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It's LIke XCOM, But With More Sparkles -- Henshin Heroes & Heroines HQ Quest!

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[X] HE COULD USE SOME SUPPORT – Just because Touma plays tough doesn't mean he is tough. Even killing a Villain can mess with someone. Maybe she should give him a hand?
[X] I MADE THE CALL – You made the best decision with the limited intel you had. Like you said before, a gut decision isn't always the right or best decision. It's on your shoulders, not his.
[X] TAKE YOUR TIME – This sort of thing can mess with even the toughest people. You won't blame him if he needs some time to recover.
[X] LET THE DOC KNOW – It might be best to have Dr. Sessyoin talk with him right now.
[X] BE THANKFUL – A honest thank you and maybe an apology would probably go a long way towards helping Touma.
This option definitely sounds a bit better to me now that PurpleProse has explained the two a bit more.

[X] NO – You're not sure how Touma would react to Jin's matter-of-fact attitude towards murder. Leave the option open, but for now, keep them separate.
I know I had jokingly said that we should recruit Jin so he could help Yukimura with his regret over killing people that he implied when we recruited him, but now that an actual option for that has come up I'm hesitant. Probably want to try and get our heroes trusting the new guy a bit more before he shares his opinions on murder.
 
To be fair, it sounded better and clearer in my head when I wrote it last night.
And originally, the text for Jin's 'No' option was as follows:
[ ] NO - Hahaha. Hahaha. No.
 
[X] HE COULD USE SOME SUPPORT – Just because Touma plays tough doesn't mean he is tough. Even killing a Villain can mess with someone. Maybe she should give him a hand?
[X] I MADE THE CALL – You made the best decision with the limited intel you had. Like you said before, a gut decision isn't always the right or best decision. It's on your shoulders, not his.
[X] YOU DID THE RIGHT THING – Yes, he killed Grandeur, but he did it to protect his friends. Be straight with him about that and help him come to terms.
[X] LET THE DOC KNOW – It might be best to have Dr. Sessyoin talk with him right now.
[X] BE THANKFUL – A honest thank you and maybe an apology would probably go a long way towards helping Touma.
[X] NO – You're not sure how Touma would react to Jin's matter-of-fact attitude towards murder. Leave the option open, but for now, keep them separate.
 
I kind of want to ask Hikaru what he thinks would have happened to Obakemaru if he hadn't gone upstairs, but calling him out with the other option isn't a good idea. The problem is that Gunleon was pinned, Fenrir could smell through the villain's illusions, and Kekkai-Chan can only use her powers at a disadvantage. Plus, we really needed someone with TOUGH in Location 2 that wouldn't be worn out by the minions' attacks, and I think that Grandeur only really started using STRESS attacks AFTER we voted to send Shineon upstairs.
 
Please, please everyone, try to pick as many options that acknowledge the valid psychological toll that someone's first kill takes. Please, please don't try to lead any character down a path that amounts to "suck it up you did nothing wrong stop feeling guilty", because that shit does no good to anyone.

[X] HE COULD USE SOME SUPPORT – Just because Touma plays tough doesn't mean he is tough. Even killing a Villain can mess with someone. Maybe she should give him a hand?

[X] I MADE THE CALL – You made the best decision with the limited intel you had. Like you said before, a gut decision isn't always the right or best decision. It's on your shoulders, not his.

[X] TAKE YOUR TIME – This sort of thing can mess with even the toughest people. You won't blame him if he needs some time to recover.

[X] LET THE DOC KNOW – It might be best to have Dr. Sessyoin talk with him right now.

[X] BE THANKFUL – A honest thank you and maybe an apology would probably go a long way towards helping Touma.

[X] NO – You're not sure how Touma would react to Jin's matter-of-fact attitude towards murder. Leave the option open, but for now, keep them separate.

