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[5eOoC] 2075/6: Stormy Waters [Persistent World; recruitment always open]

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JackVII

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« Reply #120 on: <09-12-14/1952:31> »
While I think the concept of putting people in one train and gear in the other has merit, I don't know how that is going to square with reality.

- This train moves slow enough as it is, I doubt anyone in management is going to allow us to stop it to rearrange things
- Who's doing the rearranging? The stevedores are probably going to tell us to go fuck ourselves in 10 different languages if we ask them to repack.
- The trains were described as having public and private cars, not sure if we're going to be able to roust people from their places.
- Some of the performers are travelling with their families in RVs. I don't know if I see them abandoning those here in Puyallup.

Just a couple of observations, not trying to be a downer! I'm getting the feeling we're going to have to take the convoy as is and adapt to it ourselves.
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adamu

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« Reply #121 on: <09-12-14/2007:18> »
Second all that. They are not going to make those sorts of rearrangements for a one-day journey, especially not a bunch of nomadic artists and roustabouts.

And whoever is the money behind hiring us knew this was the situation we'd find, and apparently they were comfortable with that, or planning on it or whatever.

Pump Torrent and Oblique for info, yes yes yes.

Expect a lot of accommodation - I fear we should not hope for much.

Time perhaps better spent forming relationships with key players on the convoy??? They may be useful in a pinch, and may know much info as well.

Zweiblumen

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« Reply #122 on: <09-12-14/2019:10> »
Great points on the rearrangement.  I fear that leaves us at splitting our force :(
For the over watch folks, that's not a problem, but those that are boots on the ground seems to stretch them thin.  Maybe have them in a central location so they can react as necissary?
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adamu

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« Reply #123 on: <09-12-14/2024:42> »
Well, like I said, since Al can drive these beasts, seems worthwhile to place him on a cab, just in case.

But if everyone things the cab of the second train - which would put Al and his rifle at the center - is a good idea, I won't object.

He might, though. He likes riding up front. And just getting to know Frank. You'll have to put it to him IC if you want him to move.

8-bit

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« Reply #124 on: <09-12-14/2059:57> »
@CT

While there is a threat of internal security, that is not exactly something we can control. It is something to keep in mind though, so we'll see what we get from our employers and whether we stick with this job or not. If it just sends up a "It's on a need to know basis and you don't need to know" vibe, I'm all for us getting the hell out. I'd rather take the hit to my reputation and lose the pay then lose our lives because of some inner party bullshit that could screw us over. After all, we aren't cannon fodder, we're supposed to be paid mercenaries.

However, if I don't get that sort of vibe, I see no difficulties in staying with the job. You guys bring up some great points, which is nice. I'm fine with my plan being proven wrong as long as we get some suggestions.

Rearrangement: All right, so the consensus here is that it would be extremely useful if we can get the performers and VIPs to rearrange to a central location. However, this is unlikely to happen. This means I have a few questions. One, how are all the people spread out? Are they all spread out over both trains? Are they all spread over one train and all the gear is in the other? This is stuff we need to know, because if they are spread along the entire length of the train, it's going to be a hell of a lot of area to cover, possibly leaving us unable to defend the people who lie on the outermost parts of the trains. @Zweiblumen, @Aria - Maybe bring up some of these questions when BT goes to ask Oblique some questions. This is important information that we need to have to be able to properly do our jobs. If I missed anything here, feel free to speak up.

Time Constraints: We are really pressed for time. We need BT to get to Oblique ASAP and get some questions answered. We also need Morgan to comb through our Matrix systems and wipe/reinstall security (since I'm guessing it's really bad). Astrally, I think we only have Leaflocke to do that, and he hasn't posted recently. If he sees this, we need a spirit set up and some astral scans to get a general feeling of our surroundings. I don't know how you guys want to work with Harrier's drones, but I figure some aerial scans/overwatch until we get more information would be useful. I don't know how much time has passed through our journey, but I'm assuming at least an hour, possibly two. We are only here for 10 hours, so that means we should be expecting a hit at pretty much any time.

