Here ya go, knock yourselves out, while I finish up the things that still need doing.

Welcome back to the original crew members, thanks for giving this another chance.

Hey, where's my pink nukes?!?  I was promised pink nukes!  By the Fuming Swamps of Loomis Demise, I should have know better than to trust that Rough character...

Yo all, the cuddle and tall Yas is back!  Parents, hide your adult sons!  Oh, and your daughters too so they don't feel inferior...

*slumps down in a big, comfy chair with a crooked grin*

Hi Yas, where did you find a chair that grins so crookedly?

I think it got that way after you sat in it once...

I like to leave them grinning.

Better than leaving them holding their breath.  ;)

Good morning, everyone.  [looks around]  A pleasure to meet you all.  I hope.

Sushi Tissue?  Cute name.

Welcome to the game...  :)

[taps forefinger against lips]

Best you learn to pronounce it properly.  Someday you'll need stitching.

Thanks!  :)  I am all-too-pleased to be here.

...who is Will?  And what do you have against him?

I always need stitching, Sushi.

Will is not.

Anymore.

And I had a big gun against him at the time.

I shall have to remember that.  Apparantly putting up with 'Sushi' is easier than dealing with the fallout from stitching you up improperly as revenge.

I wouldn't want to end up like poor Will, after all!  :)

Yeah, considering the fallout might come out of the end of any gun I carry.  ;)

So, do you prefer Tissue, then?

I prefer Shui.  But I expect that will continue to come out Sushi.

Better my name, than me.  ^_^

Shueet.  Sushi id ish den.  ;)

*sighs*

Until Rpol gets my portrait in, I am posting it in my character description.  :)

Look at the size of that thing!



Sushi's portait, of course, what did you think?  I doubt that will be approved of, it is waaay too big.  ;)

Stop gloating.  We all know who reduced it for me.

[bows]

I haven't even started the game, and I'm already in your debt!

Gloating?  I don't gloat, Tissue.  I'm too cute for that.

But yeah, a minimizer bra can work wonders...  ;)


As for the debt, I'll think of something.

Hmm...  You wouldn't happen to have a pink nuke on you, would you?  8)

If that's an illegal drug, I might be able to find one for you.  Somewhere.

As for the minimizer bra, I seriously doubt that's my biggest concern.  :)

No, I don't do drugs, unless it is hot chocolate.  Cocoa.

No bra?  But... that's what I used on the picture!  ;)

Heheheheh.

Yas wants a nuke, has done for ages.

Purely for defence... preferably in pink, with a bow... because a girl has a right to own pretty things.  :)

Ahh...I see.

A friend of mine once wanted a QF-3000 Ghost (Robotech Rpg).

He tried and tried to requisition it, but nobody believed him when he said 'For home defense'.

Oh....and no, I probably can't get you a nuclear weapon.  :(  My apologies - you'll have to think of something else.

How about some nice, sterile bandages?

Hmm, could be handy if I wanted to patch up Ridge in clean bandages when I see him.

Nah, I'll take a rain check.  ;)

Pleased to have you aboard Shui Tiesi.

Am I right in thinking that Shui is your surname, and we should call you Tiesi if we are being friendly because the eastern peoples put the Christian name last.

That being the case, Yas doesn’t get to call you Sushi that often. This is not necessarily and advantage as she is bound to come up with something else, but at least you’ll not be making it easy for her.

Already got that covered - Tissue.  ;)

Not your best work Yas

Sue me.

*chuckle*

That's her sister, I think - Sue Me.

No, better go to bed while I know where it is.

Good night, Skippy.

Very perceptive of you, Jago, and I'm pleased to meet you.

However, to better interface with Western societ (which seems to be the whole galaxy), my people have adopted the way of putting the family name second ('Christian' name?  For shame! :).  Hence, my given name is Shui.

I look forward to working with the both of you.  I assume we will be working?  Not merely lounging around, dirt poor, in spacedock?

See, I knew that, but who am I to contradict my highly intelligent captain?  Captain, my captain...  Skippy.

And there's no more work than when you're spaceporthoping with just a mothball and fluff burning hole in your pockets.

Of course you are looking forward to working with the likes of us, Sushi.  *heavy pats on the back*


Now, where did ArewethereJett go?  Is our bold navigator lost again?

[shifts to keep her balance, looking every inch the academic]

I understand you have a high turnover rate with doctors.  I must say, this does not leave me feeling terribly confident...

Don't look at me.

The first left for whatever reason - possibly mating season for ducks, the second one bailed on us - probably after meeting Ridge, the third one, well, I'm not sure of her yet...  Maybe she never got over the insult towards her bathing suit by ArewethereJett?

Heal thyself, Doc, I'd say!

[begins quietly stocking up on bandages, painkillers, and personal med-gear]

I am preparing to do just that.  Hopefully I will not find it necessary to defend myself [absently waves around a snub gun, unmindful of which direction the bore is pointed, before tossing it into a carry-on bag], though that situation may come up as well.

I may have made a poor career choice.  Time will tell, I expect.

Carrion bag, uh?  Good idea.  Oh, and I like the colour.  Is that gun for troublesome patients?

Carrion bag?  No, I have one of those, here.  See?  Painted black, as they usually are.

[whispering]  Though the politically correct term is 'body bag'.

The gun?  What gun?  [roots around in bag]  Oh, THIS gun.  No, no.  Pirates, muggers, jaywalkers, that sort of thing.  Troublesome patients are left to their own devices.  Blood loss usually has them tractable in a very short time.

.....

Sometimes 'tractionable'.

No, no, that bag with the gun.  With a bit of an effort it will fit a man, or two, dpending on how picky your are.

Hmm, true, if you plan on bloodletting everyone, sure.  I guess I'll stick to my cold pills then.

Oh, no. I don't bloodlet anyone.  How terribly Old Earth.  No, I simply let irksome patients pass out from their wounds...

...oh, I see.  That was humor.  :)

[eyes the bag, critically]  I'm certain I could fit someone in there after the autopsy.  No doubt you could do so, before they become 'deceased'.

Diseased?  Sounds like you field.

Anyway, Doc Sushi, I'm sure you'll have your work cut out for you.

Oh, no pun intended.


Not consciously anyway...  *grins crookedly*

[sighs]  If that is the kind of humor around here, I expect I shall have a lot of patients.

And I shall have to *have* a lot of patience.

I shall endeavor to meet the challange.  So.  Were, exactly, do I start?  And it seems we have only two crew, besides myself.  You...the gunner?  Security officer, as it were?  And the Captain?

There's another gunner about, and the navigator, who seems to have gotten lost...

[puts head in hands]  This does not bode well.

Now, this begs the question:  With what sort of equipment do I begin?

And what sort of clothing do people wear in this time period?

Clothing... just about anything is possible in the way of styles.  There are several thousand worlds which are members of the Imperium, and many of them (including over a hundred with human populations transplanted from Terra over 300,000 years ago) have very old cultures, and distinct fashions.

Shipboard clothes will tend to be simple and "sensible" - jumpsuits, coveralls, that sort of thing.  You don't want to be trying to get into a vacc suit in a hurry, while wearing a ball gown.  :p

Tunic and pants, often in a military "dress-uniform" style is also popular, particularly with crew who have to interact a lot with the passengers.  Crew who've seen military service will sometimes wear their old uniform, or parts thereof.

Some engineers like to walk about the ship in bare feet - claim they can feel how the drives are doing from the vibrations in the deck.  This may be superstition though, since the drive bearings are designed to deaden said vibrations.  Then again, engineers hold conversations with their drives, and have even been known to give them birthday cards, so... *shrugs*



Equipment: I'll get back to everybody on that shortly.  :)  Simply put, everybody will get a spending allowance to buy stuff with.

I did notice the artificial gravity.  Good.  :)

Spending allowence?  I'm feeling much better now, thanks!

Yeah, naturism isn't much spread, so you better get some clothing, Sushi.  Anything.  Just not a full-body bathing suit, it seems our navigator (wherever he is) has an issue with those...

So, Gee 'em, how much for a small pink nuke?

Clothing.  Hm.  What to wear?  What to wear?

Let us begin with a doctor's lab-coat, for that necessary appearance....

It appears I will have considerable funds remaining.  I might just be able to assist you with that nuclear device you desire.

Strange.  It became awfully quiet around here.  Even our Captain hasn't stopped in to chat.

I wonder if I should purchase some breathmints?

Just a coat?  That gives me flash(backs)...  ;)

Sssh, maybe they are sleeping!  You know, voluntary unconsciousness?

Credits over, eh?  Well, hand them over, I can find some use for them...  ;)

Voluntary unconciousness?  How quaint.  :)  I shall have to try that, sometime.

I try to wear more than a lab coat - the fibres are awfully uncomfortable against bare skin.  As for my extra cash, perhaps I will.  IC, of course, pending how introductions go.  :)

Yes.  You are feeling sleeeepy, sleeeeeeeepy...

