one), so how has he noticed that "most missions" have been "innocuous" for this RC? -
Thanks for the feedback! by
on 2013-12-24 18:37:00 UTC
Link to this
Glad to see that my handling of Myrin was good. Honestly, writing a character with that kind of deliberate values dissonance was one of the hardest things I've ever written for the PPC, and I broke my back trying to get that right. I'm glad you found that part to be good, so even if everything else was all "blah" I'm glad to have gotten that right.
The wraith that possessed Ike was originally going to be a unique type, as a matter of fact. But when we have slash dwimmerlaiks in the PPC already, I figured "eh, this might be too much". But... If it appears in any more fics I find, I might go ahead and introduce it then. (And if you're wondering? It was originally going to be called "Potentia Libidinis".)
I'll admit that I was less concerned about Wave Crest's voice and speech mannerisms in this mission: I was so focused on the dynamic between Eusabius and Myrin that, now that you mention it, I think Wave Crest's voice probably suffered as a result. Thank you for pointing that out; I'll be sure to work on that in future missions with him.
Huh... I think that might've been a dialogue oversight. I'll go ahead and fix that line. Thanks for pointing that out!
So thanks for the feedback! -
Aw, I liked the new high-level wraith. by
on 2013-12-24 23:04:00 UTC
Link to this
I thought the Potentia Libidinis seemed distinctly separate from the slash demons/dwimmerlaiks when I was beta-reading, since the latter usually seem more like manifestations of random OOC activity like most of the other wraith subspecies, and the Potentia Libidinis's behavior once it was exorcised showed some amount of self-awareness, making it more like the other high-level entities, particularly the conflictus creatrix, than just some random-encounter wraith. The slash demons/dwimmerlaiks usually tend to react in an almost animalistic fashion, screeching complaints and/or trying to possess whatever is nearby in instinctive self-preservation, but this one seemed to have a predetermined plan and modus operandi, as well as unusual abilities that seemed akin to the Impetus Miserabilis's emotion-manipulating that even further supported its standing as a being in the aforementioned's family, or at least its caliber.
Oh, well. (sigh) If you decide it's not worth it to introduce a new species and this was just some uniquely capable slash demon instead of a high-level wraith, authorial intent trumps. -
I enjoyed this immensely by
on 2013-12-24 02:38:00 UTC
Link to this
Despite the fact that the original fic would no doubt have made me want to stab things and set them on fire. It's always interesting to have non-human perspectives, too; I suspect that Wave Crest may rapidly become my favourite... =]
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The original fic did make me want to do that, actually. by
on 2013-12-24 02:45:00 UTC
Link to this
Trust me, you don't trivialize any form of sexual violence. Partly 'cause you do that, and partly 'cause I almost did it myself once, so...
Wave Crest is actually a more recent addition to the group. If you want, the rest of this RC's missions are on the PPC Wiki. -
I shall peruse them tomorrow; it's 3 a.m. for me right now. (nm) by
on 2013-12-24 03:05:00 UTC
Link to this
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This took me several hours, by
on 2013-12-23 21:10:00 UTC
Link to this
but I couldn’t stop reading, although I don’t even know the various canons. I liked all the interactions of your agents, especially Myrins reactions to modern times.
Unfortunately I have to report some minor problems which escaped your attention.
The Elite smiled. "I’m glad you did," said Eusabius.
Isn’t this Zerenze speaking?
"Technically, you are," says Wave Crest.
Tense shift detected.
They shrugged, and then they watched as Marth entered his apartment. The apartment was not too badly described, all things considered, and so they were able to enter a rather tidy apartment.
This feels a bit repetitive. You may want to find another word for apartment.
"Yeah," Wave Crest. "We can skip the rest of this chapter, basically..."
There is a verb missing, probably said or a synonym of this.
He glanced over at Eusabius breifly before looking back to Florestan.
You probably meant briefly.
They watched Ganondorf’s tactics became more brutal,
I cannot explain the rule that applies here, but I keep thinking it should be become.
The disguised wolf shrugged. "Curiosity," he says.
Another tense shift detected.
"And what of you, mon amis?" Myrin asked. "Do you have any… significant others? Is that the term?"
I’m not sure whether I get this right. Since Myrin seems to be talking to Eusabius alone, he should use the singular mon ami, but I don’t expect Myrin to assume that Eusabius may have more than one "significant other", so this may be Myrin asking about Eusabius and Wave Crest’s "significant others", and referring to both of them as mon amis?
The disguised wolf glanced to the side, suddenly feeling a strange rush of emotion. At first, the disguised wolf could not place it, but...
This feels a little bit repetitive again.
It was then that the disguised wolf realized that he realized just how out of time he was.
And this seems to be more than just repetition, although I couldn’t call it bad grammar.
He glances to the side.
Yet another tense shift.
The two agents sat there, comforting "Ike". The character replacement spent several minutes crying, both of the agents only able to sit there and physically comfort the replacement.
Again this feels repetitive. Perhaps the first sentence should just be dropped, and then one of the replacement could be replaced by "Ike"?
That's all I noticed.
The author of the badfic may not have been malicious, but well meant is often the opposite of what your mission is – well done.
HG -
Re: This took me several hours, by
on 2013-12-24 03:11:00 UTC
Link to this
Commenting as I read through. Looking good so far, but how exactly do Elites smile? There aren't many canonical sources that depict them in situations where they would, but IIRC the analogous facial expression involves all four mandibles pulling down and backwards.
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Fixed. by
on 2013-12-23 21:31:00 UTC
Link to this
Your insane attention to detail is amazing once again. Thanks for all that!
And I glad you liked the mission! Yeah, "well meant" is a very different thing from "well done". So I'm glad you thought it was well done!
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Question about posting stuff on the Wiki. by
on 2013-12-23 12:42:00 UTC
Link to this
I just realized that I didn't put the announcement of the first Blank Sprite chapter on the Latest Story Releases on the main page, mainly because I barely managed to do the announcement on the Board before being hospitalized for a couple days.
Is it alright to put it as December 14th under the more recent ones, or there is another way I should put this up? -
Yep, chronological order is good. by
on 2013-12-23 15:41:00 UTC
Link to this
Just sip it on in where it belongs.
Hope you're feeling/generally doing all right on the health front! -
Yeah, I'm fine now. (nm) by
on 2013-12-23 16:38:00 UTC
Link to this
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Glad you're feeling better (nm) by
on 2013-12-23 17:36:00 UTC
Link to this
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Neophyte Calling by
on 2013-12-23 16:08:00 UTC
Link to this
On a silent pool
The pond-skater pounces;
Jaws close on nothing
My name is Wobbles The Clown, or very occasionally CCC, colourcodedchaos, and other things. I have an idea for an agent who might be interesting to read about, though it does involve me actually getting permission, and I also have memories of the Fic That Shall Not Be Named (LOTR edition). I wasn't even particularly squicked, which is probably not a sign of a healthy mind; rather, I was just bored. Same with Forbiden Fruit, though there my sole memory is wondering why the author wanted to make sure that her fruit were received by the Vice-President of the United States. Oh, and the gay panda getting high in an enormous tree (a beech, to be precise).
I think in haiku a lot; I find it relaxing to pare my thoughts down into a very spartan style, and it makes me think about words and the connections between them. However, it also means that sometimes I converse in haiku without thinking. I apologise in advance if this annoys anyone.
Clowns need other clowns
To remind them of the times
When nobody laughs -
Greetings by
on 2013-12-25 18:35:00 UTC
Link to this
I apologize for my late arrival. I, as High Arbiter of my order, welcome you with open arms and gifts of great worth.
I bequeath to you this sword, forged from the embers of a dying sun and sent adrift for untold eons in the vastness of the cosmos. I name it Shamath, the Joy-Bringer. May it serve you well in your quest.
If ever you should desire comfort and food, seek me out beyond the edge of time.
My time is coming. The Archon rises. -
Thank you for this... kingly blade. by
on 2013-12-25 23:17:00 UTC
Link to this
Usually, the only swords I have are ones I've made from balloons at parties. I shall treasure this gift, more so since it was made for me by a stranger to bring merriment and laughter.
I cannot offer the same calibre of gifts or skills, but should you have a children's party in need of entertainment, I'm your girl. =]
Interestingly, your choice of name's meaning is not unique, at least in broad terms. The legendary blade of Charlemagne, lord of all the Franks across Europe and founder of the Holy Roman Empire, was named the Sword Of Smiles, Joyeuse in their tongue. It ties into the concept of katsujinken, the life-giving sword, which is itself a part of the Japanese view of weaponry as an extension of the self. I should probably shut up before I bore you to death. -
Hi there! by
on 2013-12-24 18:51:00 UTC
Link to this
I've got some...
Um...
Some turkey from the Christmas dinner -
Thank you! by
on 2013-12-24 18:55:00 UTC
Link to this
All gifts are gratefully received. I'm fairly certain there's a relevant New Testament parable concerning a beggar woman, but it's been years since I had anything to do with that particular storybook so I could be wrong. =]
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Greetings Battle-Brother! by
on 2013-12-24 07:55:00 UTC
Link to this
I'm 99Hedgehog but call me 99. Here, have a Sunrifle!
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Sunrifle#.Urk8qvQW1Cg
The Emperor Protects! -
Indeed, the Emperor does. by
on 2013-12-24 10:24:00 UTC
Link to this
It's very pleasant of you to give me that interesting bit of xenotech; I wonder if I can train my Meditite in its use. I shall find out later, after Rastamouse has finished.
Alas, 99, I'm more suited to the Adepta Sororitas than the Astartes (The only exceptions to that rule are generally to be found in 40K badfic, so...). Thank you very much for being so welcoming, and I'll leave you with the thought that I used to play an infantry-heavy Guard army and in one 5000pt game I failed entirely to hit anything. At all. Not a single hit was rolled that day.
I began sacrificing chickens to Nuffle after that... -
Hello! by
on 2013-12-24 04:04:00 UTC
Link to this
Welcome to the Board! Since it's plastic-replica-of-swords-from-the-Hobbit time, have plastic!Glamdring.
Take a look at our PPC Constitution, which is highly interesting and important for you to read, and some other links above as well.
A question: how did you find the PPC, anyway? Just curious. :)
Once again, welcome, and enjoy the PPC!
~Autumn -
Thanks for the sword! by
on 2013-12-24 10:19:00 UTC
Link to this
I shall now have to construct a tiny plastic model of Beleriand to hide it in. =]
I read the constitution, and some other stuff as well, before posting. How I found the PPC has been discussed elsewhere, but it boils down to the fact that, after C*l*b*i*n left me unmoved and unsquicked, I started looking for other fanfic to snark and stumbled upon this place. -
Welcome a-Board! by
on 2013-12-24 02:56:00 UTC
Link to this
(Though I'm not sure I'm qualified to say that, considering my inactivity...)
Please accept this humble traffic-cone-yellow ski boot. You never know when you might have to ski one legged through Siberia like James Bond.
- Len -
Thank you! by
on 2013-12-24 03:00:00 UTC
Link to this
I'll treasure it. As you say, it might come in handy, and even if it doesn't it fits and is funny. I might have to rejig the toe so that it extends into the middle distance, though. =]
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The middle distance is a suitable destination indeed. (nm) by
on 2013-12-24 03:01:00 UTC
Link to this
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Bonjour! by
on 2013-12-24 02:45:00 UTC
Link to this
Lovely to meet you, Recruit Wobbles. :) Nice haiku, by the way. Let's see...I can gift you this copy of the Hobbit, a Bled pen, a dragon egg, and a Chicken Jockey. How'd you find the PPC?
