The GiantitpAnime Fans' Visual Novel (now planning settings and routes)

[13_CBS]

An idea that initially started as a joke on my part, but now I'm having serious thoughts about writing something for this...

The characters: (Updated 9/15/09)



Fri
Character Name: Furi Kasei

Role:

The celebrated hero of our insane Visual Novel! The progenitor of this mad project, started when reason slept and begat monsters. It's his job to beat up bad guys and save the girl...or, at least, try to. The story will be told primarily from his eyes, and so we will see things as Furi does.

Furi Kasei is the rookie Primary Pilot of the brand new Imperial Tactical P.L.A.N.T. Giant.


Personality:

In all three routes, Furi begins as an optimistic and brash young man, and in Siela's route he remains this way, his fervor and courage saving the day on more than one occasion. In Kara's route, this zeal is tempered by the prudence and wisdom, and in Kamia's route it is utterly broken, and is forged into despair by pain and anguish. In short, the classic Idiot Hero...with, perhaps, a bit of a twist.



"Forget about outmaneuvering and flanking, it'll never work! Just believe in me, who believes in you, and CHAAAARGE!"


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Tengu

Character Name:Siela Tempo

Role:
The heroine of the first, light & fluffy route--the great triumph of man (and woman!) over the unspeakable evils of the universe. Siela Tempo is a childhood friend of the hero (Furi), and despite being of poor physical health and somewhat of an airhead, she is quite the excellent mecha pilot. In her route, she serves as the ass-kicking Action Girl (despite her physical and mental frailties), while also doing much to fulfill the moe quota. Siela also gives Furi another thing to be all hot-blooded about.

In Kara's route, Siela ends up being mostly ignored, and later becomes Furi's Fridge-Stuffed Woman, pushing him further into a long, bitter conflict with Roag.

In Kamia's route, Furi's minor flirting with Siela results in the jealous Kamia being pushed into committing the first in a long string of gruesome murders.

Like the hero, Siela has a brother, Kyube, who is also not related to her by blood. And like Kamia, Kyube falls desperately in love with his step sister. What happens with this depends on which route the hero takes.

Siela Tempo is the Primary Pilot of the Imperial Tactical P.L.A.N.T. Titan.


Personality:

At heart, Siela is an inquisitive dreamer and a sweet, kind girl. All she ever wanted was the chance to defend the things most important to her.

Initially, she is unsure about her feelings for the hero—at first she struggles with the knowledge that she loves him, and tries to overcome self-doubt (for how could someone like him ever possibly fall in love with her?). In her route, she later gains more self-confidence about her piloting skills, something she needs to unleash her full potential.

In Kara Witte's route, however, she covers her growing despair over the war under her usual ditzy demeanor, and this time Furi is regrettably not there to help her overcome her self-esteem issues. By the time Furi can notice, she is already dead, caught in Roag's trap and killed.

Siela starts off much as she does in Kamia's route as she does in her own route--crushing on Furi yet unsure of her feelings. This time, however, Kamia notices, and before Siela gets much of a chance to do anything she falls victim to Kamia's schemes.



"Gosh, there’s so many enemies coming our way. It reminds me that one time I almost got run over by gophers…speaking of gophers, you ever wonder why some people call them ‘prarie dogs’? They don’t look anything like dogs. Maybe they’re talking about hot dogs? The one we had in Chicago were really good. You remember that, don’t you?"

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Nothingclever

Character Name: Kara Witte

Appearance:

Long, straight black hair down to the hips, though she sometimes has it tied up.

Enjoys casual clothing (T-shirt + jeans).

Large bust.

Very slim and lithe, but with a toned and athletic body.

Pale skin.


Role:
The heroine of the cynical, "eternal struggle against evil" route, where, no matter how hard the hero tries, he and the heroine (Kara Witte) can only temporarily stave off the coming evil, but nonetheless provide breathing space that humanity desperately needs. For those who like cold, sarcastic girls with voluptuous figures, Kara is there to fulfill your aesthetic needs.

She plays but a minor role in Siela's and Kamia's routes; Furi must bring her out of her shell for her to do much of anything significant.

In her own route, she serves not only as the heroine but also as a foil to Furi. Her calm, cool manner and cynical snark tempers Furi's zeal and brashness.

Kara Witte is the Primary Pilot of the Imperial Tactical P.L.A.N.T. Von Lohengramm.


Personality:

To quote Nothingclever himself on Kara's characterization...


I picture my character as being the person that helps the hero save the day only because she likes him. She doesn't care about actually helping anyone. If the hero decided to become a villain she'd still fully support him because she doesn't care either way how he chooses to act as long as she isn't mistreated. If the hero feels he may need to do something horrible to save the day she'd volunteer to do the deed for him so he wouldn't feel so bad about it. If she notices someone being bullied while she's with the hero she might ask him if he wants to help the victim but only because she doesn't want to look too cold in front of him. She'd have no qualms killing the bad guy regardless of the circumstances but she'd ask the protagonist what he wants to do before delivering the finishing blow again to avoid looking bad in front of him. If the protagonist tried to flirt with her she might be willing to take him up on whatever offers he makes but only as long as he realizes what they do doesn't mean anything to her until they develop a real relationship.


Furi must, of course, first get Kara to open up to him enough for the above personality traits to come into light. Much of her character development will come from her learning to empathize despite the horrific realities of life, war, and the elder evils.



"Your mission to destroy the great evils is as foolish as your lustful advances. Nonetheless...I will assist you however I can. Is this what they call love?"

Trivia:

Quirks: Speaks her mind against annoying things, though she usually holds it in for a while initially. Kara isn't afraid of using a little violence if she thinks it'll be decisive.

Favorite foods: Unknown.

Hobbies: Martial arts, various music, dark comedy, exercise.


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Kamikasei

Character Name: Kamia Kasei

Appearance:

Long light purple hair tied into bunches.

Flat as an ironing board.

Average height, quite thin.

Large blue eyes.

Grade S Zettai Ryouiki.

Role:
The heroine of the "darker and edgier" route, where the hero and his younger "sister" (Kamia Kasei) initially gain great victories against the forces of evil, but eventually their minds succumb to the corruption that inevitably comes from fighting monsters. Kamia's role with respect to Furi in her route, as opposed to Siela who inspires and Kara who tempers, is that of the corrupter. Her mad love for her brother leads him down a spiral of first pain, then despair, culminating in insanity and bloodlust.

In short, the classic Yandere.

Her role is lessened in Siela's route, but it is in Kara's route the player finds out the true relationship between Furi and Kamia. Luckily for Furi, in this case there is only a subtle yet dramatic tension between Kara, who is just opening up to Furi, and Kamia, who has recently come to terms with her feelings and wishes to make her brother hers.

Kamia Kasei is the Primary Pilot of the Imperial Tactical P.L.A.N.T. Colossus.


Personality:
Kamia is emotionally stunted. She doesn't so much feel emotions as much as she's aware of them, acts as though she has them, and believes that she has them. In truth, the only real emotion she has is a strong attachment she has for her brother--everything else is a delusion she unconsciously created for herself.

Because she's devoid of most emotions, she's also strongly lacking in any real empathy for others. As a result, when pushed she can be quite the sociopath. Mix this with her obsession with her brother and you've got yourself quite the Yandere.




"Onii-chan, wake up. We have to report in by 0900 hours. And I'll be with you the whole way, and after that...by the way, there was some girl that kept bothering me about wanting to see you. She was eyesore, so I put her away."

Trivia:

Quirks: Exhibits the most emotion only when Furi is around, which isn't a whole lot. Loves to snark, especially when people are arguing.

Favorite foods: Unknown.

Hobbies: Unknown.