In order:
1.) We encourage empathy and compassion for teammates and acknowledgement of the reality and validity of psychological factors, stress, and so on.
2.) We acknowledge our own imperfection, we acknowledge his doubts, but we reinforce the principle of "sometimes you screw up, which means you have to own up". Empathy is never wrong for this.
3.) "Struggling with killing someone" is not, and never has been, a sign of weakness, and I will fight tooth and nail to ensure we don't perpetuate attitudes and cultures that actively damage people's mental health.
4.) These sound like signs of a concussion and the medical staff need to know ASAP.
5.) Honesty and vulnerability; it sounds more sincere than "you know, you should play nice and make friends (to be a more efficient team)".
6.) If Jin is self-aware enough to say he's unsure he would help, I'm inclined to listen.
 
KnightDisciple said:
Please, please everyone, try to pick as many options that acknowledge the valid psychological toll that someone's first kill takes. Please, please don't try to lead any character down a path that amounts to "suck it up you did nothing wrong stop feeling guilty", because that shit does no good to anyone.

[X] HE COULD USE SOME SUPPORT – Just because Touma plays tough doesn't mean he is tough. Even killing a Villain can mess with someone. Maybe she should give him a hand?

[X] I MADE THE CALL – You made the best decision with the limited intel you had. Like you said before, a gut decision isn't always the right or best decision. It's on your shoulders, not his.

[X] TAKE YOUR TIME – This sort of thing can mess with even the toughest people. You won't blame him if he needs some time to recover.

[X] LET THE DOC KNOW – It might be best to have Dr. Sessyoin talk with him right now.

[X] BE THANKFUL – A honest thank you and maybe an apology would probably go a long way towards helping Touma.

[X] NO – You're not sure how Touma would react to Jin's matter-of-fact attitude towards murder. Leave the option open, but for now, keep them separate.

In order:
1.) We encourage empathy and compassion for teammates and acknowledgement of the reality and validity of psychological factors, stress, and so on.
2.) We acknowledge our own imperfection, we acknowledge his doubts, but we reinforce the principle of "sometimes you screw up, which means you have to own up". Empathy is never wrong for this.
3.) "Struggling with killing someone" is not, and never has been, a sign of weakness, and I will fight tooth and nail to ensure we don't perpetuate attitudes and cultures that actively damage people's mental health.
4.) These sound like signs of a concussion and the medical staff need to know ASAP.
5.) Honesty and vulnerability; it sounds more sincere than "you know, you should play nice and make friends (to be a more efficient team)".
6.) If Jin is self-aware enough to say he's unsure he would help, I'm inclined to listen.
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I feel like this is the majority of the vote, no?
 
[X] HE COULD USE SOME SUPPORT – Just because Touma plays tough doesn't mean he is tough. Even killing a Villain can mess with someone. Maybe she should give him a hand?

[X] I MADE THE CALL – You made the best decision with the limited intel you had. Like you said before, a gut decision isn't always the right or best decision. It's on your shoulders, not his.

[X] TAKE YOUR TIME – This sort of thing can mess with even the toughest people. You won't blame him if he needs some time to recover.

[X] LET THE DOC KNOW – It might be best to have Dr. Sessyoin talk with him right now.

[X] BE THANKFUL – A honest thank you and maybe an apology would probably go a long way towards helping Touma.

[X] NO – You're not sure how Touma would react to Jin's matter-of-fact attitude towards murder. Leave the option open, but for now, keep them separate.
 
Abyssien said:
I feel like this is the majority of the vote, no?
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I think the one option that's not the majority vote is:

[ ] TAKE YOUR TIME – This sort of thing can mess with even the toughest people. You won't blame him if he needs some time to recover.

The vote currently in the lead is:
[ ] YOU DID THE RIGHT THING – Yes, he killed Grandeur, but he did it to protect his friends. Be straight with him about that and help him come to terms.

Given that the heroes were recruited to fight the villains, neither option tells him that he was wrong to kill Grandeur. The choice instead seems to be between "Sit by yourself until you feel better" or "Let me help you deal with this".
 
