Glad you think so!

Subject: Glad you think so!
Author: kgarrett
Posted on: 2008-11-21 03:12:00 UTC

That's what I figured about actual leave (that is, outright leaving HQ, not including commuting between the New Caledonia city and HQ, for a period of time), part running gag and part reward, but what about simply contacting people on the "outside"? For example, would an Agent living in the NCC (New Caledonia City) be allowed to call or email a person they knew prior to joining? In HQ I'd assume it's no contact allowed at all for security reasons, but that I wonder about too.

The city I don't actually know about, though I assume a definite solution hasn't been stated (?), though the mixture of SEP field and chameleon circuit would make sense. Look like a mountain, and then make sure nobody really notices said mountain with the SEP field. The Flowers would probably try to avoid directly contacting World One citizens for permission to build the city or something (heh, ultimate mental image), so it'd make sense that they found some way to conceal it. That makes the whole city thing more plausible, but as said, I dunno if anyone's actually said anything concrete on the matter before. Unfortunately, New Caledonia isn't large enough to build a city in an ultra remote location where nobody would notice, and even then someone would eventually come across it. Bit of an odd problem.

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If it's alright, I'd like to ask a question by kgarrett on 2008-11-19 06:34:00 UTC Reply

Hey, sorry if this bothers you lot, I've just been wondering about something so I thought I'd ask. I hope it doesn't seem too stupid. Permission isn't needed for (out of lack of a better term) "NPC" agents, is it? Agents that are named or whatever and interacted with, but aren't actually the agents you write missions with, strictly background characters? I'm asking that partly because while I don't think it's needed I'm also not sure and thus curious about if it's the case, but also because part of my writing sample involves one of my agents interacting with one of the mentioned "NPC" type agents, and I'd be in a good bit of trouble if it turns out that's not allowed. Just one of those cases where I'm a bit confused about it and want to know for sure where the policy stands. I thought Permission was only needed for your main agents and the missions, but if I'm wrong (and this doesn't seem to be covered on the wiki page) I thought I should ask. Thanks for your time.

Oh! Another couple! by kgarrett on 2008-11-21 01:04:00 UTC Reply

Wasn't sure where to put this in the topic, so I'm just sticking it near the top. Anyway, I know I've had a lot over the past couple days, they just keep popping up in my mind. I'll probably cut down on them soon, I've just had a lot of things I've wondered. I'm only asking questions I don't think have actually been addressed in the actual stories, but if they have (other than my "where can I find story x" question earlier) I'm sorry, I just haven't seen the mission or story in question in that case. :P Anyway, not sure if it's been covered, but about how much contact with the outside world would one say Agents are allowed? Like, not just emails or calls (since mail has been referenced with the Postal Department), but occasional leave and the like. I'd assume very little or none, especially in the case of (again for lack of a better term) "shore leave" in the world out of HQ (which sounds like it'd be mostly a reward or something), but so far in all the stories I've read (by now I've read quite a few, but not every one) I don't think I've seen it directly referenced or answered.

Also, one that's always bugged me is about the New Caledonia city itself. Wouldn't the French government (hell, even people of New Caledonia, or whoever owns the first spy satellite to orbit near it) kind of notice a new, presumably large, city sprouting up in their territory and investigate? Sounds like the sort of thing that'd blow the PPC's cover wide open, especially if the HQ entrance in the mountains is also found. My first thought was an SEP Field on the entrance and city, but it'd have to be a really big field to cover a whole city, and unless it was there from day one I'd think someone would go, "hey, it looks like somebody's building a new city, did we commission one to be made there?". And then there's the issue of roads possibly leading there. Just something that's been on my mind about that, I never for the life of me could figure why the PPC city in New Caledonia never brought down the world's governments on it, either with troops or simply delegates there to ask just WTF is going on. Technology as it is now (though PPC tech seems way more advanced than World One tech), building a city without anyone noticing just doesn't happen. I don't mean it rudely, that one's just always been on my mind. Fridge Logic, if you will.

