Mister Juan, just a note you can't modify the HK Urban Series, says so specifically in the text.

The Hotspur can Carry 2 maybe 4, as a full team we have 7. Then we need to think of people we may be transporting/guarding/gear transport etc. The hotspur looks like it only holds 2 people (being an offroad racing truck), maybe 4 at most. That means we need some extra vehicles as well or to go a different way.

I think perhaps we go the route of say 1 main vehicle and then a couple of smaller fast vehicles to flank/scout and act as general outriders. Maybe something like a Rover model 2068 SUV and a couple of Thundercloud Morgan's or Yamaha Growlers. Looking at the Military/Security Vehicles, we have the General Products COP, and the Dodge Guardian as possible options.

Not sure what peoples pilot skills are like and what weapon skills we have either, so not sure how to optimize our purchases.

Silas has Pilot 2 with a specialization in bikes, and the fire arms skills group.

I chose the Hotspur because it is a truck. The Morgan is just a car and only has room for two. I kinda figured a truck would be good enough to carry us all. If it's a problem I could always strip the amenities back to squatter and double the number of potential passengers.

Bear in mind also that the Rigger cocoon isn't for the driver but for the protectee.

I'm definitely thinking of scrapping the Aerial drone as too expensive and going with something cheaper.

Yah, I just have in my mind the image of an off-road racing truck, and that image has room for about 2 people in it. And the image in Arsenal just reinforces that image cause it looks like it has 2 seats in it. So I'm just having trouble wrapping my mind around the image of 7 people + passengers fitting in one. Especially since one is a troll. Kinda getting an image from cartoons where you have that little compact with like 100 clowns streaming out of it.

To be honest we probably need a couple of vehicles, and I'm thinking they'll probably need to be the size of a Humvee. I find it odd that there isn't a listing for seating on any of the vehicles, and you basically need to make an educated guess for all of them. I noticed in SR4A they added a 'typical' seating capability for various types of vehicles in a sidebar, but there's nothing about trucks in it. We'd need something the size of an APC or a riot control vehicle to fit the entire crew.

When I was talking about the Morgans, I was thinking Humvee (Rover)(4-6 people) + 2 Morgans (1-2 people each) as transports. There's many ways we could do it, I'm just tossing out ideas.

The easiest way to carry us all around would be a riotmaster or a citymaster, but those would draw a lot more attention than a Rover, which is noted as not even raising an eyebrow in even the most exclusive neighborhoods.

So many options!

In general more than one vehicle would be a good thing. There's no way to be inconspicuous when you're driving a vehicle big enough to fit eight people, so why go that route when you can drive a convoy? The convoy adds the strength of numbers, and allows one vehicle to break off to harry attackers while the others continue on at speed. I like the idea of a Humvee sized vehicle with two smaller escorts, since that would allow a tech/driver and combatant in each of the outvehicles while the main one has everyone else plus the target.

To consider, though, is that it might just be easier to save money on vehicles in general and just rent/lease everywhere we go. While the vehicles might not be as customized or familiar, it saves the time/cost of transporting vehicles, with the added benefit of having something more in line with what the locals drive, which is useful if we do need to blend in.

That leaves us money to spend instead on comms gear, travel, bribes, and whatever else might come up in game as opposed to being left relatively dry in the case on unexpected expenses.

I like the idea of leasing whatever we need. Also, people important enough to have a personal protective detail are going to demand comfort, rather than being strapped into a bullet proof coffin inside a modified racing truck, and they're going to have a few assistants and sycophants who travel with them, all of which further supports the idea of traveling in a convoy of rented local vehicles.

In terms of communications gear, what more do we really need? As long as everyone's got a decent commlink, and we've got a few satellite links, nonstandard wireless links, a bucket of disposable commlinks, and solid ECCM and Encrypt, we should be fine.

Oh, and a contact.

Sherman Blackwell (L:1/C:4)

Lord Blackwell is also Major Blackwell (ret.), of 3rd Regiment, Army Air Corps. After leaving the regiment in 2062, he assembled a group of South African, Australian, and British expatriate helicopter pilots and started a mercenary company based out of Cape Town. The group spends most of its' time displacing locals from important natural resources and backing or suppressing coups in the constantly shifting political landscape of central Africa. Flying a mix of Yellowjackets and Hughes Stallions, the group prides itself on a mix of precision flying and unequally aerial gunnery.