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Lord of Rapture
Character Name: Dominic L. Rapture

Appearance:

Think G-Man from Half-Life 2. Or; black hair, tan-brown skin color, and always wears a clean, well-tailored white suit and holds a strange square object in his hand (a portable computer that fits snugly into a briefcase, actually).

Role:

A mysterious man who is a master of an equally mysterious place where fallen heroes go after they die or utterly fail. Dominic mocks these would-be saviors without mercy, lecturing with thinly veiled contempt to the hero how he could have done this or that to avoid the situation where he is now. Thanks to his time-manipulating powers, Dominic is able to send these heroes back to a certain point in the timeline before everything went to hell--however, if the hero was exceptionally negligent or unlucky, he may send them much further back into the time stream than they wish, or even to a time period after the hero made his damning choices. In any of these cases, the Dominic always sends off the hero with scathing remarks about the hero's stupidity, negligence, and questionable parentage.

If you're familiar with Nasuverse visual novels, you should be able to guess what Dominic's meta role is.

If not...well, in Visual Novels, it's possible to pick the wrong choice and end up in a highly unpleasant situation. At that point, certain Visual Novels ferry you to a scene that breaks the fourth wall, and basically gives you advice on how to avoid this sort of fate (usually by giving you hints on what choices not to make)--in this case, it's Dominic's job to berate players who end up guiding Furi to his untimely death or worse.

However...is Dominic L. Rapture more than just a meta concept that berates the players? Certainly he appears in the storyline, in all three routes, and has a tendency to stand there, observing, right until you notice him...after which he simply disappears without a trace. Perhaps Furi is the only one who can see him.


Personality:

Abrasive. Mocking. Insufferably arrogant. Patronizing. Most of those who ever have the displeasure of meeting him have to hold back on punching him ni the face.



"Oh, look at the mighty hero. He thought he could simply ignore the girl and go off and save the world. But that's not how it works, is it? No. But then again, I suppose his failure is understandable, given how amusingly idiotic and short sighted he is. Especially that one time a few weeks back, when he could have asked to go shopping with him, but no, he didn't want to, he had to go train in the gym for 'the coming battles'. Pfft."

Trivia:

Quirks: Has a tendency to be strangely cheerful and upbeat...unless he's talking to someone. Then, he's just a mean jerk who loves to mock people for their failures.

Favorite foods: Unknown.

Hobbies: Causing conflict, intellect.


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Lurkerintheplayground

Character Name: High Priestess Lurika Plei

Role:

She is Raog's superior officer and the High Priestess to the elder evils she worships. In Siela's and Kara's route, she serves as the Big Bad...but in Kamia's route, she plays second fiddle to a much greater evil. Despite being one of the most politically important characters in the setting, she serves mostly as a far-off, distant enemy until the very end.


Personality:

Lurker is cold, calculating, and incredibly power hungry, and loves to wear very fancy dresses.

She loves to laugh contemptuously.



"Oooooo ho ho ho ho ho!" (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitledyd633z5?from=Main.NoblewomansLaugh)

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KnightDisciple

Character Name: Ritt Schueler

Appearance:

Fairly tall (6').

185 pounds of sleek muscle.

Short, black, combed hair.

Brown eyes.

Clean-shaven.

Slightly pointed chin.

Usually wears casual T-shirt and jeans. Plugsuit is black with yellow highlights.


Role:

Ritt serves as the hero's best friend since childhood, and his main purpose in life is to be constantly overshadowed by Furi's own great achievements. He plays a minor role in Kara's route, but is a major character in the two other routes--in Siela's route, his jealousy gets the better of him and is corrupted by evil, and ends up needing the hero's help in redemption, eventually sacrificing his life so that the hero may strike the final blow, while in Kamia's route he desperately tries to prevent the hero's descent into depression and madness and, once he discovers Kamia's mad lust for her brother, attempts to halt her advances, but Kamia's scheming leads to his gruesome death, and it is the lost of his oldest friend that causes the hero in this route to fall. In short, Ritt is the quintessential Lancer.

Ritt is the celebrated Primary Pilot of the Imperial Tactical P.L.A.N.T. Reaver.


Personality:

Like Furi, Ritt is brash and bold, but Ritt at least has the sense to be calm and professional in combat. He is also prone to mood swings--in one moment he'll be yelling and shouting with the hero, in the next he'll be sitting in the corner and brooding.

Despite his loud personality, Ritt is quite popular with the ladies, partly due to his handsome looks but also because of his deep sense of chivalry. His detractors call him old fashioned and even sexist, but at least a handful of his female classmates see in him an old-fashioned charm.



"...and once again, he gets all the credit. I guess he does deserve it, but still...it'd be nice to be noticed for once.


Trivia:

Quirks: Likes old-fashioned weapons and enjoys collecting them. Has mood swings. Also likes chivalry and tries to behave in accordance when he can.

Favorite foods: Enjoys dark chocolate, sirloin steak (medium rare), and steamed white rice.

Hobbies: Collecting weapons, jogging (unless you meant something else by "casual runs" :smallconfused:), listening to old American country music, movies, fast cars, and shotputting (star of the school track team).


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Nerd-o-Rama

Character Name:Admiral Neridia Oa Rama

Appearance:
In her late 20's or early 30's.

Tall and fairly curvy woman, though not to the degree of Terra or Kara.

Blue eyes with thin-framed glasses, long, wavy blue hair*, usually tied in a ponytail and under a captain's hat when on duty.

Uniform is mainly white, knockoff of a modern admiral's uniform but closely tailored and with a miniskirt and knee boots

Role:
Every story about giant robots needs an exasperated mission-control based commander, and Neridia is that character. She spends most of her time in the story reprimanding the hero (who controls the giant robot) of his foolishness, brashness, impetuousness, and general lack of respect for strategy, tactics, and orders. Many of her CGs involve her in a face palm, sighing.

In all the routes, as a shocking, unnecessary, and dramatic twist, it turns out that she's actually the long-lost older (blood-related) sister of the hero. In Siela’s route this simply leads to a heartwarming reunion scene with the hero; in Kara's route the poor timing of the revelation gives her a nervous breakdown; in Kamia's route, the news initially results in jubilation that quickly turns into tragedy when Kamia decides that the hero needs only one sister...

A popular rumor among the Echo Wind's bridge crew is that Neridia was once a PLANT pilot. She dismisses such rumors as pure fantasy--after all, if she were once one of the elite pilots in the navy, why would she ever give up such a prestigious career for a nerve-fraying, exasperating command position?

Recently, she has received a promotion to the position of Admiral of the highly prestigious 8th Fleet--as the oldest fleet in the Imperial Navy, it is nicknamed the "Endless 8th".


Personality:

Above all, Neridia is dedicated to professionalism and the safety of her crew, the people under her command, and the civilians she protects. Unfortunately, many PLANT Primary Pilots are youngsters, and this, combined with her lack of patience for fools and the immature, makes her easily frustrated and thus constantly grumpy.

Yet...she genuinely cares for all of her personnel--specially the mecha pilots, understanding that, in the end, they're just children thrust into the heart of a galaxy-spanning war against the ultimate evil. She's fiercely protective of them and in many ways regards them as her children.



"Pilot, return to base, I repeat, return to base--no, you may NOT charge the Horrors headlong, you are to RETREAT IMMEDIAT--pilot? Pilot! Goddammit."


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Rogue 7

Character Name: Roag Septimus, Admiral of the 7th Fleet

Appearance:

Short, white hair.

Fit, well-toned body.

Fairly tall, on the leaner side.

Body is fashionably mutated (torso is covered in a sleek, black carapace that looks more like high-quality armor; half of face is covered in demonic scales, but makes Roag look more exotic and mysterious than ugly; has a set of bat-wings that looks more like a nice mantle when folded around him).


