Recruiting: Down in the Gutter - Second Phase, Life in Redmond's Newest Street Gang Options

[Eyeless Blond]

I've got good Electronics and Cracking. Can I crack the Clearsight autosoft on the Doberman and install it on the Fly-Spy? And the Maneuverability 2 in the Fly-Spy and put it in the car?

[Whipstitch]

Page 240 from the BBB indicates that Autosofts do correspond to particular skills in the case of Maneuver and Targeting, so I'd think a Fly-Spy's Maneuver would be Maneuver (Aircraft) while a car would need Maneuver (Groundcraft), or maybe even Maneuver (wheeled). It's obviously not my call, but I wouldn't really bet on nicking universal Autosofts off of anything.

[Eyeless Blond]

Hm. Yeah, the Maneuver one is a stretch, but the Clearsight one? Camera images are all the same. I could really use that on the drone and car; the listed Sensor ratings suck, and individual sensors have availability 8 for God alone knows what reason, so upgrading them is right out.

That's the thing about rigging at low-level like this: most riggers spend more on upgrades than vehicles/drones themselves. The drones are low-availability, but the upgrades are all between 8 and 12. I feel sorry for Sparky, who's trying to build a real rigger; all I'm trying to do is be survivable with a low-Str ganger, and that means a drone bodyguard. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Whipstitch]

I feel sorry for Sparky, who's trying to build a real rigger.

I don't. A Nissan Doberman comes with decent stock AutoSofts no matter how you slice it, and software costs don't explode 'till beyond rating 3 anyway, so the Rigging rules are set up to scale down in cost to fit the setting rather well, actually, all things considered. He should be fine as long as he limits his Hacking programs to the minimum required to defend his toys (Attack, Armor, Biofeedback Filter). Plus, drones are effectively vehicles, so they have what is for all intents and purposes hardened armor. If he takes a Steel Lynx for his Availability 12 item and armored it (which only takes a shop, not a facility), he would likely have the toughest fighter in the gang by default, since it's not like everyone's packing APDS around these parts. Not that I care, mind you, since he's on our side, but just sayin'. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[WinterRat1]

If he takes a Steel Lynx for his Availability 12 item and armored it (which only takes a shop, not a facility), he would likely have the toughest fighter in the gang by default, since it's not like everyone's packing APDS around these parts.

Right up to the point where his wireless connection fails.

I repeat my warning. I'm not going to screw anyone unfairly, but if that Steel Lynx gets taken out, given the resources you have available to you it's darn near irreplaceable; as some people are already finding out, this is a game in which I show no mercy and pull no punches. Your opposition is street smart, savage, and just as desperate as all of you to survive. You aren't heroes; you're just a bunch of street thugs trying to live to see tomorrow.

Your concept seems to be complex and heavily item-dependent, and be warned there's a very, very good chance simple attrition is going to take those things out sooner rather than later. If your character needs those items to be fun for you to play, then you won't have much fun if/when they're all gone. Take that into consideration when designing your character.

[Vegas]

Eyeless

Dude, can you do us a HUGE favour? I believe we asked before, but since you keep having all these questions that come up that are "essential to your char concept" can you pretty please toss them ALL into a PM for WR? He's pressed for time and honestly you're asking very specific questions that really he has the final or only say on. And we want to be able to give you answers, but some I know are getting buried back into the thread as we go along with other people's questions too.

Also we REALLY need the gear page formatted out for Drip like the templates, to give you answers to some of the questions you have, we really need to easily see availabilities, costs, for everything. None of us have the time to track down everything to give you the answers (and at one of us doesn't have Arsenal/Augmentation yet).

Basically build the character as you want to play him (within the guidelines given) and format the sheets and we'll do a total review at that point.

[Whipstitch]

[I hope what I was saying wasn't interpreted as a complaint in any way. I totally understand that a Lynx like that is meant to be bad ass if he does in fact get one, and riggers have always been a high risk, high reward archetype. Losing a tuned Eurocar to a crash test hurts, and in this setting losing an availability 12 Lynx is the rough equivalent. If he got one and armored it, I'd be all in favor of spraypainting the thing the gang's colors, nicknaming it, and then locking it away and swearing to secrecy so it can be kept as a secret weapon if at all possible. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Dantic]

I know that I am new to the group, but something had been mentioned earlier about you loosing your Matrix GM, if you'd like someone to help relieve the load some, I've got the Matrix/Rigger/Hacker/TM thing pretty well wired, and I have a lot of gaming experience across multiple systems. I know that WR mentioned, he had certain criteria for GMs, I don't know what those criteria are, but I am willing to volunteer, and I am not involved in any of the other play by post games here, only one chat game, and since moving back closer to home, I am in a bit of a gaming wasteland (odd since it used to be pretty flush with gamers only.... oh, 14 or 15 years ago.) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif) So no actual other geeky losers to sit around a table with on Friday nights and play pretend and chuck funny dice (I said multiple systems, a few people know dice come more or less that six sides) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohplease.gif)

[Spike]

Wow... I know I posted a LONG bit... but what's the usual turn around on getting the nod?

