Ok, I think I missed something.

Where is Error hanging out? I thought he was in the van at the ramp with the truck?

Thanks

JD

I think he is. If you are confused by my post, he is also logged onto the building's node, somewhere - I assume the security node - so I am looking for his icon, there.
We heard some gags over our matrix-connection to him, and I don't know if that was him being attacked by whatever spirits Fort saw by the van, or him being attacked in the matrix - so while you guys check the former, Smith will check the latter.

Ok, well if he's in the van then Rocky would want to exit the stairs on the same level we entered through so he can go out the ramp.

It sounds like from the description Rocky may have made it to the main floor.

Just wanted to clarifiy.

Thanks

JD

JD - yes, you are on the ground floor, inside the stairwell - the doorway out of the stairwell onto the ground floor is right in front of you - easy to find your position on the (excellent) map.

BlackHat - no response from Error. In the security node, you find only his icon, and it is rapidly derezzing. The derezzing image appears basically frozen in any case.

Okay, that resolves Smith's first of three passes. Need his next two passes declared, and still need everyone else's declarations for the upcoming combat turn.

OOOPS!
Dumb GM.

Sorry JD - yeah, I computed your first run as taking you all the way up to the ground floor - but I keep forgetting that the floor you van is parked outside of is the basement level (geez, you'd think I could remember the building I designed).
So you can either be where I said you were, OR you can be on the basement floor, out of the stairwell, and around the corner to just past the forklift.
Note that the bay doors you came through are now closed.
The light is on in the security booth, with the door into the back security room open, but you don't yet have an angle to see through it. No obvious sounds.

Well, if there was something going on in the matrix, it sounds like its over - so:

Pass 2: Free action to switch back to AR. I assume this voids out the rest of the passes for the round, since Smith would be back at meat-speed.

Okay - that wraps Smith for this combat round.

I'm getting pragma's actions by PM.

Still need to know how Sledge and Rocky will proceed.

Well I'll stick with my original plan to come out on the level we entered from.

When Rocky sees the door is closed he will look for a normal door and if he doesn't see one he will head for the security desk.

He will try to hurry but not more than he would if he was just trying to not get in trouble with his boss.

When he sees the guard he'll mention something about having left some tools in the truck.

JD

Resolved pragma's first pass.

Rocky heads for the door and (I rolled a perception test for you) easily sees the internal controls for the gate - not locked from inside.
Complex action if you want to open the door with your first pass - or proceed to talk to guard....
Let me know. If you open the door, it will take a couple of combat turns to get all the way up - or a simple action for Rock to get his bulk down low enough to get/see under it....

Dire - if you have actions just let me know, but with only your base 25m per combat turn, you will only get out the basement door and just short of the forklift in any case...

I'll work on getting the gate open and slipping under as soon as it I can.

If the guard shows up I'll use the same explanation and mention not wanting to bother him.

JD

Yep, just tag along and backup for this first part. Darn trogs and their long legs....

Okay, so Sledge will run as stated for the turn.
Smith is done.
Fort is also essentially done with the combat turn.

Rocky, with a Simple action for Change Position, you get under the door before it gets all the way up.
So you are left with 1.5 passes and you are outside.
But from where you are nothing appears amiss.
Van sitting there. Truck sitting there. No one in view. Only sounds are from outside the wall.
You are the last person still with actions, then we go to next combat turn.

Rocky will head for the van and if I have actions left open the back doors. Hopefully allowing me to see whats up with out letting the guards see without walking out in the rain.

I will try to be prepared to dodge if someone/thing turns to shoot at me when the doors open.

JD

JD - Rocky opens the back and sees Error inert on the floor. Otherwise the back of the van is empty and undisturbed (the door was locked when you opened it). You may or may not see something else - if a post to that effect occurs, cool. If not, then you don't see anything else.

BlackHat - the watcher says the following: "Astral threat subdued temporarily. Hold position while I scan the area."

The combat turn is now complete.
Need initiatives and combat turn declarations, etc.

As usual, people can IC if they wish, or just wait and do it later.

An impressive roll wasted on a slow character!

