Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I'm alive and well, sorry for making you worry. But I wasn't able to post anything because my dormitory's internet was down all week. They claimed it would be repaired by tuesday, but nothing happened. :( Now that I'm home for cristmas I can finally participate again using my father's computer.

Pierre Ardain is a merchant from the planet Reunion outside The Catacombs. He and his wife are newlyweds and they travel The Catacombs as their honeymoon trip. When he was asked what it is exactly that he trades in, Pierre reluctantly confessed that he is mostly selling fruits grown on his family's plantations, but he quickly added that he is seeing this just as a temporary occupation before going into the big business. He doesn't talk much about his job though. Pierre mostly talks about fast cars (yes, earthbound ones), travelling experiences, hunting and last but not least his beautiful wife Renee, who according to him happens to be one of the best artists of their planet.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I'm glad you're okay. That's one of the drawbacks of pbp games. Someone can disappear for a while and you may have no idea what happened to them.

Pierre's mention of his wife Renee's work draws more out of Xerxes who'll tell him that he's an amateur painter himself.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Sorry guys, but I'm going out of town yet again. I'm going away for Christmas, leaving on the 22nd (Saturday) in the afternoon (I'm in GMT+1), and I don't know yet when I'm coming back. I'll try to get online as close to daily as possible, but it'll probably be every other day or less.

=====

But about the game: who did we leave in the room with the Automed?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

My network connections are also being flaky. I've not had reliable connections for the last two days. I'll try and make an IC post tonight, if the link stays up. (It's bounced twice when I'm tyring to post this.)

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

As you see, it didn't. Sorry. It's been hectic around here. The roof is leaking, the microwave radio we use for internet access stopped working, and my cat is dying.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I'm so sorry, especially about your cat. :(

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

He's 17 or 18, so it's not really a surprise, but it does suck.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Our family cat had to be put down (cancer) when I was away at university, and my flatmate's cat (who is now realistically also my cat, because she's adopted me) is starting to get old (9 or 10) so I understand how you feel. :(

Points
 

In honor of the bizarre habit of hundreds of millions of people giving each other gifts for my birthday, I've decided it's time to hand out some points. Everyone gets a point in Spacer; those that have made the descent to Engineering, a point in Climbing. Also, two points to spend on anything sensible. (So, save them, or spend them on a skill that you've used, or would have used if you had it.)

Re: Points
 

Yay, points! You know, with all the pbp games I've been involved in this is the first time one of the characters has gotten any points/XP.

I really wish I had my books with me. I'm at my mother's place and my books are 8 hours travel (by train and coach) away.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I've updated my character. I'll email you a copy of the newly updated sheet.

Oh, and what stuff does the Spacer skill cover?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Don't have my book here, but it's basically the general skill of "be on space ship crew without being in the way" -- it mentions airlocks, and I think with any crewman skill you can steer the vessel (when there aren't asteroids to dodge or complex new courses to set).


I'm thinking exo-suit for one of my points...

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Thanks. I don't have my books with me either. :(

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Spacer is the crew skill for space ships or stations. In my mind, that means you know all the horns and signals used to signal various things (jumps, acceleration, etc), basic damage control, how to work various bits of common equipment, like space suits, air locks, docking equipment, etc. The book does say it includes steering, but since that's done by the computer at TL10, it's not really an important part.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Thanks. :) I guess we're now apprentice crew members.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Yeah, it was a viral lung infection or something of that sort. It's not been keeping me offline, but the drugs I was prescribed made me kinda drowsy and unable to focus.

Now I'm back, but I'm not quite sure if it's possible for me to jump back into the game. Shoot, what did I miss?!

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I'm glad you're okay and feeling better and more alert. :)

The rest of the party are in Engineering and the engines are about to be shut down. I'm not sure your character could have come with us anyway (lot of climbing involved to get there). I'm sure we'll be coming back up to where you are at some point. You'll have to ask Dscheidt what points you're going to get.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

The one in Spacer, and two not specified.

