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wiegieman posted:Typically, a lancer gm is challenging the players enough if they lose a point or two of structure per fight. No single encounter will beat the players unless it's some kind of t3 ultra nonsense, they're too elite. It's about attrition over the whole mission. It's not at all linear either. Fully repaired PCs can overcharge for only 1 heat, have all their limited charges, and most importantly can afford to lose a structure or stress point without much risk. But once you are down some of those resources, things get much spookier for the players and the tension ratchets up. For example, facing a Sniper in this situation, where it can clock one of us right in the face for an immediate structure but the actual game effect is "ouch my face," is very different from facing one mid-mission where it can knock a PC mech out of the fight with each shot.
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Dec 5, 2021 08:33
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Indeed, Lancer enemies are for the most part specialist glass cannons who in their area of specialization usually exceed even purpose-built player mechs. However, they only have one HP bar and even those with two stand a good chance of getting wrecked on losing the first - you need multiple Template layers to put together a boss-like character that approaches the sheer resiliency of a player mech. On the flip side, NPCs only live for the current battle, while PCs have to worry about the next fight, and have only so many resources to patch themselves up with or allocate to each encounter - and their risks of fail cascading increase as these resources dwindle. So if we strip much of the flair and get down to pure game theory, the GM and Players are playing two different games, where the former can freely trade pieces and doesn't expect knockout blows until the players are sufficiently worn down, while the players have to balance aggression vs safety in terms of resource-types to use and also greatly benefit from focusing down priority threats. Conspiratiorist fucked around with this message at 08:56 on Dec 5, 2021 |
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Dec 5, 2021 08:54
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And some of the losses here were 'new GM' misplays on my part, like not respecting the Pegasus's range and a misunderstanding of how Lancer handles Line of Sight. They took out the Engineer first for a reason. Edit: It's also important to note that I kept the OpForce relatively straightforward and didn't deploy any hard counters to the players. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 19:28 on Dec 5, 2021 |
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Dec 5, 2021 12:51
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PoptartsNinja posted:And some of the losses here were 'new GM' misplays on my part, like not respecting the Pegasus's range and a misunderstanding of how Lancer handles Line of Sight. They took out the Engineer first for a reason. Getting ultra high-rolled on the Peg's mimic gun stat rolls didn't help  18-20-13 is over 50% More Mimic Gun than the average.
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Dec 5, 2021 20:53
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The dice fall where they fall, even if they leave me sweating buckets. My priority next turn is keeping the Sniper alive long enough to reload in the vague hope that it'll get to take another shot. We'll see if I can manage it.
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Dec 5, 2021 21:12
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Sorry, I'm running a little behind schedule today. I got my Covid booster yesterday and despite not having a major reaction to the first two the third one is kicking my rear end.
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Dec 8, 2021 23:38
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Hey, at least that means it's not a placebo.
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Dec 9, 2021 00:03
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Conspiratiorist posted:Hey, at least that means it's not a placebo. Excellent name/post combo. My other half had hers at the weekend, hit hard for a day then settled down.
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Dec 9, 2021 00:09
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Oh, hey. The Goliath got to do its thing. This should ratchet up the tension a little! 
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Dec 9, 2021 00:13
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Oh dear. Hope it wasn't to me (because I'm immune to it thanks to Spaceborn).
