[BESM] OOC: Sicilian Sonata

Nexusvoid · Post by **Nexusvoid** » Fri Aug 16, 2002 2:28 am

Sounds good. The only problem I may have is with the force field. Is there some way you can limit it?

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Fri Aug 16, 2002 2:35 pm

It is the shield only version of force field, which means I'm going to have to get the thing in the way of oncoming havoc. If I need to cut down the power level, I can, but then the rules as they are in the book get hinky.

I'd be happy to make it a 20 or 30 point field if the Hangar Queen defect only applied to the force field feature.

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Wed Sep 04, 2002 2:57 pm

Are we still live here?

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Wed Sep 04, 2002 3:38 pm

Please Nex! Be the man!

Cazmonster grabs Brother Justice and holds him over a pen filled with puppies.

Do it, or the puppies get it!

Nexusvoid · Post by **Nexusvoid** » Fri Sep 06, 2002 4:30 am

Yes, we're still on. I've just been busy and sick. I'm going to go yell at Havoc, WF, and Jackal for a tic here, and we'll be goood to go.

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Fri Sep 06, 2002 2:20 pm

Yeah! Yell at them bad! Tell them if they don't get to it, there won't be any hot chicks in skin tight yellow latex shorts!

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Tue Sep 10, 2002 5:00 am

Almost done with Eye here - I'll have him up and ready before the end of the week.

Havoc out.

TheScamp · Post by **TheScamp** » Tue Sep 10, 2002 5:11 am

Cazmonster wrote:Please Nex! Be the man!

Cazmonster grabs Brother Justice and holds him over a pen filled with puppies.

Do it, or the puppies get it!

*whines in disappointment*

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Sat Oct 05, 2002 9:10 am

Lo and behold, Eye is done. Soon as I see you online, Nex, I'm sending him over.

Havoc out.

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Thu Oct 10, 2002 5:20 am

Righto. Jackal is out of the game and WF is retooling her char due to that. This means that we're all one team now, as Nexus says.

However, I'd really like to have the big ship of the team - I've got it laid out already and it would really fit with my character. How would everyone else feel about reworking any big ships they have and shrinking them down to fighter-size to fit in, so we can have ourselves a team?

Havoc out.

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Thu Oct 10, 2002 5:57 am

Disregard the funky double post.

Havoc out.

Wildfire · Post by **Wildfire** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 6:45 am

So I'm an absolute geek, but number tweaking BESM is time-consuming, so I wrote this tonight.

www.winternightex.com/BESM.xls

You still need the book for a ton of things, but it makes number balancing much easier, Just get everything to zero on the last entry on the bottom right of the page, and poof.

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 2:30 pm

Wild, you have an illness. I'm certain that the folks down at the local Body Shoppe can cure you of it.

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 4:59 am

Caz, I can't seem to reach you by email. I'm fine with the ship decision; soon as I get the updates by mail, I'll make the necessary adjustments and we'll be ready to roll.

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 2:25 pm

Okay, that's totally screwed up, but it does explain why I get no direct havoc-mail.

Jeff said he was going to split his available mecha pool between your boat and mine. I'm fairly certain I can get everything I really wanted out of the Manta on not too many points. I'll fiddle with the numbers tonight and see what I get given half of what I had originally spent.

Nexusvoid · Post by **Nexusvoid** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 8:01 am

Alright, here's some more info for you guys. First up, Havoc's ship. I'm not going to put the actual numbers, just the descriptions.

Designation: Lycaon (Cruise Mode)
Description: Cruise Mode Lycaon, despite the lesser accomodations swapped for cargo space, is still a pleasure to live in. Plenty of breathing space, a nice observation deck, entertainment center, bar, the works. It can get quiet when you're alone, though. Thankfully, Jeeves, the onboard AI (manservant personality construct) offers its help at conversation and runs the ship smoothly, if a bit unexcitingly.

