Voting is open for the next 1 day, 9 hours
The current plan. I have yet to add @Oneiros43/@Traiden/@Enjou's most recent suggestions.

FEEDBACK IS STILL WELCOME AND GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Here's a basic plan that does nothing but what the mission entails, plus a (mostly-empty) conversation with Akane. Obviously it's boring as shit. Feedback and ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[X] Action Plan: Rationalization

Goals:
  • Survive.
  • Maintain a positive mindset.
  • Continue the mission.
  • Talk with the team.

Methods:
  • General:
    • Follow Akane's lead while she's our sub-team leader. Follow Minami's lead before we leave, and after we regroup.
    • Try to avoid triggering Minami's insecurities.
      • She's team leader, but she inherited a team who treats her as an outsider. Avoid reminding her of this.
    • When moving, minimize chatter in favor of alertness.
  • Main Questline:
      • (Almost) nonstop 15-16hr run back.
      • Break only when we need to replace Skywalkers.
        • Take this time to replenish chakra, food, and water.
        • Noburi can check on the prisoners to ensure they are alive but chakra-drained. Unconscious if appropriate.
        • If SOP, slightly hydrate the prisoners.
      • First time we get the chance, check Goda & his retinue for false teeth/cyanide capsules/other suicide methods.
        • Just in case Minami missed it. She did seem out of it.
      • If we MUST stop to sleep, set up a Skytower and sleep. Keep shifts.
      • Drop off Goda and his ninja bodyguards. Also give the intel we recovered.
        • Ask if they want us to wake them up via chakra water.
      • If prompted, give a mission briefing.
      • Collect weapons & food supplies.
        • See if we can get a spyglass or telescope. Ask Mari-sensei or Jiraiya if we get the chance to talk with them.
      • Take some time to rest after our run. Keep shifts.
        • If allowed, sleep in Konoha. Our old apartment, or estate if Jiraiya bought it.
        • If not allowed, head a ways to our destination, set up a Skywalker, and then sleep.
      • Skywalk back to the team.
        • It's a 22 hour run (to Nagi Island, on average). Don't exhaust ourselves with a second all-nighter.
  • Reassure Team Uplift before we leave.
    • Be respectful. Don't be tactless, not here.
      • People died, and that sucks.
      • I want to focus on the positive: we accomplished what we set out to do.
        • Keiko, you demonstrated just how powerful and useful your pangolins are, exactly as you said they would be.
        • Noburi, you dealt with that situation with surgical precision: no non-combatants were killed in the takedown and you effortlessly captured two experienced ninja with no risk to our team.
        • We didn't mess up and accidentally kill Goda despite the fight between several Chunin or better combatants.
      • Given our status as a heavy-combat squad I don't know if we could have done any more.
      • BUT as we get stronger and stronger, we'll gain the skill and ability to do better, and next time we won't have to hurt innocents.
  • Complete an After-Action Report.
    • Do the report after we regroup with the team, as time permits.
    • Keep in mind Minami still considers us to be the Cold Stone Killers/outsiders.
      • Disguising our trump card usages so we might not need to kill witnesses
        • Disguise Pangolins using fur (real, or Henge).
        • Apply Mist first, then Pangolins attack while LOS is blocked using Mist.
      • Timing between the air-team landing and the boat team?
      • Better knowledge of the Pangolin's personal combat ability for better diagnosis of enemy ninja capabilities.
  • Talk with Akane.
    • Do this when we have a break, NOT when we're moving.
    • Be open but respectful. Don't be tactless, not here.
    • Talk about our (Hazou's) feelings regarding what happened.
      • We feel guilty because our long-term plans revolved around destroying the system; now we're complicit in executing dozens of civilians.
      • We understand why it was done (increased risk of Leaf's rivals/Akatsuki finding out), but still hate that we chose killing innocents over the risk of serious failure.
      • We're scared that we'll give up, grow disillusioned, and/or end up becoming just another part of the system.
    • Ask her about Guy's philosophy and YOUTH.
      • How does she reconcile this with what happened?
      • What would Guy do? What would Lee?
    • Give her a hug. Best girlfriend deserves it, and more.
  • (Optional) Meet Mari-sensei.
    • Do this ONLY if we are cleared to stay in Konoha for sleep, and get the opportunity.
    • Give her a hug.
    • Tell her we missed her.
    • Ask her how things have been going in Konoha.
      • Her befriending of the clan head wives.
      • The political situation.
      • Jiraiya's...Ask if Jiraiya's alright.
    • Ask if she thinks Jiraiya'll let us do some work to find Hana, after the mission's over.

