Second PBP game

O.K. Important tactical footnote. . .

In the background of the Campaign that I'm developing (and co-gamemastering in My L.G.S.) the "Minotaurs Mercenary Brigade" have been created by a Consortium of Dawn Planet Nations, specific Houses of "Merchant Princes" of Bourak and selected Nomads Syndacate Concerns of ALL three Motherships with a specific Target in Mind:

"Ariadnan Teseum BELONGS To Ariadnans". . .

Any kind of claim of Not-Ariadnan Territoriality (either on the Planet or on the rest of Dawn's Star System) for obtaining Teseum that is NOT Paid to Ariadnan Coffers will be met with EXTREMELY Lethal Prejudice. . .

The claims of ANY of the other Hyperpowers to have "Private Corporate Ownership" of the Teseum Excavated in ANY frickin place on Planet Dawn or in any Asteroid, Moon, Planetoid of the Solar Star of Ariadna will be considered "Acts of Piracy against a Government legally recognized by O12". . .

It was established a Multi-National Confederated Mercenary Corp EXPRESSIVELY to avoid loopholes of a new "Neo Colonial Wars"; everytime that Pan-Oceania claims "Ariadnan attacked us" it was really a Nomad Syndacate protecting exploited Corregidoran Workers, any time Yujing cried for Acts of Piracy by Haqqislamite Corsairs was in reality the intervention of the Kazak Coast Guard and any time that some other concern claimed "Foul Play" could have been a Kapu-Kalqi Escort Garrison that in reality was protecting the Cargo Shipment of Teseum LEGALLY exchanged with Silk-based Medicines. . .

The idea is that Allies of Ariadna will receive ANY Teseum of Dawn (mined and smelted by Ariadnans or "confiscated" to illegal smugglers) at premium prices; anyone else will receive first a Stern Warning and then, if NOT complying, some more Extra Teseum in form of T2 Bullets. . .

It is a sort of "Commercial War" but conducted in a way befitting the "Wilderness of Mirrors". . .

The Minotaur Mercs are very rich, being DIRECTLY paid in Teseum Ingots (or choice Bullets !!) OR Haqqislamite Biotech OR practical, rugged, reliable Nomads Hardware; but they conversely are DIRECTLY on the Frontlines. . .!!

So Your Corregidoran Contact will either receive "Its Allotted Cut" for services rendered to the Merc Brigade, or become a Target on a Long List. . .

This will not dissuade You to perhaps strike underhand bargains favourable to Your Character, is all Good Roleplaying, but in the Game the "Minotaurs" will be Your sole, trusted Family / Allies / Contacts / Employers. . .

Is not a Game of "Small Hyperpowers" versus "Big Hyperpowers"; there are Bad Seeds amongst Araidnans, Haqqislamite and Nomads that will be interested to "Take Their Cut" without thinking of the "Greater Common Good" and some Pan-Oceanian Lobbies & Yujing Corporate Cartels that will find far cheaper to acquire Ariadnan Teseum legally rather than mounting risky Paramilitary "Pirate Mining". . .

As for the Tohaa and A.L.E.P.H. they both find the Mercs Idea very amusing and dispatched Elite Agents to see how all it is developing; the O12 of Consilium receive BOTH discount Teseum Ore and Veteran Mercs that wants to unwind "Outside Dawn" and anyone is kept Happy if possible. . . . . .and kept very, Very, VERY Dead if not possible (one of the Haqqislamite Sponsors is none the less than the Hashashin Bahram !!). . .

As for the Combined Army the Evolved Intelligence of the Ur Rationality could not care less what Human Monkeys do in a Backwater Planet (the Timeline of the Game is PRIOR the Flamya Wars, and so it needs to be addressed Wotan Gate BEFORE any kind of possible, hypothethical invasion on Dawn !!); the Umbra Legates and the Sygmaa follow the "Party Line". . .

As for the Morat Supremacy they know that an Infamous Krakot, a "Teseum Bladesmith" with "Anti-Social Tendencies of Individuality" was recently freed from a Yujing Mining Prison and probably is now a full fledged Minotaur. . .

