OOC: TANGO DOWN! (pre-game thread), Azerbaijan: SpecOps/Merc work... Options

[A Clockwork Lime]

I just did a little bit of quick research and found that Sanskrit (similiar to Latin but has been dead for 2,000 years) and Gothic (hasn't been spoken since 18th centry Crimea) would be good choices. I'm leaning towards the latter just because it sounds "cool," but that's just me. :)

[gobogen]

I wouldn't go for latin as it is FAR too common and many people can understand most of it, even though very few people are able to really understand or speak it since it's been dead for a long time.

[Digital Heroin]

Go pig latin!

Actually, Gothic sounds intriguing... Sanskrit's a bid too dead, really...

[Digital Heroin]

Ok, point of clarification needed. FIREARMS covers everything but machineguns, neh? If so, are SMGs considered HANDGUNS?

[CardboardArmor]

How about we forego that and just buy a radio system that utilizes subvocal microphones and encryption of frequencies that swap between frequencies on a broad-band on a pre-determined, yet still random basis to prevent and/or make listening impossible?

Because, you know, that's how all military people do it.

[Panzergeist]

Well, I plan to get Enochian, so I can use chanting in it as my centering skill. Callidus, you said you initiated and got reflecting right?

[A Clockwork Lime]

[CardboardArmor]

If someone can break into a Rating 10 communications system, they deserve to listen in on us because quite frankly if they have the resources to do that then we're in for some real fun.

[A Clockwork Lime]

....and all the more reason to make sure they can't figure out what we're up to, dammit. :D

[CardboardArmor]

It's your Know. points. Personally, I'd be more worried about jamming than someone actually listening in. It's a hell of a lot easier and more popular a tactic.

We've already got hand-signals anyway. Some silly, dead language is just truely extrenuous-seeming to me.

[A Clockwork Lime]

Some people just have no sense of style. :P

[CardboardArmor]

I'm not saying you guys can't have your language, I'm just saying I won't be party to it.

And hey, I'm the decker. The artiste. I exude style out of every pore. Style burns through every neuron and capillary in my body, man.

[A Clockwork Lime]

No, that's some virus you picked up in Madagascar. You really should get it checked out some time.

And if anyone doesn't get it, then it's pointless for everyone else to get it. It's just like the Tactical Communications System; even if everyone else has a Rating 10 unit, it only takes a single weak link with a Rating 1 unit to make the investment pointless. We're supposed to be amongst the best. The best typically don't toss away a simple, cheap, and practical means for insuring secure communications so that a mission won't be comprised -- especially for a group designed to be the ultimate in skills rather than toys.

But again, it's really up to everyone. Seems a shame to toss it to the side, though.

[CardboardArmor]

The best spend their time honing their skills, sharpening their knowledge, and what-have-you. Not taking language courses on obscure tongues.

SEAL's, Rangers, Delta, Spetznatz, etc. spend their time on the range, in shoot-houses, or on training in the wilderness. If not that, then they're familiarizing themselves with the tools of their trade and the latest tactics and developments. Not circle-jerking while listening to tapes on 'Sanskrit Made Easy'.

In the long run, I penultimately don't care. As a player, I say no. As a character, gimme the langsoft.

[tisoz]

Is there room for anyone else? I'd hate to spend hours reading a couple hundred posts and have someone get the last slot while I was doing so.:)

If there is room, what have you got and what might you need? If there is room I'll read and catch up.

[A Clockwork Lime]

Ronin pretty much said no, Tisoz. He's deliberating over a number of other characters for the last spot.

[tisoz]

Ok, thanks for the quick reply.

[Digital Heroin]

Cardboard, you do realize we won't always have our fancy toys, eh? There'll likely be times when we have to carry next to nothing into a situation, or if the drek really hits the fan, we might be caught and have to break out. Versalitity is key.

[CardboardArmor]

We're assuming every enemy we run into is a polyglot.

Nothing says we can't just use a world-language or use so much slang and jargon that we make up (eliminating the need to tie up Know points while still making a 'unique' language) that nobody could understand us.

[A Clockwork Lime]

If we're using "slang and jargon that we make up," that qualifies as a unique Knowledge/Language Skill anyway, even if it's just a specialization in another language.

[CardboardArmor]

Depends on Ronin on that call.

Anyway, just so I'm not thought of as an irrational ogre, here are my reasons for not wanting this plan.

1) "Where would we learn it?" Dead tongues are a rather estoeric topic of study. Even professors who study them to the exclusion of all else never really truely gain full fluency.

2) "Language Structure" Navajo not withstanding, we'd have to 'make up' new words in these old, dead languages to make modern concepts and items fit into them. As much as I want to believe it, I doubt the Greeks, Aryans, or Goths ever had to make up a concept for a word like 'cyberware' and their language passed out of use before those who speak it in time to know cyberware could agree upon a collective term to use.

