Aberrant: Quantum Zero - QZ - game mechanics

[knave]

Btw, just read over QZelites...Gotta say, Samurai has to be my favorite character by far! I keep laughing when reading your posts Knave!

Awesome!  ::thumbup

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::biggrin Thanks! ::thumbup I am really happy with the way he turned out, but I do think it's everyone else making him look good. He basically sees himself as joe average soldier caught up in the politics of gods and monsters. Everytime he does something normal it looks ironically out of place in comparison.

(Course it helps that he is a half Moroccan, half Japanese, all Cockney soldier geek with lots of sisters ::ohmy And that he really tries.)

The QZ thread seems to be heating up though! Psyche seems to be a force to reckoned with - a lot more dangerous than Pax. ... and having experienced the joys of a catheter once myself I wouldn't find it even a little bit strange if those Masters INT boys decided to say "Sucks to the extra soak, I'd rather wear PVC in July" ::tongue

[knave]

btw - Are you planning to do a Nova Phile for The Jaguar?

[knave]

Prof, what wealth rating does it take to hire a few Elites? Like Verse's little expedition now for example?

[phoenix]

btw - Are you planning to do a Nova Phile for The Jaguar?

Yes, but I was going to do so after unveiling his powers IC. However, I might as well do it now, since someone invariably says "Tell me what your powers are so I can best plan our attack" anyway. ::tongue

[knave]

Yes, but I was going to do so after unveiling his powers IC. However, I might as well do it now, since someone invariably says "Tell me what your powers are so I can best plan our attack" anyway. ::tongue

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Well, it's probably fair since he isn't a new nova.

[phoenix]

Well, it's probably fair since he isn't a new nova.

True true - easy to forget how public the nova world is.

[Nullifier]

Prof, what wealth rating does it take to hire a few Elites? Like Verse's little expedition now for example?

If you're asking what level of Resources Verse has, it's 5, although that fact is strictly OOC, no one knows it IC. I'd imagine you could hire a squad with only 4, though it'd be a strain, and someone with 3 could probably do it by selling off all their assets. I say all this because I'm guessing that Verse's little expedition is costing him a few hundred thousand dollars, not to answer for the Prof.

[ProfPotts]

Prof, what wealth rating does it take to hire a few Elites? Like Verse's little expedition now for example?

Well, the 'average cash per week' for the various Resource levels is: 1 dot = $250, 2 dots = $1,000, 3 dots = $2,500, 4 dots = $10,000, 5 dots = $100,000+.

Hiring the an inexperienced & unknown Mega-Social Nova for a few hours one evening - for nothing more than being seen with them - costs at least 5 figures (& can cost as much as 6 figures). Someone with Resources 4 could do that maybe a couple of times a month, if they weren't spending their cash on anything else.

So most private individuals are going to need Resources 5 to even consider hiring Elites. (Although, like Nullifier says, if you're desperate you can sell off everything you own...)

Of course, most of that ca$h goes into DeVries's pockets, rather than the Elites themselves, but they still make more money than the 6 figure salaries which T2M & the like get. Any working Elite with less than 3 Resources has either not done much yet, or spends the excess ca$h as quickly as he earns it.

P.S. Pathfinder has debriefed him already, right?

Unless Phoenix has any objections, yeah she has.

[knave]

Thanks Prof.

No, I wasn't after your info specifically Nulli - just wanted to know who would be capable of hiring Elites for any length of time. The answer seems to be Governments and Corporations and the top 10 wealthiest folks in the world or so. Resource 5s will likely only be able to afford one or two bodyguards, an assassin, or short term raiding party and still stay liquid.

The potential market space is quite small (depending on how many resource 6 people there are out there). It's actually surprising that Elites aren't MORE cutthroat.

[Alex Green]

Of course, most of that ca$h goes into DeVries's pockets, rather than the Elites themselves, but they still make more money than the 6 figure salaries which T2M & the like get. Any working Elite with less than 3 Resources has either not done much yet, or spends the excess ca$h as quickly as he earns it.

I think that's 8 figures. And even at that level, most of them are under paid.

[ProfPotts]

I think that's 8 figures. And even at that level, most of them are under paid.

'Even novas working for Project Utopia, who often command six-figure salaries, don't make as much money as elites (a fact DeVries is quick to point out to potential recruits).' Elites, p.16

[phoenix]

It says on page 37 of the Aberrant core book that T2M members make "a generous 8-figure salary". Maybe the Elites book is talking about a nova who works for Utopia, but isn't in Team Tomorrow?

[brilyn]

Maybe the Elites book is talking about a nova who works for Utopia, but isn't in Team Tomorrow?

Possibly.

Or they revised the figure, and didn't bother to fill in the Errata.

Or someone else worked on Elites.

Or... or.... or.... ::wink

All in all, a wonderful case-in-point of how coherent the books are. ::biggrin

[ProfPotts]

Yeah - I should have said 'Project Utopia' in my first post, not 'T2M'... sue me already... ::rolleyes

Pretty sure the point's still clear... ::wink

[Nullifier]

Actually, it makes more sense if T2Mers get 8 figures while the rank and file Utopian novas, and there are a lot of them, make only 6 figures to start.

[Alex Green]

'Even novas working for Project Utopia, who often command six-figure salaries, don't make as much money as elites (a fact DeVries is quick to point out to potential recruits).' Elites, p.16

This says more about DeVries giving more of the "pie" back to their recruits... and that they operate with less over head (less giving money to charities and secret organizations, no Bahrain to run, etc).