Role:

Every mecha pilot hero needs an enemy to go, "Mwa ha ha ha ha!" into his face, and Roag plays that role admirably. Having been a minion to the dark forces of evil since childhood, massacring entire planets in a fashionable manner is a weekly occurrence for him, and it would have been a daily occurrence if it weren't for all the stern advisers demanding caution and self-restraint. Supremely confident of his skills as a commander, his initial defeat at the hero's hands leads to humiliated rage, and in Siela's route Roag attempts to avenge himself through a thorough firebombing of the hero's Doomed Hometown. But, due to Furi's foolish sense of honor, incredible skill, and sheer persistence, he eventually questions his own loyalty to the dark forces, and in time defects, sacrificing himself in the last battle by leading his severely damaged forces in a heroic last stand to buy the hero time.

In Kara's route, however, his initial defeat causes him to instead calmly rethink his strategy, and the new, unorthodox military tactics he brings to the next battles leads to a bitter, hateful enmity with the hero, and results in a bloody, protracted war of annihilation.

Finally, in Kamia's route, his lust after the hero's younger sister drives him to madness as well (everyone goes nuts in Kamia's route), then all-consuming rage, until his final confrontation with the hero involves Rogue on the bridge of an exploding battleship, holding Kamia hostage while screaming at the hero about how useless he is and how he will always lose to Rogue.

In Siela's and Kara's routes, he is in a relationship with Lurkerintheplayground.


Personality:

Roag is absolutely confident in his piloting and commanding skills, and has yet to lose a battle--unfortunately, he is somewhat by-the-books, and is supremely arrogant about his prowess. Not surprisingly, this makes him vulnerable to out-of-the-box thinking by those he deems to be "lesser".


"Him? That idiot? Ha! As if the magnificent I could ever lose to that lowborn amateur--wait, what? What do you mean he broke through our lines? That's...that's not possible! Intensify forward firepower!"

Trivia:

Quirks:Power-hungry, arrogant, and by-the-book (though still a very good commander). Curiously, loves rock music and dreams about playing in a band (though he wouldn't caught dead doing so).

Favorite foods: Chicken Marsala. Favorite flavoring is the blood of his enemies and crushing victory. Also enjoys the occasional wine.

Hobbies: Unknown.


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Cubey

Character Name: Kyube Tempo

Role:

Siela's younger brother by a year. Like Kamia, he falls desperately in love with his step sibling, and like the purple-haired girl Kyube is ignorant about the true relationship between he and his sister. He all but worships Furi, awed by the fact that he's a PLANT pilot at the young age of 17.

In Siela's route, his hero-worship of the protagonist turns into jealous rage that Furi luckily gets him out of before he joins Ritt as a traitor. In Kara's route, he despairs at the loss of his sister and blames the hero entirely for it, betraying the cause and becoming Roag's minion (never knowing that it was Roag who killed his sister), redeeming himself only at the last moment. He plays only a minor role in Kamia's route, going insane with grief once he finds out that his sister was murdered and running amok on a wild rampage before being swiftly put down.


Personality:

Initially, he is a cheerful, energetic young man and is a wide-eyed idealist, looking highly up to the hero...in front of the hero, at least--in private, he is quiet, and rather gloomy. The coming battles, however, tests his ideals to the utmost.


"Hey, what's up! So, you're gonna go kick some more ass today? Man, I wish I could join you, but sis never lets me...


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Terraoblivion

Character Name: Terra Olvido

Appearance:

Tall, slender, and quite pale.

Quite busty.

Long pink hair down to the middle of her back.

Narrow, rectangular glasses.

Typical dress consists of a nice blouse with long skirt--a bit nerdish, but still cute.


Role:
Since Terra is a minor character, she does not play too large a role in any of the three routes, aside from contributing a bit to the plot. Technobabble is explained either by her or Mei Lia.

Her rivalry with Mei Lia Drascin leads to some comedic scenes.


Personality:

Terra is, above all else, passionate. A scientist and the head of the R&D department, as part of her research contract she also works as the school's physics teacher. Terra firmly believes that mecha are for the protection and the benefit of mankind, and as a result she often comes into conflict with some of the more militaristic admirers of huge robots, in particular Mei Lia (whom she nonetheless has to work with often).

She finds Siela's lackadaisical nature endearing, and Siela, in turn, admires the professor's determination and intellect.



"When I was little, my colony was attacked by bandits. My family and I would have been killed or worse if it wasn't for the robots that defended my town. It's because I believe in these machines that I'm here, not for money or prestige or because I want to kill people."

Trivia:

Quirks: Very wordy and talkative when excited (amusingly, quite like her archnemesis Mei Lia). Fairly unaffected and laid-back about issues that don't hit too close to home, and quite optimistic. Prefers women over men, much to the dismay and grief of the school's male population. Clusmy.

Favorite foods: Tea, sweets, and curiously, spicy things.

Hobbies: Not a fan of sports, but loves reading about mecha (the non-violent stuff, of course--instead, the technical aspects fascinate her) and pop-culture literature. Enjoys cooking.


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Drascin

Character Name: Mei Lia Drascin

Role:

Mei Lia is the Chief Mechanic for all of the BTSs in Taskforce Root of Spring, and as such it is her job to keep them all in tip-top condition. Her other main job is to provide comic relief, usually in the form of verbal sparring with Terra Olvido, and provide technical info about PLANT and BTS systems.


Personality

Her detractors would say that fixing robots is the only thing she can really do, as she's not the most socially adept of people. She loves giant robots, and she also loves to talk about them, freely mixing in jargon and advanced concepts in conversations about, say, the weather. Mei Lia is airheaded, but not quite the same way Siela is--if Siela is too absentminded, then Mei Lia is too focused.


"...so the magnetic joint stabilizer needs Type-5 Lubricant to stay at optimal combat efficiency, and in order to do that it needs a Corzell Mk. IV Advanced Injector installed in horizontal Z angle sets and...hey, hey! Wait! I'm not done yet!"

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Prime32

Character Name: Illa Sanjuni

Appearance:

Shoulder-length dark brown hair, usually tied into a ponytail.

Average height.

Modest figure, rather toned and athletic body.

Ice blue eyes that are normally set into a focused stare or a sharp glare.

Wears an all-black suit for piloting, with stiff pieces of cloth attached to make it look armored.


Role:

Roag's right hand woman and his most skilled mecha pilot. When Furi's not beating on Roag, he's beating on Illa. A Dragon to the Dragon, if you would.

In Siela's route, it's also her job to demonstrate the moral superiority of Furi and his comrades by defecting to his side. In Kara's route, however, Illa's failed defection is used to demonstrate that even the redeemable bad guys don't always get a happy ending.

She gets killed off fairly early in Kamia's route.



"Sir, I understand that destroying the enemy's munitions plants was necessary, but did we really have to kill all the workers and their families as well?"

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Rutee
Character Name: Rudy Bamdan

Role:

Originally the secondary hero for a planned 4th route, due to budget concerns, Rudy didn't quite make it into the game. He was supposed to be the game's alternate Yaoi option, and the player would have been able to make certain choices that would make Rudy either the Uke or the Semee. He has quite the fan following, but repeated promises of the Rudy Route has resulted in nothing. As a result, he is regarded with much pity.

Instead, he serves as one of Neridia's many Bridge bunnies and is a minor character, there for the sake of humor and to flesh out Neridia's bridge crew a little more.

Personality:
He is sly and mischievous, and puts on an air of apathy and laziness when it comes to work. Neridia constantly berates him for this. He also has a bit of a thing for flat chested women.