Contingencies:
  • If we see someone in the air:
    • IMMEDIATELY dive onto the ground and use the local terrain to cover our escape.
    • Try to evade their ability to find us before heading back to Konoha.
    • If this seems impossible (they are gaining on us) let Akane make the decision to go to Konoha, continue running, or fight.
 
@faflec Doing the Akane talk during a break would be pretty awkward, especially because we're still carrying the ninja girls on our backs. Maybe when we hand off the captives?
 
@faflec

As I said before, we're likely not going to acquire a spyglass/telescope unless we work for it. It is an expensive item after all.

Since we do get paid like every other village ninja, ask for a telescope/spyglass as a reward or in lieu of monetary rewards for the Yakuza mission. Keiko can request this item at the end of the debriefing with Jiraiya.

If Jiraiya isn't going to give it out of his own budget and whatnot, we could also pool the team's monetary resources to purchase one.
 
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Alright! As requested, "English tutor with a grudge." *cracks fingers*

Engage nitpicks.

(This is a reminder that this is me being as critical as I possibly can. I'm playing devil's advocate; you may not agree with all of my comments, and indeed I do not believe some of them myself. Examine my recommendations as critically as I've examined your plan.)

This is in the goals section; however, you do not mention to what end we are talking to the team. This section is for defining objectives; what result do we hope to produce by speaking with our team?
If SOP, slightly hydrate the prisoners.
SOP by what metric? Our metric as players (if so, what are these metrics, and do the QM's have ready access to them for cross-reference)? Hazou's metric as an ex-missing-nin (if so, how will we justify this to Minami)? Minami's metric as a Konoha Chunin (if so, are we fully versed in the particulars, or will we be consulting her)?
Noburi can check on the prisoners to ensure they are alive but chakra-drained. Unconscious if appropriate.
Noburi can, or Noburi should? Furthermore, is Hazou issuing this as a command -- which Noburi has been historically snotty about, particularly when he considers it to be obvious and a slight on his intelligence -- or through some other phrasing? Is this part of the plan, in fact, meant to be us planning for Noburi, as opposed to our usual vector of planning for Hazou, to plan for Noburi? Minami is not the only one with insecurities -- nor, indeed, the only one to whom we have recently offered great insult/threat. We should consider how our planning will translate in IC implementation.
Just in case Minami missed it. She did seem out of it.
(Emphasis added.)

I cannot recommend strongly enough that we specifically disclaim against saying the emphasized part of this aloud. Hazou has blurted out lines from the plan verbatim before -- and in so doing, nearly doomed us all, when one such incident turned a concerned appeal on Akane's behalf into a threat against a Konoha ninja. While saying things like this effectively represents the mental state for which we are shooting, we should take caution to specify that they are not to be spoken aloud.
If prompted, give a mission briefing.
Spelling correction: mission debriefing.
BUT as we get stronger and stronger, we'll gain the skill and ability to do better, and next time we won't have to hurt innocents.
(Emphasis added.)

