|
 What the frag is this drek? Welcome to this screenshot/narrative LP of The Caldecott Caper, a fanmade campaign made by a modder named Cirion for the game Shadowrun: Hong Kong. The mod itself is a sequel to Cirion's Antumbra Saga, but you don't have to play that mod- or indeed, have read the excellent LP by TheMcD- in order to understand the story of this one; what you need to know from that LP will be explained in this one. What's that about a story, chummer? First, some background details. Antumbra Saga, The Caldecott Caper and its sequel, CalFree In Chains (which I hope to LP after this) are mods made by a dude/ette named Cirion, and which take place in the tabletop RPG setting of Shadowrun a.k.a. The Sixth World. An eruption of magic in the mundane world did nothing to halt the world's slide into cyberpunk dystopianism- hell, all the wonders of ages past might have simply accelerated things. After all, what's more dangerous and amoral than the average megacorporation? A megacorporation with freakin' wizards, that's what. Shadowrun also has a fairly expansive metaplot taking place from 2050 (First Edition Shadowrun) to 2080 (6th Edition Shadowrun, the most current at the time of this LP), with this mod trilogy taking place in the Third Edition era of the 2060s. Which leads me nicely into where our protagonist(s) come in. We're technically shadowrunners, basically off the books 'consultants' for various interests of the late 21st century. I say 'technically', because our character is not only doing dangerous rent-a-cop work in an urban wasteland, the only reason they're doing it is because they're charging the megacorps less than the actual rent-a-cops would. And things will get a lot worse before they get better. So... this is technically the past? Cool, so let's talk about how Dunkelzahn is just Lofwyr wearing Groucho Marx glasses and- Whoa, hold on there! Just some spoiler ground rules:  PLEASE DO NOT SPOIL THIS MOD OR ITS SEQUEL. None whatsoever, nada, zilch, nope. While there aren't a lot of *~ground breaking twists~*, there are a few, and I'd like for us all to enjoy them together whether we've played the mod(s) or not. That said, the world of Shadowrun is a rich one, and I have no problems with people talking about Shadowrun's general metaplot or gameplay mechanics (whether tabletop or video game), just so long as you do not violate the above rule. If you're not sure, then err on the side of safety and only discuss things that have already happened in-story. Hell, I'm a Shadowrun newbie myself, and most of what I know of the setting comes from the games and the excellent LPs of Shadowrun Returns and Shadowrun: Dragonfall by Kanfy, with a little extra stuff from the 5th Ed. sourcebooks. I'd love to get some additional context on the Third Edition world that I'm unfamiliar with, but again, only if it's kept to the stuff the LP has already covered. CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: BEATDOWN ON THE BEAT CHAPTER 2: OF MALADIES MEDICAL AND MONETARY CommissarMega fucked around with this message at 20:23 on Mar 22, 2020 |
#
?
Mar 18, 2020 03:30
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 4, 2024 00:27 |
|
|
I'm for Gay female orc markswoman named Marx, both for accuracy and communist values.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2020 03:55
|
|
|
Troll/Either/Shaman/Name:Crisper/Nickname:"Adamant"
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2020 04:42
|
|
|
Slagathor the Lesbian Troll Mage, codename “Mimi”. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2020 06:06
|
|
|
Troll/Female/Razorgirl(CQC Street Samurai)/Lesbian/Amelia Kowalski aka Wolverina
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2020 13:02
|
|
|
I genuinely can't remember a damned thing about this mod (other than a single location and a single NPC). I've played it well after Antumbra - but I can recall the basic beats of the Antumbra campaign far better (at least to the extent of remembering something). Hope I just didn't get the most out of a mod that you'll show off more favorably.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2020 02:44
|
|
|
CHAPTER 1: BEATDOWN ON THE BEAT   Hm? Oh, just thinking about what happened on our last patrol. Well, the sooner we finish our rounds, the sooner we can get off the streets. I'm ready when you are. I'm not, but that's not going to stop me. It's just... do you think there'll be any blowback from that last shooting? From Shiawase? Hah, nah. When's the last time they gave two shits about some poor trog SINless trog gunned down in the street? We just need to remember to fill out that requisition form for ammo reimbursement. I can't care less what the suits think- it's the guys down here that have got me worried. From the streets, though... yeah, maybe. The guy was packing, but his back was turned. That always looks bad, no matter the extenuating circumstances. If