Ok, I managed to catch up to the last page of this thread. It took few days to do it, but it was a fun read. I join this party pretty late, but hey, it's better late then never as they say
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And oh boy, I'm so GRATEFUL that we avoided whole Sophia / Taylor drama (ugh, seriously, I'm getting tired of it) and that Undersiders aren't main part of the plot because they are overused. And on Sophia - it's a shame she isn't punished, but as long as she isn't involved in plotline, I'm GOOD. And at first I was worried that plotline moved from Brockton Bay so quickly, but in the end it was exactly the perfect move, as you provided us with some pretty fun worldbuilding. So good job
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A second effect that would be highly useful and get some goodwill for Shipwright would be temporary barrier jackets and/or flight modules running on stored mana. Being able to give a temporary brute rating to people would be wonderful. Or terrible, depending on who gets their hands on these items. The problem with making the heroes stronger is a gm's responsibility to ensure the antagonists need to be strong enough to keep encounters exciting. CW is already well on her way to being in a high enough weight class that these items wouldn't help her at all, and Vista already has some shielding effect, so this would be a largely cosmetic effect game-wise.
Dragon in a way applied Dragon's Tooth project to power up non-brute people, but personally we may dedicate some action(s) towards this idea a bit more. We NEED more allies (and they don't need to be mages, like with Vista we can create parahuman fighters or power armor them), so we may ask Dragon (and use Perfect Storm) so search internet data base and gather information on some people, which could become really good allies, while maximize the chance to pick trustworthy ones. For example Vietnam War veterans which are crippled and have nothing better to do. With Tim and Dragon to assist them making them duty ready and make them join Taylor's team would be nice. Other Privateers (those that are left that is) may also work and this is something worth to consider, but I suspect this part of plotline is pretty much over.
We have 3 Power Armors that we don't use. Picking up 3 people ASAP so they can patrol with us would already improve our fighting abilities. Ex-police officers tired of corrupted superiors, some even normal crippled permanently people at hospitals that we may give a second chance and they would be so grateful that we would automatically secure their loyalty. 3-4 people and Lacey would be enough for now. We don't need more for now. This is ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT because Taylor IC complains on small amount of parahuman level fighters in Philladelphia. She can't be everywhere after all. So potential social action would be something like this (even if controversial):
[]-Ask Perfect Storm (and possibly Dragon, but she may be against) to make detailed data search on people in area near Philladelphia (may also include Boston, Chicago, etc.) and analyze information you have on them. If they pass your 'quality' check, contact them and mention your interest in them by also allowing them to possibly associate and join your team.
Also we kind of need to think of a team name if we go for this scenario.
Research local Rogues. I would really like to see people using their powers outside of the context of combat. Teleporters capable of carrying significant materials with them, as Taylor can, can likely largely dictate their rates for carrying stuff instantly from A to B. Insert villain style laugh if this gives SW Ideas. Parian from Brockton Bay and her fashion could make an easy non-combat story. A cape who can sculpt flesh could be a plastic surgeon. Thinkers seem more likely to be employed(or self employed) without ever having a costume or seeing combat than jumping into the whole hero/villain schtick. Even destructive powers could be useful in demolition and construction, depending on the level of control and task needed. One setting I read had a character called the Traveler who could walk between parallel worlds at will. He could not, however, ever be certain he was returning to the exact same universe, so he carried books and movies on a computer so he could sell things like complete works of a Mark Twain born on November 30, 1935 instead of November 30, 1835 . He was n't interested in money beyond enough supplies for his travels, and computerized materials meant he always had stuff that had stood the test of time on another Earth. Visiting some of the other worlds in Taylor's cluster could enrich the setting similarly.
I also wouldn't mind checking out Rogues in Philladelphia, see their stories. Even if their powers aren't good, they may be mages or we may simply equip them or grant them VIsta-like upgrades to make them more combate viable. And if not, creating independent cape group/organization in Philladelphia wouldn't hurt anyway just to have someone to represent them and make their voice heard. It could possibly be an interesting plotline.
Especially if there is 1-2 Tinkers, so picking them up to cooperate with Tim and Dragon may gain us an additional ally and potential resource to use.
Also on Rogues - would Perfect Storm (or Tim/Dragon) be able to create devices which for example analyze the skills (let's say skills of surgeon, soldier, etc.) and apply them directly into someone's brain, while also possibly modify biologically bodies to grant perfect muscle memory to do so? This way we may also provide a very unique service where we apply skills Teacher style (without Master part obviously and not power based) to some chosen people and turn them into modern versions of Da Vinci with several specialties which they mastered. Badass Normals creation pretty much. More surgeons, etc. would be pretty great to have. Also this way we get possibly most skilled users of Power Armor we may get.
Her being in fashion school is definitely canon, as I've read that in the past few days, working my way through Worm. I'm not 100% sure about the shop, but I think I recall it being mentioned. I'm just not sure whether it was mentioned as something she planned on doing later, a shop not belonging to her that she was working with, or even just a shop she was supporting via animated mascots. Parahuman displays have got to be a big draw for the lucky few stores which can get them.
While this is true that she at one point decided to enter fashion school, her shop is 100% fanon. What she does is organize 'doll shows' where she create spectacles with dolls/puppets in a way.
I agree that Taylor doesn't necessarily need to join the Protectorate, or the wards if she let them know how old she is. Talking to somebody with Alexandria's level of experience, working beside her on occasion, can only help Taylor. Unlike canon Skitter, Calamity Witch is seen as a pure hero who chooses not to join a group. If Shipwright is registered as a member of the Privateers, then all they need is another member or two(Danny could be one of those if he gets fully healed) to become a respected new group. The Protectorate seems to have a low opinion of entirely independent heroes, possibly because it's really easy to slip from hero to villain. If nothing else, Shipwright still has a couple of suits he made that he took back* to get somebody to fill out the roster.
I'm also not against getting close to Alexandria, but it doesn't need that she must join Protectorate/PRT (for now at least) and act more as a neutral observer (Taylor that is), because for example we have arguments (like Coil) that joining them is something that we don't like. Make Alexandria WORK for us joining. If she really wants us badly, give her a chance and present us with options, but for it to happen we do indeed need to be closer. I know that Alexandria has... personality which is hard to sympathize with, but we should also give benefit of doubt to author as she also made pretty clear that this Alexandria is willing to go to her very old and more idealistic self. Things here are so different then in canon that this should be possible and to do this, we need to get closer to her even if many of us don't like the idea.
But there is also an idea to use some social action(s) towards Dragon and do things which would speed up Dragon's Tooth Project to shake the balance in Villain / Hero world. Right now Taylor is in position where she wants to do more, but villains outnumber heroes heavily. If we speed up creations of power armors or we get into project where we create mages which works for Protectorate / Us / Guild, whatever. then we may shake this balance. Once we do, we may AT LAST start going more aggresively against villains (right now politics stop us in Philladelphia for example where teamping up is neccesary sometimes for example) and give second chance for villains which deserve it like Laura.
Dragon and Tim cooperating on a project could produce something really fun, such as a sentient son and/or** daughter in the form of a robot, now that Dragon no longer has some of the restrictions that were built into her code such as not being able to work on complex ai.
Hmmm... it could be fun to have a sidekick created by Dragon/Tim if she agrees to join Taylor's team. With her permission of course. Another thing if we consider going for Dragon social.