This being our regularly-scheduled reminder that ninja are cynical bastards. Issuing unilateral statements like this will likely provoke scorn and discredit our statement through the magic of ad hominem. Moreover, we can't actually back up the promise this statement implies; no matter how strong or skilled we are, it's a sad fact that even the greatest of ninja can be forced into unfavorable situations wherein their options are limited. Instead of the emphasized clause, I recommend, "and next time hopefully have other options than hurting innocents."
Disguise Pangolins using fur (real, or Henge).
Why fur specifically? To appear more like a particular creature? That seems like a flimsy disguise unless extensive time and effort are invested into preparations. Without said preparations, there is likely a limit to how many times we can throw mysterious and terrifying furred creatures of unknown origin at people before somebody cottons onto the ruse and it loses all value -- thereby potentially compromising our movements and actions. I would recommend broadening this recommendation to efforts at disguising the Pangolins in general, and leaving specific methods for such for a different time, when we can consult at length with disguise experts (and, ideally, with the Pangolins themselves; they themselves may have had cause to disguise themselves in the past, after all, and may have a solution already available).
Timing between the air-team landing and the boat team?
I actually like this one; the timing was not a problem this time, but only because things went so well. They may not in the future. However, if we do brainstorm ideas on how to resolve this issue ourselves, we should include them.
We feel guilty because our long-term plans revolved around destroying the system; now we're complicit in executing dozens of civilians.
The semicolon implies that this comprises two separate statements, to whit: "We feel guilty because we want to destroy the system. Unrelatedly, we are now complicit in civilian deaths." I would instead phrase this as, "We feel guilty because our long-term plans revolved around destroying the system, yet despite that we are now complicit in executing dozens of civilians."

Additionally, do we want to phrase this as, "destroy the system?" There is no privacy on a Skytower; Akane is aware of our ambitions and will interpret us correctly, but Minami is still unaccustomed to us. What is her likely reaction if she hears us waxing lyrical about our ambitions to "destroy the system?" I find it all too likely that she will conclude that we are referring to the system of ninja and/or ninja villages. She is unlikely to look upon that favorably.
We're scared that we'll give up, grow disillusioned, and/or end up becoming just another part of the civilization-eating system.
Again, Minami is supremely unlikely to view the system as negatively as we do, and will almost certainly react unfavorably to us referring to it in these terms. There is no privacy on a Skytower.

Both of the preceding points regarding Minami overhearing us are invalidated if we conduct the Akane chat while we are split off from the main party; I recommend that in place of addressing them individually, we simply evade the issue by specifying that this chat should occur during one of our breaks while away from the main group. At the moment, that is not specified.
Give her a hug. Best girlfriend deserves it, and more.
This is an excellent idea and you should feel good for including it. :D
If this seems impossible (they are gaining on us) let Akane make the decision to go to Konoha, continue running, or fight.
This line implies that the contingency is to apply only to that period of time in which we are away from the party and under Akane's leadership. I suggest that we either 1) formalize and specify that implication, making this contingency for that time period only; or 2) leave it as a general contingency and replace, "let Akane make the decision," with, "let whoever is currently in command make the decision."



There we go. Not a true English tutor bashing -- I've not let this sit for a day before coming back for additional nitpicks, after all -- but I think this should serve well enough. Hope you find some actionable insights in here! I'm sure the plan has changed since I started looking at it; I'll take another look tomorrow and make criticisms for whatever iteration is up then. Sorry if any of this is obsolete.
 
I actually like this one; the timing was not a problem this time, but only because things went so well. They may not in the future. However, if we do brainstorm ideas on how to resolve this issue ourselves, we should include them.

With regard to timing we should have consider having Kei learn whispers on the wind that way we can synchronize assault times. Also lets us evac anyone if we ever try to infiltrate somewhere
 
Hey, check it out! The vote tally thing now does approval voting!
Adhoc vote count started by eaglejarl on Jul 7, 2017 at 11:02 PM, finished with 340 posts and 11 votes.
 
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Holy fuckin' shit man you do not fuck around.
Noburi can, or Noburi should? Furthermore, is Hazou issuing this as a command -- which Noburi has been historically snotty about, particularly when he considers it to be obvious and a slight on his intelligence -- or through some other phrasing? Is this part of the plan, in fact, meant to be us planning for Noburi, as opposed to our usual vector of planning for Hazou, to plan for Noburi? Minami is not the only one with insecurities -- nor, indeed, the only one to whom we have recently offered great insult/threat. We should consider how our planning will translate in IC implementation.
So I rewrote this a bit but am unsure if it's appropriate enough. Could you check?