As for the Shaasvastii, some of the Corax High Command know that unsavory experiments with Shas Organs salvaged directly from the Battlefield has been "Transplanted" (Duh! Pun Intended. . .!!) from Mothership Bakunin to a tiny islet on Dawn. . . . . But there is a certain Sphinx Pilot Operative that muse WHERE in the Galaxy has gone that damned Gecko Pilot that He woved to Burn Alive. . . . .!!!

 

It is good as You want to define Your background in details on Your own. . .

Unsavory "Friends In Odd Places" could be very useful in some contexts. . .

I usually prefer to have a given Character yet well immersed in the Context of the Organization which is part of; but You could explore amusing Roleplaying Opportunities with the "Culture Shock" of a Corregidoran Meteorhead Mechanic that need to cope with being "Dirt Groundised" for the first time in many Years (not to the absurd points of Warhammer 40.000 where Characters born on a Spaceship, or in the depths of a "Hive City Megaplex", suffer Epileptic Seizures or Catatonia-Panic from Agoraphobia, when first time outside Metal Hulls and under a Blue Sky !!!). . .

But the "Quantonic Hypernet" nature of Maya / Arachne that glue together all of the Human Sphere could help us frame better this stuff; Your Character could still be on the Orbital Shuttle outside Dawn's Stratosphere, busy preparing for that "Next Phase Of Life" but You have yet contacted some trusty Nomads of the Minotaurs High Command (a Veteran Jaguar Lady, slowly converting Herself in a Chimera Uberfallkommando, is part of the Officer Staff; could be a "Local Contact" that vouched for the "Legendary Gecko Mechanic / Pilot") and have a lot of details Yet prepared in advance (such as the Mecha Bay of the Geckos prepared yet to Your specs, to much the chagrin of the local Guijia Detachement Mechanic "Pit Boss" !!). . .

Then You will be able to start "With a Bang" without clumsily navigating the Issues of "Newbie in New Spot". . .

By the way, USUALLY all Legal Space Traffic to and from Ariadna is regulated by the enormous, rather primitive Matr Spaceport, but the Minotaurs have access to Hyperadvanced Haqqislamite / Nomads kind of Spaceships able to reach Orbit on their own, so Your "Ride" will pass by the "Merchant Frigate" parked in Geosinchronous Orbit above the "Home Turf" of the Minotaurs. . .

Then Your Orbital Shuttle will proceed immediatly towards the fortified Compounds in the reinforced underground complex of "New Knossos"; once a Vulcanic Island (now extinct) and a dilapidated Teseum Mine that fell out of importance more than 30-50 Years ago. . .

When I would have finished also Your Character sketched roughs there will be a nice "Shuttle Window View" of the whole Island, a sight that Your approaching Tony will soon experiment. . . . .!!!

 

I'm looking in to writing a character up, I already have a lot of personality and backround brainstormed I'll finish it as I roll life events.

 

Was waiting for You to delineate some further small details (such as the aforementioned N.P.C. Ally) but ALMOST everything is yet ready to Roll on, AT LEAST on the R.P.G. Side of the equation. . .

Unfortunately next week is a little full of R.W. Sheahnigans for Me (such as a Potential Job Meeting this Monday Evening, and the day after, a "Big Date" with a prospective New Girlfriend !!) but I'm very positive to be able to start very, Very, VERY soon. . . . .!!!

In the meantime will SOON post various Infos that Your Character could YET know (or even STILL reading on a Protected Arachne Com-Log Link during the final Orbital Shuttle vector of approach towards Planet Dawn) that will inform You of the various Tactical Infos of the "Minotaurs Deployement Force" that could help You even do some "Last Minute" adjustement to Your Character to better fit and Play more amusingly. . .!!

 

@Ioricus. . .

Plan to join @inane.imp in the P.B.P. that I will G.m. ?

What Character do You want to do ??

Have You read all the infos that I posted beforehand about Available Character ???

