Feb
12th
2022
A question for Ranger readers... · 6:00pm Feb 12th, 2022
First of all, if you haven't read XCOM: Ranger (so far) you might want to reconsider if you're thinking about reading past the image below.
Hello, readers! As you might recall, chapters 246-248 of Ranger are a bit of a character-POV summary of the story so far. But, I am left wondering, will that be enough if I were to pick it up again? What do you think we'd need to sort of grab attention and revive memories? Legit question, btw, I really want to know how you think this should be approached.
Thank you for your patience and you feedback!
~WD
I think it ought to be enough, but you may want to remind folks to read the summary in the author's note of chapter 249.
5635640
Agreed.
5635647
Yep
you will resume XCOM: Ranger after almost three years of hiatus. I can't wait to see the sequel
In my case, the less recap the better. I'm definitely going to read the whole story again regardless. For the fifth time.
I actually appreciate recap chapters. They don’t deter from the story since you can just skip past them if you’re familir with them already
I think the most important thing to do is produce any output, but I'd prefer new content over old. Anyone getting on the wagon now is probably going to want to read the old stuff anyway.
I'm fine with recap. Its been awhile since I've read it so it's be great
Good idea.
Go for it! When Ranger was updating, it was my favorite story on the site! Especially if it helps reignite your interest in writing the story, I'm all for it!
Death From Above - The motto of the First Griffon Airborne Rangers. Most people don't know about it because they're dead before they can read the patch.
Something to revive memories? Well as someone that legitimately does not remember where we left off, how about where they're going, where they are now, and who they're with. Those seem like the most important things to cover, and my brain usually starts to dredge up the details from the depths of my memory once I get those major bits.
When a story I read on here goes on hiatus or I just step away from reading it for whatever reason, (happens a lot) I usually reread the previous chapter to get those answered.
(I remember Twi being bossy, a cool gryphon love interest, a stowaway princess, and a ship. Can't remember if it was an airship or ocean ship though. I don't remember anything else. Hope I remember the right story at least.)
A couple recap chapters do sound like a good idea.
Hmm, I'd say do a recap chapter. The dedicated fans, like me, will reread regardless, more casual readers could be better brought back up to speed that way.
So bring it! I can't wait.
That said, when a story has been away for a while, I typically start with rereading the previous chapter. If that doesn't jog enough brain cells, I go back further. Worst case I have to reread the book. Oh darn.
If you did do a recap chapter, that would be fine too, and might be appreciated by less insane readers.
Either way, yay! I've missed this gem.
The last thing I remember was that sunset now orgasms here enemies to death or some shit like that.
Princess twilight got captured and I forgot what happened after that.
I also forgot who is alive from the Equestria girls cast. And I have zero recollection about every human character. Some chicks were horny for sunset and one became a Griffin.
I also have no clue why humans went to Equestria and what they did there.
... It's been a while and I'd need to reread a dozen chapters or more to catch up.
The thing is, there are other fimxcom stories I have read and they make remembering an abandoned story extra confounding.
I'll say a short briefing where the characters just sit down and recap their situation in a few sentences should be more than enough in addition to what we have in the last 3 chapters.
I'm more excited about the fact that this post is likely means that the story is getting out of hiatus.
I'll just be glad that it's getting updated again. Though I'll probably have to go back through and reread the whole thing so I fully remember it. Also the sort of side-story to this one. That needs to be resolved as well, right?
5635957 Yes, but... I might have to finish one first and Ranger is sort of the main one. It might be spoilers for the other one in one sense, but the objective of that one is to tell the story of their quest for the Algae Photis, not whether it works or not, if that makes sense. I'm being careful about how much I put on my plate right now so I can really work on the stories... and with Ranger, once I get started, it might merit a different schedule than the one I have.
Im halfway through binge reading the whole story (again), but yeah, something like a debriefing report would be good enough to jumpstart the ol' neurons of most.
Hm. Well, for one thing, maybe it would be good to put at the top of the first new chapter an author's note reminder that 246-248 are that? (If you don't already have plans for a bottom author's note, of course...) I'd forgotten them, though maybe I'd have noticed when the new chapter came out.
...Oh. Though I see multiple other people in the comments have already had or agreed with this idea. Well, I guess I'm agreeing with it too, then. :D
I agree with the others suggesting just an author's note or such directing anyone curious to those last few chapters. Actually just got done rereading the story thus far and can't wait to see it continue!
Oddly enough, I got back into XCOM a few weeks ago and I was reminded of this story. So glad to see it is updating! As for your question, many people have already stated the same thing as what I was thinking. Because the story is fairly long, most of the readers will be returning because they liked it before. Most will reread the previous chapters (or the whole story), but a few sentences in a conversation between the characters as a quick refresher wouldn't hurt. (You could even make an inside joke about how long ago the last chapter/event was to set up the conversation.)
Honestly, I'm just glad to see the continuation of a story I'd almost given up hope on!
Frankly I'm just glad that there is an update incoming at all. I decided to give this story a go after I saw it in the featured stories list a couple of times, and started reading it assuming that it must still be updating if it is getting that much attention. Then I noticed it hadn't been updated since 2019, but I was already over 100 chapters in by that time so I was just sticking with it until I reached the cut off at least. I'm glad it isn't going to be yet another great story I've been reading that simply died out. Seriously, why are there so many good stories that just dropped off without the author so much as marking it cancelled so it doesn't keep stringing along the people who think it might be revived?
5636306 It's a lot of effort, and sometimes the reward doesn't balance out with life or the commitment. There are too many stories like that, or authors that got discouraged.
Do a "Last time...ON DRAGONBALL Z!" type of thing to refresh memories.
5636317
While true, it always seems to be the best of the best that get abandoned. I think everyone's heard of Nights Favoured Child for example.
I say do one more character POV recap chapter but also use it to elaborate on some events from the timeline doc that weren't touched on in the main story so far like the four "Rescue" missions Sunny and Jane did before The Commander was rescued. I would love to hear more about "Shen's comfy chair," and the "Heavily-guarded personal item belonging to Central."