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Ok, I have set up the channel #Empire I am going to sleep for the next three and a half hours, have set the alarm and checked it twice =p The session will probably break down thusly: Introduction to each other (Your name, how you joined the mercenary group and anything interesting) The prep The mission You, and the others, have outfitted a 'slightly larger than a shuttle' ship for a deep atomsphere dive on Jupiter. Some weeks ago you recieved word, through one of your many contacts, that a great vessel had been found, and was presently being scavanged by a rivial mercenary group. Naturally you put this at the top of your agenda and spent most of your avaliable cash on the 'slightly bigger than a shuttle' refitting for the dive. The game begins just after you have departed from He3-Beta, a Helium processing plant in the upper atomsphere of Jupiter, also used as a cover for small time crooks.

For reference the session will begin in 12 and a half hours (approx). Owing to an overburdened week (Essay season is upon us) I have not finished everything I wanted to, and want to give people a week to 'run in' their characters and the ship. This means that nothing that happens this session will be binding and will be more heavily abstracted.

System Requirements Minimum: OS:Windows 7 32/64-bit / Vista 32/64 / XP Processor:Core 2 Duo 2.6 ghz Memory:2 GB RAM Graphics:DirectX 9 compatible video card with 1GB, ATI X800, NVidia 8600 or better DirectX®:9.0 Hard Drive:5 GB HD space Recommended: OS:Windows 7 32/64-bit / Vista 32/64 / XP Processor:Core 2 Duo 3.0 ghz Memory:4 GB RAM Graphics:DirectX 9 compatible video card with 1GB, AMD 5770, NVidia GTX 450 or better DirectX®:9.0 Hard Drive:5 GB HD space Other Requirements:Broadband Internet connection

Dawwww

The puzzle was solved by the redacted one.

Due to badgering. Puzzle is 3rd tier

Sundays, 7pm GMT (With the usually 30 minutes 'while people arrive')

