And now I know why I don't dare watch an episode of 24. (I'm self-employed. If I steal time, I steal it from myself.)

Draft: open question:

Where a single page has an extended exchange between only one group of characters (eg. Cao Jaan and the gangers), do we want to separate out the individual posts by timestamp or by wingding (or customised wingding)?

Warehouse:

Are we using the same initiatives as the previous round? In that case, just about everyone including B6 goes ahead of Alleycat in any case. I'd been saving a free action previous IP: reactory movement if necessary, otherwise general stealth / maximising cover. Always the regular observing of the entire situation, somewhat specific attention to Scrapheap's group situation, Max's location (sigh), firing and sight lines, and the timing of the swinging ropes with an eye to catching and/or using them (pseudo-rappel/silks-style, swing across, tying one of them into the catwalk structure, whatever).

If I get the break and things went as hoped for, I'll use the first next IP free action to get back into that smoke cloud, and that probably turns into a complex action movement. If not -- well, I'll know that shortly, and for once I think I've already asked most of the relevant questions.

All:

Slow generally, because I'm going a bit nuts trying to juggle house, financing, potential lot, writing deadlines, and making sure we're not screwed over again. It's been calculated into initial ETAs for the first volume, because we were going to be delayed anyway while we're still testing out standard format ... and I still do need pictures and post-Salvation text.

Sedna -

WR -

Yeah, she's also an innocent little college girl whose sister is supposedly dead in the apartment that just blew up but isn't and is in hiding and left her a shitload of "stuff" that would be hard to explain just where it came from without admitting her sister is still alive

yeah, I think she'll run. besides she watches runner Sims, cops are never good in runner sims

Initiative:
Reaction (3) + Intuition (4) + Surprise Modifier (6) = 13 dice
[5] 4 4 2 2 [5] 1 [5] [5] [5] 1 3 [6] Hits:6
Total 7 + 6 = 13

And I ran, I ran so far away...

Vegas - You're first, go ahead and post your action and any related rolls.

I'm giving you +1 to all Running rolls and the cops -1 to all Running rolls, because as you stated, you know the turf and can figure out the most optimal running routes, while they don't and can only follow you.

WinterRat1 and Cedric: Elan will call Erebus in approximately fifteen minutes. If Dragon and Erebus want to continue planning they can, or, if not, I can forward the group to when Elan calls. Also, all three of you are only twenty minutes out from the airfield, at most.

Cedric - What do you think, should we do an IC post of Erebus and Dragon going back and forth in their planning for 15 minutes or just wait for Elan to call back?

I'm going to be absent from 0800 PDT 15 AUG 07 to 0800 PDT 20 AUG 07 for Gen Con. I might be on briefly in the evenings from the hotel, but I'm planning on a busy con just like last year. So many runners to kill, after all.

Hey we still got the LITS late Saturday night game scheduled, right? Everyone from LITS who's going knows about it, right?

Just get it all out of your system there

Y'all have fun there.

WR1 - Yes I will have Max do something, but I haven't been able to come up for air at work to figure out what. I will get something to you as soon as I can.

Strength (2) + Running (2) + Location Knowledge Bonus (1) = 5 dice
[5] 1 [5] [5] [5] Hits:4

I think we should just move to the Elan post, otherwise we're cluttering the IC thread unnecessarily.

Yeah, I'll be there. Hey WR1 I sent you my cell #, send me yours so i will know who is calling and actually pick up.

Cedric & Grendel - I agree with Cedric, so Grendel, go ahead and move us forward to the Elan post.

Cthulhu - Sent.

Test text samples for the books. Sorry it took so long, site was down for a while.

Different combinations, different possibilities, mix and match.

Feedback?

EDIT - Kyle

"Sedna" may not be able to continue posting here. For those who don't know, "Sedna" is my account, which Talia was given the use of for LitS so as to avoid confusion between GM and player and character and worldbuilder roles. We're using it as background for our own game. Even though the account's mine, the administration calls this a "dual account" and wants to destroy it. Friendly place you've got here.

Would it be poor form to point out that this place belongs to all of us? That the community is what we make of it?

Also, I prefer variant 2, with the palatino.

Announcement from Sedna:

Oh, look for the Cosmo volume, p.1, to be posted later
today, using grendel's font. (Heavy deadlines for
another six hours, so it will be after that.) Future
url:

Cosmo Volume, p.1

Probably won't be up before midnight Dumpshock time.

