[OOC]Damage Incorporated

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:26 pm

Okay we need to get this bad puppy rolling.

First on the agenda:

3278 we will need to determine how much money the team will be contributing to you, and more importanly, the vehicles you'll be purchasing. So far I have completely made two of these fourteen characters. They both have averaged 15 to 20k of left over resources. Given that one of the other ten will likely have a lot more to give you, I'll run it like this, unless you have abetter idea which I am certainly open to, nine team members will contribute a total of 200k to the team's vehicle fund and lifestyle pool.

Since the team lifestyle only has to b paid one month in advance, which gives you all good reason to work as paying upkeep is a bitch, that means I'll leave 180k for you to dip into, the other 20k will go into lifetyle. (Which means Angela, and the other players will make up the rest of the difference for any extras.)

Angela “Green Angry” Kostapas is rich. Filthy rich. And she has jack to spend it on, so she'll be making funds available as well. She'll fork up another 200k free, and can loan the team another 500k if needed. It's an option. Let mekow if that sounds good, or if it is a badidea on my part. (I can see some possible downside to this.)

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:30 pm

Next on the agenda I will discuss how I am going to work the jobs for you.Since you guys get to chose what job you take, and you won't be using a fixer, getting work will be different indeed.

You guys will used an as yet unnamed Dealer contact, you all must take him as one of your freebies sorry, who will provide some of the available job listings, but also we'll use a fictional BBS named MercNet to post jobs on.

Each time we play you will choose a job from Merc Net and 'll run that as the game we play.

Questions?

3278 · Post by **3278** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:34 pm

I'd like to propose - this is mostly at Paul, since the rest of you probably couldn't give a rat's ass - that we dispense with Electronic Warfare in its entirety. I'd also like to forego ECM, ECCM, ED, and ECD, though I can understand their possible inclusion.

My reasoning is that we're already going to be busy enough in combat without having to worry additionally about crap like electronic warfare, signal degradation, and so on. I'd like to keep this nice and military, and leave the high-tech at the door. Sure, we could include it, but then both us and the bad guys have to spend tons of money on it, and if we scrap it all in favor of just shooting at each other, on both sides, things will be simpler and cheaper. Lots cheaper.

I'd also like to try using the real vehicle combat rules. The way we do things now, it's as easy to hit a plane going 200kph as it is to hit a car going 10kph. The rules are really, really, really complicated, but if I know we're using them going into combat, I can just make a chart with all the modifiers, and Paul can concentrate on just running combat. I can give him the target modifiers for the situation - doing the maneuver score stuff is easy when you're the player, who only has to worry about his action, and has plenty of time in-between to do math, but is very hard when you're the GM - and then we can just roll from there. If nothing else, I'd like to try it out.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:38 pm

We'll need to talk about this. I think I'll call you here shortly.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:53 pm

Paul and I have just worked the details of this out on the phone. We will use the R3 maneuver rules, and we won't use ECMetc. We do reserve the option to reintegrate ECMetc at a later date, if we decide it's necessary or desirable. For the first several runs, it probably won't matter much anyway, since we won't be up against super-modern armies. [And won't /be/ a super-modern army.]

This exclusion of the ECMetc rules will /not/ effect the rules for communications interception and jamming. Yes, that's not internally consistant. Does anyone care?

3278 · Post by **3278** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:47 am

As it stands right now - and my character is pretty preliminary - I'll have a little over 1 million nuyen to spend on vehicles, which seems like a lot, until you consider how much military vehicles cost. Still, I think we'll do okay. If I'm coming up short and we're still in need of important things, I'll let everyone know, and we can talk about spending as a group. Something important to consider is that we'll be better off after our first job, so if we don't have enough to buy, say, a boat - and we'll need one eventually - we can always buy it later, with group funds/lifestyle.

So far, having made my character - quite consciously - with BeCKS and not the point system, I have a lot more skills at 3 or 4 than at 6 or above. I know my characters always tend to be a little on the overpowering side, since I'm a math guy and something of a min-maxer. I'm trying very hard to avoid that this time, but the inevitable byproduct of that is that sometimes, things I do will actually not work. I've gotten very used to taking it for granted that when it's my turn, my target dies, like we saw with the Mobmasters this week. I totally wrecked a couple of serious security vehicles in a couple of turns, and could have done it in one if I hadn't been ferrying our favorite troll out of the sky. I'm actually going to sometimes fail this time, and I think it'll be more fun. It's something to think about when you're making your characters. [And something for Paul to think about when making the NPCs and the bad guys.]