Mount. Elements said:
I think the one option that's not the majority vote is:

[ ] TAKE YOUR TIME – This sort of thing can mess with even the toughest people. You won't blame him if he needs some time to recover.

The vote currently in the lead is:
[ ] YOU DID THE RIGHT THING – Yes, he killed Grandeur, but he did it to protect his friends. Be straight with him about that and help him come to terms.

Given that the heroes were recruited to fight the villains, neither option tells him that he was wrong to kill Grandeur. The choice instead seems to be between "Sit by yourself until you feel better" or "Let me help you deal with this".
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To me, the first one comes across as "it's okay to have mixed feelings or even feel bad", while the latter is "you did the right thing, now suck it up and move on".

That's not to say those are the actual result, but as a voter with no greater information than that, those are the impressions I'm getting, which inform my vote.
 
KnightDisciple said:
To me, the first one comes across as "it's okay to have mixed feelings or even feel bad", while the latter is "you did the right thing, now suck it up and move on".

That's not to say those are the actual result, but as a voter with no greater information than that, those are the impressions I'm getting, which inform my vote.
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Yeah, it can be pretty hard to figure out how the hero will take a particular option. I remember people were pretty surprised by the result of the previous Naoko debrief vote. I hadn't been part of the quest then, but I still keep double-guessing our options.
 
The difference between the two options are thus: Take Your Time is letting him work it out himself, while You Did The Right Thing is Makoto talking to Touma.
 
VOTING IS NOW CLOSED

Final Tallies

Subaru
Support 12
Fine

Hikaru
Call 12
Line

Touma
Time 5
Right 7

Yukimura
Rest
Doc 12

Naoko
Nice 1
Thankful 11

Jin
Maybe 1
No 11

Post later.
 
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Chapter 1: Turn 9 - Upgrade Time!
  • Threadmarks
    • "Honestly, I think Touma could use a hand," you tell her. "Just because Touma plays tough doesn't mean he is tough. At least, not all the time. Maybe you should talk to him a bit."

    "Perhaps," Subaru replies. "I know he and I don't always get along, but you're right. I'll see what I can do."

    Satisfied with Subaru's answer, you continue on with the debrief.

    (Subaru will remember this.)

    * * *​

    You drum your fingers on the table before you respond. "You're right. I made the call. I made the best decision with the limited intel that I had. What happened is on my shoulders. That's what being a leader's about."

    Hikaru exhales and glances away. "Sorry, ma'am. I shouldn't have-"

    "No, it's alright. Everyone's a bit on edge right now. I'm not going to hold it against you." You recline back in the chair and look at Hikaru. "Though it sounds like you think you could've done better."

    That catches Hikaru off-guard. "I… well… um… I don't…"

    "Relax, Hikaru," you say as you wave a hand. "I'm not planning on putting you in charge or anything."

    You only add the 'yet' part of that sentence mentally as you continue with the debrief.

    (Hikaru will remember this.)

    * * *​

    You clap your hands together, the sharp sound shocking him out of his reverie. "Touma-kun, look at me."

    He stares at you as you finally get his attention. "You did the right thing, Touma. Yes, you killed Grandeur, but you did it so you could protect the others, right?"

    He nods dumbly.

    "I'm not going to tell you that everything's going to be okay after this," you say seriously. "It probably won't. Accept that you did what you did, try to come to terms with it, and do what you can to keep going. That's the only way you'll make it."

    You pull out your tablet and tap on the screen. "I'm scheduling a series of counseling sessions with Dr. Sessyoin. She'll help, trust me."

    Touma nods again. "Right. Um… boss?"

    "Hm?"

    "Why do you sound like you're talking from experience on this?"

    "Let's just keep going with the debrief."

    (Touma will not be available for Training next turn.)

    * * *​

    You leave Yukimura be for a moment and go talk with Dr. Sessyoin. She frowns when you mention his symptoms.

