- Location
- the Republic
- Pronouns
- He/They
[X]Yes, a 12 hour moratorium (each update will have a 12 hour voting moratorium followed by 36 hours of voting)
Super Robot Wars æ: Martian Mecha Mega-Crossover
- Thread starter Nerdorama
- Start date
- Crossover
- Pronouns
- She/They
To give an idea on complexity, the most complex vote I'd expect to have *regularly* would be at the start of a "mission" sequence.
1. What units to deploy on a mission
2. What supporters to deploy on a mission (think characters like Kudelia)
3. The high level tactics for everyone in number 1.
If this subvote wins, I'll probably default to moratoriums for these votes, and no moratoriums for others (which would include more tactical plans like step 3 here for changed situations mid-mission).
- Location
- A place
[X]No moratoriums (updates will continue to be followed by 48 hour voting periods)
[X]No moratoriums (updates will continue to be followed by 48 hour voting periods)
-[X] Exception for complex votes only
-[X] Exception for complex votes only
Thst sounds about right then.
- Location
- Virginia
[X]No moratoriums (updates will continue to be followed by 48 hour voting periods)
-[X] Exception for complex votes only
Well that certainly became one of many clusterfucks we'll be dealing with. Also if we have the 3rd XAM and someone has the 1st, I wonder where's the 2nd?
-[X] Exception for complex votes only
Well that certainly became one of many clusterfucks we'll be dealing with. Also if we have the 3rd XAM and someone has the 1st, I wonder where's the 2nd?
[X]No moratoriums (updates will continue to be followed by 48 hour voting periods)
-[X] Exception for complex votes only
-[X] Exception for complex votes only
- Location
- England
[X]No moratoriums (updates will continue to be followed by 48 hour voting periods)
-[X] Exception for complex votes only
-[X] Exception for complex votes only
- Pronouns
- She/They
Oh right I should also do a series list. I'll put that in one of the infoposts later. For now I'll say that yes, you can expect to see an adaptation of Zone of the Enders for Playstation 2 ahead. Fist of Mars is right out though I do not have that kind of time.
EDIT: and then I entirely misread your question. Well, we need someone to being the mean pilot age in this game up from like 12, and James seems like he can do the job.
Last edited:
Sweet. Though I wonder how you'll handle PS2 Zone of the Enders since the whole thing takes place within a Colony. If this was official Srw, it might be easier to do post Z.O.E instead since there is a time-skip between 1 and 2.
Dolores, I is easier since James and Dolores would be on the run for first half.
Dolores, I is easier since James and Dolores would be on the run for first half.
- Pronouns
- She/They
Well, without going into too much detail, recall that ZOE1 is a pretty short game even after you account for time padding like backtracking for subweapons. Combine with Dolores, i giving me an excuse to put some of the bosses elsewhere and I'm confident it's a plausible addition.
Vote closed
Game Mechanics
- Pronouns
- She/They
Game Mechanics, in approximate order from most specific to least specific thing they represent.
Combat Rolls
Missions (and some other scenes) usually consist of various pilots in various mobile units trying to do violence to each other, and that's done through combat rolls. Note that I'm not going to roll out every single attack like this was a video game, but rather, usually, every Phase of a Mission will roll out the results of the specific engagements happening on the phase and the narrative will proceed based on the general idea of what happened.
In general, combat rolls are 1d10+an attacker's attack stat (CQB or AIM) plus their unit's HIT rating (HIT) vs. 1d10+a target's EVA and MOB added together. If the attacker ties or exceeds the defender, it's a hit, and if they exceed the defender by 10 or more it's a critical hit. After that, on a hit, damage (the same attack stat added to weapon DMG) is compared to the target's DEF and ARM added together, and the difference is compared to the following chart:
Damage Chart
Example Attacks
Mikazuki Augus (CQB 3, HIT 2) decides to smash a Grasshopper Squad (EVA 1, MOB 1, DEF 1, ARM 1) with Gundam Barbatos's Mace (melee, DMG 3). For the sake of the example, both parties roll a 5.
Normally, since the Grasshopper Squad has 2000 HP, this would be enough to defeat them. But the Grasshoppers have a special trait: DISTORTION FIELD, which is a Barrier that reduces all damage by one step, to a minimum of No Damage. So in this case, damage is reduced to Minor Damage (1000 HP), leaving the squad at 1000/2000 HP and narratively meaning Mikazuki crushed about half of them this phase. However, if Mikazuki had rolled a Critical Hit (10 higher than the Grasshoppers' result, so if he rolled a 10 and the Grasshoppers rolled a 3), the damage would go up by a step again, resulting in a defeated enemy.
These Grasshoppers want revenge for their fallen comrades, so they (AIM 1, HIT 1) fire missiles at Mikazuki (EVA 2, MOB 2, DEF 2, ARM 2). Once again, we'll assume both parties roll a 5).
