|
There seems to be two important questions that will need some definite answers for, or at least a workable solution, for right now.
1) For the question of 'who owns the ship,' I had actually imagined this to be some kind of 'we never asked for this' problem. As in, one (or more) of us had been working on this ship with the owner who was a kind, wise, and caring captain. The kind that would never ask his crew to do anything he wouldn't. One day, on some random planet (*cough* Whitefall *cough*) that captain met an untimely end. Although most of the crew got away, they were left with a ship. So they honored his memory by keeping to his credo of take a job, get paid, and keep flying.
2) I'm sure the title of "captain" will only be perfunctory. It seems like many of the builds are designed to be the person that does something to help the captain. Hence, I'm willing to take one for the team and take this. I'm sure all it will involve is a lot of 'Valerie, get him to throw in more money to sweeten the deal' or 'Sirus, put even MORE duct tape on that!' or 'Doctor Newgen, we need that hole patched on C-deck NOW!' and some such.
(If anyone else actually, for some odd reason, wants to be captain, feel free. =)
As for who's "captain", I'm good with Anton. Maybe you were the captain's second or something.
Re: "warp"
I kinda like the idea that warp is a kind of alternate reality that allows faster travel than our reality. It's presented this way in Warhammer, I think. That way "warp" isn't a "push the big red go fast button and you're there" thing. You have to navigate around eddies, storms, and "reality reefs". In Warhammer there are mind crushing eldritch horrors and demons living in the Warp, but we don't have to borrow that part. Transferring into and out of Warp travel also puts a huge strain on the ship. It makes warp a more involved and risky and active part of the world than just an excuse to go fast.
I'm gonna agree with Anton for Captain. Should we start the phase Trio soon? Also, we made it to the second page in just a few days lol. Yaaaaaaay
Let me compile some stuff and see if everyone agrees with it, and then we'll start with the Phase trio. I may not get to it tonight, so sorry in advanced if I don't.
Sirus main trouble: equipment and parts. He may be the best duct tape mechanic out there, but that doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate the appropriate equipment when he can get it.
Secondary trouble: people are idiots. Lack of formal training means he knows how to fix just about anything, but not the why of how it works.
I see Aurora as being the opposite of this. She knows why things work, she read about and researched so many things but she's never actually done them.
The only area where she's had a lot of experience is computer systems. I think her job on the ship would be maintaining the ship's computer. But she'd LOVE to help out everybody else. Yay for practical application!
Okay, so it seems like the big troubles in the universe as far as our intrepid crew are:
-A Government Official (By the way, any ideas on names?) that fell from grace due to the actions of the crew is out for revenge.
-The Government is working on some top secret project and one of the downsides is new sensors for the customs ships.
As far as the makeup of the political landscape goes, I think this is what we seem to be leaning towards.
-A large central power centered on the Solar system that is rife with corruption. Despite the graft, they are big enough and strong enough that the other major powers don't want to mess with them.
-There are a few nations that are big enough to give the central power pause. These nations are centered on systems well away from the influence of the central power.
-A multitude of smaller confederacies and single system polities lie in the gulfs between the larger states
-There is a mysterious fleet of nomads rumored to be all sorts of things, from aliens to a Zuthran cult. All anyone knows for sure is you don't wanna screw with them. Naturally, the central power denies the existence of such a fleet. Seasoned space don't listen to that crap and call them the Voidwalkers, or the Voiders if a little too drunk or lazy.
Does this sound good to you guys? If so, we'll get started on the Phase Trio. Delgar, if you have any suggestions on how to proceed, I'm all ears.
I support all of that.
I agree.
A good summation of the setting and story's background. I agree.
As for a name, how about Harriet Grundy? Or maybe something more science fiction sounding: Varvara Monbwatu.
All looks good to me!
All good for me!
So, on to the Phase Trio. For this part, we'll start with writing about your first job with this crew. For the sake of argument, we'll say that you're being backed by an association of independent smugglers. They provided Anton the loan he needed to purchase the ship that Sirus is the engineer of. They can be the same job, or different jobs, but it would be nice to establish who was with the crew when you joined up.
Lemme know if you have questions.
Ok, this part had me a little confused when I read it. Are we cooperatively crafting one tale of our first haul or several? And who starts the story?
It's one tale for each of you, after you write it up, you pass it to the next person in line and they insert themselves into it, either adding a complication, solving an issue, or doing both. After that, the next person does the same thing.
And now that I say that, I guess it would be better to ask for the job that cemented you as part of the crew.
I'll give it some thought. As he came with the ship it'll be a little different than any story I've written before. :)
|
|
No sooner was the paint dry on the Sweet Doomed Angel, than the dashing captain Anton and his trusty Techmarine, erm, ah, engineer Sirus, got their first mission from the Judean Peoples' Smugglers.
Sirus finished stowing the last crate of supplies and met Anton in the communal kitchen where they opened the missive. It stated that a lucrative opportunity for weapon-grade energy crystals was coming up on Omicron 3 where a spark of rebellion was kindling. Unfortunately there was no time to get such crystals through the normal means, so some would have to be gotten and FAST! That meant only one thing: They would have to brave the intense radiation field of Skylar IV where a mining consortium ran an illegal Tiberium harvesting facility. The goods news was that they always had stock on hand.