he had any friends, they'll probably make an appearance. CommissarMega posted:Yeah, we're not the nicest of people. Shadowrunners are morally grey at the best of times, but I guess ACAB still applies even (or especially) if said cops are starving freelancers. It's not like we can blame them, can we? Maybe not, but you can't blame yourself, Maria. You were using an unfamiliar weapon that wasn't sized for troll hands- No offence, Rafik, but there's nothing you can tell me that (A) I haven't told myself, and (B) has worked. Let's just get back on the job. Any special objectives for tonight? CommissarMega posted:Well, we're certainly off to a strong start, aren't we? Speaking of which, let's take a look at our intrepid investigators:   CommissarMega posted:Here's our heroine, Maria 'Marx' Ximinez, a perfectly normal Troll street sam who prefers to fight up close and personal, for reasons that are close and personal. She's also got Leopard as a totem whispering in her ear, which if this site is to be believed, makes her easy to anger, fierce when cornered, and intensely protective of those whom she considers family.   CommissarMega posted:This is her partner, Rafik Toth. While he's technically a Shaman, he's a crack shot (or, well, he will be) with pistols, and is one of your most versatile crew members. He's never leaving the party if I can help it, as he's just too useful in way too many circumstances. The fact that he's specced into pistols might lower his damage output somewhat, but on the other hand, we have to give the other side a fair chance, don't we? He's also a follower of Bear, which the above site desribes as the totem of easygoing healers who hulk otu when angered. All in all, not an inaccurate description.   In any case, once the conversation's over, we head up the street (it's a linear path), until...  You've known for some time that Rafik makes extra nuyen on the side. Nothing too obvious, but he has a habit of brief absences and hushed conversations in the middle of your route. Hey, don't take this the wrong way, but I'd like a taste of whatever you're getting. Heh... well, I can't say you haven't earned it. Lot of people would've turned me in for an easy payday long before now.CommissarMega posted:Again, shadowrunners ain't nice people. Just as every time before, Rafik disappears into the alley for a few moments, while you continue to survey the street.  CommissarMega posted:I don't know why Cirion gave this dwarf a unique portrait, since she doesn't appear again. A leftover from the mod's early days, I suspect. Or maybe Cirion just liked the portrait and wanted to fit her in somewhere. You know, despite all the times this has happened, you've never told me what that was all about. Just a little bit of information arbitrage. Nothing the dwarves wouldn't have figured out on their own when Friday rolled around. It's valuable for them to know it a few days in advance, though, and they're happy to pay for the convenience. Speaking of which, here's your cut- ¥100. Thanks, but I'd be willing to settle for ¥50, what with Kora's operation and all. Nah, it's fine. ¥100's nothing in comparison, and honestly? You look like you could use the money a lot more than we do. Take it. All right, fine, but takeout's on me after this run. Don't argue. Heh, if I'm not willing to argue with a woman with half my height and muscle mass, I'm not going to start with you. Anyway, let's keep moving. It's too dangerous to stay in the same spot for too long around here.  CommissarMega posted:And so we head up, but just a few steps from where Rafik met the dwarf-    Hell yeah! Zielor will be stoked that we finally took 'em down! Wait, he's on the horn.The gangers' commlink crackles into life. A fervent voice voice bellows out, its force evident even through the tinny speaker.   gently caress the Man! gently caress Saito! And gently caress EVERYONE associated with this goddamn rail line! Now get out there and do your thing! Just so we're clear, I was with him up to 'rail line'. Again, I'm not going to argue, but... ugh, sounds like there's a new chief at the MPA.We'd better break up whatever they're planning or there'd be hell to pay with Shiawase.CommissarMega posted:Despite us being an ork and a troll, that chain link fence separating us from the gangers is apparently made of unobtanium, making it impenetrable, so we have to follow the road south, where this happens:   CommissarMega posted:As you can see, their names are well-balanced, with the lameness of Streez balanced out by the awesomeness of Murdahface. That said, this is about as far as they get in badassery, as even on Hard with a fairly-made character they're not much of an obstacle. Since we've got Marx-   CommissarMega posted:-they didn't last very long.  