Hello Racing Fans, and welcome to this special pregame edition of the Mushroom Sports Network, presented by Nightmare Enterprises! Reporting live from lovely Yoshi Island, I'm Jim!
And I'm Bob!
And we're the Lakitu brothers!
Why don't we start with the new rules recently approved by the League Competition Committee, Bob?
Responding to a flood of anonymous mail demanding an increase in Bananas, MKL has removed the Boo and added the Triple Banana!
In a broader sense, the rules governing how Dragged Items operate have also been tweaked. Dragged Items are automatically dragged, and drivers who Spin Out or Flip while dragging an item drop the item on the track as a Hazard.
The Fake Item Box does not grant the Dodge Bonus against Shell attacks.
The Triple Red Shell has been replaced by the Triple Green Shell, and it has been made slightly more common than the Blue Shell.
It isn't all Item box rules though, Jim! Pulling Ahead now requires 5 Momentum, and costs 4 Momentum on a success. Drivers who fail to Pull Ahead because they hit a Hazard do not need to navigate that Hazard again, except in certain course-specific instances.
Conversely, Drivers who Fall Back have their Momentum set to 3, not 2.
Drivers who initiate a Ram do not lose 1 Momentum on a success- they still lose Momentum as normal for passing.
And finally, the Competition Committee bowed to common sense in allowing the Race to end during the Cleanup Phase, not the Movement Phase. And we are all quite happy about that.
You said it, Jim! Now, let's get down to the track!
Pretty Picture Provided by freeformscholar Yoshi Falls lies in a large, crater-like valley at the heart of Yoshi Island, and has long been a tourist destination for its pleasant climate, beautiful foliage, and the namesake waterfalls that flow over high cliffs into a large lake. The course traces the edge of the cliffs, and should provide some exciting racing action!
Drivers start in the RED segment, a broad curve that provides a +1 bonus to Powerslides. Drivers taking the inner path hit a broad Dash Panel for ONE Momentum, but must make a Hazard Check (+2) to avoid falling off the cliff if they Spin Out or Flip. Drivers who fall off the cliff automatically Fall Back.
Most drivers will exit this segment by crossing the bridge, but there is a shortcut available to those able to brave the current! Drivers who choose to take the shortcut MUST have a Mushroom or Star to power through the river current- taking this shortcut grants TWO Momentum on top of any gained from item or path choice.
After Red, Drivers enter PURPLE. Here, the narrower curve provides no benefit or penalty to Powerslides. The outer path takes Drivers across a short bridge with Item Boxes- they are easy to hit (+2) but there are only 3 of them, first come first served!
Drivers taking the inner path hit another Dash Panel for ONE Momentum and are sent flying through the river! Drivers must make a Hazard Check (+2) to avoid being swept off the cliff- if they Spin Out or Flip, they must make another Hazard Check (+1) to stay out of the drink!
From there, Drivers enter BLUE, the home stretch! The broad outer curve provides a +1 bonus on Powerslides and is a safe choice for any racer!
Drivers taking the inner path have the opportunity to snag one of the plentiful (+3) Item Boxes drifting downstream! Drivers must make a Hazard Check (+2) to avoid being swept off the cliff- if they Spin Out or Flip, they must make another Hazard Check (+2) to remain dry!
This will be a 4 lap circuit, with an average finish time of 12 turns. Now, let's meet today's racers, Jim!
Newly signed to a lucrative Sponsorship deal, Mario hopes to 1up his brother Luigi by taking home First Place here at Yoshi Falls! His Kart has a +1 Item Bonus, but unfortunately always seems to find the Bananas on the course- he's not happy about the addition of the Triple Banana, Bob!
Sure isn't, Jim! Next is the Mysterious Mr. L- not much is known of this enigmatic figure, but word has it that his weapons are doctored to be able to disable the safeties on his weapons at will! Nasty business, but he also must contend with the stigma of Banana Magnetism.
The Koopa down there in the green Kart is Oomph, a relatively recent addition to our MKL family. Heeding the advice of his manager Bradley Boo, he will be racing an unmodified Kart today.
