Shorticus

American Dream: A Shattered Union

Do you know how long I looked for a player named "Aye" before I realized you were using the WORD Aye?

Also, I sincerely want to see a Mafia-run country in this game. DO IT.

Weird Roleplay Ideas You're Afraid To Pitch?

Crisis in the Kremlin

Essentially this RP is a strange mix between an NRP and an Advanced One. 'Players' take the role of a member of the Soviet Politburo during the final years of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. As these characters they create, they can take sides in GM-created political events, crises, and form factions within the Politburo. All the while being as corrupt or honorable as they'd like. If a character so wishes, his character could easily support/introduce policies to the Politburo that inevitably lead to the collapse of the USSR. Or they can privately endorse hardliners within the military to shut down the liberalization programs and restore the policies of the Stalin-era.

This format of RP could be used in multiple different ways though. A RP could also be down in the United States with players forming their own political parties, campaigns, etc and playing the game of politics via American exceptionalism. Or this could be on an even larger scale with a EU-style format in which players are using the system to better their nation while harming others.

I've seen this sort of RP done multiple times over on the Paradox Forums and I feel like if given proper GMing and maybe even some form of 'stats' it could actually work out as a neat tabletop-lite sort of RP.

@Chairman Stein

Yeah, this is something I want to see. The closest I've seen on these forums and others is GoT style "We're from the same nation but EGADS! IT IS SHATTERING! FOOD FIGHT!" And while I can see the appeal, I think there's so much potential to be had in technically having everyone working together... in theory.

Political power plays on a backdrop of everyone working for the same cause and everyone have their own private motives = a good RP concept in general.

Not much more for me to say than that.

Let's B!tch. I feel it's a healthy release for our roleplay annoyances 2.0

This works for all RPs but any GM that has the utter nerve to say 'WRITING IN THIS STYLE ISN'T ALLOWED BECAUSE WORLD BUILDING.' Not only is that the most fascistic thing a person can say but it's also utterly nonsensical. If I'm interested in your RP I'll write my characters/nation/whatever however I damn well please. If I want to write like it's a high-school text book I will. If I want to write like John Green a mediocre teenie-bop author I will. Just because the GM has some specific idea on what 'world/character building' means doesn't mean everyone else has the same opinion or idea. If you want to dictate your RP to the point where using a certain style is banned then maybe you should re-think your RP.

@Chairman Stein

I can definitely see what you mean about being told not to write in a certain style. I mean... There's a reason a bunch of different writing styles exist, and I'm personally a fan of writing stories - not necessarily RPs - more like a myth or oral heritage story. Not everyone wants to see that in their RP, and I do get that, but especially in the case of an NRP... Is anyone being HURT by having things written from the perspective of, say, a fable? A history book? First person?

Now, that said, I could see certain roleplays that WOULD practically demand a certain writing style... but the GM should note that in the very first few lines. Say, for instance, the roleplay is about Greek-era heroes and you want folks to experiment with writing in a way that conveys that rather than a more modern style of writing. Or say you're doing a Victorian RP and you want people to at least handle their dialogue and their letters to folks like they're someone from the Victorian era. I think both of those situations would be fair. But again, the GM should have that noted in the very beginning.

When it comes to NRPs, Space is literally the most overdone and overrated things on the entire board. Everyone and their dog now has some 'sooper kewl' Space confederation that they wrote around 25k words for when it's just literally a race ripped from the Star Trek Wiki. Plus I never have been a fan of Sci-Fi regardless since I feel it's a incredibly uncreative and simply boring backdrop for a story/RP/whatever.

This really depends on what sort of space RP you want to have run. See, I love sci-fi, and I think sci-fi NRPs can be really, really good, but... Frankly, I think a lot of people do sci-fi RP wrong. They don't really depict what it means to be alien.

Let me essplain. WARNING: Rambling is about to commence.

If I'm going to write about alien life, I want to write about alien life that does NOT think like a human does. The typical human experience is one in which we taste, touch, smell, hear, see; being able to interact with your environment with two hands; thinking as a single, individual being... So, why not omit some of those senses, or change some of those things we consider so natural? Why not change how some of those senses function? Maybe you create a species that does not interact with the world with their hands, but has to depend on something external to them - another species, say, or mechanical objects? What about a species that isn't physically tangible, but instead exists in 1's and 0's? A species that has a hivemind (okay, that's common)? A species whose members are actually two organisms melded together?

When I stop and think about those weird species, I start to really enjoy myself and dig into what it must be like to be alien, and I start to think about the cultures that would develop around that. I don't want to just play a blue skinned human or a race of green alien babes. When I write sci-fi, I want to write about a species that is something we humans cannot understand.

Moreover, I want to write about the values such aliens who are so different from us would have. A species of 1's and 0's floating about in high tech computers would probably see physical forms as fleeting and temporary and not understand why humans care so much about protecting their bodies. A species that inherently lacks some of our human senses might not understand why we put so much importance on them at all. And if you have a species that has a hivemind, they might very well pity humanity for not being able to be a part of that greater connection, and if cut off from their hivemind might freak out and wonder what the Hell to do. And... well, there's so many examples we could discuss here.

