PanO also has mechanic/plot weaknesses built in. Not as bad as Nomads had last time (where mechanically they were set up as a target for both Aleph and Ariadna, while being pushed to counter YJ), but there's intentional limits placed on the big factions.
Yeah that was something I disliked, since it pretty much ruined a good lore based Alliance we could have. Still as an Atek I felt proud at how close Ariadna came to winning.
@Beodren @inane.imp Hope you both do well in your matches and everyone else in this RPG as well. I'll be unable to join since I have no one to play where I am but I'll be reading and routing for each one of you.
O.K. I'm starting to reigning in all the various Mishaps and Issues that plagued unexpectedly this week. . . Just Tomorrow Morning I'll have to go check some very important Medical Exams results and then will be able to "Plot & Plan" in peace, considering also an Upcoming "Work Travel" that will not impair overmuch My possibilities of doing everything I can and I want if CAREFULLY planned beforehand. . . . . . . . I had written down the "Airport Battle" in two different tranches, splitting the Player Characters in two halved Squad, as there were some issues with a "Too Big" group. . . But now we have technically "Lost" officially some Players, and a couple of the steadier ones have Problems to follow the continuous "Daily Posting" of the more assidious P.C. with the same regularity. . . PERHAPS could be best to have the "Opposition" grouped in a SINGLE entity that all Player Characters could face as an "Unified Front"; I will ALSO "Downscale" the importance and support of the various N.P.C. Allies (not the "P.C. Sidekicks" that will be an important part of their Tactical Assetts) and rather have them "Fighting in the Background". . . . . . . . Who is O.K. for drawing the "Shuttle Team" and the "Airport Team" into a cohesive, single "Battlefront". . .?? @inane.imp ??? @Danger Rose ??? @oldGregg ??? @Yasashii Fuyu ??? @DaRedOne ??? @Golem2God ??? @Beodren ??? . . . . . Let Me know what You "Poll Discussed" between Players and I will plan accordingly, changing the "Scripted Plot" from a pre-written "Rough Canvas" to something that would be more entertaining / amusing / easy-to-face for the P.C. Group. . . . .!!!
Makes sense. Was going to happen sooner rather than later. Easiest way is if people on the ground contact the pilots and they hand it off to the shuttle team. Which we should probably so anyway.
I don't mind that, I assumed it would happen the moment we hit the ground anyways (assuming the fight isn't completely over then).
Excellent, We just lack @oldGregg and @Golem2God opinion on the matter, but judging on their past interventions and posts, they SHOULD be amenable to this "Battle Regroup". . . As soon as I have finished with all the issues of Tomorrow, I will try to write down a cohesive and well-thought explanation of the Tactical Options availables to all the Player Characters. . . . .!!! Feel free to express further Questions and Suggestions, in the meantime. . . . .!!!
@stevenart74 I agree with the group. Awaiting for the next steps to be laid out. I'm looking forward to the landing and the combined group's reactions to each other.
UPDATE: New job, folks. I’ll be moving to Dublin in July, followed by a move to Oxford after Christmas, and staying until June 2019. If everything goes as planned, I’ll be moving to Singapore June/July 2019. I’m not sure if I’ll have time in between these moves to play Infinity or be very active on these forums, as work is looking to be very high-paced in addition home activities. I will sporadically visit the forums, but will have to remove myself from this rpg. I wish you all a lot of fun and hope the ship doesn’t come crashing down! Farewell for now, OG
@oldGregg I hope all goes well Gregg and your job isn't stressful. That is alot of traveling going from Europe to Asia in such a short time. Looking forward to any future visits you'll grace us with. Hope you enjoy the story as it progresses as much as we will. @stevenart74 It seems we have 6 active players & 3(?) auto-pilots going forward.
