May 2015 Archive, part c

I have a Joined Trill Captain that I thought about using, but the way I envision him would not work well with my other agent ideas.

As far as the Captain alone, I do not see a problem, but the whole bridge crew? Most agent pairings are a bit smaller than that, but I do not see anything inherently wrong them. It just might be hard to micromanage that many.

((Considering he's going to be one of few 100% IC in this, that's all the more important. ^^; ))

Not just in terms of what stories I might spork, but also regarding character voice and how/what I write. I hadn't really written characters that were so out-and-out aggressive as Laura before; most were vaguely like pre-injury Danny, with his mellow snarkiness. Breaking up that original team and adding James (someone rich in combat experience, but poor in fictional lore) allows me to explore new themes and ideas.* Rachel was created out of a desire to write a more upbeat "fan"-ish character: one that could gush about a given topic without falling into sarcasm.

Gremlin is sort of an amalgam of Danny and Laura, but with the added benefit of allowing me as a writer to explore subjects I hadn't touched on before: superpowers, discrimination, LGBTQ themes, and so on. Xericka was meant to embody a more serious and analytical tone, as was Cornelius. Both Xericka and Cornelius also give me the opportunity to explore the nature of being and becoming human.

I must also admit that my second and third agent teams were created partially to explore aspects of the PPC I felt were being underused. Bad Slash was pretty much all but abandoned when I joined up. I always got a kick out of those missions (not to mention MSTs of slashfics on other sites), so I set out to make a agent group to carry that on. I feel like there is also a lot that can be done with alternate universes, which is why I set the stage for the DIAU crew.

*Provided I ever get enough time to write them down.

I did ponder with the idea of makign a second team - in fact, Nikki was originally supposed to do only one mission with Sergio and Corolla and then get partnered with another agent. but in the end I decided to keep those three together.

The reason was that my original duo was rather unbalanced, with Sergio doing all phisical stuff due to Corolla being fairy-sized 90% of the time. With Nikki splitting the load things turned out to be better, so that's my reason to go with a trio despite it not being standard practice for the PPC. Besides, I would've probably ended up putting my second team in Floaters anyways, so havign two teams was pretty redundant sporking-wise

After Blank Sprite I might make another team (it all depends on wheter I will do missions on my own or collaborations. Collaborations are tons of fun.), but with Sergio and Nikki retired and Corolla working mostly in DoSAT that would be pretty much the only way to write normal missions "solo".

I think I touched on this once before, but I believe all of what we call fiction to be true. Authors (myself included) don't "make things up" but catch little subconscious cues about other worlds. If the cues are strong enough, they're able to write a story about it.

So at the moment, I've got my two main agents, and my Cafeteria pair, because they're the ones I've seen most clearly. I'm starting to get stronger vibes from the Nursery lately, and am getting a picture of some of the kids there, so I'm going to work that into my spin-off soonish down the road. It just boils down to what I get a sense of happening over there.

The urge to spork bad slash is very low, but in the event I want to, I'll bring in Arinellya and Kalen. Mostly, though, I prefer going after Sues, hence the very heavy focus on Rina and Zeb.

And now there's fluffy, cuddly Gabrielle to combat the mind-melting What The fics, in tandem with the eccentric Doktor, which is loads of fun to write.

My earliest bios for Rashida and Falchion, back when they were referred to by their old names, had them in the DIC, but that restricted my choices of badfics for them to spork, so I put them in Floaters instead. However, I wanted to establish a DIC team even before I got Permission, and Sarah being ultimately assigned there instead of staying with Falchion seemed fitting because her homefic was a mega-crossover and she'd be impacted enough to specialize in crossovers themselves. It also gave me a reason to bring in Cupid and Lapis as her partners, because three was already a crowd in RC #227 even before Ripper moved in.

As for Rayner and E.V.L., it seemed fitting that I'd flesh out on the sole remaining agent from the team that Rashida had helped on, well, THAT mission (which will be discussed soon - not immediately, no, but SOON!), and also experiment with bringing one of my older OCs into the PPC as well (same with Lapis, but she isn't slated to be used in my own original fiction, yet, so she isn't as relevant here). I also wanted to experiment with an RC in which the agents were rivals and not allies, being forced to work together only because they had to. Speaking of which, I plan to get back to the two after my next two Floater's missions, which are already in progress.

So, tl;dr, my Floaters team served as a basis for the other teams, my DMS team was meant to test out some new things and flesh out some of my agents' backstories, and my DIC team was set up so some of my recruited agents would have a place to stay without overcrowding the RCs that I'd already set up at the time.

Oh, crap, guess I should warn you all beforehand... I may or may not be planning a FOURTH RC soon, but that one's going to be very minor compared to the previous three and I won't update it as often as I do with them. This is partly due to the fact that it's going to have a very niche role in the ecology of the PPC HQ - it's planned to be part of the DMS-VG (Video-Games) division.

Nume and Ilraen are pretty versatile, but their interests only overlap with mine to a certain extent. They're particularly good for a certain set of fandoms and certain sorts of problems—medical nonsense, for one—but if I want to PPC something based on a musical or a video game, they don't work so well.

Also, even though in the beginning I wasn't too sure about the whole Sue-slaying thing, I kept managing to find Sues that ticked me off enough to want to do something about it, hence Nume and Ilraen's first two missions. I didn't want to keep making up excuses to shunt standard Sues to them in the DIC, so clearly I needed a DMS team, too.

Also also, Gall fulfills my need to write a more modern, casual voice. Her home 'verse is full of anachronisms anyway, and since someone taught her how to use the Internet, she's the perfect vehicle for all the stupid Internet meme-based jokes I can't do with anyone else. {= )

~Neshomeh

Obviously, I'm not going to be able to write them all, but neither can I consolidate them into two characters. Plus, there are tons of characters that I'd love to see, and since no one else seems to know the worlds the ideas come from, it falls to me to try my damnedest to write them.

Hell, I'm designing an ESAS agent right now, and the concept I'm working with is "Silent Hill native who's become something other." I just have to get the kinks ironed out, and maybe then Helen Sparks can see the light of day.

tl;dr, I have far too many ideas.

The Notary is a monster and Wobbles is SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS, but Doktor Trollenfisch? He loves his job! He has fun! He listens to oompah music at teeth-rattling volumes! I just wanted to write for him and, thanks to Iximaz, I could.

(also originally Gabrielle was gonna be Obviously Evil but we canned that for her present role as hug magnet)

Well, not neuralyze, per se, but there are other means of memory modification in the multiverse. You could use a Memory Charm from the Potterverse, for instance, or find a helpful psychic to remove the unwanted memories for you, or take a trip to any sci-fi 'verse with memory-manipulation technology.

And of course there's the PPC's Department of Fictional Psychology, which has all three of the above standing by at all times. {= )

~Neshomeh

I don't know Ranger's Apprentice, but didn't Legolas sail for Valinor while Thranduil was still King of Mirkwood?

DM advice

All the advice you could want is in that thread, first post. I won't bother parroting it.

...only GURPS and Paranoia. Also a little bit of In Nomine, though I mostly played that one.

From my GURPS experience:
The first campaign with a group is always a test drive.
Always have non-lethal options for combat around, in case they start hitting each other. (Oh, the fun they had with stunners.)
Sometimes the starship's pilot goes rogue, and everyone ends up being on a planet for longer than they expected.
Make sure there are plenty of carrots and that, if they start fracturing in ways that keep them from having fun doing it, there's at least one NPC around with a stick.
Railroading is bad, but it's good to have the train there if the players want. Sometimes they'll crash a blimp into the train. Sometimes that can end the campaign. But there are always other plots, settings, and campaigns.

From Paranoia:
No matter how arbitrary you're being, be equally so to everyone.
You are not Friend Computer. Friend Computer is the stick.
Let them shoot each other, but don't depend on it – players like to work together at strange times and then shoot each other over spam c-mail.
Every mission should have a dark room.
Make sure at least one person has a flashy mutant power.
Machine Empathy is fun, but sometimes people don't like to use it. Give Machine Empaths a second power.


Most of the Paranoia stuff isn't exactly applicable to Pathfinder, but...

