Assembly Discusion

[Ulysses Bailey]

So in two weeks I'll be starting a massive collaborative fiction regarding novas, the law, and society. This'll serve as a general area to talk about the fiction as it gets going plus an area to lay down some ground rules. Obviously and despite its size, it's an invite only fiction.

In a week or so, I'll post the general description of the location. Using the awesome example of Strangers In The Night, I'd like each of the participants to write their own entry to the location and PM it to me using the invite PM so my mailbox doesn't fill up by accident. With everyone's entry, I'll make one giant post to kick things off.

So, in one week I'll provide the location information, some basic ground rounds Bailey would really hope people follow, and anything else I'm totally forgetting at the moment.

[Sakurako Hino]

I would assume this way all of the entrances get all done in one post?

[Singularity]

Quote:

Originally posted by Endeavor:
I would assume this way all of the entrances get all done in one post?

On the nose, my otaku friend.

(ETA: gee, you think I play two charaters I would post consistently with one profile... *whistles innocently* )

[Sakurako Hino]

(Welcome to the cult of split personalities ~.^ (hides elf ears))

[Ulysses Bailey]

Alrighty, I promised the beginning information for Assembly and here it is.

First, I thought I’d provide some information to help clarify what I’m trying to do. Obviously, I’m not intending on bringing everyone in to talk about law/jurisprudence and proceed to slap everyone upside the head with my unique OOC knowledge (that’s not the point of Bailey, he’s merely my outlet for approaching issues objectively and being able switch sides of an argument on a dime; if fact, I consider more of a facilitating and information providing NPC than an active PC… but I digress). On the contrary, my plan is for Bailey to organize and encourage the discussion about law, novas, and governments and societies by bringing up salient points, providing a bit of legal background on the situation so everyone’s on the same page, and then let others discuss it. Obviously, Bailey will contribute with his own clarifying remarks, but the point is to get non-legal thinkers to consider the topics.

Second, as I’ve stated through IC PMs, I’m hoping to avoid drop down, all out fights amongst the characters. Some characters won’t get along and some are rather abrasive, but I want to stress the plan here is to leave the OpNet flame wars behind and discuss things constructively. Obviously there will be disagreements, but I want to avoid ad hominem and insults. Argue ideas and points expressed, not the person saying them (understandably this might be a stretch for some of the characters, but it might lead to some fun body language descriptions ). Each person can bring one non-participant with them (IE – bodyguard, valet, assistant, etc) though it’s not required. And unless your character has arranged for transportation through Bailey (which, conveniently, no one has done), each person will be responsible for getting themselves to the location.

Third, I’m going with the collected introduction post as mentioned above. Using the basic description I’ll put below, write up a basic individual introduction for your character and PM it to me. I’ve kept everyone’s invitation message in my inbox, so just reply to that so we can avoid my profile getting too full and causing problems. With everyone’s entry, I’ll compile them together, finish the setup, post it, and open the floor for everyone to participate.

The location of the meeting will be a large, old lodge in the mountains of Switzerland. For the ‘porters and warpers, your travel to the location won’t be much of an issue and will be provided with specific and individual GPS coordinates (it’ll be to the character’s personal rooms which are described below). Fliers should be able to get in without many problems (the air space will be “overlooked” for a small amount of time) and should have a nice, picturesque ride in. For those of us terrestrially bound, the roads to the remote lodge are twisty and narrow, but the view is spectacular. The lodge itself is a stout, complex wood and stone building, composed of several wings in the same architectural style that have been added over the years. Inside, the décor is much like your well-furnished locations: wood paneled walls, plush furniture and rugs, and various tasteful fixtures and decorations. There is a minimal baseline staff, mostly performing housekeeping, basic administration, and cooking and they have standing orders to stay out of the way and out of sight unless requested. There are a few common areas available for people to use and we can start other topics for said rooms, but I’d rather hold off on that unless it becomes necessary. Each participant has a suite, which are spread out enough throughout the lodge to ensure privacy. Those who decide to bring another person will be provided a suite that includes a separate bedroom for the extra person (unless told otherwise). While each suite has the basic lodge style I mentioned above and has a commanding view of the surrounding area, feel free to be creative and customize the room for your character. In each suite will be a “welcome kit” for each participant. Each person will have a small computerized tablet for note-keeping and the like (notepads of paper are so 1990s), a digital archive of various historical and other relevant information to the topic (a way us to utilize Google for fun bits of information), and a list of what’s readily available for each participant. If you want to include a few other incidental items in the kit (food, knick-knacks, etc), feel free.

One possible of way of doing the entry piece is writing your approach and entry to the lodge (or preparation and subsequent instantaneous travel for those who can), getting settled in your suite, and then proceeding to the conference room for the first meeting, ending with reaching/opening the large, oak double doors to the room. If you want more information/clarification, feel free to PM me. Also, if there are characters your character might immediately react to when seeing him/her for the first time (like Mal walking into the room and seeing Pax sitting at the table), let me know and we’ll hammer something out. And if there’s a particular character you want to collaborate with for the entry (like traveling together, meeting in the hallway, etc), again let me know and we’ll work it out.