I'm glad you're feeling better. If you're back, I'll cut the scene in Engineering short, so you can get back into things. People have guessed what's happened- the hijackers have skedaddled, taking some cargo containers, both the ship's shuttles (which are capable of orbit-to-surface transport, on most planets.). You'll need to search the ship to figure out if there's anyone else still around; your drones are likely to be useful for that.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

What's TL10 DNA technology like? Is there a sort of database of DNA so we could tell what genetic population he came from? I wondered if we could get a DNA sample of our dead mystery military guy and find out something about him.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

You -- well, a suitably skilled person -- can get some idea. If he's got unusual custom gene work, you can learn a lot from it. If he's baseline normal, though, there's not much you can tell. Surgical modifications are also telling. I don't know who you're going to get to do the autopsy, though. The surgeon and crew are missing, and the automed isn't set up for it. (It's capable of doing the work, but not the analysis of data, beyond CoD determination.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Guess we're out of luck, then. I was hoping we could work out what area of space he came from. Do we still have Net access? If so are there records on that logo?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

You're pretty unlikely to find out much from his DNA, unless he's something very strange. There's simply too much mobility in populations to have much local differentiation in genetics.

As for your access to data: You have no communication with the outside world. You don't even know where you are. The ship does have an immense library though. Data storage is insanely cheap. (the implant computer most of the PCs have has about a few petabytes. (A petabyte is a thousand terrabytes; a lot) The ship has a few million times that. Much of that is things like movies, and other entertainment material, but there's an awful lot of real information too. Unfortunately, it's all offline. You might be getting ahead of yourself, though.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I know, I know. :) We've got a lot of work ahead of us. I just can't help being curious about this.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I'm perfectly willing to discuss the technical side of things, or the setting generally. I've been using the setting, on and off, and with some changes (it used to be pretty space opera-ish) for about 15 years. That's one of the reasons bio-tech isn't very prevalent: it didn't occur to me 15 or 10 years ago. I've got a good idea of how the technology works, but forget that everyone else doesnt'.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I do have one more question. Is it possible for there to be "lost" planets and civilisations, places that have been cutoff from the rest of space for god knows how long? Have such places and peoples been rediscovered?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

There's nowhere that once was reachable by wormhole, and no longer is.

There were some STL generation ships that left Earth before FTL travel was developed. If they survived, they're not talking to Earth.

There are also any number of groups that have gone off and hidden. There are something like 10,000 populated systems, but there are on the order of 1,000,000 known wormholes. A large fraction are in deep space, but a substantial number are in habitable systems that happen to be at the deadend of a long series of jumps. You can get there, but no one wants to. A lot of these groups are whacko religious cult types, most of which don't last very long. Some of them are likely to last, though. (I have no idea what any of these groups are like. I know they'll exist, just because the numbers and human nature suggest it.) The problem all of them will have is that TL10 isn't sustainable without lots of people and huge amounts of capital. Any that survive will regress, probably to around TL7 or 8, but with lots of artifacts from higher TLs, and some interesting knowledge.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

So it isn't likely our military friend is from one of those. I guess the mystery will have to wait until we've accomplished more vital goals. Like finding out whether all the pirates have left and where the hell we are.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I'd add "looking for survivors" ahead of "where the hell are we?".

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

You're right of course. I wonder just how high the death toll is going to be? :(

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

The shuttles have seats for about 120 people each. If you're not landing on a planet, and not worried about how long the air will last, you can shove ~3 times that many aboard. (The air will last for better than 24 hours, even like that). I don't have my notes with me, but there are a touch fewer than 2000 people (pax and crew) onboard. But, yeah, likely lots of dead people.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Damn. I hope they didn't take hostages with them. It's going to take hours to identify everyone and see if there's anybody missing.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Welcome back, Lonewulf!

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Which is what I shall do, good sir!

Thank ye, thank ye. Good to be back. Now if only I could get the submitted threads to show up...

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

You've read it before but let me sayit again, welcome back, Lonewulf!

Heh, maybe I should have read up on the OOC thread before posting in the IC thread. I've basically had Pierre parrot what was discussed here. *facepalm*

Oh, and I'd like to put one point into Exo-Suit. Not sure what to do with the other, though.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Does "work with electronics and computers" mean repair or operation skills? Are Xerxes' skills at Electronic Ops (Communications) and Computer Ops high enough to help out?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Both, probably. What needs to be done is a bunch of grunt work, restarting things, and fixing cabling. I'd put much of it as Ops, with some Repair, but a lot of it is really "follow instructions, and demonstrate sense".

