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Literary Challenge #45 Discussion Thread

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  • marcusdkanemarcusdkane Member Posts: 7,439 Arc User
    edited June 2013
    Inspired by patrickngo's entry, I have revised parts of my previously mentioned entry, restructuring the dialogue between Alix and Marcus to better clarify his situation on Bajor, which I felt was not clear enough, and which gives another insight into Alix's life. I also revised the very end to include a little more rationalisation on Marcus' part rather than mere angst. As I mentioned when first posting, this entry deals with Adult Themes and scenarios. If you feel you would be offended or disturbed by reading about such themes please do not follow the link.
  • edited June 2013
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  • marcusdkanemarcusdkane Member Posts: 7,439 Arc User
    edited June 2013
    patrickngo wrote: »
    Nice editing.

    Thanks :cool: Have to admit, I just made some final revisions to the conversation about Bajor :o I wanted to include a few more details to Alix's past, which I'm hoping will explain her corporate position as being earned and studied for, rather than merely inherited :)
  • takeshi6takeshi6 Member Posts: 752 Arc User
    edited June 2013
    of course the scary thing..She just made Rear Admiral in game :eek: The Dauntless won't be able to be repaired and she has been given a new ship. The USS Cygnus. Better keep her away from black holes. :D

    Out of curiosity, what class is the Cygnus? Is it a Prometheus, Phoenix, Cerberus, or Hephaestus (Advanced Escort)? A Dervish, Gryphon, Hermes, or Maelstrom (Patrol Escort)? A Sovereign, Majestic, Noble, or Imperial (Assault Cruiser)? An Avenger, Vanguard, Emissary, or Nomad (Star Cruiser)? A Destiny, Oracle, Trident, or Nimbus (Deep Space Science Vessel)? A Luna, Polaris, Sol, or Comet (Recon Science Vessel)? An Excelsior Retro? A Nebula Retro? A Moebius? A Wells?

    I'm really curious as to what ship Schrodi is flying now, and what she's going to fly once she hits Vice Admiral. :)
    76561198160276582.png
  • cmdrscarletcmdrscarlet Member Posts: 5,137 Arc User
    edited June 2013
    @indyv72 - Very imaginative! And you brought in the TV show. Well done.

    @sharpie65 - You know, the different colors to represent different speakers has been noted as a distraction but it was certainly the norm when the LCs started way back when. In the medium of an internet forum, I'm slowly changing my point of view on the matter as I was still able to follow the flow - and for me - the colors were less distracting. George Aubrey ... why is that name familiar?

    @ayel1 - Welcome to the LCs! Short and sweet as you told the story of the introduction while name-dropping your character and Fleet into the weave. Please continue to post the growing adventure s of Capt. Tr'Khev.

    @masopw - Ah, Q. Seriously, having the four versions face-to-face must have been a little challenging to write and I thin you did very well! Keep on writing for the LCs if this is a sample of what you can do!

    @whytelyon - Great intro to the characters, coming from another reality that was similar yet different. What IS the rest of their history ;)

    @gorvar1 - Although I am appreciating the Gorn more as I read LCs with that perspective, let me be honest to say the Krishna is my favorite of your crew. Older Klingons, as an idea, just have something about them that is just awesome and I think you have captured that essence well in this piece.

    @aten66 - In the war-torn galaxy, every body needs to just relax a little. A Jem'Hedar at Risa is something to take a picture, I'm sure! Thank you for the mental image :eek:

    @hughkat82 - Welcome to the LCs! Please be sure to add more tales of your Romulan - as a group we have just started adding to their story so one more person can only make it better :)

    @cosmonaut12345 - As I stated in a previous post - I'm paying attention to what others are adding to the Orion lore. Last night I looked on eBay for the old FASA sourcebook to see what "canon" has to say about it ... although I'm not sure if the RPG is considered canon. Probably not from a certain point of view. So, I'll type it again ... I'm watching your work for inspiration :)

    More as I read them. I can only hope to get mine in before deadline ... it'll be close.
  • knightraider6knightraider6 Member Posts: 396 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    takeshi6 wrote: »
    Out of curiosity, what class is the Cygnus?

