New chat room entered at 10/27/2005 8:56:01 PM.
You are now in chat room “sotsw102705.”
CirclMastr has entered the chat room.

CirclMastr (8:56:20 PM): Hey.
Umbrafer (8:56:29 PM): j0
Thematrian1 has entered the chat room.

Umbrafer (8:56:37 PM): Very sory for my lateness, I got eaten with stuff.
CirclMastr (8:56:42 PM): Doing resources. I statted out my troll's ride.
terminal handle has entered the chat room.

MilesMk1 has entered the chat room.

Umbrafer (8:58:54 PM): There we go.
Umbrafer (8:58:58 PM): Not used to dealing with this much space.
MilesMk1 (8:59:11 PM): Space?
Umbrafer (8:59:39 PM): I got a new laptop. The screen real estate, both in terms of physical size and resolution, is much vaster.
CirclMastr (8:59:47 PM): Sweet.
MilesMk1 (8:59:50 PM): Ah.
Umbrafer (9:00:04 PM): When we left off, Scavs was doing recon on the fourth location, a bar.
terminal handle (9:00:04 PM): Oooo...
terminal handle (9:00:08 PM): Tell me it's an Alienware.
Umbrafer (9:00:16 PM): Apple, thank you very much :P
Thematrian1 (9:00:17 PM): (Nice)
CirclMastr (9:00:24 PM): Me wnt.
CirclMastr (9:00:26 PM): *want
CirclMastr (9:00:45 PM): My laptop is so old... the low-end first Snow model, IIRC.
Umbrafer (9:00:49 PM): The rest of the party was nominally sleeping, though for the sake of keeping things going anyone who wants to do things in the morning can do them now.
CirclMastr (9:00:56 PM): 300 mhz G3
CirclMastr (9:01:08 PM): What day is it in the morning?
terminal handle (9:01:24 PM): Just a moment to get my info loaded...
Umbrafer (9:01:38 PM): Well crap, I've plumb forgot. *Digs for notes again*
Umbrafer (9:03:02 PM): Gah. I've lost track. Unless someone remembers, it's a Thursday.
Umbrafer (9:03:13 PM): (I think that was it, but I wouldn't bet any significant quantity thereon)
MilesMk1 (9:03:14 PM): I like Alienware. It's what I got, though it's a desktop...
terminal handle (9:04:13 PM): Right. This information is loaded. Let us get it started, or something equivocable.
Umbrafer (9:04:34 PM): You are outside the bar. It's bar-ish, and run down, and actually has people in it.
terminal handle (9:05:16 PM): That is kind of unfortunate.
terminal handle (9:05:26 PM): Anybody outside in the immediate vicinity?
Umbrafer (9:05:49 PM): A few. This is one of the more populated areas towards the edge of the Barrens.
Umbrafer (9:05:58 PM): Some approximation of civilization exists here.
terminal handle (9:07:05 PM): The simplest solution is often the best. I sit around for a few and check out who's going in and out.
terminal handle (9:07:15 PM): I'm waiting for somebody to leave alone.
terminal handle (9:07:25 PM): Maybe.
Umbrafer (9:07:50 PM): Unfortunately this is the Barrens, and the people who are here are people who have survived getting here and, presumably, while there.
Umbrafer (9:07:59 PM): Mostly people leave in small packs
Umbrafer (9:08:03 PM): Occasionally groups of three
terminal handle (9:08:13 PM): Not unexpected. Do I look like I'd fit in?
Umbrafer (9:08:14 PM): Trolls occasionally leave in pairs.
Umbrafer (9:08:26 PM): Ish. You're the right type, though perhaps undermuscular.
terminal handle (9:08:36 PM): Probably not, bein' all dressy.
terminal handle (9:10:11 PM): How physically big is a remote control deck?
Umbrafer (9:10:30 PM): About the size of a thick keyboard, though differently configured.
terminal handle (9:11:31 PM): Right, then. A little rigging needs done.
Thematrian1 (9:11:43 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 3 6 4 4 1 2
Thematrian1 (9:11:47 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
terminal handle (9:11:48 PM): Any short, dark buildings opposite the bar?
Thematrian1 (9:11:57 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 4 6 3 5 5 2
Thematrian1 (9:12:01 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 3
Umbrafer (9:12:03 PM): There are.
Thematrian1 (9:12:12 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 2 4 6 1 4 4
Thematrian1 (9:12:16 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
Thematrian1 (9:12:25 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 3
Thematrian1 (9:12:38 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 3 2 2 3 4 1
Thematrian1 (9:12:43 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 2 2 1 1 6
terminal handle (9:12:46 PM): When there's a lull in the surrounding crowd, I send the sniper rotoflier to that roof, land it in the shadows, and let it do its thing.
Thematrian1 (9:12:46 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 2 6-sided dice: 2 5
Thematrian1 (9:12:52 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 6 4 3 4 5 5
Thematrian1 (9:12:55 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
Thematrian1 (9:12:59 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 2
Thematrian1 (9:13:04 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 4 1 6 4 1 3
Thematrian1 (9:13:07 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
Thematrian1 (9:13:15 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 3 2 1 5 5 2
terminal handle (9:13:23 PM): I might as well check out the bar from that vantage point. Let's scan that fun place.
Umbrafer (9:13:30 PM): Not much surrounding crowd. You let a group of people move on and then do your thing.
Thematrian1 (9:13:33 PM): Thematrian1 rolled 6 6-sided dice: 1 3 1 5 2 4
Umbrafer (9:13:35 PM): *Vmvmvmvmvmvmvm*
terminal handle (9:14:02 PM): Rolling active and passive.
terminal handle (9:14:04 PM): terminal handle rolled 3 6-sided dice: 3 6 6
terminal handle (9:14:06 PM): terminal handle rolled 2 6-sided dice: 1 6
terminal handle (9:14:09 PM): terminal handle rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
terminal handle (9:14:17 PM): Right. Passive.
terminal handle (9:14:23 PM): terminal handle rolled 5 6-sided dice: 6 1 5 1 6
terminal handle (9:14:25 PM): terminal handle rolled 2 6-sided dice: 4 6
terminal handle (9:14:28 PM): terminal handle rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
Umbrafer (9:15:56 PM): Anything specific you're looking for?
terminal handle (9:16:21 PM): How many floors?
terminal handle (9:16:45 PM): Then, how big are groups of people above the first floor, which I assume is the bar.
Umbrafer (9:17:10 PM): Two floors plus a small airspace that may be an attic or crawlspace
terminal handle (9:18:19 PM): Folk upstairs?
Umbrafer (9:19:03 PM): There's a small clump of them, and two spread out.
terminal handle (9:20:48 PM): Right-o. I fly a queen bee to the top of the bar at the next crowd break.
terminal handle (9:21:13 PM): Then jam the deck in my purse, conceal an ant in my clothing, and step outside to have a drink at the local pub.
Umbrafer (9:22:52 PM): Done and done.
Umbrafer (9:23:08 PM): You stride in. A smattering of eyes are on you.
terminal handle (9:23:32 PM): I wink suggestively at the boys who make eye contact.
terminal handle (9:24:03 PM): What's on the inside of this joint?
terminal handle (9:24:05 PM): terminal handle rolled 5 6-sided dice: 4 6 1 4 1
terminal handle (9:24:07 PM): terminal handle rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
terminal handle (9:24:09 PM): terminal handle rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
terminal handle (9:24:12 PM): terminal handle rolled 1 6-sided die: 6
terminal handle (9:24:18 PM): terminal handle rolled 1 6-sided die: 4
Umbrafer (9:24:43 PM): It's somewhat dirty and filled with the scent of all kinds of cheap alcohol. There's also a large selection of burly orks, humans, trolls, dwarves, and the occasional elf.
terminal handle (9:25:28 PM): I stride to the bar and order the hardest drink I can think of at the time.
CirclMastr (9:26:07 PM): ("I'll have a Shirley McClaine!")
Umbrafer (9:26:21 PM): The bartender looks at you, then pours it and slams it down in front of you.
terminal handle (9:26:26 PM): "A John McClain, please."
Umbrafer (9:26:38 PM): You notice a lack of horns, and realize with a shock that he's actually Human rather than Troll.
terminal handle (9:27:25 PM): Izzat so? "Thanks, babe." Pay and wink hard. Make my way to a corner booth. How's the lighting in here?
Umbrafer (9:27:48 PM): Dim, partly obscured by smoke.
Umbrafer (9:28:00 PM): Most of the smoke comes from one table where a group of six Trolls is smoking cigars.
terminal handle (9:28:33 PM): Nearby doors which don't feature a bathroom signs?
Umbrafer (9:29:12 PM): Mostly feature battered "Employees Only" signs. There are three of them, one behind the bar.
terminal handle (9:30:23 PM): (Can I ingest alcohol? I'm not like Dracula, right?)
CirclMastr (9:31:17 PM): (Uh... what the hell racce are you that you have to ask?)
MilesMk1 (9:31:26 PM): (I don't think Dracula winked that much.)
Umbrafer (9:31:37 PM): (No, you aren't. You can ingest alcohol.)
MilesMk1 (9:31:54 PM): (Heh... Someone's really been paying attention... :p)
CirclMastr (9:32:31 PM): (My attention span is hampered by never ever being on scene.)
terminal handle (9:32:34 PM): I down the whole thing and go back to the bar for another.
Umbrafer (9:32:50 PM): (Hmm… Body test.)
terminal handle (9:32:54 PM): (And winking works. Winking women are the devil's own.)
terminal handle (9:33:07 PM): terminal handle rolled 3 6-sided dice: 4 3 3
Umbrafer (9:33:35 PM): Now Willpower.
Thematrian1 (9:33:52 PM): wuh oh
terminal handle (9:33:56 PM): terminal handle rolled 4 6-sided dice: 4 6 4 1
terminal handle (9:34:00 PM): terminal handle rolled 1 6-sided die: 5
Umbrafer (9:35:15 PM): You avoid spluttering, but the stuff is /strong/.
