The PPC Posting Board - Latest posts

Hello, PPCers!

As some of you may know, every once in a while a few of us meet up to get better acquainted, trade Sue-slaying methods, mock bad writing in the Real World, and other fun stuff. Boston is having a particularly lovely spring, despite the intermittent downpours...the trees and flowers are really loving it. So, if people are interested, I would like to host a Gathering for Spring/Early Summer 2010.

There's no firm date set (it's just an idea at this point) but I'd like to find out how many of you think you'd be able to meet up sometime in the next couple of months. As for the meeting place, I'm thinking that the Boston Public Library would be my #1 choice. As always, I am open to suggestions.

Hope you can make it!

~Araeph

I like to read stories set in certain seasons--ones that could have happened in off-screen time of the certain seasons. Especially, when there are cast changes that come with various seasons.

But this sounds more like you are dealing with one that is just ignoring and re-writing everything after a certain season, like saying Kate is still alive in season 7 of NCIS?

If they don't specify AU there, then I'd charge them with getting the canon wrong, because they are getting current canon wrong without saying that they are setting it somewhere other than current.

*poke*

I don't know what you've already read, of course, but there are a few things you should definitely make time for. First, there is the Original PPC Series by Jay and Acacia--but you HAVE read that, I see. {= )

Second, we require that everyone read and abide by the Board Constitution, because it's nicer that way.

After that, there are several helpful documents on the Wiki designed to help acquaint newcomers with us and our habits and behaviors and general weirdness. Sedri's Guide to the PPC is particularly informative, especially when combined with the FAQ for Newbies and the Mission Writing Guide. If you do want to write PPC missions, you should also see the article about how to get Official Permission.

And that's probably quite enough to start with. {= ) Welcome! Have a bumper-sticker! *sticks one on you* ^__^

~Neshomeh

*eyes your username* We may have some conflict. Regardless, have an enormous guilt-free chocolate cake.

The only things you need Permission for are 1) missions, or 2) things that would noticeably alter the PPC. As long as you're not doing those things, you're free to write whatever you like. {= )

As for the questions:

1. I'd personally prefer it if you adopted him permanently, but since Jay and Acacia did say he was free to use, I don't think there's anything stopping anyone who wants to borrow him (though it is polite to ask the Board first). If that is what you decide to do, just make sure you address what happened to Agent Robyn, who he got partnered with.

However, that said, I agree with the people who are confused that you don't want to make your own character. If you don't have a team ready yet, why not just wait until you do? Heck, I hung around for almost four years before Ilraen came along and I partnered him with Nume. {= P I'm an extreme case, but still. There's no reason to rush into writing missions if you're not satisfied with your team.

2. DoSAT tends to appropriate canon technology and modify it for PPC use rather than make stuff up out of whole cloth. The CADs, portal generators, and disguise generators are a few exceptions. Also, as someone else said, what's wrong with a regular leash?

3. No one's ever really bothered about this before, as I recall. I am positive that HQ does not do any translation of its own accord, though. I am also positive that every agent is equipped with a Universal Translator as a matter of course, just like they're equipped with a flash patch, a CAD, and a remote activator; and it would have to translate written words as well as spoken. The agents couldn't do their job without it.

However, as others have pointed out, the Rule of Funny trumps just about everything. If you need the UT to stop working for a joke, then it will.

As for what it looks like... well, no one's ever bothered about it before. I figure it would have to be something very small, not easily noticed. Maybe it's even built into the flash patch. They've already got a microchip and SEP field generator in there; no reason for the UT not to be part of the same device. ... Of course, in that case it wouldn't work if the agent wasn't wearing the flash patch.

Then again, there is more than one kind of Universal Translator in the multiverse. The most obvious is the Star Trek device by the same name. But then, Douglas Adams gave us the Babelfish; Farscape offers translator microbes; some species have the ability to learn languages very quickly and/or communicate on a different level entirely and don't need one at all; and then there're all the various types of magical translation spells and/or artifacts you could wish for. I wouldn't be surprised if the PPC makes use of all the options available.

~Neshomeh

In the last instance I agree with you. However, if the writer says nothing I think it's up to the PPCer whether or not to give them the benefit of the doubt, depending on the circumstances. Also, if the story was written or even in progress after a canon revelation and the writer acknowledges the error, that's all the more reason they should have fixed it, or at least done something to work around it. Especially if not fixing it specifically benefits a Sue and has no other reason behind it.

~Neshomeh

If the author posts that they are aware of the contradiction and have chosen not to rewrite their story, then that's fine, and it wouldn't be a charge. If, however, the author says nothing, or says that they started writing the story after the revelation, then it can be a charge.

In ongoing canons (such as TV shows that are still running) someone could start writing a fic during season three and make up a backstory for the characters that is later, say in season six, shown to contradict canon. It seems unfair to charge for contradicting canon (without claiming AU) in that case.

But what about when the canon fact (say, a previous marriage) was revealed in season three and the story (with the clashing backstory; say, a child conceived with someone not the wife at that time) was first posted three weeks later? It's possible the author wrote the story before the canon fact was revealed and decided not to rewrite to fit in the canon fact. In the case I'm thinking of the author did not acknowledge canon fact took place and chose to ignore it. (Author is from the USA, as is the TV show, so I find it likely she saw the episode on its original air date).

I'd like some opinions on this matter: because the author could have known the character was married at the time the child was conceived, should the child (who is a Sue without question) then be charged with making the character who is her father cheat on his wife? Character has been shown to be serial monogamous.

I would kind of enjoy having a character that people might recognize, but then I would really like to team him with a former Mary Sueish bit/minor character--hopefully one that he and his first partner recruited. I don't need Agent Ranger specifically, but he currently seems to be the best character for the role. The blood elf seems cool, but I'll need to do some research; I don't know that canon.

