Aberrant: War Journal - War Journal OOC

[Heritage]

It'll pan out that she's staying...anyone who says otherwise better be at least as capable as Rex. (seriously, that was a fair fight if any...could've gone both ways. 'Course, now Havoc knows that if he wants to off him he can just do it in enclosed areas such as C&C where he can't grow...  )

I'm not sure how it's going to go yet, but if Havoc got a direct order from a superior officer, what would happen? ::confused

The whole problem is that she's a Dependant - she was purchsed because she is supposed to be in potential danger. If we ship her off to Pago Pago, barring tentacled reef monsters, she's safe, and not worth the points any more. The trick is going to be balancing realism vs gameplay, as it always is.

[Alex Green]

Mike's powers basically make him a quantum powered terrorist. He walks into a base and leaves landmines every where he can. He can (and does) accept succide missions knowning that "succide" is a pretty meaningless term.

RE: Sneaking around.

Does that detector sense the use of enhancements? Novas not using their powers?

At the moment Mike is using the active (full) form of Mr. Nobody.

[Bahamut810]

It'll pan out that she's staying...anyone who says otherwise better be at least as capable as Rex. (seriously, that was a fair fight if any...could've gone both ways. 'Course, now Havoc knows that if he wants to off him he can just do it in enclosed areas such as C&C where he can't grow...  )

Ill go ahead and say that frenchie wont drop the issue...and that he is as capable as rex is (as has been seen already when nothing happened to him when Havok tried to choke him).

Hell...Havok has already shown thatthe little girl is worth more then everyone else's lives put together to Havok...and that is a potential threat if she is ever captured (god forbid).

Only reason frenchie didnt bring it up is because he was told to be a good boy

[Heritage]

Basically, both ADE and KT mines work like the Node background - it's a contested roll if you're using Dormancy, and a straight roll for the device in question if you're not.

KT mines are more sensitive, but have a very short range - the equivelant of four dots in Node, but with a range of only two meters, since they need to go off when you're close enough to be affected by them. The mines are called 'kiss-and-tells' because they send out a signal just before detonating, letting the people who placed them know where a (theoretically) wounded nova now is, so they can send a team to kill and/or investigate. Remember that many have been 'sweetened' with MOX cannisters, too.

Aberrant Detection Electronics (ADE) have a longer range, but are much less sensitive, the equivelant of two dots in Node, but with a four kilometer range, including straight up, creating a sort of invisible dome of protection. BTW, any tunnellers should know that the earth pretty much dampens the detection effect completely, unless your less than a meter below the surface. Mountains and hills also limit the effect, creating essentially 'shadows' immediately behind such topographical features.

[phoenix]

The whole problem is that she's a Dependant - she was purchsed because she is supposed to be in potential danger. If we ship her off to Pago Pago, barring tentacled reef monsters, she's safe, and not worth the points any more. The trick is going to be balancing realism vs gameplay, as it always is.

I think AsAs offered an XP value for Merits (because Superiors can buy them). Why not convert the same thing for Flaws, and make characters pay it if they want to get rid of a flaw and have done the necessary roleplaying? (Sorry Ezekiel ::confused ::tongue ).

[Heritage]

Only reason frenchie didnt bring it up is because he was told to be a good boy

Frenchie can speak all he wants - it was the tone that the Cap'n objected to ::sly

[Bahamut810]

he was also told not to instigate anything...and anyhting that starts with "your/his daughter", "the girl" or "the child" that isent to havoks direct liking is immediatley made not so good

but...

[Prince of Boredom]

This doesn't mean that Havoc can't keep his daughter. It means that if he wants her evacuated then the Joes should try to accept his request to do so. It also means soldiers shouldn't shoot down escaping civilians or Red Cross / Medecins Sans Frontieres / Priests, etc.

Also applies to military medical personnel (Doctors, not medics like Lt Smith). Also the same reason why chaplains and docs can't be armed (they'd be combatants at that point). In fact, it also applies to aircrew who have ejected, but not paratroopers.

As far as her being at the base. There is technically no law of armed conflict (LOAC) or Geneva Conventions reason why she can't be present. I'm stationed at an Army post in Germany and there are plenty of children, even schools on post operated by the Department of Defense.

The real issue is that it is government policy to not have dependents in combat zones (ie. Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, etc), for multiple reasons. First and foremost being safety of the dependents and also to ensure the soldier is concentrating on the job at hand and not their dependents' safety (I think one of Frenchie's points). That being said, there is no reason why an exception to policy can't be granted to Havok if it is deemed his presence here is important enough (otherwise they'd ship him somewhere better for his family and replace him).

