Doing some research for omake fodder and turns out there was multiple Super Robot Wars games on the SNES. Apparently they had a ton of games pretty far back. Don't know if anyone is super familiar with that series but it's an interesting little thing to have in the back pocket for some interesting tech or character fodder
Doing some research for omake fodder and turns out there was multiple Super Robot Wars games on the SNES. Apparently they had a ton of games pretty far back. Don't know if anyone is super familiar with that series but it's an interesting little thing to have in the back pocket for some interesting tech or character fodder
Hmm... now, sadly, most of the characters and machines in those originated from Gundam, Mazinger, and other mech-based media, which I believe disqualifies them (since they originated from Anime and Manga, not video games.) Which is a little sad. I felt a similar saddness when I realized Sly Cooper wasn't in the cards (one generation too modern I believe)
Buuuut... The Banpresto Originals could count. Because they did originate from video games starting as far back as the Famicom.
Hmm... now, sadly, most of the characters and machines in those originated from Gundam, Mazinger, and other mech-based media, which I believe disqualifies them (since they originated from Anime and Manga, not video games.) Which is a little sad. I felt a similar saddness when I realized Sly Cooper wasn't in the cards (one generation too modern I believe)
Buuuut... The Banpresto Originals could count. Because they did originate from video games starting as far back as the Famicom.
Dreamer: You can sleep away your problems thanks to the vivid dreams you have. Every couple of turns you must oversleep to manage your emotional issues. It's so nice you'll want to do it more, and more...
I'd also accept "anyone with enough basic social skills to provide psychological support", but, yes, therapy. We need to find a better coping mechanism. From personal experience, sitting at home alone in the dark is the opposite of the way to manage mental health problems. Hm...
Also, that aside, I kinda wonder if there's a way to nullify Porky's invisible loyalty trait. My guess would either be A. Increase CD's own Intrigue/Diplomacy/knowledge of Porky enough that she can discern whether or not he's bullshitting or B. Something big that would give him a good reason to be loyal to us IE figuring out how to get him and Picky away from his shithead parents. Hm...Something for the long term.
I'd also accept "anyone with enough basic social skills to provide psychological support", but, yes, therapy. We need to find a better coping mechanism. From personal experience, sitting at home alone in the dark is the opposite of the way to manage mental health problems. Hm...
Also, that aside, I kinda wonder if there's a way to nullify Porky's invisible loyalty trait. My guess would either be A. Increase CD's own Intrigue/Diplomacy/knowledge of Porky enough that she can discern whether or not he's bullshitting or B. Something big that would give him a good reason to be loyal to us IE figuring out how to get him and Picky away from his shithead parents. Hm...Something for the long term.
would it be rude to say "i called it" for the dreamer trait? not in a "i told you so" way but in a "everyone brace for being addicted to bedsheets" one. it is somewhat umpleasant and unhealthy
do you think it'd be better or worse to after the "not depressed" timer expires to leave it a turn or two? mechanically we could probably stomach it since we'd just do other actions so i don't think that's a serious issue, and health-wise it could ideally reduce the chance of addiction by stretching things out (or cause higher crashes/stress or something if looking at it pesimistically)
Also, that aside, I kinda wonder if there's a way to nullify Porky's invisible loyalty trait. My guess would either be A. Increase CD's own Intrigue/Diplomacy/knowledge of Porky enough that she can discern whether or not he's bullshitting or B. Something big that would give him a good reason to be loyal to us IE figuring out how to get him and Picky away from his shithead parents. Hm...Something for the long term.
at the very least we can track increases, and if loyalty bonuses to rolls show up we'll know we're doing good? at the very least unless the bonus/penalty's being tampered with (like being added/subtracted to dice rolls?) since he doesn't have any we'd know he's roughly neutral?
the real issue is if it turns out they've got a mechanic where his loyalty goes down over time (such as when we make him do stuff he doesn't want to do) or something so there's loyalty decreases we don't necessarily notice?
ooh, handy info here :)
note there could still be weird mechanics in play but thankfully occam's razor probably applies?
and even at high loyalty he could still be somewhat unreliable (see "even if you really liked someone you wouldn't try to take an army singlehandedly just because they asked" rules)
though at the same time, we shouldn't be super mean and unwilling to trust porky at all tbh? that's not conductive to other people trusting you and is generally a jerk move
Pocket Monsters? What are you talking about? Description: Write an omake centered around the Kanto Region. Reward: +Unlocks ???, +Adds ???, Chance for ???
The little furry creature looked up, blinking in confusion and anger from within the glass box it had been placed in. It resembled nothing so much as a mouse, but with bright yellow fur, a tail that came to a point, big bulbous eyes that barely fit its skull. It was a thin and scraggly looking creature, clearly not having eaten in a while. It looked odd, to say the least, a twisted parody of a familiar lifeform. Many would call it unsettling, disturbing…
The old man felt nothing but compassion and curiosity for this fascinating creature.
