The Idea
You have an interesting concept here. A puzzle box that, when pointed at something, will cause it to disappear and become a puzzle that must be solved to bring it back? I find that cool. However, there are a couple of problems here:
1. It seems a bit flat.
2. The 'allure' isn't very much of an allure.
3. OP much?
Let's take a peek at the first problem first: 'It's a bit flat'. What I mean here is that this is an SCP 'thing what do a thing' cliche. In this case, it's a 'puzzle that causes real-life objects to disappear, and the puzzle has to be solved before the object comes back'. Interesting, but kind of 2-Dimensional. If there was some story here it may have been better (I'll look at this in the next section), but there isn't.
The second problem is the 'allure'. I don't find this alluring, I find it obvious. The consequences of something disappearing until the puzzle has been solved is clear to me right from the start. So this allure doesn't work, at least for me.
The third problem is the overpowered nature of this idea. This isn't as much of a problem (kind of nitpicking here) but still irks me very slightly, and some people don't like OP ideas. You could point this at literally anything (the Sun, SCP-682 and it would disappear indefinitely until the puzzle was solved. This is, by my definition, overpowered. With this, you could cause an entire galaxy to disappear. Again, not a big issue (hardly an issue at all actually) but some people won't like this.
I also have some questions:
Is there a limit to the disappearing properties of this puzzle?
Does it have a range?
How does it 'see'?
What if you destroy the pieces of the puzzle?
Your idea, while intriguing, is lacking in 'substance' that the narrative provides. When I'm critiquing ideas, I find this issue in a lot of them (even in the last idea I critiqued) where the idea is there, but the story is not. This Site isn't in Series I anymore, it's in Series VI. There are over 5000 SCPs (with more every day), so an idea by itself just isn't going to cut it anymore. You need some story, which brings me to my next section:
The Narrative
The narrative is important, as mentioned above. You need it for a successful article, and this idea has none. Questions such as 'where did this come from?' and 'how hasn't it caused the end of the world yet?' arise for me. Does this puzzle have a backstory? Perhaps a tortured creator struggling with the power he now possesses, or an accidental creation with disastrous consequences.
In short, you need some story, and you need it quickly. It is necessary for your article.
Tips, Questions, and Advice
Tips:
Read these articles:
How to Idea Goodly
How to Story Goodly
Story Again
And don't be afraid to check out the Guide Hub for some more tips!
Questions:
- Is there a limit to the disappearing properties of this puzzle?
- Does it have a range?
- How does it 'see'?
- Is the puzzle sentient?
- What if you destroy the pieces of the puzzle?
- Where did it come from, and who created it?
Advice:
In regards to your idea, I wouldn't recommend anything specific. The idea is intriguing to me already, so just look at the Guide Hub for some more advice.
In regards to your narrative, get one. Creating a narrative is so important to current SCPs that most won't survive without them. Ask yourself questions about the backstory from the point of a reader that knows nothing, and shape your story (before you do, read this article to not create a cliche narrative). Once you've created a good narrative, the rest of your article should start to fall into place.
KreemPi, 25 Jul 2020 00:53
