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Question My work for a possible new Kimba character
7 years 6 months ago #1
by CrazyMinh
Posts:
758
Gender:
Male
Birthdate:
Unknown
You can find my stories at Fanfiction.net here .
You can also check out my fanfiction guest riffs at Library of the Dammed
- CrazyMinh
-
Topic Author
OK. This will take some explaining. I found out about this website via TV tropes a little while ago. I'm a big X-men fan, so I came over to see what it was about. I didn't have a problem with the LGBT themes, but I simply LOVED the writing. These stories are some of the best writing on the net that hasn't been widely seen. Now, six month after discovering the website, I decided to start a account. So, here I am. But that's not what I want to talk about. Rather much like a Gadgeteer holed up in a secret lab, I've been privately working on a possible addition to Team Kimba. I know the writing for that particular part of the OC has sorta stalled and begun a death-dive of unfortunate ends, but with the permission of the existing Canon Cabal, I'd like to add a new character to the existing canon. It's a idea that I've been working on for ages. Even before I found this site. I was attempting to write a X-men fanfiction, and at the time, Rick and Morty had just come out. So, I decided the character of the fanfic (whihc flopped and was never published by me on any site (fanfic being a relatively new thing for me cause I have piles of unpublished story ideas on my mac)) would be a person who can literally explore the multiverse, but got trapped in the dimension where we lay our scene. Then, the project flopped, and the idea festered. However, like leaving organic materials to ferment into fine wine, the discovery of the Whateleyverse sparked a new drive for me. So, I toiled away on the character, adding in that the character comes from a dimension rather mcuh like ours, and that they happen to be a gadgeteer. I further adapted the character to the setting by making them a bisexual character, who also happens to be androgenyous due to mild GSD, but apparently will go either way later on. Anyway, I plan to introduce the character with the support of the Canon Cabal as a part-time member of Team Kimba, and as a gageteer on the team. The thing that bugged me about the team was that there was a) no character whose sex was not either one (unless you count phase) and b) while there were Gadgeteer friends of the team, they didn't actually have a proper one (jade Doesn't count obviously) on the team. I also noticed that although tere was a individual sense of mystery around the characters, there was really no character whose past was ambiguosly unexplained, something that would give rise to plenty of story opportunities. To be honest, I don't expect the cabal to jump on this idea. I don't expect that I (a newbie) will be one of many others to have their idea accepted. But, I am a pretty good writer, and I have hope that the idea will kick off. I love the stories. I hate to see literary waste. So, I'm going to make it my mission to reserract the Kimba stories, and get them moving again. SO, I hope the canon cabal reads this. If you have doubts about my literary skill, try reading one of my few fanfictions. They may not be 'prime' material, and they may carry the taboo of being fanfiction. But, Cassandra claire started as a fanfiction writer. Anyway, for now, I'm not going to argue the validity of Fanfics. Below is a (currently W.I.P) bio and info on my yet-unamed character. I've got a codename and a backstory, but not a real name. So, let me introduce Crossover, the Androgynous Dimension Hopper with a skill with Machines!!! (Heh, lol for the OTT intro.)
MID:
Code name: Crossover
Ratings: Warper Unclassified (Off the Charts) ILT; Gadgeteer 5; ESP 5; Registered Gun Holder; Black Belt Vulcan Martial Arts
WARNING!!! USER PERMITTED TO CARRY LETHAL WEAPONRY OF EXTRADIMENSIONAL ORIGIN!!! OFFICIALS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE MUTANT OF WEAPONS (FUTILE DUE TO HAMMERSPACE ARSENAL)
Techniques: Interdimensional Leap (Currently Restricted); Quantum Teleportation (Portal); Vulcan Nerve Pinch (Don't Ask)
Weak Vs: Insults about Geekiness, Sci-fi or the Scientific Method
Backup/Team affiliation: ARC/Team Kimba
I'll post the backstory and additional details once I've polished them up a bit. So what do you think??