But only try, eh?  Well, the boys may find it interesting.  ;)

Nah, Yas isn't would never mug people.  Hit their mug, on the other hand...

But I don't carry my mug in my other hand.  It's in this one.

Well, the boys will have to look elsewhere.  As ship's steward I think I'm required to wear a uniform.

Mug.  Kisser.  Smiler.

It's English.

;)

Yeah, good idea.  Don't want to scare the passengers, do we?

Actually, I am now in a position to shed a little light* on the fate of the most recent doctor.

E.D. had, for some time, been checking library data on local networks whenever Profit Margin arrived at a new system.  Her purpose was to try and trace Haraloprililar's home world.  A couple of months ago, on Gram, in the Sword Worlds, she found a reference to a species which matched the little amphibious alien's physical description exactly, and the world they lived on fitted his own description of his home.  Unfortunately the planet in question is quite some distance to Spinward, and far away from where Profit Margin had to be next (at that time, the ship's Imperial Navy contract was still in force).

With Jago's permission, she resigned, and took the odd alien with her, determined to get him home, just as he had been promised.

_{* Meaning I just thought of it.  :)}

Aw, bless his little cotton socks!

I hope Harley Pill made it back home, and the Edit found someone who did not pick on her bathing suit!
This message was last edited by the player at 13:55, Sun 02 Oct 2005.

Considering his life style, and the nature of his skin, that should probably read; "Aw, bless his damp little cotton socks!"

Fine...

Bless his damn little codon sockets.

Better?  :P

Ah.  Mug.  A common term for 'face'.  Understood.

I thought you were suggesting you enjoyed slapping their hot coffee all over them.  As for frightening the passengers, I'll leave it to someone better equipped.  ^_^

On the one hand, I'm very pleased to hear the previous doctors did not all leave due to death, violence, or other assorted nastiness.

On the other, I fear to inquire as to what a codon socket might be....

Hello everybody.  :-)  Your favourite engineer is back in town.

"Hi" to the new doctor.

This time I can promise, I'm going to fix that squeaky ramp if it kills me.

Good to see you Sakia.

Once you’ve fixed the ramp, could you fit an alarm so that we are warned when it gets opened, use some really appropriate noise, a loud squeak perhaps.

With respect, Captain, I could always weld your cabin door shut instead.  With you in there.

Hey there.  Say, have you gotten to "know" to any new captain, Sassy?  ;)

That was just a lapse of judgement, Yasmine, dear.

My thanks, Saskia.  It is indeed a pleasure to meet you.

[considers the dialogue between Saskia and Yasmine]

...Will there be more of these lapses in judgement?  Should I stock up on certain supplies?

A doctor must know these things.  ^_^

If we still had Ridge, there'd be no lapses in judgement, since he ain't got none...

[scribbles down notes]  ...not allow Ridge back aboard...medical reasons...

[looks up]  Namely mine.  I have an allergy to people with no judgement.  It stems from a more violent allergy to sharp pieces of metal, which usually become an issue due to people with no judgement.

You might be in the wrong crew then Shui  :O(

[pauses, puts down pen]

I was told there was only one incidence of violence in the last 'campaign'.

[narrows eyes, readies biggest, bluntest needle behind back]

Mr. Referee, I would like to speak to you regarding a matter of some import.

I refer to judgement rather than violence, the lack of which I’ve already demonstrated by my comment above.

Anyway, if you let us know which particular violent incident you are aware of, we will all be careful not to mention any of the others.

As medical officer, I will have the right to take blood tests, administer vaccines, etc.  Lapses of judgement will be punished.  [holds out fat, blunt needle for perusal]

I expect that a pavlovian reaction will develop - a lapse in judgement will be followed immediately by a wince as the brain catches up, say, with the tongue or the body.  Hopefully the period of catch-up will approach zero as time goes on.

^_^

[begins filing the needle blunter]

Please bare in mind that I’ve no allocated your room yet.

If you want to stick me in a supply closet, by all means.  The medbay has a wonderful cot I can use.

However, I am more than willing to come halfway - in the interests of a good working relationship.

[begins filing the big, fat needle *sharp* again]

Actually I’m bluffing CQ 4 is allocated to the steward/medic if I remember, there is no separate medical bay, but the medical equipment is stored there, and individual passenger, or crew quarters become the med bay if someone falls sick.

How are your Stewarding skills in any case, I don’t want you wandering around there with a manic expression and ridiculously large hypodermic  ;O)

My stewarding skills are sufficient.  I'm still working on both, of course, but I assure you, I'm as competent as your last steward/medical officer.  [puts away large, fat, now-sharp needle]

I shall go examine CQ 4, to see if it meets my specifications.  *smiles*  I suspect it will.

So how does one go about making donations to improve the ship?  What is the next piece of equipment we desire?  I assume I will be signing on for a while - it behooves me to assist in the improvements.

Buying a stake in the ship, as it were.

This disturbs me:

Monthly Revenue (assuming full capacity)
Passengers:    Cr160,000
Low Berths:    Cr 12,000
Cargo:         Cr 80,000
Total:         Cr252,000

Operating Costs
Mortgage:      Cr307,125
Fuel:          Cr  8,400  (assuming unrefined fuel, treated aboard)
Life Support:  Cr 57,200
Maintainance:  Cr  6,143
Crew Salaries: Cr 20,000
Berthing:      Cr    400  (average)
Total:         Cr399,268

Shortfall:     Cr147,268

I am, I might note, willing to take a salary cut, so long as I am guaranteed my room and board.

Not much assistance, I fear, but every little bit helps.

Ah.  Much better.

I feel much more like myself.  A very good facelift, if I do say so!

Nice look.


By the way, of Shui Tiesi, which is the surname and which is the proper name?

A pleasure to meet you, Kal-chan!

Out of deference to the majority we meet, my family has (outside of their own) adopted the Western method - that is, given name first, family name second.  Hence, my first name is Shui.

Good to meet you, too, Shui! You can just call me Kal, if you want-- most people do.

As you wish, Kal.  What position do you hold aboard the Profit Margin?

Gosh, its been so long... I know I shoot people a lot. Oh, that's right. I'm a gunner. If I remember right, Yasmine is my boss. Or at least, she acts like it :P

[drums fingers]  She strikes me as that sort.

A gunner, then?  An area in which I have zero aptitude.  I wish you the best with your work...seeing as my continued work depends upon your skill.

I'm okay at the Gunner part. My real specialty is hand-to-hand, though.

From your bio, I take it you're a doc?

Hand to hand combat, then?  Interesting.  What style, out of curiousity, or are you informally experienced?

You should show me, sometime.

Indeed...I will be the ship's medical officer and steward.  It is a task for which I hope that I am properly prepared.

It's not a known style. I was born and raised on a communal farm by a group of isolationists who taught the style as part of their 'simple' lifestyle. I can say it is what most martial artists would call a 'soft' style, more or less. I've had to improvise my own 'hard' techniques since being in the 'real world' (i.e. bar fights.)

Sooo...a family style, then?  Very interesting.  And a soft style...what, exactly, does it encompass?  If you do not mind me asking.

Gosh, now you're asking me things about my character I don't even know, yet.

Well, when you know, perhaps you could teach me.  It seems the sort of thing a doctor should know to defend herself.  Better than this [taps bag with snub pistol] or any other, potentially lethal attack.

[cocks head]  Agrarian world?  Isolationists?  You seem...a trifle out of place.

Perhaps I should save these questions for in-game Roleplaying.

Well, then...in what other games do you play?  Or do you?  Please, feel free to decline answering the question.

I'm imagining holds, locks and throws, but I don't have anything specific beyond that thought out, yet. I would think the focus is on disabling your opponent as quickly as possible. (I just barely arrived on the profit margin before it ended last time.) Yes, it is superior to the more lethal methods.

Kal always feels out of place. He's basically a good ol' boy from a farm, at heart. He's wonderfully naive.

As far as other games, too many to list, but I wouldn't be surprised if you know me. Or at least, I know a certain mischevious draconian with a boss hat on.

I rather suspected I knew you from somewhere.

Wonderfully naive, is it?  Rather a change for you, isn't it?

Superior for me, perhaps.  Superior to the lethal styles in general?  Each style has their place...I think it's a good thing that you have more than one.  Best to crosstrain, to cover areas outside of a style's expertise.

[coughs]  Speaking as a doctor, of course.

I suppose it is a big change from Mr. Dark and Grim, but all my characters are pretty different. In another game I play a shy, introverted, teenaged rat-shaman female who can barely form a complete sentance and mutters to herself (well, she think she's talking to the Rat).

I meant superior for you, as a doctor-- at least, it would seem so from my perspective. Though, superior probably wasn't the best word.