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Thanks! by
on 2013-12-24 02:58:00 UTC
Link to this
Interesting. I'm learning a lot about colours today. One wonders how many are out of space, as it were...
As for how I found the PPC, it came about because I read C*l*b*i*n and had no emotive response other than mild boredom. I got into snarking, hung around Twilight Sucks for a bit (Guess what we reviewed!), stumbled onto the site from there and here I am. Hopefully, I might be a bit more use to this august body some time soon, but it'll keep. For now, I'll be content to watch, read, learn, and receive inspiration from my elders and betters. =] -
Hi there! by
on 2013-12-24 01:48:00 UTC
Link to this
Nice to meet you! Please accept my gifts of a potato cannon, a basket of Russet potatoes, and an Official University of Doctor Who sweatshirt.
Haiku? Interesting... -
Thank you! by
on 2013-12-24 01:53:00 UTC
Link to this
I shall get to work making some small crash helmets and capes for the potatoes. You wouldn't happen to know if oil paint'd make for good moustaches on the average spud-about-town, would you?
Thank you also for the OUDW sweatshirt. I will continue the fine tradition of my hometown by wearing a branded top from a university I've never been to. I see UCLA and Harvard sweatshirts all the time where I live.
That being a deprived commercial port in south-east England... -
Wait a second... by
on 2013-12-24 16:52:00 UTC
Link to this
You're British?! Interesting. I would not have guessed; I haven't spotted any British spellings in your posts. There are actually quite a few Brits here (BTW, I'm NOT one of them; I'm Haitian-American.)
If you want to know a bit more about our backgrounds, look for a thread that I started called "The World of PPC." -
Indeed, I am among the filthiest of filthy Limeys. (nm) by
on 2013-12-24 18:56:00 UTC
Link to this
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If I may make a note about that haiku tendency... by
on 2013-12-24 00:32:00 UTC
Link to this
...in Japanese, most words actually do have quite a lot of syllables in them, so the 5/7/5 rule for syllables in English really doesn't do much justice to the form (and it further doesn't allow for especially good English translations of traditional Japanese haiku). Generally, haiku is supposed to punctuate a feeling or a sensation in just a few words, and following the 5/7/5 rule in English can lead to incredibly clunky examples that say too much. So when writing haiku in English, most professional poets I've known personally actually tend to play fast and loose with the 5/7/5 rule in the name of preserving the aphoristic quality.
If you really want to go overboard, that's what haibun is for. But for haiku, you want to go more for "saying a lot by saying little".
Now that the side of me that was somewhat active in the Boston poetry scene has satisfied itself, I'll move on to the actual introduction...
Hi there! Welcome to the PPC! We love newbies here, so take your shoes off, leave your sanity at the door, and come right in!
As a welcome gift, I give you the music of one Luigi Dallapiccola: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb6PxV6f4C4 -
Thanks for the pointers by
on 2013-12-24 01:44:00 UTC
Link to this
I was aware of that; you'll note that the one at the start of my OP doesn't quite conform to the metre, and I'm also aware that kireji are necessary for it to work as-intended. It's just that I'm no good at writing haiku poetry, and mainly use it to streamline my thought processes. It's the very rigidity of the metre that makes it so well-suited to that purpose.
Anywho, thank you for the music. It's very beautiful, though I confess to preferring the self-important bombast of military marches; they appeal to my sense of the absurd, and they make me laugh. If I may respond with something I like that's rather different:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge5_gLtSWd4
Thank you for being so welcoming, and I hope I can be a credit to the board. =] -
Kireji? (nm) by
on 2013-12-24 16:49:00 UTC
Link to this
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A "cutting word" by
on 2013-12-24 18:46:00 UTC
Link to this
By which I mean, a word in Japanese-language haiku that separates the two main images of the poem. =]
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Thanks (nm) by
on 2013-12-24 19:31:00 UTC
Link to this
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Ah, okay. by
on 2013-12-24 02:43:00 UTC
Link to this
It's just that a lot of people don't really know that, so I figured... y'know.
Hm... On the music front, you say you prefer the bombast of military marches? Hm... What about I further gift you with this little Alban Berg ditty that sort of takes inspiration from military marches but is something kinda different: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQYNIfxLqw8 -
Oh, you're quite right. by
on 2013-12-24 02:52:00 UTC
Link to this
It's generally a fairly safe assumption; however, I make it a point to research stuff, even if the only thing I'm researching it for is to help me concentrate for more than eight seconds at a time. =]
The Berg is lovely, too. -
*waves* by
on 2013-12-23 21:05:00 UTC
Link to this
Hello and welcome!
I give to you a lined Infinite Notebook, featuring urple covers and wilver binding. Make sure you don't blind yourself!
About clowns: I know some very nice ones, and I can't comprehend why everyone seems to be scared of them. I guess personal acquaintance sort of fixes that, in my case, though it still leaves me with a lingering sensation of unease in the presence of contortionists.
-Aila -
Thank you! by
on 2013-12-23 22:13:00 UTC
Link to this
Ooh, it's like Christmas! Well, technically it is Christmas, and has been for a while if you believe certain types of department store. Thank you for the notebook, and for your acceptance of my clownery. =]
Contortionists are people too. Just, you know, more bendy. -
I'm just jealous, I guess. by
on 2013-12-23 22:28:00 UTC
Link to this
As a girl who does aerial but doesn't have her splits, well... Yeah.
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I wouldn't worry about it by
on 2013-12-23 22:30:00 UTC
Link to this
They're probably jealous of you for other reasons and in other ways. For instance, I bet the average contortionist-about-town'd think "Hey, I'd sure love to do aerial."
Now, see, I can't say that in my head without thinking of something completely different. Badfic has changed me... -
Oh, did yo have to? *mental images* (nm) by
on 2013-12-23 22:35:00 UTC
Link to this
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Yes. It was a terrible joke, and I'm a clown. (nm) by
on 2013-12-23 22:41:00 UTC
Link to this
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Welcome Newbie! by
on 2013-12-23 18:06:00 UTC
Link to this
I'm afraid that all your newbie gifts are peppermint - peppermint fudge, candy canes, a red pen (you'll need it!) and scratch & sniff stickers.
Any fandoms? -
Fandoms I am part of by
on 2013-12-23 18:15:00 UTC
Link to this
Er... none. This is not to say that I don't get involved in traditional fandom activities, like writing terrible fanfiction and complaining about pairings we don't like, but I don't like the term.
I'm fairly knowledgeable about the Harry Potter series, classic literature in general, and The Binding Of Isaac, a game you should play. Does that count? =] -
Counts by
on 2013-12-24 03:58:00 UTC
Link to this
I think most here have been indoctrinated into Harry Potter. And if the game is a computer game or a puzzle, I might even try it: I'm notoriously bad at point and shoot.
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Wow, guys... wow by
on 2013-12-27 22:21:00 UTC
Link to this
So many games, so little time! I'm stranded in Myst 4 Revelations right now (Dang crystal tuning, how do I tune the crystals, Sirrus? Tell me, you thieving kidnapping plundering smug snake!) but I know what to give a try when I finally have free time!
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If roguelike is not your thing... by
on 2013-12-26 06:04:00 UTC
Link to this
I would recommend to you and anyone else out here to download play these two freeware gems, if you haven't already!
The first is Star Control II: the Ur-Quan Masters, which is available here (http://sourceforge.net/projects/sc2/files/UQM/0.7/uqm-0.7.0-1-installer.exe/download?use_mirror=ufpr&download=). Imagine if Mass Effect was made in 1992 and was about ship-to-ship fighting instead of on-foot combat, and that's this game in a nutshell. It is probably one of the very first games with proper dialogue trees, being much older than Fallout, yet providing you with similar freedom and some rather clever writing as well. The combat and RPG parts have aged somewhat (though the planet-scanning still beats either Mass Effect once you level up the lander), but it's still addictive and fun.
The other game is Iji, which can be gotten from its creator's website (http://www.remar.se/daniel/). It is a freeware Metroidvania with surprisingly complex plot, no fourth wall (diaries left behind by aliens outright say which buttons are to be pressed to activate abilities, for instance), hacking minigames, weapon crafting (not to DS3 levels, of course, but still), ridiculously epic last and second-to-last boss fights (others aren't bad either) and the choice to walk through the game without killing anyone, which is reflected in the dialogue throughout the game. It's not without flaws (basic enemy AI could with improvements), but on the whole, I would say it's great. -
On Isaac by
on 2013-12-24 18:52:00 UTC
Link to this
It's a computer game, yes; more specifically, a metaphor-drenched top-down roguelike that will dominate you and make you like it. You're a child fighting off monsters with your tears.
It's that sort of game. =] -
One might note it's similarity... by
on 2013-12-25 04:50:00 UTC
Link to this
...to The Legend of Zelda (first game) in terms of interface and dungeon structure.
The Emperor Protects! -
Only in the broadest sense by
on 2013-12-25 23:24:00 UTC
Link to this
TBoI shares a layout with early Zelda dungeoneering, and very little else. As far as I know, the first Zelda game did not discuss at length (almost solely through the mechanics and items within the game) the dangers of becoming trapped in your own head. Indeed, in that respect it forms a trilogy with two of Edmund McMillen's other games, Time Fcuk and Aether.
Aether shows what happens when you leave the "real" world for a world of your own making, becoming so tied up in it that friends and family hold no meaning any more and your escape has become your prison. Time Fcuk shows that this prison can be escaped only through self-discovery and what Maslow called self-actualisation. The Binding of Isaac, on the other hand, shows why it is necessary to escape the prison and demonstrates the detrimental effects such a jail has on young people in particular.
Now, I'd link you to an article discussing this in more detail, but it's probably just too dull for Christmas reading. Besides, I'd have to actually find it, which'd be more trouble than it'd likely be worth. =] -
It's a Twinfinite article by
on 2013-12-26 05:36:00 UTC
Link to this
Can't give you the link now, but type "twinfinite isaac" in Google and it should be the first result you get. If you check out the comments, you can find a rather long, fan-wankey comment I wrote a while ago with my perspective. That said, Edmund himself prefers to say that while the Twinfinite theory explains the underlying symbolism, it's up to each player to decide what EXACTLY happens to the characters at the end. Plus, The Rebirth is going to add even more endings, so...
All in all, glad to see another Binding of Isaac fan here! I don't usually tend to say this, but few balancing niggles aside, this game is near-perfection, and can't wait as to what Rebirth has in store! -
Apparently... by
on 2013-12-26 09:25:00 UTC
Link to this
More items will interact. Spoon Bender & Brimstone. Inner Eye & Dr. Fetus. -Polyphemus- & Dr. Fetus. The list goes on. Ah, the joys of following Edmund McMillen on Tumblr...
Seriously though, if as much stuff stacks in Rebirth as is purported by your man McMillen, then I might have to start nicking copies of the items and seeing what they do to PPC agents...
You're quite right about the Twinfinite article, McMillen's response, and the quite astonishing levels of fanwank in your comment (assuming we mean the same one). Me, I just enjoy thinking deeply about the game's mechanics and the metaphors inherent in them, especially the ones that sorta require glitches, like Brimsnapping. It's fun! =] -
He has Tumblr too? by
on 2013-12-27 12:56:00 UTC
Link to this
I knew he had Formspring and followed him on there for a while before he quit his account :( . From there, I learned that Edmund plans to have about 100 new items, 100 new enemies and 20 bosses, as well as several new characters crammed into Rebirth! Some effects are going to be pretty unprecedented: he revealed an item that makes your tears orbit Isaac much like blue flies, for instance. Wonder if that'll stack with Ipecac...
