Slamurai

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

Short post; mainly to answer Maxwell's last-minute questions and to invite everyone to do as they will until they reach the fort. Whatever sneaky plans I've been reading about in the OOC are go for launch!

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

"What's the contract's duration?" What sort of supervision are we getting? What kind of operations are we being trained for?"

"The initial contract lasts for six months," Colonel Leung had answered. "When it's expired, the Panthers can decide to renew it or take another. However, depending upon the circumstances, you may be asked to stay on standby longer. You will be compensated for any extra time spent in XCD service.

"We're keeping the unit on a long leash," he continued. "You are asked to follow the conduct outlined in your guides when present on the base, but you will not be subject to routine inspection or surveillance... Unless absolutely necessary. In the field, you will be expected to cooperate with XCD personnel and understand battlefield protocol and standard operating procedure, also in your manuals. Your training is for your Battalion HQ to decide. Expect to accompany other units during combat exercises. Doing so will familiarize yourselves with operations and protocol of the 26th Regiment."

---

The Samigina - Present

It is currently nightfall. The Samigina has been en route to Fort Huangdao for approximately six hours, and should reach the island by morning. The briefing with Colonel Leung has left mixed feelings in the guts of the units pilots, but the general consensus is that the risk is worth it. Anything that will help kick-start the Panthers back to top-tier is a valuable investment.
Still, not all is tranquil aboard the landcruiser. Uneasy tension can be felt between pilots as cases of PTSD, homesickness, depression and other mental ailments hamper the unit's ability to function. Richard Bentz prays he can keep his unit together for the next six months and run the contract's course without taking any more losses.
As night envelops the Samigina, the pilots of the unit are left to their own devices, preparing themselves for their new role as auxiliaries of the XCD's 26th Armored Reconnaissance Regiment...

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

>no-nonsense, utilitarian pieces of military hardware.

Yesssss. This is making me want to boot up my PS2 and play Fed vs. Zeon again. I'll do it when I get home from my squadron meeting.

@Silverwind Blade You should go look at Sabrina's character sheet. I put something in there I think you'd enjoy.

@Massasauga

I still play Feds vs Zeon, along with Encounters in Space. I actually have Zeonic Front on the way in the mail, which I'm super-excited about; it's a combination of third-person MS action and real-time strategy. Almost like Rainbow Six 3. The best part is, things like flanking, radar, sonar and thermal sensors matter.

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

Gundam Unicorn's Jegans and Jesta mobile suits always struck me as no-nonsense, utilitarian pieces of military hardware. And that's a look I can get behind.



Always liked some of the other GM variants, too.

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

Maybe one day I'll get to have a character pilot an Ez8...one day...

@Massasauga

The venerable frankensuit!

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

Are our FRAMEs water-tight?

@Massasauga

As long as you don't pop the hatch while submerged!
They're capable of amphibious operation on their own, but there are equipment packages that'll be supplied on a per-mission basis that optimize them for waterborne operation.

Mecha-centric combat?

Would an arena-savy moderator be required to oversee the thread? I imagine we could work out the details of the machines and their capabilities ourselves.

What sort of character do you have in mind?

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

*Wonders if the next mission will be aboard an airship*

Probably not.

Still, can't hurt to be prepared.

@Foster

The Samigina ain't enough vessel for you?

Fort Huangdao (lit. "Fort Yellow Island") is -surpise- on an island in the southeast of the XCD. Fortunately for us, the Samigina can hover over water. Prepare yourselves for some naval excersies!

Arena FAQ/Advice

I'd like to ask a question, which I wrote about in an Arena IntCheck just recently:

So I'll be honest: I've always scoffed a little at the idea of an arena section. Not that I think it's silly or anything, but as a RPer, my focus tends towards narrative and story-driven scenarios and outcomes. I understand the gist of writing combat, but doing so in a competitive setting never appealed to me. Who's to say just what's permissible and what's not? What if it devolves into a 'who can bullshit the best?' battle? How do you determine Player X really hit Player Y, if they both have different mental pictures of the scenario?

So yeah - I'm curious as to how you enforce what flies in terms of hits and so forth.
Ex. Player A does some 'jumping downward slash' while Player B's back is slightly turned - who's to say Player B can't 'sense the attack coming and roll into a counter jab' ? How do you stop battles from becoming metagame BS fests? If players interpret the angles or arcs of hits differently in their mental pictures, how do you know what gets through?

And then you potentially have it worse when you factor magic and technobabble into the equation. "Oh no, that magic breath attack has no effect on my shield made of laminated windonium." Or, "I don't care what your backstory is, my char's will is stronger than ten thousand gigawatts, and no blade can pierce it!"

This is my cause for concern in the arena section in a nutshell. And, having not participated in it before, I've no clue how these things are handled.

Mecha-centric combat?

So I'll be honest: I've always scoffed a little at the idea of an arena section. Not that I think it's silly or anything, but as a RPer, my focus tends towards narrative and story-driven scenarios and outcomes. I understand the gist of writing combat, but doing so in a competitive setting never appealed to me. Who's to say just what's permissible and what's not? What if it devolves into a 'who can bullshit the best?' battle? How do you determine Player X really hit Player Y, if they both have different mental pictures of the scenario?

But I digress: I'm willing to give the arena a try, but on a specific set of terms. I'm after combat revolving around mechs. No super robot shenanigans; I'm talking old-school VOTOMS, Patlabor, a mix of Gundam and Heavy Gear. No bullshit contest - I'd like something that rewards smart tactical decisions, proper use of terrain, equipment and maneuvering. I want to treat the mechs as the machines of war they are. The machines I have in mind are relatively small; 4-5 meters tall, around 7 tons. Autocannons would be the primary armaments, but additional firepower could be brought to bear in the form of missiles, rockets, bazookas and other conventional weaponry. A solid hit from an AT weapon would be capable of knocking the mechs out, so I want to encourage careful, deliberate action.

If that sounds like it'd fly in the arena section, I'd love to have someone like-minded to "manage" the rules, hits, whatever needs enforcing. I'm more interested in being a player, but since I obviously have a clearly-defined setting in mind, I'm not sure what sort of handicap that equates to. If anyone's interested, I invite you to share your thoughts and ask questions.