Give me 30 nova points, spent at random, and it's real easy to put together a 7 or 8 digit business plan. It's very difficult to spend that many points and, assuming taint 3 or less, not be able to do so. I once had a character who actually put together a business plan and I ended up with a solid 9 digits, or 10 digits if he wanted to maximize profits (he didn't). And yes, that's Billion with a "B".

I am NOT kidding about T2M novas being under paid with 8 digits. 6 is a joke. Novas would have a tremendous positive economic inpact on the economy.

(Perhaps we should move that to another thread if there is serious discussion about this).

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Bah all these nova's working for Devries and PU have nothing to complain about look at us poor poor Masters employed nova's, we've just signed on for a type of black ops and we're not pulling 7/8 figures lol.

EDIT: Come to think about it there's verry little difference between what our characters do and what the elites and tomorrowites do... Oh well we do get perks, nice shinny batman outfits and we get to attend some pretty tripped out parties ::tongue

[Nullifier]

Yeah, nice shiny batman outfits with catheters. Forgive me if I don't envy them. ::tongue

[Ayre el KaBeer]

LOL yeah I have a subconscious fear of catheters since a nurse decided to remove one prematurely and had great difficulty doing it, she jiggled it in my vein for about 3 minutes untill it was out and once it was out she dicided to return it. Since then every catheter I see going into someone (brother, friends) I get dizzy and almost puke... See it's not a fear of blood (I see that regularly) and syringes are fine, it's those damned catheters (stupid nurse!).

[knave]

LOL yeah I have a subconscious fear of catheters since a nurse decided to remove one prematurely and had great difficulty doing it, she jiggled it in my vein for about 3 minutes untill it was out and once it was out she dicided to return it. Since then every catheter I see going into someone (brother, friends) I get dizzy and almost puke... See it's not a fear of blood (I see that regularly) and syringes are fine, it's those damned catheters (stupid nurse!).

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I take it you are using 'vein' as a euphamism here.

Trust me having it yanked out in one shot is not fun either.

[Nullifier]

Erm. Actually, I could be wrong, but it seems like Ayre was referring to IVs, not catheters. Nowadays, I make 'em drug me if they wanna stick an IV in me. Catheters are a whole other story, and I'm really glad I've never had to have one.

[knave]

Erm. Actually, I could be wrong, but it seems like Ayre was referring to IVs, not catheters. Nowadays, I make 'em drug me if they wanna stick an IV in me. Catheters are a whole other story, and I'm really glad I've never had to have one.

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IV's! Bloody luxury. Catheters go in your bits man! ::blink

[Nullifier]

Thus me being glad I've never had to have one. ::tongue

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Well she called it a catheter, it was for an IV though.

[Asbjørn]

Damn! Link sure has balls, lying to the Gothic Knight like that, wearing his Elite mask and all!

"Shotgun? What shotg... oh this shotgun... ::innocent that's just for, uhm... bugs. Yeah, that's it. Bugs. Honest." ::unsure

[brilyn]

afk for the weekend. ::wink

[phoenix]

Have fun, Brilyn. ::smile

[Asbjørn]

Eh... Prof?

You never actually said so explicitly, but now you're implying it so much I have to ask. There's a suit for Emma there as well? ::confused

[Heritage]

Okay, I'm slightly confused - if Slither goes for Link, do the rest of Ghost's actions come afterwards? Like once she comes back?

[Asbjørn]

Okay, I'm slightly confused - if Slither goes for Link, do the rest of Ghost's actions come afterwards? Like once she comes back?

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Precactly. Ten points. Do you wish to continue?

Aren't you glad I was here just now? ::wink

[Heritage]

Precactly. Ten points. Do you wish to continue?

Aren't you glad I was here just now?  ::wink

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Yes indeedy! So I'm going to go get Link, but there might be some delay, since I think the Gothic Knight is still out there lookin' all broody and sh!t.

[ProfPotts]

You never actually said so explicitly, but now you're implying it so much I have to ask. There's a suit for Emma there as well?

Yup.

[Alex Green]

I'm going to assume that’s the outer door he’s knocking at and not the bedroom door. The door isn't locked because Mani was the last in and didn't lock it.

[Alex Green]

I edited my post because when I re-read Guy's action it appears he did his peeking tom bit at Verse's place and not at Alex's.

[knave]

I edited my post because when I re-read Guy's action it appears he did his peeking tom bit at Verse's place and not at Alex's.

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yup - sorry...

[phoenix]

*Nice going, mate... Push the guy who frew you hinto horbit last time... Quick - change the subject!*

::laugh

[Heritage]

Sorry to be gone for so long, folks! ::sad

Still no computer, but I found a good computer lab at a nearby community college which is open until 10pm almost every night; I'm going to try to get caught up and stay caught up over the next few days.

[ezekiel]

Sorry to be gone for so long, folks! ::sad 

Still no computer, but I found a good computer lab at a nearby community college which is open until 10pm almost every night; I'm going to try to get caught up and stay caught up over the next few days.

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Don't worry, Its been really slow lately...

[phoenix]

I saw a graduating senior named Alex Green on the jumbotron at University of Tennessee when we kicked their asses today, it really sketched me out for a minute. ::blink ::cool

[Alex Green]

No relation.