    I'm really curious as to what ship Schrodi is flying now, and what she's going to fly once she hits Vice Admiral. :)


    Right now, it's a luna class ship. I pondered giving her something that fit better but from an IC perspective, if they have to give her a ship, give her something that won't kill 800+ people should she run out of lives :D Plus I like the look of the ship. When she hits VA, not sure. I've got ten levels to make my mind up
    "It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but it is better still to be a live lion. And usually easier." R.A.Heinlein

    "he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."



  • takeshi6takeshi6 Member Posts: 752 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Right now, it's a Luna class ship. I pondered giving her something that fit better but from an IC perspective, if they have to give her a ship, give her something that won't kill 800+ people should she run out of lives :D Plus I like the look of the ship. When she hits VA, not sure. I've got ten levels to make my mind up

    True... you could upgrade the Cygnus with the resources of a fleet, you could switch to a Fleet Patrol Escort, or even a retrofit Escort... or you could have the Dauntless completely rebuilt, and upgraded with a stronger hull, more powerful weapons and shields, and maybe a Cloaking Device.

    The Fleet Tac Escort Retro is what my Main, Takeshi Yamato, is currently flying. IC-wise, it is a rebuilt version of his old Tac Escort which, like the Dauntless, was damaged Beyond Economical Repair in battle, and then rebuilt using the Sao Paulo Configuration. He has a Cloaking Device which he salvaged from the wreckage of a Klingon Raptor (actually the Console that came with the C-Store Tac Escort Retro), but he's disconnected it from his ship's systems and has it in storage in the Cargo Hold, intending to use it only if he has need of it.

    So, yeah, that's what I did for story when transitioning to my Tac Escort Retro. I hope that helps if you decide to do the same. :cool:
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  • flamesightflamesight Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    If you look at the canon, Cardassians were never meant to be the cruel, heartless beings they became. They were much like Bajor before a set of nasty self-inflicted ecological disasters left them on the brink of extinction. It was the military that brought them back from that precipice with the iron fist of martial law and forced changes. That was the catalyst for a regime of meritocracy-through-cruelty. New regime in place, they reached for the stars and brought their newfound cruelty to everyone they met, especially Bajor, for whom (I theorize with no proof) the Cardassians may have exercised more despicable behavior because the Bajorans represented what the Cardassians had lost.

    Also, I'm working on an entry myself. Hoping to get it in before the deadline. Enjoying the entries on this LC so far.

    Oh, and I did the "I write like" with my last Dylen story and got Dan Brown. Put in a chunk of my last novel and got Isaac Asimov. Pretty stoked about the Asimov, personally, despite my suspicion that there are only about a dozen authors one can get per analysis.
  • sander233sander233 Member Posts: 3,992 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Right now, it's a luna class ship. I pondered giving her something that fit better but from an IC perspective, if they have to give her a ship, give her something that won't kill 800+ people should she run out of lives :D Plus I like the look of the ship. When she hits VA, not sure. I've got ten levels to make my mind up

    I think the MVA Escort or Fleet Advanced Escort would be right up her alley. It has an LCdr. Sci. BOff slot so she can throw gravity wells, the multivector separation console which should make any engineer squee, and with five tac consoles the Fleet version is one of the deadlier ships in the game.

    Plus the idea of an engineer flying a science-oriented escort just tickles me.

    If you threw in a BattleTech reference and named it the USS Mad Cat you'd be my hero.
    16d89073-5444-45ad-9053-45434ac9498f.png~original

    ...Oh, baby, you know, I've really got to leave you / Oh, I can hear it callin 'me / I said don't you hear it callin' me the way it used to do?...
    - Anne Bredon
  • cmdrscarletcmdrscarlet Member Posts: 5,137 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Oh you like Battletech?! Just wait for more stuff from me :P


    Man, I'd kill to play a game of BT - and I mean the classic tabletop 3025 stuff. But that is for another I guess.

