Ideas for a New long-term Campaign

[Þorkell]

The character is per the description in her late 20s. In that time she has undergone SEAL training, Delta training, training from the CIA and FBI, military officer training (she's a Major), and deployed six times. I'm sorry, but this feels like way to many events into a short time.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Cheeseball

The concept I have so far, for the deus ex machina NPC of one of the teams is:

An NPC deus ex machina is generally a bad idea. From personal experience, it tends to make the players feel insignificant. That isn't generally a good idea in RPGs, and especially not in action-adventure games.

[newton]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

The character is per the description in her late 20s. In that time she has undergone SEAL training, Delta training, training from the CIA and FBI, military officer training (she's a Major), and deployed six times. I'm sorry, but this feels like way to many events into a short time.

Absolutely. These feel like the achievements of a significantly older woman.
I’d honestly either:
- up the age and orient the character towards a mentor type character.
- keep the age but reduce the amount of past experience and refocus on raw skill.

[Cheeseball]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

The character is per the description in her late 20s. In that time she has undergone SEAL training, Delta training, training from the CIA and FBI, military officer training (she's a Major), and deployed six times. I'm sorry, but this feels like way to many events into a short time.

Originally Posted by newton

Absolutely. These feel like the achievements of a significantly older woman.
I’d honestly either:
- up the age and orient the character towards a mentor type character.
- keep the age but reduce the amount of past experience and refocus on raw skill.

Hello.

I've actually based myself a bit on Scott Helvenston, who joined the Navy at 16, and became a SEAL at 17. I've also kept in mind that, on average, Majors (MJRs) count with a service background of about 10 years (+/- 1 year), and that changing between branches maintains the rank of Officers. Additionally, Delta Force receives some of its training from the CIA (it seems like they can take expanded CIA training if they want). As for the FBI, she's practically fresh out of the academy (her Rank is 0).

[newton]

Originally Posted by Cheeseball

Hello.

I've actually based myself a bit on Scott Helvenston, who joined the Navy at 16, and became a SEAL at 17. I've also kept in mind that, on average, Majors (MJRs) count with a service background of about 10 years (+/- 1 year), and that changing between branches maintains the rank of Officers. Additionally, Delta Force receives some of its training from the CIA (it seems like they can take expanded CIA training if they want). As for the FBI, she's practically fresh out of the academy (her Rank is 0).

The primary difference here is the distinction between commissioned and non combat officers. Commissioned officers are by and large college educated and then afterwards go to a school for officers. In contrast someone like Scott Helvenston is an NCO; he could join up at 16 because, to put it simply, he was an able bodied person and through experience and service got promoted. Past a certain point NCOs stop being direct commanders and become advisors to CO’s or covering a specific niche position.

To put it simply, to be a major at this point in her life she would have needed to start her military career as an ensign not as a seaman.

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by Cheeseball

Hello.

I've actually based myself a bit on Scott Helvenston, who joined the Navy at 16, and became a SEAL at 17. I've also kept in mind that, on average, Majors (MJRs) count with a service background of about 10 years (+/- 1 year), and that changing between branches maintains the rank of Officers. Additionally, Delta Force receives some of its training from the CIA (it seems like they can take expanded CIA training if they want). As for the FBI, she's practically fresh out of the academy (her Rank is 0).

As I understand it officers in the US Armed Forces enter after college education at 22 years of age. Make your Mary Sue 32-34 years old and I'll shut up.

[Cheeseball]

Originally Posted by newton

The primary difference here is the distinction between commissioned and non combat officers. Commissioned officers are by and large college educated and then afterwards go to a school for officers. In contrast someone like Scott Helvenston is an NCO; he could join up at 16 because, to put it simply, he was an able bodied person and through experience and service got promoted. Past a certain point NCOs stop being direct commanders and become advisors to CO’s or covering a specific niche position.

To put it simply, to be a major at this point in her life she would have needed to start her military career as an ensign not as a seaman.