Conditions
Some weapons inflict Conditions like Hold, Armor Down, or Barrier Disabled. These should be self-explanatory. Two more common Conditions that can arise are Out of Supply and Taken Out.
Out of Supply happenswhen I decide it's dramatic when a unit has been involved in enough fights that I judge it's out of fuel or ammunition. It will not be available in the next Phase because it's returning to a warship to resupply.
Taken Out is what happens when HP reaches zero. What this means for enemies varies, but for any "player characters", it means a forced retreat and enough damage done to the unit that it will usually be unavailable for the next mission.
Spirits
Spirits are what make individual pilots special, beyond raw numbers: they're abilities that can be used to gain an edge in combat in limited situations. In SRWæ, each pilots has two Spirits by default and can use each one once per mission - I don't want to mess around with SP for reasons I hope are obvious. More Spirits, and uses, can be gained through character progression, which will be explained later. Pilots will use their Spirits at their own discretion unless specifically ordered to use/save one in an order.
Here's a list of Spirits in SRWæ, subject to editing and game balance as I go.
Zones
I'm not drawing maps; combat is all theater-of-my-mind here. However, I do have a general sense in mind of how battlefields are divvied up, and what things are close to each other and what things are far from each other, which more or less determines what weapons people can use in a phase and whether they're moving around or standing still. Generally, you need to move to the zone of the thing you're targeting to make a melee attack, and ranged attacks can hit an adjacent zone, but you can't use them after moving (unless it has Mobile, the trait that does that). It might also take a full phase of movement, or multiple phases of movement+attacks, to get to a distant zone (unless you're Lilia or another character who has the Dash skill).
Please note that all of this is going to be handled by me logicking things out and you do not have to get that specific with strategy votes. I'm just letting you know how my neurotic brain handles the translation from anime to video game to text, here.
Non-combat Rolls
Sometimes you need to do things besides violence, especially if you're not Mikazuki. For these situations, when there's a chance of failure, we'll also roll a d10, add modifiers, and compare it to a static difficulty depending on the task. The non-combat traits for this Quest are:
Charm: used to persuade people to do things, honestly or dishonestly.
Engineering: used to modify mobile units, get them to do things they don't normally do, or otherwise interact with technology.
Tactics: used to fight smarter, not harder, outmaneuvering enemies and enacting gambits.
Resolve: used to keep morale up, rally troops, and resist the effects of emotional and psychic afflictions.
Besides Lilia's level in these traits, you'll also have access to Supporters who can be assigned to help you with each of these rolls on a mission (and sometimes in other scenes). A Negotiator adds to Charm, an Engineer to Engineering, a Tactician to Tactics, and a Support to Resolve. Some characters can fill multiple roles (for example, Kudelia has both Negotiator and Support abilities), but not at the same time, and some characters have or can earn unique Skills that give bonuses to certain rolls in certain conditions - and of course, good planning and favorable circumstances can always play a role too.
Alignment
Your alignment to GOD or DEVIL is a combination of attitude and reputation that can potentially affect certain rolls, in a way that is absolutely not a ripoff of Paragon and Renegade points from Mass Effect. These points exist on a single scale, so gaining a GOD point is the same as losing a DEVIL point. Points in either direction will be earned for taking decisions in line with that philosophy - control and order on one side, chaos and radicalism on the other - and will always be listed along with the relevant decisions in votes. As for how this is used, alignment affects some non-combat rolls by either adding or subtracting GOD or DEVIL score from the results. For one simple example, negotiating peacefully with Gjallarhorn is easier for someone with a GOD alignment, and harder for someone with a reputation as a DEVIL - and vice versa for talking to people who don't like the current order like BAHRAM or Tekkadan. Of course, you can also try to keep a neutral alignment, which will result in neither bonuses nor penalties, and overall score maxes out at +3 GOD or +3 DEVIL, so it won't ever be the sole determining factor on a d10 roll. Alignment, as well as specific actions within the story, will also sometimes affect what choices and paths are available, too, so also think of it as a guideline for which direction the story is going in, although I do want to emphasize (in case it wasn't obvious) that this isn't a case of "good" vs. "evil": it's about how Lilia as a person, and as a Hero in the classical sense of a very influential person, chooses to engage with the world.
Missions
Missions are the War part of Super Robot Wars, wherein Lilia and her allies attempt to gain some sort of victory over enemies, usually (but not always) by smashing their robots with your robots. Every Mission has a Briefing, and then between 1 and 4 Phases, each of which corresponds to a post and a round of voting.
