Hidden 6 yrs ago 6 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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OOC Here


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XCOM

The Black Winter


Earth is lost... The aliens reigned fire on us with a fury that we simply could not match. In mere weeks, our first and last lines of defense were shattered. Our once great cities were destroyed, replaced by foul mockeries rife with lies and deceit... Worse yet, is that our own people have turned against us. We are XCOM, once viewed as the protectors of mankind; but now seen as a terrorist scourge... Our forces are broken, disconnected, and isolated. We have been since the fall ten years ago...

Despite this, we push on. Everyone in XCOM believes that one day we will rise again, but until that time, we hide in the shadows. We work independently in small squads, helping those who reject the elders, and fighting those who embrace them. Once, there was a whole platoon of us... But now we are only half a dozen... There was a time we viewed one another as strangers from far away lands. Not anymore. In the fires of war and the desperation of survival, we have become one. We aren't merely comrades or the best of friends. We are a family. Each and every one of us has lost something in this war that motivates us.

This is the story of the abandoned... The story of Falcon team.


The Premise


Hello! Welcome to my interest check for XCOM: The Black Winter! I have been wanting a gritty sci-fi military RP lately, and figured why not set it in the XCOM universe ten years before the events of XCOM 2? So here we are! This RP is meant to be a rather intimate story of six surviving XCOM operatives. The team, as well as the rest of the platoon, was deployed to defend a listening post in northern Canada during the days of the invasion. When HQ fell, the platoon was cut off in the remote region, and left to fend for itself. Ten years has passed since then, and the platoon has dwindled down to six operatives, the player characters.

The team has traveled across North America in the ten years since, and have all become known and wanted by the newly installed Advent government. Each member of the squad will have a specific role to fill, and nobody can do something entirely on their own without their squad mates watching their backs. Winter is just around the corner, ice and frost forms in the morning, and you can see your breath in the air. Survival is difficult, but each member of the team is a hardened soldier after ten years of fighting a covert war. Any takers?

The squad roles are as follows...

Assault - Fast and furious. The assault operative is generally the one to both start and end fights. This operative likes it up close and personal. The assault operative generally works in tandem with the scout operative. They prefer shotguns and blades, but aren't limited to them.

Scout - Silent and deadly. The scout operative is the eyes and ears of the squad. Where the assault kicks open doors and clears rooms, the scout spies and infiltrates with precision and stealth. Because of the scout operative's forward position, they are usually fighting side by side with the assault operative when the going gets tough. They prefer submachine guns and knives, though they are proficient with most small arms.

Medic - Calm and reliable. The medic operative has the tightest bonds with the rest of the squad. They have patched every other operative up on more than one occasion. The medic is the glue that holds the squad together, and is often the moral compass for the other operatives. They are by no means a push over in combat either. Carbines and pistols are their preferred weapons for their light weight. Due to the medic operative's support role, they are often in the back line with the tech operative.

Tech - Smart and creative. The tech operative is the electronics expert of the squad. If there's an electronically locked door that needs opening, or an Advent MEC that needs shutting down, the tech is on it. The tech operative is also responsible for monitoring Advent movements and feeding intel to the rest of Falcon team. It is thanks to the tech that the squad has been able to pick and choose their next targets, and execute their missions with such precision. The tech operative is often equipped with a machine pistol when carrying their equipment around, or an assault rifle for when they need to join the fight. Being in the back line means that the tech operative is often fighting alongside the medic.

Sniper - Patient and precise. The sniper operative is capable of deciding the outcome of a firefight before it even happens. Their attention to detail has saved Falcon team from more booby-traps than the rest of the team would like to admit. Using information relayed from both the scout and the tech operatives, the sniper can find their mark with ease and take the shot that's needed to turn the tide of a battle. Their sniper rifle's heavy weight means that in a close up engagement, they're quite outmatched. Luckily, the sniper's trusty sidearm usually saves the day. But beyond that, the sniper's partner, the rifleman, sticks close to their side, and watches their back. The rifleman and sniper are rather versatile, and can take up the other's role if the situation calls for it.

Rifleman - Watchful and adaptive. The rifleman is the sniper operative's partner. They clear rooms and escort the sniper into position, and watch the sniper's flank should somebody come to pick a fight. The combination of a marksman rifle and a machine pistol work well to engage at most distances. Their marksmanship is bested only by the sniper's, and should the sniper be unable to take the shot, the rifleman wont hesitate to take over.

Gunner - Strong and unforgiving. The gunner operative is the one who will saturate an area with bullets to keep an enemy pinned. Their light machine guns are relentless. The withering hail of bullets is often enough to shred through even the thickest of armors. Their reinforced armor plating helps to protect the gunner and maintain their position even when under fire. The gunner operative is the backbone of the squad. Without them, Falcon team would be easily overrun. One could almost class the gunner operative as a heavy infantry, fighting alongside the equally heavily armored grenadier.

Grenadier - Destructive and feared. If something needs to be blown up, the grenadier is the one for the job. An expert with explosives, the grenadier is Falcon team's anti-tank solution. They are adorned in blast padding, and armed with a heavy assault rifle. The grenadier operative is often seen with either a grenade launcher, or a rocket launcher. They equip themselves for the mission at hand, and usually fulfills the role of hunting down the biggest threat on the battlefield and utterly destroying it. When Falcon team comes across a bomb that needs defusing, it's the grenadier that accepts the task. Their heavy armor finds them fighting alongside the gunner as an immovable, and unstoppable force.