7d6.hits(5) = 5 hits + 7 = 13

1 IP, and the actions will be:
Free - Text team with <Fort scanning. Stay sharp.> (We can waste 3 more seconds to see if something else jumps out before Smith starts going on and on about getting the cutting done and then escaping)

Simple - Log Off (security node) (brushed up on using agents, and I have to do this first, so that my agent - who has the same access ID as me - can log in, apparently)

Simple - Issue Command (Agent) command agent to log onto security node - which it should easily be able to do this combat-turn.

Next turn, Smith will be able to command it, again, to continuously scan for icons - and it'll have 3 IPs to do so... but since he's meat-speed, it'll be a while.

Init 8d6 + 8 (8d6.hits(5)=3 + 8 = 11)

Following Rocky, Perception check Perception 4 + Int 2 = 6 (6d6.hits(5)=2)

Checking on Error if Sledge gets there. Logic 3 + First Aid 2 = 5 + whatever mods + best available medkit (5d6.hits(5)=2)

Black Hat - roger on your actions. I guess you've got till the start of the next combat turn to run down what programs your agent has loaded, which are running, and what EXACTLY its orders are (including, in the next turn, a Command action/test if it is at all complexicated).

Dire - your move rate will indeed take you to the van within the next combat turn. Problem is that Perception is a Simple, and First Aid a Complex, so you'll have to choose....

I've been going with the "usually loaded programs" bit from my char sheet - so the agent has Scan, Analyze, Virtual Person, and Browse). The first thing i want it to do is log in, then just repeat matrix perception checks (reporting on what it sees). Smith may need to use his own edit program to establish the communication channel with the agent after it leaves - so that would take another combat phase.

In any case, here's anotehr matrix perception roll for the agent, in case it has time to get one in before next turn.
10d6.hits(5) = 2 hits (maybe 1, depending on if agents get the hot-sim bonus)

Ok, the plan...

Rocky will see if he can raise Error on the comm as he climbs in to the back of the van.

Assuming he gets no response he will start checking to see what condition Error is in with a First Aid check.
First Aid 3 + Logic 4 = 7
2, 6, 4, 4, 3, 3, 6 = 2 Hits

JD

Dire - rereading my earlier post, I came up quite unclear. Obviously you can do both your stated actions in the combat turn - you just can't do both in the same pass. But you knew that.
So I will have you doing them in the stated order -
The perception test turns up nothing out of the ordinary - just Rocky opening back of van.
For your next pass, best wait and see how the first goes for everyone else.

JD - likewise, let's wait to resolve your First Aid test - I think pragma is planning an IC that may change your mind about that action....

Smith - my bad saying you might need a Command test - seems nowadays there is only a test on the other end, e.g. by the GM for the agent if he deems the command outside normal parameters (damned constantly changing rules). Anyway, your first Issue Command action is sufficient for everything you've asked the thing to do - no need to spend another action next pass.
Near as you can tell, it is logged in. No word on it spotting anything.

More to come once we get the IC post pragma was going to put up.
Anyone else wants to kill time ICing up to this point, cool. Or not.

Plan to put one up once I am back from holiday travel (next day or two). Otherwise, I am just checking in.

Sorry for the delay. IC up later today if I can find the thread.

Got one together, and bumped the thread back to page one for Pragma.

Sledges actions will depend on whether or not Rocky passes on to the team what Fortunato said. The team's devices wouldn't pick up what the manifestation said.

Sounds like its time for me to do an IC post.

Will get that asap.

JD

sorry about another lag
work just suffocating this week
still plan two bumps for this week, but they will be my Friday and Saturday evenings (24 and 48 from now).
I'll try to spread them out better next week.

Okay - in the current combat turn I have Smith having turned his Agent loose (slow mortals get only one pass!).
Fort took off astrally with astral ork in tow to scout - even astral, gotta move slow enough to see things - I'll give you the results once we get through the rest of Sledge and Rocky.
For the trogs, I have Sledge's (possible) intention to do First Aid.
I have Rocky's roll for a diagnostic First Aid test - but since he heard the diagnosis from Fort, not sure if he still wants to do it.
Tempting to speed things by using existing roll for actual First Aid, but soooo many variables, don't dare decide for you.
Knowing he is stable, do you even still want to do it?
If not, what else?
If so, both of you?
If you do it, how long do you feel like spending (that part in the rules about how it depends on how much you want to heal - does that relate to total damage, or how much you as a player want to go for? I will say the latter).
So need to know what the trogs do for the rest of the turn, then end-turn information on some things will be forthcoming.