  • Noburi should check on the prisoners to ensure they are alive but chakra-drained. Unconscious if appropriate.
    • First ask Noburi if there are consequences to keeping them unconscious/chakra-drained for this long. If there is no issue, suggest we do this.

Additionally, do we want to phrase this as, "destroy the system?" There is no privacy on a Skytower; Akane is aware of our ambitions and will interpret us correctly, but Minami is still unaccustomed to us. What is her likely reaction if she hears us waxing lyrical about our ambitions to "destroy the system?" I find it all too likely that she will conclude that we are referring to the system of ninja and/or ninja villages. She is unlikely to look upon that favorably.
Ideally we're doing this when Minami isn't around, since Hazou/Noburi/Akane are transporting the prisoners while Minami/Kagome/Keiko are continuing on the original courier mission. But I added a "Preferably in a private setting, maybe before we re-join the main group." to clarify when and where.

Both of the preceding points regarding Minami overhearing us are invalidated if we conduct the Akane chat while we are split off from the main party; I recommend that in place of addressing them individually, we simply evade the issue by specifying that this chat should occur during one of our breaks while away from the main group. At the moment, that is not specified.
...aaaaand now I feel awkward for not reading the whole post before responding. :p

With regard to timing we should have consider having Kei learn whispers on the wind that way we can synchronize assault times. Also lets us evac anyone if we ever try to infiltrate somewhere
Good point. I've added that, and also a note to see if Panda can be used as a communication summon (not accurate, see the plan below).

Here's a basic plan that does nothing but what the mission entails, plus a (mostly-empty) conversation with Akane. Obviously it's boring as shit. Feedback and ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[X] Action Plan: Rationalization

Goals:
  • Survive.
  • Maintain a positive mindset.
  • Continue the mission.
  • Reassure the team.

Methods:
  • General:
    • Follow Akane's lead while she's our sub-team leader. Follow Minami's lead before we leave, and after we regroup.
    • Try to avoid triggering Minami's insecurities.
      • She's team leader, but she inherited a team who treats her as an outsider. Avoid reminding her of this.
    • When moving, minimize chatter in favor of alertness.
  • Main Questline:
      • (Almost) nonstop 15-16hr run back.
      • Break only when we need to replace Skywalkers.
        • Take this time to replenish chakra, food, and water.
        • Noburi should check on the prisoners to ensure they are alive but chakra-drained. Unconscious if appropriate.
          • First ask Noburi if there are consequences to keeping them unconscious/chakra-drained for this long. If there is no issue, suggest we do this.
        • If SOP, slightly hydrate the prisoners.
          • Check based on standard for prisoner exchange (MInami/Jiraiya should have said something offscreen) and Noburi's knowledge as a medic.
      • First time we get the chance, check Goda & his retinue for false teeth/cyanide capsules/other suicide methods.
        • (DON'T SAY OR SUGGEST THIS OUT LOUD) Just in case Minami missed it. She did seem out of it.
      • If we MUST stop to sleep, set up a Skytower and sleep. Keep shifts.
      • Drop off Goda and his ninja bodyguards. Also give the intel we recovered.
        • Ask if they want us to wake them up via chakra water.
      • If prompted, give a mission debriefing.
      • Collect weapons & food supplies.
        • See if we can get a spyglass or telescope. Ask Mari-sensei or Jiraiya if we get the chance to talk with them.
      • Take some time to rest after our run. Keep shifts.
        • If allowed, sleep in Konoha. Our old apartment, or estate if Jiraiya bought it.
        • If not allowed, head a ways to our destination, set up a Skywalker, and then sleep.
      • Skywalk back to the team.
        • It's a 22 hour run (to Nagi Island, on average). Don't exhaust ourselves with a second all-nighter.
  • Reassure Team Uplift before we leave.
    • Be respectful. Don't be tactless, not here.
      • People died, and that sucks.
      • I want to focus on the positive: we accomplished what we set out to do.
        • Keiko, you demonstrated just how powerful and useful your pangolins are, exactly as you said they would be.
        • Noburi, you dealt with that situation with surgical precision: no non-combatants were killed in the takedown and you effortlessly captured two experienced ninja with no risk to our team.
        • We didn't mess up and accidentally kill Goda despite the fight between several Chunin or better combatants.
      • Given our status as a heavy-combat squad I don't know if we could have done any more.
      • BUT as we get stronger and stronger, we'll gain the skill and ability to do better, and next time hopefully have other options than hurting innocents.
  • Complete an After-Action Report.
    • Do the report after we regroup with the team, as time permits.
    • Keep in mind Minami still considers us to be the Cold Stone Killers/outsiders.
      • Disguising our trump card usages so we might not need to kill witnesses
        • Disguise Pangolins using physical coverings or Henge. Ask Pangolins in future?
        • Apply Mist first, then Pangolins attack while LOS is blocked using Mist.
      • Timing between the air-team landing and the boat team?
        • Not a problem this time, but could have been one if the enemy was stronger.
        • Learn Whispers on the Wind, useful for signaling for ambush.
        • Maybe have Panda be part of the air-team and be unsummoned beforehand as a signal?
      • Better knowledge of the Pangolin's personal combat ability for better diagnosis of enemy ninja capabilities.
  • Talk with Akane.
    • Do this after we've handed off the prisoners and have time to talk. Preferably in a private setting, maybe before we re-join the main group.
    • Be open but respectful. Don't be tactless, not here.
    • Talk about our (Hazou's) feelings regarding what happened.
      • We feel guilty because our long-term plans revolved around destroying the system, yet despite that we are now we're complicit in executing dozens of civilians.
      • We understand why it was done (increased risk of Leaf's rivals/Akatsuki finding out), but still hate that we chose killing innocents over the risk of serious failure.
      • We're scared that we'll give up, grow disillusioned, and/or end up becoming just another part of the system.
    • Ask her about Guy's philosophy and YOUTH.
      • How does she reconcile this with what happened?
      • What would Guy do? What would Lee?
    • Give her a hug. Best girlfriend deserves it, and more.
  • (Optional) Meet Mari-sensei.
    • Do this ONLY if we are cleared to stay in Konoha for sleep, and get the opportunity.
    • Give her a hug.
    • Tell her we missed her.
    • Ask her how things have been going in Konoha.
      • Her befriending of the clan head wives.
      • The political situation.
      • Jiraiya's...Ask if Jiraiya's alright.
    • Ask if she thinks Jiraiya'll let us do some work to find Hana, after the mission's over.