    "I had a feeling about that," she replies as she walks with you back to Yukimura's room. "What else can you tell me about the fight?"

    She grimaces further as you tell her about what you saw during the fight. "It sounds like he was using his illusion abilities to hyper-stimulate and overload his targets sensory receptors. But that wouldn't account for the continuing symptoms…"

    "You think he was inflicting psychotrauma?"

    "Yes, but only a form limited to the sensory cortex. Most of the time it's rare for a person to manifest multiple psionic modalities, so he probably didn't have the capacity to inflict true psychotrauma. Only a powerful esper that can directly interact with a person's psychoform can do that. Someone like-"

    "Focus, doc," you interrupt. "Can you fix him?"

    "I can probably get him back on his feet, yes." She pauses and looks at you. "Are you okay is the better question."

    "I'm fine. Just focus on Yukimura for now."

    (Yukimura recovers 1 Stress)

    * * *​

    "He probably will. You never know unless you try."

    Naoko wipes her eyes. "It's just… what should I say?"

    "Well, a 'thank you' probably wouldn't hurt," you reply. "Being honest with him is probably the best way to reach him. Though I honestly don't get why you have a problem with him."

    Naoko sighs. "I guess I'm just not big into the whole punk thing he's got going on? I mean, he looks like he's trying way to hard to be a delinquent. Like, I've met guys like him in school before; one of my friends used to-"

    You hold up your hand to stop her before she starts rambling. "Okay, enough."

    You decide to ask her about this later as you continue the debrief.

    (Naoko will remember this.)

    * * *​

    "…No. Not right now, at least. I don't think Touma's in the right place right now to talk with you."

    Jin considers this, then nods. "Very well. If that's your decision, so be it."

    "It's not-"

    Jin holds up a hand. "You don't need to justify your orders, Administrator. I'm aware that I'm very much an outsider to your team right now."

    You pause, then accept this and continue the debrief.

    (Jin will remember this.)

    * * *​

    The day after the incident at Haneda Airport, you receive notification that the UN will be providing additional funding and equipment to your base. The paperwork is sent to you in reams for you to sift through, so at least you get to decide how your Base will get improved.


    <MECHANICAL NOTE – UPGRADE TIME!>​
    After every three Incidents, you will have a chance to acquire free upgrades to your base outside of things that you research/build or gain from Events. Make sure to choose wisely!
    <END MECHANICAL NOTE!>​


    SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING.

    [ ] Increase Hero Slots by +2
    [ ] Increase Ally Slots by +1
    [ ] Increase Funding by +1
    [ ] Increase Personnel Limit by +2


    SELECT A SECTOR TO GIVE A +1 BONUS TO.

    [ ] Sector II
    [ ] Sector III
    [ ] Sector IV
    [ ] Sector V
    [ ] Sector VI
    [ ] Sector VII


    SELECT A FREE BASE ENHANCEMENT.

    [ ] ADMINISTRATIVE AUTOMATION – By streamlining the administrative sector and farming out the more menial tasks to computer systems and analytic programs, you'll be able to free up more time to take a more active role in your Base. (Grants an additional Sector I Action.)

    [ ] ENHANCED SECURITY – If your base gets attacked, you want to make it as hard as possible to take it. Automated gun turrets, physical checkpoints and armored airlocks will make it harder for the Forces of Evil to take your stronghold. (Provides additional defenses against invasion.)

    [ ] EXPANDED MOTORPOOL – Sector II serves as the base's motor pool, but it should be a cinch to expand it. That way, you'd be able to field a wider variety of vehicles and, possibly, giant robots. (Increases available vehicles and provides launch site for advanced machinery)

    [ ] HAZARD CONTAINMENT – The last thing you need is some weird alien virus or magical critter escaping and wreaking havoc on your staff. By implementing additional hazard containment systems throughout the base, you should be able to isolate problems before they spread. (Makes it harder for hazards to spread and allows sectors to be isolated.)