While he seemingly knows everyone important on the continent, and most of them know him, none of them actually like him, and his relationships rarely extend beyond very specific close air support contracts. Fortunately, he and his men are good enough that they keep getting work, no matter how distasteful anyone might find hiring them. His company, Pegasus Air, did a hot extraction job for the group after an oil derrick sabotage run went south, and the group has taken care of a few bits of ugly "family business" for him back in the United Kingdom.

OK, here's an alternative vehicle that covers both fronts.

Slow and steady wins the race. Massive armour, good facilities for high end clients and massive anti-vehicle and anti-personnel fire-power.

This last one, is it a drone or a vehicle with weapons?

As for other comms assets, I believe Digital Heroin was speaking about Tacsoft...

Also, perhaps I was mistaken, but Chrysalis is expecting us to spend this 500k, not save it up for expenses, correct? If that is so, then there's no point in holding out for bribe money etc... let's just get some gear.

Aside from possibly purchasing our own satellite, I would suggest using the funds to purchase everyone form-fitting armour, as it reeks of professionalism and is easily concealed. A generic set up weapons (ie a pistol of some sort in a concealed holster and a memory blade) also gives off that vibe, even if we aren't skilled in their use and have to rely on other means to get the job done. This allows us to go both overt when needed (because intel indicates that a show of force will work best) or covert (when intel indicates that stealth is more important).

I also think a healthy investment into smoke, themal smoke and Petit Brune grenades could be quite useful for shielding us from unwelcome eyes in the even of an attack.

Finally, we might want to look into what we can buy that would allow us to create decoys (ie nanites that allow temporary skin morphing). This would allow us a better chance of keeping our clients alive and, on our 15,000,000 Nuyen mission, of possibly infiltrating areas with a greater degree of subterfuge.

Given that we have a company, we'll also want some sort of uniform (even if it's just a leather duster that we only wear around the office), some security to ensure that we don't get hit at home while we're out doing business and database at the office that contains all our official business records. Of course, Chrysalis may assume that we have these already.

It's our tour-bus.

Disaster Area World Tour 2073.

But seriously. It's a vehicle, a converted bus to be precise. It's still got manual controls so it can be driven manually if you like but mostly will be rigged remotely.

I thought we were only "posing" as a private security service? I mean, yea, it's good to have a cover and stuff, but do we really need a Connestoga Vista for high end clients? I was under the impression we would be "posing" as a company, not actually trying to be one by contract legit bodyguarding jobs. I mean, overall, we already know what the team's mission is going to be: to track and capture Pandora. We shouldn't bog ourselves down with too many layers of cover.

Terrence has access to a rental car, because of his lifestyle. I'm sure he can transfer the lease to another car in another country (by the same company tho...) if need be.

I still believe we should get very good and reliable comm gears first, and see what we have left for vehicles. Why not 2 basic rovers, and that's it?

No Chrysalis said we'd actually been legitimately running this company for nearly a year.

It seems like a good cover for any number of illegal activities particularly extractions.

The Vista makes a good base of operations although I would prefer something fast and mobile like the Hotspur or the Dragon but the costs are prohibitive.

I don't think leasing unmodified vehicles is ever going to be a good way to go. The real strength of any vehicle is the modifications you put on it. It's that customization that really makes it shine in the role that you have selected it for.

We really need to decide, as a group, what sort of vehicles we want because I can't design it without knowing the role it needs to fill.

As I've stated, perhaps not in such words, before, a customized to the teeth vehicle is all well and good, until you end up needing to travel halfway across the world on the drop of a dime, or to a country where said vehicle would be patently illegal. Licenses only extend so far, after all. The bus might do fine in a lot of places, but take it somewhere like Europe, where the roads are narrow and wind a lot, and we're hooped.

Leasing gives flexibility, and a vehicle is only as good as the person operating it anyway. If we're not going to lease, then a lot of people have already made the obvious suggestion three or four smaller vehicles, a truck or two and some cars, would do us better than one huge target.



As for comms gear, TacNet software and a set of encrypted comm units would serve the group well. I like the idea of FFBA, some manner of uniform, and perhaps a more universal sidearm to create a professional look for meets and such. But have we considered some form of group Lifestyle? Yes, it goes counter to the 'flexible vehicle' policy, but no company goes without headquarters.