As an aside, this group of PCs is really light on technical skills, compared to my normal group.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

In that case Xerxes will volunteer if nobody else does. Searching section 3 would interest him much more.

Edit: Dscheidt, I sent you an email about an error I made on Xerxes' character sheet. I put Spacer as IQ/A, not IQ/E.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

That's okay: I hadn't looked at it. I made updates to my copies. (I keep track of a bunch of things on my version of the sheets, like what skills you've actually used, etc.)

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

So you added the points I spent (Free Fall and Exo Suit) to your version of Xerxes' sheet. Okay, thanks.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I spent the point in Spacer.

Do you mind if I save the extra 2 points for future use?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

How much does experience in a gravity level cost (don't have campaigns with me)? Does that allow you to count from it as if it were your home gravity for the purpose or skill penalties? Would it be unreasonable to put a point in experience with the light gravity we were at?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

It costs a point a level, per 0.2 g band. It cuts the penalities in half, for that gravity. And it gives a bonus, where you'd get one. It'd make sense to take it for 0-0.2g, if you want.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I didn't even think of spending my points on that since I didn't think of that as being a skill. I won't change what I've spent my points on now, but I'll consider it for next time.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Looks like the guy in the wheel chair is better in 0 G than you are. :D

Nyah nyah!

Wait... that's actually pretty common sense. Nevermind.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Are we all waiting for someone to volunteer to help Ronnie fix the controls?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Unless they beam a message to Carlson, he's not volunteering as he doesn't know someone needs help. However, that would also distract him from interacting with his drones (which all have limited AIs anyways, so he could still slave them).

Not sure if his skills will come in too much handy, though.

(Speaking of which, I take it Carlson was beamed a message of some sort that he would be needed for counting population... if not, he'll end up contacting someone for permission into certain areas sooner or later, if not just simply directions and a useful map).

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I wasn't thinking of Andrew. He isn't there and the repairs would be delayed until he got there. I was just wondering if everyone in Engineering was waiting and hoping that someone else would volunteer to help with the repairs, or if the delay was due to New Years and people still mulling over what they're going to spend their points on.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

My New Years is being spend nursing a burnt thumb from a bad firecracker. x.x

Seems to not be so bad since I put some burn treatment gel from a first aid kit on it, but still. Those little firecrackers you hold? Don't lose your grip on those things, much less while it's still firing! It can hit your hand. >.<

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Ouch, I'm sorry about your thumb. I burnt my arm on a hot plate once so I sort of know how you're feeling.

As for me, I've been nursing the sciatic nerve in my right leg. I did a stretch incorrectly and the (almost healed) nerve was reinjured. On the bright side it apparently healed too tight, so now I have a chance to get it to heal correctly.

Dscheidt, did you get the PM I sent you (about the bounce stick)?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Owie, that ain't good! Hope it heals right this time. :)

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Me too, and thanks. :)

The timing sucked. Sitting for long periods of time aggravates it and I had to travel for 8 hours by bus/train to get to my mother's place for Christmas, and then five days later had to do it again. Now that I'm home I can make sure I don't sit down for too long at a stretch.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Heh, I usually sit in front of my computer for faaar too long a stretch myself...

Anyways, good luck and good night! It's about time I hit the hay... er, mattress.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Good night!

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

And now, good morning. :)

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Good morning to you too. :)

It's going to be technically morning for me in about 31 minutes. That's when it gets past midnight here.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Yeah, but ich bin in Deutschland, so...

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I know. I've bookmarked a time zone site so I can see what time it is for the rest of the people in my games.

Dscheidt, I'm really sorry about posting all this non-game related stuff. I just got carried away. I won't do it again, I promise.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

A bit of both in my case. Pierre doesn't know anything about repairing electronic equipment and we've had relatives over for New Year's Eve (which was great, but I didn't find the time to post).

Happy New Year everybody and may your various ailments heal quickly!