Oh, and yes, that's me, breaking records for fanwank since 2013! Honestly, though, I find it quite astonishing that someone could create a roguelike with this much gameplay and story integration: literally every item/mechanic can be traced back to his real-world childhood or his current condition in the basement. I'm a bit at loss about the bombs in the game, though: why exactly would he imagine this fairly specific item that's unlikely to have been in his house, unlike more everyday keys and coins? You could say that's because he played Zelda in his childhood of course, but I hope you have a more satisfying explanation! -
An interesting point (POSSIBLE SPOILERS INBOUND) by
on 2013-12-27 15:33:00 UTC
Link to this
The way I see it is that bombs are found in video games, and we know that Isaac plays them; the Game Kid is the primary reference, but SMB Super Fan, Dr. Fetus, and the various Gishes knocking around (both as items and enemies) are also proof too. The clincher's the arcade, one of the few rooms in the game that will not deliberately hurt you; Isaac might think that getting an enemy in a treasure room isn't fair, but he definitely sees arcades as safe space.
See, it's my belief that Isaac had a fairly normal childhood up until the death of his sister (ending 12); after which, Isaac blamed himself for everything bad that happened. His father was utterly unable to cope and left the household, while his mother slowly got angrier and angrier with him. I don't think she's trying to kill him (although if you read Dave Pelzer's autobiographies, his mother does stab him with a kitchen knife; I can't help but wonder if that's where McMillen got the idea from); I think she's becoming stricter with him out of her own grief, which also made her turn to God as a source of comfort and salvation. The opening cutscene is more important than people think it is; we must remember to view them through the eyes of a child, who believes he is being punished unfairly for being grounded and having the odd toy confiscated.
Think about the order of the levels and what they represent. Isaac starts low and goes lower until the end of the Depths/Necropolis, wherein he fights his perception of his mother as an unknowable titan aiming to crush him. Then come the Womb/Utero levels; in these, Isaac is trying to analyse his own feelings of guilt, confronting his mother's own feelings on the matter in his head over and over again until he realises that they all stem from maternal feelings of protection and the fact that she thinks she failed her daughter, as shown by the transformation of Mom's Heart into It Lives. After that, the child has a choice; go down, or go up? Fall or rise? Sheol's levels are hard because Isaac is wallowing in his own perceived damnation, and the fight with Satan shows that nothing has changed - the similarities with the Mom fight are pronounced for precisely this reason. The music in the levels is muted and downbeat, demonstrating the depths of Isaac's misery, misery he feels is deserved. When he overcomes Satan, the ending demonstrates that nothing has changed for him; he is still in the box described by the Twinfinite article, resigned to his fate as a bad child.
However, should he choose to rise into the Cathedral, the rooms are hard for a different reason; Isaac, rather than accepting his fate, is trying to change it. The music is similar to Sheol, but more hopeful; angelic rather than demonic. He is trying to change his mind and get rid of the toxic beliefs he held. This is also why the rooms here are harder than the ones in Sheol; it's much more difficult to change your mind than it is to stay set in your beliefs. It's also felt in the change in final boss battle; the fight with Isaac is almost a bullet-hell boss, and there are no other boss battles like it earlier in the game. This is Isaac trying to change how he sees himself; and for Isaac, it's almost the hardest thing he can do.
If you have the Polaroid, however, the metaphor becomes slightly altered. Isaac can now go through the Chest upon breaking his self-image and rebuilding it into something stronger, represented by the four golden chests in the starting room. As long as he has the means to do so, Isaac is able to make himself stronger, and though the rooms are the hardest in the game by far (because Isaac is confronting more and more uncomfortable truths about himself), there is more reward at the end of it. Finally, with the boss ???, he confronts the root of his problems; the corpse of a child, blue with rot. ??? represents his grief, from which stemmed the majority of his self-esteem and self-image issues portrayed by the fight with Isaac; the character model curled on the floor in the centre of the room is ??? rather than Isaac, the boss's first stage also produces flies, the symbolism is obvious. However, like the fight with Isaac, the body rises in a Jacob's Ladder, slowly but surely ascending to Heaven and granting Isaac salvation in the process. He believes God has forgiven him, and in believing so, forgives himself. It's about as triumphal as a game like this can get. All of this is explained by the final ending, which you only get by defeating the boss.
This, I believe, is why items change your image throughout the game. I think that TBoI is a game about the perception of the self, and the effects of the various passive items on Isaac's body are a discussion on how external stimuli affect the self-image of a vulnerable child. The more you progress through the game, the more you pick up, the more you change, the more you can grow. This is how I think it ties into the "box" theme touched on in the Twinfinite article; Aether showed what happens when you don't get out of the box, Time Fcuk showed you can get out of the box, and The Binding of Isaac says that it's difficult to do so but the most rewarding thing you can do.
By the end of the Chest, Isaac has achieved self-actualisation. He has overcome his fears, his doubts, his guilt, and his shame. He is at peace with himself and with his God. He has earned his happy ending, and through understanding how it is a happy ending, we are exhorted by the game to get that ending for ourselves, no matter how hard it might be. KBO, says Edmund McMillen. KBO.
Of course, Rebirth could throw this all out of the window in an instant, in which case I'll look ever-so-slightly ridiculous. =D -
How can a game be similarity? by
on 2013-12-25 18:49:00 UTC
Link to this
I doubt that the Emperor likes having underlings who cannot tell "its" from "it's"!
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Welcome, welcome! by
on 2013-12-23 16:28:00 UTC
Link to this
Welcome, new person
To the PPC's web board!
Saneness: optional.
Ah, haiku! Takes me back to (not-much-)simpler times back in law school. (What law school has to do with haiku, ask me later.)
Before I give you your newbie gift, allow me to ask you a few questions:
1) How did you run across the PPC?
2) Have you read the Consitutution and the Original Series?
3) What are your fandoms?
4) Where'd your username come from?
As for your newbie gift,
*rummages through bag of holding*
Here, have a Meditite! A perfect companion, I believe, for someone who who likes honing his thoughts down to 17 syllables.
Hope you stay around.
The PPC's a fun group
As you will soon see -
Thank you for your welcome by
on 2013-12-23 16:51:00 UTC
Link to this
If I may set out my responses in the order you gave (I'm sorry if I sound brusque):-
1) Funnily enough, it was after I read C*l*b*i*n and was... bored by it. I started getting more into fanfic-snarking and stumbled upon this place by way of the Twilight Sucks forum.
2) Yes and yes.
3) It's a tricky one, this. I don't really go in for fandoms; if a story is non-canonical in some way, I will research the original text until I find out why. That said, while all books are equal, some are more equal than others; I grew up devouring the Harry Potter series and the Discworld, and there are some things I can't get on with, like Twilight or anything written by Victor Hugo. Hugo, hélas indeed...
4) I'm sick to the back teeth of the only clowns in modern fiction being ironic in some way - and I'm especially tired of Pennywise and The Joker being held up as exemplars of clownkind. Thus, I began to develop the character of Wobbles: an entertainer of Candide-like optimism (in a job not even Voltaire'd inflict upon Candide...) who just wants people to be as happy as she is. She's not been to many possible worlds yet, but her life seems to inhabit the best one.
Also, just FYI: I identify as female, ta. There aren't that many female clowns. I wonder why that is...
Anyway, thank you for making me feel welcome and I shall befriend the Meditite forthwith. Expect to see both of us riding off into the sunset together, possibly on tiny unicycles. Don't worry about me leaving in a huff, either.
A clown does not shirk
From an opportunity
To make someone smile.
=D -
Sorry for the mixup by
on 2013-12-23 20:28:00 UTC
Link to this
You didn't mention it in your original post, so I defaulted to "his." Sorry again!
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It's quite alright (nm) (nm) by
on 2013-12-23 22:14:00 UTC
Link to this
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Thanks for the NM&NMs! by
on 2013-12-23 22:31:00 UTC
Link to this
It's usually the one doing the apologizing who gives the gifts, if anyone, but hey! I won't turn down free candy!
Watch out on the Board.
No extra effort needed
For no-message posts. -
No problem. by
on 2013-12-23 22:34:00 UTC
Link to this
I'll remember that
But hey, think of it like this:
Kindness pays kindness.
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PPC Christmas Gifts! (I give you an (m (nm) by
on 2013-12-24 14:50:00 UTC
Link to this
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Heeeey, happy holidays! by
on 2013-12-25 23:02:00 UTC
Link to this
Have some lemming repellent, all! I expect a lot of badfic to be festering in the depths of the Circle what with the new Hobbit movie and the Doctor regenerating and all. Tread lightly!
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Merry Christmas! by
on 2013-12-25 22:23:00 UTC
Link to this
Have a small-scale model of a FTL: Faster Than Light Zoltan Cruiser!
Zoltan crew members not included. -
Merry Christmas! by
on 2013-12-25 21:08:00 UTC
Link to this
Have some amaretti cookies!
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Joyeux Noël! Festam Nativitatem! Kαλὴν by
on 2013-12-25 16:24:00 UTC
Link to this
Merry Christmas!
For everyone, a choice of either Delibird, Jynx, or Lapras! -
Too many characters? by
on 2013-12-25 16:24:00 UTC
Link to this
That last one was supposed to read: Kαλὴν Χριστούγεννην!
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Merry Christmas, guys! by
on 2013-12-25 15:38:00 UTC
Link to this
((Sorry for not posting for months, I fried my computer. I've got a new one now, thankfully. I think the moral of the story here is never to let Spotty around your electronics.))
Merry Christmas! Happy holidays! Whatever you celebrate, I hope you had/are having a great one!
To all of you, I give...
-A cup of eggnog infused with Bleepka
-A copy of Detective Comics no. 27
-A rocket-powered sled
Enjoy! -
Feliz Navidad! by
on 2013-12-25 14:04:00 UTC
Link to this
Or, as the English might say it: "Merry Christmas, Harry!"
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Buon Natale! by
on 2013-12-25 13:04:00 UTC
Link to this
Merry Christmas from the Eternal City!
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Merry Christmas! by
on 2013-12-25 15:56:00 UTC
Link to this
Are you Italian, or are you just in Rome for Christmas?
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The religious council of my state has something to say. by
on 2013-12-25 12:30:00 UTC
Link to this
They allow Christmas wishes to everyone, but bans Muslim participation to any religious activities surround it. Luckily gift-giving is secular. So Merry Christmas, and everyone gets some virtual Kuih Batang Buruk! It's crunchy and tasty!
http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuih_batang_buruk -
Merry Christmas by
on 2013-12-25 11:36:00 UTC
Link to this
WOOO it's Christmas. To all I merely offer goodwill and happiness (and a virtual goat in Africa)
cos someone has to be that guy
Storme Hawk -
Merry Christmas! by
on 2013-12-25 11:24:00 UTC
Link to this
To all, I offer the Fire of Friendship, fueled by our love and tolerance of one another. As long as it burns, we will not drift apart.
And, for those who wish for more tangible gifts, I give the finest Nordic mead from Skyrim, for those who can drink, and bottles of the best darned cream soda one can find for those who cannot! -
Presents! by
on 2013-12-25 07:24:00 UTC
Link to this
I give to you Aylamantium! A metal of canon named after a protagonist of an author who can spend several hundred words describing food and whose total works out-word the entire Harry Potter series several times over!
Forge it into a sword and hunt some Sues! Smelt it into a suit of armor totally-not-ripped-off-Tony-Stark! Get a crane and drop it on people! Sell it back to Ayla at Whateley Academy for massive amounts of money!
My time is coming. There is no canon cabal. -
Merry Christmas people! by
on 2013-12-25 04:19:00 UTC
Link to this
You each get a suit of Terminator Armor modified for humans!
