- Location
- England
A hearty thanks to @LostDeviljho for our new and improved tags
Attempting to Survive the Apocalypse: Dimensional Dislocation
- Thread starter Rukia
- Start date
- Crossover Sci-Fi Fantasy
Decim
On again, off again lurker.
- Location
- St. Louis, MO
It's been a while since the vote and update, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but it seems like for 99% of the players, it never really came into question. Feelings are hard and the thread really didn't stop to consider if Persica's train of thought really was the best way to use the remaining time before the collapse. So they got piled onto Persica's train and now we're stuck on the tracks with no way off. People just went "yup, lets fucking go".
Personally, I think it's fitting. The thread's choice to coup the military junta matches perfectly with Persica's inclinations without Persica (go re-read Sorawo's Homework, Persica fucking cracked) or the thread really thinking too deeply about it. This makes for amazing world building and character building (or character destruction as they fall into a death spiral of poor choices).
My expectations for the future can be summed up in two ideas. "My god, what have I done?" Whether that's from Sorawo (who gave Persica the half-baked idea), Persica (who really should've known better), or the thread (stares at y'alls lack of thinking at all), remains to be seen. The second idea is that Persica is digging herself deeper and she isn't stopping.
The thread's lack of urgency in tackling the IDC problem is ultimately what led to this after all.
We put ourselves into a corner due to the inability to recognize the sheer threat of the IDCs and thinking we were playing industrial plan quest instead of a paramilitary organization plan quest with mandate to hunt down IDCs put ourselves in a deep hole. The Nat 1 on PR was just the match that started the burning.
The coup is more or less an attempt to flip the table to hopefully save more people because either way we were fucked. We wouldn't have been able to save more than 10% of the European population at the rate we were going at best. Something had to change.
But yeah. I dont expect a good outcome form this quest at all. The dice have been consistent in screwing us over. And we did the rest of the screwing over.
With that said, I'm here until the bitter end.
We put ourselves into a corner due to the inability to recognize the sheer threat of the IDCs and thinking we were playing industrial plan quest instead of a paramilitary organization plan quest with mandate to hunt down IDCs put ourselves in a deep hole. The Nat 1 on PR was just the match that started the burning.
The coup is more or less an attempt to flip the table to hopefully save more people because either way we were fucked. We wouldn't have been able to save more than 10% of the European population at the rate we were going at best. Something had to change.
But yeah. I dont expect a good outcome form this quest at all. The dice have been consistent in screwing us over. And we did the rest of the screwing over.
With that said, I'm here until the bitter end.
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Yea the problem here was not really Badluck....
It from what i can see( i view this thread as a Guest since beggining before making SV Account) is that the player here see thing to Tactically(Ie, forcusing Shorts term action) Instead Strategically (Ie the Long term wich IS the whole point of a Planquest) and chossing the choice that provide resourse first instead of trying to seal the breach (wich considering the nature of it could give them ALOT MORE TIME to do a next turn it was cheap one to!! ) to be Honest the problem here in the end was the Lack of foresigth
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Perhaps.
On the other hand, there was also the genuine and real observation that:
1) The ELIDs are a threat but cannot realistically kill everyone in a hurry, whereas concentrating on scaling up the Collapse shelters is literally the only thing that will save any human beings.
2) The Foundation seems to be the only group working meaningfully on the shelters, but not the only group willing to fight ELIDs if supplied with equipment.
Now, that doesn't make what was actually done in the quest the right choice- specifically, the part where the Foundation utterly failed to scale up its own special operations arm, and so was left operating within strict limits of combat manpower that could have been easily avoided. But there were reasons for it that were... if wrong, not just pure blind stupidity.
[EDIT: To be clear, I'm not saying this wasn't a mistake, just that there was more going on than 'we fucked up out of sheer cluelessness.' ]
On the other hand, there was also the genuine and real observation that:
1) The ELIDs are a threat but cannot realistically kill everyone in a hurry, whereas concentrating on scaling up the Collapse shelters is literally the only thing that will save any human beings.
2) The Foundation seems to be the only group working meaningfully on the shelters, but not the only group willing to fight ELIDs if supplied with equipment.