Now I sit here, trying to envision your style.  It's soft...locks and holds, throws...sounds like Judo, or Jiu-jitsu.  But not, obviously, due to the fact that it is a family style.

Or perhaps like Shuai Chiao... ^_^  Oh, the possibilities....

Apparantly we simulposted.  :)

Yes, a huge change.  It's an impressive thing that you have a vast difference between your characters - many people cannot manage it.

Definitely superior as a Doctor...yes, I would like to learn that, very much.  Perhaps I can impress upon you the need, and acquire a touch of your time in order to learn it.

I rather like the idea of a rat-shamen.

The rat-shaman is fun. In some ways, it's like roleplaying a rat. Her primary thought is always survival (which is usually run and hide).

Unfortunately, my knowledge of such things pales compared to yours. I was thinking maybe something between Jiu-jitsu and Tai Chi, maybe? Or is that not possible?

Survival is a good thing.  [glances around]  Especially with certain GMs.  :)

Um, let's see.  The difficulty with Taiji/Jiu-jitsu crossing is that one is an internal style, the other external.  Makes the actual combining of movement a very difficult thing, requiring a fair amount of training, but not impossible.

Taiji uses body structures, proper alignment of joints to create better biomechanics, expansion/contraction, that sort of thing.  Jiu-jitsu uses torque, opposing forces...   :)  People have successfully crosstrained in Aikido and Jiu-jitsu, and reported a big improvement in aspects of both.

Hence, it's logical you could cross Taiji and Jiu-jitsu.  :)  The 'groundwork' stuff would be predominantly Jiu-jitsu, the locks and throws would be a mix of the two (Taiji's throws look considerably different from those of Jiu-jitsu, and operate on completely different principles - where Jiu-jitsu uses reaping the feet or levering the body off the ground, Taiji uses mostly a method of trapping the body in a static posture, moving it off its center of balance, then allowing it to fall), and any strikes in the style could be from either.

Seeing as you'd be using those particular styles, I wouldn't expect to see any jumping kicks.

Which isn't such a bad idea....  ^_^

Sounds like a LOT of fun!

Wow. Thank you, now I have a better visual of Kal's style, I think. Sounds like a lot of fun, too.

It can be fun stuff, inventing a martial art.  Especially when you base it somewhat in reality.

In retrospect, perhaps 'fun' was the wrong word to describe the martial art itself...it does not sound particularly amusing for at least one of the two parties in question, though the martial artist might find it hilarious....

The same could be said of certain mallet techniques in medicine.

One works with what one has at hand.  These low-tech worlds, I swear....

I fear it is a slippery slope for me.  Use the mallet, and risk violating my hippocratic oath?  Don't use the mallet, and let the patient suffer more?  These choices plague me, day and night!  */angst*

Gosh, what a conundrum. I'm glad gunners don't have those issues. We save questions like that for after the fighting ends.

I never thought of jumping kicks as very practical, anyway. I heard a martial arts teacher (not sure of his style) once say that your strength comes from the ground, why seperate yourself from it? In a non-spiritual sense, the ground is what helps you keep leverage and balance, so it makes sense that way, too.

Hi Kal, nice to see ya

Howdy, Cap'n. Nice to see ya' too.

Yes...I suffer under the pressures of my job.  To whack, or not to whack?

Jump kicks are generally considered low-percentage moves, except in certain martial arts (Karate styles that enter competitions for points, Tae Kwon Do, etc).  They generally set you up perfectly to get knocked on your rear.  Where I currently learn, we rarely ever kick above the waist.

That being said, while 9/10 times a jump kick will just get you killed, and 4/5 times a high kick will do the same, there's always that one time that your opponant won't be expecting you to do something 'that foolish'.  I've been kicked in the head during sparring (though most people don't have to reach as high to thwap me in the head).  For insane (read: stupid) fun, I've thrown high kicks at people in sparring and had them work (basically, nobody was expecting them because I 'never throw them' - familiarity with your opponant can also get you thwapped...).

There's a MMA practictioner, Chuck Liddell, who has won a couple of UFC's, who has KO'ed people with high kicks, and uses them frequently.  So if you trained them a lot, they would work.

But I'm with the instructor you spoke of - unless you do a LOT of kick practice, high kicks are dangerous, and jump kicks are just a bad idea.  Betting on that 1/10 times seems a poor way to strategize, and the martial arts in which I train aren't 'specialized' in kicks.

Milage may vary.

Good evening, Captain Lanza.  I trust you are doing well?

That all makes sense. No kicks to the head for me (not that I could anyway). I took shotokan karate when I was in my teens (about 16 years ago, now). I really like the instructor, he focused a lot on practical self-defense rather than tournaments. He also focused a lot more on take-downs and throws, which didn't seem to be the styles' focus. He said I had a lot of power, but not much speed or grace. (I am built rather large and clumsy, anyway.)

<vent>Changing the subject completely, there is nothing more frustrating than starting a game with the first, opening post and then no one responds. The players have sent me a few PMs and the like, but nothing has happened in-game. (OKay, it's only been  like 6 hours, but still...) </vent>

I should say its simply because I'm excited about the game, which is making me impatient.

Shotokan isn't much oriented toward takedowns and throws, normally...frankly, it's good to see an instructor who is willing to 'break the boundaries' of a style to incorporate stuff in that addresses the weaknesses of a particular style.  Good stuff!  How long did you practice?

Everyone has a strength, everyone has a weakness...to teach all students exactly the same way ignores this fact.  I rather like instructors who tailor their teaching to the student, rather than trying to sqeeze square pegs into round holes.  ^_^

And clumsiness...you'd be surprised at how much of your 'dexterity' and 'agility', and even 'hand-eye coordination' is a learned thing.  Not all of it, of course, but a surprising amount of improvement can be made, with time.

About the game...I detest when that occurs.  Game starts, full stop.  :(  I've seen it happen with players, I've had it happen with the GM.

It's possible everyone is afraid to go first...silly people.  :(

I only practiced for a couple months. Sadly, money was tight and so forth. The instructor was a very nice guy, though. For the next 10 years (until I left) every time he saw me, he'd smile and say hello by name. To me, thats impressive since I only practiced with him for a couple months.

He told us a story I always remember. (This is all from memory, so details may be fuzzy.) Apparently, a drunk man came into his school during class one day and said he was going to kick the instructors @$$. (He made some comment about how he'd done the same to six other black belts in the area, I think.) The instructor said the usual, "I don't want to fight" stuff, but the guys attacked him anyway. The isntructor did nothing but defend and throw the man to the ground repeatedly. He never struck him once, which made the drunk angrier and angrier until he eventually left.

Actually, I think everyone is afraid to start. The scenario is a little extreme-- everyone wakes up in the middle of a crop circle with no memory of where they are or what they were doing last, etc. They're all strangers, so I imagine (in RL and in game) they aren't sure what to say.

That's a good point in favour of the instructor, frankly.  Sounds like a really good guy.  I mean...if you're going to train under someone, doesn't it make sense that he not only be a good teacher, but a good person?

I suppose it isn't necessary, but it's a good thing!  :)

Same goes with the story of the drunk guy.  Quite the opposite of some teachers.  We have a school here in town, where one of the things they do is head off up into the backwoods of the province next door, every couple of months, go to a bar in a small town, antagonize a local drunk into picking a fight with them, and then dogpile the drunk and beat the heck of him.  This is sanctioned by the instructor - practical experience, they say.  Practical experience in being a bunch of bullies, I say.

Needless to say, the school doesn't have a very good rep, for this reason and many others.

As for your game, jeez, that's the sort of situation where I'd just jump in with both feet!  That's a great starting!  :)  I mean...what would you do?  I'm stunned that nobody is taking the plunge!  :(

Yikes! What a terrible instructor. Mr. Miagi needs to humiliate him or something.

But anyway, yes, both feet-- that is what I was hoping for. I thought it was a great intro.

Well, it's only been 8 hours or so. Its just weird when they're talking to me in PMs but not playing, I guess. I'm supposed to be doing homework, anyway.

Very, very weird.  What on earth are they talking to you about in the Private Messages?  :(  Why not...just do it in the game, and see what happens?

Myagi...lord, no mentioning of those movies.  :(  Ack.

^_^

lol

Just character stuff, like equipment (do I need any, given the circumstances?) kind of stuff.

My wife loves the Karate Kid movies. I bought the DVD set (all four) for her birthday. I certainly won't be watching them with her (well, I might have to)

Ahhh...perhaps they're trying to get a little bit of control back?  Feelings of reassurance?  After all, equipment is the RPer's teddy-bear.

You gave your wife all four.  You poor, poor, foolish man.  You must now suffer through three movies of bad martial arts, the main character being a horrible, whiny doofus, and then a fourth movie about which I know nothing.  But seeing as it's the fourth in a series where the first three are terrible (I'm going by description for the third, because I haven't seen that either)...