The Emperor is getting tired of me imitating Trazyn the Infinite. -
Trazyn the Infinite? (nm) by
on 2013-12-25 15:52:00 UTC
Link to this
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He likes to steal stuff. by
on 2013-12-25 23:45:00 UTC
Link to this
And that is what I'm doing to bring to you people the wargear of 40k.
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Trazyn_the_Infinite
The Emperor Protects! -
Scratch that. by
on 2013-12-25 23:47:00 UTC
Link to this
More like I'm imitating the BLUHD REVENS.
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Blood_ravens
The Emperor Protects! -
I have little to offer, so have some more of these (nm) (nm) by
on 2013-12-25 03:10:00 UTC
Link to this
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Have fluffy velociraptors and (nm) (nm) by
on 2013-12-25 01:38:00 UTC
Link to this
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Happy Holidays! by
on 2013-12-24 22:37:00 UTC
Link to this
I give to all a selection of Victorian-era hats, because period clothing is just that awesome.
-Aila -
What, big ugly underwear and a slanket? (I kid, I kid) (nm) by
on 2013-12-24 22:43:00 UTC
Link to this
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I give you... by
on 2013-12-24 22:42:00 UTC
Link to this
...a vial of concentrated authenticity, to enhance the quality of your hats. Use it wisely.
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Mushrooms by
on 2013-12-24 18:49:00 UTC
Link to this
Have some suspicious mushrooms I found while searching the movie!Hobbit verse :)
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I give you my prize-winning radish! (nm) by
on 2013-12-24 22:02:00 UTC
Link to this
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A Very Merry Bleepmas To All! by
on 2013-12-24 18:43:00 UTC
Link to this
But what to get?
Aha! A barrel of Bleepnog!
By mixing up a standard batch of eggnog, laced with both brandy and Bleeprin, I've got a festive treat to warm you up and make you forget about everything except the holiday season. It's a Christmas miracle!
Enjoy! =] -
I give you a Himalayan tahr! (nm) by
on 2013-12-24 22:02:00 UTC
Link to this
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I don't know how you did that by
on 2013-12-24 20:59:00 UTC
Link to this
Since mixing alcohol and Bleeproducts tends to create some pretty nifty explosions.
-Hands out gingerbread cookies, has no idea whether that's a Christmas thing or not- -
I never said it was easy by
on 2013-12-24 22:15:00 UTC
Link to this
In creating this Yuletide amnestic, I learned about many things. In particular, I learned that eyebrows are not necessarily a permanent feature of the face, and that if your shiny plastic red nose starts to melt, then boy howdy, you will not have a fun time for the ten minutes you're stuck trying to gouge bits of it out of your flesh.
And now that you've got the image of a moderately charred screaming clown stuck in your brain, why not take the edge off with some delicious Bleepnog? -
Well... by
on 2013-12-25 16:52:00 UTC
Link to this
Considering I read C*l*br**n (made the mistake of following a link while I was a newbie) and missioned TSAB DOWNFALL, I don't think a charred clown will do much.
That said, may I offer you a cup of Bleeptea, brewed from the very best Stygian Tea there is? -
Always. by
on 2013-12-26 00:09:00 UTC
Link to this
I completely understand your position, but better safe than sorry. By safe, of course, I mean "doped up with a chemical admixture of uncertain and shadowy provenance," and by sorry I mean "in the grip of fiction-induced screaming terror."
A nice cup of tea would definitely go some way to alleviating that. A nice cup of tea is my answer to everything that cannot be answered with the suitable application of high explosives (thanks, Mr. Hughes). Especially when laced with good old Bleeprin.
What were we talking about? -
Merry Christmas! by
on 2013-12-24 15:20:00 UTC
Link to this
Have a plastic replica of a knife, everybody! *runs around throwing hard Bleepolate candies into the air* Happy Christmas!
~Autumn -
And I give you... by
on 2013-12-24 22:05:00 UTC
Link to this
...the enchanted plutonium hoe with which I grew the radish.
-
Evangelion Crossovers by
on 2013-12-25 13:22:00 UTC
Link to this
I just found a pair of Evangelion fics. Both are OVER 500,000 words.
One is like the love child of Looney Toons and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, wherein it would seem that Ayanami Rei was raised by the Warner Brothers and Lelouch Lamperouge, and has a penchant for traveling via air duct. And involves [SPOILERS FOR THE SPOILER G- *BLAM!* Die, Heretic!] being alive.
Link HERE, because BOOM FOR THE BOOM GOD: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE-Nobody-Dies
The other involves Warhammer 40,000, Titans, Orky Rei, and the God-Emperor of Mankind. Also Kirishima Mana piloting a Dreadnaught. That's pretty much all that needs to be said.
Link HERE, in His Glorious Name: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3886999/1/Shinji-and-Warhammer40k
Warning to ye who expect all things to make sense: these are crackfics, Nobody Dies especially. Not in the sense that the fics are on crack; rather, crack is on these fics. Especially when the Ree are involved.
Anyway, I hope you all enj
CLANG!
What in the Warp...?
"Heeee~eeeey."
....oh no. Emperor preserve me, she's broken the Fourth Wall completely! SHE'S HERE!
"What'cha doing?"
AAAAAAAAAAA-
*Signal Lost* -
I've read both, and thoroughly enjoyed them. (nm) by
on 2013-12-25 13:37:00 UTC
Link to this
-
hooray for moar badfic. by
on 2013-12-26 08:19:00 UTC
Link to this
In this thread, I give you a Suethor.
https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3649975/Horny-bimbo
Don't even ask about the name. Just... look at the badfic. Everything up for grabs except for this:
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9450779/1/Chloe-Chandler-Another-Disney-Story
The Sue is recurring, there is a "Great Wall" in the story (CALLING DOGA) and it's in script format. What.
Oh and I will be trying at permission. Soon. Once I have a fic to show.
The Emperor Protects! -
This is... slightly alarming by
on 2013-12-31 08:44:00 UTC
Link to this
In fact, were I the type that would panic because of fics... I'd be in full raving panic mode right now.
Heart of Darkness, rated T, by Cka3ka.
To summerise... it replaces Leia with one of the most speshul and OP Sues I've seen, makes Darth Vader unable to touch his canon self with a stick the length of the Executor, has numerous SPaG errors, throws lots of Star Wars canon out of the window... and is a whopping 49 chapters long. I've been thinking about sporking this fic for a long, long time, but it's a little intimidating, not to mention that I have other things on my plate right now. -
...why. by
on 2014-01-01 01:59:00 UTC
Link to this
Just... why. Why would someone do this?!
The Emperor... Protects. -
Because everyone has a story they want to tell. by
on 2014-01-01 11:51:00 UTC
Link to this
It's not our place to tell someone not to write. It is, however, both our place and our moral duty to help someone improve as a writer via the PPC's methods of constructive criticism. It doesn't really matter how much something sucks; no idea is beyond redemption, nor story beyond salvation. We can help the author make it better, and we should. =]
Today, I shall mostly be channeling Pangloss. -
Problem is... by
on 2014-01-01 12:59:00 UTC
Link to this
... that this story is wrong on so many levels I fear it is a total loss. Dark Side!Leia, like a lot of AUs, can be done well. This isn't doing Dark Side!Leia well.
-
It might not be easy... by
on 2014-01-01 17:12:00 UTC
Link to this
But it'd definitely be worthwhile. Having read about the first 10 chapters of the fic (or tried to; the SPaG renders it incomprehensible at times), I think I can see what the author's trying to do, and while what I know about the minutiae of the Star Wars canon could be written on the back of a postage stamp in big letters, I think it's salvageable. It'd take a lot of effort, sure, and the end product might be unrecognisable, but to my mind that just makes it all the more worth doing. Like I said, I'm going down the Pangloss & Candide route to optimism, so everything'll turn out okay somehow. =]
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Well... by
on 2014-01-01 17:41:00 UTC
Link to this
I've read the story a few years ago, so I don't remember the details, but Vader can't touch canon with a eleven-thousand feet stick, the SPaG's bad and Leia is about as OP as a Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Sue.
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All the more reason for us to fix it, then! =] (nm) by
on 2014-01-01 18:18:00 UTC
Link to this
- well look what we have here by on 2013-12-30 07:31:00 UTC Link to this
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Heh by
on 2013-12-30 10:57:00 UTC
Link to this
Just the first episode makes the 'fic look like its author used a charge-list as a check-list. The Sue is half fire elemental. The first paragraph of the story is a description of the Sue. Her parents were murdered by Voldie. She's the last of her (half-)kind. She's a canon's uncanonical relative. There are in-text author's notes in parentheses. There are SPaG errors and minis. That's just... hilarious. I hope the author will respond well to the review I left them.
-
*returns from the Pit* by
on 2013-12-30 04:57:00 UTC
Link to this
Happy holidays, everyone!
Sorry for not showing up for a while though.
Anyways, I went spelunking in the Pit for a few good weeks for something to spork once I got Permission, but it seems that instead I was scarred by a fic that ruined my fondest childhood memories. I don't know what to feel about the fic. It's not even horrible, just an old, cringeworthy OOC badfic.
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3407109/2/AGENT-X
I'm trying to be objective here, but I have no idea what to do. -
Having just read it... by
on 2013-12-30 08:45:00 UTC
Link to this
I'd recommend curling into a ball and sobbing.
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I want the real Inspector Gadget back. (nm) by
on 2013-12-30 09:24:00 UTC
Link to this
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Badfic again! by
on 2013-12-28 15:12:00 UTC
Link to this
I can't remember whether or not this has been dealt with, and my wiki-fu's drawn a blank, so without further ado...
(WARNING! NSFB! NSFW! NSF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO READ A BOOK AGAIN WITHOUT SOILING THEIR UNDERWEAR AND COLLAPSING IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE SOBBING FIT!)
http://xdallyx.webs.com/
FaCe ThE StRaNgE.
It's really capitalised like that.
It's downhill from there. Also almost certainly a troll, but I don't even care, it deserves nothing but death. -
Woah by
on 2013-12-29 12:18:00 UTC
Link to this
This is bad, to the point where you're meant to click on a Belly to read a chapter (eww). I haven't even read nay of it yet either.
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I stopped at the intro. by
on 2013-12-29 01:28:00 UTC
Link to this
Good Emperor, man! I like my sanity you know!
Anyways, COMPLETELY implausible crossover, can't even.
Really, SHADOW. THE HEDGEHOG. WHAT THE BLOODY [CENSORED].
Look again, DRACO'S FATHER IS NOW A DEMENTOR. Anything is possible when you're writing badfic and ignoring the canon.
The Emperor Protects.
(do-do-de-dodedoDEDO) -
WAIT HOOOLD IT. by
on 2013-12-29 01:29:00 UTC
Link to this
LINK. IS. IN. IT.
THIS CANNOT STAND. THIS SHALL NOT STAND.
I would claim it but, y'now... -
In similar vein... by
on 2013-12-27 10:14:00 UTC
Link to this
I don't know whether this has been dealt with, but I can't find it on the Unclaimed, Claimed, or Killed Badfics lists. This in mind, here's a journey into the mind of Erin Locklea, aka. erinofthecullenclan:-
ATTENTION! THE CONTENTS OF THIS FIC SERIES (YEAH, THERE'S ABOUT FIVE SEPARATE FICS IN THE BL SAGA) ARE EXTREMELY NSFB! CONSIDER THIS A WARNING!
http://erinofthecullenclan.deviantart.com/
Brewdening Love, everyone. A fanfic so bad that an entire community on Twilight Sucks became devoted to making it better. Also taking the mickey out of it like we were particularly vehement Disney lawyers. -
Generic reply title: Well... by
on 2013-12-27 15:35:00 UTC
Link to this
I'm calling troll on that one. Surely this isn't serious.