Psionic - Gifted and clairvoyant. Falcon team's ace in the hole. The psi operative is the squad's shield against the more ethereal threats the elders send their way. The psionic fights on a whole other level from the rest of the squad, able to bend reality to his will and wield it against Falcon team's enemies. Light armor is not a concern for the psionic, as they can form psionic shields and cover for both themselves and their squad. They fight with assault rifles against those who go unaffected by the psionic's power. The mental link between the psionic and the rest of the squad means that everybody has a deep connection with them. The presence of the psionic is sometimes considered by the other members of Falcon team to be therapeutic.

There can be only one of each of these roles. So pick wisely and form Falcon team with the other roles in mind. There are nine roles, and only six slots, which means there will be weakness in the squad that we all must figure out how to overcome. THIS IS NOT FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE. I will be reviewing your character sheets, and picking the ones I feel will benefit the story best. The empty roles will be left open in case I decide to include more players in the future to join Falcon team. I am going to be playing one of the roles as well, so that leave five other players able to join.

NO LONGER ACCEPTING

Assault - OPEN
Scout - David Washington
Medic - Fiona West
Tech - Carlotta Missotti
Sniper - Jimbo Muldoon
Rifleman - Lukas Travers
Gunner - OPEN
Grenadier - OPEN
Psionic - Sara Lancaster




As a final note, I am currently working on a rule system for this RP. However, I know that some people like to RP purely on freeform alone, so if you express your interest, please also let me know if you'd rather play this with a gameplay system in place, or just as pure freeform RP. We will put it to a vote.
Hidden 6 yrs ago 6 yrs ago Post by Bork Lazer
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Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Luminosity
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Hi! Very interested. I don't mind either way on the freeform or gameplay system question there. I think the gameplay could be really interesting but I can see why some might not want it. I'll be thinking of a character.
Hidden 6 yrs ago 6 yrs ago Post by CaptainBritton
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May have missed some gear that I'll add in once I think of it, but here it is. As for system vs freeform, I do prefer freeform, but I'll go with a system if everyone can agree on something.

EDIT: And may I recommend making a discord? If not, I understand, but I just find the platform easier to use in quick communication concerning details and Q&A.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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I appreciate the interest thus far! I've looked over both character sheets and I'm liking what I'm seeing. I'm going to wait another day or two so more sheets can come in, then I'll start accepting sheets in. If your character is beaten out by another character, feel free to remake it to fit another role! In the meantime, I'll mark down your interest on the roles to nudge other players into other roles.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Bork Lazer
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I'm open to the idea of both but I'll go with free-form since I know that everyone isn't a big fan of gameplay systems. I know that if we have a gameplay system, this will most likely happen which might break immersion (depending on what type of system we have.)



I agree with the idea of making a Discord from Captain Briton, although, Discord's do end up distracting people from making IC posts.

In the mean-time, I'll be working on sprucing up my character sheet because I rushed it in a manner of 2 hours.

Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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The gameplay system I'm toying around with doesn't involve chances to hit. For the player characters, hits are guaranteed. It's more of a matter of restricting the amount a character can do per turn so as to limit killing sprees and give all characters a chance to contribute. It would also apply limits to how much a character can carry. Additionally, damage and HP would exist so enemies actually pose more of a threat than just being red shirts.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Bork Lazer
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The gameplay system I'm toying around with doesn't involve chances to hit. For the player characters, hits are guaranteed. It's more of a matter of restricting the amount a character can do per turn so as to limit killing sprees and give all characters a chance to contribute. It would also apply limits to how much a character can carry. Additionally, damage and HP would exist so enemies actually pose more of a threat than just being red shirts.


Alright, then. Well, it's up to the decisions of the rest of the members (and potential members) of this RP.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Luminosity
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If you want me to change anything about the character, I'm totally willing to tweak stuff. Thought it might be nice to have some contrast in the experience levels in the squad, and also to have some living proof of stuff the squad has been up to in the ten year period they've been together.



On the gameplay system subject, I'm starting to lean towards the "don't need it" side. I like the idea of keeping track of health and damage taken and stuff, but I don't think it's a necessary feature for us to take the enemies seriously and have them be the meanies they are in the game (been forever since I played it, but I remember some of the aliens being really badass, haha).

And besides, struggling is more fun than blowing away redshirts, anyway.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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Bump!
Hidden 6 yrs ago 6 yrs ago Post by thedman
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I am interested. I'll see if I can get a sheet up sometime soon. (I'm thinking the Scout class.)
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Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Bork Lazer
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Question. How big exactly was the platoon that our characters are in?
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Xandrya
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Can I save my spot for Scout? I'll have my CS when I get home.

Also, given that it's been 10 years, our characters must be like at least 30 or so, right?
Hidden 6 yrs ago 6 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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The platoon would have been about 6 xcom squads, so roughly 36 operatives.

And yeah the characters should be somewhere in their thirties. I'll address more on that when I do the character reviews later. I'll mark down your interest for scout.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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So there's two people interested in the Scout. Whoever doesn't end up getting the role can feel free to choose a different class. :D
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by thedman
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Alright, I'm fine with that. Just a question, what's your opinion on characters that joined after the invasion?
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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I'm fine with that. The idea is that the squad has bonded long ago. So they would have had to have joined a few years prior to the beginning of the RP.
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Hidden 6 yrs ago 6 yrs ago Post by Xandrya
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Hidden 6 yrs ago 6 yrs ago Post by thedman
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Alright, I haven't started the bio yet, and I still need a picture, but this is what I have so far.
edit: bio is done, I will do anything left and/or make changes when I have the time
Edit 2: It's done, pretty much. There might be some small things that I forgot, but other than that, it's done.


Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Whoami
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I'll get the character reviews and such up tomorrow. Once our two prospective scouts are completely finished, I'll make my decision on who gets the slot. The other will be more than welcome to accept another slot if they'd like. And I'll fill in one of the remaining slots with a character afterward.
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