EDIT: For what it's worth I liked the format on pg. 3 or the sample.

Scrapheap -

GenCon Announcement - I will be out from Friday, Aug. 17 through Sunday, Aug. 20 for GenCon. I will try to get replies to people before I leave, but right now GenCon prep takes priority, so if I don't get to you before I go, I apologize and will catch up as quickly as I can upon my return.

Bitsy is avenged!

I was just thinking about typing up that post-mission briefing. I just haven't found the term to describe the two Molotov cocktail wielding scaly men yet . . .


Go midnight LiTS game!

Sounds like y'all had fun! If I don't get to join you next year, I'm going to give up on trying to go.

Karma

Cthulhu449 (8-5 to 8-19): 2 points

Konsaki (8-5 to 8-19): 2 points

Cedric Rolfsson (8-5 to 8-19): 2 points

Grendel (8-5 to 8-19): 2 + 2 GM= 4 points

Sorry about the extended absence without warning. After the initial banning, other issues came up. Until now, I was not sure if Sedna would survive. Turns out that the price of her survival on this forum is that Talia Invierno won't.

Back to regular game and more volume text choices later today -- the major delaying point now is getting those pictures for Cosmo -- but wanted to let you know what was happening as soon as I knew.

Quick update, I'm closing on a condo with my fiance this Friday and then am going to Kentucky for the weekend, so time is very tight. I will try to give everyone something to work with while I'm gone, but I can't make any promises. If I don't get to people this week, top priority next week will be catching people up to speed. My apologies for the delay.

Hey BC, just moved back to Chi-town on Monday right after GenCon. Will have the interweb installed in my place on Thursday afternoon and will probably post then. Sorry for the delay.

OK then, time to update. After checking the threads, here's what I've got:

Vegas - Just posted IC for you. Initiative won't matter here, this is a flat out chase. The way we run it is simple. Each net hit on your part relative to your pursuers means you gain 2 meters on that particular cop. Conversely, each net hit on their part means they gain 2 meters on you.

Currently you have +4 meters on Fox, and +8 meters on Morris.

We will be using the fatigue damage rules on pg. 155 of SR 4, so go ahead and roll Running (Long Distance) + Strength, and add the hits you get to your Body. This is the total number of turns you can run before you become fatigued. Note, you get this first turn for 'free', it does not count against your tally towards fatigue.

If either Detective gets within 2 meters of you they may attempt a tackle attempt to halt your running and force you into melee combat. If they fail, you'll pretty much ditch them completely, as it will take them too long to recover. If they get to 0 meters of you, we will enter melee combat as they'll be trying to grab you with no need to dive (and thus no risk of losing you completely).

As for escaping, you will have to be creative. Obviously if you totally waste them running away you will escape, but more likely, you will have to be creative in employing stealth, athletics, magic, superior terrain sense, and good IC posting to escape. As long as the detectives see you, they will chase you unless they cannot due to extenuating circumstances (e.g. terrain) or they collapse from fatigue. I will take your IC descriptive posts into consideration when determining when (and if) you escape, so be creative in your approach here.

I think that about covers you, let me know if you have any questions, otherwise go ahead and give me a running roll for the next turn.

Warehouse Group - Scrap, we're still waiting on your reply to my previous question about alternative plans in the event the enemies pin Scrapheap down. Since I'm crunched for time now, I'll give you until Saturday, August 25, 23:59:59 CST to reply. If I haven't heard from you by then I'm going to move the warehouse fight forward under the assumption that Scrapheap simply stays under cover to avoid being hit.

Sedna - Knowing you, you'll probably want to wait until your turn to assess the situation more fully, but feel free to ask questions in the interim.

Slip - You will reach the corner with normal movement this IP, so prepare your action for CT 4, IP 2, unless you choose to delay it.

Cedric and Grendel - Elan replied, so I believe Cedric is up. Dragon is going to wait until Cedric and Elan finish their conversation before saying anything else.

Mister Juan and Grendel -

LITS Volumes - Vegas, Mister Juan, and Morgannah, please get Sedna the pictures she requested ASAP so she can wrap up the Morgannah volume quickly. Thanks!