3) Previous arguement on training time, et al.

Hence, my proposition: It is far more likely that we just do the whole specialized language slang/unique code thing. I will concede that much. I am, however, still vehemently opposed to the idea of using a dead and outmoded tongue.

[Callidus]

@Panzer: well I suggested that I've initiated but yes I've got reflecting..... and sheilding *8->

On the subject of code langauges the easy way, I believe, to do it is that we just take random words from other langauges and reassign the meanings. Ie. One doesn't mean one it means 10.... or enemy that way you can build the langauge needing only about 20-50 words.... all combat based..... such as enemy, stop, cover fire (as one word), etc. that way we don't sit down for two years learning the language and anyone listening in hears a mix of english, french, german, etc that makes no sense at all when they translate it *8->

On the other hand as we're gonna be in arabic countries most of the time english'll be fairly safe except if we're being spied on.....

[TheOneRonin]

Morning folks. Time for my first updates of the week.

#1 SMGs: The fall under whichever specialization their usage reflects. For example, a shoulder fired MP5 would use Longarms, while an Ingram Smartgun would use Handguns. Just think of it this way...if you hold your SMG like a pistol, then it shoots like a pistol. If you hold it like a rifle, it shoots like a rifle. To me, having a separate skill for SMGs is flat silly. Same thing with separating Assault Rifles and Rifles. That's just assinine. If I take you to the range and teach you how to shoot an M-16 with iron sights at targets out to 100 meters, it's not like you are going to be completely clueless if I hand you an HK PSG-1 with iron sights. The prinicples are what's important.

#2 Language: I agree that it's a neat idea, but more than a little impractical. However, I like Callidus' suggestion. You guys using a sort of "field jargon" would work rather nicely. Just realize that English isn't necessarily the native language of all the characters, so some jargon might be hard to understand. How about we just do it this way...on the IC post, type out what your character actually says over the radio, the put the real meaning in brackets. Hell, you could even put everything in terms of (american)football if you the characters are all fans. "Touchdown" could be code for a kill, "80 yard pass inbound" could be code for incoming air support and whatnot.

#3 Characters: Well, it looks like Panzer is going to have that last slot. I'll PM you an alotment of BPs, and you can get your character to me as soon as you can. Also, if anyone else wants to submit characters, go ahead. Even though the slots are all taken, I'd be glad to consider you as backup in case someone has to drop out. Of course, the others who have submitted characters have priority if one of the slots goes open.

Okay, so it looks like we have our team. Things are looking good, guys. What I'd like you guys to do on this thread until I close it is familiarize yourself with the rest of the team. Some of you have started that already, and others are waiting for their character builds to get finial approval. That's cool, but you do need to know each other pretty darned well before the game starts. Remember, you aren't just co-workers...you are buddies. You guys hang out and drink together.

[BGMFH]

FYI viri et feminae, Latin isn't nearly as dead as you think it is, nor very difficult. Next, lingua chips are pretty common and easy to acquire, allowing instant proficiency in anything you need. Stick to the hand signals, and broadcast encryption.

[TheOneRonin]

Okay, here's the basic breakdown of the team as it stands now:

Team Leader: Michael Walker (Grey)
Ex UCAS CIA Field Operative (Human Male, Caucasian)

Sniper: Danny "Downtown" Townsend (Shadow)
Ex CAS 18B SF Weapons Expert (Ork Male, Caucasian)

Information Warfare Specialist: Yoko "Flatline" Arai (Cardboard Armor)
Ex Tir Ghost Combat Decker (Elf Female, Japanese)

Electronic Warfare/Communications: Nikolai "Dragos" Rozhenko (Clockwork Lime)
Ex Russian Spetsnaz EW+commo rigger (Ork Male, Caucasian)

Combat Engineer/Demo Expert: George Robert Maxwell (gobogen)
Ex UCAS 18A SF Team Leader (Human Male, Caucasian)

Stealth Expert/Scout/Assassin: Illian Brightwater (Digital Heroin)
Ex Tir Ghost Combat Expert (Elf Male, Caucasian)

Combat Medic/Magical Support: Ophelia Haley (Callidus)
Ex British SAS/Para Unicorn Shaman (Human Female, Caucasian)

Field Magician (Shaman?): Muramasa Kenjiro (Panzergeist)
Ex Fuchi Para-military SpecOps Magician(Shaman?) (Korobokuru Male, Japanese)


Looks good to me. Here's what I'm waiting on:

Grey: revised character sheet
Carboard armor: revised character sheet
Gobogen: Initial character sheet
Digital Heroin: Initial character sheet
Callidus: revised character sheet
Panzergeist: revised character history before I assign BP

Shadow and Clockwork, as far as I can tell, your characters are good. I still need some more time to doublecheck them, though. If there's anything you guys want to request, send it to me before tomorrow.