-
Oh, more than likely by
on 2013-12-27 16:24:00 UTC
Link to this
It's a bit moot, as the troll's not been writing for a while now. However, there has to be a point to trolling in order for it to be of any value, and these fics are utterly pointless. There is no reason for them to exist, their existence benefits nobody, and therefore I reckon they're fair game for us.
- Generic reply title by on 2013-12-27 17:34:00 UTC Link to this
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Understood. (nm) by
on 2013-12-27 17:50:00 UTC
Link to this
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Wow. by
on 2013-12-27 10:15:00 UTC
Link to this
Dat art quality man.
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The fics are worse. Stock up on these. (nm) by
on 2013-12-27 10:17:00 UTC
Link to this
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First few sentences and... (nm) by
on 2013-12-27 10:23:00 UTC
Link to this
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Imma just leave this here... by
on 2013-12-27 10:10:00 UTC
Link to this
http://www.quotev.com/story/4197131/Love-will-get-us-there-LOTR/
The writer thinks 'Fallohide' is a hobbit family when it is more of a subspecies. And that is only the start. Claim if you so wish.
The Emperor Protects! -
STELLINA THE GREY?! by
on 2013-12-30 00:20:00 UTC
Link to this
Yes, that really did deserve the capslock. Especially when paired with the phrase "a feisty forgotten female wizard".
Not claiming, but eesh, that's bad.
~DF -
I actually tried talking to her and gave her advice. by
on 2013-12-30 02:07:00 UTC
Link to this
At least she didn't flip out at me and was accepting of criticism, we can give the author that. She said she was new to the fandom anyways.
The Emperor Protects! -
Not claiming by
on 2013-12-28 02:44:00 UTC
Link to this
(Because I have neither the time, nor the permission.)
But anyone who claims that ought to have a broom chasing a smile across the sue's face during the awful opening sentence. And agents should prepare to die of sue saccharine. -
Excuse me by
on 2013-12-26 16:51:00 UTC
Link to this
Enthusiasm is good, but excess is bad, and quite frankly I and some other people (Sergio Turbo, for example) think that you've bitten more than you can chew. Other words, you've claimed way too many 'fics.
Look at me for an example. I've been hanging around the PPC for a little more than two years. It took me a year to get Permission. In the following year, I wrote two interludes and four missions, two of which were co-writes. I have three 'fics claimed (two together with Firemagic) - of which one's mission is WiP, one's was scrapped (I should probably remove my claim for that one) and one's didn't quite even leave the drawing board yet. Aside from that WiP, I am also writing something for hS's Ispace Wars.
Even if you have the time, writing missions requires real effort, so be careful, OK? -
I'll stop. (nm) by
on 2013-12-27 00:30:00 UTC
Link to this
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Point taken. (nm) by
on 2013-12-27 00:09:00 UTC
Link to this
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Small requests. by
on 2013-12-26 09:47:00 UTC
Link to this
Admittedly without looking at the fics: Please label NSFW/NSFB as such where applicable (the first link reeks of it), name the fandom(s), and let me look if there isn't another badfic thread still on the front page.
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Does Tawaki still frequent the Board? by
on 2013-12-26 21:52:00 UTC
Link to this
I'm trying to verify some wiki stuff and would like to speak with him. If he doesn't see this/doesn't swing by any more, I think I still have his e-mail...
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I'm fairly sure he was around not *too* long ago... by
on 2013-12-30 00:16:00 UTC
Link to this
(And wow, now this is reminding me of The Guild...anyway). On the other hand, I may be confusing times--to illustrate Sevenswans' student point, I got very busy with exams and then with vacation/visiting relatives. Odds are that's what's going on.
(Also, doesn't he kind of tend to pop in every few months? Or is it not as regular as that?)
If all else fails (and you don't have it), his email would be on the OFU-Squared Google doc. So there's that.
~DF -
I don't like emailing people outta the blue, but I'll check. (nm by
on 2013-12-30 14:18:00 UTC
Link to this
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The guy with the Penguins? by
on 2013-12-27 22:23:00 UTC
Link to this
Sadly, I have no idea, as I haven't frequented the board in the last three months or so. But if I'm remembering right, he did have permission and was a student, so he's probably just AWOL due to school.
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I hope everyone had Happy Holidays all around by
on 2013-12-26 22:06:00 UTC
Link to this
I, myself, had a very merry Christmas, I got to go over to my grandma's in Grand Rapids, MI to visit some of my relatives.
I had a blast visiting everyone there. -
Also, I guess itÂ’s their back story now by
on 2013-12-26 22:12:00 UTC
Link to this
Basically we (we being me and my sister) have decided that the characters (Linda-fifteen/nineteen, Dean-fifteen/nineteen, and Maya-fourteen/eighteen) are just normal Pokémon trainers. <br><br> They lived in the Pokémon continuum and went through three regions (Johto, Sinnoh, and Unova) with little knowledge of the PPC, sure they saw and even briefly met some Mary Sues that had materialized in their continuum but they were never really affected and mostly just ignored them and continued on their way, until in the middle of their journey in Kalos (before the third gym) where they were unlucky enough to find a Gary Stu molesting a…Gardevoir. <br><br>Needless to say the group was shocked and appalled, so what did they do? Well obviously, they kicked the dude’s ass (not with Pokémon but with fits) this is when the PPC agents (who were stalking the Stu) intervened and took care of the Stu themselves. Impressed that the group not only took on the Stu (they did do a pretty good job at beating him up without using their Pokémon) but were also able to overcome the Stu’s aura. They asked the trio if they would like to join the PPC, they say yes, but learn that they can’t finish their journey if they joined now, so they ask if they can first finish the Kalos region and THEN join the PPC as their retirement form Pokémon training. The Flowers say ok, and after the Kalos they join the PPC as full time agents.<br><br>The time line for all this is Johto-2009 and Kalos-2013, so they join by at least 2014.<br><br>So there it is, in all its still needing work glory.<br><br>As always if there is anything wrong with the idea, like “the Flowers would never let them continue, as soon as you discover the PPC you have to join it”, tell me because I will never know until someone dose.<br> -
So me and my sis talked a little more... by
on 2013-12-28 04:10:00 UTC
Link to this
and now we feel the need to just ask, what can we do to make this background idea work?
What we would like to do is have three characters (two handled/owned by me and one handled/owned by her) having a Pokemon training back story (with them having gone though Johto, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos)and then meeting and joining the PPC as their retirement from Pokemon training. I would also like to make a comic about their Pokemon adventures as something on the side.
If no one can find away that this can work then we will just give up the idea internally and start a new, thank you all for all of the help now and (hopefully) in the future. :) -
An Idea by
on 2013-12-28 11:56:00 UTC
Link to this
I've been messing around with a Pokemon Trainer backstory for a small while now (wanting to have one on my second pair of Agents). The best ways I've come up with are either to have a random plothole appear and suck him (for you them) in or to have them as bit characters in a non-existent badfic (because I remember reading you can do that somewhere) that were recruited into the PPC that way. The second one seeming to fit in with your original plan more, although you'd have to lessen their importance in it (for example they could be around whilst the Stu is killed, but can't do the killing.
I hope that helps, it's just the groundwork for a plan anyway.
Storme Hawk
P.S I think I'm right in saying that your sister will need to be introduced onto the Board and get Permission alongside you for her agent. -
thank you for your help :) by
on 2013-12-28 18:16:00 UTC
Link to this
I knew I could do something like what you described, especially the second part.
I'll just have to have them just witness the act, have the agents come in and do what they do and then notice the group and ask them some questions. I changed it to that they have finished the Kalos region, so they are at that point of asking themselves of what they should do now with their lives. So now that the PPC has introduced itself to them, they see grand adventures, the likes of which no one in their world will ever see, and they aren't going to let the opportunity slip by them.
I hope this is better, I myself can't see whats wrong with this at all right now.
P.S my sis just wants my idea to be workable in the PPC before she introduces herself. -
No Problem (nm) by
on 2013-12-29 00:50:00 UTC
Link to this
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I hate to be annoying, but... by
on 2013-12-26 22:49:00 UTC
Link to this
There are still some things that need to be sorted out with what is now their back-story.
1) They wouldn't have any knowledge of the PPC, the only people who aren't related to the PPC but know if it are well, listed here: http://ppc.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Canons_Who_Know_of_the_PPC .
2) They wouldn't encounter Sues who materialized into their continuum. Or rather if they did they'd likely be Generic Pokemon Trainers (or NPC's potentially) and so wouldn't react in such a way as you're having them do. (this leading nicely on to...)
3) I'm not sure they'd get recruited like that. I know that bit characters (and others) can be recruited into the PPC (I can't remember the exact reasons/pre-requisites).
4) Err how do they get to the PPC after they finish their training? It's not like they could of been left a portal generator or a RA to get there. Also, I think the flowers would be OOC to allow them to not join the PPC with their memories intact (remembering that standard procedure generally involves a neuralizer).
Also remember that the timelines don't need to match.
Storme Hawk
P.S If i'm wrong on any of it, please correct me
P.P.S No offence meant in any of the post above -
RE: Point 3 by
on 2013-12-27 00:40:00 UTC
Link to this
Bit characters can be recruited into the PPC. Basically, it depends on this factoid: if the bit character had a charge list started but didn't get enough charges to be charged as a Mary Sue, they can either be released to the canon to integrate into it, or they can be recruited to the PPC. From there, it's up to writer preference whether the bit character is recruited or not.
Note, too, that if a Mary Sue is not overblown enough, they can be recruited to the PPC. See here: http://ppc.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Reformed_Sues -
Thanks, wasn't sure (nm) by
on 2013-12-27 18:39:00 UTC
Link to this
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hmm..well how about this by
on 2013-12-26 23:23:00 UTC
Link to this
well how about they meet and join the PPC after they finish the Kalos region. So after the elite four and such they perform the act that I state in the post (or something else, if you have any ideas please tell me)but instantly join after meeting the PPC.
Also if you're possibly wondering about the elite four and stuff, I see it as if they win they are aloud to stay as the champion or leave with just a hall of fame, stating that they have beaten the champion or do it Pokemon anime style and have them be in like, 8th or 4th place and such.
Also the continuum that they live in isn't THEIR continuum, I guess I didn't word that right. In the continuum that they live in, they are basically bit characters (my idea now is having them there during some moments in the games story as background characters)
As always look, read, and check if this can work.
-
Anyone looking forward to Pokemon Bank coming out? by
on 2013-12-26 22:54:00 UTC
Link to this
I sure am! With the sparse postgame, I am really looking forwards to being able to bring my Gen V Pokemon from White 2 and get back into the trading and EV-Training scene again!
Anyone else excited to see their older-Generation Pokemon given the 3DS treatment? -
POKEBANK RELEASE DELAYED! by
on 2013-12-27 20:51:00 UTC
Link to this
Why, Nintendo? Why?
You KNEW that you had a cash cow in Pokemon, and you should have known that every trainer would be taking advantage of the free month! How did you NOT expect the volume?
The official announcement can be found here: http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2393/p/430 -
On a more tangential note... by
on 2013-12-29 23:33:00 UTC
Link to this
SWEET MERCIFUL KEMP TYNAMO IN POKEMON-AMIE IS THE MOST ADORABLE THING IN THE HISTORY OF EVER
WHEN HE'S HAPPY HE ZIPS AROUND ALL OVER THE PLACE I CAN'T EVEN
I JUST WANT A REAL ONE NOW BECAUSE THE ONE IN XY IS MADE OF CUTENESS -
Doesn't matter to me! by
on 2013-12-28 14:35:00 UTC
Link to this
I've got my perfect-IV Tynamo (via a friendly Breeder-pal whom I treated to lunch), I'll shortly be getting a Durant of similar pedigree... life is good for now.