GenCon - GenCon was a blast, as always! We missed those of you who couldn't make it, but it was nice to start a tradition with Grendel and DireRadiant, and have Cthulhu drop in to be a part of the tradition as well. The midnight game was a barrel of laughs (and not much else!); this year's theme was 'Snow White and the 5 Ironic Dwarves', and it was a good time all around. We hope more of you can join us next year for Year 3 of the LITS GenCon get together!

Grendel and WR1

Grendel and Mister Juan -

I will be closing on my condo this Friday, then going out of town until Sunday, August 26. I will catch up with whatever comes up between now and the weekend (that I don't get to before then) as soon as possible upon my return.

Grendel and Cedric - I noticed that as of Aug. 14, you guys switched the time/date stamps to 01 instead of 13. I believe it should be 13 for the hour, correct? If I'm right please switch them for clarity's sake, if I'm wrong, just ignore me.

Oops, it should be 13. You are correct sir!

New picture request, same immediacy:

Two high resolution stills from Casablanca, somewhere between 6 x 8 to 8 1/2 x 11. The first is the film poster itself. The second is the final parting between Rick and Ilsa at the airport.

300 dpi bare minimum, 600 minimum much preferred, and obviously the more the better: I'm hoping for poster quality for the printout.

(That goes for all pictures.)

Or it could be scanned in from a library book? Or transferred off a DVD? Or maybe someone actually has the poster? and could reduce/photocopy it and scan it in?

After-Action Report
File SR-3312J

Theatre of Operation: Large trailer located in forested region of Salish Sidhe territory, somewhere East of Seattle; Cave approximately 1.5 kilometers North of trailer location.

Assets devoted to operation:
Snow White
Cranky
Bitchy
Shooty
Apathy
*Name censored* henceforth referred to as DS
Bulldog Van
Approximately 15 drones, heavily armed, Cranky rigged

Mission objectives: Investigate missing person/entity. Return person/entity should they be encountered, otherwise deliver supplied message to any sentients within “range� of last known location. Maximum dispersal distance of message left to team discretion.

Approximately 2130 unknown prostitute/technomancer, henceforth referred to as “Bitchy,� receives electronic message requesting that runners attend matrix meeting to discuss business proposition. Having recently spent last run’s money on liquor and prostitutes, available team comprised of Snow White, Cranky, Shooty, Apathy, and DS agree to meet potential employer.

Approximately 2145 said group of semi-skilled, unemployed individuals arrives at matrix location, an environment designed to appear as a vast black hole devouring thousands of stars. Icon representing Johnson resembles science fiction character Q, as identified by Cranky. Indeterminate if Johnson believed themselves to be said “Q� or actually was such a being. Q offers 9000 nuyen to investigate the disappearance of another “Q� located somewhere within the Salish Sidhe territory. Shooty insists on 9500, but Q stands firm at 9000. Shooty once again suggest 9500 causing Q to reconsider Shooty’s point of view and accept the terms. Shooty fails to request money upfront, and no other team members interject.

Approximately 0000 Team arrives outside of target location by van, road entry to target impeded by gate composed of single metal bar. DS assenses bar and determines it to be of non-magical origin. Apathy attempts to pick padlock on gate with CrackItâ„¢ Auto-Picker, fails. Cranky assists and fails as well. Shooty utilizes XR300 Mono-Chainsaw and removes obstacle after considerable devotion of time. Van continues along road.

Approximately 0030 Runners arrive at destination, at which resides a large metal trailer home with large satellite dishes placed outside. DS, Apathy, and Shooty move toward trailer under cover of shadow, attempting to remain unseen. Cranky engages van headlamps and full compliment of drone lighting. Stealthy inspection rendered impossible. Three team members search trailer and find it empty, though blood stains and bullet casings suggest recent combat. Cranky and Bitchy begin deconstructing satellite and welding it to van.

Shooty convinces Bitchy to pilot drone, henceforth referred to as “Bitsy,� along conspicuous path leading away from trailer, apparently created by tires. Bitsy exits forest 1.5 kilometers north where trail ends but points in the direction of cave. Bitsy attempts to enter cave when connection is terminated and Bitchy receives dumpshock. Massive cerebral hemmorraging results in near death and worse, a suggestion opportunistically left by a spell from DS. Party follows path.