@Aria

How long has it been since we boarded the train?

Contacts: I already messaged Torrent, and BT is going to talk with Oblique. Someone, preferably not me since I'm biased against Awakened, should talk to the magicians of the Circus. Garner their trust and tell them that we are expecting some serious drek to go down. Ask them if they can help us, either with combat magic, or even just with healing magic. Ditto with the troupe leaders. See if any troupe leaders can be persuaded to move their performers if necessary.

Speed: See if we can get the trains moving faster. I would rather cross these barrens in 7.5 hours instead of 10 hours, that leaves less opportunities for anyone to attack us. Still a hell of a long time though. Perhaps see if we can persuade any families in their vans to pull ahead or closer to the trains so they are within an easy to defend perimeter. Otherwise, I see no choice but to leave behind any stragglers, as we cannot possibly cover the whole 150~ meters that this convoy consists of. Hopefully they will see reason in survival rather than the hassle that it would normally be.

Anything else I missed? Speak up, since I would rather have most of this worked out OOC before we do everything IC. I don't want to retcon if we don't have to.

All right, in terms of characters, here's what I'm seeing. Feel free to add anything you feel your character can contribute, these are just off the top of my head.

Al: I do not know what archetype you are. I don't think I've seen a character sheet, so I'm not exactly sure what your character does. Getting a feeling you are a rigger though. Feel free to correct me.
Harrier: Can provide aerial surveillance, help patch up physical security holes, and help out with drones. Especially useful for response times so that people can move to defend appropriately.
Morgan and Bittorent: Can easily cover our Matrix defenses and provide Matrix overwatch. Especially useful for response times and can play a role in cybercombat such as bricking enemy guns and giving us enemy positions based off of Matrix Perception tests.
Leaflocke: Our only Astral support, so he has to cover a hell of a lot of ground. Spirits can help with combat. He and spirits can provide Astral Overwatch which can be very useful. However, "geek the mage" is still a thing, so he probably shouldn't be in too open of a position. Not sure if he should go with the ground support to provide spells for combat.
Flicker, Luz, and Ghost: Ground combat, we rely on everyone else's intel to be able to coordinate effectively. Other than that, we are really good at putting down bad guys. We're probably going to have a lot of running to do, so any coordination with NPCs and the like will be useful.

I don't know about Flicker and Luz, you guys can explain your various strengths in greater detail, but Ghost can do a couple of things. The first is sniping, which I doubt will be useful, since I will have to keep my head on a swivel all the time and probably can't tackle a large group. Or, I can go in close quarters with a Shotgun + Flashbangs (don't want to exactly blow up the train).

This is still a rather rough outline that was slightly refined based on what you guys have said. Add in any comments, thoughts, suggestions, anything! It will be better to work as a team and have this stuff sorted out.

Lusis

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« Reply #125 on: <09-12-14/2136:55> »
Luz is a tank. She's slow; but with 32 defense dice she has some durability. She's primarily ranged, has some dice in sensors, and has an array in her ballistic mask. She also has a Fly-Spy she runs off her commlink (Transys Avalon) that is there for situational awareness. 

I also gave her Small Unit Tactics, so I can use the tactical options in R&G.
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Zweiblumen

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« Reply #126 on: <09-12-14/2234:47> »
@CT
@8-bit:  thought about having ghost up in the zeppelin for physical over watch and sniping ability?  Might be more hands-off than he likes, but thought it worth a shot.  He's fast though. So having him able to run around (as the trains are so slow) would be useful.

Honestly, at 2 mph, most can just walk and keep up with the caravan.
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JackVII

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« Reply #127 on: <09-12-14/2235:05> »
@CT

Luz is a tank. She's slow; but with 32 defense dice she has some durability. She's primarily ranged, has some dice in sensors, and has an array in her ballistic mask. She also has a Fly-Spy she runs off her commlink (Transys Avalon) that is there for situational awareness. 