In a Briefing, I will provide the story context and objective of the mission, a list of available resources, and suggested strategies for the mission. Players will provide a Plan Vote that covers both what resources to deploy and what to do with them to take steps toward accomplishing the Objective. For example:
[X]Plan: Foreshadowing
-[X]Support Crew
--[X]Negotiator: Biscuit (+1)
--[X]Tactician: Orga (+2)
--[X]Engineer: Nadi (+1)
--[X]Support: Kudelia (+2)
-[X]Deploy Warships
--[X]Isaribi (Eugene)
-[X]Deploy Units
--[X]Theletos (Lilia)
--[X]Gundam Barbatos (Mikazuki)
--[X]Graze Custom (Akihiro)
-[X]Strategy
--[X]Mobile Units engage the enemy in 1-to-1 duels to distract them
--[X]Isaribi closes with enemy warship to allow for boarding action
Feel free to be more detailed with strategy lines; just keep each unit's instructions to a sentence or two, and group them up as much as possible.
This is the mechanics effortpost. Please feel free to ask any questions you want to about this, or observe that I've blatantly fucked up math somewhere. In-story update coming later tonight or tomorrow morning. Also feel free to check out the "Character Sheet" post which is full of useless data now.
Combat Rolls
Missions (and some other scenes) usually consist of various pilots in various mobile units trying to do violence to each other, and that's done through combat rolls. Note that I'm not going to roll out every single attack like this was a video game, but rather, usually, every Phase of a Mission will roll out the results of the specific engagements happening on the phase and the narrative will proceed based on the general idea of what happened.
In general, combat rolls are 1d10+an attacker's attack stat (CQB or AIM) plus their unit's HIT rating (HIT) vs. 1d10+a target's EVA and MOB added together. If the attacker ties or exceeds the defender, it's a hit, and if they exceed the defender by 10 or more it's a critical hit. After that, on a hit, damage (the same attack stat added to weapon DMG) is compared to the target's DEF and ARM added together, and the difference is compared to the following chart:
Damage Chart
| Result of (CQB or AIM+DMG)-(DEF+ARM) | Narrative Result | Typical HP calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Special | No Damage | 0 HP |
| <0 | Scratch Damage | 250 HP |
| 0-2 | Minor Damage | 1000 HP |
| 3-5 | Normal Damage | 2000 HP |
| 6-10 | Major Damage | 4000 HP |
| 10+ | Super Damage | 8000 HP |
| Special | Ultra Damage | 16000 HP |
Example Attacks
Mikazuki Augus (CQB 3, HIT 2) decides to smash a Grasshopper Squad (EVA 1, MOB 1, DEF 1, ARM 1) with Gundam Barbatos's Mace (melee, DMG 3). For the sake of the example, both parties roll a 5.
Normally, since the Grasshopper Squad has 2000 HP, this would be enough to defeat them. But the Grasshoppers have a special trait: DISTORTION FIELD, which is a Barrier that reduces all damage by one step, to a minimum of No Damage. So in this case, damage is reduced to Minor Damage (1000 HP), leaving the squad at 1000/2000 HP and narratively meaning Mikazuki crushed about half of them this phase. However, if Mikazuki had rolled a Critical Hit (10 higher than the Grasshoppers' result, so if he rolled a 10 and the Grasshoppers rolled a 3), the damage would go up by a step again, resulting in a defeated enemy.
These Grasshoppers want revenge for their fallen comrades, so they (AIM 1, HIT 1) fire missiles at Mikazuki (EVA 2, MOB 2, DEF 2, ARM 2). Once again, we'll assume both parties roll a 5).
Mika dodges the incoming missiles and takes no damage. But what if the Grasshoppers had rolled high enough to hit (i.e. a roll 2 higher than Mika's roll)? Then the damage would be:
Gundam Barbatos would take a mere 250 HP of damage. Barbatos also has a Trait, Nanolaminate, which can reduce damage to a minimum of zero, but it only applies against attacks with the Beam trait, which missiles do not have. It would have entirely negated the Grasshoppers' other weapon, Beam Cannons, though.
Conditions
Some weapons inflict Conditions like Hold, Armor Down, or Barrier Disabled. These should be self-explanatory. Two more common Conditions that can arise are Out of Supply and Taken Out.
Out of Supply happens
Taken Out is what happens when HP reaches zero. What this means for enemies varies, but for any "player characters", it means a forced retreat and enough damage done to the unit that it will usually be unavailable for the next mission.
Spirits
Spirits are what make individual pilots special, beyond raw numbers: they're abilities that can be used to gain an edge in combat in limited situations. In SRWæ, each pilots has two Spirits by default and can use each one once per mission - I don't want to mess around with SP for reasons I hope are obvious. More Spirits, and uses, can be gained through character progression, which will be explained later. Pilots will use their Spirits at their own discretion unless specifically ordered to use/save one in an order.