Designation: Lycaon (Pursuit Mode)
Description: Pursuit Mode Lycaon drops power to most of the non-flight movement systems and medical bay, dumping it all into maneuvering thrusters and sensor systems. Armor is also slipped out over sensitive areas and the bridge moves forward, revealing the Lycaon's main weapon system in an undermounted turret. Consisting of a revolver-style smoothbore cannon, the Arrester fires large shells filled with a super-duty pulse capacitor and electrostatic gel; each round penetrates deep into the hull of a ship, dispersing its payload throughout the exterior and interior and pulsing a high-voltage charge through it, effectively disrupting the ship's engines and powerplant. One hit is often enough to immobilize a fighter or transport; few ships have survived two uccessive hits. Separate from the Arrester and mounted atop and behind the bridge (also deploying during the transformation) is the Lycaon's back-up offensive weapon, an HKSW Fang-5 heavy machine gun with anti-vehicular capability; useful when firepower is called for. The Arrester gunner's seat is exposed and separate from the command center, requiring the AI or another crew member to command the ship in the meantime. The Fang-5 is targetted and fired from the bridge, usually by the Lycaon's operator.

I'll post more info as it becomes pertinent to the story, etc..

Nexusvoid · Post by **Nexusvoid** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 8:08 am

Oh, and if any of you are looking for a good Bebop source, this link has alot of the info condensed onto one (web)page.

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 10:18 am

Rock on, we're live!

Now, uh...

How does this whole BBS game thing work?

Nexusvoid · Post by **Nexusvoid** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 7:31 pm

Well, Caz, Wild, and Jeff are all veterans of this, so if you'd liek to just take their lead, that's fine.

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 7:49 pm

I'm on it, just give me a day or two, assuming the Voodoo Pimpin' Priest has time to post.

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Sat Jan 04, 2003 3:41 am

I'm here, Caz old boy. This seems to be the only game live at the moment, that I'm involved in, so let's do this thing. Havoc, any questions, feel free to look me up. I've been on the GM and the player side of far too many of these things. Simple rule to follow, never complete your actions fully. Always post to leave things open for the GM to do his side of things. Try to phrase it as a story, but one in which hasn't been fully written yet, using only specifically what your character knows and has. And always, always ask questions before posting, if you have a concern. Makes things much easier.

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Sat Jan 04, 2003 3:59 am

Cool, thanks Jeff. First order of business then - where is everybody, character-wise? Is the Manta docked in the Lycaon, or is it still freespacing and we're not yet at the point where Eye and the others have struck up an alliance for this case?

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Sat Jan 04, 2003 4:41 am

It is my understanding that all members are together, and that the Manta was tapping off of the Lycaon's feed. If this is not the case, we can change things.

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Sat Jan 04, 2003 4:51 am

From what I had based my background on, I had figured that Shao and Marshall had been with Eye for at least a year or more, if that helps any. Caz, any thoughts on that? My first post will be up momentarily here.

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Sat Jan 04, 2003 5:16 am

Works for me. Eye will most likely be in the Lycaon proper in that case, either in his quarters or in the cockpit. Once interaction moves out of the Manta, I'll intro him properly.

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Sat Jan 04, 2003 5:21 am

Well that's fine. From how points got spent on characters and the eventual changes with the drop out. I figured it was one large team (more or less). I know that both Sludig and Wildfire have made connections with Shao. So it would seem to me that we're all one big team.

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Sun Jan 05, 2003 8:03 am

Just checking to make sure we're all on the same page...

From what I understand, the Manta is Shao's smaller high-tech ship whereas the Lycaon is Eye's larger ex-cruise ship. Currently, the Manta is docked inside the Lycaon's bigger fighter bay, whereas WF's character's ship, the speedster, is in another bay close by. Currently Shao, Marshall and Stick are all aboard the Manta discussing things, while Eye is on the bridge of the Lycaon.

Did I get it all right?

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Sun Jan 05, 2003 2:37 pm

I think Stick, IIRC, (Sludig's character) is on the main ship's deck sleeping.

Sludig · Post by **Sludig** » Sun Jan 05, 2003 8:16 pm

Yeah, Stick's taking a nap currently. He's got nothing to work on, or fix, and TV isn't exciting enough. Just have someone wake him up.

Wildfire · Post by **Wildfire** » Mon Jan 06, 2003 12:03 am

Sounds about what I was assuming in my post at least, Havoc

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Tue Jan 07, 2003 6:51 am

Yo guys, my first post should be up soon.

I'd like to take this opportunity to move that we all use the present tense in our posts to retain an aura of similitude. Thank you.

