User talk:PoorCynic

Welcome
''Welcome to the PPC Wiki, PoorCynic. Since you have edited the page on Talk:Doppelgänger Sue and have created an account here, it seems you intend to stay. To stay in Headquarters, you should read this and this if you have not already, before you continue on and encounter the Marquis-- he does not dispense mercy and he is less tolerant of fools than I.''

''If you have not introduced yourself to your 'fellows', you should read this as well as this if you have any questions as to their behaviors before you do join them. Any incidents you cause there will not have any assistance from Captain Black and the DIA or Captain Dandy and the DES; please adhere to the aforementioned Constitution, as the results when the Board's inhabitants are irritated do not bode well for anyone. Consider yourself warned. Now if you will excuse me, I have troublesome Agents to attend to.''

--- Sunflower Official (Talk) 18:17, April 18, 2010

Male intern
I asked this on the Board, but since it's a little ways down, I thought I'd ask here as well, just in case. May I borrow the male intern from your introductory piece, and may I name him Frances?

Thanks! Anamia 18:45, June 4, 2010 (UTC)


 * Go right ahead! PoorCynic 18:47, June 4, 2010 (UTC)

Hello!
Nice to see you here, mate.--For the Swarm! 06:00, August 23, 2010 (UTC)


 * Likewise! - PoorCynic 19:28, August 23, 2010 (UTC)

AI page
Regarding your recent edit to Artificial Intelligence: what's wrong with a little joke? Also, I don't understand what you were correcting about the notes that Terminator and the other thing are series, not single movies. In the Terminator series especially, Skynet as AI doesn't even make a serious appearance until the second movie. As it is now, anyone who didn't know better would expect it to play a role in the first movie. ~Neshomeh 16:39, October 15, 2010 (UTC)


 * I think the problem I had with series notations is that they were sloppy and unequally applied. However, you make a good point. I can fix that issue right way. I stand my ground on the meme thing, though. There's nothing wrong with a little joke, but the 'cake is a lie' reference has become overused. Plus, there might still be a few people who haven't played or heard of Portal. They look at the phrase 'in the worst cases, the rogue AI will lie about offering cakes' and not get it. PoorCynic 17:41, October 15, 2010 (UTC)


 * If we were to avoid any and all jokes that people might not get, the world would be a much less joke-ful place. Couldn't we link to something about "Portal" for those people? Also, for those same people (among others), the joke won't seem overused, either. It can't really be both overused AND so obscure that we have to worry about people not getting it, can it? {= ) Anyway, I think in this particular instance, it's so topically appropriate as to be warranted in spite of its meme status. ~Neshomeh 19:07, October 18, 2010 (UTC)
 * Curse you and your reasonable arguments! : ) Seriously though, that's a good idea. The meme can be returned. There'll be no more fuss from me about it. PoorCynic 19:15, October 18, 2010 (UTC)

My intention
Well, my intention was to give a brief summary of main character and basic plot-- and then to write a short blurb on each game's CONTRIBUTIONS TO BADFIC such as they are. Not to summarize the entire plots of the games. In fact, I am leaving 90 percent of the game plots out You are correct in that aspect-- they have their own wikis for that.

However, I feel it's relevant to point out how each game has shaped the fandom culture, so that information can be provided to people such as... newbies, who may want a starting place to research for missions.

I admit-- the first times I summarized games on this wiki the entries were in the Legend of Zelda and the Fire Emblem sections-- because ALL of the games in those series are smushed together in ONE ff.net section for each, and distinctions had to be made. There is more sorting of Final Fantasy fic, so perhaps the summaries can be smaller.

Also, I point out that this page is an enormous work in progress, and I'm not done writing --and cutting-- what's there.

Thanks for your concern, though! If you have any edits you would like to make, hey-- you were here first and it's YOUR wiki. Please do so; it's a group effort. I always love a good community. :)

Aster Corbett 14:20, January 14, 2011 (UTC)

Do you think
Also, unlike Halo, the Final Fantasy series has MANY DIFFERENT continua. It can't all be summarized in 'this is a Japanese RPG series.'