Approximately 0045 Team arrives at cave. Shooty and DS insist Apathy lead the way into the cave because he can sneak. The rest of the team is apathetic. Cranky discovers remains of Bitsy and begins to experience mental breakdown. Soon after entering, Apathy comes running out with “wolf-man� wailing on him with a hunk of wood. DS turns invisible and Shooty falls back to a more defensible position as wolf-man continues to wail away on Apathy who has resorted to begging for help. Cranky mentally snaps and orders full contingent of drones to “Kill� wolf-man. Remains of wolf-man could not be recovered due to wide dispersal and absorption into ground.

Apathy continues into cave with rest of team remaining a safe distance behind. Apathy jumps over small pit filled with pungi-sticks and encounters fire-wielding lizard midgets. Lizard midgets prove hostile and launch molitov cocktails at Apathy and run off. Apathy jumps back over pit, now on fire. Cranky determines that mission parameters have been satisfied. Team prints off message given to them by Q and leaves it under a rock. Return to Q and somehow Q determines that the run was indeed a success, at which time he pays runners in full.

Assets lost:
Approximately 1 pint Apathy blood
Dignity

Assets gained:
9500 nuyen
satellite dish
Further prostitutes and liquor

Mission status: Complete


It's super late, I'm not sure what I just wrote but it's sorta how I remember it. For some reason I can't really remember Snow White doing to much besides having a WTF look on her face the whole time, but that is understandable.

Every so often something I see in the OOC makes me I wonder -- after my ribs stop hurting -- whether I should take snippets from the OOC and pull them together into an appendix, say three or four pages in each volume. Yes/no?

I've finished doing the initial compiling for what I think could be the complete first volume. It's actually the second by starting time, and I'll number it so, but I arrived at a point that has the feeling of utter completeness and even leaves a small prologue for the next volume.

The current raw text at 8 pt Palatino Linotype, before pictures and other bells and whistles, comes in at 105 pages -- a bit light for a volume (about 160 pages), but doable: guesstimating ~130/140 pages after all is said and done, possibly more if people prefer the double-columned style I'll show you tomorrow. (Note that this doesn't mean 30-40 pages of pictures. However, I'd like to have between five and ten full-colour pages per volume if at all possible, including one city map per volume.) The next break point after that is almost a hundred raw text pages later, before any additions.

So: decision time.

Do we want to have the first Cosmo volume the shortest of the series, to make an artificial break at a specific page range, or to make it by quite a bit the longest?

Oh, and while we are deciding things: glossy paper throughout, linen (think of it as heavier bond), or glossy paper for the full-colour picture layouts only?

Until end of next weekend will continue to be insane for time: but since I'm using the text editing as my winddown time, it is flowing better than I'd hoped.

Whatever we do, we should make it consistent through-out. I'd go glossy for the pictures only.

Lookee look! Karma awards for my players:

Morgannah: 6 pts (Jul 18th - Aug 28th)
BClements: 12 pts (Jul 18th - Aug 28th) [GM Bonus]
WinterRat1: 12 pts (Jul 18th - Aug 28th) [GM Bonus]
BanditF50: 6 pts (Jul 18th - Aug 28th)
Shadowrunner13: 6 pts (Jul 18th - Aug 28th)
DireRadiant: 6 pts (Jul 18th - Aug 28th)
Mister Juan: 6 pts (Jul 18th - Aug 28th)
Shadow: 6 pts (Jul 18th - Aug 28th)

[moved to Special Projects]

Status Update -

All right everyone, I tried to put this off as long as possible, but the reality of buying a new place and moving into it, my wedding in three weeks, and job and church stuff kicking into high gear requires I dial down my DSF involvement for the next few weeks.

I'll be low access from now until the beginning of October. Game is still on, and I'll be posting as frequently as I can as fast as I can, but I'm letting you all know in advance response will probably be slow. I have too many things that are demanding my attention right now and they just have to get done.

No worries, game is still on, and I will be continuing to post, just slowly until real life settles down and I can get back up to full speed. Thanks for your patience and understanding, and I'll get back up to full capacity as soon as possible!

Status Update -

Mine is more of an apology for through this weekend -- been sleeping an average of 4 hours a night for far too long now, literally too tired to sleep just now: but a bit of a break after I finish packing up the apartment. (Twenty years worth of books and notes, for a writer/editor/researcher. I have no wall space. )

So finishing up tomorrow, planning on keeling over for Sunday, and the things I promised will be on-line for Monday (and maybe even a post or two!).

Two weeks and six days, huh?

Anyone alive 'round here?