I pity you.  *hugs*

Here.  You might need this.  For yourself. [hands over the mallet]

For bad Martial Arts movies, I'd rather go on an American Ninja marathon...at least I would be laughing.

Honestly, I should be content. I'd rather they took their time and posted a good introduction, rather than something rushed and poorly thought out.

As for the movies, well, let's just say I'm rather used to it and I love her for her taste in bad movies.

You are a kind and generous man...to both your players (good of you) and your wife (rather expected, but still good of you!  :).

Well, nobody is perfect, and bad movies are a small (very small) crime.  I've been known to rent some doozies.  Bleah!  ^_^

Just a note to keep this in the active game list.

Hope everyone is keeping well.

Surviving, thus far.

Doin' the happy dance. Carry on.

Hmm, do I have to shoot someone for messing up this thread?

Nah...  Both Will and Ridge seems long gone!

Nice to see you back, Caution.  Still the Ladies man, I see...  ;)

Kal-chan, I am glad thing are...happy.

Yasmin - a pleasure to see you here.  I hope things are going well.

You do like the Boss and drop the e on Yasmine, eh?  ;)

Things are, well, going, sort of.  We shall see next week just how well or not...  Seems I am not entitled to having money in the bank, for one thing, while looking for work and requesting welfare (sole income).  As if my account was swelling over.  It's enough to last a month, then I am broke.  Yay for EU and their new rules.  Asshats the lot of them...

Yeah, I voted against it.  ;)

Apologies, Yasmine.  I knew a Yasmin, once, that's all.

That sounds...[steps out of character]  Okay, that sounds awful.  :(  Poot - I'm sorry.  Typical bureaucracy - trust me, there's no improvement here in Canada... :(

Heh, no worries about Yasmine or Yasmin.  Make it Yas for short anyway.  ;)

Awful, yes.  Plain stupid too.  And this is a "deprovement", so to speak - Sweden used to be better, but the current socialist government are slowly scrapping what their parents and grandparents fought so hard for.  Sometimes to such extremes that even the right wing liberals object.  Go figure.

My lord, that's stupid.  But typical of humanity, I'm afraid.  :(  Who benefits?  The government, I expect...  -_-

Unfortunately for you lot, since she's back, then so am I.

It's worse than she said, Shui.  My view of the forest keeps getting blocked by deer!  :(

Doe.  It's doe.  Maybe some kind of small relative to a deer, but it is not deers.  No more than an elk is (moose for you in US).

But yes, it is dumb.  And probably, yeah, only the government wins (one can hope, otherwise it is downright horrible).

Nice to hear from you guys, though not so nice to hear of your trials and tribulations.

Please refer to “The sound of Music,” to resolve any Doe/Deer disputes.

How awful...deer in the morning!  :)

Now I'm confused. In Alaska Elk and Moose are completely different things.

I'd have to agree.  Elk seem more like Reindeer to me, than Moose.

Hmmm.  Perhaps they qualify them differently in Europe?

Elk don't count as deer, and nor do the beasties I saw (according to Swedish definitions) it seems.

Red deer (at least that's what I think they are) and reindeer count as deer.

A doe is a type of deer-like animal, not just a gender, and doesn't count as deer in Sweden.

Elk in Sweden are not the same as American elk, but are actually the same animal as is called moose in Canada.  The Swedish word for them is älg.

Aha - I was correct.  Different qualifiers.

.....

And very confusing.  :)

Normal for you no?  ;)

Exactly!  Two completely different things!


Elk in US is simple a big deer, whereas moose in US is what actually is an elk.  An elk, per Eurpoean definition (including UK) is no deer at all, but far bigger and completely different in build, shape and habits, although they both eat roughly the same food, gets in the way of cars and trains and are hunted by man and wolf alike over here in Sweden.

But deer and elk are far different, too-- to me, anyway.

Exactly...  ;)

So... what's a doe? Isn't it a deer? A female deer?

It's a small animal, much smaller than a deer...  And doe is the best word I know for describing it in English.  But then you got the bull, cow and calf as usual...

But don't ask me the "official" name, I am really bad with plants, animals and such in English (not interested, simply - I hardly know much about it even in Swedish)...

Roe deer of some sort?  Not sure, never seen any in UK or otherwise.  :)

Hmmm... is it bigger than a breadbox? :P

(Kidding)

Depends on the size of your "breadbox", big boy...  ;)

Over the next day or two, I'll update character sheets with equipment and skill increases, and then we'll be good to go (aiming for Monday).

I prefer aiming for Will...

*aims at will*

Wouldn't you rather 'fire at Will'?

Egads! Are you insane? These things could hurt him!

Poor Will.  We knew him well.

^_^

Hurt him?  That's the whole point of "these things"...

We are talking about the same things here, aren't we?

Yeah, but... why do we want to hurt Will?

If you knew Will as I knew him, you would have fired at Will too...

Wait, wait.

You're trying to 'hurt' him?  I thought you were shooting at him.

Sure!  I did hurt him when I shot him.  Kinda hard to avoid, you know?

Towards the end of the last game, Jago juggled with every bodies wages, anyone remember what they were paied?

We get money for this?

Not enough.  ;-)

1,000,000 Cr and a couple of pink nukes, right?

_{Worth a try anyway...}

Oh, wow. That reminds me I was supposed to decide on some equipment before we started. Eep!

Where did I put that list?

*looks behind the curtains*

I merely suggest that if you shot at him, and only hurt him, perhaps you were doing something incorrectly?

Wages?  I have none...as yet.

Not at all, Sushi.  But hurting someone is quite impossible to avoid when you blow them to pieces with a slug throwing weapon.  Simple logic, see?  ;)

And in order to shoot him, I had to shoot at him too.  Simple.  ;)

If it's any help, the standard salaries would be as follows:

Jago Lanza:   Captain/Pilot:  Cr6,000
Jett Grady:   Navigator:      Cr5,000
Kai-chan:     Gunner:         Cr1,000
Saskia Blake: Engineer:       Cr4,000
Shui Tiesi:   Steward/Medic:  Cr3,750
Yasmine Crow: Chief Gunner:   Cr1,200

NB: Some of these might look low, but don't forget that you get free room, board, and medical attention too (even just life support/food/etc run to another Cr4,000 per person per month).

Oy, I was made security chief!  I must be making lotsa dough now!  ;)

Ah.  I read that you were trying to hurt him, and misunderstood.

You were trying to KILL him.  Incidentally, you hurt him.

If it is any help, I can trade my salary for food and board, and put the money into the ship.  So long as it is remembered how much I put in, when (and if) we finally start making a profit, and discuss taking shares in the ship.

:)
This message was last edited by the player at 13:42, Sat 29 Oct 2005.

Say, boss, are we starting?

I ask, because I have no idea where I am at present.  Aboard the Profit Margin?  Waiting for them here, myself being part of their cargo?

Well... already part of the crew for a couple of Jumps, and aboard the ship.  Perhaps making sure that their only passenger survived the landing.

Sorry, with everything else in the post, I forget to mention that bit.  :(


For those who never knew, or just plain forgot: Corlan DeSant is a moderately successful businessman.  When he retired he realised that, although he had spent years shipping goods to people on other planets, he had never seen any of those places.

He has a permanent High Passage (at Cr 10,000 per Jump) with full steward service.  Basically the terms of his ticket state that he goes wherever the ship does, and has no real say in where that destination is.  His only real stipulation is that he has the option to cancel the deal if the ship returns to a world he's seen before.

Part of Shui's job, as steward, would be to provide him with information on the ship's next port-of-call (sights, events, touristy stuff).  Sure, he could find it himself in the computer, but it's all about customer service.

I haven't a lot of time tonight to read what is going on; I'll try to get caught up tomorrow or the next day, as time presents itself.

I see you're using a .50 AE, Yasmin.

.....

Why are you still using a primitive slugthrower like that?  ^_^

If it's brute power you want, you should go with a .454.  :)  But then there's the issue of speedloaders, I suppose...  :(

I'm getting a lot of suggestions from people.  Clean underwear, warm clothing, not talk to strangers...thank you, all!  ^_^

.50 is enough for a little girl.  And it is a revolver.  And I like primitive weapons, 'cause they tend to work under most any conditions, unlike fancy high-tech, fragile stuff.

How about an Advancded Combat Rifle then?  :P

My apologies - I had assumed you were using the .50AE Desert Eagle.

[snorts]  Little girl, indeed.  I do not doubt your hand-strength.  Or the fact that you have an ACR tucked away, somewhere.

Whew. I finally, have a little time on my hands, today, so I'm in the process of catching up on everything. I'll try to read through what is going on and at least whip out a quick post.

First, I have to decide again who and what Kal'chan is, so I can write him. I have to figure out how to get back into that intelligent-but-naive farm-boy groove again.