 

Yes. I'm going to play a USA pilot. I read a lot of your info and will finish when I sit down to write things down. As I do I'll post here to workshop it.

Basic, stream of conscious backround:

Native USAriadnan who moved in to freelance TAG piloting (life before this will be based off Lifepath rolls), usually working for or against gangs, or hired to massacre Antipodes when uprisings were staged, unoffical border disputes between the Ariadnan governments, typical local stuff.

The backround of the Minotaurs is perfect, the character does care for most non-USAriadnans much less off-worlders. Despite working freelance he has some behavior similarities with the Hardcases: he still feels loyal to his country and wants to defend it. So defending Tesium rights gives him a reason to be loyal to the Minotaurs as well.

As a freelancer he needed to constantly think about money. Operating so he spends as little money as possible to do the job. This both ties in to personality and combat doctrine. His Geist works as his accountant and quatermaster, keeping him in the black and generally nagging him to pinch pennys. While a lot of these behaviors have become unnecessary with a Minotaurs paycheck they haven't gone away.

Working outside of USAriadna he began to play up the reputation as a cowboy to get jobs. Other than wearing the typical Stetson himself he outfitted his TAG with decorations. It has toned down after joining the Minotaurs (as well us suddenly losing his country accent) but he kept two gimmicks. A TAG sized heavy revolver, while operational it has never been used in combat. A CCW fashioned after a tomahawk, which he has practiced throwing for show but is simply used for Close Combat in battle.

Finally his combat doctrine, something I will try to reflect in equipment/stats. Until joining the Minotaurs he was almost always facing forces not able to combat a TAG. While he used many loadouts he specialist as a "hunter", using enhanced targeting systems and high caliber weaponry to dispatch opponents in as few bullets as possible. A Pre-Minotaur Loadout would have an AP Sniper as well as a backup weapon such as a Combi. After joining the Minotaurs he probably would have upgraded his weaponry, I'll figure that out during Lifepath.

I'm not sure which model TAG it doesn't matter that much


Anything can be changed for the setting, this is going straight from my brain to my phone.

 

@inane.imp. . .

Are You referring to the "Scripted Background" of Infinity Wargame Campaigns. . .??

I statted that the R.P.G. Campaign will start many, Many, MANY Months in advance than the first advisals of Flamya Island events (with whom EVENTUALLY the Minotaurs P.C. could be potentially involved as "Merc Advisors" for Ariadnan / Nomads / Haqqislamites and that could END in a manner VERY Divergent from the "Official Fluff" !!) and then even later the whole Tagline / ALIVE debacle could JUST skim the Outcoming of the R.P.G. Campaign. . .

Wotan's Gate will be PROBABLY of "Passing" Importance for the Minotaurs and will PROBABLY finish with very different outcomes. . .

The next steps of the Wargame Campaigns, "War On Dawn" or whatever will be PROBABLY will be paramount of importance for the Minotaurs P.C. and N.P.C. alik (provided the don't make Planet Dawn explode in their various "Shadow Ops" against the Rogue Criminal A.I. "Svengali" or the Hyperpowers "Patsy Merc Outfits" !!). . .

Just an hint; something as the "Kurage Island" holdings of the (At-The-Moment of "Campaign Chronology" Time) "Still-Not-Existant" New Nippon Empire with "Non Ariadnan Mines on the Planet" will be answered by Minotaurs with mounting intensity till reaching the point of "Forcibly Evicted Xenoculture Squatters" and J.S.A. Garrisons reduced to "Scorched Earth Policy". . .!!

 

@Ioricus. . .

Native U.S.Ariadnan T.A.G. Pilot is a very good, solid concept. . .

Just an aside, as I want to test the two Models present in the Basic Manual then I WARMLY recommend a Guijia Model for You, heavier and more cumbersome, but with heavier Armour and Wargear than the nimbler, more fragile "Orbital Suit" of @inane.imp's Character. . .

 

Can I use a third party model that shares Guija stats? From a corporation or something.

Edit: just realized it could be interpreted as "Native American", I just meant native to USAr. I don't even know if Native Americans exist anymore.