"What're you talking about?! A flat chest is a status symbol! A rarity!"


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Poison_Fish
Character Name: Toksus Uwoh

Role:
A comic relief character, and one of Neridia's bridge bunnies. Much of the humor on the INS Echo Wind comes from Toksus and Rudy throwing jokes at each other and generally being unprofessional.


Personality:

He's one of Furi's friends, and his loud, bombastic nature compliments our hero quite nicely. Like his colleague Rudy, he's a bit of a pain to his commander.


"Yeah! To hell with reason, charge them head on--ow! Okay, okay, calibrating shields..."

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Closet_Skeleton
Character Name: Armadia Osteus

Appearance:

Short dark-green hair.

Yellow eyes.

Fairly tall: 5'10''.

Thin.

Likes earthy-tones of brown and green for clothing, aside from a crimson scarf for cold weather. Occasionally seen in a wide-brimmed straw hat and a poncho.

Though not often seen a skirt, she's a definite grade A+ Zettai Ryouiki when she is.


Role:

Yet another one of Neridia's bridge bunnies, Armadia is the cold and professional one, obeying orders without question and performing her duties efficiently. She is the straight "man" against Rudy's mischief and Toksus' unruly manner.

Personality:

Although she seems emotionless, it's more that she shows emotion in bursts--as a result, every once in a while Armadia will spontaneously explode into a chaotic mess of feelings. Nonetheless, Admiral Neridia trusts Armadia the most among her subordinates.


"Aye, Admiral, setting coordinates to 15. 63. 09. Ensign Bantam, please stop singing on the bridge. It is unprofessional."

Trivia:

Quirks: Dislikes skimpy clothing and stuff that mundane fashion shops stock. Also a bit squeamish about mass violence, but gets the job done regardless. Knows a fair bit of trivia, but not enough to carry out and "win" a deep, philosophical debate. Claims to dislike a lot of things.

Favorite foods: Red meat (aside from poultry), pasta, pizza, rice, and spicy stuff. Strong dislike of vegetables aside from carrots, broccoli, and potatoes. As for beverages, enjoys cider, fruit juices, and a soft drink known as Stl-Bru ("steel brew"), imported directly from New Edinburgh. Dislikes water and mint (and consequently dislikes brushing teeth, but does it anyway for the sake of professionalism).

Hobbies: Drawing, painting small plastic figurines, and writing (though she tends to start many projects and finishes few). Likes Old Earth English folk music, mid-20th century rock.


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Hanzo666
Character Name: Han Bodega

Appearance:

Spiky white hair with electricity running through it.

White lab coat, goggles, other Mad ScientistTM paraphernalia.

Role:

The Diabolus Ex Machina: when something seems to be going someone's way, and all is perfect, it's Han Bodega's job to come in and trash it all. His special ability seems to be popping out of nowhere and screwing stuff up. Expect him to play a small, but decisive and crucial role, in all the routes.


Personality:
Take a cup of mad scientist, throw in a pinch of Blood Knight, and add liberal amounts of Huge Robot pilot. Hey, if you're going to run around screwing everyone's plans up, you might as well be a nutter, eh? He has few attachments and cares little for others.



"Who am I?! Your DOOM! DOOOOM! A HA HA HA HA HA!"



The robots: (Updated 9/19/09)

Vehicle Info:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6956764&postcount=390

Piloting Mechanics:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6956768&postcount=391

Plasm:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6956756&postcount=389

Weapon Systems:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6956773&postcount=392

Superweapons:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6956778&postcount=393

[Fri]

...you're not kidding.

Oh what've my subcouncious done...

But I approve it

[13_CBS]

...you're not kidding.


No, I'm pretty interested, actually. Quite serious.

I can write a little bit, but to make a true visual novel you need:

1) Writers (for, you know, the actual text)
2) Artists (for CGs, general art)
3) Composers (for music)
4) Programmers (for the coding)

So...yeah. It'd be pretty cool if we could pull this off like the way 4chan did for Katawa Shoujo, but if not, oh well.




Oh what've my subcouncious done...


The sleep of reason begets monsters.

[Fri]

Anyway, it's not like everyone must be an important character. Some of the cast can be supporting characters or bridge bunnies or something, right? I'll take closet skeleton for example (just for example). He (she?) can be the kuudere bridge bunny. I still want to see a cubey/tengu pairing though.

[13_CBS]

I still want to see a cubey/tengu pairing though.

Tengu = mission control, a la Misato Katsuragi (except less Bottle Fairy)

Cubey = the male, non-kuudere Bridge bunny

Problem solved. Throw in the devastatingly attractive female kuudere Bridge Bunny named Closet_Skeleton, and you've got drama on top of your pairing.

[Fri]

And one more thing

Dont trap yourself into writing too many character. And don't let real life force you what to write. (The characterization doesn't fit real life? Who cares?)

edit: Of course Tengu isn't a bottle fairy. She's a lovecraftian abomination Cloudcuckoolander Willie Wonka (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheWonka).

[Lord of Rapture]

Besides, it's not like our online personaes are exactly like our real life personaes anyway.

In real life, I'm not nearly this tempermental and hard to please, nor am I a mad scientist with time control powers who constantly berates the player for dying stupidly.

[KnightDisciple]

This is awesome. Period. No argument.:smalltongue:

[13_CBS]

Sadly, unless we can actually compile a proper Visual Novel team together, I may have to stick with writing an original fiction instead. Which means no berating the player for being stupid on LoR's part...On the bright side, in case you guys do end up making an actual Visual Novel, you'll have a something of a script to work with, at least. :smallbiggrin:

[Nerd-o-rama]

Repo-stan

I'm Rin? I can live with that.

Although it would also make perfect sense for me to swap roles with Tengu.

[KnightDisciple]

Link here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124102

I'm gonna start mulling over the characters tonight, and after that I'll get to working on the setting and such.

Don't expect too much hardness on the Sci Fi scale for this setting: space mecha requires liberties from hard physics, after all.

Edit: As for the characters...if you haven't noticed from the character summaries already, you'll notice that, unfortunately, I don't know you guys all THAT well. Thus, don't expect your avatars to behave as you do in either real life or on the forums. :smalleek:

If there's anything you feel might be critical to know about us, ask. Otherwise...*Shrugs* Fudging it can be fine.

[Lord of Rapture]

Even if we don't get to make a visual novel, it could be a kickass roleplay. You write out the story and send us our parts by PM, and then we get the rest of the board to play and make choices. That way, we can still get through all 3 routes, and I can still yell and demoralize people without having to make a visual novel.

[KnightDisciple]

Even if we don't get to make a visual novel, it could be a kickass roleplay. You write out the story and send us our parts by PM, and then we get the rest of the board to play and make choices. That way, we can still get through all 3 routes, and I can still yell and demoralize people without having to make a visual novel.

Hm. This sounds interesting as an alternate.

[Rogue 7]

Subscribed. It'd be nice to get into "villain mode", even if, in reality, I am nothing like that. However, if, as you did in my summary, you have my character quoting Star Wars at every possible moment, you will both accurately capture that aspect of me, and make me a happy, happy man.

And dude, even if you just write a script for this, it'd be awesome. Hell, I'd say do it in the style of a VN- complete with wrong choices, for the chance to have LOR rant.

[Fri]

*shifty eyes*And maybe, just maybe, if this work well, I might be interested to provide some, just some illustration, however inadequate my illustration might be.

Though, as I said my drawing isn't that good, especially for a visual novel style of illustration.

You can use stock photos and images as background, add some stock music, and I think that's enough for a visual novel of this caliber.