The bad news was that if they wanted to walk out of there in one piece, they would need a new...
Er, lemme reread that part and confirm it. I'm sure Delgar can explain it better than I can, though.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
-Posted with Wayfinder
I totally have something I can add to that intro, but I want to make sure that's the gist of what we are going for.
I like what you wrote Anton, but the method I understood from the Fate SRD page on the Phase Trio is that each of us should have an adventure (just a few sentences or brief paragraph). That’s Phase One. Then two other players will add extra details like complications and solutions (and their PCs) in subsequent Phases (two and three). How we determine who gets which story to influence could be random (rolling dice) or alphabetical.
And at each phase, you pick an aspect, yep, that's it, and better than I was doing. Thanks Tavid.
Tavid is correct.
|
|
And so, the freshly painted Sweet Doomed Angel and it's dashing and devastatingly handsome captain Anton P. Merovach, were given their orders from the Popular People's Smugglers for an order of high-energy crystals. Knowing that he would need a good engineer for such a perilous journey, Anton made some inquiries and found his good friend Sirus to help him on the way.
Reaching the illegal Tiberium mining operation on Skylar IV, Anton was immediately greeted by their beautiful and deadly receptionist, Valerie Hills. Although the mining consortium tried to capture Anton and Sirus, because Anton is so Genre Savvy, they were saved from a deadly and inescapable trap at the last moment by Valerie, who's eyes had been opened to the evil deeds that the mining consortium had been committing. Thanks to her help, the trio got away with their ship intact and a large cargo of Triberium in the hold, which they sold to the PPS for large sums of money and another job...but that is another story!
Think of it as the synopsis. So instead of the first part of The Fellowship of the Ring, you'd write:
Frodo receives a ring from his uncle that contains part of a dark overlord's power. A wise friend tells him to travel to Brie to meet. While there, he's attacked by a bunch of wraiths sent by the overlord.
In the next phase, someone adds to the story.
But not before he meets Aragorn, a man known as Strider. When the wraiths attack, Strider leads Frodo out of the inn and they still away into the night, escaping the wraiths.
At each phase, you would pick an aspect based on what is going on. So, in this example, Frodo would have the following aspects.
High Concept: Unlikely hero
Big Trouble: Carries a heavy burden
Aspect 1: On the Run
Aspect 2: Aragorn is the only reason I'm not dead.
Aspect 3: ???
Hopefully this is right, and that I've done well explaining it, if it is. If not, I'm sure Delgar will correct me.
|
|
And so, the freshly painted Sweet Doomed Angel and it's dashing and devastatingly handsome captain Anton P. Merovach, were given their orders from the Popular People's Smugglers for an order of high-energy crystals. Knowing that he would need a good engineer for such a perilous journey, Anton made some inquiries and found his good friend Sirus to help him on the way....
Aspect 1: Always Prepared.
By "found" the captain means he sauntered his way down to engineering, proposed the job, and got a rather stern talking to about the power distribution grid and how much it would take to properly haul that much ordinance without spontaneously exploding. Sirus promptly proclaimed it couldn't be done... until the captain mentioned how many zeroes were on the check. Then it became a question of just how many secondary systems they could afford to blow out before arriving at the delivery point. The subsequent voyage set a record for both Systems Damaged or Destroyed Outside Combat and Bits Bypassed by Methods of Dubious Saftey.
Aspect 1: Anything is possible given sufficient funds (or scraps).
Everything looks good to me :)
Yup, that looks good.
Tavid’s Phase One:
Tavid was a courier/passenger who had prepared his own navigational course to pass the time. The navigator died while the ship was being pursued by pirates. He helped guide the Sweet Doomed Angel through some dark matter shoals, a black hole’s gravity well, and the labyrinthine language of Raxlos in order to get more fuel.
Aspect 1: Always have back-up routes planned.
And so, the freshly painted Sweet Doomed Angel and it's dashing and devastatingly handsome captain Anton P. Merovach, were given their orders from the Popular People's Smugglers for an order of high-energy crystals. Knowing that he would need a good engineer for such a perilous journey, Anton made some inquiries and found his good friend Sirus to help him on the way....By "found" the captain means he sauntered his way down to engineering, proposed the job, and got a rather stern talking to about the power distribution grid and how much it would take to properly haul that much ordinance without spontaneously exploding. Sirus promptly proclaimed it couldn't be done... until the captain mentioned how many zeroes were on the check. Then it became a question of just how many secondary systems they could afford to blow out before arriving at the delivery point. The subsequent voyage set a record for both Systems Damaged or Destroyed Outside Combat and Bits Bypassed by Methods of Dubious Saftey.