I also gave her Small Unit Tactics, so I can use the tactical options in R&G.
Lusis,

Is your character a standard or Prime Runner? I thought the Circus Tricks game was for standard runners. If not, someone let me know!
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Lusis

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« Reply #128 on: <09-12-14/2239:10> »
Yeah it's standard. ignore what I posted earlier.
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8-bit

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« Reply #129 on: <09-12-14/2259:04> »
@CT
@8-bit:  thought about having ghost up in the zeppelin for physical over watch and sniping ability?  Might be more hands-off than he likes, but thought it worth a shot.  He's fast though. So having him able to run around (as the trains are so slow) would be useful.

Honestly, at 2 mph, most can just walk and keep up with the caravan.

That's absolutely fine with Ghost, in fact, his backstory was that he was a sniper. So, he's used to that sort of thing, and it's not that hands-off. The problem is that we have so much area to cover, and who knows the visual conditions, that he might have to be able to relocate. Also, considering we have only 3 main combatants to sort of guard 150+ meters of train from 360 degrees angle, he might need to be more mobile. He's really good at picking people off, but this might not be the job for that, so he might have to go in with the shotgun to deal with multiple combatants. And yes, he is fast, one of my favorite things about him. Hint: that may have inspired his name.

I figured it would be easy to walk beside the caravan, but as Adamu has pointed out; the Puyallup Barrens are not a place you want to walk in. It's also filled with ash and the like, which may make breathing difficult. It's probably best to just stay on the train.

adamu

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« Reply #130 on: <09-13-14/0348:43> »
Okay, just a couple of points on the OOC planning discussion.

For internal threats, I wasn't actually thinking inner-party. I was thinking inner-Circus. Probably that's what you meant.
But hijacking by or assisted by insiders, or just a murderer/saboteur among the circus, something like that.
Or maybe they have been routed out here for some nefarious reason most folk don't know about.

As for Al, well, he's just Al.
I appreciate the value of OOC planning, but the best way to find out about Al is just to ask him - he's not reticent.

Have started trying to pump the lead driver for info, and I will work on a way to speed that along.
Will also try to work out how to speed this train up, and get an idea of the group's organic defenses.

Finally, just my two cents, but if Ghost is a great sniper, and if he is also our tactical leader, I second the zeppelin idea.
Speed to run the length of the train may be nice, but it won't be as fast as simply shifting your angle of fire from your aerial position!
Even if you get to trouble fast, when you get there, what are you going to do? Shoot them! Best from the airship.
And you'll be able to see everything directly - great command and control even if our comms go down.

adamu

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« Reply #131 on: <09-13-14/0639:16> »
@Aria

Re. Conversation with Frank (and hopefully Tyrone)

Would like to chat these guys up as we ride.
One question/exchange at a time could take us about 2.3 years in PbP time, so thought I would give you a list of the sorts of things Al will be asking about.
Then, if you could just let me know what he finds, or doesn't find, I can work all that into one IC post.
And it'll read more naturally than a bunch of monologues back and forth!

The rig -
- does it have dual controls for both, or do they have to change seats?
- are either of them rigging it?
- security - assume they use codes - Al will try to get the codes for both trains, inviting them to get the okay from Oblique if they are reticent
- also try to gather whatever info I can that will give me a head start in milking these things for better performance using Gearhead and/or Juryrigger qualities.
- Brought by own tools, but do they have a place on this train for tools and spare parts, and where is it? Who usually does maintenance?

Them -
- are they associated with the circus, or just hired for this run?
- if they are circus folk, what about this train itself? Was it hired for this run across the ash, or do they use it regularly? Did they come up to Tarislar from Salish lands?
Seems with all these personal family vehicles, etc. and the expense lf a train like this, that they must generally travel in this manner…
- If so, do they already have a security protocol if hit by bandits/go-gangs? Do they circle the wagons? Place the trains parallel and use the RVs to plug the ends? What can we expect this caravan and its denizens to do - of their own accord - when things go poopy?

- Who is Oblique? Do they trust him? Who does Oblique answer to?
- Do they know any reason for the heavier security? Or is hiring local freelancers just normal?