And I think that's what so many folks in online sci-fi games don't do. They write about stuff that's, well, pretty mundane, really: dragon aliens, orc aliens, aliens who have a confederacy of united stars, aliens who are fascist, aliens who are the most deadly extreme form of capitalism. And I suppose some of those are really fun; I especially think the last one ought to be thrown into space NRPs every now and then, because there IS a dark side to truly laissez faire capitalism. But the real opportunity that sci-fi RP allows us is to explore what it means to be so alien that we can't even truly imagine it. We can only guess.

Now, I'm not saying that all sci-fi has to be of this nature. I'm not saying you can't RP green alien space babes, or just have fun writing about giant mechs blowing each other mechs. Dude, I love giant mechs blowing each other up. But I am saying that sci-fi can also be used to explore the human condition, and explore also what makes someone "alien," and... well, to explore how vastly different you can be from the human experience and yet still be a sentient entity, and arguably still be just as "human."

So, I guess this turned into a gripe of my own about sci-fi NRPs, though a very different one. There's GREAT opportunity in sci-fi settings, if only we're willing to explore them.

(Side note: I'm sad to realize that the only sci-fi NRP I was going to join still hasn't kicked off. That was the RP that I was going to use "two organisms melded together" for.)

Let's B!tch. I feel it's a healthy release for our roleplay annoyances 2.0

I really hate when people show up too the interest check, confirm their interest before the GM starts the rp, and then promptly just not enter the roleplay or even bother to further explain why they had decided not to join if asked.

@vancexentan

How often does this happen, out of curiosity?

I can see reasons why someone would do that (including just plain forgetting), but I would like to know how often that occurs in case I ever run my own RP.

RPer Appreciation Thread

@Keyguyperson then I shall compliment you until there is a fictionucleapocalypse. Because damn it I want to see it. I want to watch the world shrivel up and die in a cloud of ash and glowing radioactive waste, and I want to feel the anguish as every single life on it is slowly twisted and warped and altogether extinguished, leaving just a burned, charred husk on a burned, charred planet.

Mmmmmkay that got dark. I'm going to go get some ice cream. Want any?

@RomanAria

You act like I'm not already on that. Since you all LOVED watching a mother pump the husk of her child full of lead last time, now you get to see someone kill someone they care for a lot AGAIN!

@Keyguyperson

FRAMEs: Chapter II [Reboot] (Mech combat, politics & corporate intrigue)

Aaaand there's my guy.

FRAMEs: Chapter II [Reboot] (Mech combat, politics & corporate intrigue)

Maxwell Silver

Maxwell Silver

AKA Preacher

6'2", athletic

Age: 45
Sex: Male
Disposition: Maxwell is a bit of a Luddite. Though he's a man with a long history of combat experience, he's always been against the rapid technological development that has swept across the world and has long claimed that it is certain to bring down the downfall of humanity. He looks to the ever-increasing power of the megacorporations and the ever-decreasing privacy the average individual has and cites these as examples of the degradation of people's freedoms. Nevertheless, he's piloting a FRAME today, working for a private security organization, and doing the dirty work of megacorps.

Because of his firm beliefs, Maxwell has no augmentations and depends on his natural abilities outside of his suit. This has put him at a disadvantage before, but he nevertheless remains staunchly anti-augmentation.

When not on the battlefield, Maxwell can best be described as "quiet." He isn't a loner: he just prefers to save his words for when they matter and let his actions do the talking for him. When he's incited, however, he can become quite the speaker, taking on a manner of speaking like that of a demagogue. It's for this reason that he's earned the moniker "Preacher," which he uses on the battlefield.

The battlefield turns Maxwell into a disciplined and obedient man. He speaks in brief, simple terms in a fight: "Aff," "Neg," "Cannot do," "Target down." The most he's done while with the Panthers that's broken this rule is when he laughed after a particularly harrowing near-death experience and thanked God for fifth chances. Otherwise, he's proven to be the model of a soldier, at least in personality.

Unfortunately, Maxwell isn't the best FRAME pilot. While he certainly has some experience with FRAME units, his age is starting to catch up with him. Nevertheless, he's been practicing piloting his FRAME a lot since coming out of retirement, and he's got got the advantage of understanding what it's like fighting FRAMEs as one of the guys with their boots on the ground.

Background: Maxwell hails from the North Sotraecan Union and was born a member of the impoverished part of society. He became a beat cop at twenty years old, then moved on to become a riot police officer at twenty-three. Max then was transferred to a special unit of anti-terrorist police (the ATSI) at the age of thirty-one, and it was in this job he first got to pilot a FRAME.

ATSI

ATSI stands for "Anti-Terrorism Specialist Initiative." It's a rapid-response NSU organization dedicated to fighting organized crime and terrorism. At least, that's what it is on paper. In reality, it ends up working for corporations who pay the right amount more often than not.

ATSI is a mixed unit of both infantry and FRAMEs, and even the infantry are trained to pilot FRAMEs in the event that one of the pilots dies in combat. Often, an ATSI Operative will have experience fighting both on foot and in a FRAME.

