[OOC] Arpeggio of Blue Steel: The Phantom Fleet (OPEN --- APPLY)

[Ithradine]

______________________________

The year is 2059 and 90% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean due to global warming and rising sea levels.

Amidst this environmental disaster, A fleet of powerful sentient warships appeared seemingly out of nowhere and
assaulted the navies of the world in the year 2039.

The advanced technology of the hostiles, collectively referred to as the 'Fleet of Fog', made quick work of any opposition.

It was in the year 2049 that a last, desperate offensive was conducted against the Fleet of Fog consisting of a large number of warships from a coalition of nations.

It was a total defeatfor Human fleet and with it came a total air and sea blockade by the Fleet of Fog.

Undersea communications and satellites were also destroyed, cutting off any contact across continents.

Now a full decade since their invasion, a new independent force is stirring up the balance of power.

The Phantom Fleet.

Little information exists about the Phantom Fleet except for the fact that is a small group of FOG ships that have defected, lead by their flagship: Fog Carrier Shinano.

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An alternative universe take on the anime: Arpeggio of Blue Steel - Ars Nova, the story of this roleplay revolves around a small group of defector Fog ships, and their human allies, known as the Phantom Fleet. These sentient weapons of war that once simply obeyed all orders are now faced with trying to understand life outside of combat and the customs of humanity. It won't be long until they are forced to fight in order to maintain this existence outside of the Admiralty code, the absolute authority of the Fleet of Fog.

The Phantom Fleet in currently off the coast of Japan where Shinano is considering setting up the first diplomatic meeting between her and the government of Japan. For the past two days, Shinano has been playing music of the great artist, Beethoven, through random radio channels as she collects and processes data. It is a well known fact that sitting in one place for too long is dangerous for the Phantom Fleet, even with its stealth field generator. However, if there is any hope of change for both Humanity and the Fleet of Fog....it lies with the Phantom Fleet.

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CS Sheet

Warship Name: (Should follow this format: Kirishima - Kongo class battleship)

Mental Model: (Your character's appearance. All ships are girls. Picture is fine and/or written description.)

Personality: (How your character reacts to their self, humans, and other fog ships)

Backstory: (If your character has some special history before joining the Phantom Fleet, state it here)

Extra: (Anything else you wish to include, anywhere from favorite food to theme music)

Fog Weapons & Tools

Klein Field
A temporary force-field that came be put up by any Fleet of Fog ship. The duration and strength of the field depends on the size of the warship and the processing power allocated to it. For example, A heavy cruiser will have a stronger Klein Field than a destroyer.

Corrosive Torpedo
A highly advanced torpedo with extreme speed, corrosive torpedo detonate on contact and release a sphere of energy that devours any material within it.

Super Gravity Canon
A devastating weapon of unparalleled destruction, the Super Gravity Cannon create a high-density beam that erases any matter inside of its radius. Due to the energy required of such a weapon, it is normally only mounter on heavier ships.

Mental Model
A physical avatar representing a Fleet of Fog ship, often containing the ship's core. These avatars possess incredible power on their own and are more than a match for any human. Even if the ship body is destroyed, the Mental Model can still live on.

Nano-material
A futuristic substance used in the construction of Fleet of Fog ships, their weaponry, and their mental models. As long as a Fog ship has sufficient nano-material stored, they can easily repair any damage.

Warship Classifications

Fleet Carrier
A large carrier outfitted with multiple squadrons of aircraft including fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers. Their large size and hangar space comes at the cost of armor, speed, and maneuverability. While normally outfitted with several secondary guns and multiple AA mounts, it is vulnerable to attack from any ship.

Support Carrier
This kind of carrier is outfitted with a large store of ammunition and fuel for both ships and aircraft, several as a refueling station for aircraft closer to the area of engagement. Since these kind of carriers are closer to the front, they are outfitted with heavier armor and secondary weapons.

Escort Carrier
A small-scale and cheaper version of the fleet carrier, these ships are designed primarily for guarding important shipping routes and smaller engagements. Their lower tonnage means that they are faster and more maneuverable than their bigger sister.