The man reached inside, slowly, deliberately, maintaining eye contact with the creature, careful to keep his face neutral. He was wearing insulated gloves in case the creature lashed out, but that was no reason not to be careful.
"Don't worry, little fella. I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm trying to help you here, actually…Here, have this."
He gently nudged a berry into the creature's reach, before backing away. The creature gave the berry a bemused side-eye…Before firing a bolt of yellow electricity directly into it, leaving it charred and black. The creature proceeded to gnaw on it, its expression a mix of happiness and uncertainty. As it ate the berry, it looked up at the old man with gratitude…Before remembering itself, and letting out a grumpy sounding "chu" as it turned away.
The man sighed. #026 ("Pikachu", as he'd taken to calling them) was hard to work with at the best of times. He'd studied a few specimens of this sort before, and they tended to display a stubborn streak. The whole reason he was using the glass cage is because something about that streak seemed to cause it to respond very poorly to the Pokeballs he'd helped design. The artificial feelings of calm it was meant to induce seemed to not manifest strongly, if at all. Hrm…He'd caught this little guy gnawing through his wires and had captured him for tagging purposes. Pikachu were not native to this area, meaning this was either a stray or an invasive specimen, and, in either case, measures would need to be taken.
The old man ruminated on the creature, on his life…He could sympathize with its independence, given the life he had led.
Yukinari Ohkido, as he was known then, was born in Machida, Tokyo, almost 22 years before the Invader Wars. He would freely admit he had been something of a hellion as a young man. Getting into fights, making trouble, a delinquent, even something of a bully. He'd also been socially awkward, isolated, he felt like no one understood him. He'd filled the void with hobbies, kaiju movies was a big one, but eventually found understanding, just…Not from people. Ohkido soon found a fascination with insects. He'd loved insects, had a pet stag beetle. People were messy and complicated, but insects? For some reason, he felt a kinship. A kinship that would become the seed of something more. What had gotten him off of the path of delinquency had been a TV news report about the environment, about habitat loss in Japan, as urbanization spread, including in his rapidly growing small town. That had been the moment that inspired him to think maybe he could do something more. His parents had always said he was a bright man who didn't apply himself, but he had found something to apply to. He split off from his old trouble-maker pals and began knuckling down to the subject of entomology, then zoology as a whole. Despite bugs being his first love, he didn't play favorites. He'd done amazingly, skipped several grades, and, by the time of his 20s, he was practically speedrunning his way to a PHD in Biology…And then the Invader Wars had happened.
For all his desire to save the planet from the degradation of humanity, its end had come at a very different threat. He'd shifted his focus, away from his beloved animals, and towards humans. Medical sprays and the like. The world needed that more, he'd felt. He'd nearly been drafted into the Uplift project, although thankfully, that didn't pan out. He wasn't sure he could stomach doing something like that to living beings. And then…The Crash. The long voyage through space. The City. As much as he'd felt leery around urbanization his whole life, Okidau did truly believe in Light's vision. He really did. He'd helped found Neo-Kanto, he'd worked with the corporation that came into the area, but now…
Ohkido was ripped from his thoughts by the viewscreen in the central living area of his lab flickering to life: "You are receiving a transmission from Eric Aoyama. Y/N?"
"Yes, yes…Oh dear…"
The screen flickered and changed to an image of a skinny man about Ohkido's age, with a white beard, in a suit and red tie, sitting in a corporate office. He had a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Oh, hello, Eric! How are things over at the main office, eh? Let me guess: Budget cuts."
"Sam. We need to talk about your projects."
"Ah, yes. The translator program is proceeding apace.."
"Yes, yes, i'm sure. We're scrapping it."
The not-unexpected sentence still came like a punch to the gut.
"Ah…Why?"
"Professor, you've seen the same budget sheets I have. With the recent attacks in the region, Silph Co's public approval is dropping and we're getting dangerously close to the red. And we know whose fault it is."
Whose fault indeed: Ohkido may have been more of a scientist then a corporate skullduggery expert, but he knew where Rocket sourced a significant portion of their recruits from. Something had happened on Cinnabar Island during the Mu-2 project, and while he didn't know exactly what, he could connect the dots.
"The point is, we need your expertise on other projects."
"Those being?"
"Well, for one, it may be time to reopen the weapon…"
"NO."
All joviality dropped out of Okiadu's face, becoming cold and hardened.
Eric sighed. "Look, Sammy…"
"Don't call me that."
"Sam, I know you don't like it, but desperate times call for desperate measures. You and I both know Rocket does not share your nobility. We need to keep up."
"This will just encourage the people of Neo-Kanto to see these creatures as threats…"
"That's why we have the League, Sam. Which, need I remind you, was YOUR idea."