MID:
Code name: Crossover
Ratings: Warper Unclassified (Off the Charts) ILT; Gadgeteer 5; ESP 5; Registered Gun Holder; Black Belt Vulcan Martial Arts
WARNING!!! USER PERMITTED TO CARRY LETHAL WEAPONRY OF EXTRADIMENSIONAL ORIGIN!!! OFFICIALS SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE MUTANT OF WEAPONS (FUTILE DUE TO HAMMERSPACE ARSENAL)
Techniques: Interdimensional Leap (Currently Restricted); Quantum Teleportation (Portal); Vulcan Nerve Pinch (Don't Ask)
Weak Vs: Insults about Geekiness, Sci-fi or the Scientific Method
Backup/Team affiliation: ARC/Team Kimba
I'll post the backstory and additional details once I've polished them up a bit. So what do you think??
You can find my stories at Fanfiction.net here .
You can also check out my fanfiction guest riffs at Library of the Dammed
7 years 6 months ago #2
by Kristin Darken
Posts:
3898
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Fate guard you and grant you a Light to brighten your Way.
- Kristin Darken
-
Couple quick points
While a great many of the original protagonists are TG or another variant of LGBT, that is more a factor of the origin of the author group (we mostly started out as TG Fiction authors and the sites we were creating for were heavily biased for stories with transformations, especially gender flips). While an androgynous-bisexual character will certainly appeal to a portion of our audience base, it isn't 'required' to be a WU protagonist. If that gives the character something that you want to explore as a storyteller? Great. If not, don't feel forced to include it just to make people happy. Most of us would rather see a good story than a mediocre story with a gender flip. But a good story with a gender flip, even better.
The same thing can be said about powers. Team Kimba is somewhat atypical... some of the most powerful new mutants in the world. Most mutants aren't that powerful. And again, while the stories were set to use the superpower setting; few of the stories are actually about the powers.They're about people. People who are uncontrollably different from other people in their world, who many people for entirely irrational reasons are hated by much of the populace. So, we recognize that its less important to come up with a unique power set gimmick than it is to create an interesting person and place them in dynamic conflicts with obstacles to overcome and all that jazz.
Finally, don't worry that we will look negatively on 'any' story just because it is labeled 'fan fiction'. In fact, we've gone out of our way to label community contributed non-canon stories as WhatIF (Whateley Independent Fiction) stories here. That's because many people DO consider fan fiction as something 'lesser' than the original author's work... something incapable of standing on its own merit. And sure... there IS some of that. But there are also plenty of stories over the years that are just as high quality, just as accurate to the way the universe works, and just as successfully portraying the characters and setting as any canon piece... and really the only thing keeping it from being canon is that the author didn't have access to the canon details that protect it from breaking continuity once other events happen that were not public at the time it was written. So to recognize that; we call it WhatIF instead of fan-fic... and maybe some of the What-IF is fan fic... but much of it is just as good (or better) as some of the canon stuff.
The only thing being canon means is that you have to spend more time avoiding continuity problems and coordinating with the rest of the authors. In fact, we tend to consider 'ability to work with the other authors on the team' as just as (if not more) important than quality writing.
Anyway... we'll look forward to seeing what you come up with. From your MID, I'd say first glance 'too powerful' ... and I'd be curious to see why you need both Warper 7 AND Gadg 5... and how ESP 5 fits in there (which specific ESP traits are involved, etc). Just as a rough estimate, 'most' mutants manifest with 2-4 total ranks of powers (Underdogs), 5-7 total ranks is uncommon but possibly more visibly present at WA itself (because the main body of the lower powered average doesn't need to go to Whateley to hide/gain control over their powers). 8-10 ranks is consider a heavy hitter... and above 10 is world class/ A-list. Now that's not a 'rule' or anything... but its a good estimate for keeping tabs on where your character is as you start out. Most of the time, I find that people put their character at 5 or 6 without realizing just how powerful 5 or 6 makes them. Relative to a Marvel or DC hero? Maybe not.. but being able to toe-to-toe with a tank is not inconsiderate power.