Here's a list of Spirits in SRWæ, subject to editing and game balance as I go.
| Name | Effect |
|---|---|
| ACCEL | Move anywhere on the battlefield this phase |
| ANALYZE | See enemy stats, reduce target ARM by 1 for the phase |
| BONDS | Restore 2000 HP to all allies |
| BRAVERY | Valor, Strike, Persist, Accel |
| CHARGE | Ignore movement restrictions on weapons |
| DAUNT | Disable one target's Super Attack for one phase |
| DISRUPT | -1 HIT for all enemies for the phase |
| DRIVE | Ignore Phase restrictions on attacks and abilities for the rest of the mission |
| FLASH | Next attack automatically misses. Overrides Strike. |
| FOCUS | +2 HIT and MOB for the Phase |
| FURY | Ignore all enemy defensive traits and abilities for the round |
| LOVE | Valor, Strike, Flash, Accel |
| PERSIST | Next successful attack set to Scratch damage |
| STRIKE | Your attacks this Phase hit automatically. They will still be rolled to check for Critical Hits. |
| TRUST | Restore 5000 HP to one ally |
| RESUPPLY | Remove [Out Of Supply] for one ally |
| SNIPE | All ranged attacks can hit any accessible Zone |
| VALOR | Next successful attack damage increased by 2 steps |
| VIGOR | Fully restore own HP |
| ZEAL | Make two attacks this Phase |
Zones
I'm not drawing maps; combat is all theater-of-my-mind here. However, I do have a general sense in mind of how battlefields are divvied up, and what things are close to each other and what things are far from each other, which more or less determines what weapons people can use in a phase and whether they're moving around or standing still. Generally, you need to move to the zone of the thing you're targeting to make a melee attack, and ranged attacks can hit an adjacent zone, but you can't use them after moving (unless it has Mobile, the trait that does that). It might also take a full phase of movement, or multiple phases of movement+attacks, to get to a distant zone (unless you're Lilia or another character who has the Dash skill).
Please note that all of this is going to be handled by me logicking things out and you do not have to get that specific with strategy votes. I'm just letting you know how my neurotic brain handles the translation from anime to video game to text, here.
Non-combat Rolls
Sometimes you need to do things besides violence, especially if you're not Mikazuki. For these situations, when there's a chance of failure, we'll also roll a d10, add modifiers, and compare it to a static difficulty depending on the task. The non-combat traits for this Quest are:
Charm: used to persuade people to do things, honestly or dishonestly.
Engineering: used to modify mobile units, get them to do things they don't normally do, or otherwise interact with technology.
Tactics: used to fight smarter, not harder, outmaneuvering enemies and enacting gambits.
Resolve: used to keep morale up, rally troops, and resist the effects of emotional and psychic afflictions.
Besides Lilia's level in these traits, you'll also have access to Supporters who can be assigned to help you with each of these rolls on a mission (and sometimes in other scenes). A Negotiator adds to Charm, an Engineer to Engineering, a Tactician to Tactics, and a Support to Resolve. Some characters can fill multiple roles (for example, Kudelia has both Negotiator and Support abilities), but not at the same time, and some characters have or can earn unique Skills that give bonuses to certain rolls in certain conditions - and of course, good planning and favorable circumstances can always play a role too.
Alignment
Your alignment to GOD or DEVIL is a combination of attitude and reputation that can potentially affect certain rolls, in a way that is absolutely not a ripoff of Paragon and Renegade points from Mass Effect. These points exist on a single scale, so gaining a GOD point is the same as losing a DEVIL point. Points in either direction will be earned for taking decisions in line with that philosophy - control and order on one side, chaos and radicalism on the other - and will always be listed along with the relevant decisions in votes. As for how this is used, alignment affects some non-combat rolls by either adding or subtracting GOD or DEVIL score from the results. For one simple example, negotiating peacefully with Gjallarhorn is easier for someone with a GOD alignment, and harder for someone with a reputation as a DEVIL - and vice versa for talking to people who don't like the current order like BAHRAM or Tekkadan. Of course, you can also try to keep a neutral alignment, which will result in neither bonuses nor penalties, and overall score maxes out at +3 GOD or +3 DEVIL, so it won't ever be the sole determining factor on a d10 roll. Alignment, as well as specific actions within the story, will also sometimes affect what choices and paths are available, too, so also think of it as a guideline for which direction the story is going in, although I do want to emphasize (in case it wasn't obvious) that this isn't a case of "good" vs. "evil": it's about how Lilia as a person, and as a Hero in the classical sense of a very influential person, chooses to engage with the world.
Missions
Missions are the War part of Super Robot Wars, wherein Lilia and her allies attempt to gain some sort of victory over enemies, usually (but not always) by smashing their robots with your robots. Every Mission has a Briefing, and then between 1 and 4 Phases, each of which corresponds to a post and a round of voting.