As for her safety, the enemy is under no special requirement to attempt keep her safe. She is in a military installation that is a legal target for any kind of military attack. However, if they encountered her (in a raid for example) they would of course have to save her and render aid to her.

And yes, if requested, they should hold off military action long enough for her to be transported elsewhere.

[ProfPotts]

For the record, it was stuck to Cutler's leg with a knife - it was never 'carved into him' as Rex declared, but I assume he was upset, and therefore prone to exaggeration. Both Cutler's hands were crushed as well, which is probably the more serious charge.

Really? This was the description:

Rex notices that no ammo remains on any of the soldiers (either they shot it all or it was taken away) and that one is actually alive! His hands have been crushed but otherwise he seems unharmed and he's trying his darndest to play dead before the Cobra. Rex notices the smell of urine mixed with that of blood. Stabbed to his thigh is a message:

'if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?... The villainy you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.' - H.

I guess that 'stabbed to his thigh' could mean 'a written message pinned with a knife', but that's not what I understood at all. I mean, if it was then Rex would have removed the knife from the guy's leg... ::rolleyes I thought it meant 'written via the medium of stab wounds'.

That encounter has mutated more time than a Teragen nova! ::squid

[ezekiel]

Ill go ahead and say that frenchie wont drop the issue...and that he is as capable as rex is (as has been seen already when nothing happened to him when Havok tried to choke him).

Huh? If that's your basis I'd rethink that logic...

From the thread:

Havoc will grab him by the throat and squeeze just enough to cut off whatever he was saying

If you truly think you're as capable as Rex though (I figure 5mega-str + 5 mega-sta + FF or armor), then yes, you can try to get rid of his daughter (though I really fail to understand why...she's probably in the safest place anywhere for her.) Which brings me to another point:

The whole problem is that she's a Dependant - she was purchsed because she is supposed to be in potential danger. If we ship her off to Pago Pago, barring tentacled reef monsters, she's safe, and not worth the points any more. The trick is going to be balancing realism vs gameplay, as it always is.

I think the bigger problem is one of background and roleplaying (due to her being a dependant) Havoc won't leave her. She's the only family he's got and he and Epstein are the only family she knows.

That encounter has mutated more time than a Teragen nova!

lol!

Wish we had a mindwiping telepath... ::tongue

[Heritage]

I guess that 'stabbed to his thigh' could mean 'a written message pinned with a knife', but that's not what I understood at all. I mean, if it was then Rex would have removed the knife from the guy's leg...  I thought it meant 'written via the medium of stab wounds'.

Ezekiel, for the record, which meaning of 'stabbed' did you mean? Oh, the wacky fun of online semantics! ::wacko

[ezekiel]

I meant pinned...I thought it was pretty obvious though guess not.

"Stabbed to" = "pinned to" me thinks.

Only you pin a pin and you stab a knife. Carved into would be slicing the message in...I think. If it was stabbed in as opposed to carved in, I think That would be pretty heinous torture, even for Havoc (and I guess that'd explain Rex's reaction a bit more...) How many stabbings would be needed to needle the whole message? Ouch!

So think: soldier is all alone in the forest, his mates have been killed. Suddenly a huge gimp comes out of nowhere and disarms the soldier, crushing his hands the instant the soldier lets go of the weapon. (one in each of Havoc's hands) Then *stab*, shove to the ground. Havoc grabs the man's remaining ammo and grenades. He grabs the stuff from the other men. Then he lands behind Rex.

Not much to it really... ::wink

[Bahamut810]

If you truly think you're as capable as Rex though (I figure 5mega-str + 5 mega-sta + FF or armor), then yes, you can try to get rid of his daughter (though I really fail to understand why...she's probably in the safest place anywhere for her.) Which brings me to another point:

dont worry...he has all that and more. I didnt make frenchie to dissapoint anyone ::laugh ::wink

I think the bigger problem is one of background and roleplaying (due to her being a dependant) Havoc won't leave her. She's the only family he's got and he and Epstein are the only family she knows.

the thing is that she really dosent belong right behind the front lines in a war (in frenchies mind). About the cost, since I did bring it up and keep going on about it I will split the cost iwth you if you want (and heritage allows). I know how it must suck having to give a defect that adds to your character a lot like that. I wont mind going havsies or (if more people want) quartersies ::wink

EDIT: Thanks for clearifying about hte convention note...I have the lamens version and it sounded like you *had* to.

[Heritage]

I wont mind going havsies or (if more people want) quartersies

So he gets to keep half of Julia? ::blink ::tongue

[ezekiel]

You don't understand...its outta my hands...My roleplaying the character is based on that flaw. He won't allow her to be away from him. Buying the flaw out isn't an issue. Once one of my characters is created they're on their own, game mechanics are a side issue (besides, it's not like it'd cost an arm and a leg of experience points). If Julia's ordered out, Havoc will transfer out with her. The mountain isn't under siege, its just a military base.