"Yes, I believe the Pokemon could use a means to work out their instinctual aggression in a controlled environment such as friendly competition…"
Eric scoffed. "It's not that different from what I'm proposing."
"There's a difference between a sport and a war. Pokemon aren't meant to fight…"
"They aren't even meant to exist. But they do now, and we need to use them as best we can to save this zone."
"But-"
"Sam, I did not start this call to argue with you. The translator is canceled. You'll receive new instructions within 12 days."
"Eric, I helped you build this company, you can't…"
"I respect you, Professor, but you can be replaced. Isn't it better to have us as an ally then an enemy?"
Eric grinned like a Persian standing over a Pidgey.
"I…" The fight left Okaidu's old bones. "Understood."
"Good. I recommend you take the next few days off, spend some time with the family. Goodbye…Oak."
Professor Samuel Oak, an anglicized name he'd taken on in the city's de facto Lingua Franca of English, stood in his lab as the screen faded to black. He glanced on a table at the edge of the room, a table with a glass case that housed the device that had started this mess. The Silph Scope. A prototype device intended to catch early signs of genetic illnesses, that saw something…ELSE. Something from which Mu, and its 150 siblings, was born. He felt…Guilty. He'd gotten into biology to save ecosystems, and he'd created the greatest mutagen ever known. And now he sat, in this gated community of Pallet, surrounded by Silph and its employees. He'd embraced the new life Mu had birthed, trying to make the best of things. But…Humanity was repeating its mistakes. As they had with the whole city…
He was snapped out of his depression by noticing the specimen leaning against the glass. It looked…Happy. These creatures…They weren't like the humans of this city. They could be allies, they could co-exist…But how to prove it?
Oak had a brainwave. He pulled a book from a nearby bookshelf. His old notebook from when he was a boy, in which he'd sketched bugs. Hidden within it, away from prying eyes, was the blueprint for a device he hoped could help advance human understanding, and show them the true wonders of this world of Pokemon.
Project Codename: Dexter. A Pokemon scanning device…
This had potential. Now…Who to give it to?
Yep, Oak backstory. Fun fact: A lot of the details of Oak's life story, like his inspiration to study insects coming from discomfort with increasing urbanization and his hometown, are in fact, taken from Satoshi Tajiri (the creator of Pokemon's) life story and inspiration in creating the franchise. I even tried to imply he might have some form of Autism, as Taijiri does in real life. Also, there is a reason I chose Eric as the first name Silph Co's president, although it's an obscure pick and i'm curious if anyone else got it. Answer in the spoiler: It's because, in the obscure Pokémon Pocket Monsters gag manga, he is said to be Erika's dad. Anyway, yeah, bit of a character study, felt a bit derivative of Light, but I think it works.
Wow that's a fun one, a little derivative of Light's story as you said but I don't think that's a bad thing. Just another reminder that his story is just emblematic of what's happening all over the city. Old men who dreamed of a better world, getting crushed under the city but making the choice to gamble one last time on the next generation. It's something that really could be something a theme of the setting. In that view I really like this omake
To elaborate, no you can't fulfill multiple Omake bounties with one Omake. Typically the Omake must be centered around the required bounty in order to meet the criteria. Otherwise someone could just go "And Ninten was there too" and try to argue that it fulfills one of the Omakes XD.
I'll allow writers to specify what Bounty they're trying to fulfill upon posting, or decide after the fact as long as I feel it meets the requirements.
Yeah, I kinda felt a clarification like that was coming.
For my part, I kinda realized partway through that I was leaning more towards the Arms Deal than the Fire Emblem prompt, but that's fine. If it gets some nifty gear shipped to Onett, that's fine by me. I'm personally looking forward to the potential outcome of snapping up a Levin Sword, or maybe a Killing Edge if we can spare the funds. Dracoshields are definitely out of our price range, but a guy can dream about the day the Outfielders toss out a frontliner with a rainbow shield and a bat for whackin'. I get the feeling it'd be love at first sight for Kyoko in particular.
Red shook the controller a few more times and jabbed its buttons, but when that still failed to do anything, he groaned.
"What's the matter, bro?" Adan prodded him, sucking on yet another juice carton.
"My controller's dead." He got to his feet. "Got to look for a battery."
As it turned out, his shitty ass controller only accepted one type of battery and he didn't bring any spares. None of the Sharks he asked had any extras of that type, and he declined one particular offer to try and 'kitbash the thing into an arcade machine'. He wanted a new battery, not a new controller, thanks.
In the end, he strolled back over to Adan. "Yo, my controller's dead and nobody else has the battery I need. See?" He showed him the battery compartment. "I'll go back home and grab one."
"What? Hey! The boss wants all of us here when the pigs come!"
But Red was already slipping out of the back door, rolling his eyes. "I'll be back in a jiffy. 30 minutes, an hour tops."