Personally... by Neshomeh on 2008-11-21 03:20:00 UTC Reply

I tend to ignore New Caledonia. It doesn't do my stories any good, it doesn't jibe with my concept of what the PPC is, it's not OS canon, and it's not universally accepted, so I don't really feel a need to make references to its existence. Same goes for TARDISes (though I may have to make some mention of them when I write my Invasion '08 story/ies).

Again, though, that's just me. As far as I'm concerned, you're free to take it or leave it.

~Neshomeh

Good point, hope I didn't come across as rude by asking. by kgarrett on 2008-11-21 03:25:00 UTC Reply

I was just curious about how it actually worked, because it confused me how the PPC could build a city there without attracting attention, and the contact example was only drafted out of lack of a better one, since I was wondering (especially due to a possible plan of mine for a character thing, not as in a new character but as in a character development type thing) about where official policy stood on it. Figured there was no harm in asking.

Nope, no worries. by Neshomeh on 2008-11-21 03:32:00 UTC Reply

If anything, you're too polite. {= )

I should have said this before, but the person to ask for details about New Caledonia is Tawaki. It's primarily his brainchild.

~Neshomeh, who may be coming across overly snarky due to end-of-term work getting to her, for which she apologizes.

Heh, too polite isn't one I've heard before. by kgarrett on 2008-11-21 03:40:00 UTC Reply

Yeah, I don't have any way to contact him directly, I just figured he'd eventually see the question thread or something, and wondered if anyone else knew in general. Thanks though. And nah, don't seem too snarky, I just wanted to make sure I didn't seem rude.

I personally go with the 'SEB' shield. by Artic Blade on 2008-11-24 11:28:00 UTC Reply

It doesn't even have to be on the entire city, just the walls, or things. Then include things like the city could be made Unplottable (Harry Potter), Magically and Technologically Hidden and the fact that it's the PPC, we don't use logic on it, it keeps the city pretty safe.

You raise some interesting points here... by Cassie Cameron-Young on 2008-11-21 02:44:00 UTC Reply

In reply to question one, it's become a standing joke of sorts. As proclaimed by Acacia herself, '“Off duty? What is this off duty? Is it possible that, only being here two years, I’ve missed the phenomenon?”' As far as I know, it is a reward or something that has been demanded from the Flowers as a repayment for extreme stress. If I recall correctly, several Agents demanded time off after having to deal with That Series and other highly stressful missions.

As for the city, I lean strongly in the direction of a combination of magic and technology used for hiding things. I'm sure the Flowers wouldn't have been careless enough to let knowledge of the PPC become widespread across World One. A SEP-field would be useful, yes, but possibly other things are used as well. A chameleon circuit-type thing, like a TARDIS uses, to make the city look like a mountain? I'm just throwing out random suggestions here, I'm open to others.

Glad you think so! by kgarrett on 2008-11-21 03:12:00 UTC Reply

That's what I figured about actual leave (that is, outright leaving HQ, not including commuting between the New Caledonia city and HQ, for a period of time), part running gag and part reward, but what about simply contacting people on the "outside"? For example, would an Agent living in the NCC (New Caledonia City) be allowed to call or email a person they knew prior to joining? In HQ I'd assume it's no contact allowed at all for security reasons, but that I wonder about too.

The city I don't actually know about, though I assume a definite solution hasn't been stated (?), though the mixture of SEP field and chameleon circuit would make sense. Look like a mountain, and then make sure nobody really notices said mountain with the SEP field. The Flowers would probably try to avoid directly contacting World One citizens for permission to build the city or something (heh, ultimate mental image), so it'd make sense that they found some way to conceal it. That makes the whole city thing more plausible, but as said, I dunno if anyone's actually said anything concrete on the matter before. Unfortunately, New Caledonia isn't large enough to build a city in an ultra remote location where nobody would notice, and even then someone would eventually come across it. Bit of an odd problem.

In reply to the first point... by Cassie Cameron-Young on 2008-11-21 07:40:00 UTC Reply

contacting people is never actually mentioned, really. I hadn't thought it would be banned, and part of my Agents' backstories involves a couple of letters Agent Cassie wrote to her parents the day before she joined and a few days after her first mission. They're not published yet or anything, but she's been in HQ since her first day, so I assumed contact between the outside world and HQ wasn't banned. I'm happy to discuss the topic, though.