So the Hotspur then? Potentially with Squatter Amenities to fit everybody in?

500,000 sounds like a lot of money but it disappears in a hurry when you start building vehicles.

If we can rely on the Fixer for International Transfers, which Chrysalis assures me we can, then we only need vehicles for 'in country'.

I like the Hotspur because it doesn't actually have any weapons so it is perfectly legal wherever we take it. I can put together a package of 'cheap' drones to provide fire-support if it's needed. They have the advantage of being expendable and deniable.

If I can keep the vehicles to less than half the budget I think I can put together a well rounded package.

A group lifestyle is definitely a good idea and I'll work up a number of safe-houses. I figure we should be able to spoof a decent safe-house pretty quickly if we find ourselves off the beaten track but having some we can rely upon for stashing high value targets seems like a good idea.

I understand the lure of the Hotspur, I really do, but it's not especially cost effective. The same price of a Hotspur we could get two Land Rover 2068's, which don't go quite as fast or have the same body, but have just as much armor, better acceleration (got for ambushes), and presumably seat more people in a luxury environment befitting personal protection. We'd also have ten kay left over to fit them with Smoke Projectors and other mods, all for the same price as one untouched Hotspur.

If we got, say, four Rovers, then we could use three for personnel, and modify the fourth with drone racks to act as base for the collection of smaller drones you mentioned. Then we've got four vehicles that don't look out of place in either urban or wilderness environments, can take a beating (even unmodified), and one of them's got a whole mess of surprises inside... well, ok, all of them would since the PCs would be in the non-drone racked ones. For a quarter of the budget we'd have enough vehicles to cover normal operations. Hell, we might even think about the Dragon then, since a helicopter's got some good advantages.

All of the vehicles would have to be shipped, still, which would require advanced notice. But in a pinch we could always lease, eh.

I also like the idea of established safe-houses, small warehouses even, to store the vehicles when we're in a specific region. But, like you said, that -could- be spoofed. We're running a legit business, mind you. If we go around spoofing assets we're bound to draw the wrong kind of attention.

The thing we need to keep in mind with any gear (be it comms, vehicles/mods, or weapons) we have is that it's going to fall under 'police' scrutiny somewhere. The more legal it is, the better in that aspect. Chameleon coating might seem like a sexy option for Private Security, but when every cop who sees you stops you to verify it's legality, well it's a bitch. Same especially goes for huge guns and such.

I was going over the different idea's and arsenal and I really like the idea of several Rovers. A few suggestions for mod's that are cheap, fitting, and won't attract scrutiny (and in one case allow us to avoid scrutiny).

Smuggler's Compartments (perfect place to keep guns, ammo, and dangerous drones we don't want to answer questions about). Satellite link and Retrans Units (for when we're off the beaten path). Oil Slick Sprayer and Smoke Projectors (obvious reasons for these). Drone Racks (2 techno's with drones make these a good investment). Valkyrie Module (having one vehicle with one of these to stabilize a badly injured person means we have a makeshift ambulance if needed).

We can also modify them to have better armor, or better top end speed or accel if we like and how much we want to invest in one. Without the drone racks or valkyrie module a Rover fitted with those basic upgrades and some run flat tires comes to 33.2k

I think most of us already have some form of FFBA, but I like the idea of uniforms for when we want to appear official. A group lifestyle to represent the company's assets also appeals to me. I also really like the idea of TacNet software and encrypted comms, but don't know the best way to go about it and my character isn't very technical, so unless one of the group techno's suggests he gets an IC or to upgrade his software or run something he probably won't =P

Hi guys, it's Monday.

I have been reading on and off the vehicle discussion.

Go with three land rovers. They are small and effective, and have all the advantages in an executive protection role. Armour modification is pretty common the world over. While Bruno can ship things around the world. A bus is huge, in congested places which amounts to most of Europe they are hard to maneuver, and can't go down side streets. In areas with poor roads (you don't need to go far Pyallup (or however it spelled), you are going to have a high chance that the bus is going to hit a pot hole, or have the whole under carriage scrape on a bulge on a road.

Oh and if there is a road side ambush, it will involve IEDs or RPGs followed up by automatic fire to clean up. Not to mention you can't navigate a roadblack with a bus without turning the bus into its own roadblock.