 

Actually I see they have company Guija so I would just be riding one of those.

 

@loricus . . .

Yep, Native Americans in U.S.Ariadna ARE a thing in MY Campaign (after all the Dawn Probes discovered a fertile, forested, cold temperate Planet; I believe that many Natives from ALL of the "Old U.S.A." Reserves jumped at the opportunity to embark for the Ariadna Colony Mission, ESPECIALLY the ones that JUST eke a dignified existance JUST in the Armed Forces !!). . .

The Forumite @Golem2God had created the Background of "Wayah White-Ghost", a Cherokee Woman "Brave Scout" that is a Dogface WHEN (and IF) will be able to perhaps partecipate in the P.B.P. and I'm almost finished to portray it in some Concept Art that I'm creating for the Game. . .

A Native Pilot that perhaps re-interpretate the "Bison Man Totem" (I believe is a thing related to Myths & Legends of the Great Plains Tribes) could in fact be a very interesting take on the "Minotaurs Concept and give a fully fleshed, entertaing Background full of excellent, amusing Roleplaying Opportunities. . .

Maybe Your Geist act as a sort of "Lesser Manitou that conveys the Wisdom of the Great Spirit" or maybe Your T.A.G. is bedecked like a Totemic Pole; for what could be a cool "Native American Mecha" that is not JUST a "Robotic Caricature of Chief-Sitting-Bull" maybe You can check the weird Sci-Fi Western Manga "Gun Driver" by Gou Bitou & Noriyasu Seta. . .!!

As for the T.A.G. the Stats will be technically of a Guijia (and so Costs of Maintenance and Rule-Set will be the same) but could be for "U.S.Ariadna Pride" a totally new batch of stuff, a Prototype of a "Full Sized T.A.G." made on Planet Dawn; based on Reverse-Engineered Tech from "Friendly Chats" with Scarface & Cordelia OR the Anaconda Mercs (the kind of T.A.G.s available to Ariadnans for Tagline) is a sort of "Big Brother of the Blackjacks" and so similarly framed and designed, but far larger and heavier (as Blackjacks are rather the more HEAVY MODELS of the "Superheavy Infantry Suits" such as Taskmasters, Kriza Boracs, Azrail, Ahl-Fassed and the new "J.S.A. Samurai Bot" are, RATHER than TRUE T.A.G.s). . .

A model so hardcore advanced for the meager Technological Developement of Planet Dawn that JUST 3 or 4 customized functional prototypes exist as "Personal Mounts" for rich, successful Mercenaries such as Your Player Character is; designed to be compatible and similar to Yujing Guijias (the more numerous Pilot-On-Board T.A.G. Frame produced in the Human Sphere) is comparable to a "Cheap Knock-Off Copy" of Imperial State Models, but with Chassis, Endoskeleton and Armour Plating made of Alloyed Teseum become comparable in performance (and easier, cheaper to maintain). . .

Just now realized the Irony of Cyberpunk-In-Space U.S.A. copying a Cyberpunk-In-Space Chinese production model. . .!!

An useful Contact / Allied N.P.C. could be an Industrial Tycoon of U.S.Ariadna (that could also be a blood / acquired Relative of Your Character) that is sponsoring Your Pilot and its "Ride" to convince first the Minotaurs to ditch the "Tactical-Armoured-Gears-Made-In-China" for the new improved "Dawnbulls" models, and then to convince Ariadnan Armed Forces to begin Mass Production. . .!!

So Your Character could have the added drama (and interesting R.P.G. opportunities) to be not JUST a Mercenary Pilot but also a "Test Driver for Prototypes" with all the shehanigans that ensues (well, doing Technical Espionage and Corporate Theft in a Multi-National Garrison Fortress of a Mercenary Brigade, on Planet Dawn and insulated from Mayasphere Incursions could be A TRIFLE more difficult that the typical "Copyright Steal" of the rest of the Human Sphere !!!). . .