Now, that doesn't make what was actually done in the quest the right choice- specifically, the part where the Foundation utterly failed to scale up its own special operations arm, and so was left operating within strict limits of combat manpower that could have been easily avoided. But there were reasons for it that were... if wrong, not just pure blind stupidity.
[EDIT: To be clear, I'm not saying this wasn't a mistake, just that there was more going on than 'we fucked up out of sheer cluelessness.' ]
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- Location
- alphen aan den rijn
favor for a favor sound like the right play
The Calm Before The Storm
- Location
- England
"Junathar the Apocalypse rolls to avoid being seen by the Rancid Nightmare."
[D20 => 14 + 5]
Elisa remains silent for a few moments as she calculates her response, playing out the situation on her prototype emotional emulators, letting out a computer generated sigh as she speaks. "The Rancid Nightmare doesn't notice Junathar as it moves across the street, instead choosing to attack Porun the Fallible, roll for evasion."
You give Sorawo a long glance out of the side of your eyes as the simulated scene plays out, the tentacled horror somehow missing the seven foot barbarian and instead moving to en-tentacle your short catgirl mechanist. You aren't sure what it says about her that she's specialised her barbarian for avoiding combat, but you've come to expect it from her by now, which is why your tiny mechanist was using a magical exoskeleton to ape being an actual barbarian. "Really Sorawo, leaving me to the tentacles again?"
[D20 => 17 + 3]
The simulated dice rolls across the screen and settles, your character moving into a smooth evasive roll as the bewildering array of tentacled limbs get tangled with one another following your movement. For her part, Sorawo just smiles and leans back in her chair. "I've fought enough tentacled horrors in real life, I'm sure you can manage, oh Porun the Mighty." And, because of course she took the priority ability in the tanking tree, she leans forwards and instructs Junathar once more. "Junathar the Apocalypse casts Hopeful Words."
Your simulated character twitches a fluffy ear in annoyance as the deep bass of Juanthar's voice reaches her ears, meaningless platitudes nevertheless initiating the buffing magic. "Porun rolls to punch the Nightmare in the face."
[D20 => 10 + 4 + 2]
The little catgirl darts forwards, somehow mostly avoiding the countless tentacles in her way as she darts in to slam a heavy metal knuckleduster into the amorphous mass at the base of the tentacles. The entire body of the creature writhes violently at the hit as Elisa smugly announces the result. "Damage negated by Racial Skill, [Come Into My Web]. Roll for evasion."
[D20 => 1 | natural one: 1]
What was previously a straightforward move, utilise the abilities of your character to their logical extent -as much as a punchy mechanist was logical- to remove your enemy just revealed a trap waiting for you. The hordes of tentacles that your character had previously adroitly manoeuvred around suddenly reverse course and collapse around her like a net, binding her movement and beginning to slowly inflict crush damage as Porun's armoured frame creaks under the pressure.
The session continues on for a while after that, Junathar actually being useful for once and freeing Porun before she dies, but the sudden reversal of fortunes brings your mind back to the present, all to keenly aware of how precariously the situation rests on the edge of the knife, the slightest nudge one way or the other could see everything falling apart. It was inevitable that something would finally knock it over into the abyss, but it was your duty to prolong the fall for as long as possible.
[D20 => 14 + 5]
Elisa remains silent for a few moments as she calculates her response, playing out the situation on her prototype emotional emulators, letting out a computer generated sigh as she speaks. "The Rancid Nightmare doesn't notice Junathar as it moves across the street, instead choosing to attack Porun the Fallible, roll for evasion."
You give Sorawo a long glance out of the side of your eyes as the simulated scene plays out, the tentacled horror somehow missing the seven foot barbarian and instead moving to en-tentacle your short catgirl mechanist. You aren't sure what it says about her that she's specialised her barbarian for avoiding combat, but you've come to expect it from her by now, which is why your tiny mechanist was using a magical exoskeleton to ape being an actual barbarian. "Really Sorawo, leaving me to the tentacles again?"
[D20 => 17 + 3]
The simulated dice rolls across the screen and settles, your character moving into a smooth evasive roll as the bewildering array of tentacled limbs get tangled with one another following your movement. For her part, Sorawo just smiles and leans back in her chair. "I've fought enough tentacled horrors in real life, I'm sure you can manage, oh Porun the Mighty." And, because of course she took the priority ability in the tanking tree, she leans forwards and instructs Junathar once more. "Junathar the Apocalypse casts Hopeful Words."
