OOC Wars on Distant Shores (Starbound USCM RP)

Discussion in 'Role Playing' started by Paladin, Jan 5, 2015.

  1. Paladin

    Paladin Pangalactic Porcupine

    Welcome to Wars on Distant Shores!

    In this RP, you will be a member of the USCM, the last major surviving organization of Earth after it's hostile takeover. You will be sent all over the galaxy, fighting off all manner of threats to the USCM, and by extension, mankind itself.

    It won't be easy to restore humanity to even a fraction of it's former self, and the road to victory will be earned in blood.

    But if mankind is to survive in the cold, harsh, and unforgiving void, then it is necessary. Whether you are a seasoned veteran of many campaigns, or a collage student who received the draft notice on their 18th birthday (happy birthday!) You are the only thing that stands between mankind and extinction...


    NOTES
    This is my first time GMing. Now that is out of the way...

    For the most part, I will not be an overly controlling GM. I control all NPCs in the game, and I dictate whether or not your actions are successful (for instance, if you shoot at an enemy, I decide whether or not you hit, or you miss.) In addition, I also determine how successful other actions are (ex. scanning the jungle for hidden traps.)

    There are two ways as I, the GM, will advance the plot:
    1. Request: If the party is finished doing whatever they're doing, and want to see more action, let me know in the OOC and I'll cook something up.
    2. Automatic: If there is no activity within 24 hours in the IC or OOC, I'll randomly throw something in there. (ex. You and another party member are busy talking, when suddenly you hear a loud explosion from the Perimeter!)
    When it comes to combat or immediate actions, I wait until everyone has made their decision on what to do. Afterwards, I then say whether or not it was successful. (ex. When the party has finished planning how to beat Dreadwing the Pirate in the OOC, they then post their actions in the IC, and once all the players have finished posting their characters actions, then I start writing what

    EDIT:
    There are two types of soldiers players can be: Marines or Mercenaries.

    Mercenaries are alien warriors that have been hired by the USCM for one purpose or another. These can range from providing advice on fighting a particular enemy, to performing a specialist role on the battlefield. Compared to Marines, Mercenaries have more freedom in their selection of arms and armor, as USCM contracts state that Mercenaries must supply their own weaponry. However, other than payment coming from the USCM, support from them will be limited at times, and the USCM are far more lenient in sacrificing alien lives in comparison to human ones. In addition, Mercenaries hold little responsibility, and generally are considered on the rank of "Private" on the chain of command, regardless of skill.

    Marines are enlisted soldiers of the USCM. They are all human (no exception.) Compared to Mercenaries, they lack more customization, as their gear is assigned by the Quartermaster. However, Marines command more authority than Mercenaries do (Private First Class and upwards,) and have generally friendlier relations with other USCM personal, able to call in fire support for instance.


    TIMELINE
    2070.10.24.: United Systems Government is founded from the United Nations. United Systems Colonial Marines are also formed around this time, from UN Peacekeeping forces.
    2078.3.9: Beast beyond the Stars attacks
    2078.3.10: Earth Falls. All USCM military bases go into lockdown, all surviving humans moved to Mars, penal colonies abandoned.
    2085.4.20: USCM Command reorganizes. Bunkers are opened, colonization efforts begin.
    2130.1.5: Present Day.



    NAME: (Self-Explanatory)
    DESCRIPTION: (What your character looks like. Hair and Eye color, height, weight, skin color, so on and so forth.)
    GENDER: (Male or Female? Shouldn't be a difficult question.)
    AGE: (How old are they? Due to regulations, they cannot be younger than 18, or older than 48.)
    BIO: (Where was your character born? What were they before joining (or being drafted into) the USCM? Stuff like this to enhance a character)

    Equipment in-game is issued by the Quartermaster. Ranks are dictated based on biography and age.

    If there are any additional questions, let me know and I'll answer them.