In a Briefing, I will provide the story context and objective of the mission, a list of available resources, and suggested strategies for the mission. Players will provide a Plan Vote that covers both what resources to deploy and what to do with them to take steps toward accomplishing the Objective. For example:
[X]Plan: Foreshadowing
-[X]Support Crew
--[X]Negotiator: Biscuit (+1)
--[X]Tactician: Orga (+2)
--[X]Engineer: Nadi (+1)
--[X]Support: Kudelia (+2)
-[X]Deploy Warships
--[X]Isaribi (Eugene)
-[X]Deploy Units
--[X]Theletos (Lilia)
--[X]Gundam Barbatos (Mikazuki)
--[X]Graze Custom (Akihiro)
-[X]Strategy
--[X]Mobile Units engage the enemy in 1-to-1 duels to distract them
--[X]Isaribi closes with enemy warship to allow for boarding action
Feel free to be more detailed with strategy lines; just keep each unit's instructions to a sentence or two, and group them up as much as possible.
This is the mechanics effortpost. Please feel free to ask any questions you want to about this, or observe that I've blatantly fucked up math somewhere. In-story update coming later tonight or tomorrow morning. Also feel free to check out the "Character Sheet" post which is full of useless data now.
Last edited:
Intermission 0, part 1
- Pronouns
- She/They
??????
"Yes. I'm receiving you."
...
"Impeccable timing, by the way. The Orbital Frame retrieval team distracted the BAHRAM rank and file, and I dare say this will be the easiest conquest in solar history thanks to that exploding in their faces. Plus, you've saved me from joining a pretty boring snipe hunt for a Martian dissident."
...
"I'm aware, I'm just glad I was just here to observe. I have a personal interest in Gjallarhorn's ancient sins coming to light, after all."
...
"Phobos is going to need to stay open for another few hours, if you don't mind. We need someone important to carry word back - the Bauduin heir will do."
...
"'Unknown machine'? You mean besides the 'alien invaders'? We got buzzed by something without an Ahab signature earlier, but I thought it was one of yours, or some kitbashed LEV."
...
"I see. Well, I'll keep an eye out for her. I really do have to be going, though. Someone needs to get Gjallarhorn properly organized against this menace, after all."
...
"Yes, of course, thank you. On behalf of the Montag Company, enjoy your time as King of Mars, Mr. Yao."
March 2X, NCE 0122
Tekkadan Transport Isaribi
You come to on a bed, which is two things you didn't really expect when you passed out. Also something you didn't expect was an eyeful of cute kid.
Atra Mixta
Doing her best
She's shortly joined by two more familiar faces: Mars's diplomatic heroine, and the young man you recognize from the incident at the farm and, by proxy, your brief alliance in Martian orbit.
Mikazuki Augus
The Demon of Tekkadan
"We don't have any medical nanomachines or a real doctor," Mikazuki explains. "We've been taking turns icing that bump on your head and hoping for the best."
"Well, thanks, but...where am I and why am I here?" you asked.
"This is the Isaribi, Tekkadan's ship," Kudelia explains. "Formerly CGS's Will-o-the-Wisp, if I understood Orga correctly. You're here because we saw your...mobile suit?...your robot, anyway, drifting while we were fleeing Mars."
"Orga really appreciated your help earlier, so he told me to pull you aboard and see if you were alive," Mikazuki continues the story. "You've been out for a couple of days now."
"I'm amazed we lasted a couple of days. Gjallarhorn isn't chasing you guys?"
Mikazuki shakes his head. "They're too busy dealing with those things that attacked Mars, we think. It's a mess over there."
Kudelia frowns. "Fumitan - oh, Fumitan Admoss, she's my personal assistant - was able to bring up an encrypted line to Tekkadan's members back at their base. The invaders are pretty steadily overwhelming any military resistance, but they're ignoring civilians for now..."
"Good news for you, but I'm guessing BAHRAM is toast," you say, more bitterly than you really ought to. You just sat up and you're feeling a little nauseous, so Kudelia will have to deal with some surliness about all your friends being dead.
"Th-that's...I mean, yeah, it's good news for us! Biscuit's family, Ms. Haba, the other Tekkadan boys, most of the people on Mars aren't just being wiped out like in the Calamity War," Atra chimes in to reel in your perspective. You feel like you're being lectured by a small but very loyal puppy.
"Ugh, sorry. It's been a really long...couple of days, I guess. So what's Tekkadan doing, besides rescuing ungrateful terrorists? Thanks, by the way," you admit.
"Well, the group back on Mars is going to ground, since all they have is mobile workers. Orga and everyone on the Isaribi are still going through with taking me to Earth," Kudelia explains. "It's more important than ever now...I really doubt that the great powers are going to invest in coming to protect the planet without someone to speak on the colonies' behalf."