'Course, I could just make another character if she was transferred out...

hmm...

thinkthinkthink

but I actually think I'd like Havoc if I could really play him instead of just have him defend himself...

So he gets to keep half of Julia?

If that's the case he can keep the whole thing... (Playing the Hammurabi angle here...)

[Bahamut810]

Bah...it sucks when 2 mule-headed people get in an arguement...

[Heritage]

Bah...it sucks when 2 mule-headed people get in an arguement...

Plus it's just plain scary - what are the chances that two people in this forum would be born with mule-heads? Creepy!

[Alex Green]

Well, if that's the way these "Landmines" work, then I think the thing to do is to "Dorm". A clone dorming is so funny... it only works because Clones don't have the power "Clone" and don't maintain themselves.

[Heritage]

levinwurth, what's Jamie up to? Let me know, and we'll keep the recon going forward.

If I don't hear from you in the next day or so, I'm just going to advance the recon a bit, leaving Jamie plenty of wiggle room for specific actions ::thumbsup

[ezekiel]

Rex hula-shimmys through the warp,

Dunno what that means but it sounds like fun! ::tongue

[Haze]

Heritage, I already posted that Jamie was moving forward with the group.

[Heritage]

Heritage, I already posted that Jamie was moving forward with the group.

And I am very stupid ::blush

Mostly, I just wanted to know if you were dorming down or not - harder to detect, but no access to powers.

[Haze]

All depends on how quickly I can go from dormed to full power - I can't remember off the top of my head.

If we're talking seconds, then sure, I'll dorm. If it's more like minutes or even hours, I'll have to consult with the group IC.

[phoenix]

One full turn, no multiple actions.

[Haze]

Dormed it is, then.

[ProfPotts]

*jeez prof, so much for my trying to avoid a fight and let the game go on...*

It's not something Rex would let go. I guess I could totally change his personality for the sake of game harmony, but then I wouldn't want to play him. In any case, everything going Havoc's way isn't 'avoiding a fight', it's simply your character winning.

If everyone feels the same way as you, then I'll happily withdraw from the game - I'm not trying to spoil anyone's fun.

[ezekiel]

All that annoys me is that initially he was just supposed to be an angst ridden leader...not a psycho. This was more or less forced upon the character, which usually I don't really mind. But then it usually doesn't deteriorate in the death of one of the PCs...

anyway, I'll be curious to see who survives...

[Bahamut810]

This is what happened with Frenchie and Havok as well. Frenchie is hard headed and (like Rex im sure) just has certian moral standards he wont violate.

Again I said...dontcha just love having (multible) mule-headed PCs in a game?

[malkboy]

And I wouldn't want ya to quit Prof... I can understand your Point of View on this one But this all started over an OOC mistake about how long combat would last.. and then the note being "pinned" to the guy..

Which was the more objectionable?

[phoenix]

Well, unless Heritage wants to say that Rex incorrectly gauged the amount of time the battle took or something, it looks like the issue will be resolved by a simple fight. I don't have a problem with that, and I too would hate to see Rex go.

But, it doesn't seem like that much of a cop-out to me, since the thing that set Rex off really wouldn't have happened in the first place.

Either way is fine with me. I hate to see random and needless bloodshed, but I understand both points of view.

[ezekiel]

Well, unless Heritage wants to say that Rex incorrectly gauged the amount of time the battle took or something, it looks like the issue will be resolved by a simple fight. I don't have a problem with that, and I too would hate to see Rex go.

Nah, that'd mean deleting the last 10 pages of posts or something. I don't want to see Rex go either but his last post means he either stays and Havoc dies or leaves or Havoc stays and Rex dies. To me that's lose-lose. But hey, I'm looking forward to Bringing Rex's head into Frenchie's bunk for a Godfather-esque scene. (the horse head scene..)

uh...or Havoc dying of course... ::lookaround

[Heritage]

Oh, man.....

I don't have time to do the massive post this clearly requires right now (sorry to be away so long ::blush), plus I'm still working on the recon bit. My, I have learned so much about running a military campaign - bad@sses will be bad@sses, after all. Sigh!

A super-big post will arrive within the next ten hours or so, you betcha ::wink ::thumbsup

[Heritage]

Okay, I officially don't know what to do now.