Originally Posted by Þorkell

As I understand it officers in the US Armed Forces enter after college education at 22 years of age. Make your Mary Sue 32-34 years old and I'll shut up.

According to the requirements, anyone can join the armed forces from the age of 17, and qualify for the OCS (Officer Candidate School) at 19.

I beg you to keep in mind that I am talking about a character with an IQ of 14 (in my game, that equates to an IQ above 145, SD15). So we could consider that there are child prodigies who graduate very young, for example at 10 years old (Michael Kearney), or to use a more recent example at 15 years old (Jack Rico).

[newton]

Originally Posted by Cheeseball

According to the requirements, anyone can join the armed forces from the age of 17, and qualify for the OCS (Officer Candidate School) at 19.

I beg you to keep in mind that I am talking about a character with an IQ of 14 (in my game, that equates to an IQ above 145, SD15). So we could consider that there are child prodigies who graduate very young, for example at 10 years old (Michael Kearney), or to use a more recent example at 15 years old (Jack Rico).

I'm going to be perfectly honest.

There's something of a persistent problem in society with not letting women characters in media be anything but attractive twenty somethings and, whilst I don't want to get too heavily into it, 32 is not as old as you probably think it is.

This is a character who is a lot of things a person could plausibly be but through the combination becomes pretty hard to suspend disbelief. Just to give an idea:
- Less than 1% of adult women in America are six feet tall or more.
- It's hard to say how many people are "beautiful" but generally naturally beautiful women are probably not too eager to go into male dominated professions when well, unwanted attention can be really tiring.
- Enough of a prodigy to graduate college when most people just graduated high school(side note: what was her major?)
- Possesses whatever inherent qualities one needs to have to avoid flunking out of special forces training.
- No major flaws or quirks.

Now imagine you're her for a second. You're a prodigy that graduated from college at very young and whose always had everyone telling you how smart, beautiful, etcetera. You are and are gifted to the point that, if you applied yourself, you could go down any career path you want. You could become a doctor, a physicist, a CEO, hell maybe you could one day even become the president. Now ask yourself a question. If nothing else I think answering it will help you flesh out what kind of person she is.

Why would you want to become a SEAL?

[Cheeseball]

Originally Posted by newton

I'm going to be perfectly honest.

There's something of a persistent problem in society with not letting women characters in media be anything but attractive twenty somethings and, whilst I don't want to get too heavily into it, 32 is not as old as you probably think it is.

This is a character who is a lot of things a person could plausibly be but through the combination becomes pretty hard to suspend disbelief. Just to give an idea:
- Less than 1% of adult women in America are six feet tall or more.
- It's hard to say how many people are "beautiful" but generally naturally beautiful women are probably not too eager to go into male dominated professions when well, unwanted attention can be really tiring.
- Enough of a prodigy to graduate college when most people just graduated high school(side note: what was her major?)
- Possesses whatever inherent qualities one needs to have to avoid flunking out of special forces training.
- No major flaws or quirks.

Now imagine you're her for a second. You're a prodigy that graduated from college at very young and whose always had everyone telling you how smart, beautiful, etcetera. You are and are gifted to the point that, if you applied yourself, you could go down any career path you want. You could become a doctor, a physicist, a CEO, hell maybe you could one day even become the president. Now ask yourself a question. If nothing else I think answering it will help you flesh out what kind of person she is.

Why would you want to become a SEAL?

This would be the answer that the character would give to the same question:

Without going sugary, I just wanted to be a SEAL and do SEAL stuff. Plus, I liked the risk of having to get on a ****ing ship if I failed. It's kinda cool if you think about it. That was my why.

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by Cheeseball

This would be the answer that the character would give to the same question:

Without going sugary, I just wanted to be a SEAL and do SEAL stuff. Plus, I liked the risk of having to get on a ****ing ship if I failed. It's kinda cool if you think about it. That was my why.

In that case, why did she move over to the Army?