    PLAYER LIST
    1. Bustow Lawrencia (Apex Mercenary)
    2. Vivian Marindale (Human USCM Rank: Specialist)
    3. Lucerentia ( Human USCM Rank: Private)
    4. Smith Johnson (Human USCM Rank: Corporal)
    5. d'Artangan (Human Mercenary)
    6. Flamewing (Avian Mercenary)
    (More slots may be added later on)
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2015
  2. Presios Saiyan

    Presios Saiyan Giant Laser Beams

    Name: Dante Death Blade

    Nickname: Death Blade

    Description: Dante has light tan skin, Wears Tier 8 armor and has a Tier 10 Sword that is detachble with his sheath. His Personality is Anger, Rage, and savior of the universe. His only problem is he suffers from Paranoia, Ammesia, and Anger issues. He has blue sapphire eyes and white but long hair.

    Gender: Male

    Age: 25

    Date of Birth: 2100

    Bio: Dante was born on a crystal planet on the year 2350. In the X sector at the age of 20, he practiced extreme sword fighting. He likes big grappling hooks, Along with compressed gas, he can be at top speed of 450 MPH. Age of 25, He wanted the USCM to go away, But instead started the UNSC Program. He is also commander of the UNSC Program as to eliminate the Miniknog, and other evil. When he got Paranoid by a dark spirit, Taunting him to spread the 'word' about the the Apex War, He got rage issues, and slaughtering every evil he has killed. He suffered through rage issues, which it's very slight but he got it from the age of 15 when his mother has been killed. His most memorable event is he went back in time after Earth is destroyed by a comet with fleshy tendrils of death. Now he is living his life in USCM....

    ( I did the best, But it's not much. Tell me what you think?)

    EDIT: Fixed many errors. Sorry!
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2015
  3. m0k0n4

    m0k0n4 Ketchup Robot

    Hmm, now that I think of it... I have several questions I am hoping you will be capable of answering well, Paladin.
    >What is the current time? Since Presios went ahead and actually wrote up a date-of-birth on his character, I'll have to get intel on the date when important RP events happen so that his chosen date of birth makes sense.
    >What happened? It is stated that we are "a member of the UCSM, the last major surviving organization of Earth after its hostile takeover.". Please explain the background events here in an easily followable formula; who took over Earth? What happened afterwards? When? On that note, what does UCSM stand for anyway? Background fluff is a necessity!
    >Technology levels! Because tech levels may or may not tend to be wonky when humanity just got out of an apocalypse level event. Or maybe because I'm just That Guy Who Needs All The Details.

    On another note, Presios Saiyan needs to work on grammar.
     
  4. Paladin

    Paladin Pangalactic Porcupine

    On the last part, definitely. I was writing up a critique for him when I saw this.

    Anyway, your other questions in order:
    1. I'm still trying to figure out the current time. Starbound doesn't have an exact date I can use in reference to this RP. One of the reasons why I only included an age is because I don't know what the time is. Though, judging from Human dialogue in Starbound, I would say it's pretty close to modern times, around 2100 let's say (If you know of an official timeline for Starbound, please show me a link. I've searched and searched to no avail for one. As it is right now, I'm still creating the timeline for this quest.)
    2. This is actually stuff already covered in Starbound's lore, though I'll restate them for the purposes of this RP. Earth was taken over by a giant tentacle monster (known as the Beast beyond the Stars.) and most of humanity was wiped out in the process. However, some humans managed to escape on their star ships at the time. Out of them, the only surviving major organization was the U.S.CM (United Systems Colonial Marines.) Led by General Kale, they operate out of a space station in orbit around Mars. Right now, they're the de facto government of all humanity, and are trying to establish colonies in an attempt to rebuild. Emphasis on attempt. In this RP, you are a fireteam (basic unit of military organization, composing of four soldiers) of USCM marines.
    3. In regards to technology levels, Starbound humanity is a bit more advanced than today. They have FTL, and the capability to produce star ships and space stations. They also use robots and AI for a variety of purposes, from base defense to automated maintenance, or even cleaning! Starbound Humans can also create holographic projections, though they aren't widespread and are really only able to be found in High-end establishments or USCM bases. Weapons tech is still improving, as Humanity still uses lots of projectile weaponry. However, the standard armament of the USCM is a Pulse Rifle (which is a shout-out to Aliens) which is basically an LMG or (SAW if your old fashioned) , but far easier to produce and maintain. In addition, it is lighter and has significantly less recoil as well. Tech levels aren't as wonky as would be imagined, due to most of the ships being designed for colonization in the first place, and as such filled with the latest equipment (as well as large archives of "X for Dummies!" books.) But yeah, Humanity's scientific and cultural development is a bit shot at the moment, and would probably take some time to get back were it was (a few decades to a few centuries is my guess.)
    Hope those answered your questions, let me know if you want more info, and in case of tl;dr:

    Answer to 1: Still figuring it out, around 2100s I'd say.
    Answer to 2: Giant Tentacle Monster came, killed mostly everyone, and the only surviving organization is the military.
    Answer to 3: It will be a while before any significant technological or cultural progress is made, but we aren't going to lose technology anytime soon. If you want a full list: we have FTL, holograms, AI, and basically LMGs for everyone (if you are a member of the USCM, as you are in this RP.)
     
  5. m0k0n4

    m0k0n4 Ketchup Robot

    Great. Thanks, that helps a lot. Might want to put it there in the OP sometime, though - even if this RP takes most of the lore from Starbound itself, it's probably a good idea to write at least an abridged version of it here.
    Anyway, I might join, but I'm known for extreme procrastination. Don't count on much.
     
  6. The Squid

    The Squid Oxygen Tank

    Name: Bustow Lawrencia
    Nickname: The Gorilla
    Description: Bustow is an Apex mercenary for the USCM, hired during a time when few Humans were willing to sign up. Bustow has dark brown fur, green eyes, and tan skin. He is slightly shorter than most of his comrades, as he is an Apex. He usually wears his father's hunting jacket and trousers.
    Age: 20
    Gender: Male
    Biography: Bustow was born on a small, Miniknog controlled desert planet in the Delta Sector. He joined the rebellion when he was fourteen, and after three years of combat saw his entire city burned to the ground with very few survivors. He then found himself stranded on that planet, and remained there for eight months until he managed to signal a USCM scouting ship. They helped him, and he agreed to become mercenary. He's been fighting along side them ever since. He is very useful, as he is a skilled ship pilot and very good when it comes to using mechs in battle. He has a very good aim, and being an Apex he is quite agile.
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2015
  7. Paladin

    Paladin Pangalactic Porcupine

    Thanks, I'll be sure to include a section in the OP.

    Alright, first regarding your equipment: I said in the introductory post that your equipment will be issued out in game by the Quartermaster. And I said ranks would also be determined in game.

    In addition, I don't see why your guy wanted to join the USCM in the first place (in fact, it states outright that he wanted it to go away and started his own faction in response, the UNSC [Halo reference?]) In addition, the Bio is non chronological, going all over the place (for instance age: 0 yrs -> 20 years -> 25 years -> 15 years [that's not even taking into account time-travel...])

    On the personality section, I can get that he is an extremely angry fellow. While I don't have a problem with this, I will expect for you to RP this out when the IC is up. I don't understand the savior of the universe part, though I guess that even though Dante is very angry, he has a bit of a hero complex? However, like m0k0n4 said, you also have a bit of a grammar problem (for instance when it says his "only" problem, it means he only has one problem, not three.)

    In addition, the timeline still confusing me. At first, it says he was born in 2100, and then it says he was born 2350. And then it time travels.

    If you want a good example of a character introduction post, look here.
    This explains many things: why he joined the USCM (as a mercenary) and explains his backstory in chronological order.

    On that note, welcome aboard, Bustow! I'll include some notes about mercenaries when compared to USCM marines in the NOTES section.

    Basically fix the things I mentioned above (and try to remove the time-travelling aspect) , and before you post, send me a PM (Private Message) containing your Character Information. I'll help you out if you need additional support filling in the character sheet.[DOUBLEPOST=1420518743][/DOUBLEPOST]First, Double-posting.

    Second, Included some basic timeline info and two different character "types" players can be (Mercenaries or Marines.)