And you don't need programmer, just use renpy (http://www.renpy.org/).

edit: and yeah, characterwise, swapping nerdo and tengu can also make sense, even with 'nerdo as the leader' stock of my dream. You're the writer tho.

[Lord of Rapture]

All right, I'll chip in my support as a writer... seeing as I can't do jack squat for any of the other parts.

As for Rogue 7, he buckles down and thinks in nothingclever's route simply because I get off my lazy *** and put my own piece into the game so that it never ends.

In Nerdo's route, I do nothing but sit back and watch, and cry helplessly as the heroes win and the conflict is over. Frustrated, I tell the player to go do the other two routes as well, so my entertainment doesn't end.

In kamikasei's route, the hero does so well at the beginning, I panic and put all my pieces onto the board, so things go horribly, horribly wrong for the hero until finally everyone snaps and breaks. I have a great time until everyone dies, and I'm left alone.

But most of all, don't copy Nasu's style of writing. He's great, I admit, and his works never fail at making me cry, but he's a certified graduate of Hideo Kojima's never-use-one-word-when-one-million-will-suffice school of writing, and I doubt we'll need so much exposition anyway, considering how light-hearted the visual novel's likely going to be.

[kamikasei]

Well this is horrifying yet also strangely awesome. I'm just wondering how much of each route is for sheer comedic value and how much is actually based off our personas.


Sadly, unless we can actually compile a proper Visual Novel team together, I may have to stick with writing an original fiction instead. Which means no berating the player for being stupid on LoR's part...

You could have little inserts between chapters where LoR either berates you as if you took the other path, or hints that everything's going to go horribly wrong anyway.

[Rogue 7]

Actually, LoR's idea of a sort of freeform PbP-type game sounds like a lot of fun, especially if we plan it all out in advance what's going to happen, and offer the selected victim player various choices, particularly if they come into this blind. Would be a lot less work than a full VN anyways.

[Fri]

Incidentally, I've helped in some amateur VN making. Well... if this is going to be a real vn, here's what you can do to help. Help finding compatible pictures for background for various scenes and bgm for the scenes. At least each character's leitmotif.

edit: I wonder how quick the fridge logic will hit us all like a bullet train and make us realize how creepy/disturbing/taking time all of this. That's why we should've just take this for fun and not waiting for anything.

[nothingclever]

This is pretty interesting to me simply because I've already been included in it without actually saying anything. I'm sure I could help make whatever we're making somehow. I could try writing my character's lines.

[Hermit]

Sadly, unless we can actually compile a proper Visual Novel team together, I may have to stick with writing an original fiction instead.

World's first visual novel containing 100% text? It's like Zork with more descriptions about giant robots.

[Echowinds]

I don't mind colouring/drawing some stuff, if you don't mind stuff being too amateurish. Seems hilarious.

[The Evil Thing]

Would you like an editor? It'll be a nice diversion from back-and-forthing with translators.

[Fri]

World's first visual novel containing 100% text? It's like Zork with more descriptions about giant robots.

This. It's not that strange nor the first actually, there're some amateur VN with limited illustration out there.

What we need now is just finding stock images and songs to put as background and bgm.

Not even stock! As this might fall into parody, we may be able to use non stock footages!

And even then, we already got two somewhat artist here.

[Drascin]

World's first visual novel containing 100% text? It's like Zork with more descriptions about giant robots.

...and I'd be okay with this.

Anyway, you obviously have my support here. I can write, and I might be willing to get Renpy and learn a bit about it to code the text into the novel itself, if nobody else is willing to.

[The Evil Thing]

This. It's not that strange nor the first actually, there're some amateur VN with limited illustration out there.

What we need now is just finding stock images and songs to put as background and bgm.

Not even stock! As this might fall into parody, we may be able to use non stock footages!
I wouldn't risk it, and public domain stuff would be naff. But hey, isn't this GiantITP? What art style is this site famous for? Use that.

[Echowinds]

Really, you only need about 7 backgrounds (classroom, home, park, street, school grounds, and two from the usual beach/snowy mountain/hot spring/roof/hill with tree/etc) to get enough backgrounds. Then, you only need to have a picture of each character in the portrait. If we decide to be fancy, we can have happy/sad/angry/neutral face for each, which can be done by just editing the face, which is incredibly easy.

[kamikasei]

I wouldn't risk it, and public domain stuff would be naff. But hey, isn't this GiantITP? What art style is this site famous for? Use that.

I cannot in good conscience support the concept of a stick figure VN unless we all sign, in blood, a pledge to make no jokes about "wood".


If we decide to be fancy, we can have happy/sad/angry/neutral face for each, which can be done by just editing the face, which is incredibly easy.

At least one character needs the full tsuntsun<->deredere spectrum, which means body language too.

[Fri]

Echowind, you talk like a true designer. We do that.

You guys with free time can comb newgrounds (the mp3, not the flash part) for good music for our project. Something like a good leitmotif for each characters, a calming song, love song, song for the headquarters, etc.

edit: and I found a free soundtrack stock music site. There might be a lot more out there.

http://www.freesoundtrackmusic.com/

[Echowinds]

At least one character needs the full tsuntsun<->deredere spectrum, which means body language too.

Indeed. However, you will need to have about 3 variations for each main character (3 main heroines, the lancer, the villain) then, which will take some work.

Of course, if we want to be REALLY fancy, we can have cut scene CGs! Which is of course a lot of work but really really awesome.

[Hermit]

Easy to use Visual Novel Engine, anyone? (http://renpy.org/wiki/renpy/Home_Page)

[Fri]

I've linked that in the first page though.

[Echowinds]

Of course, the engine's there. It's more the problem of providing the artwork/original sound/music. Writing's less of a problem, because generally anyone can write (of course with varying degree of quality). Even the artist can force some writing out if necessary.

More importantly, someone has to take the lead by contributing and organizing in such projects.

[Lord of Rapture]

Okay, here's a sample Bad End that you get if you let Nerdo die on her route against Rogue 7 to create an opening for his destruction, which you fail at and die.


*player's dead corpse hangs from the ceiling*

BAAA- KAAAAAAA!

DAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKADAKKKA-

*smoldering pile of ash*

Yoou fooool! You pathetic excuse for a human being! Abandoning your true love to kill you enemy? WHAT SORT OF LAME EXCUSE FOR A HERO ARE YOU?!

No, stop. Do not even try to say, "But it's the practical, smart thing to do! Who are you to lecture me, you jerk?" What are you, the damn villain? I'm not the one in charge of saving the world. People like you make me wonder why Lurker never got her path.

Lurker: Does that mean I'll get my path back?:smallbiggrin:

*slap*

Be quiet, or I'll make you scrub the giant hourglass with your own tongue, assistant.

Lurker: *whimper*

That's a good Sacchin.

Rogue 7: Hey, get your hands off of her, and why the he** am I her- *fwoosh* AAAAHHH, I'M BURNING!

Shut up.

I have nothing left to say to such trash. Just... just go back and fix what you did. And you better not come back here the same way, or Lurker gets a new playmate.

I need aspirin. Where's my aspirin? How can the play possibly be playing if the lead actor doesn't even know his lines?

[The Evil Thing]

I cannot in good conscience support the concept of a stick figure VN unless we all sign, in blood, a pledge to make no jokes about "wood".
Duly sworn, although I hope you won't mind if I refrain from posting pictures of me drawing the blood to make such an oath.


Easy to use Visual Novel Engine, anyone? (http://renpy.org/wiki/renpy/Home_Page)
Isn't KiriKiri under GNU licensing as well?

[Lord of Rapture]

I cannot in good conscience support the concept of a stick figure VN unless we all sign, in blood, a pledge to make no jokes about "wood".

I don't get it.:smallconfused:

[The Evil Thing]

I don't either. Just agree with him.

