Some Assembly Required -OOC

Or in the oldest RPG and survival tactics in the world: Loot the bodies for what you might need, loose pocket change, and anything they aren't using.

Ok, clarification: Yes, any team has to learn to work together in order to survive. That is most often a given. But the personalities do not have to blend easily in order to learn to work together. Personality clashes can occur without fatally jeopardizing the success of a team.

I agree with you Alith, players who intentionally disrupt, or directly interfere with, other player's chances of succeeding or surviving should be up for grabs to shoot or batter. I've played insane characters before and being crazy does not automatically mean defeat.
That said, I think a player who accepts the role of a nutbag should also accept the very real possibility that his character won't live long.
Now, when I said I didn't like games where all the characters fall into the stereotypical 'Three Musketeers' style, I meant ALL the players. Certainly its good to have one or more characters who are at least somewhat altruistic, but they don't all have to be.

And I for one have not heard either Foust nor St Nougat refuse you the action of going nuclear on Sparks, though I'm sure Foust spent time on his character just as you did and would hate to see him go; especially since Sparks has, for all intent and purposes, almost single-handedly gotten our group as far as they've gotten. Your character is in as much of a traumatic situation as any other, and he could very well experience bouts of increased hostility and violence in such situations - after all, isn't that pretty much the fallback military position?

The thing is, this game is atypical of most SR games. Instead of a group of shadowrunners who choose to go out and be hired to take on dangerous missions, we have a group of 'normal' civilians taken against their will, thrown together in a weird situation, and forced to depend on people they probably wouldn't associate with otherwise. 'Sparks,' if you'll forgive the pun, are going to fly.

And I have a sneaky suspicion that our esteemed GM has been having difficulty relaxing those grin muscles when he tries to sleep at night...or perhaps not.

I plead the 5th for the grin muscle comment.

But I did state that this would be an exercise in role playing more than anything else when I thought of the game and I have really been enjoying alot of the character interation. I am having fun thus far and I am hoping the rest of you are as well.

Yes, I like atypical. That's good. I don't mind if not everybody is into "we live together, we die together". If you read SR novels you know all the teams has at least one who is in for the money, or vengeance or some personal interest. But they are IN. They accept a simple fact, which is in the deepest nature of living creatures: when in danger, band together. The more allies you have, the better the chance of survival. Sparks managed to turn almost everyone against himself, except for Atashi whom he still insulted like hell, but miraculously she likes him. Because if an uncouth super-drekhead meats another it's not a signal for a flame-war, but for love (they cannot get along with people who try to get along with them, but they're just hugs and kisses with a person who's even actively insulting them with every second word - maybe I should try to kick Sparks in the kidney, and after that we would be BFF-s)

You can be cynical, ironical, cold, even poke or take shots on your allies and still get along. What Sparks doing is just plain stupid, he begs for beating in a mortally dangerous situation. Kinda like walking into an Irish bar which has a gasoline spilled on the floor, stand in it and revealing your "Your beer is week and so are you" T-shirt.

And actions speak louder than words. Sparks is in, he's been trying to get people out, and he's tried to keep his mouth shut. But the way he speaks is how he's learned to interact. By all means, when they get out of here, teach him some Etiquette. As far as Atashi and Sparks interacting goes, it's not all love and sparklies, as you've seen. But a large part of it is that both of them are probably so inured to the insults, they don't even notice them.

A "swift kick in the groin" is also an action. I don't hate Sparks, I just want to get along, get out of there and get home (I kinda identify with my characters so it's "me"). By all means, he can insult all he wants, just don't be stupid about it. He's not a fighter, maybe he knows bullies and he deducted that fraggin' with the stronger (especially when you depend on them to protect you from a bunch of zombies) is not a wise thing.

The thing I want to say: he has no "mania", he's not compulsive, not mentally unstable, so he don't have an urge to be a hick. He's just unmannered but he don't have to be mean. In fact it's in his best interest to try to be polite (try but not succeed because he does not know how to express himself in a socially acceptable way, so, I don't know, instead of saying thank you, he just grabs your junk and shakes it thinking it feels good and not knowing it's socially awkward at least)

That one, he knew was dumb the second he did it. Frankly, if he'd gotten the chance, he would have apologized. It would have been fairly awkward and bass-ackwards, but he would have made it.