"Tch. Honestly, the robot invaders might be an improvement, but I see where you're coming from. How are you getting to Earth, though? The Uhlenbeck Catapults are probably toast, and even if they weren't, Gjallarhorn would definitely spare a few minutes from fighting the invaders to blow you out of the void," you say.
"Orga's figuring that out," Mikazuki says, with the confidence of someone who's letting someone prepare dinner, rather than how to traverse 54 million miles or so of blank vacuum. "Gjallarhorn aren't the only people who travel between Mars and Earth."
"Right. I should probably talk to Orga, figure out how to pay him back for saving my life. If you've got some painkillers, I want to start earning my keep aboard ship."
"I can grab you some medicine," Atra says, "and if you want to start earning your keep right now, it's about time to serve lunch!"
Getting drafted into lunch delivery gives you a chance to meet most of the members of Tekkadan aboard ship, which leads you to some important observations. First, that the two mobile suits you saw fighting Gjallarhorn are their entire fighting complement, with Theletos making a grand total of three things in the Isaribi's hangar. And you're not sure if that reconstructed Graze counts as a whole mobile suit. Second, and more distressingly, other than their mechanic, almost everyone aboard this ship is a kid. The majority of them young kids, with 11-12 year olds running around doing maintenance work.
"Man, CGS's management were some real pieces of work, huh?" you observe. "This whole outfit is nothing but child soldiers."
Mikazuki shrugs on hearing this. "It's a living. Most of the people here had nowhere else to go or way of feeding themselves, regardless of how old we are."
"That doesn't really make it better, Mika."
"You're not that much older than us," he observes.
"Yeah, but I decided to fight to try and make things so little kids don't have to become mercs just to survive," you say. "...and then my LT went insane and I shot him in the back, so whatever."
Mikazuki just shrugs at that again, although Atra and Kudelia look suitably horrified. "You did what was needed, right? It's the same."
"'What was needed', huh?"
You have to wonder just how Orga organized his takeover of CGS. Whatever it was, if nothing else, they probably deserved it.
"Anyway, that should be everyone, so here are our lunches!" Atra declares, firmly changing the subject.
You open your food. It's a bento-style meal with a little sausage cut into an octopus shape, rice, and vegetables that thankfully appear to be mostly salt and pepper. This isn't making you feel any better about the fact that you're on a warship crewed by toddlers.
"Right. I guess after I eat I should debrief with Orga..."
Intermission planning:
-No research actions because you don't know any scientists. In fact, most of these kids can't read.
Pick two SUB-MISSIONS:
-No sub-missions are currently available
Pick two SCENES:
[X] FINDING A PLACE
- Go talk to Orga and Biscuit on the bridge to get an up-to-date sitrep about Mars, and figure out what you and Tekkadan can do to help each other.
[X] READING RAINBOW
- Atra and Kudelia are apparently teaching some of these street kids to read, including Mikazuki. Wait, how'd he learn to pilot a mobile suit? Anyway, you feel you can contribute here, if the alternative is staring at a bulkhead.
[X] EXODUS
- The good news about getting to Earth quietly is that there's people who know how to do it. The bad news is that those people are space pirates, and they are about to try to rob you.
Normally, I'd ask for a plan at this point, but since you're options are presently limited, there's no need for a vote, and the next updates will be up either Monday or Wednesday. This chapter is more or less entirely adapted from Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans.
- Pronouns
- She/They
Read and find out, but I will observe that not everything that's similar is getting mashed together here. Minovsky reactors and Ahab reactors? Sure, same thing - Dr. M got the fusion theory down and Ahab Balaena designed the reactor they use in mobile suits, boom. I've also got at least four separate flavors of glowing green magic bullshit in this setting too, though, and I couldn't quite harmonize all of them.
Intermission 0, part 2: Finding a Place
- Pronouns
- She/They
You have confirmed it is, in fact, March 24, NCE 0122
After a lunch you can actually sort of sincerely compliment Atra on, compared to BAHRAM mess fare, you make your way toward the navigation bridge at the front of the Isaribi. The combination of the unfinished metal walls and Orga's habit of projecting his voice mean you hear a solid chunk of conversation as you're approaching.
"--is the only way forward," Orga says.
"I just think you're not being realistic here. We're a brand new company with few resources and, thanks to the invaders, no support at all. At the very least we should hand her over to someone with a base in the Earth Sphere," the softer but no less firm voice of Biscuit replies.
"And then where would we be? Refugees floating in space, living off the advance from BAHRAM and Nobliss until we run out of food? I can't do that to Mika, or anyone else here."