It never ends, does it? The more we put down, the angrier the rest get. Our luck will run out long before they run out of bodies. I'd like to see the execs try walking our beat just once. Yeah, wouldn't that be something? They could see for themselves just how screwed things are out here, and those gangers could take shots at the people who actually make their lives miserable, not just those of us wearing uniforms. Nah, they'd still shoot at us. We'd just have a lot more meat between us and them. Still sounds like a decent second place- wait. Hey... I think that one's still moving. How do you want to handle this? CommissarMega posted:As you can see from the three options in the upper right, we've got a choice about what to do with the ganger. Since it's way too early in the update for a *~moral choice vote~*, I'm going to take executive action and call a medic for the unfortunate Streez.  I'd call a medic for you, you've earned that treatment. That guy, though? He shot at you. You can trust him to try finish the job the next time he gets. I'll bet you're right, Rafik. The thing is, though: I can't control his actions, but I can control mine. Come on, let's keep go- Hey, assholes! Thanks for taking care of those guys! Now gently caress off! This is Raider turf now! drat it, what now?CommissarMega posted:The ganger, by the way, is part of a gang apparently called the Orkland Raiders. If anyone knows anything about the gang, this is your time to show off!  Should I be afraid? Hell yeah, you should! Didn't you hear what I said? Nobody from the outside is welcome here, especially not corp suck-ups. [Etiquette: Gang] This is MPA territory- do you really want to piss them off claiming territory? You attack us, try to show everyone your big swinging dicks, Big Brother's going to put you down! Sheeit, the MPA is weak! They just don't know it yet. But hey, you know what, you go on right ahead. And if you meet any of those MPA fuckers, you take a few of them down with you, y'hear? Save me and mine a little trouble. Yeah, I'm sure you know all about 'little trouble'. Come on, Raf. Yeah, move your rear end along, woman. CommissarMega posted:And we've found out first Karma point!   CommissarMega posted:-we finally wend our way around the block, passing an entrancingly open building behind a locked gate. Soon, our objective is in sight, where a single ganger stands near the marker.         CommissarMega posted:See you next time in CHAPTER 2: OF MALADIES MEDICAL AND MONETARY! CommissarMega fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Mar 22, 2020 |
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2020 04:16
|
|
Unfortunately, since we're, uh, playing on the hardest difficulty, we're not going to be spending that point. 
Because we're making things harder for ourselves, since we're hardcore hardcores whose cores are hardest to the core. ANYWAY-
|
My apologies to Servetus- under normal circumstances I'd have picked the name you submitted as our character's, but it completely slipped my mind when I picked Marx as our PC's name, and I thought I'd back-whatever a real name to go with it  By the time I realized I'd actually had a real name submitted, I'd played through and written the update. Sorry!Xander77 posted:I genuinely can't remember a damned thing about this mod (other than a single location and a single NPC). I've played it well after Antumbra - but I can recall the basic beats of the Antumbra campaign far better (at least to the extent of remembering something). Hope I just didn't get the most out of a mod that you'll show off more favorably. No problem! I actually consider this mod to be better than CalFree In Chains, truth be told, but in terms of Empire Strikes Back to CalFree's Return Of The Jedi- the latter has a lot more technical refinement, of course, but this is where the really good stuff is. That's just my opinion, though. In any case, I do hope I manage to showcase Cirion's work with the justice it deserves. Speaking of which, how was the first update? It's been a long while since I've done an LP, and if there are any changes you guys would like to see, by all means bring them up.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2020 04:23
|
|
|
Looking good so far, but there's a lot of inconsistency with your use of italics. I'm not sure what you're doing with them, since they're switching on and off mid-dialogue, and sometimes you seem to use them for your comments and sometimes you don't. It's just a bit muddled and unclear. Everything else is good though!
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2020 16:00
|
|
|
biosterous posted:Looking good so far, but there's a lot of inconsistency with your use of italics. I'm not sure what you're doing with them, since they're switching on and off mid-dialogue, and sometimes you seem to use them for your comments and sometimes you don't. It's just a bit muddled and unclear. I took it to mean the stuff in italics was not game dialogue, but added by CM to flesh out the characters. I like it!