Contingencies:
  • (While transporting the prisoners) If we see someone in the air:
    • IMMEDIATELY dive onto the ground and use the local terrain to cover our escape.
    • Try to evade their ability to find us before heading back to Konoha.
    • If this seems impossible (they are gaining on us) let Akane make the decision to go to Konoha, continue running, or fight.
 
Actually, the Minami are hands down the best logistical solution since telegrams. They should know - they largely are telegrams! See, because they can leave their Soudai's Prism wherever they want so long as they've been there before, you have one Minami leave their Soudai's Prism with their handler. You then have the returning Minami, who the new Minami is going in to relieve, leave their Soudai's Prism at the outpost/base that the new Minami is going too.

Bam! Instant communication, only mitigated at the rate that a Minami can talk and write at the same time.

disclaimer: infinite amount of minami not guaranteed, may be born separately

Also, @eaglejarl, the tally system can handle approval voting now?

Edit: TL;DR Minami are human scrying mirrors, not telescopes. Extra abilities irrelevant since Nikko won't tell us them.
 
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Actually, the Nikko are hands down the best logistical solution since telegrams. They should know - they largely are telegrams! See, because they can leave their Soudai's Prism wherever they want so long as they've been there before, you have one Nikko leave their Soudai's Prism with their handler. You then have the returning Nikko, who the new Nikko is going in to relieve, leave their Soudai's Prism at the outpost/base that the new Nikko is going too.

Bam! Instant communication, only mitigated at the rate that a Nikko can talk and write at the same time.

disclaimer: infinite amount of nikkos not guaranteed, may be born separately

Also, @eaglejarl, the tally system can handle approval voting now?
Nitpicking: It's the Minami clan, not the Nikko Clan.
 