I'm kinda jealous. :P I've always wanted to play one of those table top RPGs, but I've never known anyone who does it.

Does character building really take hours to do?

Be a good actor.

Know when to say "screw the rules, I'm the GM!" to maximize the entertainment, for both you and your players.

Consider everything your players bring to the table. If, say, they want to play a kobold monk (coughmeahem), you'd better make sure that kobold has a reason to be with the party.

Above all else, have fun.

-Voyd, speaking from experience as another Pathfinder GM

If a bit grimdark. I'm going to prematurely assume that this is the SPC foundation he's locked up in?

I think you have my email? Anyway, I might or might not vanish halfway through, and if I do, I apologise in advance.

riderranger47(at)gmail.com

For the time being, I'm not going to be using Valon and Kala. After all, I've got another team that needs some screentime and development.

What I'm not sure of is what I'm going to do once I get back to RC 211. I don't know how to write a continuing relationship; I was incredibly lucky that I got them into it correctly, seeing as how I know almost zip about romance.

I have an idea for the Badfic Games whenever they roll around (full moon anyone?), but beyond that, I've got nothing.

I don't know these characters that well, but I must say that this story was well and truly aww-inducing. Hats off to you!

So adorable. Very, very, very nicely done. It's short, but it's humorous and 'awwwww'-inducing. Very nice.

~DF

I have to confess, I've kind of been shipping them, so I'm glad they got together.

I don't know if you're actually just summarizing the things that happen in X month in the story, but if you are, I'd suggest writing them out fully, each one a little vignette. That way the series of time skips will be less obvious, and we'll get to know the characters better, too. {= )

~Neshomeh

Granted, you'd need good transition sentences to pull it off, otherwise it'll leave readers' heads spinning. ;)
Good luck and focus on your writing journey!

but at first, I thought it was an Earthbound reference, then realized that that it's trout flavored yogurt.

I love lemon pie!
(Email is sur DOT nhm AT gmail DOT com.)

I think we're mostly looking for the events that lead up to stepping through the portal, though. You know, the bit that happens at the beginning of most missions.* It's something that every PPCer is going to write at some point (if they want to write missions, that is), and it's also something we've seen a million times already, so we want to see if you can make it interesting.

* If you don't know what "the beginning of most missions" looks like, please read some more of them before you apply for Permission. Thanks!

~Neshomeh

Though now that I have a Tumblr, I might start uploading new missions directly to that as well. (Follow me at astraygenius for reblogged nerdy content and the occasional text post!)

Easy to use, easy to share. Just make sure you choose to publish the doc first: it makes it look a lot nicer.

I use Wordpress as do some others. I used to post to my Livejournal, but when I decided to get a dedicated PPC blog, I switched.
I know a few post their missions on Tumblr and I think there are some who use Dreamwidth.
There's no best place as such; it depends on your personal preferences.

Sorry, I haven't been on anything PPC related for a while until today really. I'll try and get on it either today or tomorrow but I can't promise anything, especially as my first exam is now only a week away.

On that note however, I'll be completely free from the 12th and I'll try and make up for lost time then.

Once again, I'm sorry. I should have put up a message about me leaving the PPC for a while instead of just going without a trace. I'll try and get onto my emails this evening, failing that I do have some time free tomorrow evening.

Storme Hawk

(Might as well post this as a reply than start a new thread)

Given your ability to handle group-on-group battles, I would like you to help me with a scene that I want to create.

Familiarity with the Bakugan: New Vestroia canon would be nice, but as the scene in question mainly consists of OCs and bits, familiarity with the canon is not really required at this point. Please e-mail me or reply if you're interested.

For instance, the minis from Portal are full-sized Frankenturrets.

Anyway, I know that for some minis, the source is pretty small anyway. Sometimes they get unique names; Spellcheck Scrats, Defect Notes and Mispelled Monkeys spring to mind.

There already are a few minis like that (i.e. mini-tribbles). They're typically the same size as their canon counterparts, they're just referred to as "minis" anyways.

Activity: I recognize your name and you've been around a while, so you're good there. Gold star.

PPC Knowledge: Seems solid. I noticed your mention of Bleepettes; for some reason that stuck out to me. You're good on this count.

Fic to Spork: I almost missed the link, but I did spot it and dear Whedon what is that thing? Kill it and give it to the Reavers. (Don't listen to me, do what you will with it.)

Characters: I must say, I especially approve of Natasha's Firefly fandom Look pretty good. Natasha seems to have a lot of potential set up by her backstory, and Aaron by his... new-ness? It'll leave him open for a lot of character growth. You're good to go here. ;)

Writing Ability (Creative): Very good. I especially loved the CAD reading in the random prompt- *rubs neck* -bit of a Mood Whiplash at the end, but I think you pulled it off. (I laughed at the line about potato jokes in the control prompt, even though I don't get the reference, so that's a good sign.)

Writing Ability (Technical): I did notice one typo ("A thin line of Glitterly blood oozed from the wound.") but other than that, you're golden.

It is therefore my pleasure to say Permission Granted! Happy sporking!

A quick search on the Pit isn't turning up any results (maybe it got deleted?), but I once saw a really bad fic where the Fourth Doctor took along one of the bug monsters from "The Ark in Space" as a companion and it ended up banging Sarah Jane. *shudders*

You know, what with fangirls/boys/brats being incapable of knowing about anything other than what's on tv that night.

You know, what with fangirls/boys/brats being incapable of using the google.

But most seems to be centered around either the 10th or 11th Doctors from what I understand.

I can even give You my most recent example:

I am currently working on my little Harry Potter Next Generation project. I was looking for some new characters to introduce; I had some ideas, but they needed one final polishing. Meanwhile, I was listening to some Yiddish music because, let's be honest, I work best while listening to old/weird/foreign music.

I found these ladies. Now, a bit of explanation about the origin of this video:
This comes from a Polish television TVP1. It's from 2008's benefit concert of a famous theatre actor, strongly involved with Warsaw's Jewish Theatre.

If you look at the first lady - Mrs Golda Tencer (who is, by the way, currently the widow after the guy whom this concert was for) - you'll see where I got my inspiration from. The clothes she's wearing, the hair style, the voice and the... ekhm figure... It all resembles what I see as a stereotypical witch character. Maybe even a little bit of what I want Discworld's Nanny Ogg to be.

And so, Mrs Golda, plus a character of Dana from the manga UQ Holder! helped me create my Next Generation DADA professor :D

I quite enjoyed this story. There were some very good character moments. The introduction with Su getting into Internet arguments over (what I assume is) Greek culture was particularly entertaining. The two new characters did feel a bit flat, but I attributed that to this being their first appearance/mission.

I will admit to having a few complaints. While the breaking out into song was a great touch, I wasn't too fond of some of the other fourth-wall-nudging bits: Su's use of italics and the reference to the wiki, to be precise (unless there is some sort of in-universe PPC Wiki, which I could see happening. I could also see such a thing being almost constantly locked from outside edits). I also didn't much care for the little excursion into Gen 1. It felt a bit too randomly wacky, especially since it played no impact on the plot whatsoever.

All in all, very nice work. Definite kudos from me.

Two typos:

I hope that’s not what is sounds like, because I’m getting sex-pollen flashbacks.

Maybe some of of us should check here while one checks the schoolroom!

HG

...if a mission calls for a mad bomber, let me know and I could loan you Cloud Mushroom for the mission.

Though I would have thought that the mission would be a bit more … substantial given how notorious it seems to be within the brony fandom (and given that the legendary Tawaki himself came out of hiding to spork it!), I must say that this is nonetheless a good mission. And a fitting end for Not!Cheerilee.

Allow me to add to the chorus saying that the "This Day" rendition was a good touch, however, if Herr Wozzeck were here, he might point out that the lines don't exactly scan.

As for errors, I haven't caught any—at least, not in the English. There is, however, an error in the Greek. Granted, my experience is in Ancient Greek, not modern, but even still, that was enough to tell me that something was amiss. Apparently Google Translate is just as bad at modern Greek as it is in Latin.