Umbrafer (9:35:26 PM): It may have equal parts cleaning fluid and drink
terminal handle (9:35:43 PM): That is probably for the best. Will a roofie test be necessary?
Umbrafer (9:36:01 PM): Not this time.
terminal handle (9:36:39 PM): Oh goody. Then to the bar I shall go, order another, not drink it just yet, and strike up a conversation with the barkeep.
terminal handle (9:37:45 PM): "Another John McClane, please." All smiles.
Umbrafer (9:38:40 PM): He eyes you, then hands it over.
terminal handle (9:39:45 PM): "Y'know...th's place is a dive...man. Izzit your bar?"
Umbrafer (9:40:01 PM): "Yeah."
Umbrafer (9:40:10 PM): Etiquette roll, then carry on.
terminal handle (9:40:42 PM): Defaulting to charisma.
terminal handle (9:40:58 PM): terminal handle rolled 4 6-sided dice: 1 2 3 4
terminal handle (9:41:01 PM): ....
Thematrian1 (9:41:09 PM): nifty
Thematrian1 (9:41:12 PM): shitty, but nifty
terminal handle (9:41:14 PM): This will not end well.
CirclMastr (9:41:51 PM): (I'm so glad I'm off scene)
Thematrian1 (9:42:10 PM): (It's a shame; Pusher could get her out of this)
CirclMastr (9:42:47 PM): (You could call him. You'd have to know the address though, and wait for however long it takes his car to drive him.)
Umbrafer (9:43:06 PM): (I will remind you that you have a point of karma, IIRC)
Umbrafer (9:43:11 PM): (Pool, that is
Umbrafer (9:43:12 PM): )
terminal handle (9:43:18 PM): This would be as good a time as ever to use it.
terminal handle (9:44:03 PM): terminal handle rolled 4 6-sided dice: 5 3 6 6
terminal handle (9:44:05 PM): terminal handle rolled 2 6-sided dice: 5 4
MilesMk1 (9:44:18 PM): Now that's a good use of Karma.
Thematrian1 (9:44:35 PM): I was constructing a sentence along those very lines
terminal handle (9:44:41 PM): "I rilly think y'ought'a put some more inta it...y'know? Wha' kinda business d''ya get in *hic* here on a good night?..."
terminal handle (9:45:04 PM): *looks around with seeming incredulity and interest*
Umbrafer (9:45:14 PM): "This's good… it gets much more crowded, we start paying for repairs."
terminal handle (9:45:55 PM): *Oogley-eyes* "RuPAIRZ?"
terminal handle (9:46:03 PM): "Wha' happen?"
Umbrafer (9:47:34 PM): "People get rowdy, tables get broken, floors get broken, ceilings get broken… things break."
Umbrafer (9:49:02 PM): "Just last week we lost a window."
Umbrafer (9:49:18 PM): "Guy slotted off Otto."
terminal handle (9:50:01 PM): "Hoo'z th's Otto? He a big guy?"
CirclMastr (9:50:15 PM): (::flexes:: I bet Pusher could take Otto)
Umbrafer (9:50:31 PM): "You could say that."
Thematrian1 (9:50:35 PM): (Most likely. Tricky from milesaway, though)
Thematrian1 (9:50:52 PM): (Though I guess youmight be able to hit him with thrown masonry, if you had someone to spot for you)
CirclMastr (9:51:01 PM): (Yeah, that whole space/time continuum keeps getting in my way.)
Thematrian1 (9:51:04 PM): (Hey Jon, is Pusher capable of indirect fire?)
Umbrafer (9:51:38 PM): (Hm… possibly)
CirclMastr (9:51:43 PM): (The concept of indirect fire is probably beyond him.)
terminal handle (9:51:52 PM): I look AMAZED! "Tha's...whaddaya mean?"
Umbrafer (9:51:56 PM): You might need to hook him up with an FDDM)
Umbrafer (9:52:48 PM): "He's sitting over there, at the big table. The big one. Careful if you look, sometimes he don't like that.
Umbrafer (9:52:49 PM): *"
terminal handle (9:54:23 PM): I steal a furtive glance.
Umbrafer (9:54:58 PM): He's big. If this were twenty-four hours ago you'd have been impressed. It's still kinda impressive—he's taller than Pusher, and broader, but his arms are noticably less thick.
terminal handle (9:56:04 PM): (Pusher should literally fold this guy in half if he gets the chance. Just to see what happens.)
CirclMastr (9:56:25 PM): ("He went 'snap'.")
terminal handle (9:57:01 PM): "So...is'e in a gang or somt'ing? Whyz he wit' all those big guys?"
terminal handle (9:57:10 PM): For the record, I have begun sipping my second beverage.
MilesMk1 (9:57:22 PM): (Just once, I want a run where I get to sit comfortably far away, shooting people with my scoped rifle, instead of having to get into gun and fist-fights...)
terminal handle (9:57:41 PM): (You know you love it, crazy kid.)
Umbrafer (9:57:54 PM): "Dunno. They smoke together, sometimes play cards. I stay out of people's business if they don't bust up mine."
terminal handle (9:58:53 PM): "Bu-....But they DID! You sed th't he broke your tabls!"
terminal handle (9:59:14 PM): "Th's not RIGHT!"
terminal handle (9:59:33 PM): I stand up roughly and kill half the drink.
Umbrafer (9:59:41 PM): Roll it
terminal handle (9:59:55 PM): terminal handle rolled 3 6-sided dice: 3 4 5
Umbrafer (10:01:02 PM): And the Willpower
terminal handle (10:01:51 PM): terminal handle rolled 4 6-sided dice: 3 5 2 5
Umbrafer (10:02:48 PM): You're still on your feet for now, but if you don't watch out it isn't going to be an act anymore.
Umbrafer (10:02:51 PM): The stuff hits hard.
terminal handle (10:03:37 PM): I march staggeringly toward Otto's table, sloshing my drink on people as I pass.
Umbrafer (10:04:27 PM): Perception.
terminal handle (10:04:34 PM): terminal handle rolled 5 6-sided dice: 5 1 5 4 6
terminal handle (10:04:38 PM): terminal handle rolled 1 6-sided die: 3
Umbrafer (10:05:08 PM): The first person you slosh onto swears. You spot another person at his table reach out to prevent him from drawing a gun.
terminal handle (10:06:36 PM): Haphazardly point at somebody at the table...then at the table...and maybe eventually at Otto. "Y'Otto?"
terminal handle (10:07:12 PM): "Sh't."
Umbrafer (10:07:15 PM): He raises a gigantic eyebrow.. "Mebbe I am, mebbe I amn't. Who's askin'?"
Umbrafer (10:07:25 PM): Speech is slow and deliberate.
terminal handle (10:07:41 PM): I turn around and call to the bartender. "'EY. Whassyur name?"
MilesMk1 (10:07:53 PM): (I don't think these are the kind of people who won't hit a girl.)
terminal handle (10:08:06 PM): (That won't be necessary.)
CirclMastr (10:08:18 PM): (I think the kind of people who won't hit a girl went extinct in 2027.)
Umbrafer (10:08:22 PM): "Bob."
Umbrafer (10:08:30 PM): (2029. It was the Crash.)
terminal handle (10:08:32 PM): Stumble back around.
Thematrian1 (10:08:40 PM): (Yeah,I'dhate to lose the rigger to a bar brawl, you know?)
Umbrafer (10:08:41 PM): That was Otto, by the way.
CirclMastr (10:08:49 PM): (The loss of all those "How to be a player" internet guides hit hard.)
terminal handle (10:09:40 PM): "Rite...Bob...." *points somewhere near the bar* "sed you broke his bar!"
terminal handle (10:09:57 PM): "Y'can't DO th't Oddo..."
Umbrafer (10:10:40 PM): The guy to Otto's right goes to stand, but Otto puts a hand on his shoulder.
terminal handle (10:10:51 PM): I back up slightly.
Umbrafer (10:10:58 PM): "Bob and I have an understanding."
Umbrafer (10:11:08 PM): "It isn't your business. Don't make it be."
MilesMk1 (10:11:29 PM): (Maybe if she wears glasses?)
Umbrafer (10:11:58 PM): (They survived until the early 2040s.)
Umbrafer (10:12:10 PM): (Well, they're probably still alive and well, but elsewhere)_
Umbrafer (10:12:29 PM): (In the barrens, your parents don't need to pay for replacments if you break someone's glasses as a kid)
CirclMastr (10:12:45 PM): (They evolved into Shades. There are no normal glasses anymore except in theories on inanimate evolution.)
terminal handle (10:13:47 PM): *blank stare* "Wht? But th'n whawas Bob talkin'bout? He sed y'broke his bar!"
terminal handle (10:14:07 PM): "I me'n is not brokn NOW..."
Umbrafer (10:15:38 PM): "Miss, I… advise you leave the table."
Thematrian1 (10:16:04 PM): (What's this in aid of?)
Umbrafer (10:16:16 PM): He takes his hand off of his companion's shoulder.
terminal handle (10:16:26 PM): "Lemme siddown. Plis..."
terminal handle (10:16:57 PM): I hope that there is a vacant chair near one of the edgy dudes that I can grab.
CirclMastr (10:17:36 PM): (I really, really don't see how this could possibly end well.)
Umbrafer (10:17:56 PM): There isn't, though some of the people at a nearby table just got up and started moving across the room.
CirclMastr (10:18:22 PM): (Unless Scavs has some Force 4+ elementals or spirits waiting to attack.)
Thematrian1 (10:19:23 PM): (Drones, baby)
terminal handle (10:20:05 PM): (This is bust. Things went far from right here, regardless of nifty karma pool rolls.)
Thematrian1 (10:20:27 PM): (Then why not bail?)
terminal handle (10:20:34 PM): "M'sorry...m'sorry..."
terminal handle (10:20:55 PM): Stumble to the ladies room.