As for armament and Wargear a "Tankhunter Heavy Sniper" will be very cool and will marry perfectly with the Gecko of @inane.imp; whose shtick is employing extra nimbleness and lighting quick reflex to reach Optimal Range for killing (with twin H.M.G. and twin Grenade Launchers as main armament) along with an Optimized Frame for Orbital Ops. . .

Your hypothethical "Dawnbull" (or "Tatanka" as the Totem Bison is often referred in Native American Myths of the Lakota Sioux) could have an Oversized "T.A.G. Barrett" as main weapon (so essentially an Ariadnan MK12 with Enlarged Ammo Clip, Longer Barrell and better Rate-Of-Fire Ratio; maybe instead of higher R.O.F. perhaps You'll like more a "Primitive Multi-Gun" with a Rotating Drum Clip to select different Ammo Loadouts) and be a T.A.G.-sized Marksman-Sniper; I suggest also some Panzerfaust / Rocket Pods / Micromissile Bays housed in Open-Up enalrged Shoulder Mounts for extra Tactical Flexibility; quite able also to employ an "Ariadnan Revolver" (that will be essentially a Light Riot Drum-Clip Grenade Launcher sawn-off as Pistol-shaped) and the T.A.G. Tomahawk that You'll mentioned (Stats of a Teseum Cleaver more or less; will write something about the Thrown Capabilities later). . .

 

Well my character is not Native American I'd rather have as few impediments to easy roleplaying as possible.

I have an idea for TAG, basically the one I had before joining up but massively overhauled by Minotaur techs.

The "Tomahawk" would just be a Tesium Cleaver. I don't want the throwing trait I'm imagining this TAG to not have that kind of flexibility.

A MULTI MK12 sounds really cool for the primary loadout I'll look in to the book for more detail. I also like the shoulder Panzerfaust like Geckos have. Or maybe a Akrylat Kannon.

 

@loricus and. . . . .

Just noticed that Your Avatar Picture is from "Armoured Troopers VOTOMS"; perhaps You want to have the Shoulder Pauldron of Your T.A.G. painted in Blood-Red (but no "Divine Perfect Soldier" shehanigans, there are ENOUGH Chaotic Things to the Infinity Platter). . .!!

. . . . . .

. . .and @inane.imp

Will follow some infos for the "Minotaurs Recruitment Brochure" that could potentially cause You both to change some details of Background / Story / Whatever before actually starting to Play in the next week. . .

Just what You will read in a detailed, "Eyes Only" Report from a "Newbie Recruit" that has signed the first Contract with the Minotaurs; obviously Your Characters will be BOTH arrived now, but will yet know some more stuff due to P.C. Fluff (the "Tatanka Pilot" due to being a Native U.S.Ariadnan, and Tony from Corregidor for being the BEST AVAILABLE GECKO ENGINEER on the Open Market, and so actively sought by the Mercenary Brigade eager to expand Operational Theatres outside Planet Dawn). . .

NOTHING is actually WRITTEN in Stone. . .!!

I could change some details (I'm co-writing it with two other G.M. from My L.G.S. that, sadly for them, have JUST a Basic School comprehension of English !!) and if a Given "Background Fluff-Piece" is not so compatible with Yours view on the Background the We could easily change it; what I'm really aiming for is for Players that will enjoys themselves on THEIR Stories, rather than be FORCED to follow a "Pre-Written Script" handed down "Deus Ex Machina" from an inflexible "Demiurge Gamemaster". . .

Some of the Background Infos were written BEFORE I saw that @loricus was interested to join and so have a "Corregidoran Gecko Mech-Pilot" perspective, but are including also things for the new entry. . .

 

My character ended up a bit shady would the Minotaurs take someone giving them a new start/identity (like French Foreign Legion does) or should I reframe it?

Edit: wouldn't really be a new identity just covering up the last couple of years.

 

Can I still get in on this? I have a bourak character I would love to play. Would it be acceptable to pilot a maghariba Guard? Even if it’s just guija stats with a different appearance?

I want him to be a Kum Biker as well. If the maghariba is too much of a stretch, does a ramhorn work?