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2020 16:15
|
|
|
Lemniscate Blue posted:I took it to mean the stuff in italics was not game dialogue, but added by CM to flesh out the characters. I like it! Yeah, this is basically it. In general: If you see unmodified text next to a portrait, then it's dialogue that's in the game, while italicized dialogue is stuff I've added on.Unmodified dialogue by itself is also from the game itself (usually as descriptive text). Italicized, unattached text is my own stuff. That said, if it's hard to read, I'll see what I can do to make things easier. Maybe putting my own non-dialogue text in quotes might work- I'll re-edit the first chapter, see how that looks and reads.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2020 18:35
|
|
|
That works for me. Keep on keeping on.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2020 18:39
|
|
|
Maybe square brackets for stuff you're adding?
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2020 22:59
|
|
|
quote:The ganger, by the way, is part of a gang apparently called the Orkland Raiders. If anyone knows anything about the gang, this is your time to show off! This is a remarkably stylish mod so far! I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.
|
|
#
?
Mar 21, 2020 03:50
|
|
|
Doopliss posted:This is a remarkably stylish mod so far! I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. Well then, I'll try not to disappoint- the mod certainly doesn't!
|
|
#
?
Mar 22, 2020 20:06
|
|
|
CommissarMega posted:Fair warning, this is a bit of a talky episode, this one. There's also a bit of 'tell, not show' that the mod has going on to the end, especially since its trying to explain stuff to someone new to both the game and its world, so if you're playing along I just want to warn you that I've rearranged some dialogue to flow better. If the changes were minor, I didn't italicize them; I saved that treatment for longer dialogue. CHAPTER 2: OF MALADIES MEDICAL AND MONETARY   ...comes around? Dunno. Maybe another five minutes or so? Give it time- it took Lazarus four days, after all.Rafik's voice drops another octave lower, trembling with anger. I swear, if you're jerking me around after all I've paid you... What... what the hell's going on? CommissarMega posted:Rise and, shine... Miss Ximinez, rise and... shine. It seems that despite being blown into nothing more than a literal pool of blood in the last update, Marx has come back from her grim fandango in the realms of the dead somewhat worse for wear and unable to run for the rest of this map, clutching her belly every time she stops.. Thankfully, it's not a very big map, and we'll be done with it soon.  CommissarMega posted:This small room directly above where Marx wakes up has some nuyen and a small medikit. Not much of a haul in either respect, but hey, every little bit helps. Anyway, there's nothing else to find, so let's go north and see what's going on.  Hey, Rafik. Maria! I almost thought I'd never see you again! I'm not that easy to get rid of.He seems about to embrace you, then he hesitates. I... I'm not sure how fragile you are. Doc? Rafik? Who's your friend? Marx, Tolar. Tolar, Marx. That's DOCTOR Tolar, thank you. Oh, that's rich. You want to show me your license, then? Give me the number of the agency regulating your performance? Doctor isn't a title, it's a role. I patch people up, stick new chrome on old fleshy bodies- who cares about a piece of obsolete parchment, anyways? And speaking of 'rich'... Should I be standing up? Medically speaking? Not really. It was a bad scene. I had to rush you over, and this was the closest place available. Holy poo poo. Fortunately for you, I had a patient with your blood type die under my knife just yesterday. Had a whole cadaver available for spare parts, along with a few geegaws of my own invention. And the bad news? Oh, you're such a pessimist. Anyway, the bad news is that unfortunately, the operation is incomplete. We're using 2030s tech to patch you up, and that tissue is going to die fast until we get some acclimizers into your bloodstream.CommissarMega posted:If you're a spellcaster of any kind, you can ask Doctor Tolar if the surgery you had would interfere with your abilities. She'd tell you that she tried to make the surgery as non-invasive as possible at Rafik's request, and that all you've got is a lot of people parts and some minor bioware. What was their name? Beg your pardon? Your other patient. The one who died. What. Was. Their. Name? Huh, didn't know you were the caring type. The idiot forgot to mention she was allergic to peanuts. I like to snack while I work. You do the math. Don't worry, you should be fine. Just don't take too long getting those acclimizers. And where are we going to get acclimizers? You can't. I can. That so? That so. I've spent the last decade building up a network that gets me illicit supplies, no questions asked. I say the word, you hand over the nuyen, you get the implants that let you live. How much is this going to cost? Now THERE'S the really interesting question. So far, so good, until your partner