Next to him is Bill Ryzer, a veteran and former member of Contra. Ryzer drives the Spread-shot, a Kart with High Acceleration, but a low top speed.
The... uh, man, in the pretty red dress there is Counselor Grimtoad, a foreign dignitary of some kind I am told. The Counselor's Kart is quite speedy, but is easy to push around.
Finally, we have Captain Falcon, a renowned racer and sometime bounty hunter of the collapsed F-Zero league! He brings a wealth of racing experience to MKL, and is well known as a cautious man- his Kart has a Compensator ready for any unfortunate accidents.
The drivers are bringing their Karts to the starting line, and we can get underway... right after these commercial messages!
END WEEK TWO
Nightmare Enterprises
+1 PrestigeMario
-1 CoinMysterious Mr. L
-1 CoinOomph
-1 CoinBill Ryzer
-1 CoinCounselor Grimtoad
-1 CoinCaptain Falcon
-1 CoinNookington's Department Store- 3 Coin, 4 PrestigeCEO- Alligator Executive
Industry- Consumer Goods. Favors High Marketability, High Straightforwardness. Driver-
CrankImage- None
Relationships-
Alligator Executive +2,
Crank +2[/color]
Tom Nook built his commercial empire up from a small backwater store. Nookington's is known as a respectable but profit oriented business that deals fairly with its employees and rarely stoops to dirty tricks- at least, they've never been caught before.
Silph Co- 6 Coin, 2 PrestigeCEO-
President of Silph CoIndustry- Technology. Favors Low Marketability, Low Straightforwardness, High Education. Driver-
Mario &
LuigiImage- None
Relationships-
President +2,
Luigi +2,
Mario +2The wealthiest of the sponsors, Silph Co specializes in technical marvels and is increasingly invested in the sport of Kart Racing. However, past troubles with treacherous employees and rival businesses has made Silph Co extremely conservative and distrustful of outsiders. They prefer to sponsor a single driver and make them the face of the franchise- for as long as they are trustworthy. Silph Co refuses to consider any affiliation with Team Rocket, or any driver who has had dealings with Team Rocket.
Nightmare Enterprises- 5 Coin, 2 PrestigeCEO- NME Executive
Industry- Military. Favors Low Straightfowardness, Low Family-Friendliness and High Glamor.
Branch- Entertainment. Favors High Glamor, High Marketability, Low Family-Friendly.
Branch- Consumer Goods. Favors High Marketability, High Straightforwardness.
Image- None
Relationships- NME Executive +2
Nightmare Enterprises is a conglomeration of different products wrapped in an internet startup. NME's principle product is genetic engineering and the creation of monsters for a variety of purposes, as well as the transformation of living things. NME is also involved in arms dealing, clothing, toys, and a draconian entertainment network that features big budget movies and television shows as well as independent startups- provided they can fulfill their contracts. NME is well known for their underhanded tricks, but they always honor their contracts. A driver sponsored by NME must be wary not to cross them, however, for their wrath is legendary!
HFS Inc- 11 Coin, 1 PrestigeCEO-
Riras NodIndustry- Entertainment. High Glamor, High Marketability, Low Family-Friendly Driver-
Counselor GrimtoadImage- None
Relationships-
Riras Nod +1,
Counselor Grimtoad +1A rather old company that specializes in extravagant circuses. Mostly famous for its clowns.
Pengu Games- 13 Coin, 1 PrestigeCEO-
Mr. PenguIndustry- Entertainment. Favors High Glamor, High Marketability, Low Family-Friendly
Image- None
Relationships- Mr. Pengu +1
Pengu Games: We'll have you shivering in excitement!Pengu Games originated as a penguin living in sherbet land who realized how cute people think penguins are. From then on, that penguin gathered a group of friends to start making games about various adventures penguins had had. It was a huge success, and soon after penguins came from everywhere to try and get a piece of the fame. They like keeping a clean image, and generally won't undertake scandal.