@oldGregg ; Good Luck with the new job !!! . . . . . Today Morning the medical exams went well and so I could be a little more focused on the Campaign (even with some upcoming Issues about Work & Family, but those were previewed far in advance !!). . . . . . . . Later Tonight I should be able to address ALL the concerns of the Player Characters. . . I think that ALL the Active Players are on the same Idea; I want to make some clarifications to have ANYONE be able to make some Tactical Decision in a well-informed manner: 1°) The "Angry Hornet" Drones that exited from the "Zombified" Old Shuttle used as Decoy / Re-Entry Shield SEEMS to want to use the Nomads Dropship carrying the "New Recruits" as a sort of Mobile Shield to be able to reach Low Atmospheric Altitude over New Knossos Island without coping the impressive Anti-Air Defences of the Minotaur Mercs (comprising BOTH "State-Of-The-Art" Hi-Tech stuff from Nomads and Haqqislam AND multiple, high-redundant "Low Tech Artillery Emplacements" of Ariadnan origins that could not be so easily fooled by "Hacking Stealth" as they are rather Optical + Radar + Thermal Scan based). . . 2°) The "Land Team" had to cope with a Scan and "Counter Scramble" from a faraway base of Svengali Operatives; not only their quick and wise reactions won the upper hand, but the Rogue A.I. Agents rolled so poorly that the Mercs Hackers were able to "Ping Back" the starting location (Outer Asteroid Belt of Dawn Star System) from the continuous bouncing of the limited Quantronic Servers available on Planet Dawn. . . 3°) Very probably to "Help" the Flying Drone Team the enemies would have employed ALSO Seaworthy infiltrators arriving form the nearest coastal beach nearby the Airport; wisely the Character dispatched Skilled N.P.C. Sentries that will be able to warn them with an early start. . . 4°) While the "Angry Hornet Drones" are capable of damaging the unarmed Nomads Shuttle this will impair its usefulness as "Flying Shield"; probably they will NOT go further than shoot a little the Vector Thrusters and Wing-Flaps with their inbuilt weaponry (the Shuttle Characters sensed Multi-Ammo Grenade Launchers and Defensive "Swarm" Micromissile Pods"); this could somehow influence the "Shuttle Crew" choice of available tactical options. . . 5°) While @oldGregg 's Character continue to run "Hacking Countermeasure Interferences" the Pilots onboard the Shuttle could easily enter their T.A.G. Cockpits and start their Pre-Activation Checks the Character will be more and more "Put Offscreen". . . Even @Danger Rose Exoframe (that She technically DOES NOT KNOW being there in Her Cargo slots) could be quickly "Assembled" by ALL the Friendly Drones present in the Shuttle; Tony of @inane.imp (as a proficient Smuggler Pro) will immediatly understand that this was done to avoid the Circular Security Personnel meddling (a Military-Grade T.O. Camo T.A.G. is usually "Red Flag Stuff"); He will immediatly know that someone VERY expert in the Modular Tech of Geckos is responsible of this and ALSO that Tony's Technical Expertise is PERFECTLY poised to profit for this. . . Tony's paranoid streak could suspect any kind of problems (it is "Black Hand" level of spy shehanigans), but would be anyway able to know that there are NONE strings attached, except that someone was able to COLLECT the very parts useful for assembling the "Dream Exoframe" that Dreanna Farabella wanted to have, but NEVER had Money nor Clout to own. . . 6°) The "Shuttle Crew" could board the T.A.G.s and try to: I°= Fight aboard the Flying Shuttle (a thing that Tony would consider suicidal, even with attached Tether-Lines and the Geckos Mag-Locks) dogfighting the flyer drones until the Shuttle safely land at the Airport Tarmac. . . II°= Attack multiple "Cargo Chutes" to all of their Stuff (comprising the Haqqislamite Bike-&-Drone-Sidecar) and "Geronimo Jump" from the Shuttle, while it is above the Terminal Airstrips; while they will have the risk of being exposed to the Drones weaponry for 2-3 Rounds of "Low Parachuting" they will be covered by "Land Team" defensive fire (also a so "Unlogical" maneuver will be so surprising for the Logical Mindset of A.I. Svengali that its Agents will need to Roll against Surprise). . . III°= Even more risky, await until the last and, when the Shuttle is grazing the Airport they will "Jump" with their TAGs and / or Bikes, DIRECTLY