While a great many of the original protagonists are TG or another variant of LGBT, that is more a factor of the origin of the author group (we mostly started out as TG Fiction authors and the sites we were creating for were heavily biased for stories with transformations, especially gender flips). While an androgynous-bisexual character will certainly appeal to a portion of our audience base, it isn't 'required' to be a WU protagonist. If that gives the character something that you want to explore as a storyteller? Great. If not, don't feel forced to include it just to make people happy. Most of us would rather see a good story than a mediocre story with a gender flip. But a good story with a gender flip, even better.

The same thing can be said about powers. Team Kimba is somewhat atypical... some of the most powerful new mutants in the world. Most mutants aren't that powerful. And again, while the stories were set to use the superpower setting; few of the stories are actually about the powers.They're about people. People who are uncontrollably different from other people in their world, who many people for entirely irrational reasons are hated by much of the populace. So, we recognize that its less important to come up with a unique power set gimmick than it is to create an interesting person and place them in dynamic conflicts with obstacles to overcome and all that jazz.
Finally, don't worry that we will look negatively on 'any' story just because it is labeled 'fan fiction'. In fact, we've gone out of our way to label community contributed non-canon stories as WhatIF (Whateley Independent Fiction) stories here. That's because many people DO consider fan fiction as something 'lesser' than the original author's work... something incapable of standing on its own merit. And sure... there IS some of that. But there are also plenty of stories over the years that are just as high quality, just as accurate to the way the universe works, and just as successfully portraying the characters and setting as any canon piece... and really the only thing keeping it from being canon is that the author didn't have access to the canon details that protect it from breaking continuity once other events happen that were not public at the time it was written. So to recognize that; we call it WhatIF instead of fan-fic... and maybe some of the What-IF is fan fic... but much of it is just as good (or better) as some of the canon stuff.
The only thing being canon means is that you have to spend more time avoiding continuity problems and coordinating with the rest of the authors. In fact, we tend to consider 'ability to work with the other authors on the team' as just as (if not more) important than quality writing.
Anyway... we'll look forward to seeing what you come up with. From your MID, I'd say first glance 'too powerful' ... and I'd be curious to see why you need both Warper 7 AND Gadg 5... and how ESP 5 fits in there (which specific ESP traits are involved, etc). Just as a rough estimate, 'most' mutants manifest with 2-4 total ranks of powers (Underdogs), 5-7 total ranks is uncommon but possibly more visibly present at WA itself (because the main body of the lower powered average doesn't need to go to Whateley to hide/gain control over their powers). 8-10 ranks is consider a heavy hitter... and above 10 is world class/ A-list. Now that's not a 'rule' or anything... but its a good estimate for keeping tabs on where your character is as you start out. Most of the time, I find that people put their character at 5 or 6 without realizing just how powerful 5 or 6 makes them. Relative to a Marvel or DC hero? Maybe not.. but being able to toe-to-toe with a tank is not inconsiderate power.

Fate guard you and grant you a Light to brighten your Way.
7 years 6 months ago #3
by null0trooper
Posts:
3032
Gender:
Male
Birthdate:
19 Oct 1964
Forum-posted ideas are freely adoptable.
WhatIF Stories: Buy the Book
Discussion Thread
- null0trooper
-
Speaking for myself only,I have to say that Crossover is starting off with one of the faults that make Team Kimba stories hard to read for many casually-interested WU readers: they're immensely over-powered for the setting. I look at "WRP 7, ESP 5" and see an Elder God or Shoggoth Lord, not a teenaged ninja mutant human in need of Whateley Academy's training just to survive as an everyday person on the street.
Why not start writing Crossover's story (In either the WhatIF series or the Fabrication Lab board on the forum, whatever feels comfortable), showing what's happened to get them to Whateley with all that power and all those toys, why they would need to be educated on the Whateley Foundation tab, and who they are as a person? If you can do that without breaking the limitations of the setting (WU mutants are generally FAR less powerful than Marvel Universe mutants or even many DC Universe metagene carriers), you might find yourself writing a Team Kimba story along the way.