Ok,

I will spend the rest of the combat round and all of next round (baring major interruptions) working Error, keeping an ear out for updates or other folks normal or astral showing up. If I don't know them they get hit by the "Champ".

My main goal with Error is to see if I can get him concious so he can take care of him self.

Hope this helps

JD

Okay JD - so I will have you going for Stun rather than Physical damage, is your priority is getting him awake.
At end of next turn I will let you know the result, and I'll give you full credit for this combat turn - so you will have worked for two turns.
Already have your initial, unused First Aid roll, but I reckon you can add three dice - that's +4 for your medkit, but -1 for conditions.

As for hitting any astral people that show up, unless my notes are even more out of date than I thought, you don't have Astral Perception, so I assume you just mean those that Materialize.

Just need to know what Sledge does with second pass, and we can end the current combat turn with what Fort finds.

You are correct, just if they manifest.

JD

Sledge will go ahead with the First Aid.

Okay JD, so that's not three extra dice but now four with Sledge's assistance.
So will need those four dice by end of NEXT combat turn.

Which brings us to the end of THIS combat turn, at which point two things happen.

1. Fort sees (and this is just a glance so far, as used just one combat turn to search all around outside for baddies), at least two figures working their way southeast towards the loading dock you under cover of the trees. They appear to be using the foliage quite well to screen themselves from astral eyes in the sky - you have only caught quick glimpses so far.

2. Your camera views, which had been live even with Error down, all go dead.

Need actions for next combat turn - If Rocky or Sledge want to do anything besides First Aid, then yes it will break the job, which had been declared for two turns.

As soon as the matrix camera feed goes, Sledge will desist the First Aid. Ready the sledge hammer while exiting the van and scanning the area while heading for the guard and pointing at the entrance when Rocky looks at her.

Fort will relay his observations through the watcher as he makes them.

I assume that dispite the cameras cutting out, the node is still up?

Adam will use a simple action to use Edit to establish a connection with his agent (so the agent can trasnfer data) and the other to issue a command to his agent to scan the node for icons and report on what it finds.

Rocky will countiue to work on Error unless he's attacked or directed to stop.

With Sledge leaving what dice do I have to roll for the first aid?

JD

JD - you have two successes from your earlier First Aid roll that was never made. But instead of the diagnosis roll you were doing, you are actually doing first aid, so you add the four dice for your kit, and subtract one for conditions. So you have three dice - the base threshold for first aid is two hits, so you need at least one hit more hit to take a box of stun off error.

Dire - initiative would be good. But we can move forward with the actions you declared. First pass will be exit van and ready weapon. Second pass is your Perception test - roll that along with initiative. Movement all the way - you want to be moving back towards the guard? In other words, hmm, I have been getting a vibe that we are not all on the same page on the van - the cement cutter was brought inside - the van and truck are both parked outside.
So movement toward the guard is back into the building - that is no problem since Rocky started the big loading dock door upward a few seconds ago.

pragma - okay - you are relaying. That won't occupy your whole turn - just gonna keep watching the other guys? - if that and info relay is all you want to do, I will provide regular updates to the team on whatever Fort can see....

BlackHat - Edit is no problem. You can see what your agent sees if you want. You already commanded it to scout and report. It saw nothing last turn - feel free to make the appropriate perception rolls to see if it spots anything this turn.
You still have a simple action left.

Ok additional dice on First Aid.

3, 4, 4 = 0 additional hits.

Bummer, oh well thats how the dice fall some days.

JD

If Fort doesn't think he'll lose the guys in the corner then he'd like to keep sweeping the perimeter and then stop back to check up on these guys while relaying. You've probably still got a few perception rolls to burn through from my PM and my dice rolling program of choice isn't immediately available -- I'll post more rolls later. If he's worried about losing his currently observed targets then he'll just stick to them. If he ever gets confirmation that some other member of his team definitely has eyes on them, then he'll resume patrol.

Also, I think he summoned two watchers before he left. If that doesn't disagree with your records, then he'll assign one to just follow the recently observed intruders and leave the other as a relay to Smith.

Also, if things look like they're going really bad for Rocky or Sledge -- for example, if Fort sees one of them get shot -- then Fort will manifest and resort to poorly documented tactics like trying to obscure someone's line of fire or surprising someone to get them to waste a held action.

