Regarding "Mass Pigs"

Subject: Regarding "Mass Pigs"
Author: CDHammer
Posted on: 2012-02-20 07:10:00 UTC

As if the title isn't enough to chortle at to begin with.

A brief examination of the fic confirms everything: formatting's out of whack, constant run-on sentences (GAAARGH!), crossover method I am still at a loss to explain and, of course, the balance of power in combat.

Good grief! OK, it's a given that Starcraft has a few balls in their court (such as their battleship-mounted Yamato cannons). But surely even the Terrans of Starcraft have their own Achilles heel? For example, their infantry have head-sized, UV and photo-sensitive visors, so surely a merc with an M-8 assault rifle should be able to punch through that. Instant severe, if not fatal, casualty.

Not to mention the fundamental, defining aspect of the M.E. universe: the creation and generation of mass effect fields. If there was a way for the Citadel space races to even the score should conflict between the two factions break out, this would be it. Why? Because Terran scientists seem to have not even touched on this area of cosmic science.

Modified mass effect fields in small arms could allow for better penetration of armour. Utilising biotics on a larger scale could be a major boon as well - even Terrans cannot stop being torn apart atom by atom by a singularity. And so on and so forth.

OK, I think this rant of mine against this badfic is done. Sorry for wasting the community's time.

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Badfic by SeaTurtle on 2012-02-19 22:17:00 UTC Reply

StarCraft crossover edition!

~~I think I might be quite alone in my knowledge of this fandom~~

This verse's mini is confirmed to be a mini-Zergling.

"Mass Pigs" Starcraft X Mass Effect --T rated--
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7780556/1/MassPigs

A platoon of War Pigs from Char in a desperate holdout gets transported to Omega when the xel-naga artefact activates, being War Pigs they go around offering services as mercs and due to their performance, has captured the attention of the Illusive man...

The formatting is horrible, crossover method super-sketchy at best, Wanton Cruelty To The Common Comma, and states that SC Terran tech enables standard infantrymen to go toe-to-toe with the Reapers (No, it won't. But it will make battles a lot easier). The Terran Marines transported into the ME 'verse come off as overpowered, even invincible. I suspect heavy OOC from the ME characters.

"Teana's Travels Book 2: Wings of Libery" StarCraft X Halo X Magical Girl Lyrical Nahona --M rated--
<a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6643560/1/TeanasTravelsBook2WingsofLiberty">http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6643560/1/TeanasTravelsBook2Wingsof_Liberty

Teana's next stop in her interdimensional journey is the Koprulu Sector. Can Gamma Team make a difference when, after four years of queiescence, Kerrigan's swarm attacks in force? Rated M for violence and language

The entire "Teana's Travels" series is canon-breaking at best. Teana, an ex-TSAB agent gone freelancer, mucks with the plot of quite a number of 'verses in her travels. In this one, she brings the UNSC and the Elites with her to the Koprulu Sector and assists James Raynor in his crusade against Arcturus Mengsk. She immediately defuses a major plot point in the form of having Tychus Findlay free of Mengsk's control (despite him having been released from prison and sealed into his CMC by Mengsk's personal orders), has a human without Protoss physique or psionic powers join the Dark Templar, gives humans Protoss teleportation tech, and copy-pastes herself into canon cutscenes. Oh, and she messes with the prophetic vison of the Zerg Overmind by having the entire multiverse destroyed by the hybrids. The might of the enslaved Zerg Swarm is considerable, but is probably not enough to quash the combined military force of all 'verses in existence. I mean, a tiny fraction of the United Earth Directorate almost managed to crush the Swarm during the Brood War.

The entire story is as dry as tinder, with no characterization and no suspense. Heck, I can get more enjoyment watching a commentary-less replay of the single player campaign.

Not Again! by dramaticsoprano on 2012-02-20 14:44:00 UTC Reply

I'm seeing quite a few Author's Notes in there.

Also, I can't tell if this is dealing only with the "Mass Effect" games or if it's pulling in the books as well.
Wow. by Aster Corbett on 2012-02-20 07:16:00 UTC Reply

When I hear 'Mass Pigs' I think an enormous stampede of pigs. Pigs en masse. Weapons of Mass Pigstruction.

Not to mention that any gun in the ME universe might be able to shred through a marine's armor like magma through butter: they do not make kinetic barriers.

I smell that Starcraft is the writer's very favorite universe in the whole wide world...

Incoming fanboyism! by SeaTurtle on 2012-02-20 08:25:00 UTC Reply

Technically, their armour would stand up quite nicely to the ME verse's weaponry. If we look at each side's weaponry, they both fire projectiles at hypersonic velocities but the StarCraft C-14 Impaler has a 200+ round magazine filled with either 8mm steel spikes, depleted U-238 slugs or .50 Cal ammo. It fires 30 rounds/sec and can be plugged into the CMC for computer-assisted aiming and more recoil suppression. In game, the Marine can be mauled by the Zerg, shot and hacked at with energy weapons, sprayed with acid and still run around very much alive (although that can be gameplay and story segregation right there). Fluff says that a CMC armoursuit is mostly impervious to small arms fire and that needleguns (aka the C-14) are one of the few things that Terrans have that can dent it.

