Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

_

0 (0%)

_

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 0

Voting closed: April 07, 2013, 10:34:35 am

[PyroDesu]

((That chart depresses me a bit, seeing how lame my stats are in graphical comparison. Then again, the people with the massive-as-hell stat bars have actually completed missions, and I haven't.

Now, while I'm sure you made designations like "Marines" or "Pilots" based on stats, wouldn't it be better to use the game's profession system, and label stat boosts/setbacks accordingly, like you've done with suits, cybernetics, etc.?))

[Spinal_Taper]

((Kudos, and I'm suprised. I have a razor. I was not aware of that.))

[IronyOwl]

(Holy crap.  Kudos.  I can't imagine the work that went into that...)

((It actually wasn't that bad. There was a lot of more general work on how everything would be laid out, how big the bars should be, what color scheme to use, how to show +0 at something, etc, but once that was done the actual copy+pasting of the little bars was relatively simple. Also helped that it was spread out over several days.))

((That chart depresses me a bit, seeing how lame my stats are in graphical comparison. Then again, the people with the massive-as-hell stat bars have actually completed missions, and I haven't.

Now, while I'm sure you made designations like "Marines" or "Pilots" based on stats, wouldn't it be better to use the game's profession system, and label stat boosts/setbacks accordingly, like you've done with suits, cybernetics, etc.?))

((I'm not convinced the Profession system gives very good estimates of what someone actually does, though. _{Plus they weren't in the cheatsheets.} Especially so for the rarer and more obscure professions, since those tend to have both a weaker archetype (most of our mercs are fairly soldier-ish, most of our fleshtechs are fairly medic-ish, most of our Physimancers... well, May uses a manipulator, so I guess that counts?) and fewer members. Jim and Simus are both Transhumans but not really comparable, for instance, as are Bishop and Lukas, our resident Technicians.

As for labeling stats/setbacks, I'm not sure what you mean.))

[PyroDesu]

((Well, the "Transhuman" profession would be a lot more appropriate than the "Marine" profession if you're going for an estimate of what, say, Simus does. But, I see your point.

And, I mean labeling profession stat boosts/setbacks like you labeled Jim's arms giving him a STR boost.))

[IronyOwl]

((Well, the "Transhuman" profession would be a lot more appropriate than the "Marine" profession if you're going for an estimate of what, say, Simus does. But, I see your point.

And, I mean labeling profession stat boosts/setbacks like you labeled Jim's arms giving him a STR boost.))

((Yeah, Simus was sort of a weird example. She's got no skills to speak of and her only gear is a monoatomic razor thingy and her grenade launcher, so I sort of stuck her under marines for that. Presumably she'll look a lot different once she gets some experience and tokens.

As for the profession distinction, I'm not sure I see the point; they don't behave any differently from raw points or lack thereof. I guess a breakdown by origin could be kind of neat, but again wouldn't really serve any practical purpose, other than maybe pointing out that, say, if two people have the same Str but one achieves it with a suit, then obviously it'd be easier for the other to catch up by buying a similar suit.

The distinction with Jim's arms is because his +1 Str from them isn't listed, but I'm pretty sure they gave that, so I assumed they were situational (the "Arms" part means "using his arms" not "because of his special arms"). I might be mistaken on some or all of that, though.))

[Tiruin]

((That chart depresses me a bit, seeing how lame my stats are in graphical comparison. Then again, the people with the massive-as-hell stat bars have actually completed missions, and I haven't.))

* Feyri cheers in an out-of-body experience to see how much she still has to strive for to actually be competent despite her background.

((That is an amazing chart, IronyOwl. You are an amazing person.))

