If no one is interested in posting for the shopping spree, we can just skip ahead to the departure.

While I wasn't anticipating any lengthy adventures while in transit to Mars, I figured a few posts would be appropriate.... say, one round per month of travel... just to help convey the passage of time.

OR... we could just jump ahead to arrival on Mars... and leave it to the individuals to post about their 'ordeal' in space.

What do the rest of you think?

In reply to GM SteamRoller (msg # 302):

     If the trip to Mars is intended to be...uneventful...boring, even, then please, let's skip ahead to the approach and landing on The Red Planet.


     Because, while I truly do appreciate the opportunity for interesting Character Interaction during the trip--trust me--if I start the ball rolling on making "boring trip posts", things will quickly get very, very....strange....

     Y'see...I've been inside my head, before....it's dark and stuffy...and there's cobwebs all over the place....and the ceiling is too low, I kept bumping my head...and there is absolutely no sign of intelligence...anywhere!!!

I am willing to do it either way. Shopping is not a major interest for either me (Player)or Grimsby, but I suppose he could go along to watch out for pickpockets and the like.
Likewise, Grimsby is an experienced spacefarer on the Mars run, but he has no professional piloting skills, so if he was active he would probably be socializing or brushing up on his knowledge of pre-Seldonian Martian texts.
If the other players want to play out these phases of the game, fine, but he would be just as happy jumping directly to Mars.

I think a few posts en route would be nice

In reply to Catherine Harston (msg # 305):

Grimsby is always willing to defer to his ward's wishes.

Thank you, dear guardian!

In reply to Catherine Harston (msg # 307):

     AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!  I can't take it anymore!!

     I want that Lithuanian Punk to explain just how we're supposed to get up to that Ship's Wheel--which is out on deck!--when we're out in Space!!!

     'Cuz I do not look forward to standing a Watch out there, in a Space Suit...

I was having difficulty with my Mobile Hotspot capability.  I finally gave up, tonight, and threw money at solving the issue.  I might get a couple of posts up, tonight, but more than likely it won't be until tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon, before I start getting caught back up.

But, at least I figgered out my new All-Purpose Excuse!

It wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't foresee it happening. I'm not doing anything or going anywhere for the holidays. Yet, they up and blindsided me!

Don't why, but my brain's been mush for a couple of weeks now, creatively speaking. I sort of had an idea of what to do with this phase of the journey, but I rolled a '1' on the dice roller and fumbled it right out of my head!

I'm just starting to get some creativity back in my brain, but if anyone has an idea for what to do/where to go next, SPEAK UP!

In reply to GM SteamRoller (msg # 311):

     Mars.  Straight to frikkin Mars!  Do not Pass Luna.  Do not Collect $200.

     ^_^

     Buon Natale, y'all!

een sick for the past week. Nothing serious, just a seasonal cold where my whole body aches, I take the usual meds, and then all I feel like doing is laying around in bed all day. It's still hanging on which is why I'm posting this.

In reply to GM SteamRoller (msg # 314):

Very sorry you have been ill. I hope you recover completely very soon.

In reply to Grimsby H. Baskerville (msg # 315):

My apologies, my friends, for my recent disappearance.

I injured both of my hands last week, and typing was a bit painful.  And, Big Wuss that I am, I chose not to just "suck it up" and Post Thru The Pain... ^_^

I have finally regained the use of 1 index finger and 1 thumb--on opposing hands, so I'm still not able to pop open my own beer, dammit!--and will try to get back into things ASAP.

And I especially apologize to those games that were in the middle of exciting things!

In reply to Joseph Rudyard Hunnisett (msg # 316):

Very sorry for your injuries. I hope you recover rapidly.

     Y'know, I hate to be "That Guy" (he's lying!  He loves being That Guy!), and so I offer my apologies for being a Geek, here....

     When you say "the new double-action Colt .45", Felicity, are you talking about the "Peacemaker", aka the "Single Action Army, SAA, Model P"?  'Cuz that was a single-action revolver.