GM recommendation: Go with the range rovers, forget the dragon.

Oh and as I said, save some of the money since you will be using it in-game. The money will not go away once the game starts and will remain an important nest egg.

Ahhh... perfect then... I was under the impression that we had to spend it all.

Also, although we've been in the "personal protection" business for a year now, it may in fact only be a secondary role for your character to cover your other shadow running activities. I think it's up to each person to figure out why they are part of the company... for Jack it's easy. It's a natural extension of his beliefs to protect people with his abilities. To get paid for it and also get to keep an eye on the shadows at the same time is perfect. Still, I agree that our main focus right now is Pandora.

I agree with the rovers for all the reasons stated by the GM and DH. Just makes sense. Also, the smuggling compartments and the other mods mentioned are nice ideas.

As for the ffba, I don't think everyone in the group has that (I know DH and myself have Milspec armour, which while handy in certain circumstances, is very conspicuous and not something that can be worn all the time. Even if you have it paid for on your character sheet, just ditch it there, let the group buy it, and then you have a little more money free for personal expenses)

Still thinking of a company name, should have something tonight. Maybe watching Equilibrium will give me some ideas =)

Range Rovers it is then. Not my first choice but I'm sure I can come up with something.

Re-trans and Sat-link isn't necessary, that's what the GTA Tower is for. I suppose we could buy a second one that officially belongs to the company but I don't see any real need.

FFBA is a good idea but it isn't much of a uniform, neh?

Tetsuo's could be customized to look like a 'plug-suit' but it would be the only one anyone would ever see.

Perhaps a particularly styled set of 'shades' with a standardized sensor suite?

On the other hand do we really want anything that marks us out as potential targets?

Why do we even need physical uniforms? An ARO with a corporate logo that pops up when someone scans anyone in the protective detail would suffice, leaving everyone free to work in clothes suited to the job.

Hmm, I'm thinking that for a Drone vehicle that it's going to be best to stick to the bus. I might go with the Hermes van but if it's just a case of slots per the Vista is the best choice.

Assembly time improvement will allow it to be broken down for ease of shipment. I'll make the Toyota's (I can't bring myself to buy a Rover) good turtles but they won't have any weapons.

Looking at all the potential anti-vehicle weapons I think our best bet is to go with some sort of missile system. The cost of ammunition is ruinous but direct-fire weapons in the same damage class are massively expensive and need huge vehicles to carry them.

Right now I'm thinking of the GMC Chariot as the drone of choice. They are cheap, innocuous and capable of carrying a concealed one-shot missile launcher. With airburst links and seeker heads they will be able to hit targets despite SR4A's ridiculous scatter rules. If you have to use it the whole drone is potentially disposable.

I'm thinking therefore that a good team weapon should be a hand held Laser Target Designator. The intimidation factor ought to be immense. Dirty Harry has nothing on a guy that has a target-designator that could be linked to anything from a concealed grenade launcher to an orbital laser platform.

As I previously stated, the uniform isn't for working in. It's for attending things like business meetings or for wearing around the office (if we so desire). It's not something that will really figure in as an expense and it's more for professionalism than anything else. A corporate johnson would get a better impression of the group's organization if we're all dressed in matching outfits in our office. He would likely be less impressed by a bunch of scruffy guys in jeans and t-shirts. Initial Impressions Matter.

As for the ffba, it isn't meant as a uniform, since it's concealed, it's simply meant to give everyone on the team some form of concealable armour that we can use when unable to take advantage of our not so easily disguised armour. That said, a sharp johnson or contact might notice the professional gear being used by everyone and once more get the solid "team" vibe from us. I'd much rather have clients feel that we easily and professionally handled their case rather than gain the impression that we barely kept them alive.

This is the same reason I was suggesting the pistols in the concealed holsters for everyone. While they may not be as useful for everyone (including Jack) they will impart a sense of sameness that will both make it harder for opponents to guess our true strengths and increase the "professional & team" feeling. Anytime you see 4 guys all sporting the same weapons and acting as a fireteam the first thought is that all of these guys received the same training and probably work well together... the fact that we all have highly differing battlefield techniques/abilities only makes us that much less predictable. Also, for anyone on the team who does use a pistol, they now have a ton of backup weapons should their weapon fail or run out of ammo.