Nexusvoid · Post by **Nexusvoid** » Tue Jan 07, 2003 6:55 am

Alright, as opposed to the email I was going to send out to everyone containing characetr information, I'd rather that you guys do it here yourselves, in case there was anything that I missed or overlooked.

The reason I ask this is because I want only the information that the entire team would know to eb posted. Leave anything else - including stats - out.

Nexusvoid · Post by **Nexusvoid** » Tue Jan 07, 2003 6:56 am

And on the crew situation, I was assuming, too, that the crew was on the same ship, if that helps any.

Wildfire · Post by **Wildfire** » Tue Jan 07, 2003 8:22 am

Not to be a pain or anything, but I move we all write however we usually do, whether that be past or present, since we're all intellegent people and can figure it out.

At least Caz and I have had the discussion before about how 5 minutes writing a post and 10 minutes editing it for tense sucks

Info on Artemis will be forthcoming tomorrow, er, later today

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Tue Jan 07, 2003 3:29 pm

That and I think continuous present tense looks like crap. And here's my two cents on the crewing situation. The Manta is within one hundred meters of the Lycaon. Shao and Marshall are aboard here. Shao happens to be aboard because he likes low gravity. It shouldn't be a problem for us to get to the other ship or open a circuit to talk about the upcoming bounty.

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Tue Jan 07, 2003 4:51 pm

The way we've played it so far, the Manta seems to be aboard the Lycaon's cargo bay - or at least, that would make things fit. Possibilities:

1) The Lycaon's cargo bays are not part of the original ship design and therefore don't figure fully inside the gravity effect of the central ring. Low gravity is the norm inside the bays and some other parts of the ship. The Manta is inside one of the bays. No changes in posts are made.

2) The Manta is inside the cargo bays but gravity is constant. Caz edits his post to reflect this.

3) The Manta is outside the Lycaon. Everyone edits their posts to reflect that fact.

I'd be all for option 1, but what do others think?

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 9:35 pm

Okay, I just checked over what's been posted and the only person who's put the Manta inside the Lycaon is Wildfire. As it is, she's changing her post after a discussion on IRC. Sludig's post doesn't make much sense, as it looks like he's jumped ships.

The Manta's got an advanced communication suite, so far as I know, so does the Lycaon. I had planned to have my boat piggybacking communication off of yours. We could use telepresence for a discussion. But as it is, it can also be the work of a post or two to bring the two crews together.

As I see it, Stick, Marshall and Shao are on the Manta. Eye and Artemis are on the Lycaon.

I'll be posting here in a minute to try to clarify.

Stick · Post by **Stick** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 11:02 pm

Actually...I was under the impression that the Manta was inside also based on what Nex had said also. I'll edit to put myself on the Lycoan. Sorry.

Wildfire · Post by **Wildfire** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 11:52 pm

Edited for consistancy

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 12:40 am

Cool Caz, works for me. The Manta could've gotten through its piggyback the AI's announcement, meaning Shao or someone else can call in to dock and we bring everyone together soon enough.

Let's do this thing!

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Fri Jan 10, 2003 7:48 am

Folks, I'm going to get my physical description out of the way, since I'm in a bit of a posting mood tonight.

Marshall is one immense fucker. He's also incredibly ugly. There's one simple word to describe him, most everyone's first impression of him. Thug. Criminal. From the jailhouse tats on his arms, to the barcode from his time in the joint, to his lockdown physique, it's more than obvious. He's clearly barely controlled violence on a leash, that has only really recently learned how to relate to the human race once again, due mostly to Shao and Eye. Onto the actual numbers.

Standing at roughly 6'8", and weighing in at close to 250 to 300 lbs, this boy looks like somone took Vin Diesel after some serious steroid abuse and dropped him into the nearest large open flame they could find for about six hours. His skin on nearly 80% of his body is rather scarred and marked from his not so friendly encounter with fire. His background is very clearly from the streets of a major city, but he doesn't talk about his home or his past before joining with Shao, and later, Eye. His skin sounds a bit like dried leather as he moves, seeping and bleeding from his cracked skin is not uncommon, and he absolutely hates fire he can't control nearly 100%. He has managed in the last few months to learn to use his lighter and his welding torch without breaking out into the shakes and cold sweats. Surprising him with any type of fire will get an incredibly violent and potentially lethal response from him. Other than that, there's only two other rules with Marshall. Do not fuck with Shao or Eye, or expect painful retribution. And do not touch or insult his chopper. As for what Marshall offers, he's a fairly decent secondary pilot for Eye and Shao, and learning to work on the ships themselves. Physically, he's a threat at range and up close, though he prefers to use his immense jackhammer fists as opposed to melee weapons. If it's a gun, and Marshall doesn't have it, it's not worth having. When working, Marshall is known as Lucifer. In fact, the only people who can generally call him Marshall and get away with it is Eye or Shao.