Either way, given Suicide's background, he should be speaking in ancient Greek, not mangled modern Greek. "Love" is easy to translate, but as I cannot find a word for "tolerate"; I chose a word for "be patient" instead:

"Love and be patient"-->"αγάπα καὶ καρτέρει"-->"agápa kaì kartérei"

That aside, good mission!

P.S.: After poking around a bit on Wikipedia, I might have figured out exactly what went wrong on Google Translate's end of things.
What you wanted were a couple of imperatives. If my (admittedly sloppy) research is not mistaken, what came out were two third-person plural verbs, one in the present active indicative, and one in the present mediopassive indicative: "they love and they tolerate/they are tolerated/they tolerate each other"

I thought the italics lampshading would be my favorite part, until I read the song that the agents broke out into near the climax. I'd definitely recommend that sort of thing for agents visiting musical continua like this one!

Oh, and, uh...

“My name is Éowine son of Isenwine.” I think there should have a comma after "Eowine". Ditto for “And I am his wife, Steormægð daughter of Æþelmearh. (comma after Steormægð)

Suicide being a brony is what made this for me, though. After all, Real Men Wear Pink!

It felt like it was cut a bit short, but other than that, well done, everypony. *offers zap apple jam as condolence* :)

It's set to 'everybody with the link can edit' right now.

However, it is desirable that you have a character who works in FicPsych like I do.

Unless I've missed a heck of a lot, you realize that's just me and SeaTurtle, right? And mostly me, at that? {; P

That said, some of the staff are free to use, and anybody can borrow Nurse Parwill or Nurse Immac if they want to. I might even let Elms and Mirrad out to play if anyone's really keen on them. Just ask first, please (right here will do!), and follow the characterization I've already given them.

I dunno if I'll be able to join in myself. Maybe if something interesting happens I'll get inspired, but you haven't given us anything to go on, and I don't have the time or energy to come up with a starting scenario.

~Neshomeh

This is a pretty good mission. Just like with your Five Nights collab mission, you did well in ensuring that someone who does not know the canon (e.g., yours truly) can follow the mission and understand what went wrong. And I'm getting intrigued as to what's going to happen to Rashida.

Of course, there are a few errors in the mission:

“So, Suta was part of Gonza’s pack?” asked Rashida, ducking just as Falchion buzzed her.
“Wait, who’s pack?” the giant pterosaur asked,
That should read, "whose pack".

“According to the words, its supposed to be Heart who blushed faintly and picked up his sleeping son in his arms, and not Umasou,” said Ripper.
"words" should be capitalized.

And regarding the Word Cyclone: Word Cyclones occur when there are run-on sentences, not when there is a lack of paragraph breaks. You might want to do something else with that scene, especially since that Cyclone is only used to lead to the mission.

Nice work, buddy. Glad we got through this with our sanity intact. May you keep it through the hassle of juggling...oh, gosh, five RCs' worth of agents now, is it?

but how do you write text over links here? Sorry, I know it's completely offtop, but I sometimes can really be clueless when it comes to the Internet stuff.

Someone's talking about you, Rashida.

Yes, Skarmory and I planned that one. It's a minor thing, but it's something. That was almost English.

(Or however it goes.) Happy Memorial Day, too.

They rise heads up, heads up, heads up, they rise heads up, heads up high!


I'm wearing the lilac in my hair today, in fact.

I know, he's been gone a while now - but it still stings. And I will always associate his passing with today, rather than with March, due to Kaitlyn's beautiful turn of phrase back then: I thought he had at least another year of lilacs.

Am wearing lilac. How could I not?

hS

I'll wear a towel around for the rest of the day!

Or, well, it will be when the US catches up to the rest of the world in a few hours. So, remember your veterans! Especially if they were at the Battle of Treacle Mine Road or the assault on the Death Star or something. {= )

As usual, the big lilac bush in front of my building is pretty much done flowering, but the little ones about a block away are still going. I'm not gonna steal any, though, so I'll just have to wear the lilac in spirit once again. My towel will be in the laundry, because I have the day off and I need to do laundry. >.>

~Neshomeh

The lilac in front of my house is just beginning to bloom, I took a shower today (the towel didn't leave the bathroom, but I'm going to say it counts anyway), and my friend was talking about wanting a lightsaber earlier. Looks like I got all three!

(Not quite in the appropriate manner, but shh. I'm pretty close.)


~DF

Happy Geek Pride Day!

Alas, I'm home from work sick, but I'll try and find something lilac to huddle underneath while I attempt not to cough my lungs up...

Elcalion

Neither of my current computers can open Microsoft Word documents, so I'm not sure which of these two files contains the Rose Potter sporking. I'm pretty confident it's on one of them, though . . . apologies for my disorganized system.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ki1pd4nn8500hfl/Das%20and%20Mrs.%20Hyde%20%28MST%20LJ%29.doc?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qcrlm73ktmhj13s/Das%20and%20Mrs.%20Hyde%20%28MST%20LJ%202%29.doc?dl=0

I've never used Dropbox before, so let me know if anything's wrong.

I can send you a copy tomorrow, though it may not be until later in the day.

The Rose Potter sporkings were originally posted on Journalfen, which is in the middle of transferring from Livejournal code to Dreamwidth, I think. So anything that was on Journalfen (HMS STFU, Fandom Wank, Bad Penny, etc.) is unavailable at the moment.

Unfortunately, Mervin mentioned on Das Sporking that she's pretty busy at the moment, but you could always try contacting her. Right now, I think everyone's waiting to see what's going to happen with JF; they might eventually reload all the old entries, but there's no guarantee that it'll be any time soon.

Wow! Thank you guys for your hospitality! I'm probably just going to be finding a few badfics occasionally (I have one in mind already) rather than posting a lot of stories. Either way, I just made Carnage's bio to be 'ahead of the game,' if you will.

You like creepy monsters, huh? Here's a model of the Ender Dragon (Minecraft)!

Also, it's cool that you have an agent in mind, but I would wait until we know who you are (in more detail) before posting any bios of him. We need to be sure you're worthy of Permission, y'know :)

Welcome to the PPC! Here's a miniature wilver raptor- have fun!

Though you may want to slow down on the profiling.
Practice for a few weeks and talk to people - both things seem to help. ^^
Hope you do well here!

Have this replica of the One Ring, that works like a Poké Ball.

Welcome :D Here, have this SACRED COOKIE OF INFINITE KNOWLEDGE (: :)!!!

Have this cup of confused Lapsang Souchong tea - it is not quite certain whether it smells like a campfire or not, so please treat it with respect, OK?

Here, have a Newbie Gift certificate. It can be redeemed for any common newbie gift you want, at any time.

Also, boatloads of Bleeprin. You will need it if you're going to be searching for or accidentally finding lots of badfic.

WELCOME TO THE INSANITY.
Here's a toothpick.

Welcome to the board and here is an Uburple Light Pen.

Always nice to see people finding the PPC because they're already writers and fanfic-readers. {= )

In addition to the note about getting Permission before you write PPC stories, I'd also like to caution you that, while finding and reporting badfic is an essential PPC past-time, there's not much sense in reporting, as you say, A LOT of badfic. Not all of it makes for good missions, and if it's in a fandom that only a couple of people are interested in, chances are pretty slim that it's going to be taken anyway. Not all badfic interests all PPCers equally.

So, kindly don't flood the Board or the wiki with a gazillion fics that only two or three people might care about. Also, when you DO report badfics to the Board, make sure to use whatever badfic thread is currently on the first page of posts to avoid knocking other topics off. Thanks! {= D

See also: FAQ: For Newbies, FAQ: The Board, and the Guide to the PPC.

Oh, and your gift. Have a bumper sticker! It says "Love me, love my beta."

~Neshomeh

I'm so happy that my writing was what led me to this place! Bless! :D

Have one of my own shed feathers, a Lyra plushie (now 100% free of suggestive holes!), a live Microraptor, and an amber desktop centerpiece with a prehistoric mosquito inside!

Have a generic newbie gift! Just give it a description, and it can be whatever you want. Also, please have my screwy capslock key.

It's great that you have agents in mind, but you gotta stick around a while before you can ask Permission. (And please, keep your language work-safe.)