came in and made a compelling counter-offer. Shoved my gun in your face, more like. Indeed, you did. Indeed you did. Fact is though, my Johnson isn't going to be happy. Now, I can deal with him for you, but you'll have to make it worth my time. I gave up a big payday to save your life, and I don't work pro-bono. All right, I understand, it's not going to be cheap. I'm a big girl, I can take- ...I take it back.Rafik's face grows pale from shock or rage. WHAT?! Look, it's simple arithmetic: You wrecked a deal worth ¥200,000. You have my IP inside your body. I need to deal with a scary man who probably works for Ares. And don't get me started on the kinds of favours I'll need to call in just to make sure your body keeps working to the end of the month. But you've already taken all the money I have! That was just to get your friend in through the door. As soon as I had to start cutting Cameron apart, you were on the hook for the rest. But I'm a reasonable woman, so I'll let you apply your life savings as credit to the final payment, which makes things a nice, even... say, ¥215,000. Wait... Rafik, when you said you you spent all your money, you actually... Yeah, pretty much. But Kora- You know Kora, though. She would have insisted on it if she were here. Always putting herself last. Rafik, I.. I didn't ask for this. No, you didn't, but you weren't in any condition to ask me anything. This was my own initiative, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. You've had my back so many times, I couldn't just let you bleed out like that. It's only money; seemed worth it to save your life. But- but surely there was something else you could have done- Like what? Call Shiawase? They wouldn't lift a finger to help one of us. We're shadowrunners, remember? Cheap, disposable assets. If they actually gave a drat about keeping their security alive, they'd send in their own goons, or hire someone. Doc Wagon support would have wiped out the savings they got from hiring us. And on the subject of keeping you alive... I get it, I get it, we'll find some way to pay you back.You laugh bitterly. You know, I should have gone into your line of work, Doc. It has its perks, which almost make up for the psychos who barge in demanding you renege on deals with big, corporate clients. Come on, Marx. let's get out of here.CommissarMega posted:So, it seems that:  Maria! You okay? It hurts. Just hold it together, champ. We can't let you slip away from the world just yet. Just think of all the things you have left to do: See a dragon, trend on Truly Trideo, get the hell out of Oakland. You were always the team dreamer, Raf. Ow. We really need to get you back to my place. I'm sure Kora will have some ideas. After all she's been through, she's a wiz at managing chronic pain. What are we going to tell her, Raf? The truth, Maria. What else?The drive back to Kora and Rafik's apartment is a quiet one, the strained silence having pushed away the usual wisecracks and comments you two usually share after a run. What relief you felt at your miraculous survival is long gone, replaced by an ever-present dread about what to do next. It seems all you've done is replace a quick death with a slow, agonising end, unless you do something to escape from this mess. When you reach the apartment and explain everything to Kora, though, your chances seem even smaller than ever.   It's certainly beyond anyone in the People's University. At this point, you're committed to Doctor Tolar, like it or noy. There's no way Maria can ditch her transplants and start over again. I'm sorry. What about the dwarves of Halferville? I'm afraid the fine folks of Halferville aren't terribly enthused about on performing free surgery on anyone who walks in the door, especially not orks or trolls. They owe me some favours, but nothing big enough for this. Whoa, whoa, hey! What's this about favours? You two have already done enough for me. Come on, you're like family to us. We look after our own. Sure, you never asked for this, but like it or not, you're the most interesting thing happening right now. So, brainstorming time: how could we go about raising several hundred thousand nuyen? Me, I'm thinking we give the gangs some payback, hit them for cash and anything we can sell. I'm not sure I like the implication that stealing from those poor sods is a victimless crime. And while its likely their money's dirty, you never know. Not only that, but these aren't Fifth World drug barons we're talking about here- what little the gangs do have is also too spread out unless we hit one of their strongholds. And no offence, but while I think I can help out on the streets, or in a quick strike, a major gang base would have been way beyond me even at my best. Fair enough. Anyone else have an idea? Next time I meet up with the University, I could send out feelers among the community, see if there are any jobs that you could do. Besides, if there was more lucrative work out there, odds are it'd have found us by now. In that case... I know it's a long shot, but is there any way you can get a loan from Shiawase? ...! Sorry, babe, but