I feel for the people who didn't get that, though. I was lucky, or rather my friend was, and I'm just glad to get my friend. Also, Tynamo in Pokemon-Amie is just SO CUTE! -
I'm so disappointed in myself. by
on 2013-12-27 04:48:00 UTC
Link to this
I never even finished the plot of either Gen V games, because I got so focused on trying to complete the Pokedex. I was hitting the Dream World every day I could, and being very picky with what I brought out. I even bought SoulSilver and Platinum so I could get the older stuff I had missed in my DS-less years.
And now that I have failed to either beat Gen V or complete the Pokedex, I'm already getting ready to start the Gen VI 'Dex instead. I have no willpower against the might of Creatures, Inc. -
EELEKTROSS by
on 2013-12-27 00:26:00 UTC
Link to this
EELEKTROSS
EELEKTROSS EELEKTROSS EELEKTROSS
Seriously, Eelektross is my joint-favourite Pokemon with Stunfisk (it's adorable, shut up). Not only that, but I loved playing with my one in BW2's competitive RU scene; Eelektross' vast movepool served it well.
I just pray it was served well by the Gen VI TMs and Egg Moves list. I don't know about you, but I want the old offensive pivot set to start really wrecking face again. Of course, what I REALLY want is Mega Eelektross, but that's just a pipe dream right now.
One day, my eely love.
One day... -
So you're also a Pokemon fan! by
on 2013-12-27 01:12:00 UTC
Link to this
You didn't mention that in your newbie post!
And also a competitive gamer? Small world (though I cannot say that I'm much of a competitive battler. Yes, I can be found on Pokemon Showdown from time to time, but I cannot stand the repetitiveness that is grinding all the way to Lv. 100. I'd rather the hustle and bustle of EV Training and of trading for Pokemon to use.)
<shameless promotion>
Are you, by any chance, a Bakugan fan as well? If so, then I would like some concrit on a story I'm working on. It's a Bakugan/Pokemon crossover called The Vexos Chronicles. Here's the URL. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9697398/1/The-Vexos-Chronicles-Part-I-Lost-Luster
</shameless promotion>
But back to Pokemon business, you'd think that a Levitating Ground-Type would be more destructive than to be relegated to NU. It sure was a pain to deal with in-game, if I recall correctly. -
Also, I think you mean "Levitating Electric-type". (nm) by
on 2013-12-27 12:11:00 UTC
Link to this
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Yes I did. by
on 2013-12-27 15:56:00 UTC
Link to this
How did I not catch that? DERP.
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Yup, Pokemon fan... by
on 2013-12-27 09:41:00 UTC
Link to this
Of a rather more casual bent than most, though, alas. I only got back into it via Showdown, since I share your impatience for grinding and much prefer the setup used in Showdown's team builder. I have, however, a friend who's sending me a perfect-IVs Tynamo later today, so all shall be well in that regard.
You can use Eelektross in UU with the offensive pivot set I mentioned, but it takes a little getting used to. It's as follows:-
Eelektross@Life Orb
Modest Nature
104 HP / 252 SpA / 152 Spe
Volt Switch
Thunderbolt
Giga Drain
Flamethrower
Believe me, you need the speed EVs. Eelektross's base speed is atrocious, hence its relegation to the lower tiers. Seriously, a base speed of 50 in a speed-focused meta like Smogon just plain ol' don't cut it. However, it can work very well, it just needs support. I like using Choice Band Hustle Durant as a physical wallbreaker and Druddigon and Qwilfish for rocks andlooking like a neon-pink novelty condomspikes respectively. I ladder with it, but I can't wait for a proper Gen VI RU tier.
Gen V's RU: the tier for ladies and gentlemen of quality. -
Small world huh? by
on 2013-12-27 18:38:00 UTC
Link to this
Wow, never thought I'd find any other people who play Pokemon competitively on here. Although I frequent PO a lot more than Showdown.
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PO? (nm) by
on 2013-12-27 18:56:00 UTC
Link to this
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Pokemon Online by
on 2013-12-27 21:31:00 UTC
Link to this
Where Smogon was before Showdown was released. It uses slightly different tiers to Showdown (They're still OU, UU etc. just some of the Pokemon are in different tiers) the main difference tier-wise being that RU is called LU (lesser-used). Overall they're very similar although Showdown seems to have more serious gamers on it than PO.
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It's a lot of fun on Showdown by
on 2013-12-28 14:27:00 UTC
Link to this
I've not played PO, but I tended to play RU on Showdown during Gen V's run, so I guess I'll give it a go. Eelektross STRONK.
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I'm going to have a look at it. by
on 2013-12-29 12:16:00 UTC
Link to this
My laptop won't update to the current version of PO. Unfortunately this means copying all my teams across (I say all my teams, I actually have 3 I really use)
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If you have one for Gen V RU/LU by
on 2013-12-29 13:01:00 UTC
Link to this
Hit me up; it's my meta of choice and it's a ton of fun. Eelektross SMASH! =D
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I think I do by
on 2013-12-29 14:10:00 UTC
Link to this
I'll have to compare Tier lists though, just to make sure that my teams legit
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Oh yeah! by
on 2013-12-27 21:49:00 UTC
Link to this
I recall when Smogon was on ShoddyBattle, and I think that I read about Pokemon Online around the time that I moved to Pokemon Showdown. Smogon's battle server switched from ShoddyBattle to PO to Pokemon Showdown, IIRC.
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What does the PPC mean to you? by
on 2013-12-27 00:34:00 UTC
Link to this
I don't mean in character, either.
What does the idea of the PPC and its values mean to the people who constitute it? What do you think is wise, and what do you think is foolish? If I'm to get an idea of what people like to read in a PPC story, then I might as well figure out what it is people like about this august body in the first place... =] -
A group of fellow writers. by
on 2013-12-29 23:10:00 UTC
Link to this
The PPC is a group of people who like to write. I like to write, so why wouldn't I be interested?
We all need beta readers and grammarians to pick over our work, but it's hard to find that IRL. Go online, though, and you can meet other people who also like to write, and care about writing well.
I like to read the missions that people write, and I've gotten pretty skilled at preventing whatever I'm drinking from squirting out of my nose due to the inevitable laughter. -
Yes by
on 2013-12-27 06:07:00 UTC
Link to this
That's a complicated question, isn't it?
On one hand, it exists as a medium to express our displeasure at those who would corrupt our fandom with bad writing/spelling, bland OCs, Mary Sues, poor grammar, and to generally mock them as often as possible. Unlike the Official Fanfiction Academies, the PPC doesn't exist to teach writers to do better while delivering an amusing tale at the same time, it is there for the sole purpose of comedy.
On the offhand, it is capable of creating an entire world built around a simplistic concept, filled with characters that make us laugh, cry, and go 'Sweet bifurcated Darth Maul! That was awesome!' The PPC is more than just a costume, it's a culture. A culture filled with half-mad assassins/exorcists/space-time cops/reformed villains armed with lethal weapons, but a culture nonetheless.
A tale from the PPC must be funny, entertaining, immersive, and most importantly, it must be written from the heart. It's an exercise in self-expression, and a way to inform writers that what they're posting is not the best they can manage, they can always do better. I've seen so many stories with excellent premises, but are executed(both ways) so poorly it makes me cringe.
This gives me an idea. To all you agents out there, try finding a fic with a good idea at the center and nurturing that tiny breeze until it grows into a great wind that sweeps over the internet like a... like a great wind!
My time is coming. I think things, and they happen. -
Adding to what Neshomeh said. by
on 2013-12-27 17:12:00 UTC
Link to this
"...it exists as a medium to express our displeasure at those who would corrupt our fandom..."
We are not here to express displeasure at badfic authors. There are reasons we have rules against flaming and why we only rarely contact the author at all.
We are here to express our displeasure at bad writing. Dislike the fic all you want, but please leave the author out of it.
-Phobos -
With the DAC gone, when do we ever contact authors? (nm) by
on 2013-12-27 21:56:00 UTC
Link to this
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More likely they contact us. by
on 2013-12-27 23:46:00 UTC
Link to this
There has been occasion for authors contacting us because they want us to PPC their fic (Spidey3000) and there was that mystery person telling authors that their fics had been sporked. So, they are more likely to seek us out than the other way around.
Neshomeh would like to note that some of us offer concrit, as well, which could count as PPCers contacting badfic authors.
-Phobos, with a side of Neshomeh -
Yeah, it's mostly concrit when it starts from us. by
on 2013-12-28 11:36:00 UTC
Link to this
And in most cases we don't even tell that we are from the PPC, 'cause it isn't really the point (you don't need to be a PPCer to give good concrit, after all) and some people might react badly and not listen.
Considering that a lot of people doesn't listen already, better to not take chances.
And it's always heartwarming when you give concrit to a fairly terrible fic, and the author non only accepts it but asks for more advice. It means that peple that truly care despite their current level of skills still exist. -
I disagree with you on one point. by
on 2013-12-27 15:52:00 UTC
Link to this
Specifically, this line: Unlike the Official Fanfiction Academies, the PPC doesn't exist to teach writers to do better while delivering an amusing tale at the same time, it is there for the sole purpose of comedy.
I think the PPC absolutely does exist to teach writers to do better. Perhaps not the individual fanwriters whose stories get sporked by us, but everyone who reads the missions, and indeed everyone who writes them, should be able to pick up a thing or two in the process. A mission is two things: a critique of a particular badfic and an independent narrative about the agents. If a mission doesn't adequately show why the badfic is bad, it has failed. Further, if a mission doesn't stand as an example of good storytelling in and of itself, it has failed. There's a reason we don't just let anyone write for the PPC, after all: we expect quality.
On top of that, it must also entertain, but that's almost a secondary concern; it'll have a hard time entertaining if it's riddled with spurious, unsupported accusations, poor mechanics, bland characters, and dull narrative. There also has to be a balance lest it turn into an essay with quotation marks thrown in (too much critique, not enough story/snark), an MST (too much snark, not enough story/critique), or something that might as well be original fiction (too much story, not enough critique/snark). Learning to strike that balance should teach writers to do better. Seeing how it's done should teach readers to do better. QED.
~Neshomeh -
... by
on 2013-12-28 20:39:00 UTC
Link to this
I have a habit of contradicting myself, but everything I say is completely true.
...
Why should one such as I care? I am a humble being, so let us disagree. You have the floor as long as I may speak freely. -
... Huh? by
on 2013-12-29 15:26:00 UTC
Link to this
I'm not sure I'm understanding you correctly. What I'm getting from your response is something along the lines of "I think what I think, and I don't care about other people's opinions, so I'm going to dismiss you with some vague, grandiloquent phrases." Was that your intent?
~Neshomeh -
Nevermind, I mixed up your point. by
on 2013-12-27 22:50:00 UTC
Link to this
Somehow I thought you were talking about PPC stories in general, not just missions. Blame being over tired. :P
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Doesn't that disqualify all the non-mission PPC stories? (nm) by
on 2013-12-27 22:45:00 UTC
Link to this
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A truly rousing speech. (nm) by
on 2013-12-27 10:56:00 UTC
Link to this
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I found an elvish translator by
on 2013-12-27 10:39:00 UTC
Link to this
http://www.angelfire.com/empire2/angora5/Translator.html
Now would our resident speakers of the Elvish Dialects care to come forth with their opinions? While I am not one of these people. I don't like it. Anyways, opinions?