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 1:24 am

I do, believe me I do. :cool

3278 · Post by **3278** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 1:35 am

I have SoE for you, also, Paul, although I'm not sure how we'll go about getting it to you.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 1:16 pm

After a thorough review of the maneuver score rules in the SR3 main book, I have changed my position somewhat, to, "If we use those rules, I'll tie Paul's crotch to the dart board." Not that that should stop you from looking them over yourself, Paul, and judging them on their own merits, which I believe you'll find are minimal at best.

Bishop · Post by **Bishop** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 3:29 pm

I have pretty bad aim nowadays. :cyber I'll go first.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 7:09 pm

3278 wrote:After a thorough review of the maneuver score rules in the SR3 main book, I have changed my position somewhat, to, "If we use those rules, I'll tie Paul's crotch to the dart board." Not that that should stop you from looking them over yourself, Paul, and judging them on their own merits, which I believe you'll find are minimal at best.

Yeah actually funny you mention this, because I spent four hours last night reading, and rereading the whole vehicle section in the SR3 main book last night.

I agree with your assesment.

By the way Bishop has asked to get in on the madness, and I have said yes. Is this going to be a problem for anyone? I suspect at times we will have a few games where not all of us can play, so five may become four.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 10:54 pm

I don't have a problem with it. Like James, he may need to take a look at the dates Greg and Paul have off, and then ask for a given day off in advance. That's likely the only way we'll be able to get even four of five players.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 11:36 pm

Bishop when I switched emails to gmail, I didn't have your address save. Can you send it to SeriousPaul@gmail.com, and I'll forward you the dates Kain and I are available.

Gyro · Post by **Gyro** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 9:11 pm

Paul, James and I worked on our character concepts today. James is going to fill the niche of full magician. Complete details pending but he’s going to be an elven full mage from Tir No Nog. He’ll have a “gigantic cock”, he say’s.
I’m playing a huge albino troll adept. I’m a Japanese Buddhist...that of course doesn’t believe in modern technology or weaponry. I’m a menacing ghost of a troll that’s covered in knives and swords from head to toe. You can call me Spike.

P.S. We really like the NSRCG program. When you get the chance can you give me a call.

Thanks

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 9:44 pm

Copy that. I have today and tommorrow off, so as soon as I recieve them I'll call you. Can you get James online, or have him send me his phone number to my email account, so I can call him too.

As sson as I get them I'll call you guys, and 3278. 32: Either I'll need to get over there, or you here. Either way I want to get SoE and my machine so Kain can take a look at what we need.

I will start going through Kais'n and my own schedule for the next day we have to play.

Bishop · Post by **Bishop** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 9:46 pm

So...am I going to be able to play? Or what.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:03 pm

Yes. You'll need to generate a character. Every character should be able to fit in with the NPC's describe in the IC thread, as you are a military unit. Therefore a humanis policlub reject that served in the Swiss Military wouldn't be likely to hang with this team as it has several Metahumans, and magically active characters and NPCs.

PC's do not have to be European, even though the rest of the team is, but should have experience in the European Theater in some way, since all of our games will be set in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia. So having access to several languages will be a plus. Survival skills are a must. You will have to live off the land in several adventures. A riding skill actually wouldn't hurt, but is not necassary. At least one, maybe even two jobs will have horse back involved.

I don't mind some edgeyness, you guys don't have to get along perfectly, but you can't be ready to kill each other at the drop of a hat, or for farting in a closed car or something. Your characters will be the core of this team-you'll be the guys everyone else takes orders from.

I would like character back grounds posted here if we could soonish. Something describing who you are so we can work out whathow we get along.I plan on having each character having a relationship withcertain NPC's in the team. For instance Gyro's character will get along with "Big Ivan" classically. I predict that James will have a good relationship with "Big Bird" and Mira. 3278 will likely have the best relationship with "Flak Jacket". Kain will have the best relationship with "Duth."

By relationship I mean friendships. Your characters will have worked together extensively.

Questions?

Bishop · Post by **Bishop** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 11:16 pm

Not from my end. I'll think about everything tonight, see what I come up with.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 11:47 pm

Serious Paul wrote:By relationship I mean friendships. Your characters will have worked together extensively.