like I told Marx back at the clinic, we're not worth it. Not unless we can prove that some nobody rent-a-cop is worth a quarter million. oh my god Hm? You say something, Marx? She's right. What? Kora's right! She is? I am? Shiawase! Shiawase's the key! What are you talking about? I just said that none of us is worth ¥250,000. Now, we're not. But the train is. What train? THE train, you dummy! The one that would get blown up every day if you and Maria didn't keep clearing its path through the Gauntlet? A train full of corp money. That's... absolutely crazy. I've always wanted to pull off a heist! Hold up there- I won't deny the idea's exciting, but let's face facts. If robbing the train was easy, someone would have done it already. What do we have that they don't? Inside information on train operations, the Gauntlet, and a fragged-up troll with nothing to lose.  Please tell me you're not going to be doing all this yourselves. Don't get me wrong, you're both very talented at what you do and all. But this? You're going to need some kind of specialized help. Good point. Let's start off with what we know about the train's route- we can figure out what and who we need from there. All right, so here's the deal: And I imagine security would be lower on a passenger line, right? Yeah, they'll have some more guards to watch the cargo itself, but they've always skimped on security for that rail line. Witness our current employment. The main problem I see is the fact that our knowledge is a little TOO specialized. What do you mean? I mean that if the two of us make the move ourselves, we'd only be really effective in the Gauntlet. Still, it's a long route. The Gauntlet can't be its only weak spot. So first things first- we're going to need a real novahot decker to poke around Shiawase's network. You know anyone like that, Kora? There's a lot of deckers who are happy to crack unsecured nodes, maybe steal some embarrassing secrets for a quick payday. Not many who'd want to risk tangling with black IC in a secured megacorp network. Although... there is one guy who passed through the PU a few months ago, named Sable. He was definitely looking for a challenge. I think he moved on because our stuff was small-scale. Sable, huh? That rings a bell. It might be the same guy. You should check him out- maybe he can get you in, or at least point you to someone else who can. We might also need some kind of firepower. Either as muscle or a distraction, in case we need to punch our way through security or sneak past them while they're occupied. Besides, what if there's a safe to blow? An explosives expert would be handy there too. Well, if it's literal fire power you're looking for, there's that one woman in Halferville. What was her name again? Oh yeah, 'The Phoenix'. Just rolled into town, and is already making a splash among the populace. She sounds like a real loose cannon, but... I think that's exactly who we're looking for. Someone who enjoys making gigantic explosions and isn't terribly concerned about the consequences. And finally, we'll need an expert on trains. Some wiz big-iron rigger. Oh, you're going to like this one, Maria. Remember that one rigger you ran into on Alameda? The one who helped us chase down the NTTs? Yeah, she was a California Ranger at the time, but I think she's moved on. Her name was Persi, I think. Well, I heard from Bigger Mac that an ex-Ranger matching her description was looking for some help for a job. He'd have taken it, except that she couldn't afford his crew's rates. Maybe we could arrange a trade of services. After all, she seemed adept at operating multiple passenger vehicles at one. That's probably our best lead. All right, so Phase 1 of the plan is to look for the Three Musketeers, evaluate them, and go on from there. Any thoughts? I still think this sounds nuts, but I'm excited, It'd be nice to shoot skeet for once instead of being the clay pigeons. Same on both counts. As long as you all stay safe though, I know you can pull this off. Thanks, Kora. All right then, first things first- tomorrow night, we go back to the Gauntlet and get that decker; the other two options don't sound like much trouble, but if he's any good, I don't want him working for the gangs a single moment more than necessary. Sounds good. I'll hold the fort down here. Are you sure about this, Kora? I mean- What was that I said about 'no shame asking for help'? Yeah, that's what I thought. But, if you really want to make it up to us, Maria, you can help clear the table while Rafik looks in the storeroom for those medikits. Oh, and one more thing? Yes? You two be careful now. You've dodged death once, I doubt you'll be so lucky again. Don't worry, Kora. I'll keep an eye on her.CommissarMega posted:Goddamn, a train job! And on one owned by a Top 10 megacorp! Never let it be said our crew thinks small, that's for sure. The talking's not done yet though, since we've got two friends to talk to. That said, we do have a brief moment of respite in which to level our crew up. So, Maria... Hm? Rafik told me all the gory details. He may not show it, but he was