Or the pink slip?

Either way'd be good to know

[Eyeless Blond]

Vegas- Well, I wouldn't say essential to my concept, but these questions are central to my build; I mean, I can't stat all my drones out as having the Clearsight I ripped from one of them if, well, I can't actually do that. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Or own a used car when used cars are disallowed, etc etc. But yes, future inquiries will go to WinterRat.

And yes, I know I do need to get to properly formatting the gear, as well as getting more IC quotes up for Drip. This weekend hasn't been nearly as free as I had thought it would be, but I will get everything pulled together ASAP.

At the same time, the somewhat ominous note from WR is making me realize that I may need to go back and rethink a few aspects of this character, especially as it relates to gear, and possibly on a more fundamental level:

[ Spoiler ]

Drip, at the moment, suffers heavily from having a single point of catastrophic failure: his commlink. The fact that he only has one[//b] commlink isn't a huge consideration for most hackers; after all, a Response 5/signal 5 hardware set costs 5k, and any decent hacker will have his programs cracked and copied to redundant places, so they can get back in the game relatively quickly. They won't be at 100%, naturally, but they can get back up to speed without undue trouble.

Now, without knowing for sure what the monthly haul will be here, Drip just doesn't have that kind of luxury. I doubt extremely we'll ever have even the 1,250 it would take to get a Response 3 commlink in-game; I'd have to have Drip steal it, which could well be the end of him. That is a very, very bad idea; I should likely start with both a second, possibly a third, backup, along with a good, reliable way to get more. This bears some serious thought.

The other concern I'm having cuts a bit deeper, to the heart of the character to an extent. I originally envisioned Drip as a hacker. That's what I billed him as, and that's what I want to play. However, hacking, by itself, doesn't make for a good ganger, so I must find something else for him to do that makes him useful to the gang, and worth keeping. Thus, a second (and not insignificant) focus on rigging, and even a [b]tertiary focus on shoplifting. Naturally this is an enormous strain on a shoestring 310BP budget, one that I feel so far I've handled rather well, all things considered. It does worry me, though, that I may well be setting Drip up to fail; he's spread so thin, over so many areas, that he's not really excelling at anything in particular. I should probably sink more points into upping Edge; I think he'll probably need it.

Anyway, that's what's keeping me up at night. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Vegas]

Wow... I know I posted a LONG bit... but what's the usual turn around on getting the nod?

Or the pink slip?

Either way'd be good to know

Sorry Spike, it was a holiday weekend and I know I was tied up with family all day yesterday and was working on the HQ maps for WR the days before that. Plus we're all insanely busy right now outside of just gaming stuff so turnaround is taking a bit longer than usual.

As for the character, Maus is provisionally accepted and you'll need to apply for membership to the wiki and then start filling in your pages that I will be building momentarily. You'll be able to find his pages Here when they're done (probably within the half hour from this posting). If you need help editing the wiki let me know and we'll work with you to get your CS up on the pages. You'll want to fill it out completely (Stats, Gear, Background/20 Questions, Takes) and then when you're done tweaking you'll need to let us know that all of that is done and we'll start the final approval process on Maus.

Thanks for your patience and your willingness to work with us to make Maus fit the game (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Vegas]

Spike

You may have to wait a bit on the pages for Maus. I'm having continual issues with Wikispaces at the moment and have an email into their help guru and will hopefully get a response soon and can build your pages.

Sorry for the continued delay, though this one is out of my hands. I'll let you know as soon as the pages are up.

Thanks!
-V

[Spike]

No problems... I only started to get worried when I saw the organizers posting after mine and still no word. I'll look into the wiki and see if I can wrap my caveman brain around posting there... I'll get it... I swear I'm not totally stupid... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)








EDIT::: I'm assuming that I should at be at least a little familiar with Trojan and Johnny SoHo, as fellow former Brickhouse Boys? Though they are inactive.... What is the standard regarding fellow gangmates?