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Dec 9, 2021 00:17
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Lancer Interlude: Round 2 – Turn 1 “What’re we going to do about the big one?” Triada didn’t sound nervous, exactly, but as the Goliath trundled towards them Charlotte thought a little tension was inevitable. It was three times their size, which meant it probably clocked in at something like twenty-seven times their mass. Give or take. That was a lot of mass to shoot through. “Easy,” Nana was calm. “Blow a hole in the armor and focus there. Rattle enough bullets around inside that armor plating and you’re sure to hit something vital.” “I’m on it,” Charlotte volunteered. She fired, her mimic gun shattering an armor plate over the Goliath’s left breast—but as she opened fire with her lighter weapons, the enemy pilot twisted and brought their ‘Mech’s left forearm in the way, hiding the hole she’d punched in the front armor. She aimed a little lower, trying to get a lucky ricochet but to no avail and, as if disdaining her efforts, the Goliath lashed out with its right hand, firing the forearm towards the Black Witch on a rocket booster. Triada tried to parry but that fist alone probably massed at least as much as her Mech and clamped down on the Black Witch’s chest with enough force to crack armor. As the Goliath reeled that fist back in, it opened fire with its automatic shotgun blasting away at a range Triada's Black Witch just couldn’t avoid. Movement Map  Combat Pegasus (Player) - Stable, Steady [Free Action]: Activates ‘Steady your Aim,’ becoming immobilized until the start of the Pegasus’s next turn but gaining +1 accuracy on all attacks with rifles. - Mimic Gun cycles range values! - Ushabti hits Goliath for 1 kinetic damage - [Barrage] with Displacer on Goliath and Smartgun/Oracle LMG on Goliath - - Displacer rolls (4 + 9 + 2 = 15): hit for 11 kinetic damage (damage halved by enemy resistance)! - - Smartgun rolls (4 + 5 + 4 = 13): hit for 4 kinetic damage (damage halved by enemy resistance)! - - Oracle LMG rolls (4 + 4 + 2 = 10): hit for 2 kinetic damage (damage halved by enemy resistance)! - Integrated Oracle LMG attacks Goliath as a free action, uses Zero In trading +1 accuracy for bonus damage on a critical hit - - Oracle LMG rolls (4 + 11 = 15): hit for 3 kinetic damage (damage halved by enemy resistance)! - Autogun attacks Goliath as a free action - - Autogun rolls (4 + 13 + 1 = 18): hit for 3 kinetic damage (damage halved by enemy resistance)! Goliath - [Barrages] with Boarding Leash on Black Witch and with Drum Shotgun twice on Black Witch! Black Witch (player) attempts to Mag Parry the Boarding Leash as a reaction: rolls 2, fails! - - Boarding Leash rolls (2 + 16 = 18) hit for (7 - 1 armor = 6) kinetic damage, halved by resistance (15/18 hp remaining)! - - - Black Witch must pass a hull save or be moved and grappled: rolls (4 + 7 = 11) vs save target 13: failed! Black Witch is pulled to Goliath and Grappled! Black Witch is unable to make reactions! - - Drum Shotgun rolls (4 + 19 = 23) crit for (5 + 4 = 9 - 1 armor = 8) kinetic damage, halved by resistance (11/18 hp remaining)! - - Drum Shotgun rolls (4 + 8 = 12) hit for (5 - 1 armor = 4) kinetic damage, halved by resistance (9/18 hp remaining)! Active Map  Primary Objective - Track a fleeing Pirate (0/1) Secondary Objective - Defeat the remaining Pirates (3/7) Waiting Players    Activated Players  Waiting NPCs     Activated NPC(s)  Orders Due Wednesday - Turn 1 Thursday - Turn 2 Friday - Turn 3 Saturday - Turn 4 Edit: Forgot the Black Witch's armor so it's actually at 18/18 on its new structure bar. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 04:26 on Dec 9, 2021 |
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Dec 9, 2021 00:44
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loving ROCKET PUNCH
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Dec 9, 2021 00:53
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Oh drat! ED: Wait... Black Witch has Resistance to Kinetic through its Repulsor Field trait  (also it should've gotten a Hull save vs the Boarding Leash pull)
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Dec 9, 2021 01:00
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You're right on both counts, correcting. Will redo the 2a map if the Black Witch passes the hull save. Thank you for pointing that out, for some reason I parsed circle-with-a-line-through-it was explosive instead of kinetic. It's the one thing in the Lancer book I admit I don't like: replacing single short words like 'kinetic' or 'blast' with a little icon, especially when half of your little icons are circles, isn't a great idea. It doesn't save that much space and makes it harder for newer players who haven't memorized your symbol set yet. Edit: Fixed. Also I can't add. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Dec 9, 2021 |
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Dec 9, 2021 01:11
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PoptartsNinja posted:As the Goliath reeled that fist back in. As it did it opened fire with its automatic shotgun, blasting away at a range the thrashing Black Witch just couldn’t avoid. Something seems to be off with the way this is worded.
