I'm always a bit iffy when it comes to random generator SCPs. This is well written, but it feels very barebones compared to the other random generators we have.
SCP-1607 / Discussion
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This hits a lot of my happy buttons as an anthropology nerd - a bunch of broken, illogical cultures who still seem to have come from somewhere. (Hell, this gives me Library ideas…) I love it.
(account deleted)While I do enjoy the civilizations, I do agree that beyond their descriptions, there isn't much else to the article. I also think the interview's dialogue seems a little unnatural. Overall, though, it's still pretty interesting, so upvoted.
So, Moose likes this, and he is a much more learned anthropologist than me. However, in my opinion at least, the anthroplogy in this SCP is a bit shoddy. Here's some things to think about, Tanhony:
- The Mayans rarely, if ever, actually practiced human sacrifice. The Aztecs would be a much better comparison.
- Culture ≠ Religion, Systems of Worship, System of Ruling, etc. - This one really bothers me. Every culture on the list looks like a summary of a nation from a Civilization. As variable as this list is in terms of religious beliefs and practices, the cultures do not seem to vary that much in their use of language, what kind of shelters they had, what they ate (considered food), what they wore, their family and clan structure, their value systems, their "foreign affairs", and their worldview in general.
- Terms like "stone-age" would not be applicable in this situation, given that stone-age refers specifically to certain ancient areas of the so-called "old world" (Making it DOUBLE NON-APPICABLE [COULD THERE BE SUCH A THING?] since A. This is in Alaska and B. The people appearing are from entirely different universes)
- "Culture" is kind of a funny word, and its range just doesn't quite fit with the what's appearing in this SCP. A better term might be "people with a shared cultural knowledge".
Anyways, that's my two cents. I suppose in the end this is still entertaining to most folks, mostly what ruined for me were some of the more jarring statements. For instance, "The culture showed a roughly 1900's level of technology" sounds really non-clinical, and is ambiguous (1900s level of technology where? England? Afghanistan? New Zealand? This is especially distressing if it was written by an anthropologist.) These are some cool ideas, Tanhony, but for somebody who's spent a long time reading about much stranger cultures (I recently read about how the Nuer use cow metaphors to greet, insult, compliment, and debate) this just doesn't seem that intriguing.
EDIT: Here's an anthropologized version of one of your entries, to show how much detail you can put in for variability:
| August | A people which purported to be highly peaceful and pacifistic. Structures and clothing were made from the byproducts of the naturally deceased, while those who did not follow the culture's laws were dropped into one of several pits located in SCP-1607. Family structure was nuclear, with retired elders committing ritualized suicide in order to continue supply of materials for structures and clothing. Plants were perceived as inedible, and diet mostly consisted of insects. Mythology told of several creator gods having created the world by creating a large framework made of bone, then wrapping human skin around the frame. Language spoken consisted mostly of guttural vowels, interspersed with clicks, however the alphabet used was of Latin origin. Cultural value appeared to lie on the human body and its usage, suggesting a historical lack of environmental resources. Causing damage to a living, human body (of oneself or another's) resulted in capital punishment and recycling of the body for building material. An unknown poison was used for execution. |
I haven't read the SCP yet, but just wanted to voice agreement on the phrase "1900's level of technology" being super vague. Even in the US, it wasn't until relatively recently that the tech gap between different regions became as small as it is today. You may laugh, but there were households that had TV's but still had to use a butter churn because commercial butter wasn't available to them.
I like the idea here, but the stuff you added directly contradicts the previous information.
Piffy is an SCP Foundation Moderator, Lv. 9001 Squishy Wizard, and Knight of the Red Pen.
How so? By supplying more detail in terms of the people's value system, language, and family structure, the people become more interesting.
The only contradiction I see is poison vs. pit-dropping.
I was somewhat entertained by the SCP, so I won't downvote, but I think that Sal's complaints ought to be addressed before I can upvote this.
if your reading this your gay
I like the Dalens, but this is just another random civilization SCP…
This is my first random SCP and I think it was decent enough to get my vote. A bit more content for each civ would be nice, perhaps some more interviews with different leaders of each culture. But as it is I think it's nice. +1
That punchline. It made me smile.
Piffy is an SCP Foundation Moderator, Lv. 9001 Squishy Wizard, and Knight of the Red Pen.
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page revision: 2, last edited: 15 Jan 2023 15:06