Meanwhile, ME weapons have lower mag capacities and fire projectiles the size of sand particles. They do look cooler though. Waaaay cooler.

With regards to CDHammer's post, the Achilles heel of the Terran Marine is its rather pathetic DPS. Despite being visually imposing, it is the weakest tier one unit of the three races and is ineffective unless you mass them like crazy. And research Stim. And Combat Shields. And 3/3 weapons and armour. It really puts the entire power scale of this universe into perspective once that you understand that this walking tank is actually a very weak unit.

Being shot in this visor is fatal, as demonstrated in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6squ47FqK8k

StarCraft Terrans have no need for Mass Effect fields as they can generate artificial gravity and achieve FTL travel without them. Psionics replace Biotics in this universe, and the Protoss wield psionic energies to a frightening degree of efficiency: they can devastate mechs and living things alike by casting psionic storms on an area.

/explanations and justifications of the power scale

Yay fanboyism by Aster Corbett on 2012-02-20 15:48:00 UTC Reply

If you can believe it I actually like hearing about universes that I know little about and hearing them stack up against others. It makes me think of the immense variety in storytelling and that always makes me happy.

One thing I think that the ME and SC universes wouldn't mesh well in is lore and tone. It would be really hard to reconcile the ideas about war and the general attitudes of the characters. Maybe if you had a super Renagade Shepard. All I can think of is that you'd need some marines who are unusually open to new ideas to not have... extreme difficulty in the ME universe. Especially if they were Confederacy/Dominion marines under neural resocialization. :S

(Ha ha I haven't played starcraft since I was like 10 years old... wow...)

You played StarCraft? by SeaTurtle on 2012-02-20 17:50:00 UTC Reply

What's your favourite race?

Agreeing with you on the entire ME/SC difference in tone. SC tends to have a really more grimdark outlook on the entire universe: quote the publicity blurb, "The only allies are enemies. The only choice is war."

RE: by CDHammer on 2012-02-20 11:11:00 UTC Reply

Thank you. I stand corrected.

Regarding "Mass Pigs" by CDHammer on 2012-02-20 07:10:00 UTC Reply

As if the title isn't enough to chortle at to begin with.

A brief examination of the fic confirms everything: formatting's out of whack, constant run-on sentences (GAAARGH!), crossover method I am still at a loss to explain and, of course, the balance of power in combat.

Good grief! OK, it's a given that Starcraft has a few balls in their court (such as their battleship-mounted Yamato cannons). But surely even the Terrans of Starcraft have their own Achilles heel? For example, their infantry have head-sized, UV and photo-sensitive visors, so surely a merc with an M-8 assault rifle should be able to punch through that. Instant severe, if not fatal, casualty.

Not to mention the fundamental, defining aspect of the M.E. universe: the creation and generation of mass effect fields. If there was a way for the Citadel space races to even the score should conflict between the two factions break out, this would be it. Why? Because Terran scientists seem to have not even touched on this area of cosmic science.

Modified mass effect fields in small arms could allow for better penetration of armour. Utilising biotics on a larger scale could be a major boon as well - even Terrans cannot stop being torn apart atom by atom by a singularity. And so on and so forth.

OK, I think this rant of mine against this badfic is done. Sorry for wasting the community's time.
Re: Badfic by firemagic on 2012-02-20 01:11:00 UTC Reply

I will team up with someone on Teana's Travels. Teana would never quit the TSAB, it goes against her whole character, since her motivation for joining the TSAB was to restore her brother's honor, since he died in combat, and she wants to prove the techniques he taught her weren't useful, and that someone who didn't have a rare skill, or who wasn't absurdly powerful, could keep up with those who DID.

I can assist for the StarCraft one... by SeaTurtle on 2012-02-20 02:23:00 UTC Reply

Gaspard could be placed in some sort of support role for your two Floaters.

Unfortunately, I have only basic knowledge of the Haloverse, so wiki-binging might be necessary to bring me up to speed.

You wouldn't happen to know much about Halo, would you?

Re: I can assist for the StarCraft one... by firemagic on 2012-02-20 12:37:00 UTC Reply

No, sadly. The only video game I have really good knowledge of is Portal.

Re: I can assist for the StarCraft one... by firemagic on 2012-02-21 23:49:00 UTC Reply

Would you want to meet on the chat to start the writing?

Well, here's the problem... by SeaTurtle on 2012-02-22 00:49:00 UTC Reply

I've got a tonne of homework now, and various assorted tests and scholarships to write. That state of affairs will last until the second half of March (where I get two weeks off, woo-hoo!).

Don't get me wrong, I'm still interested in doing a co-write but real life tends to get in the way whenever I think I have an opening. My schedule might open up by the aforementioned March break, so expect me poking your Talk page on the Wiki around that time.

If you have any questions about the StarCraft verse in the meantime, you can just ask them on my own Talk page and I'll be sure to answer them ASAP.

Re: Well, here's the problem... by firemagic on 2012-02-22 13:27:00 UTC Reply

Ok, thank you. I actually have exams, but I get off about a week or so into March (and have a long break until the end of the month) I'll have to set up a talk page before then. Oh well :)

Typo by SeaTurtle on 2012-02-19 22:24:00 UTC Reply

Nanoha, not Nahona, darn it.