hella shaken up by what happened. I haven't seen him that upset in... well, ever. He's a good ork. Oh, don't I know it! And he still finds new ways to impress me. drat, that's kind of you, but I do have my own place, you know. Yeah, but your place isn't packed with painkillers. Please, Maria, please? Are you giving me the puppy dog eyes, Kora? You're giving me the puppy dog eyes. You know what? I'm not even going to bother fighting it. Good, because you'd have lost anyway. And hey, it not like we've ever used the guest room. You might need to move a few things to make room for your stuff, though. Nah, it's fine. It wasn't as if I could afford or find a lot of things made for trolls, anyway. Speaking of changing an uncomfortable subject, how's things at the PU? Honestly, it's not rocket science. If someone's a true decker, they'll figure this stuff out on their own quicker than I could teach them. But the Matrix is a fact of life, one people will need to deal with sooner or later, even if they don't want to become experts. Hopefully my classes will make digital life that little bit easier for the masses. Word on the street is that some of your offline classes are being cancelled- I thought all the PU's classes were online? Well, there are a few ad-hoc distributed groups that used to meet up in person; you know, classes like vehicle repair and the like. But yeah, thanks to Saito's crackdown, we need to be careful to never meet in the same place more than twice. I think he lumps us in with militants like the October 25th Alliance and the Metahuman People's Army. One one hand, it's ridiculous- the PU is proudly pacifist. On the other... Individually, they're no danger to him; he'd just send in a Marine squad to crush them at any time. A knowledgeable, prepared, effective populace, though? He'd find it much more difficult to expand his domain. Hey, Maria! Mind giving me a hand with this? In a moment! You'll be all right here, Kora? Yeah, sure. You've done most of the heavy lifting anyway. And I won't be done yet, it seems. Thanks for the talk, Kora. Anytime, Maria. As well as could be expected. Stiff upper lip, eh? I'm impressed. Most trolls would still be culred up in a fetal position after enduring what you went through. Well, I'm not most trolls. Obviously. Now all you have to do is convince some nice girl of that fact.CommissarMega posted:It's about here that Rafik talks to you about his backstory, which would have been awkward enough on its own, much less a story as good as this one. So I decided to take a lot of liberties with presenting Rafik's background here, if you'll bear with me. I'm also not italicizing his past save for my own non-canonical additions both for ease of readability, and because the non-italicized text is just me transcribing Rafik's own words in the third-person. You laugh and give him a light punch on the shoulder as the two of you fall into an easy, familiar pattern of conversation. It is a pattern born not just out of shared cameraderie, but circumstances as well.  Like you, Rafik was born SINless and poor. Just as your family were trolls, his were orks. And just like you, he had a career of hired muscle, freelance thievery and organized crime to look out for. His siblings all joined local gangs, where Rafik saw them spend their days hustling, keeping the barest sliver of what they earned, and being the first to die when trouble started. You couldn't blame him for seeking something better, only yourself. He began taking classes at the People's University, mostly on practical matters. Avoiding Marine patrols, where to scavenge free food, shops that sell to those without SINs- that kind of thing. He also met other orks who'd started their own businesses, or who even worked as consultants to corps in the city. More than enough inspiration for a young man determined to beat the odds and become the best ork he could be. Which is where he met you and a few... like-minded people. After some persuasion, the two of you became private security contractors, providing local knowledge and presence to outsiders wanting to do business in Oakland. It was also around that time that me ket Kora, and Kora met him. She was one of his instructors, taught the ways of the Matrix to a young man who had never entered the digital world for all the twenty years he'd been alive. You had to admit, you were jealous at how they just *clicked*. The way they spoke to each other, or of each other when using you as a sounding board, reminded you of the sort of person you thought existed only in the trids: kind, funny, thoughtful, brave. He was amazed that she saw anything in an oaf like him, but the day she agreed to a date was the happiest day of his life, and he's had many happiest days since then. Though she understood the realities of life in Orkland, her condition (and, as Rafik admitted to you in private, her idealism made her better suited to a life teaching at the PU, while you and Rafik focused on work that kept people safe instead of putting them in danger. Of course, 'people' is a bit of a stretch when applied to corporate suits, but nuyen is