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Dec 9, 2021 03:52
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The first "As" should probably be an "And".
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Dec 9, 2021 04:45
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A Bold move cotton, let's see how this plays out.
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Dec 9, 2021 06:53
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Brb gonna 1v1 this guy in mid
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Dec 9, 2021 20:12
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For clarity's sake: if you're going to use a reaction to use a power on another character's turn, I do need a pm from you as well so I know what's going on. I'll sort it out this turn, just--going forward, remember I'm not in your planning space. Edit: Thanks! Now to decide how much of a bastard I should be. It's Lancer, so the answer is: yes. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 22:27 on Dec 9, 2021 |
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Dec 9, 2021 21:41
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Apologies. We should've been more on top of that.
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Dec 9, 2021 22:36
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It's alright. The first thing I should've done was check the other players' entries, I just couldn't find Invigorating Sensors in the main book and forgot the Swallowtail was from No Room for a Wallflower.
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Dec 9, 2021 22:42
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Do you want share codes? Easier at a glance on compcon imo
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Dec 9, 2021 22:59
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Lancer Interlude: Round 2 – Turn 2 “Archer’s trying to get a bead on Triada!” Frank warned, painting the distant Mech with a targeting scanner until it practically glowed like a sun on his targeting monitor. Without wasting any time, Nana dashed forward, plowing through a snow bank as deep as her Mech was tall and opening fire before the archer could react. With her first barrage she cracked its chassis and, laying down a second to keep the Archer from trying to scramble away, she finished it with a snap-shot from her unraveller and disintegrated it from the inside. Her Mech’s reactor vents opened wide, trying to dump engine heat and obscuring her in a cloud of white-hot steam that, in the surrounding air, quickly turned into a rain of powdery hail. Its afterburners flaring, the enemy Ace bore down on her position and dropped a pair of missiles from its under-wing racks. She clamped her mouth shut but didn’t flinch from the impact she knew was coming—but the blast never came, her makeshift igloo of snow and steam remained un-breached as the twin rockets screamed past her. Movement Map  Combat Everest (Player) - Begins turn Swallowtail Ranger (Player) - [Reaction] Activates the Lessen of the Held Image trigger: another player begins their turn - - Locks On to Archer! - [Reaction] Invigorating Scanners trigger: When the Swallowtail inflicts Lock On - - Everest can move up to its speed as a reaction Everest (Player) - Activates Asura Protocol, gaining 2 additional Quick Actions or one additional Full Action this turn. Heat increases by 3. - [Reaction] Trigger: Invigorating Scanners - - Moves to 1518 - Moves to 1515 Ace - [Reaction] Rapid Response trigger: An enemy in LOS moves - - Boosts to 1407! Everest (Player) - Overcharges to gain an extra skirmish action, gains 2 heat! Everest enters the Danger Zone! Skirmish with HMG on Archer - - [Skirmisher: Lockbreaker] Moves to 1513 - - HMG consumes Lock On to gain 1 accuracy, rolls (4 + 16 + 1 = 21): crit for (6 + 4 + 4 = 14) kinetic damage + [Nuclear Cavalier: Fusion Hemorrhage] 5 energy damage + [Nuclear Cavalier: Aggressive Heat Bleed] 2 heat - [Barrage] with HMG on Archer and Unraveler on Archer - - HMG rolls (4 + 4 = 8): missed! - - Unraveler rolls (4 + 6 = 10): hit for (4 + 6 = 10) energy damage! Archer destroyed! - [Skirmish] with HMG on Sniper - - HMG rolls (4 + 2 = 6): missed! - - [Skirmisher: Lockbreaker] Moves to 1515! - [Quick Action] Hides in hex 1515! Ace - Flies to 1413! - [Skirmish] to fire Missile Launcher at hex 1519 - - Missile Launcher rolls (2 + 14 = 16) vs. Black Witch: hit! - - - Black Witch is caught in the blast, suffers (6 - 1 armor = 5) explosive damage (4/18 hp)! Active Map  Primary Objective - Track a fleeing Pirate (0/1) Secondary Objective - Defeat the remaining Pirates (4/7) Waiting Players  Activated Players  Waiting NPCs Activated NPC(s) Orders Due Wednesday - Turn 1 Thursday - Turn 2 Friday - Turn 3 Saturday - Turn 4 PTN’s note Changed the border color of dead units to match the border color of other rough terrain. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 04:03 on Dec 10, 2021 |