His relationships with the other crew members is not poor or aggressive, just mostly non existant. As said above, he's really just learning to relate to the human race again. And quite frankly, Lucifer has a bit of a nasty, cruel streak to him that he doesn't work that hard at getting rid of. He'd much prefer to leave another body behind when working, than a live witness who could cause problems later. Dead men don't tell tales or shoot back.

Wildfire · Post by **Wildfire** » Fri Jan 10, 2003 8:53 am

I'm bored, what the hell

Artemis's first impression on people is that she has to be someone's girlfriend, and not on the ship by profession. Young, fairly attractive, and graceful, her tomboyish interests never translated into an outwardly confrontational personality, or caused her to be either flaunting anything or trying to hide it. Directness vieled by politeness is the way she operates, and its easy to underestimate the depth of her knowledge or planning. She's unparralleled in her knowledge of mechanics and firearms, and often pays far more attention to what's going on around her than she seems. How and why she is with Shao is a mystery to the rest of the crew, she simply showed up one day with him, and neither has really spoke of it since, but it seems to be at least a relationship of mutual respect, with Artemis defering to Shao's descisions.

About 5'6" and 180, she's well proportioned if a bit more muscular than similar girls, her eyes are a grey blue, and her hair a pale silver/white, natural as far as anyone can tell, and a bit of a curiousity to strangers. Her ship is a modified racer, called the Peregrine Four Seven, in it she is a crack pilot, her knowledge of the craft and its exact limitations having allowed her to pull off things no sane person would ever attempt. Outside the cockpit, she'll stay out of fight unless she's really needed, preferring to provide support and backup. She is fairly easygoing with the crew, and gets along with all of them in her mind at least, though it always seems she finds a way to never reveal more about herself than what's directly asked.

Forgot the pic (minus the tattoo on her forehead)

Havoc · Post by **Havoc** » Fri Jan 10, 2003 8:06 pm

Time for Eye.

Kristof "The Eye" Zerenicz is under 40 with a body that feels over 60. A certified, reputed and system-known Gold Star Cowboy, he's been in the business for decades and so devoted himself to this life that he's now a walking wreck. Granted, it's more of a limp. He's still just as good with a pistol (with his good arm) and hasn't lost a sliver of his very experienced mind; it's just the outside of him that's seen better days.

Six feet even and rather thin, Eye has long black hair that falls flat around his sharp features. His left eye, normally obscured by said hair, is milky-white and useless. His right arm always hangs stiffly at his side. The metallic splint-like supports keeping his left leg stable often makes squeaking noises as he walks, limping ponderously. Eye wears a long black coat that contains an assortment of communicators, data devices and, of course, single-grip firearms.

TBC, a thin black cat, accompanies Eye nearly everywhere he goes. When not tagging along to receive another treat, it roams the Lycaon as if it owns it, making itself comfortable wherever it wishes.

The Lycaon itself, Eye's prized possession, was formerly a cruise ship before undergoing a serious remodeling session or three. Here are its key features and accessories:

* 1 captain's suite.
* 4 officer's suites.
* 6 double rooms.
* 8 single rooms.
* 1 cargo bay, 1,000 tonnes. The Manta's primary bay.
* 1 docking bay, 250 tonnes. The Peregrine 4-7's primary bay.
* 5 docking bays, 100 tonnes. Used for other visiting small ships.
* 1 Capture Bay, 630 tonnes.
* Grappling arm on the outside of the Capture Bay to maneuver apprehended ships inside.
* Airlocks in appropriate locations.
* Brig for imprisonment of bounties.
* Comm system within the ship that can also be piggybacked by the Manta.
* Cruise-level entertainment facilities such as a small theater, deep-immersion video games and interactive group activities such as a small-scale dance club.
* Escape pods to jettison crew during extreme circumstances.
* First class accomodations for all passengers, from luxurious beds and exercise rooms to full-feature restrooms and automatic food preparation services in the cafeteria. When the ship isn't cruise-stocked in supplies (which is to say, most of the time), these services are relatively diminished based on capacity and availability of resources.
* Luxurious decor that makes the spacefaring mood all the more authentic.
* Observation deck with meeting area and a beautiful view of the stars above.
* Onboard computer with A.I. (manservant personality construct) referred to as "Jeeves."
* Radio system to communicate with authorities and other vessels.
* Security system within and without to prevent theft as well as commandeering of ship.
* Wet bar in most community areas, courtesy of Eye.
* Fully-operational automated gambling floor that generates revenue when open to the public. Tied into the security system, naturally.
* Automated state of the art X2 Medical Bay for the care of injured crew or passengers.
* Automated state of the art X2 Mecha Repair System, located in the Capture Bay. Can also be used to crack captured ships open.

Quite the nice ship, isn't it? Of course, considering the small amount of people currently using it, it can feel downright chilly and creepy at times. Nevertheless, it can provide the team with whatever they need to function and keep themselves in good mental and physical health - considering the supplies are stocked. It should also be noted that while the X2 MRS can take care of nearly any ship repair problem, it has been known to be somewhat rough or 'factory-standard' with the work involved, concentrating on efficiency over actual appearance or design. For this reason, most of the crew prefer to work on their own ships, thank you.

When the Lycaon shifts to Pursuit Mode, every single entertainment or non-essential feature loses power, including both X2 systems. It's also in everyone's best interest to buckle themselves in if they're not already off the ship.

The Lycaon can function in space as well as orbit and altitude. It can also perform sea landings and move about on water.

Aside from the Lycaon, Eye also has a personal transport in the form of the ATX Marauder, a sport utility vehicle. From the brochure: "Stout, stable and all-terrain, the Marauder used to be a staple of off-road championships before it became an actual civilian transport due to its popularity. While few are found today, it still remains quite a ride for those who simply don't want to stop where the road ends."

Thus ends Eye's description. Although very calculating, serious and sometimes rather unemotional, he remains someone with heart. He hasn't talked a few hundred confessions out of people without learning something about proper etiquette and interpersonal relations. He views Shao as an ally and the others as trusted associates, maintaining a professional relationship with everyone.

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Sat Jan 18, 2003 4:17 am

Okay, Nex, got a question for you - how much money is thirty eight million in the BopVerse? I need to know for my next post.

Nexusvoid · Post by **Nexusvoid** » Sat Jan 18, 2003 4:36 am

Well, here are some references from the series that should help:

Appledelphis's bounty (fake) -- 19 woolongs
1 watermelon -- 1,000 woolongs
To ship a package from the Venus starport to the desert -- 5,000 woolongs
COD on a package shipment -- 6,300 woolongs
Toll for gate passage -- roughly 7,000 woolongs
Whitney's bounty -- 19,800 woolongs
Fine/bounty for littering -- 20,000 woolongs
COD for betadeck and tape -- 31,500 woolongs, typical bounty -- 1 million woolongs
Asimov Solensan's bounty -- 2.5 million woolongs
Faye's bounty -- 6 million woolongs
Reward for the return of Ein, the stolen data dog -- 8 million woolongs
Chess Master Hex's bounty -- 12 million woolongs
Faye's debt -- 300,028,000 woolongs

As a rough guess, I'd say that 250 Woolongs is equal to, say, $250US. I think.

Cazmonster · Post by **Cazmonster** » Sat Feb 01, 2003 7:32 am

Nex - how much does Shao know / remember about the Ganymede Sicillians and 'The Fiddler'?

Jeff Hauze · Post by **Jeff Hauze** » Sat Feb 01, 2003 6:15 pm

Caz, I have a few questions/things to run over with you. What's best to get in contact with you? Set up a time on IRC, email, or PM?

[BESM] OOC: Sicilian Sonata

Almost done!

Done at last

Well, seeing as how things are changing...

Well, seeing as how things are changing...