The continuity of this thread is in tatters. Prof, by Rex's statements, it appears that you're going with your interpretation of the 'stabbed to/pinned/carved' event, no doubt because that was the basis of all his previous actions up to this point - correct me if I'm wrong on this. All the NPCs have been acting based on my interpretation of the event, under the assumption that Rex was exaggerating his interpretation due anger, and that somehow the 'pinned' interpretation made it to Delacroix, though I now see that was a continuity error on my part, as Ezekiel never had Havoc correct Prof/Rex's mistake, no doubt because he knew what he meant when he posted, an d made the same interpretation as I did re: Rex's accusations.

Basically, I think just about every PC and NPC's behaviour has been compromised by these miscommunications - if indeed any carving was done, Delacroix's current behaviour would be seen as merely pooh-poohing savage butchery, and Havoc goes from being grim, to very dark, and to finally a total sadist. If the carving did happen, and was reported as such to the captain, his attitude would be very different, and he probably would have arrived with a couple of droogs to take Havoc into custody, pending a full court martial, and Cutler would have been in shock, and in no way capable of analyzing the Shakespeare quote gouged into his flesh.

I don't know if there is any interpretation of the facts that would now adequately explain anyone's behaviour up to this point - the recon guys are safe, in a way, but everyone else is somehow caught in this continuity trap. Part of me wants to 'reboot' this story, but how is that possible? Relationships have already been formed, and the three-way hatefest between Havoc, Rex and Frenchie now has a life of its own.

Now, what do you all think we should do?

[Bahamut810]

Well...first off. Have The Capt order everyone to set down to get the entire story. Word for word the entire story of what has happened. So far all that he has is What Frenchie sent (a partial story at best based off what he picked up when Rex got back wich I believe owuld include note of the "carving" of shakesperian word into the guy) and what Kelso sent. Thats not nearly good enough for a complete story of what happened. I would *hope* that a leader character like that could tell if someone is Lieing or not, or hell...have Telepathy to scan the memories of the person to see what happened. You are the GM, so it should be easy enough to add to an NPC that already seems like that.

As for the little girl...I already offered an adequite "out" on that to send her to The Core which has umpteen hundred more soldiers then what we have here. But then we already have a solution to that (the ear piece and Frenchie taking the Teregen route in comparison to the X4 "democratic" government).

As for the Rex vs. Havok fight...possibly the best way to end this is to order it. Nothing better to two military men then a good order. And make sure that they dont have to rely on eachother for a while...or better yet send them out on missions together...alone.

Oh...and great "A Clockwork Orange" reference ::wink ...my favorite book! ::laugh

(EDIT...

As an aside...if anyone wants to see said report...just say and ill post it.

[ezekiel]

I think the best thing for the game might be to have Havoc transferred ::smiley4 (or court martialled, or killed, or whatever) If you remove Havoc, everyone loves everyone. (Well, maybe except Epstein who might hold a grudge and perhaps a few others..)

I could make another character I guess or, snif, just plain drop out.

[Bahamut810]

Dont drop Zeke...this isent (entirely) your fault. We are all at fault at one point or another in this.

I think though that we could get through this with everyone in tact with The new Capt just taking charge and *ordering* everyone to settle down, then correcting all the facts that this could be solved.

If not...then we just be careful that Rex and Havok dont have to rely on one another (frenchie will help everyone just as a matter of course...one of the reasons he wants the little girl out is because he knows that he will do everything in his power to save her first as well).

Or we could just all die and start over.

[Heritage]

I think the best thing for the game might be to have Havoc transferred ::smiley4 (or court martialled, or killed, or whatever) If you remove Havoc, everyone loves everyone. (Well, maybe except Epstein who might hold a grudge and perhaps a few others..)

I could make another character I guess or, snif, just plain drop out.

Transfering/court martialing/beheading Havoc might be the easiest option, but not necessarily the best. If we do decide to go that drastic, do you have any ideas for a new character to bring in? I'd hate to lose a player just because his character was unpopular, especially in a game like this when it's so easy to say: 'Hi, I'm Havoc's replacement! If there's one thing you could say about me, it's that I never carve literature into people! Where do I put my stuff?' ::biggrin

[ezekiel]

I don't mind making another character. For one, Havoc getting expelled sets a standard at C&C to be respected by all. Two, tension drops fifty points...last but not least, I actually have an idea for another character. ::smile

[Bahamut810]

Im already in process of moving Frenchie out. I was hoping to be able to have an easier time of keeping havok in...but im not sure how that would work between Havok and Rex.

My next guy is going to be much more layed back though.

[Prince of Boredom]

I don't mind making another character. For one, Havoc getting expelled sets a standard at C&C to be respected by all. Two, tension drops fifty points...last but not least, I actually have an idea for another character. 

Can I recommend someone who outranks all of the rest of us? That way Capt Delacroix can be sent back home (say he was a quick fix until a long-term replacement was found) and we can have a pc running things. Just a thought.