Or know each other by reputation, correct? I get the impression this group was brought together - and I wonder by whom* - from a diverse group of sources. I, for instance, am likely to have come straight from another mercenary group I left to join Damage, Inc, probably but not definitely MET2000. I could have sworn one of the women on the team was ex-merc, and I was going to have worked for the same organization as her, but now I can't find her.

Just to give you all some background, I will be playing a military rigger, from Germany, with a fairly long mercenary background. Jager is a human in his mid-30s, with a grasp of tactics and strategy bordering on the superhuman. Largely friendly and open, he can become somewhat distant when lost in thought. He's one of the brighter members of the team, but only in areas which he finds interesting: history, warfare, vehicles, and so on. He's no apparently smarter than average in fields in which he has no real interest. [What I'm trying to say is that while his IQ is equal to Einstein's, he has no mind for quantum physics. But he is the Hawking of automobiles.]

Jager has lots of experience with most any kind of vehicle, and knows how to integrate them into the overall plan of battle. Indespensible to any military commander, he has an innate grasp of strategy, but knows when it's time to shut his mouth and stop offering advice. He has no aspirations to command, preferring to work at the squad level, though he is deeply interested in the intricacies of planning, logistics, and training that make him a fine Warrant Officer. [His former rank; he's still not sure what he'll be brought in to do for DI.]

One other thing you'll all know, or find out soon enough, is that Jager has a criminal record: he killed a guy in a post-bar fight a few years back, and only avoided prison by fleeing the jurisdiction. [Not sure which European country, but one of them.] While he's not actively wanted in other European countries, he will be extradited under EC convention if he's so much as stopped for speeding. I fully intend for this to be a Problem for us. Capital P. Not something distracting, but a hook.

Out-of-character, it does look like I'll need to maybe design a vehicle or two, mostly because the APC chassis in Rigger 3 makes less sense than you can imagine. Apparently, in the future, APCs only need to seat 4-6 people, while riot control vehicles need to seat 20. [Hyperbole, but not by much.] So I'll be doing something up, but I will restrain myself from the ruinous sort of min-maxing for which I am so well-known.

*I mean, did we all get an offer we couldn't refuse? Did we know each other well enough to call each other? Who is the impetus behind starting this group? Who founded Damage, Inc?

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 1:16 am

3278 wrote:Or know each other by reputation, correct? I get the impression this group was brought together - and I wonder by whom* - from a diverse group of sources.

That is fine, as well.

*I mean, did we all get an offer we couldn't refuse? Did we know each other well enough to call each other? Who is the impetus behind starting this group? Who founded Damage, Inc?

A good question, and admittedly one I haven't put a lot of thought into. It was my initial opinion that one of the player characters initiated contact with the rest of the team. But I suppose after a few moments of reflection it could be an NPC. If it were to be any of the NPC's it'd either be Dutch or Flak Jacket. I have no real preference.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 2:12 am

If none of the PCs want to have started the business and recruited all of us, you can decide then which of the NPCs would make the most sense. We should probably know before we start playing, but I don't expect it to matter that much. Still, for PC introductions, it may be useful to know.

Would anyone's character have been the sort to have founded our mercenary team? It's not really Jager's sort of thing, I can tell you right now.

Gyro · Post by **Gyro** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 6:29 pm

Well if Earls character doesn’t want to be want to be the founder and leader of the group then I’ll do it. After reading the post yesterday about Damage Inc. I don’t think that a true Asian Buddhist monk would be in a Merc. group like this. I like the character so for; he just won’t be a Buddhist at all. Yes that’s it! If you’re cool with it I’ll be a Warmongering albino adept troll.

I have brought this group together because I’m a little crazy and have a few debts to settled with the bitch they call the world and all her frag’in little problems that seem to come up all the frag’in time. Problems and wars that no one wants to fight! Well step aside kids caz here comes DAMAGE INC. “You’ll be push' in up daises soon!” Well, you know what they say...or I say...or somenthing like that, the best minds or the "a little crazy ones".

If you guys are cool with this I’ll make the small changes to my character and have an IC post by this weekend some time. Paul, if I’m going to be leader I’d like to get our take on this and talk about my character and the others in the company before I make my post. Call me big boy!

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 6:49 pm

All right. I have a few calls to make today-when are you home?

