Subject: And that is why the SEP fields are boring.
Author:
Posted on: 2015-08-27 08:21:00 UTC
Before you read this, this is more of a rant then a call for change. I have been of this opinion for a while, and I really wanted to let it out. You may see it as unreasonable. It probably is unreasonable, but it is just one of those things that bugs me about how the PPC works. Don't read too much into it. Just, take it is me letting off some steam on this issue.
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Look at all the ways Agents should never ever be seen, except by Sues. That's just dull, to me. Why bother hiding? Sues? They are so self-absorbed, they probably will ignore you until it's time to do the Duty anyway. You, and many others have stated that the PPC is not supposed to be about super OP gods stepping in to take out uber baddies and be super badass, but a bunch of barely trained agents faced against near impossible odds with barely-working tech. And yet, all agents get to be completely invisible, with no need to be careful or cautious. After all, it's just not anybody's problem, right? Waltz right into Elrond's home: nobody will mind! Which is funnier to you: agents having to hold in their extreme will to scream out, carefully slinking through the shadows, and trying to avoid explaining why, exactly, they are in the Princess' private quarters without permission; or just popping a portal right in with no whims in the world.
There is no tension with this stuff, and comedy needs tension as much as drama. Moreso, at times. Especially when the sneaking fails, and the agents have to try to cover their tails.
And I get it, kill the bafic, canon is back. Yay. But that just makes the job easy too. Now they don't have to clean up any mess left behind: just let the kill happen and the job is done. Never mind the potential lingering impact of such a being, never mind what little artifacts the Sue or the agents left behind. It all just washes away immediately so we can all ship off and go home. That aspect seems to have been fading from more modern missions, and I for one welcome this change. It may only be a couple paragraphs more, but it does help show how overworked these people are. They just got done killing this Ultra Sue. Yay! Now they have to go through and pick up every last hair she may have dropped, so she may never grow back like so much sparkly fungus. For the good of the canon.
That all said, I do understand why we have the thing of the canon cloaking you. But even then, it can only go so far, Jay and Acacia even mention how they have to disguise themselves as creatures that would reasonably kill Sues, so that the canon cloak won't fall apart. It helps, but it only helps them blend in as characters. The SEP fields make it way too easy. Way too simple. Great comedy can come from great danger answered with great silliness. This removes all of the danger, leaving only silliness.
Bah, but who am I? Some guy who came in late who has only released two missions. I can't tell people to ignore an aspect of the PPC that has been used for years, especially such a staple as this. All I can do is avoid use in my own work where I can, and still have it be recognizably PPC.