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Dec 9, 2021 23:14
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Blast 1 on 1519 indeed hits 1618; it's a neat 7-hex circle. However, our Black Witch is not Structured yet, because the Ace only has its one Missile Launcher - Barrage requires picking two different weapons (else you'd be seeing us use that HMG and that high-roller Mimic Gun extra times). It can Skirmish the Missile Launcher, but it'd need to find something else to do with the spare Quick Action. ED: Also 5 attacks, 2 hits. Yes, this is more like the Lancer I know and love. Conspiratiorist fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Dec 9, 2021 |
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Dec 9, 2021 23:24
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Conspiratiorist posted:It can Skirmish the Missile Launcher, but it'd need to find something else to do with the spare Quick Action. Well, shoot. Fixed, and structure hit negated. I'll get this.
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Dec 10, 2021 01:33
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PTN did you not roll an attack against my eDef (of 12) for the Missile Launcher there? Blasts, cones, and lines roll separate attacks against each target in the blast radius, not one attack against default eDef when centering the blast on a hex (page 64). I don't think it matters here since the roll looks like a 16 but for future reference. e: also looks like the 'waiting players' sheet for me still says 3 structure, probably just out of date from the edits im guessing The Oldest Man fucked around with this message at 08:08 on Dec 10, 2021 |
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Dec 10, 2021 01:40
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Oh, yeah, templates only determine who will be a valid target; each then gets their own attack roll. Also, while the Everest's current Hidden status makes it an invalid target for most attacks and affects, AoE like that Missile Launcher can still nail it. Our Black Witch still seems the most attractive target regardless due its rapidly depleting HP, but it's worth keeping in mind. Also also, an interaction that came up here that might've not been obvious is that when you get adjacent to hostile characters you become Engaged. Two things happen: a) while Engaged you gain Difficulty when making Ranged attacks, and b) when becoming Engaged to characters of your Size or larger during a move, you immediately stop and lose the remainder of that movement. In this case my Everest's initial approach was made using the Rangertail's Invigorating Scanners ability, followed by my own standard move to get past, allowing it to slip through and engage the backline. This also took advantage of the Goliath's own reactions being shutdown by its Grappling of the BW, else it'd have been able to punish such a maneuver with its heavy shotgun. Conspiratiorist fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Dec 10, 2021 |
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Dec 10, 2021 02:23
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Lancer Interlude: Round 2 – Turn 3 “You really think you’re surviving this? Picking a fight with four Lancers?” Triada’s words were transmitted through direct physical contact. The Goliath’s fist was still clamped around her Mech’s chest, which made talking—taunting—the enemy a simple matter. Her hands worked over the controls, activating repair protocols and activating a swarm of nanites to shore up her damaged machine. The automated process begun; she focused her attention on the mountain of a Mech. “I swear on my family and my honor that, no matter who wins or loses? You. You, personally? You will not be leaving the field alive.” Triada raised the Black Witch’s leftt arm, its hand curled into a position reminiscent of a priest’s benediction—and activated the impact lance built into her Mech’s frame. Originally a simple mining tool, the array of short-range high-intensity lasers fired for a moment so brief Triada’s eyes couldn’t even perceive it—but the outcome? The outcome she could see. A perfect half-meter hole opened in the Goliath’s torso, narrowed slightly, and punched clean through the other side. The edges of that hole glowed white hot, which dulled to an angry orange in the frigid air. She couldn’t