Thematrian1 has left the chat room.

terminal handle (10:21:21 PM): If I hear rapid movement, followed by a click, I'm diving for hte floor.
Umbrafer (10:21:27 PM): You go. A small section of the crowd looks disappointed.
terminal handle (10:22:13 PM): Otto, you will get what's coming to you one way or another you patient jerkface. What's in the bathroom?
terminal handle (10:22:16 PM): terminal handle rolled 5 6-sided dice: 4 5 1 3 5
terminal handle (10:22:34 PM): Vents?
terminal handle (10:22:42 PM): AC? Heating pipes?
terminal handle (10:22:53 PM): Anything even remotely able to access even the room next door?
Umbrafer (10:23:56 PM): There's a vent pipe, and part of the ceiling tiles are missing.
Thematrian1 has entered the chat room.

Thematrian1 (10:24:13 PM): (ping)
CirclMastr (10:24:18 PM): (pong)
terminal handle (10:24:27 PM): No...won't work. They'd notice that I'd been in there for unreasonably long.
terminal handle (10:25:02 PM): Splash some water on the ol' face and stagger back out to the bar, trying to sob.
terminal handle (10:25:12 PM): les weep...les sigh....
MilesMk1 (10:25:19 PM): Very drunk people often spend what would be considered by most an unreaonable amount of time in the bathroom...
terminal handle (10:25:29 PM): Believe me...I know...
MilesMk1 (10:25:46 PM): Or so I've heard.
terminal handle (10:26:06 PM): "Boooob..."
MilesMk1 (10:26:33 PM): (I'm so sorry about the floor. And the sink. And the mirror....)
terminal handle (10:27:13 PM): "Oddo...he's not gunna buy y'bar, Bob." *weep weep*
Umbrafer (10:27:38 PM): He has no idea what you're talking about. Coincidentally, neither do I.
terminal handle (10:27:55 PM): Spouting nonsense, kiddo.
terminal handle (10:28:00 PM): It's what drunk people do better than anybody.
CirclMastr (10:28:10 PM): (Survey says: Quit when you're behind!)
CirclMastr (10:28:23 PM): (Make thine exit!)
terminal handle (10:28:52 PM): Screw it. Who am I to oppose common sense?
CirclMastr (10:29:05 PM): (A Shadowrun PC.)
MilesMk1 (10:29:07 PM): (Do you have a plan for how to handle the people that'll follow you out, intending to mug and/or assault?)
MilesMk1 (10:29:20 PM): (Oh, right, the sniper drone.)
terminal handle (10:29:32 PM): (You mean aside from the sniper drone, personal combat drone, and other drones on my person?)
MilesMk1 (10:29:58 PM): (Yeah. :p)
CirclMastr (10:30:16 PM): (An astute person would ask where you left your RCD in that case.)
terminal handle (10:30:20 PM): I stagger to the door. "M'SORY, ODDO!" and wave as I go through.
terminal handle (10:30:41 PM): Once through I do the usual sober-up routine. Shake my head, smack my cheeks a bit, deep breaths...
terminal handle (10:31:02 PM): Cripes. How far away did I park?
terminal handle (10:31:12 PM): Right outside. Riiiight.
terminal handle (10:32:05 PM): Alas. I make my way to the van and hunker down for a little while. I'm no DUI case.
Umbrafer (10:32:07 PM): Probably relatively close by, as you didn't specify.
MilesMk1 (10:33:25 PM): (I think it'd be pretty hard for any except the most casual rigger to have more drinking-related penalties than VRC bonuses, and still be conscious, or alive, for that matter ;))
Thematrian1 (10:33:51 PM): (True enough)
terminal handle (10:34:10 PM): (Point taken.) I wait for lull in the crowd, recall the two stationed drones, and drive into the drunkset.
Umbrafer (10:34:50 PM): You do so.
Umbrafer (10:34:57 PM): Actions from the others?
terminal handle (10:35:01 PM): God what a bust.
CirclMastr (10:35:10 PM): (Pusher is snoozing.)
Thematrian1 (10:35:14 PM): Well, I got some goodstuff. Not a lot, but some.
Thematrian1 (10:35:19 PM): Or, willhave gotten, I guess
terminal handle (10:36:23 PM): With this I must go, kids. The roommate's going to kill me if I don't help with the apartment tonight.
terminal handle (10:36:52 PM): Jon, we'll discuss prospects of me not slowing down the crew any further, neh?
Umbrafer (10:37:06 PM): Fair enow. Anyone got other stuff to do?
terminal handle (10:37:14 PM): Do better than I did, guys.
terminal handle (10:37:19 PM): Won't be hard. :(
Umbrafer (10:37:20 PM): (I'll note that I did offer them the chance to do things and they largely declined)
CirclMastr (10:37:24 PM): Pusher watched Neko Nanny Nina at the appropriate time.
Umbrafer (10:37:33 PM): No doubt.
MilesMk1 (10:37:36 PM): I eat chicken soup to deal with whatever bug made me mysteriously disappear, and do the reasearch I told you about.
terminal handle (10:37:38 PM): G'night, kiddos!
terminal handle has left the chat room.

Umbrafer (10:38:42 PM): You fiddle about with that. I defer my answer because I need time to write up the results.
Umbrafer (10:38:47 PM): May as well make some rolls, though
MilesMk1 (10:39:42 PM): How many and what kind?
MilesMk1 (10:39:54 PM): Electronics and Computers?
Thematrian1 (10:40:04 PM): I found out a little about our target. There's some suggestion that he's knownunder two other names, and wanted by the authorities under those names. His primary seems to be organlegging, though I didn't get a lot there.
Umbrafer (10:40:20 PM): Yep, those two.
Thematrian1 (10:40:28 PM): His three buddies are a wired guy called Glove, a businessman possible-mage, and a wildcard
Umbrafer (10:40:32 PM): Once thing I may have forgotten to mention about the two alternate names:
Umbrafer (10:40:40 PM): It's effectively impossible for him to be both.
Thematrian1 (10:41:01 PM): ah, interesting
Umbrafer (10:41:05 PM): For example, they were supposedly incarcerated in different parts of the country at the same time, briefly.
MilesMk1 (10:41:11 PM): Ah. At least it seems to be someone we can feel good about killing. To misquote a good line: "I love organleggers. No matter what you do to them, you don't feel bad."
MilesMk1 (10:41:21 PM): Electronics
MilesMk1 (10:41:25 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 8 6-sided dice: 4 4 5 4 4 6 2 3
MilesMk1 (10:41:30 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
MilesMk1 (10:41:36 PM): Computers.
MilesMk1 (10:41:39 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 7 6-sided dice: 2 3 6 4 4 3 2
MilesMk1 (10:41:43 PM): MilesMk1 rolled 1 6-sided die: 1
MilesMk1 (10:41:47 PM): Well, fuck.
CirclMastr (10:43:31 PM): This may seem like a dumb as hell question, but what are the dimensions of Seattle?
Umbrafer (10:44:59 PM): Hm.
Umbrafer (10:45:02 PM): A good question.
Umbrafer (10:45:34 PM): I'm not actually sure. I'll have to check New Seattle.
Umbrafer (10:46:45 PM): Anyway. Any other questions or actions? I know we've got a group consisting primarily of half-asleep people at the moment.
Thematrian1 (10:46:59 PM): yep yep
MilesMk1 (10:47:43 PM): Yeah... If anyone comes to kill me in my sleep, I shoot them first.
CirclMastr (10:47:44 PM): I have a sneaky but expensive rigger planned for another game.
Thematrian1 (10:47:57 PM): sneaky?
CirclMastr (10:48:14 PM): Basically, retrans + mini-blimps = drone control all over Seattle
Umbrafer (10:48:30 PM): You barely need the retrans gear.
Umbrafer (10:48:32 PM): Alex
Umbrafer (10:48:37 PM): 's range comes out to ~25 kilometers
Thematrian1 (10:48:47 PM): wow
Umbrafer (10:48:47 PM): Radius
Umbrafer (10:49:12 PM): Wait, maybe it's a little less
Umbrafer (10:49:21 PM): Yeah, I think it's only about 18. 25 is for sensors.
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CirclMastr (10:49:46 PM): I can easily see reaching a radius of 30k with each blimp.
CirclMastr (10:49:51 PM): Er
CirclMastr (10:49:53 PM): 30 km
CirclMastr (10:50:06 PM): Since High Elevation is a given.
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Umbrafer (10:51:20 PM): So you eliminate the need to be towards the center of Seattle. Yeah, that helps.
MilesMk1 (10:51:25 PM): *sigh* In some ways, I'm envious of people being able to make brand new characters, already with some karma, and make them totally broken. Blake just feels so... ordinary.
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CirclMastr (10:52:05 PM): Eh?
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MilesMk1 (10:52:41 PM): Random train of thought. You were talking about making a new character, Pusher is a new character, there's a new character in the Tuesday game...
Thematrian1 (10:53:07 PM): three true statements
CirclMastr (10:53:14 PM): This particular new character is for a different game with a new group. Newbie GM, I figured it'd be easier on the GM if he didn't have to worry about flux range with drones.
Umbrafer (10:53:26 PM): You already barely have to.
Thematrian1 (10:53:34 PM): now that is a sweet rationalization
MilesMk1 (10:53:34 PM): Not saying I think this long-range rigger sounds broken.
Thematrian1 (10:53:42 PM): but yeah, it sounds strong
CirclMastr (10:54:02 PM): I've never done a rigger before. ::shrug::
CirclMastr (10:54:06 PM): I'm open to advice.
Thematrian1 (10:54:29 PM): don't snipe with drones from a mile away. It'll make him cry
Umbrafer (10:54:49 PM): Can't, unless you get a PAC. Sniper rifles only go out to a kilometer.
CirclMastr (10:54:51 PM): I don't think they have the CF left for a rifle.