    Again, need me to specify anything, let me know and I'll answer it in a timely manner.
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2015
    m0k0n4 and The Squid like this.
  8. sansy

    sansy Big Damn Hero

    Looks like fun. Mind if I hop aboard? I'm new to RPing.

    NAME: Vivian (Vivi) Marindale
    DESCRIPTION: Vivian is a light-skinned, willowy looking human female. She has a narrow frame, is relatively light, and stands at about 5'9. She has short light brown hair that she has dyed red, and has hazel eyes. She joined the USCM at age . Although she's fairly athletic, she's not quite up to quite a few other soldier's standards. Her real calling is sharpshooting. Ever since she could hold a gun, she learned how to aim, fire, reload, and shoot again with precision and finesse. Although quite smart, she's quite snappy with people, and is quick to anger. She has a fondness for sweets of all sort, and typically carries a few lollipops with her at all times. She specializes with sniper rifles.
    GENDER: Female
    AGE: 22
    BIO: Born on a forest-covered planet, she lived there with her two parents. Her father was a man who loved to hunt, and from a very early age he taught her how to catch and shoot animals for food and their pelts. As she grew up, she became interested with law and justice. She aspired to become a lawyer, and tried her best to get into college. Eventually, she was accepted for a higher-end law school at age 18, and she jumped at the chance with zeal. After graduating and becoming a lawyer, she decided to join the USCM, as she wanted to help people on a more universal level, instead of indivisually, as she did in cases. She was recently accepted.

    This needs revision imo. Sorry about anything that seems confusing or weird. >_>
     
  9. Paladin

    Paladin Pangalactic Porcupine

    Needs revision you say? Regardless, I still like it how it is as the moment. Accepted!
     
  10. m0k0n4

    m0k0n4 Ketchup Robot

    Little question. What regulations are in place regarding mandatory drafting of human militia from available colonies? Are there forced/mandatory drafting, or are all recruits volunteers?
     
  11. Paladin

    Paladin Pangalactic Porcupine

    A bit of both. Due to the extreme loss of military soldiers and assets during the fall of Earth, there is a fair amount of drafting/conscription going on (depending on who you ask.) Some people do join the USCM voluntarily, but there is drafting. Both male and female citizens are drafted (with a greater emphasis on males.)

    Of course, each colony is allowed to form their own milita, and are encouraged by the USCM to do so. However, their equipment is rarely as good as the USCM 's, and often their role is less to fight back invasion forces and more to delay them in case of attack or to serve as law enforcement.

    Sent from my phone, so I might have messed something up. Hope that answers your question (Yeah, USCM does draft some of their soldiers.)
     
  12. The Squid

    The Squid Oxygen Tank

    Is it ok that I have vanity items (the hunters jacket/pants), or are those issued by the quarter master? I think they have 1 defense, so I'm not sure if that counts as armor.[DOUBLEPOST=1420591957][/DOUBLEPOST]Also, how do I send a PM? Is that where I just write something on your profile page?
     
  13. Paladin

    Paladin Pangalactic Porcupine

    You send a PM by clicking on the "Inbox" button. In it should be an option to "Start New Conversation." Click that, and I'm sure you can figure out what to do from there.

    In other knows, I also added in a timeline (even if it is rudimentary) so that might help out in character creation.
     
  14. Paladin

    Paladin Pangalactic Porcupine

    Anything else that is needed? Additional questions, clarification?
     
  15. m0k0n4

    m0k0n4 Ketchup Robot

    Well, here goes nothing. If there are any questions, ask me!