3278 · Post by **3278** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:33 pm

I'm currently working on our APC [which is actually a medium transport]. It looks good so far; I'm trying for "minimalist," and mostly succeeding. Still feels like I'm intentionally making a crappy vehicle, but at least it means I'll actually have to roll dice to succeed. That'll be nice.

More significantly, it'll be able to carry the entire team, will have limited anti-aircraft capability, anti-personnel capability, and a wet bar. And a bathroom. Toilet, really. It's home-away-from-home, which is why I'm being so careful with its design. I expect we'll be upgrading it mightily as time goes on.

Next, drones. Those I'll be buying off-the-rack and only modifying.

I'm fine with having an albino troll for a boss. Will he actually be the CO, also, or is he leaving that with someone else? And does anyone have a problem with Paul's suggestion that I be the Warrant Officer?

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:44 pm

Okay we need to establish a few thinsg here:

Rank

It looks like Gyro will assume command of the unit. We discussed, and I think he agrees that 3278 will be the Executive Officer. For ease I suggest we work it like this:

Gyro will be the Captain, his billet(Jobassignment) will be Commanding Officer Damage Incorporated. (CODI) he will have overall command of the team, and will decide which jobs you guys take. (Admittedly with input from all of you, since he doesn't want a mutiny.)

3278 will be the Executive Officer. His rank will be a First Lieutenant. (XO) He will have Tactica COmmand of the tem in the field, and will be in charge of procurement, training and weapons maintainence. (Keep in mind most of this is just for us to know, it may never play much of a rol in our games, but if it does weat least have it planned out.)

Simon “Flak Jacket” Barton is a 2nd Lieutenant. He works weapons maintainence, and as the teams S3 officer. (Intelligence)

Monster 01 will be a Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CWO3), with a Magical Specialty Rating. (That's just technical for he can cast spells.) He is charge of nothing! Just kidding. I assume you will have a primary role in training mmbers of the squad in resisting the effects of magic, and recognizin various magical phenomna.

Uncle Jospeh will a Master Gunnery Sargent.(Master Guns) He will assist the XO in training, as well as procurement, and accounting matters. He will also be the Senior Noncommisioned Officer on the team. (Senior Noncom, or SNCOIC. Staff NCO In Charge.)

Bishop will be a Gunnery Sragent, and will work directly for Uncle Jospeh. He will also be first team leader. He will also assist in training.

"Dutch" Schaefer will be a Staff Sargent. He is in first team.

Roman “Caesar” Pearce is a sargent in first team.

"Big Ivan" Kaminsky will be second team leader, and a Sargent.

"Ed Evil" Moussorsky is in second team. He is a Corporal.

Mira Fuchrer is a private in second team.

Angela “Green Angry” Kostapas is a lance corporal in second team.

Ettore “Big Bird” Moretti is a private in second team.

Adam “Dark Angel” Gibson is Third Team Leader. He is a Sargent.

Aeryn Sun is a Staff Sargent, and in charge of all medical for the squad. She will be subordinate to Gibson for accountability purposes.

Questions? Gyro fel free to object to how your team is organized, and redo it. Just contact me, to let me know of any comments, questions or complaints.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:46 pm

3278 wrote:I'm fine with having an albino troll for a boss. Will he actually be the CO, also, or is he leaving that with someone else? And does anyone have a problem with Paul's suggestion that I be the Warrant Officer?

Gyro and I changed that. Thoughts?

3278 · Post by **3278** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:20 pm

XO's fine, too. Many of the same responsibilities, but more pay. Jager can accept a promotion; in fact, it could easily be one of the reasons he could be coaxed from a steady job with an established mercenary company to come work for a lunatic with a team small enough to be wiped out with a lucky missile attack.

Monster 01 · Post by **Monster 01** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:22 am

Still working on my Mage. He's an elf from Tir na nOg but still hammering out some of the background. He had a troubled childhood full of abuse, fear, and oppression. When he discovered he was magically awakened he used that power to lash out on the society and peoples who hurt him. He's irresponsible with his power ( he doesn’t have the whole Spiderman outlook) and he has a superiority complex. He enjoys exorcising his abilities and relishes in the thrill of making things explode with his will alone. He became a Merc so he could get paid to do what comes natural to him. He is probably the least disciplined member of the squad and he hates to take orders, but as long as they sign his paycheck and stay out of his way he will play along (for now).