from the Shuttle; this will need a PERFECT synergy with the N.P.C. Shuttle Pilots, but will be even more surprising for the Drone Limited Intelligence (thay have rudimentary "Reaction Protocols" if not immediatly "Remote Controlled" by Svengali Agents from faraway); should "Land Team" choose to engage the PROBABLE "Seaside Attackers" this will have the unparalleled Tactical Advantage of landing a Trio of Military TAG and a Stealth Hacker + Ancillary Drone RIGHT BEHIND ENEMY LINES (@Yasashii Fuyu could even TRY a "Death-From-Above" spear-impaling maneuver against an Enemy that will transfer MANY % of the "Gravity Impetus" on an Armor Piercing Melee Attack !!!). . . 7°) "Land Team" is to be considered with "Encrypted Comms" DIRECTLY with the "Shuttle Team" and able to synergize freely with them; they could decide to: I°= Concentrate on "A.A. Point Defence" of the incoming Shuttle; while this will grant SUBSTANTIAL Bonus to Shuttle Crew Rolls, will leave the "Seaside Attackers" flank totally exposed, but the WHOLE P.C. Team could face them on later in a coordinated assault. . . II°= Concentrate on "Beachead Defence"; the incoming enemy from the seas is SLOWER and LESS mobile than the "Angry Hornet Drones" but far, Far, FAR Heavier in Armour and Weaponry; this will leave the Shuttle Crew "On Their Own" to count JUST on not-so-skilled N.P.C. Support. . . III°= Try to eke a "Middle Ground"; there are NO "Better or Worse" Tactics, but this one will be the MOST influenced by the "Succesful Rolls" of the Player Characters and by their "Squad Synergy"; should the Player Characters decide to concentrate on their own they will be FACING a TOTAL of SIX "Light Flyer Drones" and THREE "Heavy Walker Drones" coming from the Seaside; involving OTHER N.P.C. for "Extra Support" will have FURTHER enemies partecipating (instead of Friendly & Enemy N.P.C. squaring "Offscreen"). . . 8°) If ANYONE that is a Pilot board its T.A.G., there are a total of 4 "Heavy Player Characters" (@inane.imp ; @Danger Rose ; @DaRedOne and @Yasashii Fuyu ) and 2 "Light Player Characters" (@oldGregg is now on "G.M. Autopilot"; @Golem2God and @Beodren as even a Dogwarrior is far larger than a Human, but rather "Squishy & More Agile" than a T.A.G.). . . T.A.G.-Sized P.C. will have their best options by squaring in "Open Field" with direct fire lines with the Enemies; Human Sized P.C. will instead be best if attacking the slower, cumbersome Enemy Drones from behind and under cover of Urban / Suburban kind of buildings (such as the Precints of the Airport) much like Infantry with Light Artillery could be the "Bane" of Unsupported Tanks; also don't forget eventual synergy with any Player Character "Sidekick Pet" at least as "Distraction Decoys". . . . . . . . It is a lot of stuff, and at the moment I have STILL not the Time to draw a "Tactical Map" (will be done later) or explain better in I.C. Thread, but wanted to "Roughly Canvas" the Situation, far in advance, so that ANY Player Character will be able to Plot at the best of its abilities. . . I have PURPOSEFULLY left "Unwritten" some of the Gear of the Character (especially the Frames of some T.A.G. Pilots); they could choose to be "Light & Spry" or "Slow & Heavy" and also concentrate at Long Range, Close Combat or a Middle Ground as they like more (and Non-Pilots could find A LOT of "Useful Stuff" in Guns & Vehicles on the Battlefield, to FURTHER complement their chosen Wargear). . . A perfectly sensible Tactics for the "Squishy Characters" would be to board an Armoured Truck and try to ram a "Heavy Walker" INSIDE an Abandoned Warehouse Building, then disembark and slowly "pepper it down" with Small Arms Fire, while the "Pilot Characters" mop up the smaller, lighter "Flyer Drones" secure under their Exoframe Armour. . . . . . . . I repeat there is NO RIGHT OR WRONG manner to face this scenario; as I had to adapt with Player Disappearance and some other Issues, I'm rewriting this as a "Team Building Exercise" to better help ALL the Players to "Pool" their various Characters Perks and cover each other "Flaws". . . I'm ready to respec all of the Scenario to better help the Players finalize their Characters "Game Style". . . Feel free to ask further questions and decide how to best face this stuff; this is JUST the "Opening Shots" of the "Minotaurs Mercs Movie" done to "Present" the Actors and Characters. . . . .!!!