[kamikasei]

Stick figures.

Sticks.

Wood.

"Wood".

Has that euphemism fallen into disuse?

[The Evil Thing]

Of course not. It's just that we hold ourselves so far above such ridiculous puns that they don't even enter our mental airspace.

(In English: jokes like that are too easy; also you have a dirty mind.)

[Dispozition]

I can colour any art you chuck my way, but I can't draw. I can probably check for grammar mistakes and whatnot, whatever that's called these days...Editing or something, I dunno.

[Tengu_temp]

Sensible and facepalming mission control? I guess it makes sense that my female version is a total opposite of me.

Also, Tengu needs to be an ill girl. That's an important part of my characterization.

[13_CBS]

Hmm...veeery interesting....

I quite like the idea of a forum Pbp-style VN. I'll scout out some music and background pictures.

To facilitate a few things, I'd like some input on:

1) Style of mecha. Judging from Fri's dream, it looks like we're gonna have a combining humongous mecha, made up of several, or many, smaller robots. Any more details on that? Like, are the smaller mecha lions or chipmunks or just humanoid robots or what? And what sort of weapons will we be using?

Also, science-wise, how hard do you guys want the setting to be? Keep in mind that there are going to be 3 routes: the first generally light and fluffy, the second realistic and cynical, the third utterly depressing and maddening.

2) Setting. It looks like we're going to be set in some school (preferably a mix of Japanese and Western style school), but where? On Earth? Elsewhere? In SPACE, even?

3) Who are we fighting? Fri's dream mentioned something about Lovecraftian horrors--if that's the case, the primary human antagonists could be a cult that gained power and became a mighty empire, dedicated towards the cause of the Elder Evils (yes, Rogue, so on top of being an arrogant, hammy evil general, you're also a flaming cultist.) Do you guys have any other ideas?

4) For the people who have character avatars: please post a summary of your online persona. I won't be able to follow it to the letter, but it'll give me an idea on which I can base your characters on. Your online persona description doesn't have to be necessarily accurate, either. :smallbiggrin:


Also, Nerdo and Fri seem to think that Nerdo and Tengu ought to be switched. What say you?

[Fri]

Wow. I think I'm one of the few people who got an adaptation displacement/distillation of his own dream. So don't mind my dream too much. But yeah, it's humanoid in my dream, though it's more super robot-ish.

Ever watch the 'vehicle voltron'? In my dream, that's what our mech looks like, but an eva-ish mech work better here.

Dunno what that should make me feel.

And I don't know about tengu and nerdo role, it's up to you, but tengu should be as she.. I mean he said, ill girl. And his VN persona should be The Wonka/a bit cloudcuckoolander/something in that line. and in real life, tengu and cubey are real life brothers. that's why I propose the twincest route.

[kamikasei]

Mecha: humanoid please. A hybrid of Eva and Knightmare should do nicely.


4) For the people who have character avatars: please post a summary of your online persona. I won't be able to follow it to the letter, but it'll give me an idea on which I can base your characters on. Your online persona description doesn't have to be necessarily accurate, either. :smallbiggrin:

I'd find it more amusing to see what others come up with based on their impressions of me. But since my avatar shows multiple characters, I suggest you use the angry Kagami (http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w310/kamikasei/kagami_anger_avatar.png) one if you want an image.

[Lord of Rapture]

It'd be awesome if, one day in the far future, our idea is made into an anime. That'd be sweet.

I'd say it should take place in outer space, due to the fact there are Lovecraftian horrors in the setting, and it would be cool if you could fight one in outer space with a giant mech. Also, I'm one of the long imprisoned horrors the antagonists released in hopes of using my powers to take over the world, but I'm the wild card in the situation, helping out both sides to make sure nobody wins so I can watch them kill each other forever.

[kamikasei]

So which of us has a chibi-cat version? The lead heroine (Nerdo or Tengu)?

[KnightDisciple]

1) Style of mecha. I vote for the Eva-ish ones. That way, if/when someone dies, it's not like "oh noes, we can never form the giant robot again!", it's "oh noes, I have no backup!".

2) Setting. IN SPACE! IN A SCHOOL! WITH A BOX OF-wait, never mind.:smalltongue:

3) Who are we fighting? I like the "Elder Evil cult" concept.

4) For the people who have character avatars: please post a summary of your online persona. I won't be able to follow it to the letter, but it'll give me an idea on which I can base your characters on. Your online persona description doesn't have to be necessarily accurate, either. :smallbiggrin:
This, I'll do later.:smalltongue:

[Cubey]

Here's my input: don't take the novel too seriously. Go wild! Put everything in that looked like a good idea at the time. Overload tropes and throw a cliche here and there if you feel like it. Remember the dating sim Yuki created in last episodes of Haruhi-chan? We should aim for something like that.

[kamikasei]

Remember the dating sim Yuki created in last episodes of Haruhi-chan? We should aim for something like that.

VERY THIS.

[Terraoblivion]

And i am saddened that in a cast with this many female characters, the one girl in the actual thread isn't in there. I know that i am not the most talkative person around, usually because i feel i have nothing to add, but i always read it and keep up. So know that even if i don't say anything i am always watching. Ohohohohohoooo...

Also if Tengu is in there we absolutely and unconditionally need Cubey. Those two are a pair and can't just be separated like that.

[kamikasei]

And i am saddened that in a cast with this many female characters, the one girl in the actual thread isn't in there.

You will, of course, be the yaoi option.

Also: plug suits for everyone.

[13_CBS]

And i am saddened that in a cast with this many female characters, the one girl in the actual thread isn't in there.


Then post your online persona and you'll be included. :smallwink: At the moment, we could use a quiet Yamato Nadeshiko type.


On Tengu: the trouble with Tengu being a ditzy ill girl is that Tengu will no longer eligible for being the exasperated, "you knucklehead!" type of commander. That role will have to go to someone else, I'm afraid.

...maybe Nerdo? As a compromise for the whole switch-Nerdo-and-Kami around thing.

Edit: which episode was the Yuki's Dating Sim thing? I haven't seen Haruhi, you see.

[Terraoblivion]

That isn't even fun, Kami. :smalltongue:

As for my online persona, i think i need to consult with a few others first.

[Cubey]

Well, many people already agreed to switch Nerdo and Tengu. That makes sense if you ask me.



Also if Tengu is in there we absolutely and unconditionally need Cubey. Those two are a pair and can't just be separated like that.
I will have my vengeance for this.

[kamikasei]

Edit: which episode was the Yuki's Dating Sim thing? I haven't seen Haruhi, you see.

Not Haruhi, Haruhi-chan - the chibi web shorts. It's in the final one.


That isn't even fun, Kami. :smalltongue:

I'm entirely serious. Why should you be the only one not to be genderswapped? Except for the obvious reason that all genderswapping tends to keep females female once they get that way.

[Cubey]

I'm entirely serious. Why should you be the only one not to be genderswapped? Except for the obvious reason that all genderswapping tends to keep females female once they get that way.

Exactly this.

However, I simply can't picture Terra as straight so she probably won't be a romantic option, more like a side character.

[13_CBS]

Very well. Nerdo and Tengu shall be swapped, but their characters shall remain the same.

Nerdo: the tsundere mission control commander, and...

Tengu: the ditzy ill-girl who becomes one of the heroines. Like the hero, she also has a brother who, surprise, is not related to her by blood (Cubey). In keeping with the old "pair the spares" trope, in Tengu's route Kamikasei and Cubey will hook up. In the darker routes, however...

:smallamused:


Edit: Also, since Closet Skeleton's going to be a female kuudere bridge bunny, Terra's still got someone to pair up with.