The night air was not refreshing. Instead, it had a sort of acrid edge to it that had Rooster's nose wrinkling. Worse, the wind felt nonexistent.
The air felt still.
Red kicked at the road aimlessly, his hands fiddling in his pockets. The streets felt like a caricature of themselves, empty and… disturbing. His fingers tightened around his pocket knife. Was he imagining it, or was someone watching him? The hairs on the back of his neck prickled uncomfortably.
He slid around the corner and whirled around with his knife in hand. But nobody was there.
Slowly, he exhaled and stuffed the knife back into his pants. The bushes rustled.
The light went out.
He didn't freeze, he didn't! He was a Shark, damn it! He was the scariest mofo in four entire city blocks! But that didn't stop him from white-knuckling his knife and briskly walking away. Not running!
It was only later that he realized how silent everything had been.
The lights in his house were off. Though he expected as much, considering how late it was, he still felt unnerved. Whatever happened just now, even if it was all a coincidence, was still kind of scary, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone.
As silently as he could, he moved to unlock the door, then realized it was already open.
"Grandma?" His whisper felt like a gunshot in the dark corridor. A dim light was shining out of the kitchen, too dim to be the kitchen light. He swallowed a lump of saliva, then pressed his back against the wall and sidled in, then a little bit more.
Sounds of chewing and crunching emanated out of the kitchen. Okay, Grandma was just getting a midnight snack. Nevermind that her eyesight was going and she usually needed the kitchen light, clearly she was just too hungry, haha! Oh Grandma, what a big appetite you have! All fours on the kitchen floor that you are, stuffing choccies into your mouth!
He quickly ran into the garage and – there! He stuffed the box of batteries into his pocket, and then another just to be safe. Then he turned back around to make his escape.
Or he would have, except the way out was now being blocked by his Grandma and… is that his neighbor? He was smiling so wide his own lips hurt.
"H – hey, hey! Um," he swallowed, "nice to meet you?"
A piece of frosting fell onto the floor with a wet splat. Grandma took a step forward, her body swaying. Maybe a car was driving by or something, because a flash of headlights went by the window, illuminating something wriggling in her mouth. The neighbor's cheek spasmed and - IS THAT A KNIFE?!
Bravely yelling, he charged forwards and juked to the right, causing the two of them to crash into each other. Then he was home free and outside, yelling back, "OKAYTHANKYOUNICETOMEETYOUSEEYOU BYE!"
Not even lying to himself anymore, Red ran the whole way back, every shadow a monster, every cranny an ambush spot. Until finally he crashed into the arcade, whereupon he swiftly collapsed into a limp puddle on the floor, greedily sucking in air, ignoring the soft whine of his fin softly scratching the linoleum with each breath.
When he finally felt like he was himself again, he uncurled himself and flopped backwards onto the floor, groaning.
"Oh hey, you're finally back!" Adan said, pulling the juicebox out of his mouth and tossing it into a pile of its empty brethren and sweet wrappers. The light of the game screen played across his face, and as flashes of color from the game flared and faded, one could almost swear that there was something else in his mouth. "What took you so long? We're playing Guild Wars next."
'Twas a trick of the light! Right? Right???
Anyway,
+10 to Diplomacy roll please.
EDIT: edited glowing red eyes to ants in mouth to fit the alien description.
if it hasn't been linked yet, here's light quest
no love for smithy quest (super 8-bit dystopia RPG), though?
(if we're writing omakes i've got an idea of a turn through a different lens/out of Onett, though it's not the big three/featuring new characters so i don't know if it'd count for anything sadly)
Ty, it was late and I havent gotten to reading light quest so it isnt in my histoRy
smithy quest may also be defunct, we'll see, but I do adore it and am glad it's part of the tag as well on the forums
Tbh, just bc it isnt on an omake bounty doesnt mean it wouldnt be fun
The nook homes faux turn 1 from rocket quest was a fun april fools if nothing else, so it'd be neat to see a new take on the setting
So what even falls under this whole 8-bit Dystopia banner? I checked the documents but it was hard to pick out much in the way of specifics beyond the Big Three and a bunch of Nintendo.
And how far through a franchise can we go? If I wanted to involve Metal Slug in an Omake for example would including characters from, say, Metal Slug Attack be allowable?
So what even falls under this whole 8-bit Dystopia banner? I checked the documents but it was hard to pick out much in the way of specifics beyond the Big Three and a bunch of Nintendo.
And how far through a franchise can we go? If I wanted to involve Metal Slug in an Omake for example would including characters from, say, Metal Slug Attack be allowable?
I believe for 8 Bit Dystopia, everything up to the 5th console generation is allowed. So, the most modern consoles these games are allowed to be from are the PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, and Sega Saturn. Everything before that era is also acceptable. In terms of years, the cutoff point is around 1998-2000 or so. I'm fairly certain the generation rule is the hard rule for the setting, but there are a couple grey areas you might be able to bend it a bit...