Umbrafer (10:55:10 PM): Unless you add in the distance from the drone itself, in which case a mile is short.
Thematrian1 (10:55:14 PM): oh, a kilometer away. That's fine then
MilesMk1 (10:55:19 PM): Of course, now that bioware is available again, I can start doing fun things as soon as we get away from Chicago. Maybe.
Umbrafer (10:55:31 PM): I knew you'd think so ;)
Umbrafer (10:55:33 PM): Sooth.
Umbrafer (10:55:43 PM): I could use a cerebral booster or four.
Thematrian1 (10:55:44 PM): more generally, I guessthe dispute is between lots of autonomy and the Alex school of VCR-3 direct control
Umbrafer (10:55:50 PM): Pity it only goes two levels.
Umbrafer (10:55:52 PM): Yeah, basically
Thematrian1 (10:55:53 PM): Well, that stuff isexpensive
Umbrafer (10:56:01 PM): There are a few other questions
Thematrian1 (10:56:10 PM): which?
MilesMk1 (10:56:16 PM): Do you even have the bio index for a cerebral booster?
Umbrafer (10:56:21 PM): But that's the big one. Do you do the work, or do your drones do it? You can do both, but rarely at chargen.
CirclMastr (10:56:36 PM): I'm going for drones doing it, myself.
Umbrafer (10:56:47 PM): I go into overstress after… three point two four points of bio.
Umbrafer (10:56:53 PM): That should be enough for a cerebral booster.
MilesMk1 (10:56:57 PM): Hehe.
Thematrian1 (10:57:31 PM): sure, but do you have the cash?
MilesMk1 (10:57:38 PM): 4.14 for me...
Umbrafer (10:57:42 PM): Yeah, that's always the question.
Umbrafer (10:57:56 PM): I don't now. If we sell out the human race and pull it off, I might.
Umbrafer (10:58:12 PM): Doubly so if we can steal some stuff on our way.
MilesMk1 (10:58:18 PM): I think I'm going to go with Enhanced Artwinkulation, and muscle toner. Lots of muscle toner... Get my quickness to 8 or 10 (if I can afford it).
MilesMk1 (10:58:54 PM): Then I can finally start thinking about improving combat skills without spending so much Karma it's just not worth it.
Umbrafer (10:59:11 PM): The interaction between muscle toner and rigged initiative has always been a source of irritation for me.
Umbrafer (10:59:27 PM): They don't stack, and that makes sense. What doesn't necessarily make sense is that Quickness comes into it in the first place.
Thematrian1 (10:59:48 PM): I'd argue that Quickness isn't purely physical, though muscle toner is
Umbrafer (10:59:54 PM): Rather I should say that it doesn't make sense that A) they don't stack and B) quickness makes a difference
Umbrafer (10:59:55 PM): Yeah
Umbrafer (11:00:01 PM): I see the argument, and it too makes sense.
MilesMk1 (11:00:06 PM): Hehe... Just want a reaction score equal to your INT? Well, it'd make sense...
Umbrafer (11:00:26 PM): But the fact that the boost is counted as natural in every other way…
Thematrian1 (11:00:34 PM): yeah, it's a wart
Umbrafer (11:00:39 PM): Indeed.
MilesMk1 (11:00:39 PM): Yeah, it's screwy.
Thematrian1 (11:00:49 PM): but there are ten million thingslike that,so...
Umbrafer (11:00:52 PM): And one that I can't figure out a way to remove without making things even worse.
MilesMk1 (11:00:53 PM): But I'm not going to let that stop me from going for a reaction of 13.
Umbrafer (11:01:07 PM): Though now that i think about it, things are already worse
Umbrafer (11:01:13 PM): Consider the following scenario:
Umbrafer (11:01:30 PM): For some bizarre reason, I take four levels of Muscle Toner
Umbrafer (11:02:07 PM): That'd give me a Quickness of 11, for a total Reaction of 9 in meatspace
Thematrian1 (11:02:15 PM): check
Umbrafer (11:02:16 PM): But when I'm Rigged, it's still 13
Thematrian1 (11:02:22 PM): right
Umbrafer (11:02:29 PM): So when we're talking Rigged initiative, my base is still 7
Umbrafer (11:02:38 PM): So when I improve my Car skill to 8, what's the cost?
Umbrafer (11:02:57 PM): Rigged reaction, that is
Thematrian1 (11:03:04 PM): ...uh oh. Hm.
Thematrian1 (11:03:15 PM): More expensive
MilesMk1 (11:03:24 PM): Heh... Based off of natural reaction of 9?
Thematrian1 (11:03:30 PM): but that's not in the text, it's an inference
Umbrafer (11:03:45 PM): By the strict text, my natural Reaction is 9.
Thematrian1 (11:03:56 PM): but ifyou weren't...gah!
MilesMk1 (11:04:02 PM): BTW, is there any reaction-boosting bioware I could take that's compatible with Wired Reflexes?
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Umbrafer (11:04:47 PM): Not sure. Damn FanPro's lack of releasing the Man and Machine PDF.
CirclMastr (11:04:58 PM): I'm 90% sure the answer is no.
Umbrafer (11:05:02 PM): I don't think so. WR is the cheap/good stuff, but also the incompatible stuff.
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MilesMk1 (11:06:19 PM): I guess enhanced articulation, but that's not really a reaction booster as such.
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MilesMk1 (11:06:41 PM): I looked it up, and I actually have enough money right now for 4 levels of muscle toners and EA.
Umbrafer (11:06:46 PM): It's another point
Umbrafer (11:06:51 PM): And with the toners that's two
Thematrian1 (11:06:55 PM): Reaction Enhancers?
Umbrafer (11:06:57 PM): That'll push you to a pretty regular third action.
Thematrian1 (11:07:10 PM): expensive, but...
MilesMk1 (11:07:21 PM): Really expensive.
Umbrafer (11:07:38 PM): Whereas I need to dig out karma for another point of Intelligence (or Quickness, but INT is more useful) to get another point of INT
Umbrafer (11:07:41 PM): Reaction, that is
MilesMk1 (11:07:50 PM): I get a much better deal with Bioware - two levels of muscle toners costs less and is better than a reaction enhancer.
Thematrian1 (11:08:28 PM): true. REs are bottom-of-the-barrel stuff. But it's the only direct Reaction add you can get
MilesMk1 (11:08:56 PM): I actually want the toners most for the ability to start expanding my firearm skills.
Umbrafer (11:10:02 PM): Incidentally, I think you vanished before I could pose the question on Tuesday:
Umbrafer (11:10:14 PM): Do you see any value in having a character on the team who is fluent in Russian?
Umbrafer (11:10:21 PM): (6 as opposed to 4)
MilesMk1 (11:11:33 PM): Mhmm... I don't think it's necessary, but useful? Sure... If we ever want to start digging into the mysteries we keep stumbling into...
Umbrafer (11:11:59 PM): Well, the other alternative is to just focus on R/W and decipher the deck.
MilesMk1 (11:12:09 PM): But as our GM points out, we have a nasty tendency to just work around all the mystical stuff he throws at us, and do our jobs. :P
MilesMk1 (11:12:36 PM): Oh. Yeah, I was actually thinking more in terms of R/W than spoken.
Umbrafer (11:12:55 PM): Hehehe
MilesMk1 (11:13:40 PM): "Do you think he's a magician? I dunno, shoot him again just to be on the safe side."
Thematrian1 (11:13:56 PM): (sigh)
MilesMk1 (11:15:18 PM): (I have to say, in our defense, is that (in my case at least) it's never a case of lack of interest - there's just so much stuff going on, there usually isn't the time, and the things that seem interesting also seem more deadly.)
Thematrian1 (11:15:42 PM): (I know, and I don't judge)
CirclMastr (11:15:46 PM): I wish I could play Tuesdays again.
Umbrafer (11:15:47 PM): That is very true.
Umbrafer (11:16:14 PM): I would have loved to have a chat with the Bokor. Problem is, people like that aren't too easy to get into safe chatting positions.
Thematrian1 (11:16:14 PM): so do I; soon the party isgoing to try to whisk ShojoandMartha out of Chicago
MilesMk1 (11:16:55 PM): (Though last Tuesday we really did break from our usual tendency to play things safe, and gave in to curiosity.)
MilesMk1 (11:17:28 PM): (Or Trickster did, and I figured someone sane needed to come along to keep him safe.)
Thematrian1 (11:18:01 PM): (Heh. He has lived through all kinds of stuff)
Umbrafer (11:18:08 PM): We have sane people?
Umbrafer (11:18:12 PM): (Including rocket fire!)
MilesMk1 (11:18:14 PM): (Of course, I also expect to do plenty of unprofessional stuff in my search for Jerome.)
MilesMk1 (11:18:52 PM): (Yeah, he did, but eventually, he'll roll a 1, and then I get to frantically do CPR again.)
MilesMk1 (11:19:16 PM): (If I'm lucky, he won't change into a fox at that point.)
Umbrafer (11:19:17 PM): (At least he probably won't have the whole party trapped unless they kill him)
Thematrian1 (11:19:49 PM): (Yeah, that was special)
Umbrafer (11:19:56 PM): (Yeah, maybe you'd better spend a few points in veterinary medicine)
Umbrafer (11:20:17 PM): (It was indeed.)
Thematrian1 (11:20:35 PM): (Good luck finding a paraveterinarian in Chicago right now)
MilesMk1 (11:21:39 PM): (Heh... Things could have gotten ugly if we hadn't gotten that situation with Alex worked out. Blake wouldn't have budged... His next plan was to commandeer the cop car, rig a makeshift towing rig, and scram.)
Umbrafer (11:21:54 PM): (Thanks :) )
MilesMk1 (11:22:15 PM): (Plan C was a desperate stand against Knight Errant involving hostages and possibly ATGMs.)