tell if she’d hit something critical with that shot but if she hadn’t? It was only a matter of time. Movement Map  Combat Black Witch (Player) - [Full Action] Stabilize, spends 1 repair to restore full HP (18/18 hp remaining)! - [Overcharge] to gain 1 quick action, gains 1 heat! - [Skirmish] with Impact Lance and Thermal Pistol on Goliath - - Impact Lance rolls (4 + 13 + 4 = 21) crit with Overpower Caliber for (4 + 4 [3 2] = 8) energy damage with Overkill, negating armor & resistance, Black Witch gains 0 heat from Overpower Caliber. Gains 1 Blademaster die. - - Thermal Pistol rolls (4 + 3 - 6 = 1) missed! - [Free Action] Applies Exemplar’s Mark to Goliath - - Initiates a Duel to the Death with Goliath! Hornet - [Full Action] Uses Supersonic to teleport to hex 1525! Active Map  Primary Objective - Track a fleeing Pirate (0/1) Secondary Objective - Defeat the remaining Pirates (4/7) Waiting Players Activated Players  Waiting NPCs Activated NPC(s)  Orders Due Wednesday - Turn 1 Thursday - Turn 2 Friday - Turn 3 Saturday - Turn 4
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Dec 11, 2021 00:10
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For reference:quote:As a free action when you mark a character, you may challenge them in a duel to the death: you and the character with your Mark receive +3 Difficulty on attacks against characters or objects other than each other until either the end of the current scene or one of your mechs are destroyed. If they take any action that includes an attack roll against you, hit or miss, this effect ceases for them until the start of your next turn. 1v1, no items, Fox only, Final Destination. Now the Goliath can't easily go after the rest of the team and ignore me whether it wants to or not, and it has no Overwatch since it grappled me (and Goliath's Overwatch is very powerful since it controls a huge area and - for Overwatch - the Drum Shotgun does excellent damage). This is how a 'light' defender works (as opposed to a 'heavy' defender like a Drake that wants to stand directly in front of allies and absorb damage). It has a bunch of ways to be a pain in the rear end to ranged and tech attackers (Noah/Mag Parry/Black ICE Module), but when you go after it directly, it's a lot harder to put the hurt on than it first appears due to Repulser Field, 1 armor, and higher than average evade/edef (although those aren't helping me much right now  ). Boarding leash, two drum shotgun rounds, and a missile launcher hit would have structured anyone else on the team but Black Witch is a cockroach when you put some Hull on it. Now I'll Slappers Only this extremely large boi until he falls over.
The Oldest Man fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Dec 11, 2021 |
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Dec 11, 2021 01:29
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Sadly while Triada might want to zellbrigen the rest of the party are K:D gremlins.
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Dec 11, 2021 02:06
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Conspiratiorist posted:Sadly while Triada might want to zellbrigen the rest of the party are K:D gremlins. "Duel me, for the honor" and then seconds later her friends jump you could potentially be related to why Triada had to leave Throne Karrakis and has all her sigils burned off 
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Dec 11, 2021 02:31
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Lancer Interlude: Round 2 – Turn 4 “The assault force should have radioed in by now.” The self-styled pirate king Argodile Mosswine gnawed on an uncooked tubor, slowly releasing a mildly narcotic toxin under its skin. The vegetables were harmless, cooked, but the colonial cities nearly always just fed them into printers and processed the biomatter into other foodstuffs. He drummed his fingertips on the armrest of the chair in the little office space he’d claimed for his own. “An, what’s the probability that the entire assault force has suffered a radio malfunction?” A neutral, androgynously masculine voice replied, “At current levels of maintenance debt, 4%. Odds of the assault force being jammed by an external force is 17%” Argodile’s expression turned sour. “Why 17%?” An sounded almost annoyed despite, or perhaps because, of the neutrality of its tone, “The odds of the local government being able to hire mercenaries to oppose you was 17%” “I thought you said the odds of anyone stopping us was practically nil?” Yes, Argo thought as the NHP answered again, An was definitely annoyed. “The odds of the local government being able to hire mercenaries to oppose you