For Metal Slug, I think the first 3 games all fit right in. The rest are over the line, but since they are part of a long-running series you could probably make a case that they fit in okay. Part of 8 Bit Dystopia is using all the old games because that's kind of the point of the setting, long-time nostalgia and putting all your old-old faves in a blender. But it's also because the earlier games have less lore you have to get hung up on, so you can blend them more easily. Especially since in the 8 Bit Dystopia document, it's implied that the various heroes of each setting are just getting started.
As an example Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker is over the line by a generation, but also imagine trying to explain its inclusion when it takes place in a world where Hyrule flooded hundreds of years ago. That would imply that several other LoZ games have already happened and that Ganon has already won. Including say... Sonic Adventure 2 (also over the line by a generation) would be incredibly difficult because you'd have to find a way to cram in that ARK, Shadow being made 50 years ago, GUN, and Sonic and Eggman having a well-developed rivalry by this point. It's not impossible, but it's easier to fit in Sonic 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles because there's a lot less history there.
So what even falls under this whole 8-bit Dystopia banner? I checked the documents but it was hard to pick out much in the way of specifics beyond the Big Three and a bunch of Nintendo.
The general rule is "any video game pre-2000 or so", but there are some exceptions and grey areas. Entries in franchises that are in can be used for ideas, but stay safe, since the general rule with 8BD is that this is pre-any of the games happening. It's right before the powder goes off, ya know? Also, the 2000 rule isn't a hard-and-fast thing, there are franchises that debuted on the Dreamcast and the GBA in there too, but, like...Yakuza's probably the newest you can get.
As an example Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker is over the line by a generation, but also imagine trying to explain its inclusion when it takes place in a world where Hyrule flooded hundreds of years ago. That would imply that several other LoZ games have already happened and that Ganon has already won. Including say... Sonic Adventure 2 (also over the line by a generation) would be incredibly difficult because you'd have to find a way to cram in that ARK, Shadow being made 50 years ago, GUN, and Sonic and Eggman having a well-developed rivalry by this point. It's not impossible, but it's easier to fit in Sonic 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles because there's a lot less history there.
To be fair, it's not like 8BD adapts ANYTHING entirely accurately. Everything's rejiggered to fit the idea of a Cyberpunk take, like if the Protomen did other franchises then Mega Man. That's why we have Ganondorf running a megacorp. All of which is to say, using games that came out pre 2000 but are part of franchises that are old enough seems fine to me, as long as you're careful. If someone made, like, an Omake involving, like, Galaxy Man from Mega Man 9, then, yeah, I don't see much of a problem with that.
In addition to what others have said, it's also important to remember the ever popular 'whatever the QM says, goes'. If Cross decides in a fit of pique to declare that the entire Final Fantasy franchise doesn't exist in his setting, but Horizon Zero Dawn is totally cool, that's up to him. So always ask about anything you're not sure about!
So, here's my submission for the Psychic Spread bounty. The moment I saw it, the scene just clicked.
Psychic Spread
Once, Marble Zone had been a thriving home for those seeking shelter away from the iron fist of The City and its megacorps. Where the first settlers had carved out their new lives in harmony with the world around them, grateful for the second chance that this new world offered them.
And for a time, there had been peace. Children, human and uplift alike, were raised never knowing the constant paranoia of The City, where falling behind for an instant would see you ground up and thrown away.
Instead, they were born into what seemed like another world entirely, where adventure was around every corner and the beauty of the world was on full display.
Oh, there were dangers, monsters, natural hazards, and more jotting the landscape, but there was always a sense of hope in the air. The feeling that these people could face whatever the world threw at them.
A sentiment that was soon proven false once Robodyne and its leader set their eye on Marble Zone. The settlers, who had only ever experienced the occasional mutant attack or wild beast, were ill-prepared for the tidal wave of steel that descended upon them. Within a matter of weeks, the whole of the area was under Eggman's control and most of the population had been rounded up and forced into grueling labor in his factories.
Amy Rose had only been 12 years old when Eggman had taken over, but she remembered it like it was yesterday. Her aunt and uncle, who had raised her in their cozy cabin in the woods alongside her cousin since her parents passing, were dragged away by Robodyne badniks trying to buy time for her and Rob to flee. But that had just been the beginning…
The pristine lands that she had grown up in were transformed into ever-growing industrial hellscapes, with more metal and toxins than nature. Badniks roamed the ravaged zone, seeking out any survivors of the initial purge to fuel their master's corporate machine. Every day, Eggman's grip on Marble Zone and its neighbors only seemed to tighten despite the residents' best efforts to fight back.