@stevenart74 My vote is for the middle ground approach. Best to have all your bases covered in this situation. Let's bring our boys and girls down to earth safe & sound. What is everyone else's thoughts? Spoiler: An Interesting Comparison I see a resemblance. Does anyone else?
I think the urgent point is someone tells us (Shuttle crew) we're hitting a hot LZ because right now I'm focusing on getting the Dropship onto the ground in (mostly) one piece.@Beodren? My plan was literally to do the whole fight without leaving my chair (And then walk out onto the tarmac like it was nothing) ;) I'm not a fan of jumping out unassisted (physics is not your friend she is an uncaring bitch/god). But jumping out on chutes into a mess of ground fire and drones also seems... problematic. I'd probably vote combat approach into hard landing. But that's a discussion I'd be happy to have in character.
Had some further issues of Work & Family that are slowing down My "Response Time" even now (unfortunately for Me the Weekends are just OTHER Working Days !!) but I'm getting on tracks. . . At the moment, if I'm not mistaken, rather than complicating the issue with "Complex 3D Aerial Combat" the gist of the Players that interjected affirmed they will rather like more to fight at Ground Level, with all the Team regrouped. . .?? This will be a little more easier to have for BOTH Players and Gamemaster alike and could be done with a minimum of fuss by having the A.A.A. Support (Anti-Aircraft Artillery) of P.C. and N.P.C. alike concentrated on scrambling the "Angry Hornet Drones" away from the Tail of the landing Nomad Shuttle. . . For the moment ignoring the Enemy arriving from Seaside (let's nickname them "Mad Krabs" for the moment) and only slowing them with Light Allied Infantry (such as the S.B.S. Sentries dispatched to survey the Coastal Lines) will give them unblocked access, but these will be later faced by the "Full Squad" at full numbers, deployed in Ideal Tactical Defence Positions. . . You have YET understood that WHATEVER is the Aim of Svengali Agents the Airport seems to be the "Primary Target" of its hastily kitbashed offensive; there are other assaults in other parts of New Knossos Island (either by other 1-2 "Mad Krabs" emerging from the waves or smaller groups of 2-4 "Angry Hornets" flying N.O.E. on sea level to avoid easy Radome Interception) but the main force is the 6 flyer drones and the 3 heavy walkers concentrating on the Tarmac Airstrips. . . Also reports from other Hackers around the Island point that the other "Enemy Probes" are not DIRECTLY controlled by Svengali's Consciousness and "Long Range Sensor Sweep" but act by "Dumb Programming" as if the Rogue A.I. attention is focused on the Airport !! . . . . . If other Players wants to interject that they want to suggest a different Tactical Approach feel free to chime in either on this O.O.C. or in the I.C. thread and discuss it with the other Players. . . Otherwise I'm preparing the Combat Map and scaling the Opposition Threat Level with the idea of the Orbital Dropship made land the safer AND quicker possible, with ALL the Players "Heavy Assetts" deployed easily and the Enemy facing a cleverly done Total Defence Positioning. . . In the Map the Players could see the Vector Approach of the incoming foes, but they will have to position their Characters as they see fit, as the Enemy will have lost both initiative and favourable approach lanes. . . IDEALLY the landed Nomads Shuttle will be "Center-Map" with the T.A.G.s of @inane.imp , @Danger Rose and @Yasashii Fuyu spread around JUST exited from the Cargo Bay; could be also positioned some Metal Container / Armoured Trucks around the Dropship to give further "Shielding" from incoming Enemy Fire. . . Airport Terminal will be at the "North" of the Map, while the "South" side will be the direction of approach of seaside enemies, slowly and laboriously climbing from the difficult slopes of the rocky shores. . . In-Between the allied "N.P.C. Workforce" COULD have positioned some further "Semi-Mobile Heavy Cover" to have @DaRedOne , @Golem2God and @Beodren in even MORE good "Ambush Positions" against the incoming enemies, as they had even more time to "Place Their Pieces on the Chessboard" !! . . . . . Let Me know if this "Preparation Idea" is good for all the Players and if there are other Suggestions to take into Considerations. . . Further "Clever Tricks" described in either I.C. or O.O.C. will be rewarded with other Bonus in their Rolls. . . Let Me know Your ideas and decisions and I will plan accordingly. . . . .!!!