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

It would be better if you played a cleric!

I mean, uh... a medic! Medic... yeah.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I've a slight problem: My only windows machine -- and thus, the machine I run GCA on, has croaked. That means I don't have access to any of my character sheets. I'm going to fake it, but point out if I get someone's name wrong, or something like that.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Uh, I can send a secondary char sheet to you on MSWord or something?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Did you want me to send you another copy of my sheet? I don't have it in GCA but I can send you a text version of it.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

That explains it, then. Sorry if I seemed to be nagging you. I've got an overactive imagination. As for Pierre and his knowledge of repairing stuff, Xerxes can work with computers and communicators, but doesn't know how to repair them either. It looks like he's going to be volunteering anyway.

That's for your kind healing words!

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

If people would send me a text version (or in word, if that's easier), I'd appreciate it, yes. It'll be a few days before I get the part I need to fix the ThinkPad.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Okay, I just sent you an email with the text file as an attachment.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

As did I.

MY GURPS FU IS STRONG.

Even if all I do is copy/paste. >.>

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

younglorax, I'm sorry that I assumed (in the IC post) that Julia wasn't volunteering. I was just hoping to move the story along. If she does volunteer I'll edit my post.

Edit: I did edit my post. I felt that the previous version was too much like I was ordering your character about. Sorry about that.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I thought that was pretty IC for him, even if he was, given his stature.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Lonewulf:
About the firecracker: I'm in Beriln for the holidays, and there are signs all over with a guy showing off his two bandaged stumps, and saying something about not being dumb about firecrackers.. so just a burn, you've got it good!

dscheidt:
I'm away from home still, so I don't have a copy of my character sheet, either. I'll send you a txt of it and what I want to put points in when I get back to my computer. Maybe I'll drop one of 'em in Electronics Operation or Repair after helping Ronnie out, and the other probably in Free Fall or 0-0.2G (but I'll have to see what I have points in as it is). How often are you planning on giving out points in the future?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I've sent an email with the character in txt format attached. Hope it worked, the mailserver was behaving strangely. Anyway, I've spent the other point on Climbing.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Ditto, except for the behaving strangely and spending points.

Still got 2 unspent points =D

Maybe I'll save 'em up for something special...

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

True, but that can lead to OOC resentment.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

My general habit in awarding points is to award them where one part of the plot has ended. What you've finished is Part 1: The hijacking.

It took somewhat longer than I expected; I would have planned on getting through it in a three hourish session at a tabletop.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Hey, GM, how's my reconnaissance doing? Am I finding anything strange/odd/whatever?

Hm... can I contact any of the other characters without my drones there, or do I need knowledge to their particular "phone number", so to speak?

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

Is there a way to attach the kit to the exo-suit? If not Pierre will have to carry it in one hand and the bounce stick in the other.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

If there is Xerxes will attach the kit to the suit itself, instead of putting it in his backpack, so he can access it more quickly.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I imagine that controlling the drones, depending on what he does, is a lot like the difference between a Real Time Strategy/Tactics game and a First Person Shooter. To control the drone directly is a lot like an FPS; to use their limited AI is like an RTS. The things are dumb and, if not programmed to avoid certain things, they'll probably wander right into dangerous areas following a straight line you input, if you were dumb enough not to program them to avoid such things.

Jumping in them directly, well, is like an FPS really. Maybe one that can "take over" if you leap out of it, though, as long as the AI is up and running. That's the way I'm imagining this, and if the GM thinks I'm doing it wrong, then by all means, please explain. :)

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

It's got a shoulder strap, and a set of clips, so you don't have to hold it. It is big, (25cm X 40 X10, maybe) and mass a fair bit, so it's awkward to deal with.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

They're intended to perform semi-autonomously. You can tell them to fly a search pattern, and report back when they find anything "interesting". Search and rescue isn't in their library of interesting things, though, so they do require a bit more control. Stringing together something out of existing programs wouldn't be too hard, though.

Also, they can do things like open doors, since that's done by remote control. That's if the door is working normally, of course.

Re: [OOC] The Catacombs, hard SF
 

I'm sure you'd need something like a passkey for some doors, naturally.