Hey, Caution!  I am sure oyu can get back into it soon, heheh!  :)

And no, Sushi, I like revolvers.  More fun when it comes to playing the roulette with...  ;)

Little girl, yup.  5'3".  ;)

Speaking of big guns, Kal-chan is trying to spend some money. Does anyone have any suggestions on weapons? His style is to close with his enemy as quickly as possible and use unarmed combat to finish-- but he recognizes the value of a ranged weapons, especially for making people keep their heads down while you try to close with them. I was thinking a nice shotgun or somethign with some intimidation factor.

How about one of these nice auto-shotguns?

*holds her up, striking a few poses with it*

Guaranteed to clean out a place in no time, also creating a lot of job opportunities for the cleaning crew!
This message was last edited by the player at 09:07, Fri 04 Nov 2005.

Please be certain that if you do try Roulette with that, you make certain to put the barrel somewhere it will kill you, instantly.  It's an awful job trying to save someone after a head wound like that, and I'd rather be spared the effort.

I, myself, prefer sailor's poker (how amusing...a link between two games, quite coincidentally).

If you aren't terribly skilled, I would agree with the idea of a shotgun.  Perhaps not a fully automatic one, with all deference to Yasmine's enthusiasm.  It might be a trifle intimidating...[considers Kal-chan's size]...or not.

Unless Traveller has rules for Rifled Slugs, it is likely weak against heavy armor, as well.  A tricky thing, finding a weapon that is perfect for every situation...though if such a beast existed, I expect it would be ubiquitous throughout the universe by this point.

There's no dead left after the .50.  :P

So, you like poking sailors, uh?  Or is that the other way around, uh?  Uh?  ;)

The whole poitn of an auto-shotgun is for it to be intimidating - and cleaning places out, too.

And if you want more power and still a kind of "shotgun effect" the ACP, or perhaps and Accelerator Rifle if you are feeble...  ;)

Very amusing...no, not really.

[considers the many possible seamen jokes]

[decides not to go there]

^_^

ACP?  Some kind of futuristic weapon?  The only ACP I know of is the suffix for certain kinds of american ammunition.... :)

Yeah, leave the sailors to their sea...  ;)

Advancded Combat Poker.

Oh wait, you got me confused there!

Advancded Combat Rifle.

Someone was pulling my leg...

;)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:27, Fri 04 Nov 2005.

Someone with an Advanced Combat Poker was pulling your leg?  You ought to do something about that kind of person....

Make him stop touching your leg, for starters.

BTW, I don't really feel like doing a one-line post like 'Shui sits down', so if you're waiting for me, I give permission to assume that Shui does so!  :)

Make it two lines then.

"Sushi sits down.

Sushi waits."

;)

[sighs]

Why not splurge?



^_^

Sure, go ahead.  Just don't wear out your keyboard, we got a long trip ahead of us!

[reading stack of papers]

...indemnify against...subsection 3.22.1...payment rendered for...[flipping pages] ...physical assessments of crew...duration of pay period...abuse by Ms. Yasmine Crow....

[frowns]  Apparantly I did sign up for this.

*pats Sushi on the head*

If you need someone to talk to...

...Ridge left his blow-up doll.

....ew.

I shall remain silent.

Wise choice.  She's not much of a talker, but not much of a listener either...  :P

Also Ridge never used her, she kept turning him down. ;-)

Yeah, and she didn't laugh at his "jokes" either.

Ridge wasn't terribly popular around here, I gather?

He had his moments.

Of what I won't say.  ;)

Don't get us wrong, Ridge wasn't unpopular with everybody.

Just the crew.
And the passengers.

Oh, yes, and the random people he met when he was ashore.


And I believe he was once bitten by a clone of Lassie.

Well, okay, twice.  Cost Jago a fortune in shots for the dog.

[stocks up on antibiotics]  I get them wholesale - the doctor thing.  You people should be glad to have me along.

So I take it 'Ridge' hasn't exactly joined us, here?  In body, but not in spirit?

Nah.  He jumped the gun and vanished into the night one day...

Many apologies.

Today has turned out to be somewhat hectic.  School this morning, and then an estimated couple of hours in Uppsala unexpectedly transmogrified itself into an eight hour trip (though it was, at least, a successful mission).

Will try to post something, IC, shortly.  :)

Sorry, everyone. I'm pretty busy today. I'll try to get some updates in tomorrow, if possible.

Just in case the Captain missed it -

Missed it? yes, I still can't see it now.

Poot - sorry.  Maybe I wasn't specific enough.

Apologies.

Shui is going to open a radio channel to the captain (assuming the crew actually carries radios around - I thought that was the case), which means he ought to hear any shouts and the gunshots.  She doesn't really have time to do anything else, but thought he might want to know that something has gone drastically wrong.

If you like, I can edit that out, completely.

You can't see this?



Wow...something's really wrong with Rpol!  I didn't do anything to it, and it shows up perfectly on my screen!  :(  Maybe there's some hidden formatting - Mr. GM, can you check that?

I see it.

See what?

Oh, nothing....

*Tries to look innocent*

*whistles out of tune*

Hmm?

*taps a foot, arms crossed over chest*

Better tell me...

er....

I see...

uh...

WEASLES!!!

I SEE WEASLES!!!


*whistles innocently*

Weasels?

.....

Into the chair with you, I need to check your head for lumps.

His whole head is a lump!  ;)

Hmm, for some reason I don't believe you, Caution...

*streaks wearing nothing more than post 400*

Woohoooooo!

My eyes!

...the goggles do nothing!

That's because those are Ridge's X-ray goggles...

Apologies everybody.  Due to today being very busy for me, and it's now getting pretty late, I won't be able to post anything other than this until tomorrow.  Once again, sorry.

Pretty late?  Sounds like you got something going on there, big fella...  ;)

Yes.  It's called, "It's 11:00 pm, and I have to get up for school at 6:00 am... "  :\

Hey, what are you doing here then!?  Off to bed with you!  NOW!  ;)

This message was deleted by the player at 20:50, Sun 04 Dec 2005.

No.  The Ref is wrong.

Well, Ahweedeyet, it was nice playing with you...  So, Skippy, now we need a new navigator.  Know of any?

We need a new Nav?  Why?  Am I lost?

Hmm, not anymore, it seems...  Nice save there, Lost Boy.  ;)

I have no idea what you mean.

Hockey ref or something then, right...?  :P

Yas means that you wont last long in this game if you criticise the ref, which is why I’ve just deleted my last post above.  ;O)

Hmmm...post 500.

Hello fellow "Travellers"!  ;)

While we've yet to meet IC, I just thought I would drop into the OOC and say "Hi!".

It looks like I'll soon become the replacement Navigator.  Hopefully I won't get us as lost as it sounds like Jett is known for.  ;)

This Ridge character people were talking about sounds like an interesting fellow... truly loved equally by all.  I think I'll try not to emulate him.

Hi!

Welcome aboard.

Good evening, Mr. Asimov.  It will be a pleasure shipping with you, I'm certain.

Hey there.

I'll soon think of a nickname for you that doesn't get me booted out the airlock.

And yeah, avoid to be like Ridge if unless you a) like pain, b) wish to play with "dolls", c) like pain, d) wish to get really, really lost and e) like pain.


But Sushi, try not to think of going on some romantic cruise with him already, hmm?  ;)

Hmm... What's wrong with just "Alex"?

I mean, isn't the nickname for Yasmine simply "Yas"?

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome.  I look forward to meeting y'all IC real soon.  ;)

That's because Yas creates the nicknames.  :-)

Welcome.  Keep your hands off my drives, and we'll get along fine.

I am certain Yasmine will come up with something colourfully eloquent.

Hmm... "Yasmine"... a tough, "in charge" kind of person (I shall refrain from calling her "bossy" since that has negative connotations and I wish no ill feelings between us).

What about "Yes ma'am" as a nickname?  ;)

Engineer Blake, worry not... I shall not touch your drives.  Well... at least not without your express permission first!  ;)

Oh, yeah, and that's going to happen.

Well one never knows about these sorts of things... besides Alexei has an interest in computers, so he may be of some use as I assume there must be a certain amount of computer control to the drives.

It never hurts to have a crew that is at least marginally "cross-trained" in various specialties.  After all, what if Saskia's recent injury had been more serious and had actually put her out of commission for several days or weeks?  Without anyone with even a modicome of Engineering knowledge, the ship could be really stuck.  (In the show Firefly there are at least 2 episodes where the Engineer Kaylee gets badly injured and it puts a severe crimp in normal ship operations)

The same would be true if the only medic/doctor were to come down with something nasty... "Physician Heal Thyself" sounds all well and good but putting it into practice is another story.

But again, Alexei knows well enough not to mess with equipment whose operation and maintance he hasn't been properly briefed on.  Just as he won't be attempting any operations with Dr. Tiesi's surgical gear in the forseeable future.  ;)
This message was last edited by the player at 16:18, Wed 21 Dec 2005.