Handbook: It is HIGHLY recommended you read this. [hide] Research 1) Research gets you Money (in Dollars, Pounds or another currency, all of them have the same value, due to the IMF bail out of the world in 2020, combined with the Forces of Nationalism), and Breakthrough Points. Breakthrough points have varying flavours (Weapons Tech/Energy Weapons Tech/Psionics/Telepathy) which are only important under 2 or 3, all other Breakthrough Points can be placed in a pool and spent at the end of, or after the session they are gained in. (If they are gained intersessionally they can be spent immediately). 2) You may align yourself to a specific lab, choosing a specialism when you begin. This should be a NARROW specialism, such as Energy Weapons, or Fusion Power. This means research in that specialism counts as a tier higher, but you only recieve half as much money (at the old tier rating). eg, if you specialise in Energy Weapons and solve a tier 2 puzzle, say you are researching Laser Beams, you recieve 6 Breakthrough Points, but only $4,500. Research in other fields is unaffected. 3) You may align yourself to a specific MegaCorporation, choosing a specialism when you begin. This should be a WIDE specialism, such as Weapons or Power Production. This means research in that specialism counts as a tier higher in BOTH money and Breakthrough points. However research outside that specialism recieves only one quarter of the rewards. Tier 1 and 2 Research is not subject to any of Mega Corportation rules (Research from outside the specialism is so rare as to be useful, research from within the specialism, while interesting, has probably already been discovered). 4) You may choose not to specialise at all, in which case you sell your research through an agent, recieving both the stated money and Breakthrough Points. 5) Not selling your research nets you nothing, not even Breakthrough points. All your research is aimed squarely at the Indices/Contents page, highlighting a location in the data vault that contains something useful. That location is sold, and then the megacomputers at labs/megacorps/other places, bruteforce that section open over the course of a month or so. The Breakthrough Points you recieve are from a pool of shared data already mined from the data vault. If you want to buy a megacomputer/use the SI as a megacomputer then you will recieve a random piece of research after 1 month real time (Each megacomputer cracks up to 10 during a month). 6) There is, however, an exception to 5. Tier 6 research may be harnessed to discover a technology (Costing no more than 10 Breakthrough points) entirely for yourself. This gets you no money, any technology worth less than 10 loses the extra points and does not guarentee it is entirely secret (For instance researching mugs does not make all mugs disappear from memory.) Multi-Discipline technology, such as a plant that grows pairs of jeans, nanites that use tiny organic circuitry to fire psionic pulses, or revolutionary technology (the Car, Aeroplane, Wheel) is best suited to this kind of research. Similarly specialist technology, such as a brand of Nerve Gas, which have a defence research, work best if kept secret. However please remember that all the research has a chance of already having been researched. 7) If, for example, you are modding a Chemical weapon, or trying to cure a certain disease, then this is not research. 8) When you complete a puzzle you are immediately credited with the stated amount. 7) Submitting an incorrect answer decreases the sum by 10%. 10) Technology is arranged on a Tech Tree (Which grows over time, with player suggestions). Technology on the tree has a specified price and obscures anything beyond it until researched. 11) Research on the tech tree belongs to you alone, though you may choose to make it public, or it can be stolen. 12) You can search the Net for research instead of researching it yourself. (Low stuff) 14) You can buy research for the tier price. (Medium Stuff) Manufacturing: 1) Building stuff in your lab/workshop/room always costs twice what the list price is, due to the economies of bulk. Items up to 9 meters can be produced, or down to 1/1,000,000,000th of an inch) 2) You can build a manufactury, which reduces the price to 90% of the list price, though is limited to stuff less than a cubic meter, and greater than an inch. (Producing bullets, reams of cloth, and such uncomplex excluded) Manufacturies must be tooled to WIDE specialism (Weapons/Power Plants). Retooling takes 1 session and costs £2,500 per room. 3) You can build a production line, across 2 or more rooms, each increases the size of items producable by 1 cubic meter or down by 1 order of magnitude (1/10th of an inch, and so on). (to a maximum of 8 or 1/1,000,000,000th of an inch) 4) Specialised manufacturies, or Forges, function in the same way but for NARROW specialisms, can be retooled for £25,000 and do not benefit from multiple rooms (they can produce items up to 5 cubic meters, or down to 1/1,000,000th of an inch. This depends on the specialism, of course) The reduction in price is 50%. 5) Each room is 9 square meters, by about 9 meters tall (Floors and wiring excluded), ergo more than 20 cubic meters of stuff makes a manufactury unworkable. 