3278 · Post by **3278** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:28 am

Just finished Jager's personal car, which can go 517.5 miles per hour.

I believe I have a completed list of all the vehicles we'll own. [I'll own, I guess. Apparently I'm loaning them to DI. The Shadowrun rules don't well reflect a "team."] Here they are:

Volkswagon Uberwachen - aka "The Overlord"
This is our military transport. Seats 14 - although it's somewhat cramped then - and even has two reinforced seats for troll-sized folk. Bathroom, fridge, wet bar, lots of water. Sealed against chemical attacks, and armed with an autocannon and an assault rifle. Its turrets don't retract, and its armor is obvious, so this isn't something we drive in civilization. I don't buy the vehicles we drive in civilization. I guess we steal those.

Cessna C750
Technically, this plane can't quite lift our APC, but that's because the rules are whack. Anyway, it fits. I haven't modified the plane yet, but I plan to only change a few things anyway. This is strictly transport, for when we work off-continent. How'd you think we were going to get there, boat?

(2) Ferret RPD-VIs
These are recon drones, with their searchlights replaced with target designators. Used to scout, as well as to call down fire, particularly mortars.

Steel Lynx
Used for what you use a Steel Lynx for: the indescriminate killing of shit.

LDSD-41
A small armed dirigible, generally used for tactical overwatch and recon. Almost undetectable at the distances it generally holds at. Our eye in the sky.

CAS Wandjina
Like a Steel Lynx that flies.

Sundowner
This clever addition to our arsenal of vehicles allows us to spread large quantities of any chemical or biological agent over a widespread area.

Ares Inquisitor
The military version of the Lone Star Strato-9, this rotodrone is used for close-combat aerial assault. It comes armed with an MMG, which can be swapped out when necessary for specialty weapons.

Ares Guardian
Probably the most deadly vehicle in the stable, this vectored-thrust drone is fast, well-armed, well-armored, and can move in any direction at any time, like a midsized floating tank of doom. This is the primary assault drone, as much by personal preference as for any compelling reason.

I'll finish the modifications to these vehicles this week. I'm probably only 200,000 nuyen over budget right now, which dovetails nicely with Angela's extra cash. [She'll probably buy the plane.] I'd like to leave the extra money from the rest of the team available for lifestyle. More about that, later.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:54 am

I know this is traditionally th last thing all of us do with a chracter, but I need names. I assume each of you will have a "Call Sign", for radio traffic etc... as well.

Bishop · Post by **Bishop** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:31 am

I'm working on a Macedonian Fighter, assault rifles and down expert, including hand to hand. Went through all kinds of Spec ops training, has survival skills and specwar skills to the gills. Along with all the survival equipment...climbing gear, diving gear, parachuting. And he knows how to use it all. And I believe he speaks 6 different languages. Not a face...just an operator. Cyberware and bioware, not magic. His name is Dragan Ileva. Call sign, nickname, is Rauch. German for smoke.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 10:12 am

FYI: The Year is 2065. The date the game world is starting on is January 1st. Any other questions?

3278 · Post by **3278** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 7:56 pm

3278 wrote:Just finished Jager's personal car, which can go 517.5 miles per hour.

Jager can easily be expected to accelerate the car at a rate of 72 meters per second per second, or about 7.3Gs. 0-100 kilometers per hour should take about...

100000m/hour = 1666.6m/minute = 27.7m/second

Something's wrong there. Time to start a thread.

Serious Paul · Post by **Serious Paul** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 12:00 am

JOSH and JAMES you will need to ask for Saturday April 16th 2005 off as soon as possible so we can play that day!

Bishop · Post by **Bishop** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 12:42 am

Roger that. My character is in the last stages of development.

UncleJoseph · Post by **UncleJoseph** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 1:07 am

MGYSgt. Kor'vain is an elven mercenary with experience formerly acquired in the Tir Tairngire military. He specializes in small arms combat and weapons, small unit tactics and military operations. When addressed by subordinates (whether on or off-duty), he should be referred to as Master Gunnery Sergeant Kor'vain, or simply, "Master Guns."

Although fairly quiet and solitary, he does enjoy the camaraderie between other soldiers and operatives in the group. He is always up for a card game or two.

As a training officer (and drill instructor), he is brutal and demanding, but fair. He only asks that members of the group pull their own weight and give 100% on the job, and does not tolerate insubordination.