Agent Perception: 3 hits (assuming the agent gets +2 from being in VR, which may not be true - last two dice didn't affect # of hits though)

I thought those two actions would take up both simple actions - but if Smith has one left, he'll use it to sprint upstairs (avoiding the elevator) and hoping to go no farther than the doorway to that floor (where he would like to make some "observe in detail" actions next combat round). No idea if he can make it that far in one round, or not - but he might as well run since he doesn't plan to attack.

Strength (3) + Defaulting to Running (-1) = 2 dice: 0 hits (and, luckily, no glitches)

If he *doesn't* have a simple action to spare, he'll use his normal movement to run. As it turns out, since he didn't get any hits, it doesn't make much difference.

I understand. The guard post is next to the doors and Sledge is concerned about controlling the guard as part of whatever happens next.

Initiative 8 (8d6.hits(5)=4) + 8 = 12

Perception 4 + Int 2 = 6 (6d6.hits(5)=2)

Anybody out there?

JD

I am. We're in a holding pattern on adamu, I think.

Given his recent schedule I'd surmise that he's been hammered by work, which happens to the best of us.

Yes, it also doesn't help that we're essentially in combat. Still checking regularly, though.

Glad to see people are still around. We all have the real life thing sneak in at times no matter how hard we try to ignore it.

JD

Well people, I am very sorry to say that I will be unable to continue GMing this game.

Maybe I am making too much of it, but it is really twisting at me right now just to type these words. I really feel like I am bringing something that was very important to me to an end. And with so many plans and dreams for it as yet unfulfilled.

And I must most abjectly apologize for just leaving everyone hanging without a word for a full month. That was just rude, and I am sorry.

My only excuse is that I have been angst-ridden on a daily basis over this - I have sat down to type this and then changed my mind half a dozen times. Kept on trying to think of a realistic way to carry on.

But the fact is that I just don't have the time. More responsibility at work, obligations at church that I try to take very seriously, and most important, my little Temperance is running around the house now and wanting lots of attention, and her little sister will be here in just a few months.

I know it is terrible timing to cut things off, but I think we all know perfectly well that it has been literally years since I have provided the same quality game I did for the first half of the campaign.
The clincher is that even if I found time to carry on, I simply won't have the mental or temporal resources to bring the quality back up.

So let me just say that it has been a real honor to play with such an excellent group of gamers. And by group I mean the whole "double-group" - if only the grand plans for the dovetail could have been brought to fruition.
You people have really been excellent, both as gamers and game-friends.

Finally, while some people basically play one character for one campaign, there are a lot of other people that like to keep a character active even if a game ends. So if there are any of you that need loose ends tied up for your characters so that they will be transportable to another game, just let me know. I'll keep monitoring the board for a while, and most of you have at least my e-mail. We can work out final karma, and disposition of whatever other issues you need resolved.

Once again, it has been a great privilege and pleasure, and I apologize for having to leave off my responsibilities.
Adam

You are a great GM. Life happens, I've shut down a couple of my own forum games here.

I've had a great fun and I consider a great privilege to have participated with everyone here and been part of a great experience.

I loved everyone's stories and writing and characters.

PS. It's horrible to have to admit it, but as I discovered it's not worth pushing a game along when it isn't fun for you. You always feel you've let a lot of people down.

Yeah, I think this was the best (and longest lasting) dumpshock game I have had the honor of playing. This game a was a big challenge, from the beginning and you handled it masterfully, I think. I understand when real-life forces you to set aside gaming for a while and how it feels like you're letting down your group - but we understand, and we appreciate the time you were able to give us, while you could.

Adam, it was a great game, from beginning to end and I fell privileged to have been apart of it.

Having recently just handed my RL D&D campaign to a friend due to my inability to keep up with it I understand what you are going through and know its no fun.

Thanks for taking the time to let us know and making sure it was what you wanted /needed to do.

A short synopsis of where things were going would be kinda cool if you have the time.

To everyone else, its been a blast and I hope to see you all around on the boards.

JD

I have mentioned before that this is, hands-down, the best game I've ever seen on the forum and my opinion of that has been unwavering. Kudos, adamu -- you ran a hell of a game.

Regarding the rest of you player types, this wouldn't have been even half as fun without you -- I couldn't have asked to be in a better group.