It's too simple.

And "Assmove" isn't... quite suitable.

But worry not, I shall give you a nickname soon.  ;)


Call me that and there won't be any feelings left...  :P


Clever play with Yasmine there.  And I'm used to that from the Marines, so sure, if you want to...  :P

Hey all I'm the new gunner....fresh meat for the grinder!

*hides from Yasmine*

Well if you must.  ;)

I guess my own less than pleasant personal experiences with nicknames in Real Life have slightly soured my view on the concept but I understand it's all in good fun for the game.

Now depending on Yasmine's schooling, she could try for a touch of "Greek/Latin" in her nickname for Alexei:

"All Lex" with "lex" meaning "word" or "law"... indicating that Alexei is "All Talk" or "All Rules".

Just an idea.  ;)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:45, Wed 21 Dec 2005.

What a fascinating conversation.

Good afternoon, Mr. Ogresh.  Good to have you aboard - I hope your stay is a pleasant one.

Mr. Asimov, I sincerely doubt that any name you suggest to Yasmine will be adopted.

Just trying to be helpful... and to avoid something overly grievous like "Assmove".  ;)

Perhaps as a reference to Alexei's interest in varied academic/intelletual pursuits (given the Darrian nature for avocation)... his nick name could refer back to his search for knowledge?

If knowledge does indeed burn like a flame, perhaps Alexie is drawn to it... "As A Moth"?  ;)

Mr. Asimov, it is far more likely to be a simple play on your name.  After all, for some unknown reason I have been dubbed 'Sushi'.

It hardly makes sense, given my background.

Thanks very much, Ms.Tiesi. Happy to be aboard, and excited to get in to the thick of it.

True Dr. Tiesi but my suggestions have been plays on my PC's name to a certain extent:

Alexie becomes Alex becomes "All Lex"

OR

Asimov becomes "As A Moth"

Granted there is some reasoning going on behind the name rather than just a random assignment, but perhaps Yasmine has more depth than people credit her with?  After all "Caution" for Kal-chan did seem to indicate the large man's cautious nature and careful attention to detail (as shown by his diligence in testing/checking the turrent guns).

But perhaps you are correct... perhaps I have overlooked an obvious play on words that would suit Miss Yasmine's nature better?  ;)
This message was last edited by the player at 18:06, Wed 21 Dec 2005.

Hey there, gun fodder!  Er, second gunner...  ;)  Welcome to the game.  And yes, indeed, you too shall find a nickname soon!


Wise words from someone so young and innocent.  Heh...

Rest assured, you shall both be dubbed with quite suitable names according to the Yasmanian rules!


And as I said to an old, dearly departed Quack once - descriptions are most welcome, or I may end up desribing you myself.  And trust me, you would not like that, unless you like such... things.  ;)


Edit:  DIE, TYPO, DIE!!
This message was last edited by the player at 18:07, Wed 21 Dec 2005.

You are most welcome, Mr. Ogresh.  I must agree with half of your excitement, but not with the other half.  :)

Yasmine's methods for determining names are beyond my capabilities, Mr. Asimov.  Best that you seek out a chaos theorist.

My thanks, Yasmine.  I shall endeavor to continue to meet your rigorous standards.

Chaos?  There's no such thing, no more than there is luck.  Pfft.

You're welcome, Sushi.

Thank you, Ma'am, I hope I can eventually work my way up to cannon fodder rank!

Which part Shui?
The happy part or the excited part...

Careful now how you apply the word excited...  ;)

Heh, of course--always careful about that one...

The excited part, and yes, we require a definition.

If you mean 'scared out of my wits when in the the thick of it', yes, I certainly can get behind that as well.

Edited...to better allow for Yasmine's jokes.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:58, Wed 21 Dec 2005.

So much potential jokes, and so little time...  ;)

Ahh... but as I remember it, Miss Crow did give you the option of 2 choices: "Sushi" or "Tissue".

Now while I don't blame you for choosing the former, one has to admit that the latter choice of "Tissue" does fit in reasonably well with Dr. Tiesi's role as ship's medic.  ;)

Sushi was the lesser of the two evils, having nothing to do with me at all.  Tissue sounded demeaning.  Hence, my choice.

I, personally, see no other reason to prefer one over the other.

Besides which, Shui is my given name.  In order to better deal with others, my family long ago adopted the commen method of nomeclature.

Hey, that's a good nickname for you, Sushi.  No-way-clavier...  ;)

I can always give you a new one instead of Sushi.

Easily.

;)

I have no doubt that you could, Yasmine.

After all, look at what happened to poor Will.

Welcome aboard Tylen.

Thanks Jago, glad to be one of the few and the proud...

Again, Mr. Orgesh, I must agree with half your statement....  :)

But no.  This time I jest.

So I finally got around to checking BBR's offsite webpage for this game and I noticed another Traveller game he is running during the same time frame called "As the Crow Flies".

I noticed that the captain/pilot of the "Black Crow" scout courier is a woman named: "Tasmin Crow".

Would by any chance this Tasmin Crow be related in some way (by blood or by marriage) to the "Profit Margin's" own Yasmine Crow?

Just curious.  ;)

Hey, stay away from my sister!

I don't want her hurting you, after all.  ;)

Of course, you ahve no clue about any of that yet.  :P

On a different IC note...

Would the news of the outbreak of War (or more specifically the invasion/capture of the capital world) be fairly widespread world-wide?  Is it a case of when the word first hits the planet, centralized computer systems (ie. "internet" or "world web") basically makes information dissemination instantaneous throughout the whole world... thus the "talk of the town" would be focused on the latest War news?

Is there any established forms of censorship or "news filters" designed to keep certain news items from reaching the general population?

The news spreads slowly from one world to another.  The only form of interstellar communication is to give a message to a ship to be carried to the destination.  That always takes at least a week.

The X-Boat Network (Express boat) uses specially designed ships, capable of Jumping up to 5 parsecs per week.  However, they tend to stick to major routes.  The message arrives at the nearest major Scout base to the destination world, and is then transferred to a short range "local" service.

---

There are persistent rumours that a "secret X-Boat network" also exists, using Jump-6 ships, and restricted to various high-ranking nobles.  So, if the Emperor dies, or something similarly dramatic, Duke Norris (as Sector Duke for the Marches) will know about it several weeks before anybody else, and can start preparing any measures he thinks might be necessary to deal with the emergency.  Similarly, he could send a message to Capital, informing Emperor Strephon of the outbreak of war.  Strephon would then have several weeks to prepare his plans, before the general populace found out about it.

Officials always deny the presence of such shadow network, claiming that their ability to respond to serious events as soon as the news breaks is entirely due to a good grasp of current affairs, and excelent contingency planning.  They also point out that there are some crackpots who claim that there is a top secret FTL "radio" in every ducal residence, without being able to explain how you wrap a Jump field around the signal.  :)

---

As for how fast news spreads... news services use the regular, scheduled X-Boats, so across space the news spreads slowly.  Once on a world though, the news will spread as fast as local technology will allow.  As a rough guide, Earth is currently at about Tech Level 8, so anything above that is going to have a global network (of course, global is relative - on a world with only a couple of dozen inhabitants occupying a research facility, the global network probably consists of somebody running about shouting, no matter what the TL is.  :p )

There is generally no censorship.  Once the word is received at the local news agency offices, it is despatched worldwide within the hour.  TNS and other agencies take their freedom to deliver the news very seriously.  If the news contains sensitive information, such as details of fleet deployments, etc, then those would normally be removed or toned down.  "A task force comprising the 57th and 60th battle groups, and led by the heavy cruiser, Azhanti High Lightning has been deployed to protect Fornice." might be adjusted to read, "There are reports of large scale fleet movements in the Mora subsector."

---

So... in short, everybody on Vilis will, potentially, have access to the latest news on the situation.  Unfortunately the latest news on the war, and the invasion of Regina, is about two weeks out of date...

Which reminds me - I must go to the website and see if any other games have been updated.

Web site updates will be performed over the next week or so.  :)

Next week, or else...?  ;)

I would never dream of saying 'or else'.

.....

Except to a member of the crew.  As a doctor, I have certain intimidation privilages.

Are the X-Boat rallying points fairly well "set"... they always jump to the same spot?

If so, what kind of defenses do they have to protect the X-Boat?  I would think that for disrupting communications, they would be the "weakest link".

Also are there "counterfeit" X-Boats that can deliver "mis-information"?  There must be some way to verify that a recently arrived incoming X-Boat is actually legit with real news?

Is there a screening process for X-Boat pilots to "keep them honest" or are there other ways to prevent an X-Boat pilot from manipulating the messages he or she is supposed to be delivering (or keeping out an "invalild" message from being transmitted)?