[Vegas]

Spike

All of Maus' pages are built on the wiki at the link in the previous comment. You'll have to go there and choose to join wikispaces + create an account first then choose to "join this space" (this space being DITG's wiki of course). Once you have requested membership (only members can edit pages) I'll be notified and approve you to start playing around. Please only play around in Maus' pages for now until you know your way around the wiki + it's editing tools as it's easier to "fix" generic pages without a lot of work put into them (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Spike]

Okay... I've posted a lot to the wiki. Maybe TOO much, after my own fashion. Probably cut the story out, will do something later that fits with whatever is going on.

[Eyeless Blond]

Gear update. It's (mostly) all prettified now. Still have to get to the worn part.

Oh, and IC stuff! Right! Um... after sleep first. Sleep good.

[Spike]

I'm going to assume that as long as no one has commented to tell me I've jacked it all up that, as long as I've filled in everything reasonably well on the wiki that all that's left is for me to wait until... friday? That is to say, us new guys are in limbo until WR puts us on the map, so to speak.

I'd really hate to screw up after two weeks of trying to get onboard because I missed something I was supposed to do.

Yeah, I'm the worrier type. How'd ya guess? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleepy.gif)

[Vegas]

Spike

You can relax. you're doing just fine. We're all just insanely busy at the moment and that's why we're rather quiet. on a quick glance over (no stat checking) everything you did looks fine. There are a few minor cosmetic changes (that I'd prefer at least for consistency's sake) to the specializations you took but other than that it looks good. I'd suggest that you start pouring through the other characters pages, and start developing your takes on the characters based off those. They're hardly written in stone and you are encouraged to change them (often!) as your character interacts with the others along the way. Consider your first round of takes their street reps, or whatever if you don't feel comfortable delving too deeply without interaction. It's one of the things that will have to be completed before we fully approve your character.

I'll try to get to checking stats/gear later today.

Dantic

Thanks for the offer for stepping up to the plate to help with Matrix rules and possibly the Matrix GM position. I know WR1 will take it under advisement and consider your offer.
Also, are you done retooling/tweaking Twiggs? If so we'll re-check him and get him in the queue for final approval as well. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Thanks!

[Spike]

Yeah, I've been trying to get a handle on 'Takes' on and off around my 'real' job... problem is I've sort of wrote myself into the corner a bit. Once you provide an animalistic perspective its hard to honestly project abstract opinions. The wolf doesn't think farmer brown is good or bad, he just knows that 'over there is food, and a loud dangerous animal that protects it'.

Or from Maus's perspective: Until he's joined the gang, everyone is potentially 'someone to be hurt'... which is counterproductive.


Obviously a partial solution is to lighten up on the extreme end of conceptualization. The other is to put my backup brain (strapped to my waist...) to work.

[Vegas]

Spike

There's nothing wrong with everyone potentially being someone to hurt before he joins the gang. Hell look at Grack's takes. They fit his character to a "T" and are all about how he would kill each and every gangmate (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Just be creative with them.

First once over here's what I've found:
* You spent 210 (not 200) on Mental/Physical attributes + 20 for edge for a total of 230 (you have that it was 220) Need to drop an attribute by 1.
* Take out the skills you don't have points in, no need to list skills you'll default on.
* Can you (for me, pretty please) fix the specializations in your skills list to be like: Unarmed Combat (Subdual) and for the actual numbers have them be 2(+2) or 2 (4) which ever you prefer?
* Your commlink needs to have an OS to be functional, which will cause you to adjust your limited gear.

There are a couple of other things that WR, Slip and I will have to discuss:
* You've got 2 knowledges @ 4, honestly I don't have a problem with it since one is a language
* Incompetent is a restricted flaw, and while you're taking it for the computer skill it will have to be approved by WR.

Thats what I've caught so far. I'm sure I could have missed something else (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[lkim]

Hey guys, sorry for the long absent. I had RL situation and wasn't able to be online for last week or so.
Well, here's Alex, similar origin, but drastic change in the life after living in the streets of Redmond.

[ Spoiler ]

Name: Alex Cole
Street Name:
Sex: M
Age: 19
Race/Metatype: Ork, mix of Black and Asian.

Alex was born and raised in Auburn, an area ruled by small ganger known as Blood Brothers (mixed races of ethnic group of Blacks). His parents, blue-collar workers in the local factory were poor, but loving and caring. The problem, however, was that they are human. Back then, and still is in the present, Auburn has disproportionate amount of metahumans, and many of anti-meta humanis groups were stirring problems to escalate conflicts. His parents were framed to be one of humanis group member, and they are responsible for the recent violent death of young Ork girl. They were killed week after they got framed by the mobs of angry Ork parents, and Alex was taken cared by the Blood Brothers at the age of 7.