Battleship
A large warship boasting the most powerful guns and the thickest armor, these warships can dish it out and take it right back. Their general drawbacks are their poor maneuvrability, slow fire-rate, and slow speed. The secondary and AA capabilities differ from battleship to battleship.

Battle-cruiser
Battle-cruisers nearly match the firepower of a battleship while being faster and more maneuverable at the cost of substantially reduced armor. Again, the AA and secondary capabilities depend on the model of the ship itself.

Heavy Cruiser
A fast and hard-hitting ship with decent armor, heavy cruisers are perhaps the most balanced ship type. Their AA defense is normally good and their secondary armaments are nothing to laugh at.

Light Cruiser
With fast fire rates and weak armor, Light cruisers can certainly be refereed to as 'glass cannons'. They can outrun and out maneuver every other ship besides a destroyer, and their excellent AA can easily destroy entire squadrons of planes.

Flotilla Leader
Larger than a destroyer but smaller than a light cruiser, Flotilla Leader's main purpose is to lead destroyers in engagements. Their thicker armor and larger caliber guns allow them to deal with enemy destroyers with ease, however their large profile increases their detection and chance of being hit.

Destroyer
A destroyer's main purpose is to scout the enemy warships and carry out torpedo strikes. They come equipped with large smoke generators than can be activated to conceal themselves and other ships from view. Low firepower is compensated by a high rate of fire and a hard to spot profile.

Destroyer Escort
Even smaller than a destroyer, Destroyer Escort's are fast but severely lack in firepower. However, they excel in anti-submarine warfare and scouting enemy forces.

Submarine
Submarine operate deep under water and use their torpedoes and stealth to damage enemy fleets. They are, however, extremely vulnerable at the surface level with only a small amount of guns for protection.

* Note: These descriptions do not take into consideration the advanced technology of the Fleet of Fog.

Info about specific classes of ships can be found here

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1. Be kind to other players and do not god-mod your character.

2. A single paragraph is all I ask for, whether you do more is up to you.

3. Real life takes priority. If you can't post for a long time, just tell me and I will understand.

4. Romance is fine. 18+ stuff is not.

5. You can not force another character to do anything without consent.

6. If for some reason your character dies, you can make a new one.

You do not have to know anything about the anime or WWII at all in order to participate. This is a casual RP so my own true requirement is people write in whatever way is most fun so I am not looking for one particular style. There will be battles and fighting so I expect everyone to participate in them, but at the same time do not feel pressured to make a super-complex attack strategy. This is an RP not an RPG so you will not be punished for missing out on a few details. Length is not nearly as important as quality. Everyone has different levels of time and skill and I want everyone from new to experienced writers to feel welcome. If you have any questions, or ideas, please PM me. I will try to respond as quickly as I can. Last, but not least, just have fun being a powerful ship girl.

[Kuro]

Will get a CS up whenever I can.

[Ithradine]

Looking forward to it

[Stern Algorithm]

Will combinations be a thing?

[Kuro]

Also, are we applying WW2 tactics here, where battleships (later carriers) were the center force, with everyone else being destroyers, crusiers, submarines, etc.?

[Stern Algorithm]

Also, are we applying WW2 tactics here, where battleships (later carriers) were the center force, with everyone else being destroyers, crusiers, submarines, etc.?

@Sola

So I know next to nothing about actual WWII tactics and ships, so I'll be needing a lot of help. Is there some cliffnotes version, or an "RPG classes of warships" primer/resource that I can look at to familiarize myself with such?

Thanks.

[Ithradine]

@Stern Algorithm

Combinations as in two ships merged into one?

@Sola

Tactics will be based of WWII naval strategies but will be a little more flexible. The Phantom Fleet is a dedicated battle group and more a safe haven for rogue Fog ships.

[Ithradine]

@Stern Algorithm

This is of the top of my head but these are classifications of warships in WWII:

Fleet Carrier, Support Carrier, Escort Carrier, Battleship, Battlecruiser, Heavy Cruiser, Light Cruiser, Flotilla Destroyer, Destroyer, Destroyer Escort, Monitor, and submarine

If one of those interests you, i can explain more

[Ammokkx]

This kind of looks like fun, but I'm not sure I'm cut out for this

Not sure what the expectations for this RP are like (Leaning more on the anime side of things or the military side) and I don't know the first thing about WWII or warfare in general. I'd definitely just be in it for the cute ship girls.