"What else can we do, though? We don't have any way to get to Earth, and we don't have any way to get Kudelia down on it even if we did get there, unless you want to try to charge through the Orbital Ring garrison with two mobile suits and an assault ship. We could turn around and go back to Mars--"
"And what, put two mobile suits and an assault ship against a planetary invasion?" Orga asks. "Biscuit, heroic last stands aren't your style. I know you're worried about your family, but--"
"That's not it!" Biscuit shouts, just in time for you to appear in the doorway. Both of the boys turn to look at you, with Biscuit concluding. "I'd just rather risk my life on Mars for something than throwing it into the void."
"Viola said the same thing," you observe, walking into the bridge. It's apparently just them there, with the rest of Orga's inner circle off eating or something. "I don't expect her to make it. Civilians who keep their heads down like your grandma and sisters, on the other hand..."
"Welcome back to the world of the living, Lilia," Orga says, inclining his head respectfully. "Glad to see you made it. I'd have hated to have worked with you and never actually met you."
"Likewise, Orga. Or is it captain right now?" you ask.
"Well, it's my ship, but let's stick with names for now. You're not part of Tekkadan, so you can skip the 'commanders' and 'your excellencies', too," he says with a smirk.
"You're either a natural leader or a nutcase if you're joking around at a time like this," you observe, to which Biscuit nods fervently.
"So, what are your plans now that you've found out you survived?" his not-excellency asks.
"I wouldn't say I have one as such. I sympathize with Biscuit here, but I don't think going back to Mars would accomplish much of anything. I know overwhelming force when I see it, and I signed up for the resistance, not a suicide pact," you admit. "If it's all the same, I'd like to hear your plans and see if sticking with you might be a better option."
"Well, you say option, but I've thought it over, and at least for Tekkadan, there's really only one way forward," Orga says, turning to gesture where he's left some navigation data up on a console.
Biscuit, disagreement with his boss aside, takes over explanation duties. "Orga wants to try and hook up with Teiwaz."
"The crime syndicate?"
"They're a legitimate business, alright?"
Biscuit rolls his eyes at Orga's interjection, and continues. "Legitimate or not, Teiwaz has strongholds at the Mars-Sun Lagrange points. Orga's plan, which we haven't agreed on, is to head for M-S L1 and try to negotiate passage to Earth with them, since they've got routes that don't intersect Gjallarhorn's patrols, and we haven't seen any Jovian activity outside of Mars's immediate area yet."
"Jovian?"
"Gjallarhorn chatter, and what little we've been able to pick up from BAHRAM, has been referring to that crystal ship and its drones as 'Jovian', for lack of a better term. Probably because the inside of the ship looked like Jupiter's surface."
"Oh good, I thought that was a hallucination."
"All the bad guys seem to be AI drones, and no one can agree on whether it's aliens using Jupiter as a waypoint, or some forgotten AI weapon that's been cannibalizing the old colonies there. We've got reporting names for the drones, too: little ones are Grasshoppers, big ones are Dragonflies, and the crystal ship is apparently a 'Chulip'. Someone on the Gjallarhorn band was very insistent it was that and not 'Tulip' for some reason," Biscuit explains.
"Clearly I should have shot that guy while I was chasing Radium."
"At any rate, Biscuit, you know I value your opinion. If you have literally any alternative other than dropping Kudelia and going back to Mars with absolutely nothing, we'll consider that, too."
You observe Biscuit, and especially how he doesn't look like he's in agony, or frustrated, or even upset. His mouth is just set in a solid line of annoyance because he knows Orga has him cornered, and he doesn't say anything because he knows he doesn't have an answer. You need to keep an eye on this kid. Not a lot of people can keep a level head in this kind of situation - not when they have family involved, at any rate.
"Right," Orga says after a lengthy pause. "Teiwaz it is. Lilia, you're not one of my comrades, so if you want to take your robot and go, I'll understand that."
You shake your head. "I'll take my chances with the gangsters. I can't say I'll stick with you and Ms. Negotiator, but I'll at least try to barter for a shuttle to the Earth Sphere. Besides, you could use an extra gun if those locusts or whatever do decide to start moving past Mars."
"It's agreed, then. Welcome aboard the Isaribi, Lilia," Orga says, holding out his hand. You shake it, and wonder just what you're really getting into.
After a lunch you can actually sort of sincerely compliment Atra on, compared to BAHRAM mess fare, you make your way toward the navigation bridge at the front of the Isaribi. The combination of the unfinished metal walls and Orga's habit of projecting his voice mean you hear a solid chunk of conversation as you're approaching.
"--is the only way forward," Orga says.
"I just think you're not being realistic here. We're a brand new company with few resources and, thanks to the invaders, no support at all. At the very least we should hand her over to someone with a base in the Earth Sphere," the softer but no less firm voice of Biscuit replies.
"And then where would we be? Refugees floating in space, living off the advance from BAHRAM and Nobliss until we run out of food? I can't do that to Mika, or anyone else here."