 

@loricus. . .

Define what You want of the Character's Background; the Minotaurs take ANY Mercenary Pros that are faithful to the "Company Charter" ("Arrest or Kill ANY Unregistered Unlawful Teseum Smuggler AND give back to the Company Coffers ANY recovered Teseum to be Hefty Paid for it !!!") so any kind of Shady Past is no problem. . .

The Character of @inane.imp has an ongoing "Blood-Feud" with the Italian Mafia of Tunguska. . .!!

@oldGregg. . .

You are welcome to try to Join that merry band of Mercenaries. . .!!

A Background in the Kum Tribes is appropriate for Background Reasons that will post soon; a Magahriba is not good (Rare, costly and their "Structure" is weird to improvise rulewise; but please read ALL of the Assetts soon to be described. . .!!) but any kind of Humanoid Piloted T.A.G. that is good, if could be "Simulated" with the Stats of a Gecko (Nimble, Quick, Often full of specialized Support Gear) or a Guijia (Heavier, Clumsier, Slower, less nimble in cramped environments; usually "Variating" just on the "Three Axis" of +/- Armour influencing Speed; +/- Hydraulic Strenght; +/- Reinforced Frame or JUST a different, specialized "Weapon Payload"). . .

As far as a Kum from Bourak could "Upgrade" from a mere Biker Warband Ganger to T.A.G. Pilot it could be a cherished "Clan Chieftain Scion" that decided to "Play With Big Toys" and their cultural heritage tends to go towards quickly rumble the enemy in Close Combat with the Cover of Smoke. . .

So You could perfectly complement the other two T.A.G. Style; @loricus "Tatanka" Heavy Sniper Frame will be slow, ponderous, heavily armed and armoured, placing itself before engagement in "Distant Optimal Firing Positions" and then wading fearlessly towards better firing zones when the Battle is joined. . .

On the contrary @inane.imp "Custom Gecko" will be a lighting quick "Mobile Terror Weapon" that employ hyper-accellerated Systems to continuosly pop up-n-down from Cover and pepper the Enemy with Machinegun Autofire and selected Grenade Warheads; while a "Frontline Assault Unit" is not really designed or thought for Close Combat Engagements and so will try to keep distance with Foes that are dangerous up-close. . .

And this is WHERE Your "Kum T.A.G." could come in, by complementing a Trio of "Death Machines" (three optimized Mecha Suits will be able to raze to the ground even a Small Army Base, by mutually covering blind sides, while a Single, or even Two, could be flanked by quick moving Infantry, surrounded by Layed Mines and / or pinned down by Light Antitank Gunfire !!) that could be potentially unstoppable under the right circumstances. . .

You could have an "Antipersonnel Dedicated Infantry Killer" that is bedecked in Close Combat Weapons (such as Twin-Linked Chainrifles mounted on the Arms and Vulkan Shotguns / Heavy Flamers for the "Big Kills") and that could have Smoke Bomb dispensers to cover its unstoppable advance; also some kind of Teseum-Knuckledusters with added "Electroshock Effects" could be quite apt for a "Kum Biker Exoskeleton". . .

If You decide it to have Gecko Stats will be a quick, nimble, relatively fragile "Running Mech" that will have the Initiative against heavier Targets and maybe approach them from unusual "Assault Vectors" (such as circling a building to attack from behind or even jumping down a sturdy enough structure !!) and will be a sort of "Glass Shotcannon" that need to quickly put down "Big Targets". . .

If instead it could be have Guijia Stats I will counsel to add ANY available Layers of Extra Armour Plating (cheap Ablative Plates or costlier Pure Teseum Sheets) AND Strenght; in that manner will be an "Unstoppable Juggernaut", a Titanic "Metal Behemoth" that will be not very maneuvrable, but quite quick (for its Mass) when running straight towards a Target (and maybe even THROUGH tiny, puny obstacles such as Prefab Hab-Walls or Metal Houses !!) shrugging any kind of "Small Arms Fire" that will not down a Main-Battle-Tank. . . . .!!!