Maxwell was good at his job. He started out as one of the ATSI's infantrymen, but his tactical know-how quickly earned him the seat of a FRAME. He took to that quickly enough, too. Still, he often found his unit outmatched. Time and time again, Officer Silver saw his fellow officers taken out by better-equipped enemies hired by private security institutions. The private militaries simply developed better weapons more quickly than the police outfitted themselves, and ATSI's leaders didn't adapt to new tactics quickly enough. Fed up with this state of affairs, Maxwell confronted one of his superiors about this. This earned him some enemies in ATSI.

During a particularly brutal mission against some mercenaries, Maxwell's squad leader accidentally took out an apartment complex housing a considerable number of civilians. This tragedy was pinned on Maxwell; all his squadmates blamed him for the event, having been bribed to speak against him in court. Maxwell was forced to resign from service and barred from serving in any sort of NSU armed service.

Disgusted by the whole process, Maxwell left modern society to live with his wife and daughter in a rural region of the NSU. Tragedy soon struck, however: Max's wife died of severe illness five years ago. His daughter then went missing, and Maxwell did his damnedest to find her for the better part of two years. None of his leads revealed anything, and he spiraled into a deep depression. He became a total recluse.

But two years ago Maxwell came out of his seclusion and signed up with the Preying Panthers. He never stated why he did so, nor is he inclined to tell anyone, but he's eager to do his work and do it right.

Inventory:

• Electric police baton, a close-combat weapon capable of shutting down augmentations
• ATSI Operative combat armor
• Pilot's suit
• Pilot's helmet
• High caliber heavy pistol w/scope and flashlight
• Two flashbangs
• PADD

Other:

BGN-80 Dreq

Manufacturer: Krylov Corp
Height: 4.6 meters
Weight: 6230 kg
Armor: 56 mm armorplast alloy
Speed (Walk): 55.4 kph
Speed (Skate): 84 kph
Sensor range: 3 km
Communication range: 30 km
Operating range: 500 km
Weight: 4
Power: 1

Armaments:

• NNU-10 Autocannon
  -This 22 mm autocannon is manufactured by Mordane Metallurgy, a corporation based in North and South Sotraeca. It doesn't pack a huge punch, and its rate of fire is nothing to boast of. However, it is very lightweight, easy to manipulate with a single hand, and boasts a surprisingly long range (well over 1200 meters). Its low weight allows the user to bring additional ammo, making it perfect for extended operations. Most FRAMEs carrying the NNU-10 use it as a sidearm rather a primary weapon.
• MG27 Light Machinegun
  -An anti-personnel 7.62 caliber machine gun built by Radley Arms. Effective range is 400 meters. Rate of fire is 650 rds/min. 800 rounds are carried in an internal drum. Weapon is mounted into the torso.
• SPR-0S Flamethrower (right arm)
  -A specialized close combat weapon, the "Super" Flamethrower is essentially a scaled-up, superheated version of infantry flamethrowers. It deals considerable damage and can disrupt a FRAME's sensors, but thus far hasn't seen much use thanks to its short range (50 meters). It is more effective the closer the FRAME is to its opponent. It mounts along the arm of a FRAME and fires from the wrist, leaving that hand free to use other weapons.
• EAG-03 Riot Shield w/ERA
  -Used primarily by police FRAMEs in the NSU and SSU, this shield takes up the use of a FRAME's hand. It can be hooked onto a FRAME's back and will provide protection against attacks from behind while there. It protects against a variety of weapons, but is limited by only covering a single angle of attack. This variant has been modified to be better suited for real combat and given a single layer of Explosive Reactive Armor.
• ADR-9Z Anti-Air Missile System (left shoulder)
  -This missile system by Mordane Metallurgy (also called the Adder Missile System) is mounted on one shoulder of the FRAME and is capable of taking down hostile aircraft. It has an effective range of 3000 meters. Adders are high-velocity missiles, making them fast-acting and well-protected against anti-missile systems, but they don't pack quite as much punch as other anti-air missile systems.

Subsystems:

• Explosive Reactive Armor

Deleted

Dude, no worries. I came on happy to hear I'd be able to progress just fine with 1-2 posts a week. I'm okay if the thread moves forward slowly so long as it moves forward.

FRAMEs: Chapter II [Reboot] (Mech combat, politics & corporate intrigue)

One more question (as I'm designing my character now): I notice the map is very similar to real-world Earth's, but none of the names are the same besides the planet being called "Earth." Is this an alternate universe, or a future Earth where the landmasses shifted greatly?

EDIT: Reread the first paragraph. Nevermind! Thanks! Got the info I needed to write.

American Dream: A Shattered Union

That post didn't come out as well as I hoped. I rewrote it two times and I'm still not happy with it.

@Jotunn Draugr, the letter is directed to your nation's leaders, though because Bill doesn't know who the Hell that is it's not specific at all. The messenger will be some guy / gal in a beat up pickup truck with a few guards. The letter's contents are basically asking for an exchange of... SOME KIND for food, since the agricultural powerhouse that is your nation would surely have rumors about how plentiful food is reach down south.

Respond to that however you will, including shooting the messenger.

EDIT: Also, yes, the Frankentank in this post was a weaponized offroad fire truck.