The Emperor Protects! -
It may yet come to prove its worth. by
on 2013-12-29 03:00:00 UTC
Link to this
It may help us decipher what Mary-Sues are actually saying. But then, who *wants* to know what painful things Mary-Sues are saying? (Unless it's the DMSE&R.)
~Autumn -
Re: I found an elvish translator by
on 2013-12-27 22:30:00 UTC
Link to this
I ran it through the words I knew (pretty much just what's on the doors of Moria) and got several instances where it didn't translate. So it's got a very, very tiny dictionary, and therefore probably doesn't do grammar at all. (Programming translations is hard! It's even harder than doing them by hand, and I've done enough Latin and Spanish by hand to know.)
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Looks like Grelvish. by
on 2013-12-27 17:52:00 UTC
Link to this
That's Grey Company Elvish to the rest of you ;). The big clue is that the word it gives for 'I' is 'amin'.
... on the other hand, it's not even Grelvish - it lacks the horrible double-vowelled 'to be' verbs (though it does possess 'ier' for 'are'). Hrm. 'To be' is difficult in Sindarin - but 'anim' (not 'amin') is 'for myself' in S., not 'I'. It also gives the frankly bizarre 'kalina' for 'light' - which looks like a mangle of Quenya 'calima'.
The dictionary it's working from is here, and includes the term 'me'urra kosta' for 'lightning bolt'. That phrase also appears in the Grelvish phrasebook - but is translated as 'lanta en’ kalale'. Um...
Ah. It appears to be outdated Grelvish, specifically as outlined in this 2001 document. Good grief. So it's... literally useless, even if for some reason you want to speak Grelvish.
hS -
It's not completely useless. You could use it to torture us. (nm by
on 2013-12-28 15:08:00 UTC
Link to this
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Do NOT give anyone ideas--oh, great, too late. by
on 2013-12-30 00:09:00 UTC
Link to this
Well, if something ever pops up in outdated Grelvish...sorry on both my behalf and yours.
~DF
-
A Brony Talking About Mary Sues by
on 2013-12-27 19:41:00 UTC
Link to this
Hello, there!
I recently ran across this video on YouTube, "Understanding Mary Sue." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnokGcoUOmE
In it, he explains how the shorthand "A Mary-Sue is a perfect character" is amiss using examples from MLP:FiM, Superman, and a Legendary Badfic.
How well do you think he captures what makes a Sue, a Sue? -
He's rather spot-on to me. by
on 2013-12-28 07:45:00 UTC
Link to this
Let me bring another example of a character that is extremely powerful but may not be a Marty Stu. One-Punch Man. Because he literally defeats numerous monsters with only one punch. No monsters can beat him. At all. I swear, by [deity]'s name.
But One-Punch Man still has problems. In his world, he's considered a madman on speedos as he's not licensed into the central superhero organisation yet. After the examination, his 'student' is far higher rank than he is, and far more popular. And his cute, weakling face does not help project power to people. So no one, NO ONE, believes his achievements or power even when they see it in front of their eyes. And when people see it? They thought he's a scam, tagging along S-class heroes to raise his rank. Or using them so he gets the final 'experince' points after they beat the monster almost to a pulp.
The guy's challenges include acceptance into a society that doesn't believe of his might, his boredom over the lack of enemies equal to his strength, and his baldness. He madehen judge for yourself whether he's a Marty-Stu or not.
-
hey I have a question (its not about my idea) by
on 2013-12-28 03:44:00 UTC
Link to this
Its about claimed and unclaimed bad fics.
Me and my sis have this one fic we want to do as our first missions, its called "woof woof power" and i'm just wondering since its not on the unclaimed badfics lists, do I have to post it first on the unclaimed list wait a while and then claim it or can I claim it right now?
I just want to have this question answered before I accidentally do something stupid.
Also, though I haven't read the inter fic my sis has, I really just know this fic from this http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEDF2040A8E95BE44 -
Generic Reply Title by
on 2013-12-28 09:18:00 UTC
Link to this
Yes, you can claim a fic right now. Just note that it's pending Permission when you do.
Also, please pay attention to your SPaG - your post has some errors in it, and we would be hypocrites if we'd criticise bad SPaG while our own SPaG wasn't all-right, wouldn't we? -
Generic secondary response title. by
on 2013-12-29 09:33:00 UTC
Link to this
Statement about PPC policy, with caveat about certain features. A rhetorical question? Confirmation of similarity and/or dissonance with prior events. Oblique aside referencing event few, if any, now remember.
Query regarding poster's statement, noting that it is but a minor quibble. Confirmation that it is merely a semantic point. Irrelevant comment regarding the generalised topic at hand, which may not be applicable to the specific situation.
Out-of-the-blue movie recommendation.
Signature -
Generic expression of disdain for Cracked! by
on 2013-12-29 20:12:00 UTC
Link to this
Begrudging admission video is pretty spot on. Inquiry about source on obscure event!
Concurring response re: initial poster's question. Crowning of self King of Responses.
...Flight before anyone connects the dots on concurring/conquering pun. -
Combo Breaker! by
on 2013-12-30 09:41:00 UTC
Link to this
Now I want to link that sketch about subtext in the IDF, but it's in Hebrew... Eh, I'll link anyway. Maybe someone will laugh despite the language barrier.
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Overreaction to breaking the combo! >:| by
on 2013-12-30 14:18:00 UTC
Link to this
(nah. :P)
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If you want it, I'm pretty sure you can claim it immediately (nm by
on 2013-12-28 04:02:00 UTC
Link to this
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Joining the PPC! by
on 2013-12-28 08:15:00 UTC
Link to this
An interesting essay on Mary Sues (spreading like wildfire on tumblr) brought me to this wiki; to the Department of Mary Sues and eventually to the adventures (or should I say misadventures) of Acacia and Jay in The Original Series and...
Wow, here I thought I was the only one to take fanfiction writing a tad too seriously! Jokes aside, reading of their exploits has motivated me to joining the PPC with the intention of eventually creating my own agent, in order to tackle some of the badfics abundant in my own favorite series/fandom.
A little background on me--I've been reading since I was ten, and have been writing twice as long. I grew up on anime/manga and have a taste for fantasy and Stephen King books. I've been writing fanfiction since I was fourteen and original fiction since I was eight. I'm here because I think the PPC and its intentions are freaking amazing. -
First plover! (nm) by
on 2014-01-01 21:14:00 UTC
Link to this
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(In robotic voice): HELLO. by
on 2013-12-31 18:51:00 UTC
Link to this
How are you doing today? And what are your favorite canons? I wish to know.
While you're contemplating this, have a very fluffy velociraptor! -
Since other people asked my usual questions... by
on 2013-12-31 09:04:00 UTC
Link to this
I'll just leave you a cup of tea. Don't let the leaves eat you, even though the trees could use fertiliser.
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Welcome. Here, have a jar of urple paint. (nm) by
on 2013-12-31 08:43:00 UTC
Link to this
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Welcome to the PPC! by
on 2013-12-30 19:13:00 UTC
Link to this
We love newbies here, so take your shoes off, leave your sanity at the door, and come on in!
As a welcome gift, I'll gift you this music by one Karlheinz Stockhausen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-SyO21YkM4 -
Hi! by
on 2013-12-30 02:42:00 UTC
Link to this
Nice to meet you! Please accept my gifts of a potato cannon, a basket of russet potatoes, and an Official Fanfiction University of Doctor Who sweatshirt.
Is there any backstory behind your username? Halcyon means calm, I believe, so I was a bit curious. -
Welcome! by
on 2013-12-29 15:51:00 UTC
Link to this
Hello, Halcyon, and welcome to the PPC! Since you seem to have done a lot of the required background reading, I assume that the answer to the following question is "yes," but I'll ask anyway: Have you read the PPC Constitution?
So, you've been writing fanfiction since the age of eight. What fandoms have you been writing for?
As for your newbie gift, have a Smeargle! A perfect companion for someone like yourself. -
Hello! by
on 2013-12-29 02:55:00 UTC
Link to this
Welcome a-Board! Here, have a plastic replica of Arwen's sword from the LotR Movies. Just being curious, what essay is that? I'd love to read it.
Enjoy the PPC!
~Autumn -
Re: Hello! by
on 2013-12-29 06:54:00 UTC
Link to this
This is the essay right here! :D
http://chelonianmobile.tumblr.com/post/67182888420/mary-sue-what-are-you-or-why-the-concept-of-sue-is
I think its a great counter to the first essay which tries to denfed and somewhat glorify the existence of a Mary Sue. You can find that essay here:
http://adventuresofcomicbookgirl.tumblr.com/post/13913540194/mary-sue-what-are-you-or-why-the-concept-of-sue-is -
I wonder... by
on 2013-12-29 16:19:00 UTC
Link to this
This essay looks like it was written by a PPCer: it links almost exclusively to PPC sites, and it refers specifically to sporking Suefics. In fact, a lot of it looks similar to the FAQ for Other People.
Araeph, is this your handiwork? -
Chelonianmobile is Laburnum. by
on 2013-12-30 02:22:00 UTC
Link to this
She wrote two spin-offs around 2007, one with an Agent by the same name who I'm guessing was a self-insert persona, and one starring Stormsong and Skyfire, two Redwall natives no one is allowed to mention any more. She also wrote for Redwall's OFU before its abrubt halt. I'm not entirely familiar with her work, aside from the enjoyable OFUR, but she was apparently influential enough and well-thought-of enough to be named a Permission Giver, according to her user page on the wiki.
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Thanks. (nm) by
on 2013-12-31 00:42:00 UTC
Link to this
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*waves* by
on 2013-12-29 01:34:00 UTC
Link to this
Greetings and hello!
I give to you now a lined Infinite Notebook, featuring urple covers and wilver binding. It is perfect for all of your writing needs... well, so long as you don't look at it straight on, that is.
-Aila -
Welcome! by
on 2013-12-28 22:23:00 UTC
Link to this
I think you've answered all the basic questions, so I'm gonna go straight to gift-giving.
I'd love to give you a creepy doll, but my niece is currently staying over and she loves those things... So, have a lego, so the laws of comedy can always kick in by having you step on it!
Oh... and if it's not a secret... Which timezone are you from? -
Re: Welcome! by
on 2013-12-29 07:00:00 UTC
Link to this
I'm in the central timezone :D Nice to meet you and thanks for the creepy dolls and the legos!!
*trips* -
Re: Welcome! by
on 2013-12-29 16:33:00 UTC
Link to this
Another midwesterner :) . Have some fudge!
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Welcome Newbie! by
on 2013-12-28 20:39:00 UTC
Link to this
Here you go, have three rolls of duct tape, a box of fudge, a green marker, and a piece of lace. Happy newbie gifts!
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Re: Welcome Newbie! by
on 2013-12-29 07:08:00 UTC
Link to this
Yessssss duct tape >:)
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Welcome by
on 2013-12-28 20:33:00 UTC
Link to this
Welcome, fellow warrior. I am Shadow Amber, Solitary Horizon of Soundless Reclamation. I welcome you with open arms and gifts of great worth. This is the ancient sword, Amareth, wrought from the core of a dying Titan from the far north. May it serve you well.
My tine is coming. I am not human, but something more. -
Re: Welcome by
on 2013-12-29 07:03:00 UTC
Link to this
Hello and thank you for the sword! I'm sure my future characters will have use for it down the road (assuming that they don't cut themselves on it first.. like me they can be very uncoordinated XD)
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Hiya! by
on 2013-12-28 14:30:00 UTC
Link to this
I don't really have a lot to give, but here! Have a bottle of Bleepka and a collapsible unicycle. Alcohol and a fast-moving wobbly thing: two great tastes that taste great together. =]
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Re: Hiya! by
on 2013-12-29 07:06:00 UTC
Link to this
Ah, the famous Bleepka!! XD You've spoiled me. Combine alcohol with a unicycle and the Laws of Comedy and I see a hella lot of fun in the future.