As do I, as the head of security.  ;)

I would, of course, never even consider attempting to intimidate the head of security.

Waste of effort.  :)

I await news from the Referee about the X-boats, but I suspect they have some sort of IFF signal, heavily encrypted, that ensures the veracity of their information (at least regarding misinformation stemming from the carrier).  The same with tampering - the packets are likely 'sealed', electronically, set to broadcast independantly of ship control.  Any tampering will likely cause a general fault, and broadcast the fact of the tampering itself.

Punishment, given this is the only reliable means of transporting information across the interstellar gulf, is likely lethal with no appeal.  An Empire survives on its communication and roads.  When one fails, the Empire crumbles.  One might make a case that tampering with public information falls under sedition, treason, and terrorism.  Any deaths resulting due to the spread of such misinformation could easily be regarded as Murder in the First Degree, in the same way as an Arsonist may be charged with Murder in the First Degree if he burns down a building and someone within it dies as a result.

Edit - It should be noted that both IC and OOC I am against the death penalty - I'm just giving the opinion from the standpoint of someone in charge of the government.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:15, Thu 22 Dec 2005.

The pilot has no access to the databank that contains the encrypted message data, other than a simple "transmit" button on his control console.  Message transmissions to an X-Boat must be from a verified scout facility, using valid codes (which change regularly - the X-Boat gets the new codes from the tender while it's waiting for the next batch of messages.

The way to detect legitemate X-Boats is the same as for any commercial vessel.  They are all fitted with a ID transponder which broadcasts constantly.  Incidentally, tampering with the transponder on a commercial vessel is a crime, punishable by severe penalties in Imperial space.  Tampering with the transponder on an X-Boat pretty much means taking the entire drive to pieces.

For X-Boats, there is a scedule, carried by each boat as part of the message data, which holds the transponder code for the last X-Boat on that route, encrypted and used as a kind of "password".

Stealing an X-Boat is pretty pointless.  It can't be used for anything other than carrying information.

They have no weapons, and no maneuver drives.  They're basically a bridge, a big computer, a cramped cabin, and a Jump drive, apart from the just over 50% of an X-Boat which is fuel tank.  So all it can do is Jump, arriving within a few kilometres of its destination (which is typically several hundred thousand km from the nearest world.  It transmits the data, and then waits.  Within an hour or two a tender (which has been waiting for it) arrives to collect it, refuel it and get it ready to go again.

The tenders are heavily armed, and wait near the arrival points.  So if you want to steal an X-Boat, you need to be able to get at it in space, watched by at least one heavily-armed ship that will try to stop you.  Then you need to steal the heavily-armed tender too, to be able to move the X-Boat about and fill the tank up again.

So the system is as foolproof as they can make it.  And the penalty for interfering with the network in any way is... severe.  Remember also that the network is run by the scout service.  Cross them, and they will find you.

Oh I agree with you Shui, I doubt there is any "mercy" meted out to those who tamper with X-Boats considering how valuable they are.

I was actually thinking about them in terms of military targets from external threats rather than internal sedition.  I was thinking about the level of panic we've seen thus far on the planet with the recent news about the fall of the capital.  I was just thinking that if you could send a false message of similar dire proportions to other planets, you could disrupt events pretty badly (especially if there really was a secret X-Boat service for nobles... they would be unprepared for the public panic).

Do the other nations/confederations/republics/empires other than the main Empire use a similar method/system of X-Boats for communication?  Also would the allied worlds such as the Darrian Confederation use the same system of X-Boats that the Empire uses or do they run their own service?
This message was last edited by the player at 16:38, Thu 22 Dec 2005.

And don't forget, Yas' sister, Tasmin, is in the scouts.  And you don't want to make the Crow sisters angry now, do you?

Hmm... seems like I cross-posted with TR.  Well I guess that's a secure as one can make it.  It seems like one would have to subjugate a scout base in order to really corrupt the system and that's not likely.

Of course that probably still makes X-Boats themselves a good target for destruction by the enemy if only to keep updated news from spreading.  But I doubt that's going to be easy to arrange either.

By the way, I just want to make it clear that I'm in no way proposing that Alexei is giving these ideas any consideration for himself... I'm merely playing around with some ideas in an abstract way in order to better understand the setting.  ;)

Is it known just how "long range" the psionic abilities are for the Zhodani and whether they've tried using psionics for long distance communication?  Are there any "detectors" developed that can sense "psionic manipulation"?

Yes, other governments have equivalent systems.

Yes, the Imperial network extends to neighbouring allies.  Stopping points along such routes are kept to a minimum, and are defended.  Note that a stopping point on such a route doesn't even need to be in a system.  It can be in interstellar space, making it harder to find (if you don't know the exact coordinates), and have fuel and supplies shipped to it.

On a different note... just what sort of "fuel" is being used by the spaceships?  What kind of powerplants are available in this era, are they at the "Mr. Fusion" level (ref: Back to the Future)?

Do the power generators on the planet use the same energy sources as spaceships?  Also is the same fuel source used for both normal space movement and jump movement?

Psi powers are restricted.  Good citizens know nothing of them.

Well, range is limited to maybe continental, and that is only for extremely gifted individuals.

There are ways to detect tampering, yes.  Lots of them.  Most of them legal and relatively harmless.

Heheh, you may not be toying with the ideas, Alexei....but Tylen is....lol (j/k)

Fusion power plants on starships.  Deuterium fuel, bought at starports or scooped and refined (assuming ship has proper equipment available) from gas giants, oceans, or ice caps.

Jump Drives use deuterium too, but the Jump Drive has its own built-in plant.

Planetary power plants vary, depending on technology, from wind and water, up to fusion.

Ahh... but as a former member of the Imperial Scout Service, Tylen has the background knowledge and Imperial training to know just how secure the X-Boat system is (and perhaps where any possible "weak points" might be in the system).

It is easier to seriously toy around with ideas when one has "expert knowledge" on the topic.  ;)

*watches Tylen while toying with her automatic shotgun and smiling in a too nice a manner*

;)

I notice that the Profit Margin has:

So does this mean the ol' PM can re-fuel itself for the most part?

I assume it is more economically feasible to scoop/refine one's own fuel than buying it from fuel merchants... or is the scooping and refining a costly process (either due to expendable materials used or in power/energy costs)?

Is it possible for ships like the PM to turn a profit at "harvesting" fuel and re-selling it to ships that lack the ability to re-fuel themselves or do most ships have the scooping/refining ability (or perhaps you need a special permit to become a "fuel merchant")?

Fuel is cheap enough, and scooping is risky enough, that it's not worth doing except on a massive scale.

Profit Margin can refuel itself ("wilderness refueling"), but it's usually better to either buy pre-refined fuel, or actually buy it unrefined and treat it aboard.

Ahh Shucks... there go my plans to become the next John D. Rockefeller!  No "Standard Deuterium" monopoly for me!  ;)

Well thanks for all the Setting Info TR, that should hopefully keep me from putting Alexei's foot in his mouth with a lamebrain suggestion to "get rich quick".  ;)

Whatcha doing Yasmine? *careful not to make any sudden moves*



I've noticed alot of similarities to Masters Of Orion, any correlations Ref?

I wouldn't know.  Never played it...

Even had to Google to find out what it was.  :p

Me?  Oh, nothing...  Security issue, simply.  Or maybe I'm just... joking...  ;)

I suppose the idea of "jump range" and the varying levels of technology as well as the different alien races that have different strengths & weaknesses... that all seems somewhat similar to MOO.  I'm a big fan of the MOO-2 in particular (sadly I heard MOO-3 was a disappointment).

However this games seems very similar to the Joss Wheadon (sp?) sci-fi/cowboy TV series "Firefly".  Especially the use of "lead hurlers" mixed with spaceships and the idea of a re-established nobility.  The ships seem similar to Serenity in some ways (certainly Profit Margin's independant status seems similar to the freelance type work that Mal & Company had aboard Serenity).


On a different note:

BBR, I have a question about the "Skill Check" system you've devised for this game.  Are there simulators (or simulation programs) or training programs one can utilize/read/view that could give someone enough information and/or familiarity with a subject or topic that they could qualify for an attempt at a skill check?

For instance, if someone wanted to develop a Pilot skill, instead of risking everyone's life by handing over the controls of the ship... maybe there's a "flight simulator" program that one could use to learn the basic controls and operations?  Or something like taking a gun to the firing range or reading a book on engineering?  While it may not be enough to really earn a rank-1 in the skill, perhaps it could allow one to test with a skill check to see if they can get a rank-0 in the skill?

Having slugthrowers in space is not exactly a new thing.  Space - Above and Beyond, Star Rangers, all sorts of attempts at space movies have done so.  They are even more ubiquitous in books.  Realistically, they are more efficient to produce, and cause just as much damage as beam/blast weapons, unless you get into the 'Battlelords of the 23rd Century' style weaponry...which is leagues and leagues ahead of anything we have, nowadays.