Holy fuckin' shit man you do not fuck around.
So I rewrote this a bit but am unsure if it's appropriate enough. Could you check?
I say, "English tutor with a grudge," for a reason. :D

That sounds good to me. Noburi has been a lot better if we phrase our suggestions in ways that consult his knowledge or query his thoughts on the matter; he's generally fine with them if he feels like a participant in the planning process.
 
I say, "English tutor with a grudge," for a reason. :D

That sounds good to me. Noburi has been a lot better if we phrase our suggestions in ways that consult his knowledge or query his thoughts on the matter; he's generally fine with them if he feels like a participant in the planning process.
So you're saying we need to give you reasons to have grudges on us.

I can work with that :p
 
So you're saying we need to give you reasons to have grudges on us.

I can work with that :p
I can help give you motivation for that.

I just need to keep on with the regular Kagome screaming copyright infringement in my quest. ;)
@PoptartProdigy seriously that's some good work. Anything we can do to get these critiques more often?
Thank you! Yeah, my schedule has cleared up a lot recently, so I should be around more often to provide them.
 
Voting is still open.

As a comparison to the official vote tally, posted about, here's what CounterBot says:

CounterBot, version 2.1


Plan name: Rationalization

Voters: @bayesclef, @Enjou, @faflec, @huhYeahGoodPoint, @Inferno Vulpix, @Kiba, @Oneiros43, @PoptartProdigy, @Traiden
Num votes: 9


Plan name: Hazou: DODGE
Voters: @Cariyaga, @faflec, @huhYeahGoodPoint, @Inferno Vulpix, @MadScientist
Num votes: 5


Plan name: Keiko: DODGE
Voters: @Cariyaga, @faflec, @huhYeahGoodPoint, @Inferno Vulpix, @MadScientist
Num votes: 5


Plan name: Noburi: DODGE
Voters: @Cariyaga, @faflec, @huhYeahGoodPoint, @Inferno Vulpix, @MadScientist
Num votes: 5


Plan name: Sleep Is For The Weak
Voters: @huhYeahGoodPoint, @Inferno Vulpix, @Traiden
Num votes: 3



Number of voters: 11
 
[x] Testing the SV tally bot

Also, @eaglejarl, the tally system can handle approval voting now?
Looks like. If you set it to 'by line' and turn off the 'user vote updating' 'newest vote only' option then what comes out looks like approval voting to me. Click the white 'i' in the top right to see the configuration I used for generating that tally.

I just need to keep on with the regular Kagome screaming copyright infringement in my quest. ;)
You should add a 'screaming in Kagome' tag to your quest. :>
 
[x] Testing the SV tally bot


Looks like. If you set it to 'by line' and turn off the 'user vote updating' 'newest vote only' option then what comes out looks like approval voting to me. Click the white 'i' in the top right to see the configuration I used for generating that tally.


You should add a 'screaming in Kagome' tag to your quest. :>
...hm. To escalate, or not to escalate...

:rofl:
 
Assessment of the newly-updated SV vote tally system as compared to CounterBot:

Pro
The official bot's formatting is more attractive than CounterBot's and it doesn't have CounterBot's bug around cutting off the 'Training Plan' / 'Action Plan' prefix.

The official bot is integrated right into the SV UI and doesn't require installing external software / using a command line program.

Neutral
The official bot doesn't notify voters of the tally -- it outputs "Voters: eaglejarl" instead of "Voters: @eaglejarl". That could be a pro or a con, depending on your POV.

Con
The official bot does not support canceling your vote with [-]; you need to go back and manually edit the original post. Inconvenient, destroys history, a change from how we've been doing it. Not a huge deal, though.

The official bot does not support excluding votes from QMs. Again, not a huge deal since we typically don't post votes.

The official bot does not give a count of total unique voters. Not essential, but I find that useful information for tracking the thread's participation and level of interest across an arc.


Overall, unless I've misunderstood something it appears that the official bot is a perfectly adequate replacement for CounterBot as long as we are willing to change how we handle vote canceling. I'm a little sad to have to say that; I felt proud to have contributed CounterBot.
 
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