    Still reading and writing - I may actually make this one before deadline! Woooo
  • knightraider6knightraider6 Member Posts: 396 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    sander233 wrote: »
    I think the MVA Escort or Fleet Advanced Escort would be right up her alley. It has an LCdr. Sci. BOff slot so she can throw gravity wells, the multivector separation console which should make any engineer squee, and with five tac consoles the Fleet version is one of the deadlier ships in the game.

    Plus the idea of an engineer flying a science-oriented escort just tickles me.

    If you threw in a BattleTech reference and named it the USS Mad Cat you'd be my hero.

    well the Luna all ready is a sci ship. However your naming idea intrigues me Sir, once she gets the next ship. :D
    "It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but it is better still to be a live lion. And usually easier." R.A.Heinlein

    "he's as dangerous as a ferret with a chainsaw."



  • cmdrscarletcmdrscarlet Member Posts: 5,137 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    If my Luna was not "STF only", I am confident that is what Kathryn would fly :D It's a very decent ship and the Mirror version is almost perfect for a support role, in my opinion. But again, that is for another discussion.
  • danquellerdanqueller Member Posts: 506 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Oh you like Battletech?! Just wait for more stuff from me :P


    Man, I'd kill to play a game of BT - and I mean the classic tabletop 3025 stuff. But that is for another I guess.

    Still reading and writing - I may actually make this one before deadline! Woooo


    Know the feeling. I have to settle for MWO, but at least they are adding the Battlemaster (my personal fav).

    Looking forward to seeing your entry!
  • superhombre777superhombre777 Member Posts: 147 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    My entry counts as a "backstory" since it backtracks several months behind where I currently am with my storytelling. Then it jumps into the great unknown, which is really the consummation of a good backstory. Or maybe I just can't follow the topic rules verbatim.

    The wormhole encounter that I reference is here.

    @ patchouli19 - that was a nice first entry.

    @ danqueller - I really like this quote:
    danqueller wrote: »
    Your fear of discovery, your unwillingness to plan for anything but hiding what you wish, these are what make you Romulans inferior.

    For a while I was afraid that your story would be awkward like that DS9 episode where Worf and Jadzia go to Risa. I think your story was better.

    @ wraithshadow13 - it's been too long since I read one of your entries. I am impressed.
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  • sander233sander233 Member Posts: 3,992 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    My entry counts as a "backstory" since it backtracks several months behind where I currently am with my storytelling. Then it jumps into the great unknown, which is really the consummation of a good backstory. Or maybe I just can't follow the topic rules verbatim...
    Excellent story. I really like the way you shape many of your major characters to deeply flawed individuals, and delving into Hillel made for some very interesting reading.
    16d89073-5444-45ad-9053-45434ac9498f.png~original

    ...Oh, baby, you know, I've really got to leave you / Oh, I can hear it callin 'me / I said don't you hear it callin' me the way it used to do?...
    - Anne Bredon
  • gulberatgulberat Member Posts: 5,505 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Wow...Hillel really has declined a lot. :(

    It's unfortunate, too, to see the degree of prejudice on your Bajor. I would've sooner expected Cardassians to act with such a degree of racial hatred. (And probably earned a punch in the face from one of your Bajorans for making said remark. ;) )

    Christian Gaming Community Fleets--Faith, Fun, and Fellowship! See the website and PM for more. :-)
    Proudly F2P.  Signature image by gulberat. Avatar image by balsavor.deviantart.com.
  • marcusdkanemarcusdkane Member Posts: 7,439 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    My entry counts as a "backstory" since it backtracks several months behind where I currently am with my storytelling. Then it jumps into the great unknown, which is really the consummation of a good backstory. Or maybe I just can't follow the topic rules verbatim.