Edited my last post and that's my final for today. See you guys tomorrow. After a good night sleep, everything will look better.
Until then, it feels good to talk things over. Thanks for sharing your point of view and listening to mine. I think we can reach consensus. Like a team You see!!! I really enjoy playing with you guys even if sometimes it doesn't look like it.

Thank you and good night (or morning if you are on the other side of the world)!

Hey Foust, you create quite a controversy. My hat is off to you, omae. I've enjoyed playing cantankerous characters in the past, but none have ever stirred up as much drek as Sparks (aptly named.)

How are you going to top this?

What? You thought he got the nickname from his talents with electricity? No, it's because he could strike sparks dealing with a saint.

and here i was trying to put insults on everything and yet it seems that sparks is the one not liked. Well i guess it's to be figured when Atashi is the only completely sane girl in the group and had a high IQ. even in RL i have noticed that those who have a large intelligence and know they do, tend to be cocky about it as well as look at others as being imbeciles. ... Well some of that and also taking in her age i guess i can see why she's tolerated better than sparks (even though he's a guy around the same age as Atashi, and its probably because of that)

Though i do have to admit it is fun to try and find intelligent insults that would be of the same level as Atashi's mentality

Hi Folks
I was really hoping to get to the IC thread last night and get some stuff taken care of so we could progress in character. Unfortunately when I left work last night I had a splitting headache and could barely see straight. I think I need to take up my yoga practice again, i never had headaches when I did that...

Anyway if I have some slow time at work I will update, otherwise I will try to get something tonight.

Granted I have been enjoying watching the OOC stuff.

Now Starcraft, the reason I see why Sparks is disliked more than Atashi is probably because he is more vocal. Atashi makes an insult to someone and its intellectual what Sparks is ranting raving and dropping the F-bomb every other word (And Atashi has yet to kick anyone in the nuts yet).

Any takers on who gets Atashi's first groin kick?

My money is on Sparks after he calls her 'tits' one to many more times

Plus Sparks isn't the man with the gun

I'm betting on Shu if he keeps saying crazy things that creep everyone out.

Even Atashi won't kick an old man in the nutsack, would she? Maybe a smack on the head. If nut-cracking is in order, I think the surprise winner would be Andrew. After his "be nice to each other" speech.

Yeah, but Andrew's annoying speech actually serves a useful purpose. Shu's just unnerves the hell out of everyone.

That's why I bet she will kick Andrew instead of Shu. To show her affection...

Somehow, I don't think physical violence is a sign of affection. Even to Uncouth characters, unless they happen to be trolls.

switching modes is a free action, as such with the way i understand free actions they don't have to be done on your turn as well as going full VR affects my initiative roll so that's why i did it as for everything else weather or not its in the turn for Atashi, its already posted and all i have to do is wait for the GM. i just think its personaly better to get a big post in than a lot of smaller "one liners" in.

On another note. the last few posts i do not believe belong in the IC thread, thats what this OOC thread is for

Nothing on the topic of who Atashi's going to kick in the balls?

Starcraft wrote:

switching modes is a free action, as such with the way i understand free actions they don't have to be done on your turn as well as going full VR affects my initiative roll so that's why i did it as for everything else weather or not its in the turn for Atashi, its already posted and all i have to do is wait for the GM. i just think its personaly better to get a big post in than a lot of smaller "one liners" in.

On another note. the last few posts i do not believe belong in the IC thread, thats what this OOC thread is for

"A character may not take a Free Action prior to his first Action Phase in the Initiative Pass." SR4A 146

well, crap.

i didnt think my tryin to keep everyone focused would get me a kick in the balls. this sucks. haha...

Pay attention, Andrew's speaking is USEFUL. Shu's is just very, very unnerving. Hence, Andrew is less likely to get the kick.

Faust, listen, it's not a serious discussion or anything, for god's sake it's about balls! I don't want to argue about this, it was just a joke on my part, assuming Atashi is not depending on reason when choosing her "targets". Andrew is a nice guy, and what he says IS useful plus he helped in the fight, so I think he's the most versatile and likable character in this game yet (this is just my personal thought, please don't argue about who's more likable). Just because he is so nice, maybe he gets on Atashi's nerves, I thought. But no biggie, if Shu gets the kick in his raisins I will not object.