To this day, the pair aren't entirely sure how Valerie Hills managed to talk herself aboard the Sweet Doomed Angel. One minute she was greeting them as the 'receptionist' of the Tiberian Mining Operation, directing them to pick up their cargo; less than an hour later, she was running with them as the first shots were fired, saying it was safer than staying there. Within two days aboard the Angel she'd set up her own space, claimed two shirts and a firearm, and was strutting about like she belonged there, helping herself to the drinks and making inappropriate comments about Sirus' hygiene and the fit of Anton's trousers. So convincing was she that it was another day before the captain realized she wasn't supposed to be there.
Aspect 1: Opportunist.
Yeah, It's actually supposed to be a story per character, so for us, that's seven different stories. I don't know why I keep having so much trouble explaining it. Perhaps I don't really understand it as well as I thought.
or maybe I'm just tired and I need to go to bed. :P
One thing I didn’t really understand a few days ago is that your character’s second and third aspects come from other people’s stories. Say Valerie does Phase 2 for Tavid’s story. That Aspect would be her second one. Her third one would come from continuing another’s story. Perhaps Dax’s or Noreen’s.
So Anton’s story has his phase 1 aspect, Sirus’ phase 2 aspect, and Valerie’s phase 3 aspect.
I think it would help if we labeled the stories like Name Phase X. So for example Tavid Phase 1. Say Valerie takes the second phase. She would add her name. Tavid/Valerie Phase 2. Then perhaps Sirus finishes that Phase Trio so Tavid/Valerie/Sirus Phase 3.
Eventually we should all have something like:
Tavid/Valerie/Sirus Phase 3
Dr. Dax/Tavid/Noreen Phase 3 This would have Tavid’s Phase 2 aspect
Sirus/Anton/Tavid Phase 3
If there’s an easier or better way to label the stories, please suggest it. Or if everyone else doesn’t think labels are needed, that’s fine too.
Ahhh. I get it. Ok. That makes a little more sense. Do I now have my phase 2. I need to write a phase 1. Ok.
|
|
To this day, the pair aren't entirely sure how Valerie Hills managed to talk herself aboard the Sweet Doomed Angel. One minute she was greeting them as the 'receptionist' of the Tiberian Mining Operation, directing them to pick up their cargo; less than an hour later, she was running with them as the first shots were fired, saying it was safer than staying there. Within two days aboard the Angel she'd set up her own space, claimed two shirts and a firearm, and was strutting about like she belonged there, helping herself to the drinks and making inappropriate comments about Sirus' hygiene and the fit of Anton's trousers. So convincing was she that it was another day before the captain realized she wasn't supposed to be there.
"Morning, boys' Valerie said as she moved through the communal dinging area on her way to the communal shower, wearing one of Anton's shirts.
"Mornin'," chimed Anton and Sirus as they spooned up their portion of steaming morning porridge.Just as Val leaves, suddenly Anton freezes, the ladle midway between the kettle and his bowl, his mouth half-open. His eyes rolls in Sirus' direction and his other hand jerks up, his thumb pointing in the direction of the showers, as if to say, 'It's been three days...I only just noticed she's still here....'
Then the moment passes and he finishes ladling up his gruel. As he sits down he mumbles to Sirus, "She may as well keep that shirt. It looks better on her than it ever did on me."
Anton Phase 2: Adapts to Change.
Alternatively, we could just dive in and create the phases as we play through your first job together. It's an option in case people are stuck or would rather do it that way.
It's up to you, but since people seem to be struggling a bit with this part, I thought I'd throw that out there.
Whichever way you want us do this DM-Salsa is fine with me. This is my first time playing Fate. The character creation process isn’t like anything I’ve done in a game before. I think it’s exciting and involves a bit of trust with my fellow players.
“Numbers being what they are” ;) Anton, everybody’s story would get finished since each player is responsible for 3 different phases. We should have 7 characters with a phase 1, a phase 2, and a phase 3. I guess the original author of each story could have an epilogue to finish a story to his or her satisfaction, but no further developments of aspects should occur.
I'm just getting confused by it all. I'm sure it would be easier face to face, but with a big group in this format, I'm sitting here like "... what?"
Still having fun, though :D
I think it's a lot harder with a PbP group than it would be in person. I like the idea of writing stories for our backgrounds but I think we're making it complicated.
On my part I'm fine with Aurora jumping in without knowing anyone else, it would fit her character, but I don't think that works for everyone. Maybe we have some people be the established 'crew' with a couple of new hires on board? The crew do their aspect stories before we start and the new hires gain their aspects during the first mission. It would cut down on the number of stories we have to write before we start.
It's 2 a.m and I'm half asleep so I have no clue if what I've said makes any sense. It's a flawless plan in my head so that counts for something, right? XD
I agree that this creation method is extremely clunky in PbP. It's not bad, just not going well.
I say let's finish up the the stories we have going, then get on with play. I'm not even sure all our people are still here.
|
|
Ya, I concur with the sentiment that it's time to start to play, and then fill in the Aspects as the character's playstyle comes through.
I mean, right now I might have an idea that my character should have the aspect "Always wears tight pants and suspenders" but if I find myself starting to write "Anton woke up early and slipped into a comfy pair of baggy sweatpants and a loose-fitting T-shirt" then something might want adjusting. ;)
Yeah, this isn't going as well as I had hoped. Can we get an Aye from everybody?