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Trinity RPG: Quantum of Hope - OOC


knave

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Hey gang.

This might interest you.

Royal Marine Ranks

6 Dots - Overall Command Officers

General

5 Dots - Staff Officers - Note - these guys don't get to see combat very often as they're not attached to divisions.

Lieutentant General

Major General

Brigadier

4 Dots - senior officers

Colonel - Note this is about as high as you can advance and still see combat.

Lieutenant Colonel

Major

3 Dots - Junior officers - Note Most VARG Drivers are Junior officers

Captain

Lieutenant

2nd Lieutenant - Note this is the lowest rank you can be as a VARG Pilot

2 Dot - NCOs

Warrant Officer 1st Class

Warrant Officer 2nd Class

Colour Sergeant // Staff Sergeant in the regular army

Sergeant

1 Dot - Enlisted Men

Corportal

Lance Corporal

Private

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My views on VARG piloting

I’ve been asked how skills work when applied to VARG piloting and I thought it would probably make sense to answer to everyone.

As I see it, it depends somewhat on the VARG. Older VARG cockpits are pretty similar to traditional fighter cockpits with the pilot sitting with fly by wire sticks in each hand, feet on a number of pedals and more functions available by punching buttons and via voice command. Learning to drive a standard VARG is consequently somewhere between learning to pilot, learning to drive a tank and learning to juggle geese.

VARGs that use neural interfaces put you in a similar cockpit, but the majority of functions (including gross movement) are accessed via neural link. Learning to drive an NI VARG is like learning to walk again after an accident - like what you did before, but different- instead of you just walking you have to think that you want to walk. This becomes more intuitive over time, but it never really becomes completely natural.

Learning to drive a bioVARGs is like learning to ride a horse. After you’ve gotten to know the horse it’s not like you have to think about it anymore - you know how the horse will respond and the horse can anticipate exactly what you want from your actions. Also, with a bioVARG you get an intuitive sense of the vehicle’s health and systems that you have to check readouts for in the others.

VARG pilots are all trained on standard VARGs because they’re the hardest to use. NI and bioVARGs are refreshingly easy in comparison.

All VARG movement apart from flight is covered by the VARG skill - this includes melee and ‘physical’ combat. Many VARG pilots have skills in melee and martial arts, and while these skills help with the motor control and precision necessary to be a good pilot they are different enough to not to have a game mechanical effect. This is simply because a VARG moves differently to a person, its centre of gravity is different and the pilot doesn’t feel pain and isn’t vulnerable in the same way. It’s really very very difficult to fence with VARG melee weapons - by the time you’re that close it’s usually whoever gets in the the first shot.

Using VARG ranged weapons requires the Gunnery skill simply because you’re using a computer assisted firing mechanism from a vehicle.

Flying a VARG with a flightpack uses the pilot skill.

The only exceptions to these rules are the cases of bioVASes - which I use in my game as an armoured space suit - which does not require the VARG skill at all as the suit just amplifies natural movement. (Course the formatting requirements mean psions only)

With very small bioVARGs like the Chameleon I will allow psions to use the higher of VARG or a relevant combat skill for combat, and the higher of gunnery or heavy weapons for ranged weapons.

The British VARG regiment is the Royal Space Marine Cavalry - aka The White Knights.

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I joked before about changing the game's name. A Quantum of Hope was both a pun on the new James Bond title, a reference to abbie and Prof's legendary games and a quip about the silence on the board, but I think maybe with the focus going where it's going and the game looking likely to take off with a few players at least, maybe we should change the name.

Knights of New Avalon? anyone?

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Camelot 2122? ::tongue

I think a series title should reflect the mood and theme of the stories told, so you know better than us what would be fitting. Knights of New Avalon is good, and if there was no deeper story-related meaning to the first name, I'm for a change. ::thumbup1

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So, how long between the flashback and present time? Just curious about how long the characters have worked together, and how well they'd know each other...

The Flashback is set July 3rd 2122 09:00.

Chapter I is set July 3rd 2122 15:30.