Finally, regarding the drone bus, I don't really think it's such a great idea. Sure, space vs might make it seem like a great deal, but once more we run into the issue of the drone vehicle not being able to follow the "Toyotas" wherever they go. All vehicles should be the same or at least similarly capable. I don't see us as being a group that operates like the transporter or Bond, relying on our high-tech automotive power to get us through... we're going to be focused more on avoiding trouble through good intelligence, careful planning and, if needs be, firepower & diversionary tactics. If we sink too much of our resources into vehicles we're going to find ourselves hurting when we suddenly discover that our job is going to require a boat, or a specfic drone etc that we no longer have the funds to easily acquire.

I do like the idea of having a closet full of hats, oxford shirts, golf shirts, parkas, windbreakers, fleece vests, coffee mugs, barbeque aprons, ponchos, commlink pouches, and god only knows what else with a company logo on them.

Is this security thing going to be a front, or are we actually going to do legit security work when we're not clandestinely doing corporate dirty work?

That was my concern also. Personally, I had gotten the impression that the company was ONLY a front. As in, we'd do our usual runner business, all the time, and never take legit work. I mean, WHY take legit work? Does it pay more? If so, WHY be runners then?

From a purely IC point of view, bodyguarding is the very last job Terrence would take. I mean, the guy's specialty is the exact opposite of that

On another note, since we seem to be taking 3 rovers, we'll need to determine who are 3 best drivers are.
Right off the bat, I think Terrence has a dicepool of 4 dices...

I think we are going to do some legit work, just enough to keep the cover intact, unless the pay is better....

Here is the gear list so far. I think I've spent about 450k on vehicles and survival gear so far, still got some loose ends to tie up...

The company is a front. It means you can not only threaten to break people's legs but also have a lawyer to clear up any concus-confusions. A veneer of legality means you get higher paying jobs. Besides people hire entrpeneurs, corps hire enterprises.

The mercs I know and the people who hire them want to make sure that when the chips are down they can deliver what is the by-line on the business card, they don't care how they are dressed as long as they can be professionals. To quote the late Col. Hackworth from memory, "the best soldiers were those who did not do well at parade." In short Mr Johnson will not be impressed by the shine of your chin off your shoes or the starch of the rifle sling or its snap. He will be impressed in how you went two weeks in country to having his past rival killed on a secure compound.

You can have box loads of corporate junk, but that would be an IC contention point, and not an OOC one. I would also point out the internal logic of carrying around a company pen which you could drop as you are conducting a messy extraction, one which has your company commlink code embossed on it.

Thanks a whole bunch for that Chrysalis

Maybe instead of the Vista a GMC Hermes or Bulldog, both can probably carry do the job just as well as the Vista, and are much more inconspicuous and won't run into the issues already outlined. Plus if we go the Hermes Route people are already used to seeing Drones launched from it for 100% legitimate reasons.

I still like the idea of having multiple sat links and retrans, in case someone decides to target the drone or it's unavailable for any reason. And smugglers compartments for all our weapons and missiles also strike me as a good idea.

I like the med gear and survival gear.

Agree with swapping away from the bus.

How much do you guys want to save for expenses from the initial 500k? I was thinking at least 100k, which would give us some versatility for when things go wrong.

Also, I note that most of our funds seem to be going towards transportation equipment and firepower, along with some survival gear. Would a Maglock keycard level 6 or other gear of that nature be a good addition? Or can the technomancers simulate such devices?

Finally, are there any assets that will assist us with gathering intelligence that we can purchase? Do we have any surveillance drones (either high in the sky or minisucle nigh undetectable bug-like ones)? Forensics kits for taking fingerprints and blood samples and the like also come to mind (does anyone have any sort of training in that field?).

I'm already down to the last 50k I think.

Maglocks are the sort of thing that the TM's should have no problem hacking unless they are heavily hardwired or in a dead zone we can't penetrate. A passkey and a sequencer aren't a bad idea as backups, I'll see if I can squeeze them in.

Swapping away from the bus is going to cost at least 10k and the Hermes is significantly slower in Tactical Combat. Neither vehicle ought to ever be in direct combat but it is still a consideration. We won't be able to fit a hot-tub into a Hermes either.
.
I'm still in two minds about the SUV's. Even with only buying two it's pretty expensive and all the expensive upgrades are out of the question 'cos you need to buy two of them. No Smart Armour, Chameleon Coating or Life Support.