The Blood Brothers taught Alex know-how of surviving in the street over the course of next few years, knowing that Alex cannot stay in Auburn for what his parents may or may not did. When Blood Brothers taught simple and basic, but essential knowledge and skills to survive in the street, he was sent to Redmond. If he survives, maybe there is hope and place for him. If he doesn't, well, that's what you get for being son of humanis club.

Alex was left alone in the streets of Redmond Barren, at the age of 8. During the first year in the street, it looked like he wasn't going to see next year. All the knowledge and skills taught by the Blood Brothers were useful and essential for the surviving, and he used well to survive. Only problem was his physical fitness. Being a young, frightened, and weak human child and practice of malnutrition out in the street have cost his health. Right before his 9th birthday on the same year, he met his savior and sensei.

His savior/sensei was a not-so-talented decker, who does the counterfeiting credsticks, BTL producing, and occasional prostitution for living. Her name was Myst, although there was not a single thing that was mysterious about her, except her past. She had lost memory of her past by the unknown virus attack at Seattle's Matrix RTG, March of that year. It didn't matter too much for Alex, although she sometimes become psychotic bitch-of-the-year, she does provide him a roof-over-head. Alex, in return did errands and chores for her little apartment home.

Next year, around late September, Alex was in agonizing pain for several days, which was caused by Goblinization of him. When the pain did subdue, he became an Ork. Myst seemed not caring whether Alex just went through Goblinization and turned into an Ork. Several days after Alex's Goblinization, however, she started to teach him the bit of combative moves as well as variety of firearms, telling him he need to learn these to become a personal body guard of sort when she's meeting with the BTL / counterfeit dealers for her protection.

The real suprise came in Alex's 12th birthday. Ever since Alex's parents were killed by the mob, he never received any birthday present. But this year, Myst gave him a very special birthday present. A deck. It was made out of many other junks, but functional. Myst told Alex, he need to start learning how to do the BTL producing and counterfeiting credsticks, since he's starting to eating too much. Alex wasn't as smart as Myst, but he was able to absorb all the teaching given to him with pure effort. Within six months time, he was able to produce BTL and counterfeit credsticks.

Life became easier for both, after Alex was able to bring in some money. But life in the street is always unpredictable. One day, in the fall of '64, when Alex was doing little errand of delivering BTL to the local dealer, Myst was on Matrix as usual. Then Matrix crashed for the second time. This time Myst wasn't as lucky as before, gotten her killed by the crash. When Alex returned to the joint, Myst seemed just fine. Just enjoying her time at the Matrix as usual, he thought and left her alone till dinner time. When Myst wasn't jacking out from the Matrix, far pass the dinner time, Alex got worried but left her alone. Next morning when he woke up, Myst was still at the connection, not even touched her dinner or moved her muscle. Alex, worried and wanting to find out what's going on, he went close to Myst, found out she's not breathing. He quickly jacked her out of Matrix and tries to revive her, but it was just hopeless.

After several days of mourning, he picked up the body of Myst and went to the morgue to cremate her. Alex kept little bit of ash in a locket, which he always wears around his neck. When he came back to the joint, he started packing his and Myst's stuffs. Packing didn't take that much time since they both didn't have too much stuff to start with. When the packing was done, he picked up the bag, looked around the joint for one last time, and left.

For the next couple of years, he made harsh streets as his home, moving one place to another constantly dodging out of cold grip of death that seems to lurking everywhere. Because he was constantly on the move, he has been almost everywhere in the Redmond, except couple of places like 162s and Black Plague's turf, and made quite a few contacts in the gangs and the people around the Redmond.

Many gangs offered him to join their gang, but he couldn't settle in on one place as Alex wanted to be just left alone. But just last month, he finally settled in an apartment near the Kirkland City Park. With a young girl who resembles strikingly resembles Myst of the past.

As soon as Alex and the girl settle in their new home, the gang war started in the Redmond.

For the fear of getting killed by this war between gangs, and leaving this young girl out on the street to live the life like him, made him to stay at home most of the month. But home wasn't and couldn't be the safest place when gang war was going on everywhere. On October 29th, while Alex was out to go grab some food from the store, another fire fight broke in the neighborhood. As he hurried back to home, he saw the Raiders leaving the area. When he got home, there was bullet holes everywhere, smoke from the burning was filled the air. Alex called out the young girl's name, but no answer. When he got to the front door, he saw the girl lying in the middle of the puddle, made from her blood.