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    NAME:
    Lucerentia Edelweiss
    DESCRIPTION: Lucerentia, or "Lucy" or "Luce" as she would frequently be called, is a fair-skinned young woman, standing at about 5'8'' with an average, if athletic, build and proportions. While particularly fit for her age, her body is not at all muscular. Her eye color is blue, and she has shoulder-length straight flaxen hair she lets down freely whenever she doesn't need to get too physical. While off-duty, her standard choice of attire is a simple T-shirt and trousers, designed much more for comfort and freedom of movement than fashion, underneath a purple hooded jacket she wears if she needs to go outside.
    Her favorite fruit is lemons.
    GENDER: Female
    AGE: 19 going on 20
    BIO: Lucerentia was born in a relatively industrialized colony planet, the second child to a pair of quite accomplished parents. Her early life was, frankly, rather ordinary. She went to school, made friends, and all that business. Still, being second comes with its demerits - one of which being the natural tendency to be compared with her older sibling.
    As a result, she developed a mildly rebellious streak, growing to be somewhat reserved and tomboyish, with a particular penchant for snarking, deadpanning and spending part of her off-time playing video games.
    She intends (or intended) to further her studies in mechanical engineering, partially because she did, after all, grow in an industrial colony, and partly as part of her "mildly rebellious streak". She's somewhat miffed that this did not come to pass.
    In school, she is generally known to her circle of friends as cool, diligent, somewhat aloof, naturally good-looking(though certainly far from the girl boys wish to be with), and nigh-unbeatable in FPSes. She is also among the top of her class when it comes to physical ability, possessing a fit body as well as a better-than-average reaction time. Additionally, she's also developed good enough stress control to not panic as easily under emergencies.
    These are likely among the biggest reasons why, she reasoned, that she was eventually drafted into the USCM.

    As of now, Lucerentia hasn't been part of any actual assignments yet, being a recent draft.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2015
  16. Paladin

    Paladin Pangalactic Porcupine

    This looks pretty good. ACCEPTED!

    Just a few more players, then we'll be set to go!
     
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  17. SneakyBox

    SneakyBox Pangalactic Porcupine

    I'd like to sign up...Well here it is...I hope this ends well....
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    First name:Smith. Middle name:Tom Last name:Johnson
    Bio
    Born in 2099 Smith has gone through 1 campaign and that being the Gobi campaign.Smith has received Special C.Q.C. training making him great in hand to hand combat,but he usually prefers ranged combat. He also Skilled range combat as well.Smith has faced critical damage on his right arm and his left leg.The damage was caused by a tanker explosion which was caused by hylotl bandits.His R. arm L. leg removed and replaced with a robotic arm and a robotic leg.Smith has been serving the U.S.C.M. for 7 years.Smith had enlisted while he was still in his 3rd year in collage and he had spent his whole summer training to become a marine .He spent his first two years in the U.S.C.M. guarding Fort Mc.Neil on the planet Genosha until 2126.After he finished his marine training Smith decided to go into advance marine training when he got the word that the U.S.C.M. was going to be expanding its colonies in 2127.When Smith finished his advanced marine training has received a off duty beret.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Description
    Smith's current age in 2130 is 31 years old and his height is 7'3 and weighs 157 pounds.Smith has flat brown hair and has a blue eye color. His personality is more kind of a serious type but at times he can be comedic. He doesn't enjoy talking about Earth or his loved ones (which are presumed dead)or basically anyone that die along with the Earth...Moving on to his hobbies Smith, is obsessed with guns and loves modifying them.He also likes classical music and listens to it when he's depressed or just trying to relax when he gets the chance.He exercises daily by doing 50 push-ups,55 sit-ups,and running 30 laps.
     
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2015
  18. m0k0n4

    m0k0n4 Ketchup Robot

    OBJECTION!
    A person born in 2067 would be aged 63 at the beginning of the RP, not 30!

    Also, the walls of text can be rather confusing to follow. Might you be so kind as to add spaces and line breaks

    like this

    whenever necessary?
     
  19. SneakyBox

    SneakyBox Pangalactic Porcupine

    Derp...Sorry I was really tired when I made this.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2015
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  20. m0k0n4

    m0k0n4 Ketchup Robot

    You probably should rest up and do an overall checkup on the entire sheet, there's still some weird stuff and grammar mistakes present overall.

    >"In late 2076 Smith had just finished his officer training and received a standard officer beret" This, combined with a previous statement, "Born in 2070" would mean that Smith is enough of a genius prodigy to finish Marine training at the age of six.

    >"Smith has been in the U.S.C.M. for about 26 years" If he joined in 2076, that would make his service time 54 years old - the RP takes place in 2130. Additionally, he should be 60 years old, while the sheet still states "His age up to 2130 Smith is 30 years old".
     

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