[Nikitian]

(( Wow. Amazing indeed. Gives something to think over, as well as clearly shows the trends of attribute/skill specialisation and diversification.
You showed Maurice's Con bonus as if it were +0 where it is actually -2, precisely as in Faith's case. Never mind, though.
As for Simus's profession, I agree that it could have easily been (mis)taken for "Marine" ([Con] grenade launcher, [Uncon] wristblade, etc.) if one doesn't take her status as a tinkerer into consideration (which may actually be intended, depending on the underlying philosophy of the work). Maybe that should be listed as a perk, like those speciall skills and abilities? Then again, you may (rightfully) see this irrelevant to the big picture of our unit (okay, of 'the Bastards and the soon-to-be Bastards', according to the current composition of the list) as you see it.
Oh, and I like that you included the "pilot" category. Our/their existence has finally been acknowledged! ))

[IronyOwl]

((You showed Maurice's Con bonus as if it were +0 where it is actually -2, precisely as in Faith's case. Never mind, though.

((Oh dear, must have skipped over that. Tsk tsk.))

As for Simus's profession, I agree that it could have easily been (mis)taken for "Marine" ([Con] grenade launcher, [Uncon] wristblade, etc.) if one doesn't take her status as a tinkerer into consideration (which may actually be intended, depending on the underlying philosophy of the work). Maybe that should be listed as a perk, like those speciall skills and abilities? Then again, you may (rightfully) see this irrelevant to the big picture of our unit (okay, of 'the Bastards and the soon-to-be Bastards', according to the current composition of the list) as you see it.

((Yeah, the problem with "Tinkerer" as a group is that it doesn't really say anything practical about them. On ship, they just design stuff a lot; it's not like they have any innate advantages or bonuses to doing so. On mission, it really doesn't say anything about what they can do- anybody can be a tinkerer, regardless of what their skillset is. The only real binding feature is that you'd assume they'd have high handiwork to actually make all the stuff they're designing, but even that's not a guarantee (as evidenced by the fact that Faith is the third best Handiworker on the ship, at least among active veterans).

In a similar vein, not entirely sure what the Tinkerer perk/descriptor/keyword would mean. I guess it could go to anyone who's successfully designed something new, or anyone who designs things a lot, or anyone who'll design things at a teammates' request, or something similar, but it'd be kind of an awkward definition, I think.))

Oh, and I like that you included the "pilot" category. Our/their existence has finally been acknowledged! ))

((Don't you need something to pilot for that to really count, though?



Oh yeah, and I went back and fiddled with color-coding bonus/malus source a bit. Two obvious problems came up.

One, they're hard to combine. It's easy enough to just use a differently colored block for each +1/3, but when you get multiple sources working on the same thing it can get complicated. For instance, -1 from profession and +1/3 from skills is kind of tricky to figure out with the system I've used. Positive bonuses are less severe, but still look wonky when they're supposed to collapse into a single +1 bonus block but can't because everything comes from a different source.

Two, they're pretty rare. Milno's suit and Jim's arms are the only ones that come to mind as of yet, and introducing new colors and such just for that seems a bit excessive. They're also usually fairly obvious, at least so far, by virtue of always working in full +1 blocks, which are obviously pretty rare otherwise.))

[piecewise]

Slip the suit on and marvel in its awesome glory. Regain your senses and head to the med bay. See whats going on around the place.

(The actual mechanism of firing the thing is still unclear by the way. Do you have a physical trigger, is it voice activated? How do you tell it to fire? )
You make sure the system is turned off before you wander to the med by and look whats happening. Doesn't seem to be much going on around, just the normal nurses and doctors wandering around taking care of walking dead people.

((Its a point and shoot mechanism. The HUD is hands-free (..right?) and the controls are part of that. I look at what I want to shoot, tag it in the interface, and the weapon tracks it autonomously. I can tell it to shoot from there. This all happens in moments of course. its definitely NOT a 'sentry gun'. I hate that idea, and as you've previously stated, its been done before. I'd much rather have direct control over the weapon. I shouldn't need to turn it off before talking to people since it won't open up unless I tell it to. Although I suppose having to listen to it whir every time I turn my head could prove to be be somewhat.. irritating))

Find the biggest man in the room and get in his way.

Ok, but mechanically how do you actually tag it? Do you say "Tag" when you're over the target? Do you tongue a switch or tap a button inside the helmet with your head? This is important for future failure.