Your simulated character twitches a fluffy ear in annoyance as the deep bass of Juanthar's voice reaches her ears, meaningless platitudes nevertheless initiating the buffing magic. "Porun rolls to punch the Nightmare in the face."
[D20 => 10 + 4 + 2]
The little catgirl darts forwards, somehow mostly avoiding the countless tentacles in her way as she darts in to slam a heavy metal knuckleduster into the amorphous mass at the base of the tentacles. The entire body of the creature writhes violently at the hit as Elisa smugly announces the result. "Damage negated by Racial Skill, [Come Into My Web]. Roll for evasion."
[D20 => 1 | natural one: 1]
What was previously a straightforward move, utilise the abilities of your character to their logical extent -as much as a punchy mechanist was logical- to remove your enemy just revealed a trap waiting for you. The hordes of tentacles that your character had previously adroitly manoeuvred around suddenly reverse course and collapse around her like a net, binding her movement and beginning to slowly inflict crush damage as Porun's armoured frame creaks under the pressure.
The session continues on for a while after that, Junathar actually being useful for once and freeing Porun before she dies, but the sudden reversal of fortunes brings your mind back to the present, all to keenly aware of how precariously the situation rests on the edge of the knife, the slightest nudge one way or the other could see everything falling apart. It was inevitable that something would finally knock it over into the abyss, but it was your duty to prolong the fall for as long as possible.
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Event Horizon
- Location
- England
Things had started so well. The veritable horde of the formerly powerful with a grudge still had contacts and had many doors they could open for you, and with some support from Russian agents that were embedded far too deeply into the Junta's power structure for you to be comfortable with, it was possible to arrange a meeting with the majority of their members to show off the ACR-UH-30. It wasn't unusual for you to ask their members to come to you for a demonstration, but it was the first time you had asked so many.
Of course, just as many didn't come, to ensure the continuation of governance that you were trying to break. But that was what you had sold your soul to the Russians for, in another display of how deeply they've burrowed into the leadership of the Junta, they manage to arrange assassinations for the remaining members without too much difficulty. You've certainly stepped up your own security efforts at the display, keenly aware of how easy it would be for one of your staff to do the same to you.
The demonstration of your new combat unit is met with appropriately impressed muttering and questions, though a few of the more astute minds compare it unfavourably to a tank in human on human combat, but that's not what the design is for in the end. When the time comes, your pad rings and you excuse yourself from the command bunker, stepping outside and into a much sturdier bunker quickly build for just this day. A few taps on your pad and the message is sent out to the network.
The bunker is soundproofed, but a few moments later you feel a rumble through the floor, a sure a sign as any that your part of the plan was completed. A malfunction in the prototype unit, inflicted by sabotage, causes it to turn it's weapons against the command bunker, completely obliterating everything and everyone within. At the same time across the country, more blatant assassinations are to be pulled off by Russian agents where deniable or the very people of power the Junta had deposed of in the past.
Your heart is beating beyond control as you stare down at your pad, marks of completion rapidly reaching completion as each part of the machine completes it's task. The security team on side quickly bundles you up, the demonstration unit outside lies slumped on the floor as the various defence turrets around the proving ground continue pounding it into scrap, the remarkably strong Titanium-A armour inserts successful resisting penetration even as the weakpoints at the joins fail and send it sprawling.
A few tasks on your pad remain unfinished, some slowly ticking in as the minutes pass but others remain as the target escapes their death by one method or another. It's barely an hour later that the news finally reaches you, due to the severe depletion of more qualified personnel, you are temporarily in control of the Junta until the situation can be remedied. Of course, the previous leader of the Junta had no intention of surrendering control and such had not put into place any measures forcing this to occur. Unless you voluntarily did so you were effectively the dictator of Europe now.
You were en-route to one of the command bunkers built for this situation when the other news reaches you, one of the surviving members of the government using the emergency communications system to reach everyone he can and speak his words. This wasn't unplanned for though, you had granted some of the Russian agents access to these systems to disable them until everything had been cleared up.
And yet.