6) Buying and selling items is typically 100% of list price, though this can vary. 7) Time considerations exist. 8) It is normally assumed that the ship has the raw materials. 9) Mining Arrays require a corporate licences and requires large amounts of time to operate. 10) Salvaging ships requires, either, you to pilot them back to civilisation, or to tow them in some manner. Specialist bays for this exist. 11) The vast majority of weapons take up 1 floor in a bay. A floor is usually the minimum amount of space required for component, featuring 1 corridor and/or elevator. Medical 1) Unless you are, you are not a trained medic. (This isn't Rocket Science its Brain Surgery.) 2) Medigel is flamable and the restraints are in the cupboard under the sink. 3) There does not, nor will there, exist a device to mind control people, nor to polymorph people, nor awaken animals, nor give yourself/others super powers, nor animate rock (though you can use machinary to make it appear that way) 4) There does exist devices to upload humans into machines, download humans from machines, conduct brain transplants (as with all other transplants there is rejection), make brain jars and torture small(or large) animals. Combat 1) Forcefields are, in themselves, not harmful (They cannot cut through flesh and must have an unobstructed path to the target. Once established ). They are, in themselves, permable to air. Upgraded forcefields can bypass these things. 2) It is always assumed that you have enough technology, in your hand, eye or brain to shoot at something and hit it with a 100% chance of success. Exceptions being stuff you can't see and stuff you don't have a line of effect to. (For instance you cannot shoot someone through a computer monitor) 3) Damage dealt is relative to the weapon you are using. Laser Pistols/Projectile Handguns tend to deal 10 damage, Grenades, Rockets and other area effect tech, tend to deal 100 damage. Shipboard Icosa-Laser Pulse Cannons tend to deal 100 damage per shot, while mono-laser pulse cannons tend to deal 2,000 damage per shot. Turbo Lasers tend to deal 4,000 damage per shot. Torpedoes tend to deal 10,000, and so on. Bladed weapons tend to deal 50 damage, blunt weapons tend to deal 25 damage. 4) Critical Dice are used whenever a weapon is used (Multi-shot weapons only get one and Area of Effect weapons do not get one at all). There are 6 Crit dice, 1d100 (00 is a crit), 1d50 (50 is a crit) 1d20 (20 is a crit), 1d12 (12 is a crit), 1d6 (6 is a crit), 1d4 (4 is a crit). If a Critical hit is scored you may choose to deal double damage, or to deal /10 damage against critical HP. 5) Unarmoured Humans have 1d100 HP, and 1d4 Critical HP against any shot. Ergo with good rolls you can survive multiple shots to the body with most handheld weapons. Rolling 00 counts as 500 HP, rolling 4 counts as 8 CHP. Multi-shot weapons cause multiple rolls, failing against any of them causes death. Area of effect weapons cause 1 roll, but half the roll. 6) Armour/Shielding provide additional HP and Critical HP. Due to the nature of targetting systems simply wearing one peice of armour is not adequate and the development of jumpsuits (originally called Catsuits) has made armour fairly ubiqitious, particularly 'skinless' jumpsuits, so named because they are virtually undetectable. However this 'armour' provides very limited protection, typically only 50 HP and 5 CHP, it also, notably, leaves all of the orifices unobstructed. This is primarily because the vast majority of people do not expect to be shot in day to day life and use the 'armour' simply as a hold over from earlier periods where it was more likely. It also, helpfully, protects against children. 7) Typical, real, armour, provides up to 1,000 HP and 100 CHP, though armour costs (There are huge numbers of modifers) HP * CHP (making the above armour cost 100,000 Yen), which means the majority of armour is a trade off between the two. The most typical jumpsuit armour used in military service provides 200 HP and 10 CHP and comes with a face mask, internal mic/speakers and so on. High Grade Combat armour comes in three catagories, medium, heavy and super heavy (Above this are mecha). Medium is between 500 and 5,000, Heavy anything up to 10,000 and Super-Heavy is anything up to 20,000. CHP armour is not usually measured, though 50-500, 1,000 and 2,000 are good baselines for catagories. 8) It should be noted that there are exceptions(or modifiers). The Adonis Exosuit featured some 24,000 HP, Glamour Projectors, Microservos and Quantum Stitching and was, largely, skinless. It sold remarkably well considering its price tag exceeded that of America's National Debt in 2020. 