"What else can we do, though? We don't have any way to get to Earth, and we don't have any way to get Kudelia down on it even if we did get there, unless you want to try to charge through the Orbital Ring garrison with two mobile suits and an assault ship. We could turn around and go back to Mars--"
"And what, put two mobile suits and an assault ship against a planetary invasion?" Orga asks. "Biscuit, heroic last stands aren't your style. I know you're worried about your family, but--"
"That's not it!" Biscuit shouts, just in time for you to appear in the doorway. Both of the boys turn to look at you, with Biscuit concluding. "I'd just rather risk my life on Mars for something than throwing it into the void."
"Viola said the same thing," you observe, walking into the bridge. It's apparently just them there, with the rest of Orga's inner circle off eating or something. "I don't expect her to make it. Civilians who keep their heads down like your grandma and sisters, on the other hand..."
"Welcome back to the world of the living, Lilia," Orga says, inclining his head respectfully. "Glad to see you made it. I'd have hated to have worked with you and never actually met you."
"Likewise, Orga. Or is it captain right now?" you ask.
"Well, it's my ship, but let's stick with names for now. You're not part of Tekkadan, so you can skip the 'commanders' and 'your excellencies', too," he says with a smirk.
"You're either a natural leader or a nutcase if you're joking around at a time like this," you observe, to which Biscuit nods fervently.
"So, what are your plans now that you've found out you survived?" his not-excellency asks.
"I wouldn't say I have one as such. I sympathize with Biscuit here, but I don't think going back to Mars would accomplish much of anything. I know overwhelming force when I see it, and I signed up for the resistance, not a suicide pact," you admit. "If it's all the same, I'd like to hear your plans and see if sticking with you might be a better option."
"Well, you say option, but I've thought it over, and at least for Tekkadan, there's really only one way forward," Orga says, turning to gesture where he's left some navigation data up on a console.
Biscuit, disagreement with his boss aside, takes over explanation duties. "Orga wants to try and hook up with Teiwaz."
"The crime syndicate?"
"They're a legitimate business, alright?"
Biscuit rolls his eyes at Orga's interjection, and continues. "Legitimate or not, Teiwaz has strongholds at the Mars-Sun Lagrange points. Orga's plan, which we haven't agreed on, is to head for M-S L1 and try to negotiate passage to Earth with them, since they've got routes that don't intersect Gjallarhorn's patrols, and we haven't seen any Jovian activity outside of Mars's immediate area yet."
"Jovian?"
"Gjallarhorn chatter, and what little we've been able to pick up from BAHRAM, has been referring to that crystal ship and its drones as 'Jovian', for lack of a better term. Probably because the inside of the ship looked like Jupiter's surface."
"Oh good, I thought that was a hallucination."
"All the bad guys seem to be AI drones, and no one can agree on whether it's aliens using Jupiter as a waypoint, or some forgotten AI weapon that's been cannibalizing the old colonies there. We've got reporting names for the drones, too: little ones are Grasshoppers, big ones are Dragonflies, and the crystal ship is apparently a 'Chulip'. Someone on the Gjallarhorn band was very insistent it was that and not 'Tulip' for some reason," Biscuit explains.
"Clearly I should have shot that guy while I was chasing Radium."
"At any rate, Biscuit, you know I value your opinion. If you have literally any alternative other than dropping Kudelia and going back to Mars with absolutely nothing, we'll consider that, too."
You observe Biscuit, and especially how he doesn't look like he's in agony, or frustrated, or even upset. His mouth is just set in a solid line of annoyance because he knows Orga has him cornered, and he doesn't say anything because he knows he doesn't have an answer. You need to keep an eye on this kid. Not a lot of people can keep a level head in this kind of situation - not when they have family involved, at any rate.
"Right," Orga says after a lengthy pause. "Teiwaz it is. Lilia, you're not one of my comrades, so if you want to take your robot and go, I'll understand that."
You shake your head. "I'll take my chances with the gangsters. I can't say I'll stick with you and Ms. Negotiator, but I'll at least try to barter for a shuttle to the Earth Sphere. Besides, you could use an extra gun if those locusts or whatever do decide to start moving past Mars."
"It's agreed, then. Welcome aboard the Isaribi, Lilia," Orga says, holding out his hand. You shake it, and wonder just what you're really getting into.
Understood, looking forward to the rest.
BTW, how many parts more until the end of the intermission?
- Pronouns
- She/They
My idea for intermissions is basically establishing scene, two mini scenes, then the setup for the next mission, for a total of four. Since I couldn't think of anything to vote on for this one I'm posting more often and you'll have the "mission briefing" as the regularly scheduled Wednesday votepost. I'll probably keep that turnaround for mini scenes in the future if I can manage it.
When you've been told they were destroyed for a hundred years...