nuyen. It was better this way for both of you; Kora's monthly medical bills required a steady paycheck, as opposed to the usual 'feast or famine' times shadowrunners experienced. And as loathe as you were to admit it, you needed the stability as well, something to hold onto and keep you grounded. Something to help you let go of your own past. As dangerous as the Gauntlet was, the corps were desperate for cheap, reliable help, and you two were qualified all-around. Ever the idealist, Kora wasn't happy at first. The whole deal flew in the face of her self-sufficient, anti-corporate principles. But after a long talk, they decided it was best for her, for them. It was the coldest you had ever seen them with each other, but they soon warmed up to each other, until one night... I don't know-, Maria, I'm not sure about this. loving hell, Raf, I've told you a million times, you don't have any of that horrible blonde dye in your hair anymore! drat it, Maria, that's not it! I'm just... what if the corporate job doesn't work out? What if the moon was made of cheese? What if Lofwyr was an alien princess? We don't deal in 'what ifs', Raf. We deal in realities, and the reality of the situation is that Kora is in your dining room, wondering why her boyfriend is taking so long with some delivery guy. But- But nothing, Raf. You think you're the only one guilty of making her sacrifice something? Remember that bigshot from Hong Kong? Ermine Ka-something? Remember that job offer she gave us, how many zeroes she was willing to give us? More than enough to cover a Cantonese language skillsoft. Now, I refused and stayed behind because you were my buddy, and you did the same... ...because I couldn't bear to leave Kora. And do you think she doesn't regret making you do that? Can you tell me why? drat right, you sappy-rear end fucker. Now, take your drat ring. You said you'd let me watch, right? Say yes or I'll break your arms. Yes or I'll break your arms. ... Fuuuck, now I really wish you were a woman. Come on, let's go. CommissarMega posted:Yep, we have an affection system in this mod! The tooltip is pretty self-explanatory, though I will say now that I will not be including lower-favour dialogue as a) I am a big weenie baby who can't bear to make his digital friends unhappy, even if it's non-canon, and b)   CommissarMega posted:Come back next time when we pick up our decker in CHAPTER 3: THE GANGLAND GUN SHOW! CommissarMega fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Mar 22, 2020 |
|
#
?
Mar 22, 2020 20:20
|
|
|
An ork with a gay best friend vs. the private health system, hell yeah
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2020 00:04
|
|
|
T-man posted:An ork with a gay best friend vs. the private health system, hell yeah The corp fucks won't know what hit'em.
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2020 10:16
|
|
|
hell yeah, train heist! also, putting some of the stuff in the quote boxes made it much easier for me to parse everything, so thank you!
|
|
#
?
Mar 24, 2020 14:03
|
|
|
The first couple of updates of Shadowrun games are always kinda plotdumpy, but this wasn't as bad as I feared. This was a fun read, thanks for putting it together - looking forward to the next update!
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2020 17:11
|
|
|
You think you can skip doing thumbnailed pictures for the main posts? They're kinda distracting even if I know they're for basic movement stuff.
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2020 01:30
|
|
|
Cooked Auto posted:You think you can skip doing thumbnailed pictures for the main posts? They're kinda distracting even if I know they're for basic movement stuff. Yeah, no problem. Is the problem the fact that they're thumbnailed, or that they're there? If it's the former- well, I was under the impression that thumbnails reduce the load for people trying to load the page on weaker internet connections, and if it's distracting, I'll just post them in full-size. If it's the latter, I'll try and reduce the number of pics I use for that purpose.
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2020 04:48
|
|
|
I think thumbnails going away with "56k modem NO" warnings is an (LP) forum-wide consensus.
Xander77 fucked around with this message at 10:31 on Mar 30, 2020 |
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2020 10:14
|
|
|
It's the former in this case, to me they break the reading flow of the updates a bit since I have to click on them and see what happening. The quote ones are fine since that is just a part of how that function works.
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2020 10:41
|
|
|
My request is don't put screenshots of conversations in so much, it's just the same text after all and it makes it awkward to read on phones.
|
|
#
?
Mar 30, 2020 12:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 4, 2024 00:27 |
|
|
I really like the more extensive mods for Shadowrun. There is a lot of potential for great stories in them (unfortunately it kinda takes forever to make it).
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2020 01:33
|
|