    That was such a strong entry! :cool: Hillel is a character I love to hate... Cheated on his wife, incompetent in his duties, I really wish he had done what he intended to do, as Isabella and Emily do not need such an emotionally stunted man in their lives... The fact he could not tell his wife why he was relocating them, not once, but twice in rapid succession... She could do much better for herself... (if you ever wanted to collaborate, I can easily see her being friends with someone on the Valkyrie who would frequently express concern about her dysfunctional marriage :D ) Equally, I think it's a shame that he was given the opportunity to resign his commission, because that would have not only given the Bajora a legitimate reason for not hiring him, but would have then been a blessing in disguise (for them) to not have such a compromised individual on their hands. As Ch'Raul points out, he should never have been demoted in such a way, simply put in the stockade or cashiered immediately. The other aspect of the entry I enjoyed so much, I shall explain below in my reply to gulberat:
    gulberat wrote: »
    Wow...Hillel really has declined a lot. :(

    It's unfortunate, too, to see the degree of prejudice on your Bajor. I would've sooner expected Cardassians to act with such a degree of racial hatred. (And probably earned a punch in the face from one of your Bajorans for making said remark. ;) )

    That is actually very realistic, and I felt really brought real depth to the piece. I follow a page on Facebook devoted to the unknown/ignored history of Africa and its people, and the amount of hostility displayed toward any white posters is just like that, and they are distrusted, unwelcome and generally viewed with suspicion, not accepted as an interested student of their culture. So I can totally understand why Hillel was viewed thus and treated with such distain by the Bajora.
  • wraithshadow13wraithshadow13 Member Posts: 1,728 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    @ wraithshadow13 - it's been too long since I read one of your entries. I am impressed.

    I always appreciate the wonderful things people say here, especially given that so many of you all are way better at this than i am. It, as always is greatly appreciated, so thank you.
  • lykumlykum Member Posts: 382
    edited July 2013
    My only complaints are speaking from 1st person perspective and not enough action between dialogue sequences, but they at a start..
    Lyndon Brewer: 20% chance to capture enemy ship for 60 seconds on successful use of boarding party.

    cause sometimes its party time!
  • danquellerdanqueller Member Posts: 506 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    I always appreciate the wonderful things people say here, especially given that so many of you all are way better at this than i am. It, as always is greatly appreciated, so thank you.

    Don't knock yourself down. That's our job :)

    Seriously, I don't think any author has the objectivity to rate their own work. We're too close/involved with it to see it from the outside. It's only when we see our work reflected back by others that we get an idea what it might actually be.

    So, if people like your work, consider that you might be as good as anyone else scratching runes into the computer screen here. :)
  • danquellerdanqueller Member Posts: 506 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    For a while I was afraid that your story would be awkward like that DS9 episode where Worf and Jadzia go to Risa. I think your story was better.

    Thanks! It's quite a compliment that you think my writing could match up to professional stuff. With luck, that will continue.

    Apologies to everyone that I haven't gotten a chance to bring up reviews of my own for all the posts. Been a hectic week. Hope to get at least a little out soon, though I think I'll just be echoing others.
  • gulberatgulberat Member Posts: 5,505 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    That is actually very realistic, and I felt really brought real depth to the piece. I follow a page on Facebook devoted to the unknown/ignored history of Africa and its people, and the amount of hostility displayed toward any white posters is just like that, and they are distrusted, unwelcome and generally viewed with suspicion, not accepted as an interested student of their culture. So I can totally understand why Hillel was viewed thus and treated with such distain by the Bajora.

    I'm not saying there shouldn't have been some racists in there--we did see some on the show.

    That said, I guess I was of the mind that having had a foreign-born Emissary might've led to divided opinions rather than across-the-board disdain. Perhaps in a longer story we would've seen more evidence of that.

    Christian Gaming Community Fleets--Faith, Fun, and Fellowship! See the website and PM for more. :-)
    Proudly F2P.  Signature image by gulberat. Avatar image by balsavor.deviantart.com.
  • marcusdkanemarcusdkane Member Posts: 7,439 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    gulberat wrote: »
    I'm not saying there shouldn't have been some racists in there--we did see some on the show.