I'm sure there was a point to that waffle... oh, yes.If it's not banned from HQ, I don't think it would be banned from NCC.

Re: In reply to the first point... by kgarrett on 2008-11-21 13:37:00 UTC Reply

So basically, it'd be allowed because nobody's said it wasn't, as long as classified info is given away? Alright, thanks then.

Yeah, as far as I'm aware. by Cassie Cameron-Young on 2008-11-21 17:51:00 UTC Reply

Though I think you meant "as long as classified info isn't given away". :) Just mentioning.

Gah. by kmtgarrett on 2008-11-21 19:59:00 UTC Reply

Sorry about that, I was typing the reply at school, so I was in a hurry. Really "I'm doing work for the government" would probably be a good excuse to family members, I guess. Thanks for the info, though, this is really helpful.

It's all good. by Cassie Cameron-Young on 2008-11-22 17:32:00 UTC Reply

Though I think I managed to get the letters I wrote to tell my agent's parents all about the macrovirus and Mary-Sue Invasion without actually telling them WTF happened. :D I could email you what I did, if you like.

Sure, sounds interesting. by kgarrett on 2008-11-22 18:37:00 UTC Reply

I just got back from weight certs, hence the delay in reply, but it sounds interesting, so yeah, if you don't mind emailing me I'd like to see it.

Ooh, a mini-Boarder *hugs kmtgarrett* You want it? (nm) by Ansela on 2008-11-21 23:05:00 UTC Reply

Huh? by kgarrett on 2008-11-21 23:48:00 UTC Reply

Are you talking about my "is given away" typo, or "kmtgarrett", which is just an alternate pen name/my AIM name (which I wrote by mistake, sorry)? Not sure which.

Re: Huh? by Ansela on 2008-11-22 00:09:00 UTC Reply

Whenever a Boarder's name is misspelled a mini is created. Usually the Boarder who's name is the origin is given first chance at them.

I see. by kgarrett on 2008-11-22 01:38:00 UTC Reply

Technically, though, I didn't misspell my name, at least I just used a different screen name by mistake ("kmtgarrett" is actually my full initials "Kyle Michael Thomas Garrett" as opposed to just "kgarrett", or Kyle Garrett). Still, guess I'll adopt it, sorry. So, what do we do with mini-Boarders? Just use them as we would a mini spawned in a mission?

That's what people generally do. by Cassie Cameron-Young on 2008-11-22 17:36:00 UTC Reply

Although I noticed that Artic Blade had a mini-Agent that was a shapeshifter (not quite the same, I know, but still).

But yes, mini-Boarders are generally just teeny-weeny versions of the Boarders. AS I recall, there was one called Trolljie a while back. I never did find out what happened to it, but I'm assuming Trojie has it somewhere in readiness for when she needs minis. :P

The board's for asking questions by IndeMaat on 2008-11-19 09:58:00 UTC Reply

The way I've understood it is that you ask permission to write/post ppc missions. You do not ask for permission on specific agents. Meaning, you do not have to reapply for permission if you decide to start working with a different agent, or introduce cameo agents in your stories.

The writing sample is to show you have a decent enough grasp of grammar and punctuation as to not embarrass the PPC. You don't need permission for the actual content of the writing sample (well, perhaps you would if you want to use other people's agents in that writing sample, but I don't think your question was about that.).

I think I get it. Thanks, I was confused about that. by kgarrett on 2008-11-20 00:51:00 UTC Reply

I was more concerned about people thinking my question was stupid than being offended by me even asking, though. :P Still, I appreciate the help, I was at a loss about that. Anyway, while I'm on the issue of questions, do you or anyone else know where the Mirror Multiverse or Macrovirus epidemic stories are? I'd be interested in reading them, but I don't know where to find them and didn't see them on the PPC fiction list. I don't need the original Mary Sue invasion RP, because the movie script's pretty much word for word what happened, but I've always been curious about just what happened in those others.

Here you go... by Ansela on 2008-11-20 06:59:00 UTC Reply

They're all here.

Much obliged. by kgarrett on 2008-11-20 11:41:00 UTC Reply

I've been looking all over for those, thanks. I'll read them when I'm back from school.