    [ ] MYSTICAL SAFEGUARDS – Given the metaphysical nature of some of your opponents, it makes sense that you should employ some more esoteric and occult defenses. By training your staff in basic mental defenses as well as incorporating a mix of mystical protections into your base, you should have an edge against supernatural intrusion. (Provides additional defenses against invasion.)

    [ ] NETWORK ENHANCEMENT – These days, just about everything is run by computers. By making sure everything is as secure as possible, it'll be harder for enemy hackers to gain purchase on your base's computer systems. (Provides additional defenses against computer intrusion and electronic warfare.)

    Voting ends in 24 Hours.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • I'm thinking Hero Slots and Admin Automation. Whilst all the others might be vital or useful in different ways, these options are the most immediately and broadly applicable.


    [X] Increase Hero Slots by +2
    [X] Sector V
    [X] ADMINISTRATIVE AUTOMATION
     
    Last edited:
    [X] Increase Hero Slots by +2

    Because we don't have an Alien-Source Hero yet, and we already got an option for another Magical Girl.

    [X] Sector VI

    Because we're running out of time to do the Hierian Autopsy, and this way it'll be easier healing our people anyways.

    [X] ADMINISTRATIVE AUTOMATION – By streamlining the administrative sector and farming out the more menial tasks to computer systems and analytic programs, you'll be able to free up more time to take a more active role in your Base. (Grants an additional Sector I Action.)

    Because an additional action is huge, meaning we can get more stuff done.
     
    It's a shame the expanded motorpool is a relatively low priority compared to everything else. It'd let us make use out of our Alien spaceship.
     
    Okay, brief discussion.
    I think that with Jin we have a bit fucked up. I think the other choice would still be bad, but he has a point: we are keeping him separate from our team. We should work on it soon or later.
    So, about the upgrade.
    We have two slot for Ally. Personel is not even remotely saturated and we took a +1 funds at the start, so I think that could wait.
    Since we are going to lose the Magical Girl when we move on with the Chapter, +2 Heroes is good: MAGIC is a very strong Source (Shineon, in fact, is one of our best heroes, since he/she doesn't have negative trait while Henshin, reduce stress by One in the Location and has both STRONG and TOUGH). Another Magical Girl could be interesting (even if I want a Sorcerer ç_ç)
    @PurpleProse The +1 is Permanent? Because if it's permanent, we should really think about which sector give it.
    Last upgrade: do we really need another Action, honestly?
    @PurpleProse (Sorry for all the question) I think that, if we pick SUPPORT as an action, we can pick only one sub-action, cant' we?
    We can't do "Bonus to sector" and "Remove stressed status" in the same turn, if I understand correctly. Or two Interact, for what matter.
    If so, with two action we can do everything each turn: one Interaction and one Support, since Recruit will be capped again soon or later.
    So we can take the Motorpool and use our Alien Ship. I think that would give us some nice stuff v.v
     
    The +1 is permanent, yes. Also yes, you have to select the sub-action when you use the SUPPORT action. However, please note that Administrative Automation doesn't require it to be a SEPERATE action, unlike Maya's Ability.
     
    A +1 permanent to Sector VI is kind of a waste, in my opinion: HEAL and THERAPY don't require a Dice Roll, only the Research require it.
    We have to choose one between Sector III and Sector V: all their action require a Dice Roll and they have both TRAINING and RESEARCH. I would suggest Sector V since, at the moment, is really busy and a +1 will be handy to finish the Research and then TRAIN our heroes.
    Three action in Sector I means:
    2 Interaction - 1 Support or 1 Interaction - 2 Support.
    2 Interaction are surely handy, not sure if we can do them indefinitely (@PurpleProse ) and I don't think we'll take a lot of 2 Support Action (we are max Moral and STRESS to Sector had happenend, but it's not always an option. Still waiting before deciding.
    Ah, since we are here:
    @PurpleProse How difficult will be to build the Motorpool during the Base turn?
     
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