That being said, welcome aBoard! Take this squealing toad! If the urple bow around its neck becomes too much, feel free to remove it. Don't forget to read the Original Series and the Constitution, and I hope you like it here!

Have a shovel infused with Remilia Scarlet's power over fate!

And wait a minute, I'm one of the first PPC people you read? I'm... incredibly flattered, I think of my writing as average.

Now then, it should be made clear: You need Permission to write with us. You can hang out with us, join in RPs, but you can't write missions. And you're not gonna get Permission right away; you have to prove you can write.

But first, community! You have to hang around the madhouse for a while.

Or not so new. Oh, by the way, I'm glad to know I'm not the only "Lurker for two years until I decided to join in on the fun" around here.
Have this Beast From Below hat! Don't put it on, though, it will eat your face.

Welcome to the board and here is a Beep Blue Light Pen.

Have this replica of The One Ring that summons a random canonical Elf, Dwarf, Vulcan or Klingon to your aid when you're in danger, while you wear it.

Here's your starter pokeyman!

Iiiiiiiiit's Tentacool!

And your starting item!

Repulsion Armour from Risk Of Rain!

Equip it to your Tentacool and it'll function similarly to an Assault Vest, only this time it boosts your Defence stat instead of Special Defence and there's a 1 in 6 chance to deal 50% recoil damage to your opponent if you get hit by a move that makes contact. Fun! =]

Nice to meet you, there. ^^
Hope you're doing well/will do well in future!

Here, have this SACRED COOKIE OF INFINITE KNOWLEDGE!!! (: :) You will be omniscient as long as you eat it.

Anyway, glad to have you on Board :D

Also, there's nothing wrong with being a TF2 fan. It's a great game with an astounding sense of humor. (Also a bit like the PPC in that almost everyone is insane and no one takes themselves/others too seriously.) Own your fandom and no one else can use it to hurt you.

With that being said, here's a box of popcorn to eat while you read the Original Series and a butcher knife spare Flying Guillotine for use against Mary Sues! >:)

Don't worry about being bland or boring - we'll love you all the same, I'm sure, and you don't seem like it at all! For your newbie gift... hmm. Here, have this Strange Stuffed Archimedes. Don't worry, not a real dove - the Medic sells these on occasion! ...at least I HOPE it's not real...

You know, I was actually kind of similar! I knew of the PPC and obsessively read the wiki for a while before I actually posted.. About a week ago, I think? Maybe closer to two. Anyway, don't be nervous! This is one of the nicest corners of the Internet. Have an wilver sailboat in a bottle!

Have this cup of very good Earl Grey tea. No, the leaves are not going to eat you, why are you looking at me like that?

It's always nice to have more newbies in the forum!

Hey there, and welcome aBoard! For you newbie gift, take this barking squirrel! If the urple bow around its neck becomes too much, feel free to remove it. ;)

And YES, another Star trek and Firefly fan! You ever watch Doctor Who?

I'll point you to the Original Series and the Constitution, but other than that, I really have nothing else to say than hope you like it here!

IT'S AN INVASION! RUUUUUUUUN!

In all of our very small amount of seriousness, welcome! And have a generic newbie gift. Give it a description, and it can be whatever you want! Trust me, your introduction post is far more interesting than mine was. Paraphrasing, mine was, "Hi, I'm new, is this what I'm supposed to do?"

That seems to be the appropriate response to your username, right? XD

Anyway, welcome aboard! Have one of my own shed feathers, a bulletproof vest made from mithril mail, and a working replica of the Spy's knife!

Have a shovel enchanted with Ice Saber! Smack something you don't like with it, and it turns into an adorable little snowman!

...and hastily wiped his lips with a tissue as he drew his staser pistol, flicking the safety to "stun" with a quick thumb movement honed over millennia of fighting. "STAY RIGHT WHEre you... are, Suvian..." his voice trailed off as Cookie Chan pulled the real Nurse Chan out of a plothole and promptly disappeared. He whirled around, pointing his machine pistol at all suspicious-looking corners in the hallway. "Damn. Got away." He wiped his mouth again. The Gallifreyan man prayed that the kiss wasn't laced with Glitter. He had no desire to contract some weird Suvian disease from some stupid slip up. Either way, the self-proclaimed Rune Knight messed up big time: he had her biometric data now. There was no way she could come crawling back into HQ without tripping every single bio-alarm... The Time Lord holstered his staser and began scanning the tissue with his Laser Screwdriver. Backups were always good.

Just then, the FicPsych nurse bolted upright. "Uggh... What happened? And who are-- Wait! You are the Guardsman! From the DIA. Bäste Arceus! Please tell me you are not here because I went full Sue and you are to kill me!"

Without looking up, the Guardsman waved his Screwdriver at Nurse Chan. "Well, you were stuffed in a plothole while a Suvian duplicate of you was messing around with me. She's gone now and you're back. Now, this isn't a Medical-grade scanner but as far as I can tell you're not a complete Suvian, so that's good. You'll die another day, I guess. Wait, that sounded better in my head. Ignore that, please. Bottom line: I'm not here to finish you off or anything. How are you feeling? Not too beaten up, I hope?"

I think the general rule of thumb is 'if you think it's OP, it is'.

Acceptable agent power level = (experience * humor / target department) - bad idea quotient.

... Does that make sense? I think that almost makes sense.

Ahem. Anyway. Theoretically, there is no upper limit. I think the most powerful agents I know about are basically demigods. It's entirely possible.

BUT.

BUT. The thing is, there's not generally much point to it. So you have a character who can destroy his enemies with a glance or rewrite reality with a stray thought. So what? An action agent still has to go on missions, wear a disguise, watch the fic, write charges, and carry out the Duty like everyone else. An infrastructure agent is basically a 9-5 working joe; not much call for phenomenal cosmic power there.

The only reason to bother with a high-powered character is if it has some bearing on their characterization that will make them more interesting to read about. If it adds humor, so much the better.

One example, of course, is my Jenni. She's basically a demigod. She takes physical form because she feels like it and has a whole host of powers, including the aforementioned ability to rewrite reality, because she has access to the source code.

But she doesn't. She knows better—but she didn't used to. Her backstory, both meta and in-universe, is all about learning that throwing power around willy-nilly to solve your problems isn't a good idea, and can actually really annoy people. Plus, if you do that to other people, you're taking something away from them, and that's wrong. And at some point she also realized she doesn't have infinite power, so the more she uses, the more she tires out. So, despite having a very high power level, she also has great limitations. The only real legacy of her power is the lessons she's learned from the mistakes she made with it in the past.

Not that she doesn't give in to temptation every now and then, in which case she has Nume to scold her and the Flowers to slap a humiliating Sue-tracker on her. Fun times.

~Neshomeh

When I made Wtak and Smithers, I didn't give them innate abilities, but rather the capability to learn and/or master new skills fairly quickly- Wtak was constantly experimenting with different types of magic and Smithers with technology, and Smithers additionally often gained abilities from his disguises.

That way, their capabilities could adjust dynamically to the rough power level of the continuum and Sue they were hunting at any given time. Furthermore, while I can't think of a situation where this was actually broadly displayed, the idea was that they would go into 'fics with the minimum amount of force they were expecting to need, and then if things got difficult trot out the big guns on a case-by-case basis.

I'm aware of the ESAS, who by their very job description probably have a higher average power level than most other departments. I'd think about these guys separately from the rest of the PPC in this thought experiment.

Riderranger47(at)gmail.com

Made my email clickable again, as well.

"Remember that the Mirror shows many things, and not all have yet come to pass. Some never come to be, unless those that behold the visions turn aside from their path to prevent them. The Mirror is a dangerous guide of deeds."

This is also a good statement about prophecies in Arda in general. Not only are they often able to be read two wildly-different ways - take the naming of Arvedui 'Last-King' of Arthedain, who would be the Last King of Arthedain either because he would claim Gondor and rule over a Reunited Kingdom... or because his realm would fall utterly - but are also very much of the 'if you try to prevent it, that may be the cause of it' variety.