If you could clarify a bit more what you expect out of players I'd appreciate it, though I'm probably going to mull over it for at least another day before deciding.

[Kuro]

<Snipped quote by Sola>

So I know next to nothing about actual WWII tactics and ships, so I'll be needing a lot of help. Is there some cliffnotes version, or an "RPG classes of warships" primer/resource that I can look at to familiarize myself with such?

Thanks.

@Stern Algorithm

Check out this link.

I think it might be best to decide on what type you'd prefer to play (e.g. heavy cruiser, destroyer, submarine, etc) before deciding on class. That way you're not looking through hundreds of Clemson-class or Fletcher-class destroyers or some other variation of a ship class that was mass produced before you have any idea of what style of combat you're looking for.

[Ithradine]

@Ammokkx

That is a good point and I will update the post with my expectations. Simply put, I expect people to be kind to each other. It does not matter what your knowledge of WWII ships or strategies are, only that you enjoy being a alien ship girl. As long as there is quality in your posts, Length is not that important to me. I know college is coming up so I don't want this RP to be super technical. Anything you are not sure about, ask and I will try my best to answer quickly :D

[Kuro]

Can't decide between USS Samuel B. Roberts or USS Laffey. Tough choice on both sides.

[Ithradine]

I'm biased towards USS Laffey as that was my starter in Azur Lane and has the cool title of "The ship that would not die"

[Stern Algorithm]

<Snipped quote by Stern Algorithm>

Check out this link.

I think it might be best to decide on what type you'd prefer to play (e.g. heavy cruiser, destroyer, submarine, etc) before deciding on class. That way you're not looking through hundreds of Clemson-class or Fletcher-class destroyers or some other variation of a ship class that was mass produced before you have any idea of what style of combat you're looking for.

@Sola

Thanks for the link. Sorry for the confusion but I meant RPG class (tank, rogue, mage, support, etc.) rather than ship class. I get that subs are like the stealthy rogue-types, but beyond that I don't know the difference between a dreadnought and a battlecruiser. I was asking for a dumb-down analogy of types, but I realize it may not be one-to-one.

Combinations as in two ships merged into one?

@Ithradine

Yes, I remember from the show (its been a few years) that two ship's could merge to fire some giant gravity cannon thing. I think there was also the issue of 'partner ships' and compatability, which I think would be a fun dynamic to include.

[Stern Algorithm]

Sorry for the doublepost, but from a nationalistic standpoint, I'd like to try doing a Republic of China ship, even though I realize they're probably garbage by comparison. I think this might narrow down my options.

[Ithradine]

Thanks for the link. Sorry for the confusion but I meant RPG class (tank, rogue, mage, support, etc.) rather than ship class. I get that subs are like the stealthy rogue-types, but beyond that I don't know the difference between a dreadnought and a battlecruiser. I was asking for a dumb-down analogy of types, but I realize it may not be one-to-one.

@Stern Algorithm

Tank = Battleship/Battlecruiser

Rogue = Destroyer/Flotilla Leader/Submarine

Mage = Fleet Carrier/Support Carrier/Escort Carrier

Balanced = Heavy Cruisers/Light Cruisers

Yes, I remember from the show (its been a few years) that two ship's could merge to fire some giant gravity cannon thing. I think there was also the issue of 'partner ships' and compatability, which I think would be a fun dynamic to include.

@Stern Algorithm

I'm perfectly fine with this as long as they are two similar ships. Special bonds between sister ships are encouraged.

Sorry for the doublepost, but from a nationalistic standpoint, I'd like to try doing a Republic of China ship, even though I realize they're probably garbage by comparison. I think this might narrow down my options.

@Stern Algorithm

A lot of warships from WWII were incorporated into China's navy after its conclusion from the allies. The PLAN Huanghe, a light cruiser, and the ROCS Yueyang are two such ships. There is no real battleships or carriers of mention however.