In this game, it looks like most planets are significantly below that level of tech.

Now, my explanation might be colored by my dislike for Firefly.  :)  So take it with a grain of salt.

One difference I have noticed between this and Firefly is the fact that the Profit Margin is actually ARMED.

As for the skill checks, it is indeed an interesting thought.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:22, Thu 22 Dec 2005.

Hmm... by the sound of it MoO is similar to Traveller in many respects.

Traveller was, of course, first.  :)

Been playing it, on and off, since 1978 and this, the first version, is the one I keep coming back to.  There are four editions currently, with a fifth apparently on the way (possibly already out) plus the GURPS and D20 versions.

I own them all, except that latest version, some of them more than one copy.

As for Firefly, I read somewhere (can't remember where) that Whedon based the show on an old Traveller campaign.


Training programs: yes.  But they're generally run at training facilities at ports, and cost money.  Much more usual is letting somebody take the controls (to learn piloting for instance) at non-critical moments, just to give the trainee a little hands-on time.  Jett, for example, has spent a lot of time on book-learning, and has occasionally been given the controls by Jago.  Eventually he picked up a pilot license.

Well I hadn't heard that it had been a campaign Whedon had been in but I too remember reading somewhere that there was some kind of link between Traveller and Firefly (I can't remember if the article was from a Traveller fan who saw similarities or if it was a Firefly TV person who mentioned drawing upon elements from Traveller).

Wow... 1978!  I had no idea the game had been around that long.  I heard somewhere that there's now an RPG made based on the Firefly 'verse (I don't know if it is just the TV setting or if the new movie stuff is included).

Well that's cool about the training programs... I'll keep that in mind for Alexei.  Now would a "Piloting" Skill need to be split up among different vehicle types (just as a Gun Combat skill has to be assigned to various weapon types)?  Or would Piloting work for both the Air-Raft and the Profit Margin as well as say a ground car?

Maybe Dr. Tiesi would be willing to give First Aid classes aboard ship for the crew (and any passengers who were interested)?  ;)

Pilot skill works only for spacecraft.  Ship's Boat for shuttles and similar smaller craft.

Everything else needs the Vehicle skill, which is split into different types of vehicle.


The Firefly game is based on the movie, and the company that created it have no license to produce stuff based on the TV show, though there is some overlap.

Oh ok... I thought it was the other way around but I wasn't sure.
That's a shame in some ways as I think the TV series conveys a "campaign" feel to it more than the movie.

Hey, interesting to hear - I think we will get along just fine, Sushi...  ;)


Edited to add:  Woohoo!  Post 600 for the game!  :D
This message was last edited by the player at 21:57, Thu 22 Dec 2005.

And here I thought I was in a distinct minority (read: one) of people who disliked Firefly.  Thank you, Yasmine.  I feel less lonely.  [hands off the post 600 trophy]

I am fascinated by Whedon lifting the idea for the show from Traveller.  Interesting.  I remember when Traveller first came out, though I only played it once.  I never owned it, like TR did, though a friend of mine owned Traveller 2300...which had the worst rules in the world (completely different).

I would be more than happy to give first aid training.  It would certainly heighten my sense of security.

Did you have T2300, TR?  And did you EVER find the section of the rules that worked out 'how to dish out damage'?  It was flat out missing from my friend's book.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:14, Thu 22 Dec 2005.

Oops... forgot to count that one.  Possibly because it is an entirely different background, so I don't really consider it Traveller.  :p

Yes, I had that too, and yes, the rules were/are a mess.  I traded my copy for a second edition version (renamed 2300 AD) which did have damage rules, but they were so complex that I glanced at the page, and went back to the original.  :)

Awful thing.  We detested it on first read, and it went downhill from there.

.....

In a game with detailed versions of dozens of weapons, why would one forget the DAMAGE rules?

You're welcome, and thanks for the trophy, heh!

Personally I think I only ever owned Megatraveller, but it was more the spirit of the game that caught me than the rules - a space game where I could understand things without rambling about imaginary tech and still had that "sand in the spacesuit" feeling, if you know what I mean.  ;)

It sounds handy.

Similar to Battlelords in the 23rd Century, which also came equipped with a horrifically dark sense of humor.  :)

Yep.  Megatraveller's fun.  Starts in 1116 with the assassination of Emperor Strephon.  Runs through eleven years of Civil War, and ends in 1125 with one of the factions releasing a highly adaptive AI computer virus in the territory controlled by an enemy.

Unfortunately, Virus, as it comes to be known, doesn't understand territorial boundaries.

Worlds with toxic atmospheres die when their computerised support systems fail.  Worlds with no agricultural production die when the traders stop arriving.  High tech worlds die when everything stops working

End of the Imperium, end of the vargr, who stole so much tech from their neighbours, and of most of the other big governments too...

Very cheery.  :)

It sounds like the grand finale of Megatraveller kinda takes the "travelling" out of the Traveller setting.

I guess playing in such a post-apoc setting might have appeals to those with anti-tech troglodyte tendencies?

Of course an interesting twist to such a setting would be if very old, outdated "relics" (like early spaceships kept in museums) were so obsolete that their systems were effectively "immune" to Virus (in some ways the "weapon" was too sophisticated or too "smart" to affect these primative spaceships).

Thus you'd have a rush to the museums and junkyards and space memorbelia collectors to get some kind of space travel up and running.

Of course one question about Virus... did it work against the T'ca/Chi & Knnn advanced technology?  It would be interesting if it turned out that Virus was really just a derivation of the "weapon" that brought down the Keo Nesseb culture (maybe even of the Ancients' culture?).

As I recall, Virus was derived from a silicon based semisentient life form found on a world called Cymbeline.  They were, in essence, living computer chips, and studying them gave scientists the first inkling of how to make true AIs.

Some regions cut themselves off from Virus, and survived.  eg: Norris sealed the borders of the Domain of Deneb (Spinward marches and neighbouring Imperial sectors long before Virus was released.  He wanted to preserve his territory from the war, and to avoid getting involved with any faction, none of whom he considered valid candidates to ascend the Iridium Throne.  His quarantine, and the location of the domain, meant Virus never spread there.  Any ship trying to enter the domain was destroyed before it could transmit Virus.

The next game in the series, Traveller: The New Era, dealt largely with the rebuilding of interstellar civilisation in the post-Virus universe.

How Virus would effect the T'ca, Chi, and Knnn is unknown, since those are races that BBR added to his version of the universe, taken from the works of C J Cherryh.

Nastiest thing, post-Virus: Vampire fleets.  Small fleets of starships, Virus infected, continuing a war that had ended decades earlier, and generally enjoying a reign of terror..

Well I'm not familiar with those elements of CJC's works.  However I did enjoy her Alliance vs. Union stories (Heavy Time, Hellburner, Rimrunners and the Cyteen trilogy).

Yep, Sassy is right.  They're from the Hani books:

The Pride of Chanur
Chanur's Venture
The Kif Strike Back
Chanur's Homecoming
Chanur's Legacy

The hani, the race that the main protagonists of that series belong to, are similar to the Aslan of Traveller, in physique and culture.

I was looking for some "mystery" races, something from far beyond the campaign area, which could wander in from time to time and do confusing stuff... and the Vorlons said they were busy.

Well... no... they never said they were busy.  What they said was, "Water flows, though seldom uphill."

This will likely be my last post here until late tomorrow.

Just wanted to take the opportunity to wish everybody all the best, and I hope the festive season brings every one of you all that you could possibly wish for.

What he said.

Good enough inference, though.  I got *gurgle-panflutesplayingMozart-catonpiano* Ice melts in accordance with heat *faintblaating-digitizedhaydenat78rpm-iguananoises*.

Merry Christmas, to the both of you!

Merry Christmas everyone(or Kwanzahonikka)! Hope you get everything you wished for this year!

                     **MERRY CRIMBLE**

Merry Christmas everybody.  Hope you're all having a wonderful day.

Access has been somewhat... erratic for the last couple of days, due to the holidays.  It should settle down again now, though.

Settle down?  You mean, like, less access...?  :P

I think he means he will be here 24/7.  Or even more on worlds with longer days.

If he isn't, then we know who to blame for keeping him away, don't we?  ;-)

Hmm, no.  Please do tell.

I skipped over the party, and forward a day, in the interests of moving things along.

The people are here to collect the cargo.  Jago is checking out job applications, and Jett has a hangover...

Thanks TR!  ;)


Hey Skipper... I hear there is a pair of qualified Darrians looking for "honest work".  ;)

Good morning!  Sorry I haven't been here for a number of days.  Busy, busy...Christmas stuff.  :)

Merry Christmas to all!

Out early with those season greetings, eh?  ;)

But morning?  It's high noon!  So... draw!  :P