9) Armour is typically fronted by shielding modules, which are usually shoulder mounted on light armour and chest/thigh mounted on heavier armour (as they tend to explode violently). These shields nominally provide 400 HP and - CHP(immunity), though shields in excess of 2,000 HP have been deployed. Shields differ from Armour in that it regenerates within seconds (Most armour will regenerate in a few minutes, using nanites). As such most early fire fights resolve to the destruction of of the shield systems. When shields explode they deal 2d [their HP rating], as an area attack. This has lead to numerous horrific accidents occuring, such as the Italian President's Massacre at Ascot, caused, it seems, by an overzealous bodyguard tackling the president to the floor after a champagne cork was loosed, crushing the conceled shield generator and blowing half the royal box away. 10) Armour regulations are reasonably lax, provided your width does not exceed 1 meter. Shield regulations are stringent, demanding shields always be displayed and always be powered down. Conceled shield generators are still available at 5 times the regular price, though can be produced using the normal price as the list price. Failure to adhere to either regulation may result in immediate EMPing of the area and you being billed for the damage. Armour Violations may recieve a ticket for 20 Yen. 11) Normal behaviour dictates the use of area shields for sleeping and wearing military jumpsuits in day to day operations. Wearing medium/heavy/super-heavy armour severly restricts the activities you can partake in. Arguments that 'Death severly restricts your activities' have normally been answered with filing cabinets full of 'Drowned' and 'Walkway Collapsed', along with the warehouses full of 'Shields exploded' and 'Go on, shoot me, I can take it'. 12) Specific examples of Armour: Skinless 5 Yen 50/5 Military Jumpsuit 300 Yen 50/5 Frontline Armour for Operation Desert Fox XI: 1,000 Yen 200/10 The Third Manassas (Union): 4,500 Yen 450/10 The Third Manassas (Confederate (No samples recovered)): 80,000 Yen 2,000/40 Adonis Exosuit: 90,000,000,000: 24,000/- Accident Management 1) Despite many decades of research the discovery of a forcefield capable of withstanding fire, or indeed any heat based weapon, has not been forthcoming, the only thing that has limited the application of Heat based weaponary in day to day fighting is the application of Heatsinks in armour. Even 'skinless' armour can withstand the heat produced via the Thermorifle. Heatsinks are overloaded by sustained fire though, leaving flamethrowers, grenades and general fire as hazards still. However most armour is not flamable, which leaves the risk of 'catching fire' behind. Likewise rebreathers have left suffocation behind in most cases. However damage can still be sustained by fire. 2) The ship's air filters are clogged by blood and the fans have a 1d2 Crit dice and deal n*1,000 damage, where n is the number of rooms. 3) The SI 'Room' is a single cable running out of, seemingly, nowhere. (It does not require a room to itself. Though if you want to assign the rump room as a Command and Control Center then that would be sensible). 4) Power is produced by large (room sized) multi-stage fusion core, with the resources being sent to the cargo hold and/or excreted. It would appear an unfixed wormhole to the sun provides hydrogen and sufficent heat to keep the reactor operating. 5) The power system of the ship is run via EPS (Electro-Plasma System), with each room recieving multiple EPS feeds from the main Core. Additional, Backup, Fusion Generators can be placed, at no cost, but must be mentioned before the game proper starts, these take up half a floor. Getting hit by an EP Surge deals 40 damage with a crit dice of 1d6. APCs(Area Power Controllers) can be used to turn power on and off to specific rooms/floors. Each APC carries a battery which lasts for 24 hours (though only provides, by default, lighting and heat during that time. It can be overriden to provide additional services though these services tend to drain batteries in minutes, rather than hours.) 6) Fire Supression Systems are not installed in any form. 7) Airlocks are automatically locked during a power shortage, forcefields are also disengaged if linked to the main system. 8) Forcefields should be treated as having 1,000 HP, but will not explode. They can be overclocked for twenty times the HP, but will explode with the force of a standard room. Forcefields must be placed prior to the game starting, though can be installed for 2,000 Euros thereafter. 9) Rooms typically have 1,000 HP of armour between them, though this can be increased to 10,000 at no cost if stated before the game proper starts. Armour can be further increased at the cost of 1 floor per 10,000 HP. Either of these changes will cost 20,000 Euros once the game starts, per room. 10) Rooms other than power generators and shield generators, which have a reason to explode, explode with 5d100 damage each, 1 1/2 floor power generators do not noticably add to the explosive power of a room, though always give a room a 'reason to explode. 1-3 floor power generators should be treated as normal rooms for explosive power. Power Generators should be treated as shield generators, though it automatically crits to deal *4 damage and always deals damage to the adjacent rooms (unless stopped by armour). NB: All reference to Power Generators assume Fusion Generators. 