There's also the nature of tercen, elven 'Insight' (which is what Galadriel has). It's not so much mind-reading as... oh, heart-reading? I mean, she didn't look at Boromir and go 'hey, mate, I can see you want the Ring; I think it's time you went a different way'. She'd probably pick up on Amy's relief that she's rescued Gandalf, her worry that she won't be able to save Boromir, and her confidence that the Ring will be destroyed. Maybe also her probably-ambiguous-at-this-point feelings about being in a book.

I think Galadriel will use prophecy as her frame of reference. She'll see the things that Amy knows happen as prophecies: one has been proven false (or at least seems to have been); the others are yet to come. Perhaps they'll never happen. Perhaps they're pretty much fixed. Perhaps Amy could meddle with them. Who knows the will of Iluvatar?

One thing I think she wouldn't do is show Amy the Mirror. She can't be trusted! She had a prophecy, and she actively worked to negate it. That's precisely what Galadriel warns Frodo against. But that doesn't mean Galadriel won't use her own apacen (Foresight, which is heavily implied to be what 'powers' the Mirror in the first place) to peek ahead... and maybe drop a couple of hints. She may want to keep from meddling, but she is a Noldo; we they have difficulty with restraint. ;)

hS

Least I know not to use it again.

I can't say that I really enjoyed this one. It felt a bit lackluster, which I would attribute in large part to its MST-like structure. There's barely any action: the vast majority of the fic is "badfic snippet -- snarky agents -- badfic snippet -- snarky agents" and so on.

I also have to present my qualms with the "Shades of Rose" concept. I don't mind the idea of Sues and Stus having some sort of collective knowledge of the PPC, but implementing it as some sort of spiritual memory shared between similarly named characters feels like it could be both a bit constricting and uncreative. And just saying "not all Roses are Shades" in an effort to make it seem otherwise feels like a copout. Like Desdendelle said, I would argue against bringing back Rose Potter in almost any sort of form. Her story is done.

So. I mentioned that not all Shades of Rose are Sues, or even bad characters, because they get picked up by good authors.

You know what I'd be interested in seeing? An agent that is, or used to be, a Shade. I probably wouldn't be the one to write this character, though, for a few reasons.

First, all of my characters (except one) are actually from the continuum in question; they could conceivably exist in canon. I'm not sure how I'd write an Action-department badfic recruit.

Second, there'd probably have to be an element of forgiveness. A well-written Shade probably regrets the actions of Rose Potter, and desperately wants to atone, ESPECIALLY if they learn about what happened to Rina. After all, a non-evil Shade could relate to her trauma. They remember the deaths of Rose. What WOULD Rina do if she met a Shade that truly wanted to atone for the actions of her Mother?

While I personally think Ix would be the best person to write this character, because of Rina's more personal connection to Rose Potter, anybody who thinks they've got the skill could pick up this idea. Just... not me, alright? That's a lot more drama and emotion than I feel like I can pull off. RC 211 missions 5 and 7 were probably my upper limit for drama.

Glad you got it out of the way, though. I don't know how you can write that fic without realizing partway through that something went seriously wrong.

When Rina read the print-out of Gabby and Chakik's mission report, the paper slipped from her fingers, falling to the floor as she just stared blankly ahead, starting to shake.

"Rina?" Zeb asked, coming over to see what was going on. "You don't look so good..."

"She's not dead," Rina whimpered. "All that work for nothing. She's still alive. She- she!" Rina hugged herself, shivering violently. "All that work we did- for nothing?"

Zeb read the paper on the ground; his ears flattened. "What?" he hissed. He turned and nuzzled his partner. "Hey, it's okay," he said, letting her kneel down and hug him tightly.

After a long minute where the RC was silent save for Rina's sniffling, she finally pulled away, wiping her eyes. "I think these two are being a bit unfair," she said, giving him a watery smile. "I mean, you did just as much work as I did, and you were the real hero in the end. I... I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, after all."

Underneath his fur, Zeb blushed. "Oh, well..."

"We both know it, don't be so modest." Rina ruffled Zeb's mane. "I don't know what I'd do without you," she said.

"Probably snap and run away," Zeb said, laughing.

Rina's eyes took on a distant look. "Probably," she murmured.

- - -

Well, that suddenly got dark. But yes, if anyone was the real hero of the Rose Potter missions, it would be Zeb. Just wanted to set the record straight.

When I saw the concept, I thought it was a different incestuous Rose Potter. Though that one involves dimension-hopping instead of actual siblings.

Like Desdendelle, I have mixed feelings on the "Shades of Rose" concept. It's very creative, don't get me wrong, but it feels kind of limiting. I'm especially not sure about the idea of them sharing some of the Rose's abilities; Sues don't need an excuse to be even more Speshul than they already are. Plus, I can see it being used as an excuse to "power up" an otherwise unremarkable Sue just to make the agents defeating her seem more badass. On the other hand, comparisons to the Rose are pretty much inevitable with any other Rose Potters, and I really, really like the idea of that having some kind of metatextual weight. And the joke about her not being able to get pregnant was hilarious. So I feel like it works well for an optional one-off, but I'd hesitate to make it standard for all Rose Potters.

First of all, the mission's a bit on the short side - I feel like there's something missing. Second, capitalisation minis are frowned upon. Third, I'm not sure how I feel about the Shades of Rose idea - on one hand, that's an intertextual thing, which is good; on the other hand, it's something that forces itself upon all of the other writes who might want to mission a Sue called Rose Potter.

Oh, also? Chakkik and Gabby's characterisation advances step by little step here. Keep up the good work!

Nicely done... I kinda wish Gabby would do the entire "7 Years of Hogwarts" :D

Well, maybe I'll send my agents to sing it with her, when I finally apply them. Say, good sir, would you mind taking a quick glance at my Permission application?

But I'll be accessible as a beta, as always. ^^
Good luck!

What say you and I try to whip something into shape? Be interesting to see Zeb go pony, and I've been looking for a reason.

You know my email, ping me. :)

...but I'm gonna be ridiculously busy with my new schedule, not to mention a conference this June, so I can't be as readily available as in our previous co-write, and besides, I think it would be worth letting others co-write with you as well. Maybe next time, though! :)

Activity: I recognize your name and you've been around a while, so you're good there. Gold star.

PPC Knowledge: Squeaky. For one, you've completely missed the DIA's point. The DIA does not go after Sued agents - that was the job of the DIO, and they were closed after Swan's Egg. The DIA aren't secret police; they're basically a combination of PPC!blue police and a Rescue and Evac unit. You've written them completely off.

Fic to Spork: kill it with fire Yeah, you're good here.

Characters: Emma is OK. Balthazar... let's say he has some screw-up potential, but it's not 'oh gods no', and I tend to think people know themselves and won't jump above their belly button, so to speak, so you're clear here.

Writing Ability (Creative): I wasn't exactly holding my ribs throughout, but I wasn't face-palming, either. I liked the Oompa-Loompa'ing console, for one. Your prompts have a nice flow, too. Clear.

Writing Ability (Technical): Nope. Your pieces are clearly not beta'd, and it shows: mainly, your commas are all over the place, and you have some weird tense shifts; for example - "She was only dabbling in some fan-fictions, but one day she would publish her own book." That's grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "she dabbled in fan-fiction, but wanted to publish her own book one day."
It's clearly rushed and also something a good beta would catch. You don't pass here.

Therefore: Permission denied. You need to touch up your PPC knowledge. You also need a beta.

I'd be willing to pitch in.

I'd like to see what you came up with if you're willing to send it over. Hopefully I can fix up some miscellaneous SPaG stuff come this Thursday!

Though I can't access my account at the moment, so I'll likely be late to the "party."
Made my name clickable!

I checked "Show email address", so, I guess there should be a link, or something. I've never really tried beta-ing, but I guess I can probably at least help with SPaG...
Oh, by the way. *grabs Sergio and Turbo* I found that mini-Boarder. Or it it two mini-Boarders? I'm not really sure... Where should I put him? Them? Whatever.

It's published to web this time, so it should look more professional.

Agent Profiles:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C5olokuDJSIL9BkUvjmuwHomQL2YJiDZonPwlZ8Q1zI/pub

Random Prompt:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r5Zk8jGXp60s9uw5ecAxYU4SVSkzqKD9OnE69y7JNTQ/pub

Control Prompt:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JFgG_KicvEFq2V8WhNqhrNSrJ2FCON7xBctfn7cyRDQ/pub

The badfic is still the same, and I'm still nervous. (But slightly less so.)