That is not acceptable. Halo only follows one canon, but nearly all of the Final Fantasy games follow different canons-- and we only have ONE wiki entry for all of them.

Do you think it would be more effective that I cut the short summary bits out of the Game synopsis blurbs and instead leave a little link-- and then just talk about contribution to badfic?

I will stop editing that page until I get an answer. You're the boss here, not me. I'm a lowly obsessive-compulsive comparative newbie. ._.

I do not want to change the existing edits I made to Legend of Zelda and Fire Emblem though. The fandoms for those are so mish-mashed and confused that details are kind of essensial for a PPC agent to know.


 * "However, I feel it's relevant to point out how each game has shaped the fandom culture, so that information can be provided to people such as... newbies, who may want a starting place to research for missions."


 * See, though, newbies almost always stick to writing for those fandoms of which they have both a deep knowledge and fascination. They'll probably already have a pretty good understanding of how fandom is shaped because they'll have read plenty of fanfiction. Many come here with a few stories in hand that they'd like to do missions for. They're not stupid.


 * I still believe that the PPC wiki should focus around the AGENTS and the working of the PPC itself. However, that is my opinion, and you are welcome to disregard it if you wish. You're right in saying this is a community effort. Everyone should be welcome to shape the PPC wiki as they wish.


 * "Do you think it would be more effective that I cut the short summary bits out of the Game synopsis blurbs and instead leave a little link-- and then just talk about contribution to badfic?"


 * Yes, good idea. -- PoorCynic 15:11, January 14, 2011 (UTC)

Re: Sandbox

...yeah. I wasn't sure how to edit the Sandbox, because when I clicked "edit," all that showed up was a little green puzzle piece. And I didn't want to delete the text accidentally. That's why I made a new page. JacerPPC 16:58, June 29, 2011 (UTC)JacerPPC

*massive facepalm*
Figured out that puzzle piece=template. I fail. I recommended the new page for speedy deletion. JacerPPC 17:16, June 29, 2011 (UTC)JacerPPC

Workshop One: Characters
I've seen this issue come up on the Board time and time again: hopeful writers presenting would-be that fail to meet the standards of the PPC in their bids for permission. It's a tricky thing, trying to make a good character without falling into a few pitfalls. So, as I mentioned wanting to try my hand at a few workshops in my return message, I decided  to start  off with character creation. I'l begin with a few  tips and tricks  of my own and conclude with a writing challenge for all of you.

NOTE: The following is geared mostly towards making PPC agents, but can be applied to creating characters for works outside of our little group as well.

The Premise

Typically when one creates a new character, one has at least a basic idea of what said character is going to be like. It can usually be parsed out into a short and simple description, like "lazy and reluctant upper-class soldier" or "aggressive gamer girl." Those lines are good places  to start , but you should never get too attached to them. You might find yourself taking the character in a different direction as they become more developed. If said direction seems like a good one, then you should pursue it to its end.

Notice how neither of the descriptions mentioned in the previous paragraph said anything about appearance. That should be your last concern when making a character. If you've ever made a  model car  or figure, then you know to never paint it first. Plus, you might find something in the fleshing-out process that affects the look of your character. That's where Laura's broken nose came from.

Fleshing It Out

A simple line is all very well and good for a background character with one or two bits or dialogue, but agents need more. That means you need more. The best way I've found to flesh out a character is to free-write them into very short scenarios -- drabbles, if you will. The first thing that comes to your mind regarding how your character would react? Write it down. The nature of their reaction can aid in shaping their personality. Using this new aspect of your character, write another random scenario drabble. Repeat the process until you feel like you've got a good grip on what this character is all about.

You should also know as much about your character's past as possible. What events shaped them in their childhood? In  high school ? In college? Did they even pursue an education? What's their family like? And so on and so forth. I'm not saying create a timeline (although that might help you), but you might want to consider writing short stories about some of those major events. The best way to know your characters is to write about them.