Thematrian1 (11:22:23 PM): (Andbelieve me,I'msorry things didn't come to that point)
MilesMk1 (11:22:39 PM): (What, sorry it didn't come to Plan C? :))
Thematrian1 (11:22:57 PM): (Plan B, I mean)
Thematrian1 (11:22:58 PM): (Plan C...wow. That would have been different)
Thematrian1 (11:22:58 PM): ping ping ping
Umbrafer (11:23:01 PM): (Doubly touching from the person who a few weeks before was creating desperate plans to make sure his body didn't remain unharmed if he died around us)
MilesMk1 (11:23:38 PM): (He wasn't entirely serious. And it felt like a lot longer than that.)
Thematrian1 (11:24:35 PM): (You've only passed fifteendays...but they've beenan intense fifteen days)
Umbrafer (11:24:42 PM): (Very true.)
Umbrafer (11:25:00 PM): (The intensity magnified, of course, by the fact that they've been… what, a year in-game?)
Umbrafer (11:25:09 PM): (When did we start Zombierun?)
MilesMk1 (11:25:13 PM): (Longer by far. 1.5 at least.)
Umbrafer (11:25:20 PM): (A year out-of-game, that is)
CirclMastr (11:25:43 PM): (I've been banninated from the game for almost a year now.)
Umbrafer (11:26:05 PM): (Where by "banninated" we mean "working")
Thematrian1 (11:26:07 PM): (By your job)
CirclMastr (11:28:08 PM): (I can remember a time once where I had games 5 days a week.)
CirclMastr (11:28:18 PM): It was a brief time.
MilesMk1 (11:28:29 PM): (Mhmm... Blake hasn't been threatened with bodily harm in so long...)
Umbrafer (11:29:02 PM): Didn't the bearded guy threaten you?
Thematrian1 (11:29:06 PM): (People've pointed weapons at him)
Thematrian1 (11:29:12 PM): (Doesn't that count?)
MilesMk1 (11:29:58 PM): The OIC threatened me?
Umbrafer (11:30:23 PM): I don't remember. He seemed generally threatening.
Thematrian1 (11:30:28 PM): I think so. He certainly wanted to, especiallyafter you broke him
Umbrafer (11:30:33 PM): :)
MilesMk1 (11:30:41 PM): Well, I guess he did pull a gun, but I was thinking of something more hurtful, like calling me names.
Thematrian1 (11:30:46 PM): oh
Umbrafer (11:30:58 PM): Well, he did mistrust us
Umbrafer (11:31:00 PM): That hurt me
Thematrian1 (11:31:18 PM): I could throw in some racist insults next time you disperse a mob in front of a weapons dealer
Thematrian1 (11:31:28 PM): absolutely free of charge
MilesMk1 (11:31:32 PM): His own fault for standing right over me and thinking I was the rigger.
Thematrian1 (11:31:34 PM): I know it's not the same
Thematrian1 (11:31:47 PM): it followed from the facts he possessed
Umbrafer (11:31:51 PM): Yeah, that error kinda made the whole thing go differently.
Umbrafer (11:32:08 PM): Did we ever figure out what he thought I was, if anything?
Thematrian1 (11:32:15 PM): Nope
MilesMk1 (11:32:32 PM): I think at least some of them caught on as soon as I broke his knee.
CirclMastr (11:32:57 PM): ::weeps::
Thematrian1 (11:33:01 PM): and the guy inside got savaged by the cute doggy
Thematrian1 (11:33:08 PM): ok, enough
MilesMk1 (11:33:11 PM): BTW, I was curious - what did he take, like S stun and M lethal?
MilesMk1 (11:33:23 PM): Gah. Physical.
Thematrian1 (11:33:28 PM): 10 boxes of stun and 8 physical,by the end
Thematrian1 (11:33:38 PM): it sticks out in my memory
Umbrafer (11:34:04 PM): Who, Trickster? Yeah, he had a rough time of it.
MilesMk1 (11:34:12 PM): No, OIC.
Thematrian1 (11:34:13 PM): I meant OIC
Umbrafer (11:34:16 PM): Oh
Umbrafer (11:34:20 PM): Yeah
Thematrian1 (11:34:22 PM): Trickster took one naroject round, and a nap
Thematrian1 (11:34:26 PM): just a flat 10 stun
Umbrafer (11:34:31 PM): Ah
MilesMk1 (11:35:52 PM): I was so annoyed he didn't take out that guy... :)
Umbrafer (11:36:15 PM): You were not the only one.
Thematrian1 (11:36:29 PM): he wasn't thrilled either, truth be known
CirclMastr (11:37:05 PM): I need to reform the GCLF.
MilesMk1 (11:37:09 PM): Which reminds me, we still didn't decide what to do with the two soldiers...
Thematrian1 (11:37:12 PM): GCLF?
CirclMastr (11:37:14 PM): You all would donate, right?
Thematrian1 (11:37:22 PM): True, you haven't
Thematrian1 (11:37:30 PM): it's onlybeen about a day,though
CirclMastr (11:37:34 PM): Some years ago some friends from a play-by-post game started the Get Circ Laid Foundation.
CirclMastr (11:37:45 PM): I'm poor and it would help if it reconvened sometime.
MilesMk1 (11:38:32 PM): Oh... Does this involve the plane ticket to NYC?
Umbrafer (11:38:37 PM): Yes.
Umbrafer (11:38:39 PM): Yes it does.
Thematrian1 (11:38:53 PM): There's a similar organization here, whose stated mission is to "Find or build Abe a girlfriend"...but I see that this is different, sonever mind
MilesMk1 (11:39:07 PM): Abe?
Umbrafer (11:39:19 PM): As for the soldiers, I'm still deciding whether or not it's in-character for Alex to let them live.
Thematrian1 (11:39:39 PM): Some guy here. The organization hasbeen active for sixyears, so...
Umbrafer (11:39:45 PM): I personally feel… well, a little bad for them, though more because several people have mentioned that they'd prefer to let them live.
Umbrafer (11:39:52 PM): No one's built one yet?
Thematrian1 (11:39:58 PM): No
Thematrian1 (11:40:09 PM): the prototypes keep disappearing
Thematrian1 (11:40:18 PM): and, honestly, no one wants to train the neural net
MilesMk1 (11:40:35 PM): Eww... :p
CirclMastr (11:40:45 PM): This doesn't involve NYC actually. At this point it mostly involves gas money. A plane ticket would preferably go to Sweden.
Thematrian1 (11:41:22 PM): half my family is from Sweden
Thematrian1 (11:41:41 PM): My grandfather approves ofyour preferences
CirclMastr (11:41:48 PM): So you could get me a plane ticket and a place to stay?
MilesMk1 (11:42:05 PM): Sweden has a generous welfare state...
Thematrian1 (11:42:14 PM): and nasty immigration laws
CirclMastr (11:42:19 PM): I would think such a state would mostly cater to its citizens.
MilesMk1 (11:42:51 PM): We just need to find a good country for him to be escaping in search of asylum from.
MilesMk1 (11:43:14 PM): Nepal?
Thematrian1 (11:43:25 PM): good one. I was thinking Saudi Arabia
CirclMastr (11:43:26 PM): I bet they'd believe it if I said I wanted asylum from Bush.
Thematrian1 (11:43:40 PM): no dice; Sweden extradites US felons
CirclMastr (11:44:06 PM): Nepal it is, I guess.
MilesMk1 (11:44:28 PM): You'd think so, but the Canadians, for example, have been sending back retroactive consciencious objectors.
CirclMastr (11:44:29 PM): Specifically, Stockholm is roughly where I'd like to go.
Thematrian1 (11:44:57 PM): heh. "retroactive"?
CirclMastr (11:45:05 PM): I wouldn't need citizenship if I could smuggle some people back with me.
CirclMastr (11:45:29 PM): Yeah, retroactive. People joined the military for free college, then Bush kept starting wars and they realized they were soldier boys now.
Thematrian1 (11:45:33 PM): yeah,that's trickier thanyou'dthink
Thematrian1 (11:45:40 PM): Oh yeah
CirclMastr (11:46:02 PM): "Hey, just because I'm in the MILITARY doesn't mean I want to FIGHT or anything!"
Thematrian1 (11:46:13 PM): Not that I have anysympathywith the current USadministration, but I can't feel sorry for those guys
Umbrafer (11:46:21 PM): Indeed.
MilesMk1 (11:46:29 PM): Yep...
Umbrafer (11:46:33 PM): Well.
Umbrafer (11:46:42 PM): I have a small amount of sympathy due to the way the recruitment happens.
Umbrafer (11:46:55 PM): A decent amount, actually. Not the sort that excuses them, but sympathy nonetheless.
CirclMastr (11:47:00 PM): I'm almost afraid to ask.
MilesMk1 (11:47:08 PM): I guess I do for some of the people who just weren't bright enough to know what they were getting into.
MilesMk1 (11:47:19 PM): But I don't think they make up the bulk of desterters...
Thematrian1 (11:47:23 PM): you could argue that theyhave aright to expect better decision-making from...or that,sure. But militaryrecruitment hasbeen evil for a thousandyears
MilesMk1 (11:47:24 PM): desterters
MilesMk1 (11:47:40 PM): de-ser-ters
MilesMk1 (11:47:47 PM): Gah.
MilesMk1 (11:48:15 PM): It's those "I only joined the army because of my dreams of becoming a cook!" types I want to shake until they rattle.
Umbrafer (11:48:16 PM): I agree
Umbrafer (11:48:21 PM): Over a thousand
Umbrafer (11:48:34 PM): But simply because something has been bad for a long time does not make it less bad.
Umbrafer (11:48:51 PM): Nor does it make people less susceptable to it, depressingly.
CirclMastr (11:49:35 PM): You have a better solution, perhaps? With a volunteer army you need some sort of incentive for volunteers.
Umbrafer (11:49:52 PM): My solution is not acceptable to most people.
CirclMastr (11:50:08 PM): "Live in fantasyland where armies aren't needed"?