But, despite the tyrant's best efforts, there was still hope. Eggman's world was an orderly one, where every piece could be categorized, every problem accounted for. He couldn't conceive of threats that didn't obey his sense of rationality, of a world beyond his cold numbers and machines.
Sonic and the Freedom Fighters were able to stay one step ahead of Eggman because they didn't think in any way that he could understand, because they had the strength to hit hard and fast and retreat before Eggman could bury them in bots. They were unpredictable and that was why a handful of uplifts and humans had been able to do more damage to Robodyne than an entire militia had during the conquest.
Amy wasn't as amazing as them, but she had her own strengths. Things that Eggman wouldn't understand even if she gave him a step-by-step guidebook.
After all, how could someone whose mind was so full of cold steel and mindless obedience ever consider her little old pack of tarot cards a threat? No, he'd blame her success on a security leak or scouting attempt, never once considering a mystical cause for her inexplicable knowledge and punish whatever poor soul or bot he felt was to blame.
Seated before a tree stump in a glen that had somehow been overlooked by Eggman's workers despite being within shouting distance of a factory, Amy once again began the familiar ritual.
The exact process wasn't something that she has ever been able to put into words. From the outside it seemed that she simply drew three cards, but for her it was as though she immersed her consciousness as a great sea of information. The cards gave her a way to filter that knowledge into something more coherent, as if guiding her through gentle currents.
She shuffled the deck, letting the familiar sensation guide her movements as she drew the three cards for her reading.
"Ok, so that's the emperor reversed, strength upright, and the devil reversed," Amy mused, the pink-furred hedgehog uplift looking down at the results. "Good signs."
The reversed emperor represented tyranny, rigidity, and coldness. Eggman's tyranny had ensured that this card was a common sight when drawing for the past of anything within the Zones, with so many lives shackled under his rule.
The strength represented inner strength, bravery, compassion, and focus. When interpreted through the present lens, this card conveyed the sense that the person in question was on the path to success and fighting for the right cause.
The reversed devil represented freedom, release, and restoring control. When considered in the context of the future, it spoke of the subject's actions liberating themselves or others from physical and/or metaphorical shackles.
For a moment, Amy saw a possibility yet unrealized: dozens of enslaved workers fleeing their prison, their robotic overseers reduced to scrap. Confirmation that her plan would likely succeed.
"Neat. Looks like those rumors about Eggman sending sub-bosses to every factory were just hot air after all." Amy smiled as she reshuffled the cards into the deck.
"I need to get started sooner than later, but while I'm here…" she stared down at the cards in contemplation for a moment before reaching down to perform another reading.
Amy had long-since gotten into the habit of using her tarot cards to keep an eye on the bigger picture of the city and its surroundings, you never knew when a corporate rivalry or independent actor could do something that rippled out into the war against Eggman, but for the past few months she had found herself repeating one particular reading. It was like an itch at the back of her mind, a thought that kept popping back up without fail.
Once more, she drew the spread. And, as always, she gazed upon the same results: the reversed justice, the reversed moon, and the tower. Dishonesty, unaccountability, and unfairness leading to confusion, fear, and misinterpretation that in turn results in a disaster. Unlike the previous reading, no vision accompanied the result.
"It still hasn't changed, huh?" Amy mused. "What in the world could be causing something like this? And how is it messing with my tarot cards?"
For whatever reason, Amy had never been able to view these readings as clearly as she normally could. She had caught glimpses of a shadow corrupting an eagle before crushing the world in it's talons, but those visions were increasingly fragmented and insubstantial.
More and more often, it felt like something was pushing back against her when she tried to investigate. It was difficult to notice even when she was aware of it, but the smooth flow of fate that had guided her so many times felt stilted, like it was being forcibly redirected from the proper path by an unseen hand.
"I know Eggman needs to be stopped, but this sounds pretty bad," Amy bit her lip in frustration. "Maybe I could try and do something about it? But that means leaving all those people to Robodyne's non-existent mercy…"
"Agh!" Amy clutched her head in frustration, nearly dislodging her red ribbon headband in the process. "Why are there so many things going wrong around here? Wasn't Eggman enough?!"
Granted, Robodyne did one thing right in how they kept most opposition out of the zones, but the idea that some other megacorp could just roll in and pick up where Eggman had left off once they finally brought him down never ceased to bother her.
"Right, I have to stay focused," Amy sighed, idly brushing her orange skirt as she got to her feet. "I have a factory to liberate, and I can't do that if I'm too caught up in what's going on elsewhere to see what's in front of me."
With an ease born of experience, she returned the three cards of her tarot deck and stowed it in one of her green shirt's hidden pockets in one smooth motion.
"But after I'm done, maybe it's time I really started looking into this. How hard can it be to find someplace connected to eagles anyway?" Amy asked, pulling out her trusty Piko Piko hammer and marching off toward the Robodyne factory with a spring in her step. And here's a tentative character sheet.