From Elsewhere and Elsewhen

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Obviously, the nature of the PPC means that agents can be from just about any piece of fiction to have ever come into existence. If you're going to make an agent from another reality, then you should bone up on the various aspects of said reality. That goes double if you're making a character from a continuum that you know is popular amongst the community you're writing for, like  <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7" style="border-bottom-width:1px!important;border-bottom-style:dotted!important;border-bottom-color:rgb(27,142,222)!important;color:rgb(27,142,222)!important;background-image:none!important;background-attachment:scroll!important;cursor:pointer!important;position:static;display:inline!important;padding-bottom:1px!important;float:none!important;font-style:italic!important;font-size:16px!important;background-position:0%50%;background-repeat:repeatrepeat!important;">Lord of the Rings <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;"> or  <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD8" style="border-bottom-width:1px!important;border-bottom-style:dotted!important;border-bottom-color:rgb(27,142,222)!important;color:rgb(27,142,222)!important;background-image:none!important;background-attachment:scroll!important;cursor:pointer!important;position:static;display:inline!important;padding-bottom:1px!important;float:none!important;font-style:italic!important;font-size:16px!important;background-position:0%50%;background-repeat:repeatrepeat!important;">Harry Potter <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;"> for the PPC. Fans can be, well, fanatical about the little details.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">At the very least, you should comb through any specific wikis relating to the nature of your character. I'm not the biggest fan of the  Halo<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;"> series -- played parts of some of the games and read a few of the novels -- but I looked up everything I could on  Halo<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">verse AIs when creating Cornelius.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Making a character with powers -- magic, metahuman abilities, chi, or whatever -- is a bit more complicated. I'll get into the nuances of that in a follow-up post.

Find Their Voice

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">A good character has something distinctive in their voice that sets them apart. It might be something big, like an accent or a verbal tic, or small, like what specific words they choose. A lot of swear words might indicate a coarse character who doesn't care what other people think. Strictly structured speech can reflect an equally structured mind. Basically, if you're writing or reading back-and-forth dialogue between two people without descriptors like 'he said' or 'she said,' you should be able to tell who is who based on how and what they say without having to look back at the beginning of the conversation.

The Final Details

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Keeping everything you've learned about your character throughout this process in mind, you can finally get to work on their overall look. Constantly ask yourself questions throughout this process. How does the character move? How do they <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3" style="border-bottom-width:1px!important;border-bottom-style:dotted!important;border-bottom-color:rgb(27,142,222)!important;color:rgb(27,142,222)!important;background-image:none!important;background-attachment:scroll!important;cursor:pointer!important;position:static;display:inline!important;padding-bottom:1px!important;float:none!important;font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;background-position:0%50%;background-repeat:repeatrepeat!important;">walk <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">? Are there any familiar gestures they use? Do they smoke? Do they drink? Do they have tattoos or piercings? Anything that can reflect on the nature of your character should be considered at least for a moment.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">You should consider the hairstyle and clothing choices of character as reflective of how they are, and not how you think they should be. I wrote Danny as being a somewhat serious-minded lover of literature, so I put him in the sweater-shirt-tie combination. Gremlin the athletic street thug would obviously have clothing aimed at free  <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD12" style="border-bottom-width:1px!important;border-bottom-style:dotted!important;border-bottom-color:rgb(27,142,222)!important;color:rgb(27,142,222)!important;background-image:none!important;background-attachment:scroll!important;cursor:pointer!important;position:static;display:inline!important;padding-bottom:1px!important;float:none!important;font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;background-position:0%50%;background-repeat:repeatrepeat!important;">movement <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;"> as well as a few tattoos. The only reason she would wear something even remotely formal would be for flirtatious reasons.

Your Challenge

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Take a character -- it can be a concept you've had brewing in your mind or a pre-existing figure, although I would prefer the former -- and pick one of the following scenarios to write a few paragraphs on. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">[Character] is late for an important event. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">[Character] is helping a friend with a  <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2" style="border-bottom-width:1px!important;border-bottom-style:dotted!important;border-bottom-color:rgb(27,142,222)!important;color:rgb(27,142,222)!important;background-image:none!important;background-attachment:scroll!important;cursor:pointer!important;position:static;display:inline!important;padding-bottom:1px!important;float:none!important;font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;background-position:0%50%;background-repeat:repeatrepeat!important;">favor <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">[Character] is going through their morning routine. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">[Character] has suffered some momentary setback. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">[Character] is responding to criticism. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Did that help you understand your character a bit better, or perhaps uncover some part of them you didn't know about? (You can see why I now prefer you use a concept rather than a character you already know.) Read and critique other entries as well, just because. I put it to you, PPC!