Waluigiware Inc- 10 Coin, 1 PrestigeCEO-
WaluigiIndustry- Entertainment. Favors High Glamor, High Marketability, Low Family-Friendly
Image- None
Relationships-
Waluigi +1,
Wario -1Warioware was founded by none other than Wario that specializes in coming up with unique, interesting properties from a variety of developers. Unfortunately, Wario's abrasive personality drove off most of his friends and Waluigi ultimately betrayed him, forcing Wario out of the company. The new management of Waluigiware has since gone on to achieve enormous financial success, buying out smaller developers and sucking the life from their ideas. These unscrupulous business practices have translated to their foray into Kart Racing, and they will do anything for notoriety or Coin.
Rez Media Corporation- 8 Coin, 1 PrestigeCEO- TV on a Hand Cart
Industry- Entertainment. Favors High Glamor, High Marketability, Low Family-Friendly. Driver-
King HarkinianBranch- Rez Cinema- Entertainment.
Image- None
Relationships-
TV +1,
King Harkinian +2[/color]
Known for churning out mass market garbage specked with the occasional gem, Rez Media is the largest single media outlet in the multiverse, focused mainly on television and movies. Not much is known about their shadowy owner, but judging by the actions of the company he has a cold-hearted eye on the bottom line.
Team Rocket- 7 Coin, 1 PrestigeCEO- Rocket Executive
Industry- Technology. Favors Low Marketability, Low Straightforwardness, High Education.
Branch- Military. Favors Low Straightfowardness, Low Family-Friendliness and High Glamor.
Branch- Foods. Favors High Straightforwardness and High Family-Friendliness.
Image- None
Relationships-
Rocket Executive +1,
Counselor Grimtoad -1,
Luigi -1Team Rocket's primary operations are scientific research, but also has significant investments in the meatpacking and candy industries, as well as a healthy treasure-finding department. Team Rocket's dubious business practices and outright defiance of the law has outlawed their operations in many nations, including their native region of Kanto. Team Rocket has emerged as an unlikely sponsor of MKL due to a desire to improve their public image and make some quick Coin, but their management of their drivers indicates that they are the same old Team Rocket.
Koopa Korporation- 5 Coin, 1 PrestigeCEO- Koopa Executive
Industry- Consumer Goods. Favors High Marketability, High Straightforwardness. Driver-
LinkBranch- Consumer Goods.
Image- None
Relationships-
Koopa Executive +1,
Link +2Koopa Korp is a leading producer of cheap consumer goods in the Mushroom Kingdom and is based in Dark Land, the domain of Lord Bowser. Low quality goods are compensated for by high quantity, and Koopa Korp adopts a similar philosophy in the sport of Kart racing, signing as many drivers as they can to truly meager contracts.
Diamond Software- 5 Coin, 1 Prestige
CEO- Diamond Executive
Industry- Entertainment. Favors High Glamor, High Marketability, Low Family-Friendly
Branch- Entertainment.
Image- None
Relationships- Diamond Executive +1, Waluigiware -1
Another video game developer from Diamond city, with interests in records and comic books as well. They are the principle rival of Waluigiware Inc, opposing their business practices out of principle- when Warioware announced its sponsorship of MKL, Diamond Software was right behind them. Diamond Software is known as a fairly good place to work with a hatred of all things Waluigiware.
Hocotate Freight- 4 Coin, 1 Prestige
CEO- President of Hocotate Freight
Industry- Transportation. Favors High Marketability and High Family-Friendliness.
Image- None
Relationships- President +1
Hocotate Freight is an interstellar shipping company hailing from the planet Hocotate. Perennially in financial difficulties, a windfall of treasure scavenged from Planet Pikmin gave the company enough capital to sponsor MKL in the hopes of long term financial security for the company. While not known for the fantastic treatment of his employees, the President of Hocotate Freight is reputed to be a risk-taker willing to sponsor drivers nobody else will touch. Whether his foolishness will sink the company remains to be seen.
Lakitu Travel Agency- 3 Coin, 1 Prestige
CEO- Lakitu Executive
Industry- Transportation. Favors High Marketability and High Family-Friendliness.
Image- None
Relationships- Lakitu Executive +1
The Lakitu Travel Agency is a long-time sponsor of MKL, and orchestrates journeys across worlds, solar systems, galaxies, and even dimensions. Known far and wide as a fair sponsor, LTA has found itself being out-muscled by the newer, larger sponsorship groups.