     Colt experimented with double-action revolver systems for decades, but he considered them to be unreliable.  Colt Manufacturing did not actually manufacture its own double-action revolver until 1877.  The Colt M1877 was chambered for 3 different calibres--the "Rainmaker" being chambered for .32 Long Colt cartridges; the "Lightning" in .38 Long Colt; and the "Thunderer" in .41 Long Colt.

     The Colt M1878 was often called the "Frontier"--it was an improved M1877, and a little bigger than the M1877.  The Model 1878 was available in .45 Long Colt, .32-20 WCF (a Winchester rifle cartridge), .38 Long Colt, .38-40 WCF, .41 Long Colt, .44-40 WCF, .455 Webley, and .476 Eley. The most popular calibers were .45 Long Colt and .44-40 WCF.

     The Colt M1892, aka the "New Army & Navy" was only ever chambered for .38 Long Colt and .41 Long Colt.

     Since you said you "also carry a back-up", I assume from that you're wearing 2 pistols--so why not just carry 2 Colt Frontier double-action pistols, both chambered for the .44-40 WCF?  As I also assume you own a Winchester rifle of the same calibre--probably the very popular Winchester Model 1873--that would mean you only ever have to carry/buy that one type of cartridge for all 3 weapons.  Very efficient ^_^

In reply to Joseph Rudyard Hunnisett (msg # 318):

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaack...!


Okay, Petras uses British artillery ammunition in his cannons....

But what does that mean...?!

The pic of the ship has the cannon looking like "long but narrow" barrels.  Maybe 1 Pounder Rifled cannons?  Maybe something like the British QF 1-pounder "Pom-Pom Gun" autocannon?  The British also had a Naval 2-pounder...

The typical British 1-pounder "Common Shell" of the era was the "37mm x 94mm, 1 lb (0.45 kg) Common Shell".  This was a popular shell, and was even used with 1-pounder Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon.  But I assume Petras' cannon fire only 1 round at a time.

Yes, it's the 1878 Colt .45 Frontier, as opposed to the Colt Frontier Six-shooter which was the single-action version.

No, she doesn't wear two holsters. She keeps the back-up hidden, and yes, she has a Winchester rifle that uses the same ammo as her back-up.

In reply to Felicity Van Horn (msg # 320):

Cool.  .45 Long Colt, plus twice that in .44-40 Winchester, for Felicity.

Let's hope I can find that much American-made ammo, here in the heart of British influence on Mars  ^_^

In my 20+ years of PbP gaming on various sites, it was generally accepted that posting between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day diminished considerably due to Holidaze, work schedule changes, family, shopping, putting up decorations, etc. For that reason, expectations for timely posts was kind of put on hold.

In my case, this didn't usually apply to me, but this year, I seem to have hit a down cycle. It's probably a combination of age + health + meds + diet + environment + Holidaze. So, just bear with me while I sort it all out and hopefully get back on track in the new year.

As I said elsewhere, I do not think the holidays will delay me much, but I am quite willing to allow for the GM and others who may have different schedules.

     So ... Idiot Boy (me) finally went and bought a New Laptop.  Oh, and not just a new laptop -- oh no! -- I went and bought an up to date, current technology laptop.  Super-duper Processor, fast as a rabbit internet, more graphics power than I'll ever need, and it even has Windows 11 installed ... this thing is something the NSA would be jealous of.

     So of course, I have no idea how to make this damn thing do any of the things I want it to do!  I keep giving it commands ... it keeps refusing ... I keep hitting the Run button ... it just runs around my house, yelling "Nyaa-nyaa" ... I keep chasing after it, waving a 3-pound ball peen hammer ... sigh ...

     So please bear with me, until I beat some obedience get through the learning curve of this new machine.

In reply to Joseph Rudyard Hunnisett (msg # 324):

Deepest sympathy, having recently gone through a similar experience.

Hi everyone,

New player picking up an existing character, the original player only made a brief appearance but I hope to keep the character going.

Looking forward to playing!