# Pastebin DMkwRAVD 11:51 AM <%red3> While we wait for our final member to join us, how about we get into our initial thoughts on this article? 11:53 AM <+cybersqyd> it got me excited for the next part 11:53 AM Finished! And I gotta say this is quite an enjoyable read 11:54 AM It was pretty decent. 11:54 AM <+cybersqyd> like it sets up interesting stuff and i just wish it'd had more chance to like...not just be exposition setting stuff up? 11:54 AM Yeah 11:54 AM I was slightly confused what the hunters where too 11:54 AM I wasnt sure if I just missed something 11:55 AM <+cybersqyd> i assume stuff living on 3417; like there's implication it's an inhabited place and the hunters are...something that lives there 11:55 AM <+cybersqyd> possibly automated defences, it's unclear 11:55 AM <+cybersqyd> unless i too missed something 11:55 AM I assume the Hunters are some rank or species encountered that made the Foundation double take on expanding and colonising out into deeper and deeper space. Or it could be what sqyd said 11:56 AM <%red3> I did enjoy this slightly more, since it does set up the character of the SCP article more. Instead of it being just a one-off thing, this article makes it feel like an actual place which is lived in. The technobabble is down a lot more, although there still is a bit too much for my liking. The writing is also better in a lot of ways, with the only big issue I can see being the dialogue. It's very noticably cliche in 11:56 AM <%red3> parts (e.g. Keo adding "Is that clear?" at the end of one of his sentences and Watts saying "Keo..."). 11:57 AM <%red3> Also, I agree with Blue's interpretation of what the Hunters are. They felt more like inhabitants of the planet than things which the planet itself created. 11:58 AM <+cybersqyd> yeah 11:59 AM <%red3> And I agree that this is a better form of exposition than most articles, since it blends the exposition in with action. This is more a strength with the first section than it is with the second, but it still applies somewhat. 12:01 PM Yeah, I was just confused as the SCP felt like an alien made habitation thing 12:02 PM And the hunters didnt seem to possess a high intelligence? Idk 12:02 PM Mhm, I agree. Considering that the action was quite lively and tense, it made the reader sort of absorb more and more into the tale. Of course, I find joy in most things and I'm glad to have resisted the temptation of downvoting the last article, considering this tale is playing off of the information utilized there. So I'm keeping the novote on the skip for now. This tale is certainly a bit more of a vast 12:02 PM intelligence 12:03 PM Damn it, ignore that last line, I meant "This tale is certainly a more more action packed" I got confused when I read moned's message haha 12:04 PM <%red3> Upon reading this, I wish that the SCP article had more of a focus on the planet and its inhabitants, rather than just a poor attempt to drum up stakes for this series. If it had done that, then I feel like this would've connected the first two articles more and would've provided an even better glimpse into the main setting of the story. 12:04 PM <+cybersqyd> yeah 12:05 PM Agreed 12:05 PM 100% agree 12:07 PM I feel like I could somewhat enjoy this tale without reading the SCP 12:07 PM <+cybersqyd> yeah 12:07 PM <+cybersqyd> i think it'd feel weird; there'd be an implication there's more context within the scp but it's actually just that the tale doesn't have context for some stuff 12:08 PM The SCP just chucked technobabble at me and a long creature. Both of which dont seem essential to the tale 12:08 PM Agreed 12:08 PM <%red3> That's definitely true. 12:11 PM <%red3> One other thing I noticed which could become a flaw later is the large number of characters being introduced in this tale. There's at least four which I know are going to be the main cast, but none of them really feel fleshed out yet. There isn't a distinct archetype that each falls into, which can then be later expanded upon. Alex is the only one which really does, but that's mainly just because they're nonbinary. The 12:11 PM <%red3> only other thing the article does regarding characterization is state that two of the characters don't like what they're doing, implying that they could be foils of one another. But it doesn't really expand on that in the conversation. They all just kind of blend in with one another. 12:12 PM I am not sure this hugely excited me tbh. It felt like a generic space fight against enemies. Given the number of space combat books I have read it might just me be burning out from them though. 12:12 PM Just a simulation of them dying, to show how dangerous it is. Then a rebellious main character who thinks they know what they are doing 12:14 PM <%red3> That's true. I am a bit biased towards this type of space fight, though, since I loved games like Evolve which explored similar themes of a small band exploring an alien planet. Assuming that the religious elements of Hytoth are thrown in there, it could be a fairly interesting experience, assuming that the rest of the series goes the way that this does. 12:14 PM Yeah, I hope it explores the Hytoth connection more 12:14 PM I always love a good space combat. What I hope this does though is try and be completely different. I do remember reading two book series about space - one about Space navy and one about Medic in the Marine Corps - both very excellent tales and breaking the mold. I do hope this series does something with this and be something completely different from the "Marines going in, kicking ass, and taking names." style of 12:14 PM sci-fi 12:15 PM But a squad being all alone in space is kinda overused 12:17 PM <%red3> I guess that's a somewhat overused trope. It's still broad enough, at least in my mind, to be open to new interpretations, though. 12:17 PM I agree. But I dont think this gives me another interpretations 12:17 PM Might just be because it is a setup piece though 12:18 PM <%red3> I can see that. Does anyone have any other big ideas they'd like to explore or should we go straight for our closing thoughts? 12:20 PM Hmmm... Again, I do hope that the Expidition Task Force (Lets face it, this is one) does more than fight monsters. Like exploring a world and doing a bit of study... or maybe Raiders of the Lost Ark style and like escape an alien tomb 12:23 PM Might want to go to closing thoughts 12:23 PM <%red3> I wish that something like this would've come earlier in the series, since we're about halfway and we're only really diving into the main plot. Overall, this still suffers from the writing issues that I noted earlier, but I felt like this was a better entry than the last SCP. I'm a novote right now, but that might turn into a light upvote with a reread. 12:24 PM I'm going to upvote this, its finally a nice breath of fresh air from the technobabble heavy articles that we already read