Pappy's Pizza- 3 Coin, 1 Prestige
CEO- Pappy
Industry- Mom & Pop. Favors Low Marketability.
Image- None
Relationships- Pappy +3
Pappy's Pizza started out as a small pizza parlor in Brooklyn before the endorsement of the (newly famous) Mario Brothers vaulted them into the big time. Now, Pappy's Pizza Parlors are springing up across the Mushroom Kingdom, and Pappy has decided to endorse MKL to bring his product to the multiverse, as well as to sponsor the sport he loves. Pappy is widely regarded as a kind and generous employer, although with far smaller Coin reserves than the other big companies.
CrankPoints- 9
Fame- 2
Coin- 7
Last Race- 5-8
KartModule Installed-
High Acceleration,
Sticky Wheel LuigiPoints- 7
Fame- 1
Coin- 7
Last Race- 5-8
Poltergust 4000Module Installed-
High Acceleration,
Rubber Band Back Link
Points- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 3
Last Race- 5-8
Kart
Module Installed- Free Item, Not Aerodynamic
King Harkinian
Points- 3
Fame- 0
Coin- 2
Last Race- 5-8
Kart
Module Installed- Rubber Band Forward, Faulty Weapons
Kirby
Points- 1
Fame- 0
Coin- 5
Last Race- 5-8
Kart
Hiccup- Low Item (3 Coin to Repair)
Fox McCloud
Points- 0
Fame- 1
Coin- 2
Last Race- 5-8
Kart
Module Installed- High Acceleration, Not Aerodynamic
Oomph and Bradely
Points- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 4
Kart
Basic Kart
Bill RyzerPoints- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 1
The Spread-ShotModule Installed-
High Acceleration,
Slow Mario
Points- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 4
Kart
Module Installed- Item Bonus, Banana Magnet
Captain FalconPoints- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 1
KartModule Installed-
Compensator Counselor GrimtoadPoints- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 3
KartModule Installed-
Speedy,
Featherweight MonkeyKongPoints- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 2
KartModule Installed-
Speedy,
Rubber Band Back VaatiPoints- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 2
KartModule Installed-
Speedy,
Featherweight The Mysterious Mr. LPoints- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 1
KartModule Installed-
Dirty Weapons,
Banana Magnet Boss Form Amadeus
Points- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 5
Kart
Basic Kart
Zelda
Points- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 2
Kart
Module Installed- Compensator
Dry Bones
Points- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 3
Kart
Basic Kart
Shy Guy
Points- 0
Fame- 0
Coin- 2
Kart
Module Installed- Speedy, Faulty Weapons
Racer: Red Shy Guy
Module: Speedy
Shy GuyModule Benefit: Speedy
Module Hiccup: Faulty Weapons
Faulty Weapons is the debuff version of Dirty Weapons, the principle difference being that it cannot be suppressed. If the effect triggers you'll lose 1 Fame and get fined 2 Coin (this fine increases for repeat offenders.) You can race with it, but it's a risk, especially since you don't have any bribe money. Note that you can decide whether or not to install a given Module on a race-by-race basis.
How much money would I start with then? Also, are there any benefits besides being able to sponsor more people from having multiple branches? For example, would I earn more money than other companies?
Starting with a Branch means you lose 1PP (1d6) starting Coin. At this time, the only benefit of having multiple branches is to sponsor more racers.
Modules cannot be resold, although they can be traded between Players.
Does this include selling to players for Coin? If I can sell it, I might be willing to sell mine.
Anything you players can work out between yourselves is fine by me- swap or sell, makes no difference to the manufacturer.
Finally,
10ebbor10,
Luke_Prowler,
freeformscholar,
Dwarmin,
Spinal_Taper, and
Phantom of the Library, please submit your action for the start of the race- do you
ROCKET START, or
PLAY IT SAFE? And remember, with the race underway you have a ~24 hour window in which to post your actions- failure to do so means you Drive Defensively around the Outer Path. Good luck, gentlemen!