For example, my own OCs have met Hank (unavoidable: the JROTC unit isn't that big), and are on speaking terms with Phase (via Mafia Beret and Phase's mentor; also one's a Thornie, another a Posie ). That's taken a novel-length story to establish. YMMV. *shrug*
Why not start writing Crossover's story (In either the WhatIF series or the Fabrication Lab board on the forum, whatever feels comfortable), showing what's happened to get them to Whateley with all that power and all those toys, why they would need to be educated on the Whateley Foundation tab, and who they are as a person? If you can do that without breaking the limitations of the setting (WU mutants are generally FAR less powerful than Marvel Universe mutants or even many DC Universe metagene carriers), you might find yourself writing a Team Kimba story along the way.
For example, my own OCs have met Hank (unavoidable: the JROTC unit isn't that big), and are on speaking terms with Phase (via Mafia Beret and Phase's mentor; also one's a Thornie, another a Posie ). That's taken a novel-length story to establish. YMMV. *shrug*
Forum-posted ideas are freely adoptable.
WhatIF Stories: Buy the Book
Discussion Thread
7 years 6 months ago #4
by Kristin Darken
Posts:
3898
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Fate guard you and grant you a Light to brighten your Way.
- Kristin Darken
-
Without knowing anything about the character beyond what's on the MID stats listed, my first inclination is to ask "why do you need both warper AND gadgeteer?"
After all... anything you can do as a Warper, you can probably do with Advanced Tech. If the whole point of the Warper stat is to allow for the Interdimensional Leap and Teleporting... well... why can't those be Tech? Portal gun with a setting that lets you change one of the standard spatial axis and go right angle to your current dimension. Then you don't need Warper at all... just a solid Gadgeteering base. Same with ESP ... what is it about the Psi abilities that suggests you need 5? Could you instead do the same thing with an ESP 1 and a Psionics Amplification headband/crown/etc....? Then you've brought the base stats into a more average range, given some built in limitations (power supplies, access to your gear, etc) and broken up the stages of development of abilities so that its not all available at manifestation... you have to build it first.
After all... anything you can do as a Warper, you can probably do with Advanced Tech. If the whole point of the Warper stat is to allow for the Interdimensional Leap and Teleporting... well... why can't those be Tech? Portal gun with a setting that lets you change one of the standard spatial axis and go right angle to your current dimension. Then you don't need Warper at all... just a solid Gadgeteering base. Same with ESP ... what is it about the Psi abilities that suggests you need 5? Could you instead do the same thing with an ESP 1 and a Psionics Amplification headband/crown/etc....? Then you've brought the base stats into a more average range, given some built in limitations (power supplies, access to your gear, etc) and broken up the stages of development of abilities so that its not all available at manifestation... you have to build it first.
Fate guard you and grant you a Light to brighten your Way.
7 years 6 months ago - 7 years 6 months ago #5
by E M Pisek
Posts:
1299
Gender:
Male
Birthdate:
24 Apr 1960
What is - was. What was - is.
- E M Pisek
-
I shall create the most awesomest villain the world has never known for I have the Armageddon of 30billion galaxies at my disposal and I need a pathway to the next one so *poof* yours is gone and no Hitchhikers.
What a pathetic world that was as with their claim of being able to stop me. Someone send out the sweepers and clear the rubble. Mah ha ha ha ha.
What do you mean this was the only world with *Hello Kitty* movies? 30 Billion galaxies out of a 100 billion and this is the only one?
Damn. Well there goes my collection.
What a pathetic world that was as with their claim of being able to stop me. Someone send out the sweepers and clear the rubble. Mah ha ha ha ha.
What do you mean this was the only world with *Hello Kitty* movies? 30 Billion galaxies out of a 100 billion and this is the only one?
Damn. Well there goes my collection.
What is - was. What was - is.
Last Edit: 7 years 6 months ago by E M Pisek.
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