I'm going to see if I can cram a Smuggling compartment into the bus and look at some B&E gear.

ooooh... will the troll fit in the hot tub?

He might have to limit himself to two groupies.

I'm starting to reconsider the Citymaster as a base vehicle here. If you upgraded the turret to Concealed visibility it would be indistinguishable from a Roadmaster. Give it a nice shiny black paint-job and some chrome and you'd be in business. Professional and menacing without being wildly indiscreet.

Spooky can buy his own hot tub, just like the rest of us

On the subject of liquid cash, I'd feel more comfortable having at least 150k available for specific expenses, and unanticipated gear, though dropping that down to 100k will work in a pinch. Anything less than that and we're asking for trouble the first time we need something exotic, or highly specific.

Sheesh, let met get some lube out here...

I don't know how I'm going to manage that. I can skimp on the missiles a bit but we won't have any re-loads and resupply will be a bitch.

I was thinking of going with two Citymasters to replace the SUV's and the bus which might save a little cash but even cutting a lot of corners I can't see me being able to keep 30% of the principle untouched.

edit

Looking at it, if the company is purely a front then the SUV's are only for show.

If we buy a couple of couple of stock Toyotas, add a bit of armour and pimp them up it'll cost less than 60k.

We use them purely for show and buy one proper vehicle for work. Something discrete that we can make a clean getaway in.

For the company, going with the original bit of background for Frank where he established is as a tax shelter:



On the subject of the expenditures, do we really need to spend the better part of one hundred grand on missiles, and have a drone launching bus? As everyone seems pretty adamant about, the business is only meant to be a cover, so to spend so much on something we rarely do is just excessive. The same could be said for the nanites, when we've got a couple of people capable of performing first aid, a cyberdoc contact, and enough contact pool pull to get a handle of a good doc just about anywhere we go. Survival gear's not bad, but we could forget buying all sorts of tents and specific suits, save the money, and buy as needed. We're assuming enough time already for our vehicles to be transported, so we could keep the cash fluid and let the forward action guys purchase gear/tents as needed for the environment. Given few of us have any outdoor skills at all, we're not likely to jump into the wilderness very willingly as is.

My suggestion remains similar to my original, stick to three 'Toyotas' and have one modified to carry drones. They stand well as they're designed now, if they're a bit more overtly armored than I'd be inclined to see them. As for the drones, you've already got a loadout, neh? They should do well enough.

Even when operating in a Personal Protection capacity we need to keep in mind escape and evade beats stand and fight. The bus and missle drone loadout just scream extended firefight, which means more time for a client to cack it. For that same reason Smart-Armor, Chameleon Coating and such are just a bit too much. A standing fight's a loss, and we're not sneaking around, we're going somewhere at speed in numbers,

On the subject of Frank:

I had a very brief flirtation with using Laser Weapons instead of Assault Rifles, just for a bit of distinction, but the cost of an Ares Redline was prohibitive, even if available and badass.

Missiles. Err, yup, we do.

Seriously, if you want to escape and evade you want to discourage vehicular pursuit, neh?

If you want to give a Citymaster pause you need a Vanquisher or better. The front-loading on such weapons is enormous and not getting caught with them is wicked difficult. Missiles are the way to go if you aren't planning on fighting a war. The setup above is far from protracted fire-fight optimized. It is designed to hit the enemy hard and fast and escape while he's still trying to pull his trousers back up.

I'm coming to the conclusion that the drones are too much of a pain in the arse. Deploying and recovering them is hard work and if you can't spend the time to recover them then that's more money down the tubes and potential forensics for the bad guys to pore over.

I think you are right about leasing cover vehicles. If we are never going to actually do any security work there is sod all point pissing money away on vehicles we can never use. Vehicles that are publicly associated with the firm can never be used in the commission of a crime. Best that we lease them when we need them.

I tried to come up with vehicles that will handle as many terrains as possible, I've even built a submersible Citymaster, but in the end Hovercraft seems the best choice. There's no mucking about with tyres, suspensions and aquatic hulls, it just goes anywhere you point it. Vehicles that start out as Hovercraft are the most cost effective.

So here is a proposed replacement for everything I've already built. We buy two of these and lease whatever other vehicles we need.

