Thread: Fanfic: Is it just me?

Originally Posted by ace423

Actually it you go to the black library forums they actively encourage people to write stuff like this. What's awesome is 3/10 times (a high number!) they are really good. I still remember an amazing short story about a psyker's experience as the black ship was about to deliver her to be eaten by the emperor.

As for fan fiction in general, I've written some terrible stuff before, but I've always acknowledged that fan fiction is the easy way out since A. You have a built in audience who you don't need to bother explaining things to, so half your work is done for you, and B. Its not canon so you can do whatever the **** you want, it's just more fun to make it appear as if it could be canon.
Yeeeeeeeep.

Well thanks for posting some positives about it. I'm still in the "Kill it with fire" club -- but hey, if you enjoy it more power to you.

I think (in reference to 40k specifically) it's a side of the hobby I don't particularly care for. I like the Gaming side and the modeling/painting side. I even enjoy hearing about how other people's game went (or sharing war stories). Hell, even hearing about how campaigns played out is neat.

I don't like the made up back story to try and justify an army or ally contingent. I really don't want to read 3-5 pages of someone's personal fluff for an army (although an actual combat record is kinda neat aka battle reports). and Really don't like when some tries to write about a specific special character like Vulkan, Calgar, Abaddon, Kharn, etc. and pass it off as cannon. If you want to write about your own made up chapter and special characters -- sure knock yourself out. But I'll pass on a read through.

I'm reasonable sure that all the fiction about Kharn on 1d4chan is canon. Just saying.

I just ignore fanfic.

I enjoy writing about my armies and their characters, as I think it can give more life to the game. On the other hand, I certainly don't expect anyone to read it, or care what anyone thinks about it, really. I think doing stuff like taking a year of games for an army and converting them into a Codex style battle timelines is fun, but it is really for my own personal enjoyment. I like that 40K is written in such a way that it helps you by leaving lots of blank open space to be filled, timeline wise.

But here's the rub, all the stories GW produces these days are basically fanfic. None of the writers who conceptualized the 40K universe are still writing it. All the writers today are writing stories set in a universe that existed prior to their work, they're all writing fanfic. Re-read some Mat Ward stuff... as professional work it is kind of meh... but that is amazing by fanfic standards!

Originally Posted by AdamHarry

wow, and btw that's not a "counts as army" that would just be proxying -- even with a fluff story.

Proxy armies are basically exactly what you are describing: Using one army to represent another with little or no modification.

"Counts-as" armies require a bit more work and typically involve conversions, painting, clearly represented units and something I like to call "effort" -- Kevin's Night Lord's army is a good example. Most of the pre-heresy era armies are good examples.

Saying your necron models are space wolves is just proxying models. which is fine in friendly games as long as you are cool with it. But don't try to polish a turd and say it's a diamond. or try to pass off your fanfic as cannon. c'mon man.

I think I'm going to make a counts as SW necron army now. I'll give them all marine shoulder pads and bolters and write an awesome story about how they went to this alternate dimension where everyone was one with the GREAT WOLF and there was WOLFING everywhere and when one WOLFS with the WOLF there is nothing you can do but WOLF.

Bizarro-Wolf!

I've got some plans for a counts-as SW army using Tau models. Firewarriors riding bent-over crisis suits as TWC.

Originally Posted by evilamericorp

everyone was one with the GREAT WOLF and there was WOLFING everywhere and when one WOLFS with the WOLF there is nothing you can do but WOLF.

I think that list will only work if played by Jon Wolf.

Originally Posted by evilamericorp

I think I'm going to make a counts as SW necron army now. I'll give them all marine shoulder pads and bolters and write an awesome story about how they went to this alternate dimension where everyone was one with the GREAT WOLF and there was WOLFING everywhere and when one WOLFS with the WOLF there is nothing you can do but WOLF.

that would be awesome. DOOO EEETTT