I'm sorry about the lack of description of the leash. I was actually intending it to be used for one of my agents when he gets a bit too violent and was not thinking about giving it any combat abilities. I suppose it could be used for other characters, but I agree that it would be getting close to super-powered.

I'll see about getting my agent a translator then. I'm also hoping to get him into some English classes so he does not have to rely purely on technology. By the way, I assume the translators translate written words as well? If so, what do they look like? I was thinking about something that would be clipped over the ear, but I'm not sure how that would help visual translation. Or is that artistic license and/or writer dependent? Also, I love the idea of the building messing with the technology! I'll see if I can work that in.

Welcome to the Board! Please deposit your sanity in the provided receptacle. *indicates bucket marked "Warg Fodder"* You shan't need it here. Also, here's a thingy stuck to a wotchamacallit with stuff.

Hello and welcome to the PPC Posting Board! Have some chocolate, and enjoy your stay!

It was intended to be a Fan Epilouge I wrote for fun... but looking back, it really wasn't too great, so I deleted it and never looked back.

Hi! I'm new here too. And, as it seems to be customary to give away a lot of random thhings, have a piece of fool's gold and some cheesebread.

Glad to see that the reports of this board welcoming rookies were not exaggerated! Looks like I'm going to need a bigger swag bag.

In response to BattleHamster I'd say that I'm most into Firefly, Doctor Who, Discworld, and Avatar (the one with the airbender, not the one with the blue elves). I'm bit like a magpie when it comes to other fandoms; if something shiny catches my eye I'll probably end up taking some interest in it.

*enjoys the pettings*

Warriors? I am not familiar with this. My name comes from a list of Mary Sue names gleaned from random fics.

BATBATBAT.

Bat bat bat bat.

Bat bat.

He shall be my grizzly bear and I shall call him Tyrol. *pets Tyrol* Good bear. I shall give you some Brie later on.

I've always wanted a toy rat named Roger. *adds to collection of low rats*

Funny, I just posted about him!

@ Goldenrod: You're welcome to adopt him if you'd like.  He seems to favor the crossbow, and is not above envenoming his bolts.

...I'm thinking of starting up a second mission. But I thought I'd just make this offer beforehand:

Does anyone want to adopt a stray blood elf? Garrett and Claypool seem to have picked one up while sporking Stand of the Exiles.

1. I once created an agent for the purpose of appearing in one scene only. I guess to each their own, but why don't you want to create an agent for just a few missions?
   
   2. As you've probably guessed already, the guidelines are: new technology should be funny, and it should not make the agents too powerful. The energy leash could be funny, if you took it into fandoms where it has no chance of actually working.

Welcome to the PPC! TVTropes and the wiki have definitely been good publicity.

As a welcome gift, I offer to thee...a coxcomb! It's a sort of silly hat with Shakespearean lineage.

If I were you, I'd make up your own partner, but I may be a bit biased...I love having lots of characters. (I have seven active agents right now.) Having the pair be entirely your own, even if it's only for a few missions, gives you a lot more freedom. And you can make up an Agent who's already been in the PPC, if you want. Most of my Agents have been in the PPC a lot longer than I have...

New technology should be used sparingly. We have so many canons at our disposal and so many devices that have been created by past Agents--too much new stuff can be overdoing it. If an ordinary leash would do it, or you could find something that already exists in a continuum, that might be better.

I have a native French speaker, Agent Michel, who routinely speaks French while in HQ, and another agent who swears in multiple languages without their being translated. But it all goes by Rule of Funny. I don't think we ever came up with firm rules for it.

Well, first of all, you can practice your writing style any way you like - we're not the Writing Police. So don't worry about what you do for practice as long as it's not posted anywhere prior to your getting Permission, and as long as you take under consideration whatever suggestions you are given when you do ask.


1. I really don't think you need to fret so much about this; there's nothing wrong with creating an entirely new character for just a handful of missions - the only downside to it is that those of us reading your missions could get confused and you have less time to develop them as characters. You can make up any team you like, and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I created Agent Iza as a partner for my Agent Sedri, but after four or five missions, it was clear that the two of them didn't have long-term funny dynamics, so I gave Iza away to Trojie and Pads, and will make up a new partner for Agent Sedri next time I write a mission. But if Trojie and Pads hadn't wanted Iza, I would have simply let her fall aside. There's no reason you can't do the same.

That said, if you're certain it's Agent Ranger you want, in a temporary basis... I suppose so. As he is a TOS character, it'd be polite to get opinions from the Board as a whole first.


2. There are no specific guidelines, but generally we don't create new technology unless there is a need. For example, I co-wrote a mission with Trojie once in which she rightfully pointed out that murder leaves far too much blood on the floor - so we came up with the idea of a Capillary Towel, which could effectively clean up the mess. It's been used a few times since.

Concerning your energy leash... I'd rather you didn't, particularly it sounds a bit too unusual and powerful, what with technology from multiple fandoms and all. What's the point of having it rather than, say, a normal lightsaber? Or a Ferengi energy whip? Those are canonical, there's no need to explain them, and they work just as well. Also, take another look at the bit about special weapons in the Mission Writing Guide; too much speshulness is a bad thing.


3. That's an interesting question - I'm not sure. Since HQ is a Word World, then UTs technology would work within it just as anything else (like lightsabers) would; the Real World rules certainly wouldn't get in the way. I imagine that agents who don't speak the dominant language (or who are of a species that can't) would carry translators around as a matter of habit. I doubt that it would be the building itself that translates - that place likes to make us late by playing maze, remember? It'd probably muddle up the translations just for fun.

Still - opinions, guys? Whatever we decide, we'll certainly have to add it to the FAQ:For Newbies...


Hope that helps, Goldenrod.