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Have fun and good writing to you all. Stay tuned for future workshop/advice/things in the future!

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Workshop One-A: Powered Characters
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Wizards. Superhumans. The gifted. Whatever you'd like to call them. Crafting characters with special abilities is a task with a few special hurdles of its own. It's not that powers themselves make a character a Sue or Stu; even the most powerful heroes and villains can be balanced and well-crafted characters. It is, however, easier to create a Sue or Stu with powers if written poorly. As such, there are a couple things to keep in mind during the character creating process.

Knowing Their Limits

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Whenever I make someone with special abilities, I make sure to give them clear(ish) limits on what they can do. It's too easy to allow the limits of someone's power to creep up over time as the threats escalate. The  Dragonball<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;"> series is a prime example of such a phenomenon taking place, as is Silver Age Superman.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">There are two kinds of limits I use: physical and mental. Physical limits are just as they sound. The character in question can't use their power in certain ways, or if they do they run the risk of hurting or killing themselves. Mental limits are things that a character could do with their power but don't because it violates their personal code. The psychic who doesn't read other people's minds because it's an invasion of privacy. Mental limits are obviously easier to push past, but doing so might open up an entirely new can of worms. Maybe they become wracked with guilt. Maybe they start questioning the rest of their moral code and start on their way to the Dark Side (so to speak).

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">For example: I used both physical and mental limits when creating Gremlin. She has the ability to manipulate electricity and electrical fields, which by itself could have a pretty broad application (electromagnetism, weather manipulation, technopathy, and so on). I put a physical block on her by making her ability a subtle and unflashy one. She can't hurl lightning bolts or fly or anything like that. At most, she could manipulate existing electrical phenomena. I wrote an (as of yet unpublished) interlude where she 'pulled' the electrical arc out of a stungun and was able to shape it into a marble-sized bit of ball lightning. Even then, doing so caused electrical burns to her hand. That's pretty much as showy as she can get.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Her mental limit is a bit more interesting. I decided when refining Gremlin for the PPC that she could, with a great deal of focus and effort, manipulate the natural electricity in creatures she happened to be touching. That is, she COULD but WOULDN'T. Despite being a thief and something of rebel, Gremlin isn't a psychopath. Puppeting someone around by their own nervous system, tightening their muscles so hard that their tendons tear and their bones break, stopping their heart with a thought: those are the acts of a lunatic. It's invasive, brutal, and horrifying. The only way I could see Gremlin doing something like that was if her life (or someone she truly cared about) was in imminent mortal danger. Even then, she'd definitely not be okay afterward.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Limits don't just apply to things like superpowers. Certain types of magic might require personal risk or sacrifice, like blood magic or bartering with a demon. Maybe learning certain spells means you can't learn others, in the vein of classic D&D. Chi techniques might require mediation and adhering to strict personal vows like chastity or solitude.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Limits. Know 'em. Get 'em. Use 'em.

The Most Important Rule

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">Characterization always takes precedence over the power. ALWAYS. If you want to make a metahuman because you think that someone with a certain power would be cool or awesome, you're doing it wrong. Ask yourself if this character really needs a power or an ability.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">A method I will sometimes use is I will craft a version of my intended powered character sans powers. The World Prime version of that individual, as it were. Then, knowing what I do about their character from that process, I add in a power. An origin story, as it were (if such a concept applies).

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">You shouldn't be afraid of creating characters with powers, nor should you automatically be suspicious of OCs with them. It might be easier to slip down the path into Sue or Stu-dom, but it's not a given. The most important thing to remember is to make them a real character, and not just a set of cool abilities.

<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;">PoorCynic (talk) 01:04, October 22, 2013 (UTC)