Why bother with it if it's only 6.5 hours earlier?

The Flashback is basically just somewhere to introduce your characters and some NPCs and to demonstrate some basic character interaction while still allowing us to get on with the meat of the story.

I hope to be able to cover a certain amount of 'downtime' activity with parallel threads to keep up some momentum.

To answer your second question:

The characters have spent the last four months being trained, psych evaluated and tested - both together and apart. They were initially part of a class of twenty inductees, but this has been whittled down to the three? of you who actually get into the I.I.S. as field agents.

The training and testing has focussed around the areas of police and BHG procedures. The Law and how it applies. Tradecraft. Dangerous groups, their threat ratings and their potential targets.

In addition, you've been put through rigorous physical exercises and weapon practice and including holographic scenarios to test your skill and response times.

You were never told how you were evaluated, but each of you knows for a fact that other candidates have outperformed you in certain of the more obvious activities (e.g. target shooting) but yet you rather than they have gone on.

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The Flashback is set July 3rd 2122 09:00.

Chapter I is set July 3rd 2122 15:30.

Why bother with it if it's only 6.5 hours earlier?

The Flashback is basically just somewhere to introduce your characters and some NPCs and to demonstrate some basic character interaction while still allowing us to get on with the meat of the story.

I hope to be able to cover a certain amount of 'downtime' activity with parallel threads to keep up some momentum.

Cool. I like that idea. ::thumbup1

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Taking the datachip carefully by opposite corners from his colleague, Geogre briefly turns it over in his fingers, staring intently at it, before slotting it into his minicomp. [OOC try to combine his micro/telescopic and ir/thermal vision to see if he can pick up the former Captains fingerprints on the chip, and if so store them on the minicomp.]
I'm sure George has had plenty of opportunity to lift and/or simply access Sandways' fingerprints during the months they've been in training together.
The tall, broad built operative takes his time loading the data off the stick, taking care to run it through the data security and anti-virus protocols before allowing any data on to his minicomp. Typical VARG officier, he thought to himself, never think procedures apply to them, until they get burned badly enough.

I'm going for the 007 feel I had the impression Knave wanted here. I don't think being suspicious of data media handed to us by our handler fits the theme, and I hope we can have a James Bond approach to tradecraft without that being seen as unprofessional.

Then he passes the chip onto the next in line, still holding it just by the corners. Data scrolls across his vision, yet doesn't distract him from his contemplation of Harrison. I'm surprised a VARG pilot isn't more used to a HUD, but then he probably hasn't lived with one 24/7 for several years.
Going by your statements about enhanced vision, I assume your character is very perceptive, so I have no objections to your observations. Except I think you read a bit much into my descriptions.

I simply tried to describe typical mannerisms I think would be common in people with this kind of enhancements, regardless of experience. Incidentally, Sandways has had the hud for a long time. ::smile

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Sorry if it came across wrong, I haven't had a chance to post it anywhere yet but George has a number of pieces of cyberware that were common in his unit. This was partially to show this and partially him testing to see how there use can be adapted to the new unit.

Finally, he was a by the book type, multiple generation NCO, who is still trying to adapt to the more relaxed nature required of undercover and civilian work.

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Seems to me we've got a couple of class- and military branch predjudices to work through during play. That can be fun. ::smile

Sandways, being both of upper class birth, a varg pilot and an officer to boot, can easily be seen as an arrogant, holier than though, look down at the little people kind of guy, but he really isn't. Of course, he'll have his own ingrained ideas about 'regular' space marines, but he's aware that they are constructed and does his best to look past them. I hope I'll manage to let my writing reflect that.

What are your plans for your character in that regard, Rorx?

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Oh, he will definitely loosen up, but after 10-12 years it's going to take more than the 4 months of training they have had in order to do that. ::biggrin

Your characters probably don't know, but George has 4 pieces of cyberware:

1. Adv Implant radio

2. Enhanced Vision

3. Locator Implant

4. Rebreather

The radio was obviously for comms. Enhanced Vision also allows the sending of what the cyborg sees and hears, so the team had increased situational awareness. The locator implant would give them the layout of the target location.