    That said, I guess I was of the mind that having had a foreign-born Emissary might've led to divided opinions rather than across-the-board disdain. Perhaps in a longer story we would've seen more evidence of that.
    I think you give people too much credit ;) The other thing to consider, is that this is about fifty years after the end of the occupation, Bajor wouldn't necessarily need Federation help, and some may have viewed Hillel's vague efforts as condescending. This really is the same kind of situation as mentioned on the facebook page, where it truly is essentially a 'closed group' which one is either born to or not, and any outside attempts to participate are simply viewed with hostility. While I think Hillel is genuinely sincere in his desire to assist the Bajora, he really is a very misguided and confused individual, and I think his desire to help is for self-gratification rather than pure altruism... As mentioned, a fantastic character I love to hate for all that complexity :cool:
  • cmdrscarletcmdrscarlet Member Posts: 5,137 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    @jonsills - Having not played Romulan - is this basically what happens in-game? May I use the ship Nneirh for a future piece?

    @maverickdude05 - I really liked how the counselor "got the job". The transition style was very smooth to read and I could tell from the first sentence how the style would be used. Well done!

    @patchouli19 - I loved the title of your piece! The justification for war was well written. I really appreciate non-human PoV stories because I can't write them :P

    @danqueller - Rycho is a PUNK! Man I hated this guy. I always thought the entire Ceti Alpha Five colony went down with the Reliant so this was interesting to see.

    @superhombre777 - Poor Hillel! I think you really captured his plight and I was fully absorbed into the situation. The ending was a brilliant turnaround.

    @ the rest - I left my printouts at home so I'll get to them over the next few days. Some entries are very long (and that's not bad!) but it'll take more time for me to add a comment about them ... aaaand shevet just posted so add another day ;)
  • jonsillsjonsills Member Posts: 10,460 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    @shevet - Well-written story. And while I suppose Starfleet would have preferred a diplomatic option at least being offered before the big battle, I can't blame the admiral for losing it there - I probably wouldn't have been able to maintain my composure, either, and I'm not even Andorian.

    @cmdrscarlet - I glossed over parts of the tutorial; some weren't germane to the story I was telling, and others, like collecting scrap from the orbiting hulks to do some last-minute repairs on the ship, would have made an already-long tale excessive. Also, I was shoehorning in the additional backstory I had for Nniol, which of course doesn't come into play in-game. The response from the Elachi cruiser is, however, word-for-word from the game. :)

    And the Nneirh is certainly up for grabs, although you might want to double-check the spelling at that Romulan website referenced in the "Romulan Gameplay" subforum. I'd envisioned her as a T'varo- or T'liss-class, as a nneirh is a venomous bird about the same size as a Terran hummingbird.
    Lorna-Wing-sig.png
  • shevetshevet Member Posts: 1,667 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    ... aaaand shevet just posted so add another day ;)

    It is quite long, I'm afraid.... An idea I've had knocking around in my head for a while; Tylha goes back home for a visit. A chance for a quiet, reflective, introspective sort of story. Pastoral, almost.
    8b6YIel.png?1
  • danquellerdanqueller Member Posts: 506 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    @danqueller - Rycho is a PUNK! Man I hated this guy. I always thought the entire Ceti Alpha Five colony went down with the Reliant so this was interesting to see.

    I was wondering if anyone would pick up on that :) . Rycho's past is something that might come up in future LCs, but suffice it to say his path and that of the rest of the colony on Ceti Alpha Five diverged in the period between when Kirk left them there and the devestation of the planet six months later. As for hating him....well, what can you say about someone Khan would have made one of his own?

    Thanks for the review!
  • malkarrismalkarris Member Posts: 797 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Well, first time posting to one of these, or posting in this thread, and I get the luck to go after Shevet, though all of you regulars would put my stuff to shame, but eh.

    My entry, attempting a bit of humor about everyone's favorite Romulan Tovan, as well as introducing two of my many many alts. Please forgive me any typos and mis-spellings, and forgive me if I'm not editing all of the "?" back into quotation marks right away. Don't know what happened there. I thought that if you copied it into notebook first it would work? Anyway I'll fix it sooner or later.

    Also forgive me if I don't say anything about the other works yet, thought I am a big fan of all the work in these threads, I haven't really read any of these yet. Been to nervous about actually putting something in.

    Anyway, hi. I hope I'll be coming in here more often to write.
    Joined September 2011
    Nouveau riche LTS member
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