Amy Rose
Stats
PSI: 14
Martial: 15 (19)
Diplomacy: 14
Stewardship: 6
Intrigue: 15 (29)
Learning: 7
Piko Piko Hammer: An oversized toy hammer that can somehow be folded up and stored practically anywhere or unfolded nigh-instantly. Despite its harmless appearance, it's durable enough to crush Robodyne bots like tin cans. (Plus 4 to martial when equipped)
Tarot Cards: A set of 22 cards depicting the major arcana. Usually, you'd say anyone talking about making predictions with these is looking to con you, but Amy seems like the real deal. (Once per turn, add PSI stat to intrigue).
Power Rings: Mysterious rings that seem to appear out of nowhere. When held, they protect the user from severe damage at the cost of scattering afterward. Amy had 20 emergency rings in her possession by the time she arrived in Onnet. (When the holder's HP would be reduced to 0, negate the damage and drop any held rings. If not recovered within a turn, any unclaimed rings will vanish.
Traits:
Chasing The Wind:You aren't as fast as the blue blur, but that hasn't stopped you from trying to keep up. [Amy can take two tasks each turn so long as they don't specifically require the entire duration of the turn. Gain 1 additional AP in combat encounters]
This Rose Has Thorns:You might believe in kindness and helping others, but that doesn't make you a pushover. If someone crosses a line, then you'll make sure they realize the error of their ways in short order. Years of living under and opposing Eggman's tyranny have left Amy with a strong moral compass, and she won't hesitate to back those ideals up with force. For better or worse. +10 to any rolls dealing with opposing morally dubious individuals/actions, -10 to any rolls involving ignoring or abetting them, and -30 for any rolls for committing such actions. A SMAAAASH failure on such a roll may result in Amy turning against you depending on your current reputation with her.
Far From Home:Amy has spent most of her life living in the woods and it shows. While she's not a hermit, the Eagle Quarter is a far cry from what she's used to, which hasn't exactly helped her take her mind off the situation with Eggman back home. Amy is very much out of her element in this new environment and distracted by the situation back home. When assigned to an action that would generate suspicion, roll a 1d100. If the result is 80 to 100, no additional suspicion is generated. Otherwise, the amount of suspicion generated is increased. Should anything notable happen to Sonic or the Freedom Fighters, Amy's mindset and ability to focus will be impacted accordingly.
PSI Abilities:
Amy is a balanced PSI user, ridiculous talent with clairvoyance aside.
Lifeup α: The base healing PSI Technique. By expending PP, the user can mend injuries and damage ranging from light to moderate in a single target be it themselves or someone else. It's not enough to make a dent in severe or grievous injuries, but it's cost-effective. Lifeup cannot effect illnesses or 'status effects' as that falls under a different technique.
Speed Up β: An 'old' PSI technique, sometimes referred to as 'QuickUp'. This technique allows the user to expend PSI energy to accelerate the state of being of a single target. Allowing them to move and react faster for a moderate time, at the cost of potentially exhausting themselves. Stronger versions do not increase the amount of targets that can be affected by this technique, merely its intensity.
Flash α:A PSI technique that generates a strong flash and can make the enemy start crying uncontrollably, and in some circumstances, feel strange.
Description
A plucky hedgehog uplift hailing from Marble Zone and one of many self-proclaimed Freedom Fighters waging guerilla warfare against Robodyne's tyranny. She's also a powerful, if self-trained, PSI user who caught wind of Giygas' scheme through her tarot cards and is looking to stop it. This journey led her to the Eagle Quarter and, after some misadventures, Onnet.
Amy fits really well with Earthbound when you think about it. Tarot has long been tied to psychics and Amy has been shown to be the real deal with her predictions, somehow determining that Sonic would be on Little Planet at a specific time with nothing but a tarot reading, which makes for an easy excuse for her stumbling onto Giygas' plot and getting involved. Add in how her appearances in Sonic Battle, Adventure 2 Battle, and Frontiers all play into the idea of a more mystical skillset than her peers and she was surprisingly easy to adapt to Earthbound logic. I had to draw from pre-SGW Archie Sonic to fill a bit of her background (namely her aunt, uncle, and cousin Rob), so I hope that doesn't confuse anyone too much.
I feel like interactions between Amy and CD could be interesting. They're both fighting guerilla wars against an overwhelming threat, both have had to deal with losing people they loved in different ways, and both refuse to sit back and let bad things happen. They've taken drastically different outlooks on the situations, but at the core, they have similar sentiments. All in all, Amy makes a neat foil for CD in my opinion.
Robodyne has recalled a large number of its 'Grounder' Badniks, typically used for tunneling, digging, and excavation work.
Particularly all of the models painted green. The reason given was that all the Grounders of that particular model suffer from a manufacturing error that hindered their operation.