The ball of nerves that had been sitting in your throat slowly drops into your stomach as his message gets out, completely unhindered by the agents specifically assigned to prevent this. The words appearing on your pad's screen as the emergency alert system puts out a message to everyone it can reach: "Traitors in our ranks have turned against the Union, working with those accursed Americans they have attacked the government of the people! All military units are to move to maximum readiness and reservist units are to report to their mustering sites. Disregard all further communication from the government, and ready to retake the capital!"
Seconds after the message arrives you see the emergency announcement system go offline and you realise what they've done. They did this on purpose. You had made sure they had access to the system, ready to cut communications at the stated time. And that message, The Americans. They had deliberately made sure that message got out, hell they were probably the ones who had written that message, designed to cause as much chaos as possible and paralyse the nation by setting the military against the government.
You lean back against the seat of the helicopter, starting blankly at your pad as the escort around you read the message on their own devices. Some of them look at you with narrowed eyes, but none of them turn against you then and there. I've been played. The program you were using to monitor the operation freezes and stops as the server running it shuts down, metaphorically and literally cutting the ties between you and the Russians. I'm sure the only reason I survived is because it is going to cause even more chaos.
A random administrator of a semi-secret government agency being the highest ranking member to survive the purge? Right after an announcement of treachery denouncing the government and calling on the military to invade the seats of power?
It's strange, you don't even feel particularly angry at the betrayal. Maybe you will be later, but now the only thing you can feel is the gaping pit beneath you slowly growing larger, patiently waiting for you to fall in.
The uneasy movement of your guards bring you back to the present, mind slowly ticking over as you burn through plans and ideas, some way to salvage this or at least survive through the aftermath.
You...
[] Go along with the fiction and support the military in "retaking control"
[] Use the unprecedented access you have to deny the message as the action of a provocateur, someone who is in league with the traitors even, an agent of chaos
[] Write in...
Of course, just as many didn't come, to ensure the continuation of governance that you were trying to break. But that was what you had sold your soul to the Russians for, in another display of how deeply they've burrowed into the leadership of the Junta, they manage to arrange assassinations for the remaining members without too much difficulty. You've certainly stepped up your own security efforts at the display, keenly aware of how easy it would be for one of your staff to do the same to you.
The demonstration of your new combat unit is met with appropriately impressed muttering and questions, though a few of the more astute minds compare it unfavourably to a tank in human on human combat, but that's not what the design is for in the end. When the time comes, your pad rings and you excuse yourself from the command bunker, stepping outside and into a much sturdier bunker quickly build for just this day. A few taps on your pad and the message is sent out to the network.
The bunker is soundproofed, but a few moments later you feel a rumble through the floor, a sure a sign as any that your part of the plan was completed. A malfunction in the prototype unit, inflicted by sabotage, causes it to turn it's weapons against the command bunker, completely obliterating everything and everyone within. At the same time across the country, more blatant assassinations are to be pulled off by Russian agents where deniable or the very people of power the Junta had deposed of in the past.
Your heart is beating beyond control as you stare down at your pad, marks of completion rapidly reaching completion as each part of the machine completes it's task. The security team on side quickly bundles you up, the demonstration unit outside lies slumped on the floor as the various defence turrets around the proving ground continue pounding it into scrap, the remarkably strong Titanium-A armour inserts successful resisting penetration even as the weakpoints at the joins fail and send it sprawling.
A few tasks on your pad remain unfinished, some slowly ticking in as the minutes pass but others remain as the target escapes their death by one method or another. It's barely an hour later that the news finally reaches you, due to the severe depletion of more qualified personnel, you are temporarily in control of the Junta until the situation can be remedied. Of course, the previous leader of the Junta had no intention of surrendering control and such had not put into place any measures forcing this to occur. Unless you voluntarily did so you were effectively the dictator of Europe now.
You were en-route to one of the command bunkers built for this situation when the other news reaches you, one of the surviving members of the government using the emergency communications system to reach everyone he can and speak his words. This wasn't unplanned for though, you had granted some of the Russian agents access to these systems to disable them until everything had been cleared up.
And yet.
The ball of nerves that had been sitting in your throat slowly drops into your stomach as his message gets out, completely unhindered by the agents specifically assigned to prevent this. The words appearing on your pad's screen as the emergency alert system puts out a message to everyone it can reach: "Traitors in our ranks have turned against the Union, working with those accursed Americans they have attacked the government of the people! All military units are to move to maximum readiness and reservist units are to report to their mustering sites. Disregard all further communication from the government, and ready to retake the capital!"
