SCP-7100 / Discussion

This is the discussion related to the wiki page SCP-7100.

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There's No Pot of Gold

Captain Kirby 26 Jul 2022 15:14

Alright, I originally wasn't going to enter this contest, but I kind of fell in love with this idea. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

I would like to thank PlaguePJP, meltedbee, EstrellaYoshte, FabledTiefling, Dysradon, An Actual Crow, Ralliston, Kola, and my IRL friends who don't have accounts on the site for their feedback!

Image credits:

First Rainbow: https://wordpress.org/openverse/image/baf14c62-88f2-4812-bc7f-d01d6099eebb

Optics Diagram: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbow1.svg

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Slot Preference:

SCP-7777
SCP-7999
SCP-7007
SCP-7500
SCP-7100

And then as close to SCP-7000 from there :D

Second Rainbow image is my own.

Last edited on 02 Aug 2022 16:39 by Captain Kirby Show more

A Random Day 26 Jul 2022 16:27

Big fan of the progression, the dialogue, and the pacing.

+1

hu4d 26 Jul 2022 16:50

I've noticed a strong trend in 7000 submissions so far that a lot of them are just like, luck-goofs. Like they don't really have the X000 feel to them, they're just enjoyable articles about luck or luck-adjacent phenomena.

At least in my opinion, X000s are supposed to either set up something new, or explain something old. 2000 and 3000 are great examples, with 2000 creating the idea of timeline resets while also explaining how the Foundation even manages to survive, while 3000 offers an explanation as to the function of amnestics. A ton of the 7k entries so far are just articles about luck without that monumental X000 feel that the previous winners tend to have.

This one definitely feels like a X000. I won't say it's my favorite, I think that HarryBlanks "The Loser" is kinda tied for that with this one, at least right now. It sets up some very good worldbuilding, and of course obviously fits the theme of Luck. This is the only article I've personally seen that sets up how exactly a new article is made, and I love the narrative and footnotes detailing that. It honestly feels like this could almost work as an out of universe tutorial on writing a solid SCP article for the Wiki.

Great job!

Re: +1

allfather 27 Jul 2022 15:27

Exactly this! I feel like a X000 should bring something new and fascinating to the table every time a new X000 is warranted. All skips in this contest so far haven’t felt like they have. Of course some are very interesting but none of them give me that special feeling of 'new' or ‘revolutionary'. This skip has done quite a good job at achieving that.

OriTiefling 26 Jul 2022 17:15

Loved the draft and I love this still. The ladybugs are my favorite take on Leprechauns yet (I refuse to recognize the other spelling). A fun story that twists the fortune theme around to show us that yes, we do make good choices if we try.

Flayed Olive 26 Jul 2022 19:21

Teller is such a cool character, I really liked his arc through this. And the Leprechauns were also super neat, I liked their reinterpretation. Though I do wonder how giant bugs got mixed up for small people in green clothes.

Tufto 26 Jul 2022 19:39

This is really excellent - a very sweet character arc for Teller finding his feet. Your characterwork is, as always, first-rate, with the world really feeling lived-in because of it. The gimmick works, the worldbuilding works - the whole thing works. It's just a really solid, well-paced coming-of-age piece, with likeable characters and a satisfying happy ending that feels earned.

Mirradom 27 Jul 2022 14:17

Finally joined the site after around a year of lurking, to say that this entry is really good. I like the format being that you are learning how to deal with an anomaly by getting shown an example of another project lead dealing with an anomaly, and the twist(?) at the end was really good as well.

#9.

The Pighead 27 Jul 2022 14:40

I think it's fitting for me to read a pretty sweet piece just after a very dark article.

Anyway, this was a very pleasant story to read and I really relate to Teller and his struggles. It was cool to read and the format was a nice touch, too.

+1.

Fortanono 27 Jul 2022 15:28

Fantastic article—love the framing and the character dynamics, and the ending was great. Read it during crit and loved it, still do now.

#22, -1

Ralliston 27 Jul 2022 21:01

I feel lowkey terrible repeating my criticisms from critique here in such an official manner because it could feel like I'm just an asshole that really hates this but I said I'm commenting on every one I read so here I am. Sorry Kirbs

This has a lot of really cool elements — the Leprechaun interpretation and the general story format (the rainbow colors throughout <3) are particular standouts — but it ultimately severely suffers from both the main protagonist and pacing. Teller is incredibly annoying as a character and just makes me not care for him at all, and when he's the primary force behind the article, it just… really diminishes my enjoyment. Another thing is the pacing — there's a really interesting urgency about Vivera's disappearance that draws the reader in and then just almost drops it for some random tests and interviews which are just really not all that interesting and don't connect to the general plot too well in my opinion.

All in all, this isn't terrible and is definitely a work with experience and skill behind it but the issue of Teller and the pacing just kill it for me, I'm afraid.

Re: #22, -1

Captain Kirby 28 Jul 2022 02:00

Yeah, so I know I joked when you first gave me this feedback that "that's ok, usually your distaste in something is a good sign anyways" but I'll actually give some justification for the choices made.

Writing choices rant!

With respect to Teller as a character, first of all it's pretty clear that Teller can't exactly be brimming with confidence. It's antithetical to the entire point of the story. However, there were earlier versions where Teller did have more confidence. Not by a ton, but some. The thing was that people felt the arc for Teller was kind of stilted in those versions, because there wasn't as large of a jump from his view of himself to the reality of the situation.

Now, there's something to be said for balancing the confidence and the insecurity as to not go over the edge. However, in this version, I actually got some comments from people who really related to Teller. Specifically the fact that he never was sure of himself and kept questioning his own abilities. Yes, that quality was what made this piece hit home for some of my reviewers. And everything about Teller, from his actions to his mannerisms contributes to that depiction. So I felt quite confident keeping Teller the same, because it was mimicking the way that other people I knew actually felt about their self-esteem.

Now, as for the pacing… if this story doubled down on the chase after Vivera immediately that's just not the same story. Yes, it does take a step back, but that is in service of:

1. Illustrating the core themes regarding Teller's competence by demonstrating his skills in other aspects of the anomaly research process
2. Properly pacing out the story (Teller can't go back immediately for Vivera, since we need build to that log, and since the SCP is Teller-Centric we're going to get that build through Teller doing other thing)
3. Play into the framing device correctly (this SCP is supposed to show case pretty much all of the different types of things that can go on in an SCP, which means things like Interviews and Experiments need representation)
4. Build and develop the world building and plot elements since those are necessary for the repeat excursion as well as the core thematic elements.

So yeah, I give a hook that is not immediately doubled down upon, but turning this into a thriller trying to search after Vivera is just not the same story.

Now, none of this means that your feelings are wrong and that you should feel ashamed for disliking this. Not at all. Rather this is just my reasoning why I don't think the comments you made would've actually improved the story. They just would've told a different story.

Thanks for the comment though! I appreciate you taking your time to reiterate your thoughts!

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