You jump out in front of the the robot with massive gorilla arms and try your best to look tough.

((Hrrm.. I I'll go with voice-activated. And uh.. I said man not robot. Robots are mean.))
Pardon me.
Get out of the robot's way as quickly and politely as possible, then find someone to challenge to fisticuffs (PCs are fine too I guess, but I'm just looking for a quick boxing match i.e. no armour or gadgets, last man standing wins, small wagers optional but I'd rather avoid it since all I have to lose is my suit, and I don't like debts).

You walk up to the air hockey table and snatch up the puck in the middle of the game.

"Alright, you two look like you're not busy. Who wants to play a game of "Punch each other in the head till someone falls down?""

Reset the sim again, same as last time except this time I'm just an invisible observer (I can do that, right?).  Spawn a General from the Altered War noted for his/her strategic abilities with the same equipment as me.  Watch the battle under their command and take notes.

1. Do you want to let the one in the command position reposition your troops or just stick him where you would be?
2. Same overview response?

1. Yep, I want to see what an actual General would do in the same situation, so he can distribute the troops however he wants.
2. Huh?  Wait, I think I understand.  Yes, with notes about how his strategy differs from mine, and the advantages and disadvantages it provides.

Oh, forgot, should I allow him to change your soldier's armaments within reason too? No 1000 man LESHO rifle squads and no Fission instigators, but a few strategically used higher weapons?

((I meant the normal, 1 token sword that I can wield... But can I wield the big one with 5 STR/DEX? Just curious.))

Ok then, the cutlass, changed it.

Punch it. Hard.

"Faclon punch!"

[dex:1+1]
[ram dex:3]
You swing a closed fist for the creature's skull but miss as it stumbles backwards, slipping on a slurry of corpses and mud.

((Cheatsheet questions!

I notice for Faith she's listed as having -1 Will and +1/3 Will. Is that something related to her incident, or did you just forget to delete the -1 when she actually gained some points in Will?

Similar question for Jim's Cha score. Or was that from a book he read or something?))


EDIT:

((Also, Ivan's Handiwork, does he have any bonuses for being Altered, and what do Jim's arms do?))

Yours was a mistake, both of theirs has to do with their professions. Jim has a -1 because he's a transhuman, but a partial bonus because of his stats. Ivan has a -1 because he's a merc, but a bonus because of his stats.

Spoiler: Good news everyone! (click to show/hide)

Remember when I said I was going to go make a visual chart of everyone we've got in the HMRC? Well, it wasn't a lie! I actually went and did it.

There were a few issues, however. The main one is that it's a bit ugly and ungainly; the graphs are too far apart to easily compare to each other, which I blame on shoving text in there as well. It also lists only the major weapons and tools someone has, not side benefits or other features like Faith's MKII suit or Thomas' alcoholism. Finally, it's based on the cheatsheets, so if there's something wrong with those it'll be wrong with the charts as well.

Oh, and then there's the actual organization. I figured it would be more useful to compare perceived "jobs," rather than just leaving amp users next to medics next to people who just shoot things. This was fairly simple in some cases- I went with "Marine" over "Grunt" for Con users, incidentally - but in other cases, skills, equipment, and actions don't really line up or add to anything perceivable. "Pilots" and "Mechanics" are a result of this, as some people had Aux or Handiwork as their only real skill, and "Loafer" sounded a bit mean.

So, without further ado, the probably too large chart of everyone I've noticed actually being active recently (newbies not included):

Spoiler: Behold (click to show/hide)

Comments on how you'd prefer this be laid out or designed are welcome. I'll have to see about cataloging our fresh meat sometime as well. :3

Very nice Irony. If you're worried about the data being too spread out and not easily comparable, why not go with the "Stat hex", like so:

In this case each bar represents 2 points. It's milno by the way.

I think it gives you a nice, easily expandable, universal measure thats easy to use since all you have to do is use paint to fill in the bars. Plus it looks kinda cool, least to me. And if you feel like showing bonuses you can always show them in a slightly different color a top the existing bars.