Are you sure these are actually finished? Your beta's suggestions and comments are still showing. Also, it seems you've used invite-to-edit links. Please make sure you're presenting us with a final draft, not one that's still working on pulling its pants up. {= )

~Neshomeh

... Wait a sec. The prompts are still in the middle of beta'ing. Please notify us when the process is finished.

The PPC Snowfight (2005) has obviously been up on my website for a long time. What you may not be aware of is that the dialogue is taken word-for-word from the RP in question. So are the actions, though the roleplaying style of the time was to describe them, not put them in narrative. Eg:

[Wanders across the Board; hears a whistling sound; ducks and covers] Ayt! [Runs from incoming snowballs] To me, o my kinsfolk!

[Hides behind a snowdrift; grabs a shovel and starts digging Snow!Nargothrond]

And this time, we're not going to be tricked into building a stupid bridge.

(That's reconstructed, obviously - the original posts are loooong gone!)

So if you want to see how ordinary PPCers acted back in the heady days of '05... look no further.

hS

(PS: I still find the idea of taking a titles-only thread from the Board Archives and trying to roleplay-reconstruct the contents hilarious.)

I might have stories to tell, but most of them are basically IDF silliness stories which aren't as funny without context. I don't have any special PPC stuff to say...
-Rubs his neck-

... of the Battle of Goldberg.

This happened in 2004, when the PPC had been around for a long time... well, it felt like a long time back then! An author of sorts named Lee Goldberg (he wrote episodes of Monk, I think, and some not-terribly-good books) decided that fanfiction writers were the devil, and posted about it on his blog. Want to guess how that ended?

Well, you don't have to! Many years ago, I wrote up the tale in epic format:

The Battle of Goldberg

And if you want to read them: the original posts are still there!

The Spark

The Flame

The Embers

(Interestingly, as of last year, he's still posting about fanfic. Fortunately, this time I agree with him. ^_^)

hS

Back when I was a new newbie, as in, just-introduced-myself-new, I saw the Permission Givers as these sort of mythical beings who came down from the clouds every so often to impart their wisdom and sprinkle rainbows and sunshine everywhere upon the lesser beings.

So I was quite stunned and amazed when the Great Neshomeh and Huinesoron (praise be unto them) turned out to be totally normal, very nice, friendly people. Though that didn't stop me from nearly fainting from shock when they first directly responded to my posts. Can you tell I was the overly-excitable type? XD

It's a crying shame I don't really have any other stories to tell. Hopefully, with time, I'll have accumulated some interesting ones. :)

...there was that one time when I was a pathetic Newbie with no spelling and grammar and I failed in a variety of creative and horrible ways. But I don't talk about that any more. So I want some stories. From someone else.

(O'course, if you try to wait for an idea I haven't touched on in the past twelve years, you may be waiting a long time...)

The Ispace Wars is (currently the first half of) the tale of what happens when the PPC runs into an organisation which meets exactly that description. Well, I say an organisation... it's a bit more complicated than that (of course).

hS

It could be an interesting story.

But I know interesting when I see it, and that's interesting. If older and wiser heads are okay with it, then go for it, and I'll be happy to read it!

That's already a thing, right? Like a parody thing? I'm pretty sure it is.

...okay, yeah, I'm kidding.

In all--or at least more--seriousness, though, *yes*. It should definitely be annual. It was really fun, and it gives a great opportunity for character development (and just having fun, really). I'm in favor.

~DF

just so long as hS has to run it

T'was a ton of fun— I'm already excited for next year!

Kidding. But, yeah, that sounds like a good idea, aright.

A lot of the recent door-stopping missions have been cowrites. "An Act of Sheer Will", "Lightning Strikes", that one godawful Nanoha/Halo crossover, "Of Monsters and Machines", the Cheerilee's Garden mission...

Here's a request for one, seven threads below this one. Looking at the recently published missions, "The OOCest Teacher We Could Find" (by Tawaki and Tungsten Monk), "Of Monsters and Machines" (by SkarmorySilver and Voyd), "Ein Frohliche Weihnachten mit Doktor Trollenfisch und Gabrielle!" (by Scapegrace and Iximaz) and "Screw Loose" (by Iximaz and yours truly) are all co-writes.

Please also update the FicPsych Personnel and Nurse pages, plus the Glossary if they're not on there.

Oh, and "please keep things updated" also goes for all infrastructure agents. Thanks!

~Neshomeh

A few comments:

-Do we really need huge blocks of the badfic quoted in there? Parts of this verge on MSTing, which is a wonderful art, but not what PPC missions are about.

-Your agents have a nasty habit of not speaking like people (of any species). A random example:

“Voldemort never once transformed into an animal,” he said angrily. “The whole deal about the snake he has on him is because he has a pet snake. And as for proper Animagi, it takes at least a month to prepare for such a transformation! You can’t just get magical powers and a new form in an instant!”

That's an infodump right there. And your mission is fairly liberally littered with them. You don't have to demonstrate that you know every little thing that's wrong with the story, y'know. And... people don't talk like that.

-Talking heads. No, your agents aren't quite literally talking heads - but they really don't feel like they're in the same room as the characters. Go check out a Jay and Acacia mission or two - they spend all their time hiding behind things, straining to hear, etc etc. Your agents are facing basilisks, but seem to be wandering around in the open.

-And... you know how there are some missions you want to reread, because you love the way the agents interact? This just... doesn't do that. Other than canon knowledge, I didn't see anything to really distinguish the agents from each other, let alone from other agents. They were just... two snarky infodumpers hanging around in plain sight.

That's the criticism, I guess. Here's the constructive:

-Go write out what defines your agents. Pick out the things that make them different from each other. Work out ways to integrate those into your missions.

-Give yourself a tight limit for badfic line-usage. One sentence per page? Ten sentences total? It's up to you, but it would be a serious improvement. I'm here to read your writing, not some which you've acknowledged is bad.

-Assume that everyone will notice your agents if they get in their line of sight or make a loud noise. Figure out where your team needs to hide. Give the canons and badfic characters reactions when your agents inevitable start yelling. Dumbledore isn't going to ignore someone ranting in the corner of his office!

Okay, that's enough of that. I think your agents are excellent in concept (though I do have a weakness for maniraptorans, so y'know); I think there's a lot you could explore with them. I also think it's great that you're actually writing missions, which is more than I can say for most people (eg, me!). But I also think that your missions could be much tighter, cleaner, and more engaging.

hS

"Oh, and by the way, the Basilisk is born from a rooster’s egg hatched by a toad."
I don't think roosters lay eggs.

Ripper suddenly felt something on his leg, and looked down to see a spider with a body as big as a man’s fist crawling upon his pants. Startled, the disguised Deinonychus kicked his leg and sent Gryphandor the mini-Acromantula tumbling to the floor.
Only fist-sized? I don’t remember whether Meir Brin told the actual size of mini-Aragogs or left this to the readers imagination, but I do remember that they drag fangirls around at the "Hogwarts Fanfiction Academy" and use them as yoyos. Even if they are surprisingly strong for their size, I cannot imagine fist-sized spiders doing this. (And the mental image of a Hobbit-sized Acromantula trying to scuttle up Ripper’s leg is hilariously creepy.)

The agents exchanged glances. The mini-Acromantula inside Ripper’s bag clicked its sharp pincers. (page 9)
I don’t question whether Gryphandor fits in there and when and how he got in...
The C-CAD started to smolder again. The mini-Acromantula hissed at the scent of smoke, and Ripper hastily shoved the device back into his bag. (page 10)
... but wait, isn’t Gryphandor in there? And when did he get out again?
Ripper nodded in agreement, and followed the disguised Skarmory through the next portal – but not before letting the mini into his bag for safe-keeping. (page 11)
Looks like a continuity error to me.

And there’s a typo:
"For all of these crimes, plus a few more than we cannot care less about, you are sentenced to die, " Ripper finished.
"than" should be "that".

