Jet
Uncultured
Floating an idea, let's see who's game. If a group shows interest I can set things up. Also, check the index for my extra info post.
Not alone in the world of Payload though, the two leagues work atop a Pyramid. Below are two main challenger leagues, a pair of secondary challenger leagues, a host of unaffiliated semi-pro leagues and D1-D3 Collegiate Payload teams playing a safer version of the game. All in all there are hundreds of teams, hundreds of stadiums and thousands of high level players competing across Sol-1.
The objective of Payload is simple, deposit five charges at the enemy's goal before they deposit five on your side. Once five are deposited the enemy goal explodes in a firework display. Accomplish this and you win the game.... But that's easier said than done in the brutal sport; because every step forward is fraught with danger.
This is warfare for entertainment, not just sport. The objective is just a framework for violence. Sure there are limitations about weapon types and yes there are written rules about unnecessary roughness and unwritten ones about "pod-targetting" but this is still warfare. Just check the lethality for proof. It's the highest of any sport since Ancient Rome.
This sets the story, one of an underdog team without a sponsor to its name. Not affiliated with any premier-league or big school alumn, this team is cobbled together by pipe-dreams of winning MECHABOWL, a limited entry Payload tournament with a ¢250,000 Platinum Credit prize. With pro, challenger and semi-pro teams fighting to qualify from all around Sol-1, our ragtag group will look to secure a spot in the Mechabowl bracket. I'll delve into more details as the days come but that's the rundown.
Premise
In the far future Payload dominates the air. Across Sol's reach it's a sport with thirty billion fans and a trillion more in yearly revenue. Two Premier Leagues of thirty teams dominate the realm, playing in eight super-stadiums built on seven different planets and moons. Stacked with veteran players and advanced rigs these are the baddest of the bad, to say premier teams are the real deal would be an understatement. Enter the ring unprepared against them and you'll be lucky to leave in one piece.
Not alone in the world of Payload though, the two leagues work atop a Pyramid. Below are two main challenger leagues, a pair of secondary challenger leagues, a host of unaffiliated semi-pro leagues and D1-D3 Collegiate Payload teams playing a safer version of the game. All in all there are hundreds of teams, hundreds of stadiums and thousands of high level players competing across Sol-1.
The objective of Payload is simple, deposit five charges at the enemy's goal before they deposit five on your side. Once five are deposited the enemy goal explodes in a firework display. Accomplish this and you win the game.... But that's easier said than done in the brutal sport; because every step forward is fraught with danger.
This is warfare for entertainment, not just sport. The objective is just a framework for violence. Sure there are limitations about weapon types and yes there are written rules about unnecessary roughness and unwritten ones about "pod-targetting" but this is still warfare. Just check the lethality for proof. It's the highest of any sport since Ancient Rome.
This sets the story, one of an underdog team without a sponsor to its name. Not affiliated with any premier-league or big school alumn, this team is cobbled together by pipe-dreams of winning MECHABOWL, a limited entry Payload tournament with a ¢250,000 Platinum Credit prize. With pro, challenger and semi-pro teams fighting to qualify from all around Sol-1, our ragtag group will look to secure a spot in the Mechabowl bracket. I'll delve into more details as the days come but that's the rundown.
Team Setup
At any time each team must have nine non-blocker rigs on the field. Rig composition is not regulated by the ISPF and is left to team staff. If a rig is disabled a substitute must be brought to play. The only exception is if a team's Blocker is nulled by enemy fire. In that case play must continue without an operational Blocker for a total of nine working rigs in play. If a team is unable to provide a substitute, an "auto-fill" drone-rig with high durability and limited offense will be placed on the field to mitigate focus firing.
Role Breakdown
(Anyone can be anything, not making pre-sets. Unless someone really wants to be a blocker I'll handle that through a GMPC, because lawdy, that's a boring gig)
(Anyone can be anything, not making pre-sets. Unless someone really wants to be a blocker I'll handle that through a GMPC, because lawdy, that's a boring gig)
- LANCERS "You have a death wish? Keep playing like that and it might come true. Trust me, I know from experience." Lancers are nimble rigs with low armoring, high speed and high offense. Working on the principle of "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" a Lancer pilot has one primary objective. Don't get hit by the big boys, because if you do get hit it's best of luck to ya and have a good night. Lancers are the primary charge-carriers as well as the best flankers on the field. If you need a quick flank to help, call a Lancer to boost jump across the field. If you need a clutch goal, pass it forward to a Lancer. If you need an interception it'll be one of these high octane maniacs too. True to their role though, Lancers have the highest injury and fatality rate because of their light armor. Their size and relative power also limits the type of enemy they can target. Sure, against other Lancers, Praetors and Sentries they can do damage, but against a Blocker their small weapon systems won't do much unless the have pinpoint accuracy.
- PRAETOR "Reliable as they come. A Praetor in the right hands is a scalpel. Just don't get cocky kid, make a dumb move and you're done, just like a scrapped Lancer." The Praetor class is one of balanced offense, speed and armoring. Not for one particular style this is the "do it all" second line behind Lancers. While not being tanks these rigs are more suited for "give and take" fights with shots being exchanged. What makes them special though is their capable speed and the wide variety of builds one can make, ranging from offense focused and light-armored to bulkier and more defense focused. With the right user and the right specs, a Praetor is the worst of all worlds for opponents.
- SENTRIES "Slow feet and fast minds, I always hated Sentry pilots, the turtling bastards" defensive combatants these rigs are big n' tall, bulky and built with durability in mind. Carrying large weapon systems these mechs work as platforms. Nothing takes down Lancers quite like a well run Sentry-Rig. What they have in armor and weapons though, they lack in speed or maneuverability. While a good Sentry can counter a Lancer well, a good Lancer can also tie a Sentry in knots.
- BLOCKERS "Nothing says 'I'm fucked' quite like a Blocker's bore cannon sighted on you from short, had a couple close calls with that alone" Blockers are mountainous rigs with incomprehensibly large builds. These immobile behemoths rarely move their quadrupedal bases, favoring torso rotation for target acquisition and defensive adjustments. Blockers live and (damn near don't ever) die at their team's goal. Like Sentries, Blockers are weapon platforms but unlike Sentries their weapons are only good in close quarters. The typical Blocker will stack Ion Hammers and Spiked Tungsten Shields or Bore Canon Shotguns and chain-swords. These armored beasts are balanced by a rule-written range limit on their weapon systems and high defense to ward off long range attacks. Despite the limits they're lethal in their own right, get careless near one and it's lights out because pound for pound these guys hit hardest. In testament to their defense, Blockers are hardly ever taken out completely. The primary focus of attackers isn't to disable but to dodge defenses and damage weapon systems. If one can render a blocker lame they will not be replaced by substitution, as reward for the associated difficulty of taking one out. (Planning on making a GMPC for this rather boring role, but I will give it to a player if you/they are really sure if it)
- GREMLINS "You know it's time to hang it up if gremlins get ya, sad scenes when n' old goat comes to the side after that thinkin 'I wonder if riggin can go on a resume?" Gremlins are drone-rigs meant to liven up large battlefields. These small and weak drones are easy kills for solid pilots. More than just highlight fodder though, Gremlins carry unique weaponry that is otherwise prohibited. Things like wire-weavers, HUD jammers, over-chargers and more. These items, while not game-breaking, make Gremlins worth the small-time investment and effort required to kill. BUT BEWARE get clubbed by Gremlins and you're going on ESPN blooper reels.
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