[Toaster]

((Okay, I think I've got what I want here.))

Lars smiled- it was all coming together now.  Armor-piercing (and precision targeting) was likely to be more useful than area effect slaughter, given the stated goal as a materials requisition team instead of a military unit.  Hover capability was nice, but cost needed to be kept down somewhere.  All that remained was final design, then field testing.

Action:  Construct the final design.  The base would be the cheapest tracked platform.  Two sides of the platform would be armored with a thin (half inch) sheet of metal, about two feet high with a slight slope, to provide cover for the gunner, who would be assumed to be crouching.  At the corner of the two pieces of armor is the gun mount.  The mount allows the weapon to rotate 90 degrees in any of the directions (though up or down would be limited by the design of the whole.)  The gun itself is a standard cutting laser.  Below the gun and behind the armor is a generator that provides sufficient energy for a two second burst every five seconds.  The platform controls are mounted behind one metal plate, operated from the gunner position.

Run checks to ensure the design is valid, then save it as the Mk I Tracked Mobile Laser Turret.



((Also Irony, nice work.))

[Nikitian]

((@Toaster If it hasn't been changed since last time, the cutting laser requires input of 8TPU to fire; conversely, that's four times the output of the gauss rifle generator (1 or 2 tokens, if I recall correctly), and twice amount of TPUs the heavy gauss cannon generator provides (4 tokens, but closer to 2 tokens when mass-produced).
That is why I suggest that you might want to consider a straight continious-fire cutting laser, as it wouldn't make much difference, I believe (from 1.05 to 1.2 times the original price, according to my calculations).
Just mentioning that for your convenience.

@Faith Well, what I had in mind is that tinkerers occasionally have prototypes (as in, 'funded by Steve'), which might matter. But yeah, I agree with you that being a tinkerer changes little of how one performs on a mission (apart from the customized equipment, of course, which is already listed). ))

[Remalle]

Reset the sim again, same as last time except this time I'm just an invisible observer (I can do that, right?).  Spawn a General from the Altered War noted for his/her strategic abilities with the same equipment as me.  Watch the battle under their command and take notes.

1. Do you want to let the one in the command position reposition your troops or just stick him where you would be?
2. Same overview response?

1. Yep, I want to see what an actual General would do in the same situation, so he can distribute the troops however he wants.
2. Huh?  Wait, I think I understand.  Yes, with notes about how his strategy differs from mine, and the advantages and disadvantages it provides.

Oh, forgot, should I allow him to change your soldier's armaments within reason too? No 1000 man LESHO rifle squads and no Fission instigators, but a few strategically used higher weapons?

Hmm... sure, as long as it's still conventional weapons only.  Let him change his own equipment too, then.

[Toaster]

((Noted, and thanks for the info.  It may be that whatever generator fits that bill may well provide enough power for continuous fire- we'll see.  Continuous would be better on the anti-debris laser.  I should get a quote on that as well- not sure how much it costs in comparison to the cutting laser.


I think if you tinkers really wanted to unite, the first place to start would be compiling all that information into an easy reference.  I don't blame you if the though of slogging through thousands of posts drives you away, though.))

[Zako]

((Cool beans, that's really cool Irony! I like how you are saying that Bishop might be some kind of emerging kung-fu master despite the fact that he doesn't have shit on the doctor.))

"Once again, technician, not a soldier."

Back off a bit and scope out how the doctor moves. Does it seem like he has any cybernetic limbs that I could use my knowledge to disable?

[Nikitian]

I think if you tinkers really wanted to unite, the first place to start would be compiling all that information into an easy reference.  I don't blame you if the though of slogging through thousands of posts drives you away, though.

(( Well, actually, I've already considered starting an Einsteinian Roulette Wiki, but sort of gave up because of having no good in-game reason for that (and I'd feel too guilty if I were to fuel the metagaming). The creation of UT (UE?) plus the fact the previous missions' logs are accessible means that this idea is finally justified.
Well, does anyone know a good wiki hosting service?  ))