Umbrafer (11:50:12 PM): No.
CirclMastr (11:50:22 PM): "Nuke the crap out of everyone else"?
MilesMk1 (11:50:23 PM): Penal batallions controlled by ruthless commissars?
Thematrian1 (11:50:34 PM): powered armor, such that youneed an army atiny fraction of its present size?
CirclMastr (11:50:48 PM): Powered armor isn't militarily sound.
Thematrian1 (11:50:56 PM): (Note that thismakes it basically impossible to conquer with the US army. Bugor feature? Youdecide)
Thematrian1 (11:51:04 PM): ::waves his wand::Shoo!
CirclMastr (11:51:15 PM): ...Eh?
Umbrafer (11:51:20 PM): Which is why they're developing it. Sure.
MilesMk1 (11:51:27 PM): Sure it is. Scientifically sound, on the other hand...
MilesMk1 (11:51:39 PM): Or practical, I should say.
Umbrafer (11:51:50 PM): My solution is very close to Dave's "fantasyland", except without the fantasy.
CirclMastr (11:51:56 PM): Since when are they developing powered armor? Last I heard the Japanese were making bipedal 'mechs, but that was it.
Thematrian1 (11:52:00 PM): (In order to occupy, you need lots and lots of guys. If you replace ten guys with one walking weapons platform, you retain combat effectiveness but lose the ability to police)
MilesMk1 (11:52:22 PM): The US Army is working on powered exoskeletons.
Thematrian1 (11:52:27 PM): I'm thinking more of a Starship troopers sort of thing. I make no comment onscientificfeasibility, though
CirclMastr (11:52:29 PM): That's insane.
Umbrafer (11:52:47 PM): In other words, screw the army and then deal with the consequences as they arise.
MilesMk1 (11:53:03 PM): Though their goal is to increase mobility and carrying capacity, rather than have armor or heavy weapons mounted on it. For now, at least.
Umbrafer (11:53:10 PM): Indeed.
Thematrian1 (11:53:34 PM): Armor seemslike the immediate nextstep; weight's nolonger a factor and youhave to protect the heavy exoskeleton, no?
Thematrian1 (11:53:42 PM): er
Thematrian1 (11:53:46 PM): expensive exoskeleton
CirclMastr (11:53:49 PM): Modern combat (see Iraq, etc) is done mostly in urban environments. Street to street, around buildings, etc. Weapon platforms don't really work, policing or not.
CirclMastr (11:53:51 PM): Otherwise the whole War on Terror would be a dozen Abrahms and lots of civilian casualties.
Umbrafer (11:54:08 PM): Dude.
Umbrafer (11:54:20 PM): It has been /forty years/ since we were in the jungle.
Umbrafer (11:54:34 PM): I think it's a little early to declare urban locales "modern combat"
Thematrian1 (11:54:44 PM): Note, though, that saidAbrahmsweresufficient until we started rebuilding Iraq. Ishouldn't comment though; this is profoundly outsidemy field
MilesMk1 (11:55:05 PM): They're still integral to what they're doing.
Umbrafer (11:55:07 PM): The main question in determining that is "who is being fought"
CirclMastr (11:55:39 PM): We don't need exoskeletons to fight in the jungles. We lost Vietnam because of politics, not lack of military technology.
MilesMk1 (11:55:44 PM): They can't function in heavily built-up areas without infantry support, but they're very heavily used.
Umbrafer (11:56:17 PM): We lost because of more than politics, but it's accurate to say that it wasn't lack of military technology.
Umbrafer (11:56:30 PM): The fact that that was not the factor there does not change the fact that that was the terrain.
Thematrian1 (11:56:33 PM): youcouldsay
Thematrian1 (11:56:46 PM): we lost because of Vietnamese politics,aswellas Americanones
Thematrian1 (11:56:59 PM): but that's trivially true for all wars,so never mind
CirclMastr (11:57:05 PM): Unless there's a lot of shit I don't know about, powered armor isn't efficient at ALL. You could build a tank with the same money (or two tanks maybe) and protect a small squad, for the same price as protecting one soldier.
MilesMk1 (11:57:15 PM): Exoskeletons just for the sake of having them are bad... Exoskeletons because you have a portable enough power source to make them practical would be incredibly useful.
Umbrafer (11:57:16 PM): Right now, sure.
Umbrafer (11:57:25 PM): Get economy of scale going, and who knows?
MilesMk1 (11:57:37 PM): I think you're equating power armor to "mech".
Thematrian1 (11:58:08 PM): note too that tanks need infantry support, as I understand it. An exoskeleton (I'dthink) wouldn't
MilesMk1 (11:58:09 PM): Anything bipedal meant to replace a tank is doomed to failure, yes.
MilesMk1 (11:58:34 PM): But the power armor is supposed to replace/augment infantry.
CirclMastr (11:58:36 PM): Well, we're calling it 'powered armor'. What the hell is powering it?
Umbrafer (11:58:49 PM): An unnamed power supply.
Umbrafer (11:59:03 PM): Unnamed because it's the key here—if it gets developed, thisworks. If it doesn't, it doesn't.
CirclMastr (11:59:14 PM): No way a diesel engine is going to do the job. No way that even if we could scale down a nuclear power plant, they'd strap one to every soldier's back.
MilesMk1 (11:59:34 PM): They're doing interesting things these days with small turbine engines...
Umbrafer (11:59:46 PM): Both true. You have eliminated two methods.
MilesMk1 (11:59:47 PM): And someone might get fuel cells working, eventually...
Thematrian1 (12:00:01 AM): not for cars, the economics are wrong
CirclMastr (12:00:17 AM): They already have cars with hydrogen fuel cells. They're terribly inefficient.
MilesMk1 (12:00:20 AM): Well, yeah, but the economics are "wrong" for practically anything military.
Thematrian1 (12:00:28 AM): heh, true fact
Umbrafer (12:00:41 AM): Very.
Thematrian1 (12:00:44 AM): when all you care about is storage and release per unit time...
Thematrian1 (12:00:56 AM): well, I no longer have the relevant facts ready to hand
MilesMk1 (12:01:00 AM): Which doesn't mean they're not working on something able to provide a higher energy output...
CirclMastr (12:01:22 AM): Such as?
Thematrian1 (12:01:28 AM): AS long as it doesn't turn out to be equivalent to cold fusion
Thematrian1 (12:01:42 AM): well, I doubt anyone here is reallyup on the latest military research
Thematrian1 (12:01:59 AM): even if I did leave resumes with approximately 1 billion defense contractors last month
Thematrian1 (12:02:13 AM): (seriously. The CS market is flooded with defense jobs right now)
CirclMastr (12:02:29 AM): I think we're sufficiently well-versed in sci-fi as well as sufficiently aware of the world around us that some miracle fuel source would at least have been theorized about before the military suddenly develops it.
Umbrafer (12:02:39 AM): Um…
Thematrian1 (12:02:42 AM): right, like nanotubes
MilesMk1 (12:02:45 AM): The most bizzare idea I read about - and couldn't judge, I don't know nearly enough about physics - was an idea to store energy in a plasma toroid of some sort.
Thematrian1 (12:02:54 AM): ooh, I heard about that
Thematrian1 (12:03:04 AM): the same idea also has applications in recycling, of all things
MilesMk1 (12:03:10 AM): If they could get it working, it'd be mind-blowing.
Thematrian1 (12:03:13 AM): I can't judge the physicseither
Thematrian1 (12:03:25 AM): but the physicists I was standing next to was favorably impressed
MilesMk1 (12:03:38 AM): They were theorizing tiny size, enormous storage capacity, and huge rates of energy release.
Thematrian1 (12:03:45 AM): what I don't remember is how stable it was
MilesMk1 (12:03:53 AM): We're talking things like practical laser weapons...
Thematrian1 (12:03:55 AM): well, that's not quite right
CirclMastr (12:03:58 AM): My guess would be "not very"
Thematrian1 (12:04:02 AM): more like, what it doeswhen disrupted
Thematrian1 (12:04:11 AM): obv. it's fineif you leave it alone. If you don't
MilesMk1 (12:06:03 AM): Nothing might ever come of it, but if nothing else, I plan on using it as source materials for a sci-fi game at some point. Tons of verisimilitude.
MilesMk1 (12:06:13 AM): material
Thematrian1 (12:06:32 AM): indeed
CirclMastr (12:06:38 AM): I wouldn't mind if we got that time travel thing down.
MilesMk1 (12:07:06 AM): That, and you could have some interesting craft designed if they all had to incorporate a large donut-like structure. ;)
MilesMk1 (12:07:17 AM): designS
Thematrian1 (12:07:35 AM): heh. But if a small toroid gives you impressive energy output...
MilesMk1 (12:07:44 AM): Yeah, I know.
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MilesMk1 (12:07:56 AM): It's still amuses me. ;)
CirclMastr (12:08:09 AM): The problem as I recall is a lack of material. We need something 40 to 80 times stronger than any substance we know of.
Umbrafer (12:08:24 AM): Reminds me, I need to bring out my energy-storage runs.
MilesMk1 (12:08:51 AM): Mhmm?
MilesMk1 (12:09:08 AM): We're going to be smuggling electricity, now?
Umbrafer (12:09:11 AM): I had some run ideas revolving around energy storage. You'll know them when you see them.
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Thematrian1 (12:09:22 AM): incrediblepower, then, but you stillneed reactionmass for thrust
Thematrian1 (12:09:42 AM): I want artificial gravity; there'sno end towhat youcould get done withthat
CirclMastr (12:09:47 AM): I'd rather smuggle water into CalFree. I could be the resident expert for once!
MilesMk1 (12:10:10 AM): Heh... Ever read a sci-fi story called something like "A road less traveled."?
Umbrafer (12:10:20 AM): Havenae
CirclMastr (12:10:29 AM): Nein, not that I recall anyway.