I hope to post the combined introduction next week or two, so don’t wait too long to send me your piece. And I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with and the resulting discussion. Hopefully we won’t have anyone smashing the heel of their shoe on the table while screaming “We will bury you!” until at least the fifth post.

(and if there’s anyone out there who really thinks their character should participate, PM me and we’ll figure something out)

[Sakurako Hino]

Okay then... I'll bite.

So, I'll await the invite PM.

[Alex Craft]

What's the weather look like?

[Ulysses Bailey]

Blue skies, a few fluffy clouds... picturesque.

[Sakurako Hino]

I would assume, while the weather is nice, the temperatures would be brisk. After all, around this time the Skiing starts getting full swing, right?

So, roughly 40 degrees farenheit for Highs? (Just wanting to know so Endeavor dresses properly.)

[Ulysses Bailey]

Yep to the 40's or so.

[Sakurako Hino]

Ah. Now the scene is unfolding in my mind. Thanks.

[Sakurako Hino]

Description sent.

[Ulysses Bailey]

Ok, so I've got some of your entry pieces and still waiting on a few others. Once I get them all I'll start up the thread. Not looking to be pushy, just a friendly reminder.

[Sakurako Hino]

*giddy with anticipation*

Wow, really top secret! I can wait to see who else is involved!

[Ulysses Bailey]

Ok... I've started the topic finally, feel free to jump in.

However, I want to try to keep some basic organization:

Try to let the majority of the participants answer the question before posting again (understandibly some of us might post infrequently, so it's impractical to wait for everyone to have a turn).

Obviously I have more questions to ask the group and I'll post them as the fiction progresses.

And I expect this conference to take a few days IC, so at some point I'll wrap up the first day entry and start a second day topic, continuing with this pattern as long as it seems necessary. Plus in a few days I'll create a "social hour" topic for people to interact outside of the meetings in a social and relaxed environment.

[Ulysses Bailey]

Another note: there might be some stragglers to the fiction depending on who contacts me (you know who you are). If said people want to get in on the action while the getting is good, talk to me privately before leaping in.

Hence, if someone does show up and I don't cry foul, all is ok.

[Sakurako Hino]

And for us that are there, we'll do our best!

[Ulysses Bailey]

Alex specifically mentioned the Social Contract Theory. This is something that's rather applicable to the topic at hand in the fiction and information on it would've been included with everyone's "welcome packet." Hence, I found a nice link that outlines it if you want to check it out:

http://www.iep.utm.edu/s/soc-cont.htm

[Ashnod]

Coincidentally, the last line of my last post is meant to be taken as "bear with this part of conversation a little longer." Please reply if you have things to say, as Ash is going to wait on the group's reply before tying her point up.

[Sakurako Hino]

Oh, to clarify, whenever Sakurako is having an internal dialogue (or thinking to herself), I use Italics.

[Machina]

Hey, Ashnod, a little bone of contention. Indulge me.

Do you remember the Blair With Project? Star Wars; Episode 1? What about the Austin Powers sequel? Sixth Sense? Tarzan? The Mummy? Toy Story 2?

I'm assuming you do, and even if you don't, there are assloads of people who do. You know what those movies have in common? They were the other nine top-grossing films of 1999, aside from the Matrix.

I don't really care that much (and personally, I thought Zardoz was fucking awesome, so there ), but that was a pretty flimsly rebuff there. One or even several movies doing better than another, even on the inflated calibre we can infer for 'Nova' does not a washout of the original Matrix movie make.

Also, the funding for the sequels was lined up before the first one was even released, and the filming of the first movie was in process a good piece before N-Day.

[Ashnod]

Hey, you know what all your stats have in common? None of them take N-Day into consideration. Aside from that, THE MATRIX would be 16 years old in 2015. 16 years of Nova activity dulls the memory. Steven Speilberg's NOVA, which was a canon release in 1999, was supposed to be a film event that put everything else to shame.

Trust me, things would have been a wee-bit different.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Sorry dude, Ashnod is right. Matrix would have been released at about the same time as "Nova", and would have gotten crushed by the same.

In addition, "Special Effects" takes on a whole new meaning with the ability to film novas. Then you have Mega-Wit nova writers, "Synergy" used in film production, and (worst yet) "Almost Live".

Hollywood didn't get the idea that novas were the way to go right away, so they were buried by Bollywood. Mega-Appearence + Almost Live is probably a big reason.

Film production is an industry that strongly rewards a few top people, which is to say it is an industry that would attract novas (and did), and one where novas would effectively take over the show.

[Preston]

I feel Machina has a point. As good as "Nova" undoubtably was ... say bigger than Jurassic Park when it come out, the movie cycle period is short enough now that there would still have been multiple movies that would have been blockbusters in the same year. What is more likely is that "Nova" drew more people to the theatres than would have normally gone.