11) Generators (of any type) which are shut down will not explode, though if they have a fuel store that may explode. Ship to Ship 1) Shields tend operate at 40,000 HP, though do not regenerate (They must be dropped for 1 second per 1,000 HP to regenerate, though multiple shields can cover each other). Regenerating shields are avaliable, but work at 4,000 HP. Shields that are dropped below 0 HP shut down and do not recharge for 1 minute. 2) Shuttles, and Ships, will, normally, pass through the shields of a ship. 3) Damage to shields in excess of their (Individual) rated maximum (Starting with then lowest) will cause them to blowout, dealing nd1000 damage, where n is the number of thousand HP. If the damage exceeds that of the local hull strength then the damage is blown into space, if it does not then the explosion recieves a crit dice of 1d2 (It will increase by 50% on a 1) and deals the resultant damage to its adjacent rooms. If the damage dealt STILL doesn't break through the hull, or the damage does not penertrate the armour between the generator and the adjacent rooms, then it recieves a second crit dice. If it still doesn't penertrate the hull it spreads to the rooms adjacent to the adjacent rooms. If it STILL doesn't break through the hull then it halves in intensity (though the destruction of any room is added to the damage) until it can't break through any more rooms. All the rooms touched by the explosion should be considered destroyed, or, at least on fire. 4) Weapon firing CANNOT be automated and can be countermanded, or belayed. Weapons should always be targetted at something. 5) Due to the extreme danger of explosion during ship to ship combat there are typically two types of ship: The turtle and the hare. The Turtle typically uses its extensive shield array to absorb shots while returning fire with medium calibre weapons. The Hare typically uses its extensive weapon array to crippling the enemy ship with its own shields, usually featuring no shield of its own, or Hull Shields (sectional shields mounted on the outer hull, covering an area of 5 feet, at around 1,000 HP), but heavy armour and speedy engines fight lightning attacks. The former tends to denote merchant vessels, while the latter military vessels, though it is not uncommon for Behemoth Class Cruisers (and above) to give over engine power to shield generators, sometimes using Shield Nets for collectivising shields, or simply deploying megashields. Likewise nippy merchant vessels are not uncommon. 6) Reload times exist. Keep note of them. (Working on a new website/will work on it) 7) Destroying ships is a costly premise, use it as a last resort. 8) Movement in combat is essential for some ships, as they will either feature Hull shields or Directable Shields (Double Front, Equalised, and so on are possible commands. Redirecting shields tends to take 1 round per 10% moved). This kind of thing is resolved via opposed rolls, looking for the lowest roll. A figher might roll 1d2, while a hulking battlecrusier a d100. Generally a Crit (1) is always deemed a success, unless both sides Crit, in which case the situation remains unchanged. 9) S2S weapons also have Crit Dice, but, because of the distances involved, evasion can be attempted, using the same dice as movement. The same rules as normal Crits are applied, but if the evasion roll is a crit (1) then the ship avoids that shot, even if it is a critical shot. Area of Effect weapons force a second evasion roll, which must also be a crit, while multi-shot weapons force a roll for each shot. 10) At longer ranges torpedoes and projectiles have travel time. This allows the target to make an evasion roll, which the torpedo must oppose (Using the Torpedoes movement roll). If the Torpedo has the lower roll then it stays on target for 1 round and then must test again. If the target has the lower roll then the Torpedo misses. Certain Torpedos will launch in a spread when they close on the target, these torpedeos do not need to roll on their approach (though a crit by the target will lose them), since they only need to be 'in the area'. The individual torpedoes then force rolls of evasion, which only a crit succeeds on! [/hide] If anyone has any questions and such please post here as I will be away until late and probably sleep until Wednesday Morning. I don't think there is anything there (Except exploding shields and crit dice) which wasn't in the original Space AND most of the numbers will be eyeballed at any rate. I will get the site up when I can.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12603519/Islands/Grim%201081.ck2 You are at war with France to institute an elective monarchy. Your long time rival, William of Normandy, is your ally in the war. You recently stole the province of Eu from him during a protracted conflict (Started by your father), which was won using mercenaries (and because William just got destroyed by the Norwegians in England). The burghers forced you to reduce taxes in the cities, just after you spent 300 on building marketplaces for them, so I would recommend you raising tax to HARSH levels (and then just leaving it there...Burghers are rarely problematic) Your education is being conducted by a master of Diplomacy. Your Regent has killed several pesky Germans looking to fabricate claims. You are betroved to the King of France's daughter (I believe). You have no heir, since your father died in the war.