Thematrian1 (12:10:32 AM): Ihaven't
Thematrian1 (12:10:39 AM): jiust the M.Scott Peckbook
MilesMk1 (12:11:40 AM): It's completely whimsical, but the basic assumption of it is - anti-grav and FTL travel are really easy. We just - as a result of some blind spot we have as a species, or an accident of industrial development - never got it.
Thematrian1 (12:12:04 AM): hee. Aliens?
CirclMastr (12:12:06 AM): ...blind spot?
MilesMk1 (12:12:25 AM): As a result, we've been doing things (like powering our machines, vehicles, etc.) the really hard way.
Thematrian1 (12:12:49 AM): it's not as strange as you'd think. In probability,group theory is amazinglypowerful, but my roommate and maybe ten other people on Earth are proving things with it.
MilesMk1 (12:12:53 AM): Which also ends up being - in the long run - vastly more sophisticated, technologically.
MilesMk1 (12:13:19 AM): And one day, earth gets invaded by an alien armada.
Thematrian1 (12:13:36 AM): ok...
Umbrafer (12:13:49 AM): Always a good start :)
MilesMk1 (12:14:00 AM): And the aliens get absolutely *pasted*, because - aside from those two fields - we're vastly more advanced.
CirclMastr (12:14:20 AM): I hope to God we hijack some of their stuff that has those two fields.
MilesMk1 (12:14:28 AM): At which point, yeah...
CirclMastr (12:14:33 AM): Imagine the possibilities for reverse-engineering.
CirclMastr (12:14:36 AM): We'd rule the universe.
Thematrian1 (12:14:37 AM): Human empire?
MilesMk1 (12:14:40 AM): Humanity gets their hands on that tech.
Thematrian1 (12:14:43 AM): humanempire
MilesMk1 (12:15:11 AM): And all of a sudden, human spaceships match up to the alien ones the way a modern missile frigate would to a galleon.
CirclMastr (12:15:27 AM): Sweetness.
Thematrian1 (12:15:36 AM): good times for humanity
CirclMastr (12:15:47 AM): Reminds me of the only bad Asimov story I've ever read.
Umbrafer (12:15:54 AM): Which?
MilesMk1 (12:15:55 AM): Doesn't go into detail after that, since it's a short story, and the point is just the idea of us getting invaded by aliens that, for a change, are a lot less advanced.
Thematrian1 (12:16:03 AM): hehe
Thematrian1 (12:16:11 AM): youhave to get pretty clever to make that work
CirclMastr (12:16:12 AM): I forget the name of the story...
Umbrafer (12:16:41 AM): Plot summary?
CirclMastr (12:17:20 AM): Basically, humans finally develop a ship capable of interplanetary transport, and for this reason all the superior alien races lift the travel embargo on the Sol system. So suddenly we're meeting delegates from across the galaxy.
CirclMastr (12:17:53 AM): They're generally better than us in every way except militarily, since they don't degrade every soldier to the point that they have no personal will and everyone follows orders as a unit.
CirclMastr (12:18:38 AM): As such, we end up taking some weapons of theirs that they consider museum pieces and turn them into killz0r devices they couldn't dream of.
MilesMk1 (12:19:26 AM): A little silly, but I for one like the idea of humans being the vicious killers of the galaxy.
Thematrian1 (12:19:35 AM): closest I've got isn't even an Asimov story. Idon't think I've ever read that one
MilesMk1 (12:19:56 AM): A peacful alien merchant ship... One human stowaway armed with a knife...
CirclMastr (12:19:57 AM): The ending is absolute crap, though. The aliens decide we're a decade or so away from galactic conquest, so they decide that, hey, some of their species look like a certain artist's depiction of Greek gods!
Thematrian1 (12:19:58 AM): Heh. Ever read a series that goes <I Forget>/Gust Front/When the Devil Dances ?
CirclMastr (12:20:01 AM): This somehow causes us to shit ourselves.
CirclMastr (12:20:26 AM): So they basically take over Earth for a while and 'retrain' our military to be as inefficient as theirs are.
MilesMk1 (12:20:50 AM): Heh.
Umbrafer (12:21:26 AM): Clearly the truth is that they released hallucinogens over all the earth, hallucinogens so powerful that they affected the writer as well.
Thematrian1 (12:21:43 AM): reachingthrough the bounds of fiction. Impressive
CirclMastr (12:21:48 AM): A rare failing for such a brilliant writer.
MilesMk1 (12:21:51 AM): Reminds me of a book... forget the name... where the aliens grab a Roman legion for use as their slave mercenary troops - because laws regulating trade and conquest state you can't capture planets using tech
MilesMk1 (12:21:56 AM): superior to that of the natives.
Umbrafer (12:22:17 AM): Strange law
CirclMastr (12:22:29 AM): Sounds like Predator en masse.
CirclMastr (12:22:38 AM): Only... far less cool.
MilesMk1 (12:22:40 AM): The writer made a better job of making it sound plausible than I did.
MilesMk1 (12:23:29 AM): I suppose the idea was to have a sort of detente imposed on everyone, to keep things stable economically, without outright outlawing war.
MilesMk1 (12:23:57 AM): Though, obviously, the main thing was to have Roman legionnaires kick ass in strange settings.
MilesMk1 (12:24:21 AM): And eventually rebel against their alien masters.
Thematrian1 (12:24:30 AM): right. You figure out what cool thing you want to do, then arrange the world so that it's possible.
CirclMastr (12:24:38 AM): Pretty much.
CirclMastr (12:24:51 AM): Except until the metaplot takes over.
Umbrafer (12:24:54 AM): That's how it works sometimes.
MilesMk1 (12:24:54 AM): At which point, the evil aliens yet again shit themselves when faced with human soldiers armed with spaceships.
Thematrian1 (12:24:57 AM): TheSteven Brust school of writing
CirclMastr (12:25:00 AM): *cough Matrix cough Shadowrun cough Exalted cough*
MilesMk1 (12:25:19 AM): Well, Brust has certainly pulled it off well enough.
MilesMk1 (12:25:35 AM): I can't wait for the next Taltos book.
MilesMk1 (12:26:03 AM): I'm just praying he's not writing another "Gypsy" instead. Or some other book involving bohemian musicians.
CirclMastr (12:26:25 AM): Maybe he'll completely shift gears and write a Gor novel!
Thematrian1 (12:26:27 AM): Heh. Icouldlive with another Agyar. Or CowboyFeng's even
Thematrian1 (12:26:29 AM): argh
CirclMastr (12:26:34 AM): ::doesn't know who the guy is::
MilesMk1 (12:26:42 AM): Well, Agyar was excellent.
Thematrian1 (12:27:01 AM): he writes swashbuckling adventure fantasy,among other things.
MilesMk1 (12:27:14 AM): Cowboy Feng's was alse decent, but near the bottom of my list of his stuff.
MilesMk1 (12:27:30 AM): High fantasy, though...
Thematrian1 (12:27:39 AM): That's fair. It's hard to judge alongside the rest of his work
MilesMk1 (12:28:48 AM): You have a character who starts working as a small-time enforcer and assassin, and ends up - in a progression that feels quite logical, and lets you see him develop in interesting ways - with a weapon that can kill gods.
Thematrian1 (12:29:15 AM): that's a good summary
MilesMk1 (12:29:33 AM): Well, at least if you just largely skip over the couple of books he wrote when getting divorced, even if they still are good.
CirclMastr (12:29:43 AM): Heh
Thematrian1 (12:30:17 AM): mm. I think you need those too, to understand why he acts the way he does after the...stuff...at that place
CirclMastr (12:30:32 AM): With the guy?
CirclMastr (12:30:35 AM): And the thing?
MilesMk1 (12:30:37 AM): And it has the all-time BEST treatment of what having a familiar might be like - and a really cool one, at that.
Chat room exited at 10/28/2005 12:30:42 AM.

New chat room entered at 10/28/2005 12:31:17 AM.
You are now in chat room “sotsw102705.”
Umbrafer (12:31:21 AM): That backfired.
Umbrafer (12:31:41 AM): I suppose confusing command-w and command-tab usually does that.
CirclMastr (12:31:49 AM): The more you tighten your grip, J, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
Umbrafer (12:32:01 AM): (Close window vs. change program, to the uninitiated)
MilesMk1 (12:32:01 AM): Yeah. The books could work without him, but the interaction between him and Vlad takes them to another level.
CirclMastr (12:32:58 AM): The last fantasy series I tried to read was Wheel of Time.
CirclMastr (12:33:03 AM): God, that went to shit fast.
Thematrian1 (12:33:05 AM): oops
MilesMk1 (12:33:08 AM): Bah.
MilesMk1 (12:33:15 AM): Try Steven Brust sometime.
Thematrian1 (12:33:24 AM): Yeah, Loiosh really...externalizes Vlad. Without him, Vlad wouldspend most of his time inside his own head.
Umbrafer (12:33:32 AM): I'm still reading it, though I'm not sure why
MilesMk1 (12:33:32 AM): The man can write - and I don't mean "can write for a fantasy writer", either.
Thematrian1 (12:33:33 AM): Which he stilldoes, in a sense
Thematrian1 (12:33:54 AM): But you know what I mean
CirclMastr (12:34:08 AM): You're still reading Wheel of Time?
Umbrafer (12:34:10 AM): Since I scrapped my ideas stemming from it, I recommend The Black Company and its sequels.
Umbrafer (12:34:18 AM): Yep
CirclMastr (12:34:26 AM): In a word, why?
Umbrafer (12:34:27 AM): Mostly 'cause he's still publishing them, if very irregularly
Umbrafer (12:34:30 AM): Well
Umbrafer (12:34:33 AM): "Reading"
Umbrafer (12:34:47 AM): I read one of them three or four years ago, and then picked up the most recent a few months ago
Umbrafer (12:34:52 AM): Haven't read it yet
Thematrian1 (12:34:55 AM): uh oh. They're so terrible, they don't evendeserve the title of "book"? Ah
MilesMk1 (12:35:07 AM): Yeah... He even indirectly touches on it in one of the books, where Loiosh makes fun of Vlad pointing out that everyone else needs to either not bitch, or deal with people thinking him a whiner. :)
Umbrafer (12:35:12 AM): When I say "one of them", I mean "all the others"
CirclMastr (12:35:17 AM): Well, here's how it went for me.