was 17%.” This time, it appended, “However, the odds of those mercenaries being stray Lancers is 87%.” Argo’s blood ran colder than the air outside. He spat out the root he’d been gnawing on, and slapped his stubbled cheek to clear his head. He’d discounted that possibility. Albatross hadn’t been through in centuries, if they’d turned up it would’ve been huge news. “What are the odds that Lancers would be able to stop us?” “With your current forces,” An replied, “97%. With a 5% margin for error.” “What are our options? Surrender?” “Surrender offers a 2% chance for survival, Fighting with the forces you have offers a 3% chance. However,” An’s answer was as emotionless as ever. How it managed to put emphasis on that one word continued to baffle even as it dangled a carrot in front of Argo’s oft-broken nose. “Permit me control of the printer and I will manufacture a counter-force even Lancers may balk at.” “Right,” Argo weighed the risks for approximately three seconds before thumbing his intercom, “Smee,” he announced, calling for his second-in-command by the traditional pirate rank. “Unlock the printer, give An full access. It’s an actual emergency—I promise I’m not high this time.” Movement Map  Combat Swallowtail (Player) - [Quick Action] Locks On to the Goliath! - [Quick Action] Bentham/Foucault Elimination: an adjacent ally may take any quick action as a reaction, consuming the Lock On on the Goliath Pegasus (Player) - [Reaction] [Skirmish] with Mimic Gun on the Goliath - - Mimic Gun rolls (4 + 15 + 5 = 24) crit for 11 kinetic damage (halved by resistance)! Swallowtail (Player) - [Reaction] Autonomous Assault trigger: another character within 15 range consumes Lock On - - Attacks Goliath with Autopod - - - Autopod rolls (4 + 2 = 6) hit for 3 kinetic damage (halved by resistance)! Goliath destroyed! Sniper - [Full Action] Stabilizes, clearing heat and reloading! Active Map  Primary Objective - Track the Sniper or Hornet (0/1) Secondary Objective - Defeat the Ace (0/1) - Defeat the remaining Pirates (5/6) Waiting Players Activated Players Waiting NPCs  Activated NPC(s) Orders Due Wednesday - Turn 1 Thursday - Turn 2 Friday - Turn 3 Saturday - Turn 4 PTN's note: Clarified that the ACE can't be the unit that withdraws, it's an AI and wouldn't return to base PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 00:32 on Dec 12, 2021 |
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Dec 12, 2021 00:25
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All going according to plan. Probably. The Sniper climbed atop the ice, yes? Does it have LOS to the Pegasus from there? Conspiratiorist fucked around with this message at 01:05 on Dec 12, 2021 |
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Dec 12, 2021 00:58
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Surely this won't go south for any organics involved.
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Dec 12, 2021 08:38
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PoptartsNinja posted:Lancer Interlude: Round 2 – Turn 4 “Right,” Argo weighed the risks for approximately three seconds before thumbing his intercom, “Smee,” he announced, calling for his second-in-command by the traditional pirate rank. “Unlock the printer, give An full access. It’s an actual emergency—I promise I’m not high this time.” Strong anarcho-tech flavor. You go, little hellbox, you.
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Dec 12, 2021 23:29
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Artificer posted:Surely this won't go south for any organics involved. I see absolutely no problems giving an nhp unfettered printer access. Especially and nhp that's been "maintained" by pirates for god knows how long.
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Dec 13, 2021 03:09
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I look forward to the creative wailing abominations.
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Dec 13, 2021 05:00
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Big fan of Smee being the traditional pirate rank for a second in command. Very cool.
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Dec 13, 2021 18:23
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BRB installing ticking.clock.horos.REAL.legit.exe
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Dec 13, 2021 21:54
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Hey PTN is the Goliath's wreck blocking LOS from the Sniper's elevated position to 1818/1918/1919 that area right now?
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Dec 14, 2021 01:30
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