They're in the process of being recalled and straight up recycled. Though some workers at Robodyne plants have mentioned that almost all of the Grounders that have been recalled are little more than scrap metal.
"It's like someone took a giant hammer to them." One worker reportedly said during their off hours.
I mean, I figured she'd be around, the Sonic cast is one of the big three in the setting and all, but it's nice to have confirmation.
I based the bit about the Freedom Fighters off of the original 8-bit dystopia description for Eggman mentioning "a group of activists led by the mysterious 'Big Blue.'" If the opposition to Eggman isn't calling themselves that than I don't mind changing it, but we don't really have a better description to use right now.
EDIT: I noticed I forgot to say this, but my intent was to write the connection as ambiguous. Maybe Sonic's working with other Freedom Fighters or maybe it's just a catch-all term for unaffiliated groups that oppose Eggman, the idea was that it could be read either way. I don't think that I stated anything about the details that would tip the interpretations one way or another.
I based the bit about the Freedom Fighters off of the original 8-bit dystopia description for Eggman mentioning "a group of activists led by the mysterious 'Big Blue.'" If the opposition to Eggman isn't calling themselves that than I don't mind changing it, but we don't really have a better description to use right now.
Note: If you were writing a story, or planning on writing a story for a bounty that ends up getting claimed, just write it anyway! I'll find something fun to reward you with regardless. There are different ways things can be interpreted and I'm interested in different perspectives. Remember that I'll always do my best to reward your creative efforts!
Orphans of Gaia- Part 2
I don't feel this meets the requirements for Beyond the City, especially since it's the second part to something you've already written and it wasn't expressly written with the bounty in mind. The story is nice though and I appreciate the satisfying structure it has to it. Also, I just appreciate you didn't leave this to languish solely on the first part.
This was a cheeky Omake with some fun character interactions and dialogue. Even if you did take some liberties with CD and how she acts, the Outfielders depicted here certainly felt like kids and teens. You did a good job showing the reservations and uncertainty anyone would have given the circumstances they find themselves in. Excellent work! Also, I found the Metal Blade joke to be very funny.
This was a really neat take on the story. The opening was really well done at setting the scene and the fact that you brought up the Secret Shop from Fire Emblem was honestly surprising! Your take on the different weapons and their case uses were fun to read. Really the whole thing was just a lot of fun and I felt it was very in line with the setting itself. Thank you for putting in the effort to make this, you knocked it out of the park!
| @3-13 Sniper is awarded +300 EXP |
| BOUNTY FULFILLED: Bombs? They're Yours My Friend… |
| +Archaic Items have appeared in Eagle Quarter, +New faction action unlocked for later |
151 Hopes, 151 Dreams, 151 Memories
This was a genuinely well done story. I really liked your take on Oak. The idea of him as a deeply troubled, unfocused youth only to find himself through his love of insects and later wildlife in general was honestly rather heart warming. Really all the little details and justifications you put towards things like his name, background, and quirks were really well thought out. Seeing him as this troubled, doubt-filled, scientist still holding out hope to make The City felt very appropriate to how I imagined he would turn out in 8-Bit Dystopia.
Also, I don't think your portrayal of Oak is derivative of Light. This is a cyberpunk story, tragedy and struggle is as natural to the setting and it's people as the need to rise up and refuse to accept the status quo!
Excellent work!~ <3
| @woweed is awarded +400 EXP! |
|Bounty Claimed: Blasting Off Agai-Wait, Wrong Quest |
| +??? Has been unlocked, +??? Has been Opened, +Higher Chance for???|
Another Day in Eagleland: Rows of Teeth
You did a great job describing the unsettling feeling of the town and that someone was wrong. Describing their grandma on all fours, eating something in the kitchen, was particularly creepy. Setting it from one of the Sharks members point of view was also a very neat approach. This was a satisfying, concise Omake!
| @ScribeTransient is awarded +300 EXP! |
| Bounty Claimed: Another Day in Eagleland |
|+10 to next faction Diplomacy check as per writer request|
Psychic Spread 1
Amy is an interesting pick for this! The tarot reading and their more empathetic nature certainly makes them feel like they lean towards more esoteric things.
Though I am admittedly a rather disappointed with the approach taken with Amy in this Omake. The fact it's so similar to the Archie Comics take makes it feel a little divorced from the actual setting of 8-Bit Dystopia, which feels like a missed opportunity to really play with the character and interpret them differently.
The City is a diverse place and the fate of an Uplift, especially one in Eggman's domain, could have had a lot of interesting strife and circumstances that could have shaped them different from their more canonical counterparts.
This Omake feels more tell then show in parts, but it's detailed and written competently. Thank you for putting in the work to write this up.
| @Frozen Flame is awarded +200 EXP |
| Bounty Claimed: Psychic Spread |
| +15 to next PSI training roll(with increased stat gains), +Chance to meet a new character!|
