Radical new outlook?
Irregardless of whether or not someone thinks the new faction, The Palestar Crusade, offers a new force system and provides force users of the galaxy new meaning, Dolash and I were talking about this thread a bit and Vicirus hits the point on the head squarely. There is no direction to the thread.
As the attacker, the main drive of the story, the main drive of the plot is in the Crusade's hands. The resistance to that plot, the creation of subplots by the defenders plays off of that.
The focus of Homecoming has been more about the characters rather than any driving plot. That is why so much is focussed on the actions of these characters by readers (whether you like what they do or not)...because there is nothing else for the reader to focus on.
Beyond the attack itself, there is nothing.
No goal. No understanding of what the Crusade is doing there. There has been some foreshadowing that Dacian is returning to Xa Fel (hence the title: Homecoming) but as yet, he hasn't faced any Sith character so even the dramatic expectation of his Homecoming is missing. The Rebellious teenager is not coming in through the front door with his gang to confront his parents and settle old issues.. no.. it's like he's banging on the front door with his gang but avoiding his parents. It's anticlimactic. There are no flashbacks during his time at the Temple that might reveal his purposes, his thoughts or desires.
In my opinion, the thread of Homecoming, this attack on Xa Fel is, so far, one big movement forward. The only plot/goal the defenders have to resist, so far, is what the attackers have established: This "movement" forward.
So each successive post becomes more creative ways to move forward (for the Crusade) and more creative ways to stop the movement forward (from the Sith). The attackers expect long posts but simply long posts do not equate quality. If you don't give the defenders something more to respond too then, to create those long posts, they will simply describe more and more damage.
So the attackers need to expound not on their ship from the bowels of hell but their actual goals, purposes and just wtf are they doing.
So far..The Crusade has entered orbit, landed their soldiers, moved on the Temple, have entered the Temple...are they in the catacombs?..
..but to what end?
Is there a secret ring of power he found in the Temple during his short time there? Some secret amulet that will allow him to move more easier into the next phase of his Crusade Campaign? Is it a personal message to the Sith? If so, he's taken an awful long time in coming out and saying it. If even to his own command staff so the reader knows.. He hasn't talked to any enemy IC so technically no one knows who he is...which kind of defeats the dramatic climax of Homecoming as the rebellious teenager with his gang beating down the door of his home only to find that no one knows who he is?
The thread and story is still good with potential but it is also ready for that revelation, that kernel of purpose for the reader to glimpse inside the mind of Dacian. Which is what these threads are mostly about no?
I look forward to the next installments.