Edit 2: It looks like the current trend is toward smaller humanoid mecha combining to form a bigger one. How about Arm Slave sized smaller mecha/powered armor being the constituents of the bigger mecha?

[KnightDisciple]

Hey now. I've not been gender-swapped, thank you kindly. I can stay that way, too. Non-gender-swapped, that is.:smalltongue:

And I'm torn on the plugsuit issue. Maybe if I'm guaranteed a black one with yellow highlights?

[Terraoblivion]

Which is fine with me. The leads in visual novels tend to be incredibly dull people i wouldn't want to date even if i were straight. And that is supposing that they aren't like Shirou.

As for my online persona, apart from the rather firmly defined lesbianism that Cubey mentioned, i got a few answers from talking to people. One thing they keep mentioning is the way i want answers to most things going on around me and can apparently be rather forceful in my attempts to get them. I also tend to have strong views about things i care about and be willing to expound at length about them, in reality that is politics but it should probably be shifted to something more general in the VN. I also tend to have expensive tastes, something that gets accentuated online where i only talk about things i like, rather than about all the boring little daily necessities.

Sloppiness, laziness and a constant tendency to infodump at the slightest provocation. At least online, i tend to take things entirely too seriously too and speak so formally and controlledly that my feelings are hard to make out, until they start running loose...In general i am just crazy, online it seems.

And Kami, being male is the one joke i don't want made about me. There are a few touchy things in that respect.

[kamikasei]

However, I simply can't picture Terra as straight so she probably won't be a romantic option, more like a side character.

The sexy rival?


Edit 2: It looks like the current trend is toward smaller humanoid mecha combining to form a bigger one. How about Arm Slave sized smaller mecha/powered armor being the constituents of the bigger mecha?

Sounds good!


And Kami, being male is the one joke i don't want made about me. There are a few touchy things in that respect.

No offense intended.

[Terraoblivion]

I wasn't offended. I am just bad at the politeness thing, i merely meant to say that i wouldn't want to be genderswapped for it.

[KnightDisciple]

I don't really know how big Arm Slaves are, but again, I'm okay with the combining mecha angle.:smalltongue:

Um. Online persona.

...Is this more of a "how do other people see me" kind of thing? If so, I suppose I need input from others here. I mean, I realize everything will be exaggerated once this actually starts.:smallsigh:

[13_CBS]

By online persona I mean, "how do you think you act and behave on the forums?".


Any other suggestions on the nature of the enemy that we fight?


Also, check the OP for changes. Tengu and Nerdo have been completely swapped, and Cubey's entry has been added.

[kamikasei]

I wasn't offended. I am just bad at the politeness thing, i merely meant to say that i wouldn't want to be genderswapped for it.

Offense is the wrong word. I didn't mean to push any buttons, or whatever. Bah, you know what I mean, I'm sure.


I don't really know how big Arm Slaves are, but again, I'm okay with the combining mecha angle.:smalltongue:

Arm Slaves are about the same size as low-end Knightmare Frames, which is to say a bit bigger than something like Ripley's loader from Aliens. The 'body' part is just big enough to serve as a cockpit, no larger.

[Fri]

Sonuvacrap. Now I'm totally, absolutely going to do Tengu's route. Curse you and your writing ability/idea, 13_CBS!!!

And tengu's going to do... his own route? Huh. Fits him I guess...

[13_CBS]

KnightDisciple: For a size reference, here's an arm slave:

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/full_metal_panic/c011/8.html

They're a bit bigger than I thought they were, so I think I might make them a bit smaller.

[Terraoblivion]

In the books they are around 26 feet tall, differing a bit between models. Which makes them significantly smaller than, say, Gundams, but still substantially larger than power armors.

[kamikasei]

Too few routes! Are you trying to create a coherent work of fiction or a hilarious trainwreck, here?

[13_CBS]

BOTH! A HA HA HA HA

There's 3 routes already. You want more? :smallconfused: It'll REALLY be a trainwreck if we try more, I think.

[kamikasei]

BOTH! A HA HA HA HA

There's 3 routes already. You want more? :smallconfused: It'll REALLY be a trainwreck if we try more, I think.

Well, if you're trying for a real finished product three should be plenty, I guess. I'm just thinking of Haruhi-chan again. And of maximizing the embarrassing situations we drop our fictional avatars in to.

[13_CBS]

And of maximizing the embarrassing situations we drop our fictional avatars in to.

Oh, there will be plenty of that.

[Drascin]

Um. Online persona.

...Is this more of a "how do other people see me" kind of thing? If so, I suppose I need input from others here. I mean, I realize everything will be exaggerated once this actually starts.:smallsigh:

I presume it's just your usual behaviour online. With, which me, I guess means a tendency to talk very rarely (I'm, before all, a lurker, really. I prefer listening to people than actually talking myself), but when I do, it can go on for VERY long. I've had posts that were supposed to be two paragraphs in the beginning end up breaking the character limit :smallredface:.

[13_CBS]

A few more things before I go...

Drascin: Chief Engineer, loves fixing all the big robots. Still not sure about a personality at the moment...

Terraoblivion: Passionate mecha research scientist. Usually quiet and aloof, but very strongly believes that big mechs are for the benefit of everyone. Also very curious and loves doing research. A teacher at the setting's school, she has a tendency to go on very long rants about mecha and how they're designed to protect the innocent and punish the wrongdoers.

I bet a lot of you have been wondering who the hero is. I was the same, until just now...the hero shall be none other than the progenitor of this whole crazy project, FRI! :smallbiggrin:

And now I retreat to mull some more.

[Tengu_temp]

I resent being shipped with Cubey. What is the point of heterosexual ships that don't involve the main character in such games, anyway? Instead, I suggest a much better option - as a female character I finally have chance with Terra-oneesama! Gunbuster music optional.

As for my character, remember to add my tendency to disturb people, or at least Nerdo - although how that would work with a highly idealistic character, I have no idea, maybe it should be ununtentional. It's also worth noting that I tend to downplay my illness in order not to worry my friends. Last but not least, I'm almost as lazy as Terra.

Cubey needs to be emo. Emo and tsundere.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Okay, tsundere commander works for me. Although more on the snarky-perfectionist-but-I-really-love-you-guys line than the flipping between violent and nice depending on what immature sexual comment has been made about me type, please.

Also, I can't really advise the situation with Terra, because her/Rutee is my OTP and Rutee isn't in this game.

[Prime32]

Geez, if this is what happens I should have told you guys my crazy dream. :smalltongue:

I'd ask what kind of minor role I might get, but I'm a little frightened of where "didn't hate Gundam SEED Destiny" will get me.

[Nerd-o-rama]

The annoying rival who thinks he's the main character but constantly gets embarassingly shot down by the real (boring, invincible) protagonist, maybe?

[Prime32]

The annoying rival who thinks he's the main character but constantly gets embarassingly shot down by the real (boring, invincible) protagonist, maybe?Unknown Rival (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UnknownRival)?

Hmm... what if I start off as an antagonist with a prototype mech from the same line as the main one... which, in a subversion, turns out to be much weaker than it with almost no weapons? After a run of bad luck I eventually join forces with the good guys, and my mech combines with theirs as... a Scrander (not a very fast one, but given the way the main mech is piloted, still rather insanely useful). That's probably too much though... :smalleek:

The mech needs a name. With "Oh" in it.