HG

Of all the hundreds of spin-offs out there—and I'm pretty sure "hundreds" is right—how many can you point to and say "Oh yeah, every single moment of that was so awesome! It all totally stands out in my mind, even now!"

Go on, make a list. I'll wait.

Still waiting.

...

Done?

Okay. I'm betting it's a pretty small number. Less than ten—maybe even less than five.

It's probably not the same list I'd make, or the same one hS would make, or Iximaz, or Skarmory, or anyone. I mean, there's bound to be some overlap, because what's good enough to stand out from such a large crowd for one person is probably that good in general, but still.

Are you going to go on record and say that anything that doesn't make it onto someone's list is less worthy of existing? All those hundreds of contributions to the PPC universe over more than a decade?

If so, fine. That's a pretty insulting attitude to take toward an awful lot of people, but okay, you're allowed to have opinions.

If not, then what exactly makes you think you need to be better than them? What's so wrong with just having a good time with the concept for as long as it amuses you, like all the rest?

Mind you, I'm not expecting a real answer here. You've responded to everyone else in this thread with nothing but negativity—which, by the way, is a real turn-off to reading your writing. Think about that.

~Neshomeh

I believe I e-mailed you a detailed response to your concerns last night, which was in complete agreement with the rest of the Boarders, but I totally forgot to add another thing, so yeah. There IS such a thing as working too quickly, and that goes for PPC writing as well as... well... anything else. Cranking out missions almost nonstop is good and all, because it shows that you're working hard on killing badfics and the like, which is why I do it as well. And I know full well that you're really dedicated to killing badfic! :D

The thing is, though, if you focus more on the QUANTITY than the QUALITY, namely by getting the badfic out of the way rather than making a good story, it will come across as exactly that, getting the badfic out of the way. I try to put at least some effort into my missions even if they end up way too short to avoid this exact problem. And I can attest that quality work takes time, so instead of writing to kill the badfic, I'd suggest focusing on the QUALITY rather than the QUANTITY. In other words, I would wholeheartedly recommend writing to create a story about your agents AROUND killing the badfic the way I do (rather than just sporking the fic by itself), and taking more time with your missions so you can produce a better result. Slow and steady wins the race, as they say.

Weird like, Butthole Surfers or Frank Zappa weird. Or watch weird movies. Go out and do something random, then think about what that action says about you. Indulge in chaos, insanity, and weirdness whenever possible, and you'll get something new that's good. Also, come up with five ideas for the PPC 'verse, then post them and watch the reactions. Even if you have to use the process of elimination, the odds are almost 100% that you'll get a few good ideas out there. And in order to decide your ideas, combine some of them, and for others, roll a d20 or other appropriately sized deciding-mechanism. The weird for inspiration, the Board for assurance, and luck for decisions.

1. Focus on your characters. You don't have to write about them as agents, or doing agent-related things. One thing that's helped me is figuring out what kind of music my characters like. (Natasha's favorite band is Van Halen, Aaron's is The Ink Spots.) Heck, I've got a whole file of them just randomly interacting, snippets of which may or may not ever see the light of day. Just imagine them interacting with each other - arguing over music, sharing a favorite movie, complaining about the food in the cafeteria.
   
   2. Pick a less formulaic mission. Almost all of them are super-short missions starring character replacements. I know you said that that's the theme for Valon and Kala, but if you're feeling like it's holding you back, then ditch it. Make them do a Bad Slash mission or go up against a completely original Sue. Or just have them do a longer mission; I think that would be a good way to get a little more character development in, just because they would interact more. I can totally write you Varian/Radovan badfic epic or something. Have them do more co-writes; I should probably do a solo mission first, but I'd totally be up for doing a collab mission with you if there's one you've got in mind.
   
   3. As far as dinner dates go, maybe take a page from Kala's home continuum. Remember, she's not just a girl, she's a liminal. What do scorpions eat? Do they have any weird habits? What about ties to Babylonian mythology? There's your potential story hook.
   
   I want to apologize if I came off, or continue to come off, as overly negative. Unfortunately, I typically find more to say when there's something I want to criticize than if I simply enjoy something.
   

I'm kinda considering ending Valon and Kala's story with Fade to Black.

My problem with writing for RC 211 isn't the characters, but the mission formula. I honestly don't know what I'm supposed to do with the characters other than "enter badfic, react, kill replacement" and all of my missions except Of Monsters and Machines are pretty much the same thing in different continua.

Fade to Black is the one quality PPC story I've written, and maybe that's where I should stop.

The solution to not having formulaic missions or just going through the motions isn't to just chuck random ideas around. Take your Shades Of Rose one. It's daft. It doesn't actually contribute anything to PPC lore - hell, I'm pretty sure it actually contradicts bits of it, particularly concerning how Mary-Sue Factories work - and it came across to me like you thought your agents weren't getting enough attention so you'd try and follow in Ix's wake, and then say your agents had taken down Rose Potter. Kind of. A bit. Ish. If you take a sort of Buddhist view of it, anyway. Leastways, that's how it felt to me, but I'm on the record as not liking your agents very much.

The problem with people not being interested in your agents isn't solved by giving them new villains (well, for given values of new) or shiny new toys, for the same reason that we dissuade newbies from just making agents who are J. Random Species-haver. It's solved by making them more fleshed out, by thinking about them in greater detail. See, I think of your agents as just that - agents. An amorphous mass with the occasional interesting idea poking out from the sludge. I've yet to think of any of them as people, even of the cartoonish variety like with... er... well, with all my agents, actually. Comedy Happy!Agent, Comedy Horrible!Agent, and Comedy Forn Parts!Agent all send their regards.

Figure out what your agents are like. What do they do in what little spare time they get? What kind of things do they enjoy getting to see? Stuff like that. What you have to do to get people to like your agents is to figure out who they are. I'm not 100% convinced you've done that yet; mostly, I get the feeling you had a checklist and ticked off characteristics. Don't get me wrong, that's a good place to start. It's just not a good place to finish.

Something that might also serve you well is to leave more of a gap between your missions. You've been cranking these things out at a rate of knots since you got permission, and while it's great that you evidently love writing missions this much, well, it might be part of the problem, at least a little bit. Get some more ideas. Let them percolate in the ol' brain a bit more. Give your agents a bit more room to breathe - because my biggest complaint about 512-3 is that it felt weirdly rushed, like you were struggling to meet a deadline and your boss was breathing down your neck - and give them time. You don't have to charge down badfics like you're the only thing between them and the try line. Give it time. More haste, less speed. =]

Also - missions have to be super-formulaic, do they? News to me. Just for that, I'm gonna do one entirely in haiku. Haikoo? Yeah, that sounds like a good title. =]

---

*Film at eleven

That's kind of a problem we've had over the past few years, honestly - people who spend all their time trying to Add New Things and Have Brilliant Ideas. But... does a good PPC mission need them? Did Driftwood suffer from not being packed full of new and exciting ideas every time? I hope not!

So what can you do? Well... why not do the opposite? Read some missions, find new ideas they introduced, and expand on those! There's dozens - hundreds - of ideas which appeared in one mission and have never been used again. Find one! Make it popular! Make it more interesting than just a throwaway scene.

Otherwise, you're just... creating new bleeproducts for the heck of it. Hands up who's ever used bleepesteem in their missions. No-one? No-one.

hS

The Librarian frowned at Hermione’s lovesick behaviour. Lupin, Tonks and Hermione Disapparated, leaving Tonk the mini-Aragog behind. He opened a portal and flung the miniature acromantula back to its home.
May sound like Tonk the mini-Aragog opened the portal.

The mission report did say Ginny was going to end up marrying Harry as well.
This should be the “intelligence report”; the "mission report" is what the agents will write when they finished the mission, so basically what we are reading.

“It appears as though the girls here were chosen because they are, um, physically appealing? So I suppose that doesn’t apply here, either.”
What exactly doesn’t apply? I don’t understand how the second sentence relates to the first sentence, or to anything said before.

Several magic circles appeared vertically around Corolla, with about a dozen small energy darts emerging from each other of them.
Sounds weird. Maybe the word “other” should not be there.