[Kuro]

<Snipped quote by Sola>

Thanks for the link. Sorry for the confusion but I meant RPG class (tank, rogue, mage, support, etc.) rather than ship class. I get that subs are like the stealthy rogue-types, but beyond that I don't know the difference between a dreadnought and a battlecruiser. I was asking for a dumb-down analogy of types, but I realize it may not be one-to-one.

@Stern Algorithm

I'm not sure how to exactly label each ship as a RPG class, but let's see:

Aircraft carriers are glass cannons. A couple torpedoes will take the entire ship down to the bottom of the sea (which is why they are escorted by smaller ships), but they just as easily wipe the floor with their opponents with well-trained pilots. Their aircraft/range is the whole reason why navies stopped producing battleships and started to produce aircraft carriers.

Battleships are your armored ships, so I guess they're tanks. Lots of firepower, as well lots of armor, but are slower than most ships. Admirals often use these as their flagship (alternatively, they might use an aircraft carrier). Still, regardless of their power, they have trouble against aircraft carriers (or aircraft in general) as seen by the Bismarck or Yamato. Dreadnoughts are basically predecessors of battleships (more so WW1 than WW2), and battlecruisers are pretty much battleships with less armor for more speed.

Cruisers are a mixed bag. There are an awful lot of variations regarding cruisers, so it really depends on which specific type you'd want to hear about. Same thing goes for the destroyers.

Coastal defense ships/monitors are more meant for operations in rivers and coasts. Many navies just used a bunch of obsolete ships in this role so its difficult to pin down what exactly defines their role, but they're more or less mobile artillery.

No need to state what submarines are since you already know what the idea is behind them.

There are plenty other types I didn't state, mainly because there are so many types or variations of types. As I said eariler, cruisers and destroyers are some that come to mind with how many different variations of said type exist (e.g. light cruiser, heavy cruiser, torpedo cruiser, etc.).

Sorry for the doublepost, but from a nationalistic standpoint, I'd like to try doing a Republic of China ship, even though I realize they're probably garbage by comparison. I think this might narrow down my options.

@Stern Algorithm

Maybe the Ning Hai or the Ping Hai?

[Kuro]

<Snipped quote by Stern Algorithm>

A lot of warships from WWII were incorporated into China's navy after its conclusion from the allies. The PLAN Huanghe, a light cruiser, and the ROCS Yueyang are two such ships. There is no real battleships or carriers of mention however.

@Ithradine

Also double-posting to give my two cents. The Chinese didn't really have a navy, and the ships they did have were those (like you said) were usually hand-me-downs from other nations. After the Japanese started to invade China, a lot of these ships were sunk (some were later raised by the Japanese as ships for their own war effort), or integrated into other navies. Once WW2 ended, they still continued to receive hand-me-downs like plenty other nations (I know the Greeks got a couple US destroyers like this one).

[Stern Algorithm]

Maybe the Ning Hai or the Ping Hai?

@Sola

Thanks for all the advice. I was also eyeing those two. I think the multi-citizenship of these ship's is pretty interesting.

I'm perfectly fine with this as long as they are two similar ships. Special bonds between sister ships are encouraged.

@Ithradine

I'm tempted to make two characters now so I can pull off a merge.

[Ammokkx]

So I settled on an appearance and started looking for ships to go alongside it, stumbled upon the Kagerõ-class destroyers, thought Yukikaze was a nice name and then found out it was the only ship of that type that didn't sink.

Funny coincidence to say the least.

Anyway, I've come around to being pretty on-board with this, but I haven't seen much of the source material. I checked out the first episode to get some grip on the setting, and the fog weapons and tools section now makes a lot more sense to me, but I'm still unfamiliar with the setting at large. The main girl had a complete memory wipe and a single command to start the show's plot hook with, which doesn't give me much insight on the fog fleet itself.

Could I get a primer on how the fog fleet operates, and some possible reasons as to why a mental model would defect from the Admiral Code? I've looked up the latter too, but afaik it's just another AI girl that just happens to be the thing they all listen to if/when she shows up.

At the very least I've got a good grip on what my character's personality would be like after that first episode.