Umbrafer (12:35:21 AM): But the last one I read was three to four yeas ago
Umbrafer (12:35:22 AM): *r
CirclMastr (12:35:27 AM): Book 1: "Fantasy that doesn't suck. Wow."
CirclMastr (12:35:36 AM): Book 2: "Hey, this is getting pretty cool."
Thematrian1 (12:35:39 AM): Hehe, the one with Vlad involved in the army,yeah
CirclMastr (12:35:53 AM): Book 3: "Well that was... interesting, but now I know how the series will end. How many more of these are there?"
Umbrafer (12:35:57 AM): (Damn, now I want a blood orange.)
Thematrian1 (12:36:00 AM): (aren't there nine or ten WoT books now?)
Umbrafer (12:36:04 AM): (Yes.)
Umbrafer (12:36:18 AM): (Eleven, I think, plus a prequel he wrote while he was bored or had writers' block or something)
MilesMk1 (12:36:30 AM): (Kids went to college)
CirclMastr (12:36:32 AM): Books 4 through 9: "What the fuck is this guy's problem with sexism? And his characterization just... keeps... getting... worse..."
Thematrian1 (12:36:39 AM): hehehe
Umbrafer (12:36:42 AM): (I doubt it, given how slowly he's been releasing recently)
Umbrafer (12:37:02 AM): Book seven or so was the one that said "Jordan clearly isn't getting laid".
MilesMk1 (12:37:03 AM): Books 4 to 9 - people cross arms across their breasts, roll their eyes, and yank their braids.
CirclMastr (12:37:24 AM): He spends 3 books developing interesting characters and then 6 more completely raping the concepts he himself introduced.
CirclMastr (12:37:57 AM): Add to that the whole "you know how the story will go after reading book 3" thing, and there's no way to recommend the series.
MilesMk1 (12:37:58 AM): I read someone's proposal once for wrapping up the WoT series once... It was hysterical.
CirclMastr (12:38:17 AM): Seriously, I can only hope he wraps it up by having the bad guy win and destroy the universe.
Umbrafer (12:38:25 AM): Not entirely true
CirclMastr (12:38:25 AM): I am rooting for that.
Umbrafer (12:38:36 AM): For example, if you need to waste a few months and hate changing gears
Thematrian1 (12:38:51 AM): If he did that, I think I'd buy and read every book in the series
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Umbrafer (12:38:57 AM): Granted that's a very limited recommendation audience
Thematrian1 (12:38:57 AM): just to reward that kind of intestinal fortitude
Umbrafer (12:39:02 AM): Indeed.
Umbrafer (12:39:13 AM): I loved the ending to The White Rose.
Umbrafer (12:40:14 AM): I probably need to pick up the other books he wrote in that storyline at some point, but I'm not sure I want to chance it—those three were good enough that I'm uncertain of the ability of the others to live up to them.
Umbrafer (12:43:28 AM): I also need to pick up some of Lovecraft's stuff when I get the chance.
Thematrian1 (12:43:35 AM): woah
Thematrian1 (12:43:47 AM): wait, youhaven't -
Umbrafer (12:44:00 AM): Very little.
Umbrafer (12:44:04 AM): Shocking, I know.
Thematrian1 (12:45:14 AM): and how
Umbrafer (12:45:22 AM): After a few games of The Arkham Horror my curiosity has once more been piqued, though.
MilesMk1 (12:45:53 AM): I haven't read much Lovecraft either,
MilesMk1 (12:46:50 AM): I find I dislike the whole "...and what he saw there was so unspeakably non-euclidian, he fled, turning away under the cyclopean moon..." thing.
MilesMk1 (12:47:26 AM): The guy knows how to set up a mood, but in the end, there's just nothing there.
Umbrafer (12:47:32 AM): Yeah, I can see that.
Umbrafer (12:47:44 AM): Though I'm as much reading them for examples of mood-setting as anything.
MilesMk1 (12:48:43 AM): I mean, repeatedly saying something is "unspekable" or "indescribable" too often really starts to feel like lazy writing.
MilesMk1 (12:49:33 AM): I find that Howard - if you look at something contemporary - often accomplishes smiliar effects without all the excessive adjective-dropping and cheap cop-outs...
Umbrafer (12:49:44 AM): *Nods*
Thematrian1 (12:49:54 AM): Howard?
Umbrafer (12:50:02 AM): Whoever the writers at FASA were did as well
MilesMk1 (12:50:03 AM): Robert E. Howard.
Umbrafer (12:50:09 AM): The Horrors sourcebook is a work of brilliance.
Thematrian1 (12:50:38 AM): 'mindsme, I'd like to borrow it for a few hours over Christmas
Umbrafer (12:51:09 AM): Sure
MilesMk1 (12:51:15 AM): Who has had the misfortune of having shitty Conan novels written in his name for decades after his death.
Umbrafer (12:51:25 AM): Ah.
Thematrian1 (12:51:27 AM): oof
Umbrafer (12:51:35 AM): His pain is eternal.
Thematrian1 (12:51:37 AM): what did hewrite?
MilesMk1 (12:51:44 AM): Well, Conan, for one... ;)
Thematrian1 (12:52:12 AM): what did he write that was worth reading?
Thematrian1 (12:52:19 AM): unless...?
MilesMk1 (12:52:46 AM): The original Conan stories are actually quite good - if you like early 20th century pulp fantasy.
Thematrian1 (12:53:04 AM): ::agog::
MilesMk1 (12:53:21 AM): It was the later pastiches that made it the joke it pretty much is today.
MilesMk1 (12:53:38 AM): Agog at... Conan ever having been good? My lack of taste? :P
Thematrian1 (12:54:16 AM): that first one
MilesMk1 (12:56:55 AM): I've got the weirdest thing kicking around in my brain...
Umbrafer (12:57:18 AM): Do tell?
MilesMk1 (12:57:27 AM): I'm trying to come up with a campaign setting incorporatings my favorite things from multiple genras...
MilesMk1 (12:58:11 AM): A bit of SR, a touch of the better aspects of the WoD, perhaps a bit of Deus Ex, a helping of Tim Powers (Anubis Gates, in particular...)
MilesMk1 (12:58:31 AM): No clue whether anything coherent or enjoyable will come of it.
Thematrian1 (12:59:29 AM): ooh
Thematrian1 (12:59:30 AM): Anubis Gates
MilesMk1 (1:00:01 AM): Basically, a dark modern world with magic hiding in the shadows, but without the pervasiveness of SR or pretentious angst of the WoD.
MilesMk1 (1:00:16 AM): I guess that doesn't sound so unusual after all.
Thematrian1 (1:00:37 AM): not in fiction. In gaming...
MilesMk1 (1:00:57 AM): It's just that I keep on coming across stuff in things I read and watch that I like and I think would be a good fit, and go "Ooh, shiny!", which makes for one hell of a mess of ideas.
Umbrafer (1:01:44 AM): I know what you mean.
Umbrafer (1:01:56 AM): To some degree, the slow pace of these games is a godsend
Umbrafer (1:02:14 AM): It gives me time to mull over my ideas until they fall into some sort of place, rather than just shoving them out on the table all at once
MilesMk1 (1:02:35 AM): And I'd like the player character to enter the world as outsiders - ignorant of most of it, like the fact there might be a dragon in a penthouse over Manhattan - but very powerful ones, able to compete with much of the supernatural
MilesMk1 (1:02:37 AM): as equals.
Umbrafer (1:02:38 AM): Though I'm certainly a more accomplished GM than I was then, Seiler probably remembers what happened when I didn't have that mulling time.
MilesMk1 (1:02:53 AM): characterS
Thematrian1 (1:03:21 AM): well, everything went faster then
Thematrian1 (1:03:26 AM): powerful outsiders?
Thematrian1 (1:03:36 AM): Matt, are you familiar with Charles de Lindt?
MilesMk1 (1:03:37 AM): Heh... Not in the D&D sense. :)
MilesMk1 (1:03:46 AM): I've read a couple of his books.
Thematrian1 (1:03:47 AM): Well, right
Thematrian1 (1:03:50 AM): good
MilesMk1 (1:03:54 AM): What specifically did you have in mind?
Thematrian1 (1:04:23 AM): Someplace to be Flying. In general, his urban fantasy is solid.
Thematrian1 (1:04:38 AM): But I was wondering how it is that they get to have powerful sans knowledge
MilesMk1 (1:05:07 AM): Yeah, so did I. ;)
MilesMk1 (1:05:40 AM): One idea I was mulling around was having them be technologically enhanced - as opposed to mystically.
MilesMk1 (1:07:27 AM): Though that starts to sound a bit like J.C. Denton running around in Vampire:Bloodlines.
MilesMk1 (1:08:46 AM): Well, I'm definitely starting to meander, and probably putting you guys to sleep, so it's time to call it a night.
MilesMk1 (1:08:59 AM): See you Tuesday.
Umbrafer (1:09:02 AM): I have a theory:
Umbrafer (1:09:12 AM): Specifically, that the earlier we break the later we actually leave the room.
Umbrafer (1:09:23 AM): *Waves* Sleep well.
MilesMk1 (1:09:28 AM): It might be based in reality...
MilesMk1 (1:09:36 AM): 'Night.
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Umbrafer (1:10:44 AM): I blame the creators of FreeCiv for my own weakness.
Umbrafer (1:11:34 AM): (Remind me, did you ever play Civilization?)
Thematrian1 has left the chat room.

Chat room exited at 10/28/2005 1:11:53 AM.