Dice Robotech: Army of the Southern Cross - OOC thread

[Psychie]

Once you get back on line, a quick question for you Psychie . If I were to take the Natural Aptitude of JOAT, would I be limited in the MOS packages I can select? The ATAC usually only has access to Military and Technical ones. Not sure I'm going to go for that, but I'd like to know my options.

For the Natural Aptitude skill package, I'll let you select other MOS's that are not normally allowed by your OCC, but include some sort of information on that in your background.

Psychie When you have time, could you roll some dice for me?

9d6 for SDC
1d4 for PS
4d4 for Spd

I'm still debating my Natural Aptitude Bonus and some details on my sheet, but it is coming along.

SDC 38
PS 3
14 Spd

 

[Purr]

Nice rolls! =)

 

[Purr]

Hey there. The following is just some mental meanderings between bouts of coughing up phlegm, enjoying my wonderful coffee, and the lovely sunshine and fresh air coming in through my open window. I'm thinking out loud and I like doing that while writing. Reply or not to this as you please. =)

Spoiler: So I don't fluff up the page.

After purchasing two of his excellent sketchbooks, I've been doing some reading into Larry Elmore's work and I see how I came up with a character like Felis/Risa. Felis, now that I look at her, is at best a background character - another name or face in a story. She could be developed into a stronger character, but I'm still thinking that I can make a better character given the parameters we're working under.

In order for a guy like me to play a character, I have to believe in that character. So I went back to GMP. What's my problem there? Well, that's easy - it reminds me too much of Real Life. Well, today I thought, well, you're not playing the kinds of law enforcement officers we have in Real Life. You're playing someone different in a completely different situation. Brazil (Portuguese speakers, South America). Post-apocalyptic environment (kiss Google and Amazon goodbye and be lucky you have electricity and access to military means at all). Malcontents (pissed off 40-foot-tall armed alien giants with one hell of a vendetta, most of 'em). No LEO I know is in that situation, so can I put myself there and play someone who is?

Times like these, I like to look back at the characters who have influenced me over the years. Their stories, their personalities, the writers who brought them to life. To my surprise and delight... there's more than a few cops!

Briarieos and Deunan Knute from Appleseed, Section 9 from Ghost in the Shell, Riggs and Murtaugh from the Lethal Weapon movie series, Robocop and Murphy from Robocop (the first film only, please), Columbo (the detective from the eponymous TV series), and even Cadfael from Ellis Peters' terrific book and TV series (who while not a cop very much has the soul of a true person of justice).

Okay! So maybe I can make a GMP character. =)

Psychie points out to the decent plethora of MOSs out there. My question whenever I am rolling up a Palladium character is - sure, but how many of these skills am I really going to use? I mean... I can list off a large number of skills that hardly ever see the light of day. The trick, I think? Just play what you think is the most fun. Hmm.

More later.

 

[Sherwood]

Well spoken, my friend. I am now looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

 

[Psychie]

Indeed!

 

[Purr]

Thanks! =)

Right now, I'm writing up a GMP template and seeing if what I can make is fun for the long-term. =)

 

[Sherwood]

At the moment, I am thinking that I have the game crunch stuff for my character done, and just need to do a bit of background.

 

[Psychie]

Cool cool.

 

[Purr]

Psychie Do the GMP have "ESWAT" counter-terrorism units based out of Brazil? I'm thinking Appleseed-style units when Deunan and Briareos were running around Olympus with landmates and such? Just replace the landmates with a VHT or Myrmidon? What are your thoughts here?

*reaches for more coffee because it really is that good!* =)

 

[Psychie]

They do now! Seriously, I like Appleseed and can fully go with a team like that.

 

[Psychie]

This also adds some interesting ideas for the game for me to introduce.

 

[Purr]

Oh! And Psychie! Love what you did with the M-84! 3D4 M.D. for a five-round burst? That puts it nicely under the Wolverine.

 

[Psychie]

It seemed to be reasonable. I was hoping to keep it from being off balance.

 

[Sherwood]

Looks good to me.

 

[Psychie]

Thanks!

 

[Psychie]

I see that being like the auto pistol used at about 1:25 in the video.

 

[Sherwood]

Love that movie.

 

[Purr]

Ah, even the pros sometimes seem to mess this one up.

Psychie If you'll forgive the correction, that is no automatic pistol (see my Glock videos in this thread - those are fully automatic pistols). What he's using (and it's an easy-to-miss fact as Batou at about Mark 1:46 states "sub machine pistol"). That is a submachine gun. Submachineguns like the mini-Uzi, MAC-10,, and (probably the world's most popular SMG) Heckler & Koch MP5 are designed to be fully automatic. The differences between the two pistols are few but important. Many people mix them up and I fear this got lost in translation in the movie.

1. Think concealability. A pistol (semi auto or full-auto) can fit into your jacket pocket or even conceal on your person (like the Glocks). Pistols are, by default, semi-automatic weapons open to most civilians in the United States.
"Glock 18" by Hickok45. Just watch the few opening seconds to see.


2. Think SWAT or military use. A submachinegun is just too big to fit into your pocket so folks use straps or specialized holsters. SMGs are, by default, fully-automatic weapons not available to most civilians.
"Shooting a FULL AUTO MAC-10!!!" Another short video, note the folding stock and flash suppressor (which hides the flash of the bullets and makes it harder for enemies to see where they're coming from - not to be confused with a sound suppressor). =)


The M-84 is classified as a "machine pistol" so, at least in my games, it is one of the few fully-automatic weapons to fall under the "pistol" category.

 

[Psychie]

So noted.

 

[Purr]

But yeah. Love me some Masamune Shirow! =) I would like a character trained to do this sort of work. =)

"Appleseed Ex Machina (2007) - Church Hostage Rescue"

 

[Purr]

Yeah, that maneuver Deunan does when she goes heels over head while shooting with Briareos? That's why people choose Gymnastics in games like these. It just adds to the cool factor. =)

Changes from Tac Corp to GMP
- 1d6 SDC
+ 1d6 Spd

Why in the world do GMP get W.P. Sword?

 

[Sherwood]

In the manga in a training exercise, Deunan once took on a squad of twelve men while armed with only a knife and took them all out.

She's a total badass, and Briarios is not a slouch either.

 

[Psychie]

Yeah, that maneuver Deunan does when she goes heels over head while shooting with Briareos? That's why people choose Gymnastics in games like these. It just adds to the cool factor. =)

Changes from Tac Corp to GMP
- 1d6 SDC
+ 1d6 Spd

Why in the world do GMP get W.P. Sword?

-2 SDC, +3 Spd

And yes, Appleseed is totes awesome, and I have no idea why the GMP gets WP Sword. WP Knife I can get, but swords? <shrug> Who knows?

 

[Purr]

In the manga in a training exercise, Deunan once took on a squad of twelve men while armed with only a knife and took them all out.

She's a total badass, and Briarios is not a slouch either.

Yeah! But training exercise my hind end! That was in the field and they were seriously cutting each other! I love that rear parry she does against that guy who tries to put his knife into her head from her blindside! =)

Thanks for the numbers, Psychie.

(Forgive me if I've already asked this.) Is taking the Portuguese language worth it in this game or should I stick to Zentraedi?

 

[Psychie]

Zentraedi is going to be the biggest non-English language you'll be dealing with, but I was planning on having a translator work with your team on occasion. If you get Portuguese or Spanish, that will eliminate that as a critical need.