As above. I am always very cautious about 'Will change everything you know about X'...usually means a terribly system grafted onto a tried and tested system.

Mkay. I will start a France Junior game. 15 year segments?

Carpet. I assume you have Legacy or Rome? If we go with Vicky the story is very much pre-ordained (If we do then I would choose France, again) If we go with EU3...Probably Sicily (Or one of the South Italy countries) Alternatively CK could go with any of the Spanish Dynasties, Vicky could go with Austria/Mexico, EU3...Not sure, I find is fairly insipid, if I am honest. Oh, and I think we can get Dungeonal/Dusty.

I am up for a CK2 game.

Was cooking Pizza. Yup, Q&A, be there and be square.

Follow alot of arguing from Retech adding a third option.

Ok, so we have two choices here: We can either play a game based on Eclipsis Phase, a game set in the dark future where Human built AIs, known as TITANS, have taken control of the Earth, and Humanity exists spread across the Sol System. The Core Rule Book can be found here: http://robboyle.file...rdprinting1.pdf Freely avalible from the publisher. (No I am not an expert on the rules, it will be a learning experiance for all of us. I would suggest going to page 154 (Sample Characters) and picking one of them if you don't have time to study the rules in detail.) The game would start with the team of you based out of an office on Locus (The largest settlement, orbiting Jupiter), essentially as a band of mercenaries. You know each other. You have been contacted by a Professor Ming, who has requested a meeting to discuss a job offer. The second option: Pathfinder. Set some 10 years after the events of Windward, you are the elected/enforced/entrenched leaders of the Colonies of the Windward Isles. The war between Chelliax and Absalom has raged continually, dragging the world into a war for supremacy. The new God, Garmund...at first he intervened to protect Absalom, but then he withdrew his support and retreated, first to the Monolith, and then to the depths of the Jungles. Ostensibly to gather his strength, but in reality nobody rightly knows. However these issues are very much in the background, for you the major concerns vary between war with the Kobolds, the increasingly oppressive and unrewarding rule from the Monolith, and its settlement, and with each other. The situation is not yet at boiling point, the recent (though temporary) defeat of the Drow in the tunnels has provided an unexpected lull in which it is...not safe...but opportune, to make a stand without fear of being subdujated by the greater Evil of the Drow. The first Congress has been called to discuss issues of Colonial Importance, and this is where the game starts. You are level 10 characters and have a Stipend of 6,200 GP per month, each (Which will vary depending on the strategic situation). You will also recieve a fund of troops, each, which you can 'spend' on the various hotspots that develop. Your job is not, however, to sit around the table talking while growing rich. Your people expect you to fight for them, what you should 'do' is up to you. Recovering sacred Artifacts, attending diplomatic missions in Absalom/Chelliax/Further afield, fighting on the frontlines, or even carrying out precision strikes are all part of your remit. Dying/Regenning permenantly reduces your Stipend and fund of Troops, unless the group undertakes a particularly challanging mission to build that colonies' faith in their new leader.

Do I look like Grim? I would assume: 1) Life Interfered 2) He remembered THIS IS TAVERN 3) He is coming up with something so mind boggling awesome we cannot comprehend it 4) He can't come up with something so mind boggling awesome we cannot comprehend it, and so won't run until he does

Hey guys, anyone up for a Space game?

So, anyway:

Apologies only really mean anything if the person who is making them offers them freely, and I doubt that Mather considers he has done anything wrong, and therefore will not apologise. Added to which I would prefer he simply didn't do it again. Lei, I fail to see how I am supposed to take your comment more seriously. By you saying 'I am less nice than you think', all it really does is show that you don't occupy the high ground at all, and continues to justify the various attitudes shown thus far. Dunning–Kruger Effect Personally I avoid making assumptions about people, and rather make broad generalisations based on all people...it helps prevent me looking like a wagon. (As much as that can be done anyway)

'You have a limp, I had my leg ripped off by a lion, I can see of no reason why you would buy trousers if I don't.'

This kind of comment serves no purpose, other than to legitimise Mather's offensive comments.

Eh, its only the second time he has done it (to me recollection) and he may not have deemed it sufficently offensive to cause offence. The comment itself is not particularly offensive, though is largely inaccurate, given the complex nature of Aspergus and the Spectrum on which it operates...Generalising it was the same condition in two different people would be like generalising beak length in all birds. It is further complicated by education, personal interests and the like, which form a complex human being, capable of operating within and without the narrow confines of the generalised defination of any one of their traits. I was more irked by the fact that he was dismissing my arguments because of one character trait, and did so in a serious manner. If left unchecked it could lead to untold misery for others (and me).

I will point out that the majority of my argument was copied out of the book "My Grammar and I"(or Should that be 'Me'?)[i/] by Caroline Taggart and J.A. Wines.

Maybe if you just spoke normally...rather than trying to tell people how they are going to read it...then people would understand you... Or underlining words you want to emphasise...