Taking his RA out of a pocket, he opened a portal to Medical and stuck his head through.
[…]
He leaned out of the portal and dragged Amelia through it, trying to be as gentle as possible.
So is Des inside the portal / in Medical now? He probably is, because he returns to the badfic then, but I have problems imagining his position and movements here.

HG

But I have a quick question. On page 45 the Librarian says "...or is it the Wizarding World’s equivalent of the British House of Lords. This is inane." And Rina follows up with "This whole fic is insane." Did you mean for them to be different? The way the dialogue was flowing it feels like they were meant to be the same.

Other than that it was a fantastic read.

When I read this about twenty hours ago, there may have been some sentences that looked weird to me. But I became so immersed into the story that I didn’t think of taking notes. So, congrats for breaking Hieronymus’s pedantry; this doesn’t happen often.

Since I can’t shirk the duty, I’ll have to read it again, but probably not this weekend. Or I may just trust that sonofheaven176 caught them all. (I’m actually tempted to read the badfic in parallel to see how bad things can become, and whether you did it justice. This happens even less often. I hope I can resist; I don’t have this much time.)

HG

Rina's a lot curvier than she should be and Des says the Librarian's face isn't long enough, but I still think it's a pretty nice picture. It later inspired an exchange in the mission, so posting it now seems relevant.

I'll echo what PoorCynic said: Great job, you three! That was a wild ride from start to finish, and I only struggled with a scant few points (most notably the implied Sexual Tension between Rina and the Librarian; I have to agree with sonofheaven176 in that it came a bit out of nowhere). And the title drop at the very end was the icing on the metaphorical cake.

In all honesty, though, I'm starting to hate the Librarian now lol. I respect that Des writes him well and all, and I'm not familiar enough with Dr. Who to judge the guy as a character, but dear Arceus, what an asshole! XD

But first, my thoughts on the story. It's very well-written, and I liked the way the different characters played off of each other. However, where does Corolla get the idea that there's some UST between Rina and the Librarian? It's clear from Zeb's lines that Rina likes Des, but where does the Librarian figure into the picture?

As for the errors themselves:
Zeb readied another portal, but the scene suddenly went black. Something struck Des on the forehead, and he cursed.

“I hate stray punctuation.” He looked at the Words and groaned. “That’s one of the silliest scene breaks I’ve ever seen.”

...

Des barely managed to say “fantastic” when the scene went black again. His forehead attracted a hail of tildes again, prompting him to curse, then the fic dumped him and Zeb in the Great Hall again."

I find it odd that you refer to "stray punctuation" first, and only clarify that you were referring to an all-tilde scene break paragraphs later. When I first saw the reference to "stray punctuation," I was looking at the previous quote from the badfic to see if there was any punctuation missing; I did not make the connection between the two sentences. In other words, I thought that Des was complaining about two things: some stray punctuation and a non-standard scene break. Please consider rephrasing these paragraphs to clarify up front that the scene break manifested as a rain of tildes.

They appeared back outside of Number Four. Dumbledore, Mad-Eye, and Kingsley, among other unnamed Aurors were working on breaking through the new wards
There should be a comma after "Aurors"

Charge for distorting earth’s history
Capitalize the E in "earth"

it was just a matter of keeping them shrinked to scale model size
"shrunk", not "shrinked"

“We’re doing a multi-team mission, so sending in a team composed by people from the same RC kinda misses the point. And you two need to sort out this Belligerent Sexual Tension of yours.”

Corolla stopped in thought for a second, then continued. “And if any one of you two stays here, I’m going to tease him or her until the team comes back.”

Since Corolla is the speaker for both lines, please consider either removing the paragraph break or adding some kind of attribution to the first paragraph.

barrell roll
That's misspelled: there's only one L in "barrel".
Also, do you mean "aileron roll," or are you referring to an actual barrel roll?

I should probably start off by saying that I'm not much of a Harry Potter fan. My knowledge of the canon itself is both shaky and possibly out of date. So I can't really comment too much on that regard.

Despite that, I still found the mission to be enjoyable. The characters had some very good interactions and there were some extremely solid moments. My favorite would have to be when the Librarian and Zeb have their brief discussion about fanonical interpretations on page 34. I feel like sometimes PPC writers forget that, so it's nice to see it talked about in-universe.

I did have a few issues, most of which are tied to my own subjective views. There were a smattering of points where it felt like what the agents were saying didn't necessarily fit their actions. Like on page 7: "“I heard that,” the Librarian said weakly, but Des ignored him." Why would his protest be weak? I didn't anything to indicate why that would be so.

I'm also not a fan of when agents have overblown reactions. The whole banging your head on the wall thing. I feel like that's okay if it fits the character of the agent, like if they're literally a cartoon character or something similar. It also works better as a one time thing. But when it's a character that's supposed to be from a more reality-based world (like Des) and it happens repeatedly, the entire thing feels forced. There are humorous ways to express that a character is frustrated without immediately jumping into broad physical comedy.

A good mission all in all. I struggled a bit at times (due to the previously mentioned Harry Potter antipathy) but it was still easy enough to follow. Well done.

I apologize for my tone, I had a really bad day yesterday.
Anyway, here is what I have so far:



The Unison Device nodded. “If I ever see it in maintenance at DoSAT, I’m so going to reprogramme it.”

How do you reprogramme something?




“That was a Suspiciously Specific Denial,

Why is that capitalized?


“And we are not discussing what just happened.”

Who said that? Rina or the Librarian?



Corolla summoned a holographic window — luckily there was no risk of getting caught by Hogwarts-Sue there — and started tapping on it.

How do you tap on a holograph?


The Librarian frowned at Hermione’s lovesick behaviour. Lupin, Tonks and Hermione Disapparated,

Why is disapparated capitalized?

“Turning Luna into a sobbing mess and the Weasleys into idiots,” Zeb muttered.

Who was that directed to? What as the point of it?

Maybe not quite,” Zeb said slowly.

Say what?

The Librarian walked through it, had a moment to understand he was in Harry’s bedroom, and was promptly thrown off his feet as the story dragged him and Zeb back to the tenth century.

The second part of that does not make any sense.

Was this even beta read? I just went through and noticed many questionable things. I'll try to make a list of them soon.

Not continental either, but still metropolitan French. My e-mail is linked in my handle if you need it as well.

I'll gladly look it over!

Don't worry about the regional difference. There's practically no discrepancies between France French and Québec French aside from the way we swear and the expressions we use (that's debatable, though: some French Canadian units on D-Day met some locals who had the same accents as them-- 350 years apart with little to no change).

You can reach me at expertmechanic[at]yahoo[dot]ca.

But why do you have some sentences in parentheses?

Indeed, the act of writing is a liberating thing indeed.

I'll leave it to others to comment on the poetry; my only issue is with that last line. I do not think that you mentioned your gender in your newbie thread, so I am operating under the assumption that you are male. If so, then that list line should be thus: Quia scribo, liber sum.

I just saw this on the Pit. It's a crossover of Fate: Stay Night and Harry Potter.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11122524/9/Second-Chance

There is a Fake Grail War, that Emiya Shirou has ended by destroying the Fake Grail. As he is dying, he says his final wish, However the decaying grail somehow fulfills his wish by replacing his soul into Harry Potter's body, after the Dementor attack in Book 4(?). Soon, he is an active participant of a battle between the Death Eaters and the populace of Great Britain.

One major problem that I can see in this fic though is how Nasuverse magecraft system can work in a Harry Potter universe. Also, the character Adam Greengrass does have the potential to be a Gary Stu, as he is also trying to defeat Voldemort while having a Dark Mark himself.

But this is still very early, with only 9 chapters. I hope the stiry quality improves over time.

The cartoon, I mean. I've seen a handful of episodes, but, well.

Ultimate Teen Titans is a crossover where Spider-Man somehow nearly dies and gets sent to the Teen Titans universe. Upon arrival, Raven - ie, the character who has literally read one person's mind in the series, and that only when that person was hallucinating and in a ton of danger - broadcasts the contents of Spidey's mind to the team. And it only gets better from there, folks! There's plenty of stuff showing how Peter is a much better fighter than the Titans, nonsensical stuff about secret identities (the Titans are public figures, author!) and Deadpool and Slade are apparently siblings. For... some reason.