And whatever interesting springs out of that conversation…

Obviously this assumes they are chatty, and that we have an hour or so before anything happens.

But just whatever I can get off that list will be very helpful.
Thanks!

8-bit

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« Reply #132 on: <09-13-14/1746:00> »
Okay, just a couple of points on the OOC planning discussion.

For internal threats, I wasn't actually thinking inner-party. I was thinking inner-Circus. Probably that's what you meant.
But hijacking by or assisted by insiders, or just a murderer/saboteur among the circus, something like that.
Or maybe they have been routed out here for some nefarious reason most folk don't know about.

I figured that was what you were talking about. Still don't know how we can actually prevent that if everything else is going smoothly. I mean, paranoia is a given in this situation, we don't really trust anyone, but other than that, I think it would raise flags if we start breaking apart the entire circus for a traitor that may or may not be there.

As for Al, well, he's just Al.
I appreciate the value of OOC planning, but the best way to find out about Al is just to ask him - he's not reticent.

Have started trying to pump the lead driver for info, and I will work on a way to speed that along.
Will also try to work out how to speed this train up, and get an idea of the group's organic defenses.

Finally, just my two cents, but if Ghost is a great sniper, and if he is also our tactical leader, I second the zeppelin idea.
Speed to run the length of the train may be nice, but it won't be as fast as simply shifting your angle of fire from your aerial position!
Even if you get to trouble fast, when you get there, what are you going to do? Shoot them! Best from the airship.
And you'll be able to see everything directly - great command and control even if our comms go down.

Noted about Al; I'll bring that up when we get all this planning put into IC.

I'm all for going up in the zeppelin for overwatch, I only have two concerns. The first one, are we going to get overwhelmed on the ground since we are only going to have two people active? I mean, sniping is all well and good, but it's probably going to have to be 1 shot per guy, I can't take out multiples immediately. The second one, what are the atmospheric and visual conditions? If I can't see what I'm shooting, then I may have a problem. Otherwise, I think it's good in pretty much every way.

adamu

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« Reply #133 on: <09-13-14/1901:21> »
Well, very good point on the visibility issue!
Especially with the convoy kicking up all this dust.

Anyway, all just thinking out loud...

Ericen

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« Reply #134 on: <09-14-14/1224:16> »
Flicker's Rolls

Initiative
Reaction 7 + Intuition 4 = 11+ 4d6

Initiative: 11+4d6 25
Initiative: 11+4d6 27
Initiative: 11+4d6 23
Initiative: 11+4d6 22
Initiative: 11+4d6 25

Surprise
Reaction 7 + Intuition 4 = 11+ 2d6

Surprise: 11+2d6 16
Surprise: 11+2d6 18
Surprise: 11+2d6 15
Surprise: 11+2d6 18
Surprise: 11+2d6 18

Perception
Perception 4 + Intuition 4 = 8d6

Perception: 8d6 30
Perception: 8d6 25
Perception: 8d6 24
Perception: 8d6 25
Perception: 8d6 28

Firearms
Firearms 5 + Agility 4 = 9d6  +2 Acc to pistols

Firearms: 9d6 34
Firearms: 9d6 23
Firearms: 9d6 28
Firearms: 9d6 37
Firearms: 9d6 28

Thrown Weapon
Thrown Weapon 5 + Agility 4 = 9d6

Thrown: 9d6 37
Thrown: 9d6 30
Thrown: 9d6 37
Thrown: 9d6 28
Thrown: 9d6 28

Blades
Close Combat 5 + Agility 4 = 9d6  +2 Acc to blades

Blades: 9d6 34
Blades: 9d6 33
Blades: 9d6 28
Blades: 9d6 37
Blades: 9d6 32

Sneaking
Sneaking 5 + Agility 4 = 9d6

Sneaking: 9d6 40
Sneaking: 9d6 27
Sneaking: 9d6 36
Sneaking: 9d6 22
Sneaking: 9d6 32
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