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As I've Noted Earlier (Decidedly non-generic reply title) by
on 2013-12-31 09:02:00 UTC
Link to this
Bleeprin produces pretty explosions when exposed to alcohol. Bleepka is Bleepto-Dismal mixed with faux Vodka. It still works wonders to scrub those pesky badfic memories away, though.
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One has to wonder... by
on 2013-12-31 16:48:00 UTC
Link to this
What happens if agents drink themselves comatose before or after consuming Bleeprin in some form or another? If the reactions between the two are as severe as you say, I pray that all agents of the PPC are sober as judges, whether on duty or off; according to the NHS's page on the subject, one unit of alcohol takes an hour to break down completely, and I assume people who treat Bleeprin like Smarties are going to have similar self-control levels when it comes to alcohol.
Maybe it's just covered in Basic Training oh wait. -
Greetings Battle-Brother! by
on 2013-12-28 09:20:00 UTC
Link to this
I'm 99Hedgehog but just call me 99. Have a Rosarius!
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Rosarius
The Emperor Protects!
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A PPCer's Reaction to Badfic by
on 2013-12-28 21:00:00 UTC
Link to this
Back when I was a shiny newbie, I remember that every badfic in a fandom I knew was something terribad to rage over and write anger-venting missions about (once I got Permission). Recently, however, I found that my reaction to most badfic I chance upon (whether by browsing ff.net or seeing it here on the Board) tends to be either laughter, rolling my eyes or jaded cynicism. I wonder, is it just me, or do PPCers generally get less excitable the longer they hang around?
(Also... around for two years. What.) -
Hmm. by
on 2013-12-31 18:53:00 UTC
Link to this
Generally, my reaction to badfic goes along the lines of: 'Meh.' It's a rare badfic that can get more of a reaction than that out of me. Not sure if that's good or bad.
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When it comes to badfic... by
on 2013-12-31 04:44:00 UTC
Link to this
I have a handful of reactions to badfic. If it's sexual, disgust. If anything else, RAGE, confusion, exasperation or I feel resigned.
The Emperor Protects! -
Rarely does that happen to me by
on 2013-12-31 04:21:00 UTC
Link to this
I find that the only time that I get really angered by a badfic is when it contains a particularly awful self insert, or bad smut, or both.
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I've always been a bit like that. by
on 2013-12-30 23:39:00 UTC
Link to this
I was never one to get frothing-at-the-mouth angry at badfic when I first joined, and still don't today. If anything, I've calmed down even more over time. My reactions tend to be as you described alongside a healthy dollop of aggrieved sighs (although I suppose that might fall under 'jaded cynicism').
There are a few things that will get me keyed up, mind you: blatant sexism, blatant racism, trivialization of rape, and so forth. Then again, I don't actively look for possible mission starters that have those things. I feel that when I'm angry, I don't write as well as I normally could. I prefer to look for something that inspires me to be funny, or to tell a good story. -
Hell no. by
on 2013-12-30 18:57:00 UTC
Link to this
I'm "blessed" with the ill fortune of being able to find the absolute worst dreck in the fanfiction world and take it to the snarking block. These days I'm more likely to take it to the Library than I am to the PPC, but still, I find all sorts of bad fanfic.
As for me, one of the odd things I've noticed about my Library snarkings is that the fics actually get worse as I go around. I actually even got into a few rants where I got very angry at various things. So I don't know. -
Happened something like that to me, too. by
on 2013-12-29 19:01:00 UTC
Link to this
To the point that while in my first two missions I "killed" badfics that made me angry (and I have to get back to rewriting those 'cause they're rather low-quality compared to the following ones), recently I found myself deliberately searching them because I wanted to write missions to further my Agents' story.
Basically, I care more about my Agents that about the sporking. -
I think it might be an age thing. by
on 2013-12-29 15:26:00 UTC
Link to this
I don't mean that as a slight against younger PPCers, hear me out. It's usually the younger and newer to fandom members who get really excited and melodramatic about badfic, the ones who, not to mince words, seem to treat its existence as if it's personal insult. That's something that one outgrows and gains perspective on as they get used to communities like ours - I don't think most anyone thinks it's that huge a deal out of continuity (obviously in-continuity it really is a threat that can tear reality asunder! :P) but it's still fun to poke at a particularly bad one, or at least one that can be the backdrop for a good story.
But I speak as a PPCer who stopped really caring about fanfic pretty quickly, so who knows, I could be an outlier. -
I'd agree with that. by
on 2013-12-29 15:16:00 UTC
Link to this
For me, I think it's a combination of becoming inured due to exposure and simply getting older, gaining perspective, and realizing that, in the grand scheme of things, badfic really isn't that big of a deal. There are still a few things that irritate me or even make me angry, but for the most part I don't find them to be worth my time. I prefer to write missions to fics that mostly make me laugh with their badness, with one or two really bad points upon which to build the mission's climax. It's no fun writing a mission when the subject matter is purely painful to deal with. I'm not on a crusade here; this is a hobby. It should be fun. {= )
~Neshomeh -
I guess I'm a bit more analytical . . . by
on 2013-12-29 04:41:00 UTC
Link to this
I don't remember being terribly reactive like that. I mostly just start listing the problems in my head, then examine the effects of all the bad changes.
(Obviously, things that are flat-out abusive do get me angry, but for more than the canon.) -
Yeah, I agree with you. by
on 2013-12-29 03:09:00 UTC
Link to this
Being in the PPC has somewhat cooled my temper on Suefics and flames. And I've only been here for half a year. Wow.
Like you, I do take flames less seriously now, and I tend to laugh at badfic and such. But I don't think the term "less excitable" seem very appropriate. After all, the longer I stay, the more angry I get about the changes the Movies make. "Taking badfic less like an extremely-outrageous-and-offensive thing" would be more accurate.
~Autumn -
It depends on the fic by
on 2013-12-28 23:34:00 UTC
Link to this
There's plenty of stuff that I find funnier now than a year or two ago, and plenty of stuff that makes me angrier now in fiction than it did a year or two ago... for example, I've run out of rage for the present tense (I still despise it, but no longer can be inspired into an hour rant about it,) but I am much more angered by bad romance tropes, especially ones that involve unhealthy relationships, than I was a year or two ago.
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I'm just an emotional cripple, (nm) by
on 2013-12-29 01:45:00 UTC
Link to this
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Preventing bullying by
on 2013-12-29 23:17:00 UTC
Link to this
Sometimes it troubles me sometimes how easily writing missions could shade into bullying the writer. I don't want to do that, and I don't think anyone else here wants to do that, either; we've got nothing against beginners, and we've all got our own past horrible writing and Mary Sues to keep us humble. Still--I worry a little.
Without criticism, writers wouldn't have accountability. Parody is a push to keep quality high. Writing parodies puts the most pressure of all on the people writing the parodies--we become more aware of what mistakes people make and how to avoid them.
In the PPCverse, if Mary Sues are such a threat to the continua, there has to be a reason why the Mary Sue is targeted, rather than the author. Obviously, in the real world, it's because we're not going to verbally beat up some innocent person who happens to have written a really bad fic. In-world, though--why don't agents just go to the writer's house in World One, confiscate their writing implements, or just neuralyze them and tell them that they never want to write again?
Seems to me that the PPC isn't just protecting the continua; they're protecting the writers, too. Fan writers are a good thing. Goodfic strengthens the continuum. But people who write goodfic don't get there without writing some badfic first. In order to protect the continuum, you have to eliminate the damage done by badfic without also eliminating the author's potential to write goodfic.
It's a handy metaphor for what we're trying to do IRL. We're saying, "Hey, this is bad writing! Stoppit!" without also saying, "You suck; stop writing," because the only way to cure sucky writing is to *write more*.
I guess I just felt like I needed to remind people of that. Anyways, back to your regularly scheduled sporkings... -
Hm... You and Dawn are giving me ideas... by
on 2013-12-30 18:54:00 UTC
Link to this
...for a mission I've got mostly done, but that I'm not happy with 'cause it drags towards the end. Maybe something like this...
Hm...
A puzzlement! -
As to an in-universe explanation by
on 2013-12-30 07:12:00 UTC
Link to this
Since the PPC and the OFUS are at least somewhat linked, maybe retraining the authors is officially the OFUs' job, while eliminating the results of the early bad writing is the PPC's? This would also partly explain why the Department of Author Correspondence was shut down: as more OFUs were founded (in-universe; I think they've actually become less common since Miss Cam's heyday), the PPC's involvement in that side of the equation lessened until our assistance was no longer needed.
(I wonder what the OFUs think of the PPC in hS' alternate future, where the Efficient take over and a Department of Author Correction appears? Would the coordinators side with the Efficient and keep canon stable but unbolstered by goodfic, or side with the students and try to keep fan writing varied?)
Anyway, my missions so far seem to treat the "Sue" character more sympathetically the more like their author they (probably) are--not intentionally on my part, I'll admit; that's just the way the stories wrote themselves.
My first mission had an inexplicably fire-proof Sue who not only reaffirmed the viewpoint of Fahrenheit 451's villains, but also heavily trivialized orphanages. My agents assassinated her.
My second mission had a group of friends aspiring to become musicians. The lead singer falls through a portal (laziest plothole ever, perhaps) into 221B Baker Street, where she meets not-going-to-bother-finishing-this-sentence. While I was initially writing her as Sue, in the end, I was treating her like an author from the modern day era of the Holmes canon. (Obviously not true, but we're lookin in-universe here.) The story actually mistreated her friends and family far worse than the canon characters, which mage throwing the Sue back into her correct time zone a more satisfying ending than assassination. The benefit to doing that was that I could show her at the end readjusting to a more normal life, but with the band still aspiring to become professional. I think (I hope) this jives with what you're saying bout the badfic authors eventually moving on to other, better things (though not a written thing, in this case).
My third mission has actually been done for quite some time, but important threads like this keep going up that I don't want to push down, so I wait a couple weeks, and another important thread comes up, and I wait more . . . Maybe I'll finally put it up this week. Anyway, I don't want to spoil it much, but the main OCs again turned out to be somewhat equated with authorship by the end, and also do not get assassinated (the fic had mostly DTO-type problems anyway).
(My fourth mission will be a trollfic and I doubt anything uplifting is going to happen there.) -
*general and emphatic agreement to both Dawn and Calista* (nm) by
on 2013-12-30 01:59:00 UTC
Link to this
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You make a very good point, and I think... by
on 2013-12-30 00:03:00 UTC
Link to this
...that this should show up in some of the missions, that is, in conversation. Maybe an agent needs to be reminded of this; maybe a new agent just doesn't get it, and demands to know *why* they can't go yell at the authors. Maybe someone gets hit with a Random Exposition Ray or something and this is one of the things that comes out. But however it's done, I think this should come out in a variety of missions--in different departments, by different authors--because it's very important, and I think that at least a few of us, if not most or all of us, could use this reminder from time to time. Honestly, I think this should go on the wiki somewhere; it's a very good explanation, and a well-worded reminder. Perhaps it could become part of the FAQs or Guides?
Either way, I think this is very important, and thank you for writing it out so clearly. At the very least, it's an interesting insight; at the most, it's, well, very important, as I've already said.
~DF -
I'll bear this in mind if and when I get permission. =] (nm) by
on 2013-12-29 23:30:00 UTC
Link to this