As I recall it, the pre-production for M II and III was already in the works, so it would be a safe bet to say they were also made. Now, imagine how much better they would have been if nova technical experts, stuntpeople, and writers had also been involved in the project? The money was already there.

As for the demise of Hollywood ... I've heard it all before. Bollywood is growing anyway, and in the Aberrant World become much more than it is in our world, but ... Hollywood adapts. Hollywood, according to Aberrant: Year One, is still alive and cooking. So, it is no longer #1 on the globe ... it is probably #2.

My vote is that Matrix movies were made, and were at least moderate successes. The theme and effects are what sold them, not the acting talent.

Now, for whatever reason, Ashnod can take a Global-centric view of movies if she likes, but for American novas the attitude might be very different.

[Ashnod]

The world was a very different place in 1999, people. Superhumans were running around for over a year when The Matrix was released. I'm not saying that people wouldn't have seen it, but comparing the success in OUR world as to what would have happened in the canon world is, in my opinion, an extreme exaggeration.

[Hugin]

I'm agreeing with Ashnod here.

The culture of Aberrant is in the middle of a big Nova fad. That would probably fade, but the Matrix Sequals would be squashed simply due to being "out of step" with what is hot.

And 16 years later it is not Matrix that people would remember. Geeks maybe, but your mainstream no. Refering to Matrix, even if it was a hit, would probably be as effective as refering to Logans Run. Geeks would remember it, but your average Joe likely wouldn't.

[ronin]

Don't be silly! It isn't just geeks who remember 'Logan's Run'. I mean, I distinctily remember 'Logan's Run', and I...

I...

OMFG!!!!!

Screw you guys!! I'm going back to my lair!!

[Ashnod]

Off-topic-

I remember Logan's Run, too....

Funny thing about that film. Whenever I catch it on late night cable, I absolutely MUST watch it. But I've NEVER watched the DVD I have of it.

Strange..

[Jager]

The Matrix is about a guy who discovers he has reality-altering powers, right?

Its about a super-powered guy standing up against powerful, world-dominating foes bent on exterminating baseline humanities free-will, right?

Could the vast Computer/Machine empire be seen as a correllary of Utopia (vast paradigm "taking care of humanity), or the Teragen (bent on controlling/enslaving mankind)?

Somehow I see the Matrix trilogy as being made very relevant in the Aberrant world.

That, and I would love to see what a Cyberkinetic with Artistic Genius could do with a Special Effects Program, as well as in editting.

Would it be the precise movie we were able to see? Maybe not, but I think it could very well have happened.

Besides, the CyberGeek getting his Oscar would be really great.

[Hugin]

Reminder to participants: Prodigy has an aberration that is mildly hostile. But most Novas can handle it no problemo.

1 per scene make a contested willpower check (Prodigy's is like 8 right now). If you lose the net number of successes Prodigy has over you is translated to DICE of Bashing damage (not levels). Soak is applied as normal (this is a physical effect. as explained to me by the ST who slapped me with it.)

Basically, Prodigy's mind has a low level field of acquisition at work. It's reaching out and trying to acquire more knowledge, more experience (his eruption was this field, working 'properly' going worldwide and draining to the point of death 126 individuals of various talents). The field, since it's an aberration, isn't really working at this point. If it penetrates instead of draining, it destroys cellular tissue.

One of the reasons Prodigy is such a recluse.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

A physical effect? Then a 16+ soak puts a "puny human" damper on that?

[Hugin]

Yes, which is why I never really mentioned it. Plus remember, it's dice, not levels and dice reduced by willpower successes. He only averages 3.2 successes on a straight willpower role. Your average 3 willpower gets 1.2 successes, so a Stamina of 4 puts a dampner on it. If you feel some need to botch a willpower role and assume Prodigy rolled super high that's fine.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Only once per scene? Is it worse with baselines?

[Preston]

Thankfully we are not using the "beat down" rule. The one that says any successful attack (one that got at least one dice through the resisted action) does one dice of damage, no matter what the target's soak is.

I have only played with that rule once, and hated it.

[Hugin]

Not, not worse for baselines, but baselines tend to have much less soak. It's not going to be killing people, but it's unhealthy for them, VERY uncomfortable (it just isn't a headache, it's a feeling of who you are being attacked.) and if he hung around long term it could be worse.

[Sakurako Hino]

Well, I just had Sakurako develop a nose bleed. From this of course. I'll take the hit for the team, although she does not know why it happened. It will stop easily like a standard nosebleed. So no need to call a medic.

Take it as 1 die of bashing.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Hmm. Does anyone have "Healing"?

[Sakurako Hino]

Don't worry, I can heal it back up. MSta 1, Regen. And Sakurako knows how to tend a bloody nose.

[Hugin]

How about we let Saimhe, Alex Craft, Ronin, Troll and Machina get back into the fray?

[Ashnod]

Quote:

Originally posted by David 'Dr. Troll' Smith:
Hmm. Does anyone have "Healing"?