Seconds after the message arrives you see the emergency announcement system go offline and you realise what they've done. They did this on purpose. You had made sure they had access to the system, ready to cut communications at the stated time. And that message, The Americans. They had deliberately made sure that message got out, hell they were probably the ones who had written that message, designed to cause as much chaos as possible and paralyse the nation by setting the military against the government.
You lean back against the seat of the helicopter, starting blankly at your pad as the escort around you read the message on their own devices. Some of them look at you with narrowed eyes, but none of them turn against you then and there. I've been played. The program you were using to monitor the operation freezes and stops as the server running it shuts down, metaphorically and literally cutting the ties between you and the Russians. I'm sure the only reason I survived is because it is going to cause even more chaos.
A random administrator of a semi-secret government agency being the highest ranking member to survive the purge? Right after an announcement of treachery denouncing the government and calling on the military to invade the seats of power?
It's strange, you don't even feel particularly angry at the betrayal. Maybe you will be later, but now the only thing you can feel is the gaping pit beneath you slowly growing larger, patiently waiting for you to fall in.
The uneasy movement of your guards bring you back to the present, mind slowly ticking over as you burn through plans and ideas, some way to salvage this or at least survive through the aftermath.
You...
[] Go along with the fiction and support the military in "retaking control"
[] Use the unprecedented access you have to deny the message as the action of a provocateur, someone who is in league with the traitors even, an agent of chaos
[] Write in...
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- Location
- alphen aan den rijn
[X] Use the unprecedented access you have to deny the message as the action of a provocateur, someone who is in league with the traitors even, an agent of chaos
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Fucking Russians.
I...have no idea what the play is here.
I...have no idea what the play is here.
- Location
- Denton, Texas
The play here is to either go out in a whimper, or with a bang.
And baby, it's the apocalypse.
[X] Go full Skynet. The end has come and it has become obvious that humans are only going to get in the way. Take over, and show what an efficient and optimized world can look like.
And baby, it's the apocalypse.
[X] Go full Skynet. The end has come and it has become obvious that humans are only going to get in the way. Take over, and show what an efficient and optimized world can look like.
- Location
- Europe
Dream Logic
An offseason swallow
- Location
- In transit
That is not good. Suppose we might have given up too much and now they're chumming the waters.
Funny we were promised their help with the takeover but they never did say anything about the immediate aftermath or us staying in power.
What assholes.
Funny we were promised their help with the takeover but they never did say anything about the immediate aftermath or us staying in power.
What assholes.
- Location
- England
I'm not sure what you are asking? Could you clarify.
- Location
- Europe
The +n% in the previous turn update.
- Location
- England
Yes, the roll above this update needed to be >10 for the coup to be successful, as you had a 90% chance to succeed. The roll was also a general quality roll, "how well did it go?"
- Location
- Queensland, Australia
[X] Go full Skynet. The end has come and it has become obvious that humans are only going to get in the way. Take over, and show what an efficient and optimized world can look like
Anything lesser is only going to cause fewer and fewer people to survive. And I'm pretty sure the Russians never anticipated this outcome. Because whilst it's insane, these are insane times and Persica has always felt closer to computers and AI than humanity. If unleashing them seems like it's the best way to save the most humans possible, she'll do it. It's not like her hands aren't already dripping with blood.
Anything lesser is only going to cause fewer and fewer people to survive. And I'm pretty sure the Russians never anticipated this outcome. Because whilst it's insane, these are insane times and Persica has always felt closer to computers and AI than humanity. If unleashing them seems like it's the best way to save the most humans possible, she'll do it. It's not like her hands aren't already dripping with blood.
[X] Use the unprecedented access you have to deny the message as the action of a provocateur, someone who is in league with the traitors even, an agent of chaos
Holding pattern vote until I can process this bullshit.
I don't think going Skynet is the right choice. I'm not sure if we can actually pull it off without the T-Dolls.
Holding pattern vote until I can process this bullshit.
I don't think going Skynet is the right choice. I'm not sure if we can actually pull it off without the T-Dolls.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
[X] Use the unprecedented access you have to deny the message as the action of a provocateur, someone who is in league with the traitors even, an agent of chaos