[edit]

Actually if we can all manage to agree that the whole team will fit into this air-cushion delivery truck we only need to buy one which will save us a small fortune.

[/edit]



As to the Nanites, prevention is better than cure.

That package will allow the entire team to ignore everything up to and including Seven-7 Nerve Gas, hold their breath for two and a half hours and walk right through the main reactor chamber at Chernobyl completely unharmed.

The availability rules suck big time. If you don't have it you cannot count on having it if you need it any time this month. You are talking several days or weeks for all but the most trivial items. Additionally you will always pay a minimum of 5% over market price for anything bought after Chargen. If we know we are likely to need something best to buy it now while we still can.

Hi,

I have been looking at the 500k that I gave and the amount of differing opinions on how to spend it. The importance with giving the money was me being nice. If however, this continues to be a contention point, I will take away the 500k.

crizh was given authority on how to spend it and he has the final decision on how it is spent.

-Chrysalis

I like the choice of the hovertruck with the concealed missile rack. It's enough brute force to allow us to break contact and escape when necessary, and shouldn't suffer from a lot of terrain constraints, especially if it's got road wheels lurking under the skirt.

Right, here we go.

Bearing in mind that we also have access to a GTA Tower and a Steel Lynx here's our gear list.

We can lease anything we need to maintain our cover and the Everglades is an APC size vehicle capable of carrying the entire team.

I haven't gotten to comm's gear or group lifestyle yet but I can finish that this evening I think.

Your point about availability is a good one, since a lot of the items you're picking up might end up costing us a lot more (or even end up unavailable) if we wait until we need them. I definitely prefer this last vehicle (it has a Ram plate... nice!), and all you need for a hot tub is a hole in the bottom =P

Does it have wheels? I couldn't tell from the description. If it doesn't have wheels, I'd be up for using a model with wheels and paying the 30-40k for the hovercraft upgrade. I doubt most places would be too happy with a full on hovercraft tearing down the street (I've seen those puppies in action in RL and it's sick how much wind they generate).

Despite the fact that Chrysalis probably thinks we're all jerks now, the truth is most of us have probably never spent 500k before and everyone wants to get their foot in the door. There are certainly a lot of options to consider. I think the biggest contention was figuring out how we work together and what exactly it is that we do as a "company"... now that those problems have been cleared up somewhat, I think the money issue will resolve itself.

Digital Heroin - I like the company name... it tells people what we supposedly do while lending an air of sophistication.

Anyone want black leather dusters with (black, barely visible) furled angel wings embossed on the back? I'll avoid using sequins

Hi Spooky,

Decisions by committee are always problematic. Besides when people start bimbling about the inner lance corporal in me comes out.

Long hair and swords with the leather dusters works too.
This could be the opening theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMNJwUUHMxc


Posted the first opening post.
[IC] Red Dawn Rising

No it doesn't have wheels, although it's blurb makes it clear that it is quite a common vehicle and won't raise many eyebrows.

The original Hotspur design I put up had the Hovercraft adaptation so could use wheels or aircushion but it was suboptimal and hugely expensive.

Much faster though.

D'oh. No long hair, and it'd take an Activesoft to get Vice whipping around a greatsword.

Nice touch with Soi 6, by the way.

I like it, it gets my seal of approval! I tend to find that anytime you have decision by committee 1 of 2 things happens, either it gets bogged down and nothing gets done. Or you come up with something really cool and much better then originally planned. I think we've stumbled upon #2.

I'm just going to swap some of my ammo to Ceramic rounds (totally spazzed the first time) and post it in the OOC thread and check out the IC thread.

Unfortunately, the contents of Youtube must wait until I get alongside =( The ship does not support such sites (can't imagine why).

I've updated the group gear list in my first post of OOC. It's not done yet but there will be about 75k left over.

(Yes that Optimization is legal, I could tell you how I know but then I'd have to kill you.)

I noticed on page 7 of this thread that Rathum had an awesome character sheet layout... it looked like he had done something with php to draft it, and I'm wondering if that is a site feature or something else he managed. Does anyone know? I for one would love to be able to lay out my character without having to try to use the space bar to create a "table" like area on my character sheet, particularly for stuff like skills and showing all the dice pool bonuses together. Right now mine is something of a mess.

Cheers!