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Heya.

Ok - we're off to a start. ::biggrin

1st off - If you were planning to take each other's fingerprints etc there has been ample opportunity already - unless each of you has been unbelievably careful.

I'll assume that George is doing what he is doing to prove a point - if only to himself. That is absolutely fine. This scene is giving me the impression that George is a very by the book, work bloody hard kind of person, rather than saying that Edmund is completely unprofessional - especially given that your military issue agents will do on access scans of data much like virus scanners these days. I choose to read this as George doing a 'Full Scan' of chip. Again, that's perfectly fine.

2ndly Cyberware isn't exactly common even in the Space Marines. It's offered to select candidates who fit the profile, and who have volunteer to go under the knife. Maybe 1 in 10 or so are crazy enough to do that.

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Yeah, I assumed it was a small unit of a couple of platoons or 1 company of special forces types.

Most of the cyberware probably does little more than the electronics on the marine issue combat helmet would do. However, with a concealed Second Skin (I think neutrals can use them) under reinforced clothes and a pocketable bubble helm, they could use the cyber rebreather for brief spacewalks. This would enable them to hit a lunar or martian outpost by surprise or to go EVA to take out kidnappers or pirates from being planted on a ship.

Yeah, I reckon he is feeling a bit out of place at the mo and so being a bit more careful than he needs to dot the i's and crop the t's. He'll have settled down after a mission or 2.

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IIS - Standard issue ops gear

Reinforced Clothing

Wembley & Hardcastle Defender 9mm

Two clips of ammunition

Enamel Knife

Steinhardt M1-AC II with Friday Agent, Bodynet adapter and HUD set

Vocoder with space for up to seven language groups including French, Spanish, Portuguese

and Chinese as standard

Flashlight

Mini-rebreather

Compass/GPS

For Combat operations the following additional items are issued as standard:

Armour Vest

Combat Helmet

2x Flash grenades

2x Smoke grenades

Additional firearms as appropriate to agent’s training and role (default option is the W&H

MAC-803)

Is there any particular form the Reinforced clothing needs to take, or is it ok to be at least partially concealed as reinforced while in the form of a suit? Or should it be an overcoat type affair or such like?

Are personal/backup weapons allowed?

How do we stand about having Nihon in the vocoders, normally I think it is meant to be restricted by the Nihon or something..?

How big are the minirebreathers? (worried it might spoil the lines of his suit.. ::biggrin)

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Is there any particular form the Reinforced clothing needs to take, or is it ok to be at least partially concealed as reinforced while in the form of a suit? Or should it be an overcoat type affair or such like?

No, a reinforced suit - even in the latest fashion - is perfectly fine.

Are personal/backup weapons allowed?

They're not a problem. You will find you get a great deal more latitude in the IIS when it comes to personal preference than pretty much anywhere else. They seem to have a bizarre attitude that results count.

How do we stand about having Nihon in the vocoders, normally I think it is meant to be restricted by the Nihon or something..?

Nihon is specifically issued to agents who are likely to require interaction with the Nihonjin. Once it is issued it is usually not withdrawn.

How big are the minirebreathers? (worried it might spoil the lines of his suit.. ::biggrin)

::tongue About the size of a large marker pen. ::tongue

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Your characters probably don't know, but George has 4 pieces of cyberware:

1. Adv Implant radio

2. Enhanced Vision

3. Locator Implant

4. Rebreather

I've thought about this, and I can't really see a reason why Edmund shouldn't know about these. They're all important tactical factors, and it wouldn't make sense to keep one teammate's resources secret from the other. If George falls in the drink it's better that Edmund knows he doesn't need to worry about him drowning, for example.

Personally, I've got the implant radio - basic or advanced doesn't really matter to me, but I guess it makes sense that we have the same type - and a so far undecided second one. Will post it when I've decided and gotten Knave's blessing. ::smile

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I've thought about this, and I can't really see a reason why Edmund shouldn't know about these. They're all important tactical factors, and it wouldn't make sense to keep one teammate's resources secret from the other. If George falls in the drink it's better that Edmund knows he doesn't need to worry about him drowning, for example.