And, here's his personality.

[ Spoiler ]

Alex, after many deaths of the ones he love and care, has bit of personality issues. First, he's depressed. Lost his parents at young age, lost his savior/sensei when he thought life is going to be easy, and now seeing the dead body of a girl who he swore he's going to protect, if it wasn't the harsh life in the streets of Redmond, he probably have lost his mind, but he have kept his sanity, although he have lost the joy. Next, becoming an Ork through Goblinization has put him in a love/hate relation of himself. He did kicked out of his home, because his parents being human, by the neighboring Ork parents. It would be fair to say he doesn't like the Orks, if not hate. But he is an Ork. This fact put him in a love/hate feeling of himself. And lastly, he is afraid of being attach to a person or people emotionally. He feels that everyone he cared have died, whether it's his fault or not, and tries to keep a space between himself and others, emotionally.

I know I've been keep changing the story and what not. I hope this would be the last time.
Well, tell me if these are okay w/ WR or not, and where should it be changed to be in the game.

[HeySparky]

Bearclaw - would you consider Rico having been a part of the Brickhouse Boys? They were an aspiring chop-gang. Seems fitting. Plus, I was thinking of making my PC (a troll rigger) from the Brickhouse and then we'd have a nice cluster of survivors. I'm not too sure about that peacoat business, though... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Whipstitch]

Yeah, I've been trying to get a handle on 'Takes' on and off around my 'real' job... problem is I've sort of wrote myself into the corner a bit. Once you provide an animalistic perspective its hard to honestly project abstract opinions. The wolf doesn't think farmer brown is good or bad, he just knows that 'over there is food, and a loud dangerous animal that protects it'.

Or from Maus's perspective: Until he's joined the gang, everyone is potentially 'someone to be hurt'... which is counterproductive.


Obviously a partial solution is to lighten up on the extreme end of conceptualization. The other is to put my backup brain (strapped to my waist...) to work.

Yeah, Vegas is spot on with the Grack comparison. Besides, people and even dogs are very social animals. Maus sounds like a guy who would have a rather rigid mindset at times and could be extremely focused on hierarchies when in social situations. Wolves are hardly as smart as people, but even they have clearly established pecking orders, and much like Maus they're primarily concerned with sorting out who is in charge and falling in line. So maybe his takes could largely consist of where he assumes people stand in the gang, perhaps with a strong bias towards assuming the big gus run the show. Besides, aside from the background, your character isn't really what I'd call profoundly mentally handicapped. A 2 logic instead of a 3 means he's not exactly the guy I'd want doing my taxes even if he were more educated, but with average intuition and charisma scores, he's still rather capable of learning and having accurate insights, especially in social situations where observation and posturing matter more than raw intellect. In fact, my character Cuervo has the same Logic score, but with his average intuition and high charisma, he can roll a decent Judge Intentions test and know when to keep his mouth shut even if he never would have made it through medschool and occasionally crashes his commlink's OS trying to perform simple tasks. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Spike]

Damnit I've gone over those numbers five times!!! I'll go over them again, see what I missed. GRrrr...

There is a reason he doesn't have an OS... check his negative qualities. He's not retarded, no, but he is essentially mimicking the behavior of people around him. People have commlinks, so he has a commlink. It doesn't do much for him, but damnit, he's got it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

I'm not sure why the takes are bugging me so much. I've looked at almost everyone's characters for ideas on what to do, but somehow the takes just slide right on by. I'll make sure to check Grack's closer.

I'll edit the specializations. Gimmee a sec, I'm juggling. I think I only left one default skill in (first aid) because I thought it was likely to come up.



EDIT:::: Got it. I spent the right amount, I just put the wrong number int he bottom row for willpower (wrote 30bp when I spent 20... no idea how that happened. Whew.. thought I'd have to sacrifice something there...)

[Eyeless Blond]

Besides, aside from the background, your character isn't really what I'd call profoundly mentally handicapped. A 2 logic instead of a 3 means he's not exactly the guy I'd want doing my taxes even if he were more educated, but with average intuition and charisma scores, he's still rather capable of learning and having accurate insights, especially in social situations where observation and posturing matter more than raw intellect.

It's more than that. Take a look at the average characters in the SR4 contacts/running section. Despite what the book says, in actual practice a 2 is the new 3, and 4 is the new 6; human average stats are between 2 and 2.5, not 3.

That makes Maus above average mentally. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)