Personally, I've got the implant radio - basic or advanced doesn't really matter to me, but I guess it makes sense that we have the same type - and a so far undecided second one. Will post it when I've decided and gotten Knave's blessing. ::smile

Some players like to keep their abilities secret. Personally, I prefer to share, but I really don't mind. ::biggrin

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When I said that the others probably didn't know about them I meant that the cyberware probably wouldn't have come up. Since there is only two of them and especially as Edmund outranked him in the marines, I'm fairly sure that Edmund could and would have checked his record in which they would have been listed.

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When I said that the others probably didn't know about them I meant that the cyberware probably wouldn't have come up. Since there is only two of them and especially as Edmund outranked him in the marines, I'm fairly sure that Edmund could and would have checked his record in which they would have been listed.

And I'm fairly sure our superiors could and would have told us both that 'Oh, incidentally, the two of you can communicate through implant radios.' That's the most important one, in my book. ::smile I'm fine with discovering the other ones in play, or via snooping in your files... ::biggrin

By the way, Knave: If I want to start another flashback scene, do we use the same thread, or make a new one?

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And I'm fairly sure our superiors could and would have told us both that 'Oh, incidentally, the two of you can communicate through implant radios.' That's the most important one, in my book. ::smile I'm fine with discovering the other ones in play, or via snooping in your files... ::biggrin

By the way, Knave: If I want to start another flashback scene, do we use the same thread, or make a new one?

Sounds cool.

Re: Flashbacks.

As much as I'd like to keep them in one thread to keep them together, I can just see them getting into a massive tangle if we do that. So, start new ones for each topic or past encounter.

maybe use the format

A Quantum of Hope

Flashback: Edmund's last day in His Majesty's Royal Space Marine Cavalry.

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Re: Flashbacks.

As much as I'd like to keep them in one thread to keep them together, I can just see them getting into a massive tangle if we do that. So, start new ones for each topic or past encounter.

maybe use the format

A Quantum of Hope

Flashback: Edmund's last day in His Majesty's Royal Space Marine Cavalry.

Good thinking. We might want to join hands and pray for the admins to create a subforum for the story, then. Just to have all our mess in one place..

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I've found sending JC and/or Ian Watson a PM does wonders for getting subforums for my games in the past ::biggrin

Yeah, it would be nice if not every topic was called 'A Quantum of Hope', so I had a better chance of telling them apart...

Will do that. Don't think I can do it as just a mod.

Actually I called them all AQoH to keep them together. ::tongue

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just wanted to apologize for my slowness the last week or so. Was best man in a big-ass wedding this past weekend, and there was a bit of planning, organizing, travelling and drinking involved. Stuff like that tends to get a lot of focus...

::beer30

No worries, mate - got one of those tomorrow ::tongue (not best man - just partner to the bride's sister, so schedule should be clear by next week!)

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  • 2 weeks later...

No worries. Am off to Bath for a few days though so next post from me will be weds or thurs.

We should move to a more traditional Bondian feel once we get through the initial horror csi stuff.

Sorry if I keep coming up with things fo r you to do Knave, watched too many of the CSI type prgrammes I suppose. In addition the MSc I 've recently started although a Physics based one as a unit on Anatomy in it!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, I am actually almost done with my character, which took a lot more time an effort than I thought it would, so I apologize; not being able to find many of my Trinity books has made this difficult and very unnerving (where the hell are they, anyway?). I'm especially upset about not being able to find the TPG and SF; I pray they are out somewhere in the boxes of books in the garage, and that a good thorough search will turn them up ::sad

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Yeah, keeping track of books can be a pain. I'm lucky in that as well as my paper copy of the TPG I picked up the pdf a couple of years back when they had it free on Drivethru for a while. I keep checking them to see if they do anything else as useful from time to time. ::biggrin

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Knave, the three suspects I wanted to check the recent/current camera data for was the Dr Chiang, the dead guy and Mr Charles Erasmus, rather than the dead girl.

I know the guy is supposed to be dead, but I wanted to check that no-one of a similar description had been caught on camera around the place, for my own over-imaginative peace of mind!

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Knave, the three suspects I wanted to check the recent/current camera data for was the Dr Chiang, the dead guy and Mr Charles Erasmus, rather than the dead girl.

My bad - a direct artifact of my filing system which needs some work. ::unsure

I know the guy is supposed to be dead, but I wanted to check that no-one of a similar description had been caught on camera around the place, for my own over-imaginative peace of mind!

You know you’re a role player when... ; )

The dead guy hasn’t.

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Were the eyes still with the bodies, and what sort of recognition systems are used and how commonly i.e facial, retina, fingerprint, DNA etc?

The eyes are still in the bodies.

City security cameras use skin tone, distinguishing marks and bone structure for facial recognition.

DNA / Retinal / Fingerprint recognition tends to be used at short range for identity verification.

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Sorry I've been such a non-presence here, guys - I was nearly done with my character a few weeks ago, and then I was initiated into the cult of City of Villains by a friend of mine, and suddenly what little free time I had disappeared is a puff of digital smoke. I'm trying to rip my addictive personality away from its clutches for a few hours a day so I can do other things like play in this game, and I have some actual time off this weekend in which I plan to do so, assuming you'll still have me. I used to check this website religiously every day, but then I got out of the habit when I wasn't in any games here, and I just need to get back into the habit so it becomes part of my routine again.

Cheers, lads! ::beer30

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Sorry I've been such a non-presence here, guys - I was nearly done with my character a few weeks ago, and then I was initiated into the cult of City of Villains by a friend of mine, and suddenly what little free time I had disappeared is a puff of digital smoke. I'm trying to rip my addictive personality away from its clutches for a few hours a day so I can do other things like play in this game, and I have some actual time off this weekend in which I plan to do so, assuming you'll still have me. I used to check this website religiously every day, but then I got out of the habit when I wasn't in any games here, and I just need to get back into the habit so it becomes part of my routine again.

Cheers, lads! ::beer30

No worries. I've been down that dark road a few times myself ::tongue

Of course you're welcome. The game does seem to have slowed down thought, but I think that's my fault. Investigation elements are probably best left for tabletop games. I'll try to avoid them in future. ::sad

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The game does seem to have slowed down thought, but I think that's my fault. Investigation elements are probably best left for tabletop games. I'll try to avoid them in future. ::sad

I don't think the blame for that is all yours, Knave. I think it's about what expectations we all have of the game, and it shows how important it is to agree on what sort of story we're playing. I know I have a hard time getting motivated when the CSI-element of any story grows out of hand, which is the main reason my posting frequency has been catastrophic lately. I personally think we've deviated too far from the original idea of a grit, horror and xenophobia themed 00-style story, but I'm sure we can make it work. ::smile

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I don't think the blame for that is all yours, Knave. I think it's about what expectations we all have of the game, and it shows how important it is to agree on what sort of story we're playing. I know I have a hard time getting motivated when the CSI-element of any story grows out of hand, which is the main reason my posting frequency has been catastrophic lately. I personally think we've deviated too far from the original idea of a grit, horror and xenophobia themed 00-style story, but I'm sure we can make it work. ::smile

No, I'll take it on the chin. I had an idea for something I wanted to happen, but I hadn't slotted it into the genre cleverly enough because I didn't think it would take very long. Now I wish I'd gone with a more traditional story.

The problem is - with an apparent aberrant serial killer type on the loose, if I let you find out exactly who it is before hand you never need get your hands dirty. But with an apparent abbie serial killer on the loose you can hardly blame 'normal' PCs for doing decent research from somewhere safe.

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Sorry guys, both for potentially stalling it with too much investigastion, and then I stopped posting for a while as I thought I had been doing too much. I'll slap a post up now to try to bring the others up to speed if I haven't already and perhaps we can move on from there...

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