[Rogue 7]

As the crazy, hammy villain type, I sincerely doubt you'd actually want an accurate depiction of my actual online personality (which is generally pretty boring, to tell the truth. I don't tend to really try and make an "online persona" for myself, so it's just me) Saying that, if you do- a fairly gnomic character, given to sarcasm and understatement, even in battle. Thus, despite his towering enthusiasm for it (and I do enjoy a good scrap), in battle he favors short quips rather than epic speeches. For bonus points, tends to refer to the hero as "boyo" or "my boy". Sample, from the opening exchange of banter:



Well, my boy. That's a fine looking mech you've got there. In the hands of a competent pilot, you might even be able to scratch my paint. But I shall indulge you, boyo. Come, let us fight!

When he's actually in trouble:



Gah! Not bad, boyo. You just might make this interesting.


And when he loses:



What?....But...how? Impossible....


For looks- make him grotesque. I'm still a bit of a Warhammer 40K fan, so maybe have a few mutations in place of normal limbs, a la a true chaos cultist. Tentacles or gaseous, bulbous things work equally well.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Unknown Rival (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UnknownRival)?I was just describing Shinn, really.

[Terraoblivion]

That would ruin all the humor Tengu. You and Cubey have to be a potential couple and that would be ruined if you used this opportunity to go for me instead.

And i definitely wouldn't mind if we import Rutee for this, just to get me a love interest.

[Poison_Fish]

That would ruin all the humor Tengu. You and Cubey have to be a potential couple and that would be ruined if you used this opportunity to go for me instead.

And i definitely wouldn't mind if we import Rutee for this, just to get me a love interest.

Your forgetting, aren't we both companions and rivals in love~?

[13_CBS]

Saying that, if you do- a fairly gnomic character, given to sarcasm and understatement, even in battle. Thus, despite his towering enthusiasm for it (and I do enjoy a good scrap), in battle he favors short quips rather than epic speeches.

Hmm...what about both? In normal battles, he's calm, cool, and occasionally sarcastic to boost the morale of his men. But when the hero starts eroding his confidence, his hammineses manifests.



For looks- make him grotesque. I'm still a bit of a Warhammer 40K fan, so maybe have a few mutations in place of normal limbs, a la a true chaos cultist. Tentacles or gaseous, bulbous things work equally well.

I'm envisioning a charmingly grotesque man: tall, lean, and very bishonen, but part of his face is fashionably demonically malformed, and under his majestic crimson cloak he hides multiple, well-muscled arms. Heck, his cloak could be well-groomed, handsome demon wings or something.

...something not too unlike a demonic Il-Palazzo :smallconfused:




Hmm... what if I start off as an antagonist with a prototype mech from the same line as the main one... which, in a subversion, turns out to be much weaker than it with almost no weapons? After a run of bad luck I eventually join forces with the good guys, and my mech combines with theirs as... a Scrander (not a very fast one, but given the way the main mech is piloted, still rather insanely useful). That's probably too much though... :smalleek:


What's a Scrander? :smallconfused: As for your actual role, I think I can fit something in...maybe as Rogue's Dragon/right hand man?


Okay, tsundere commander works for me. Although more on the snarky-perfectionist-but-I-really-love-you-guys line than the flipping between violent and nice depending on what immature sexual comment has been made about me type, please.

I wouldn't dream of doing it any other way. :smallwink:




Also, I can't really advise the situation with Terra, because her/Rutee is my OTP and Rutee isn't in this game.

I'll add Rutee when I can, but I don't know Rutee very well, sadly...he'll have to post his online persona here and give me something to work with.



I resent being shipped with Cubey.


Ah, but the masses demand it.



What is the point of heterosexual ships that don't involve the main character in such games, anyway?


Eh...it adds a little flavor to the mix, I find.




Instead, I suggest a much better option - as a female character I finally have chance with Terra-oneesama! Gunbuster music optional.


Hmm...I'll think on it.




Cubey needs to be emo. Emo and tsundere.

Done and done.



Your forgetting, aren't we both companions and rivals in love~?

Speaking of which, I need to find a way to put you in the game, Poison Fish. :smallconfused:

[Poison_Fish]

Really, I don't know what sort of personality I could say I have. I'm usually a jokester who wears shipping goggles. But I often just don't post much. Side character for sure, unless your involving former board members here.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I'll add Rutee when I can, but I don't know Rutee very well, sadly...he'll have to post his online persona here and give me something to work with.Rutee is both female and permabanned. She's...Konata. At least as far as online persona. Anyone who knows her disagree with me here?

[13_CBS]

Really, I don't know what sort of personality I could say I have. I'm usually a jokester who wears shipping goggles. But I often just don't post much. Side character for sure, unless your involving former board members here.



Comic relief, then? Team mascot, even? ("So check out this rare fish I found. I heard it's really poisonous...")


Rutee is both female and permabanned. She's...Konata. At least as far as online persona. Anyone who knows her disagree with me here?

Alright...what about being someone's Dead Little Sister?

[Terraoblivion]

No, Konata is a fairly good description of her online persona. Of course more nuances appear when you get to know her better, but saying that she is Konata should be plenty. She also used to have an avatar of Konata dressed up as Klan Klan which would be an obvious basis for art of her. Specifically looking like this (http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j227/RuteeKatreya/Kon-Kon.png). Wouldn't know where to find the full picture.

Oh and a few more things about me. I am really clumsy most of the time and wear glasses, the most awesome, bright red glasses ever.

[13_CBS]

Oh and a few more things about me. I am really clumsy most of the time and wear glasses, the most awesome, bright red glasses ever.

...your personality fits an idealistic, Dojikko scientist so much it's frightening. :smalleek:

[Terraoblivion]

Yeah, it actually does get pretty fun at times. Though my ability to obsess about tea, chocolate and food in general probably does less so.

[Nerd-o-rama]

No, that just makes you cuter. Like Setsuko's sweet tooth in SRWZ being the cutest thing about her that doesn't involve horrible emotional torture.

[Poison_Fish]

I could be comic relief, save that both Terra and I compete for Rutee's attention.

I suppose realistically ignoring my sense of humor and huge pervertedness, I'm told I'd make an excellent husbando. Oh, and I'm a social butterfly in a sense.

[Terraoblivion]

In short you are Teddy. Except without all the bad puns and with actual knowledge of who and what you are.

[kamikasei]

Rutee is both female and permabanned. She's...Konata. At least as far as online persona. Anyone who knows her disagree with me here?

Seems fair. But she should hardly be dead! I suggest making her the cut route.

[Poison_Fish]

In short you are Teddy. Except without all the bad puns and with actual knowledge of who and what you are.

It seems like I'll never escape being Teddy. Although even in real life people hang onto me like a teddy bear. Well, a big teddy bear.

[Drascin]

A few more things before I go...

Drascin: Chief Engineer, loves fixing all the big robots. Still not sure about a personality at the moment...


Based on my online persona? Easy. The dude means well, and is willing to work himself stupid for the others if necessary, but he's handicapped in his effort to help by being involuntarily, but highly, annoying. He (or she, if we're all going to be genderswapped) just talks in a way that makes people stop listening to him very quickly (add unnecessary technobabble, weird remarks, whatever you feel appropiate). I'm sure most people here will understand what I mean :smallredface:. Has trouble with the whole "general picture" thing, and is very obsessive with the details. Quick and generous to give praise if deserved, but also too quick to chastise if s/he sees any error. Basically, think a gentler, less emotionally damaged Ritsuko.


...your personality fits an idealistic, Dojikko scientist so much it's frightening. :smalleek:

Seconded. I had you archived mentally as "cool", Terra, but in light of this I wonder whether "cute" would fit you more :smalltongue:.

[nothingclever]

Oh and a few more things about me. I am really clumsy most of the time and wear glasses, the most awesome, bright red glasses ever.

Yeah, it actually does get pretty fun at times. Though my ability to obsess about tea, chocolate and food in general probably does less so.
Do you happen to look anything like this?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/nothingclever/miyuki.jpg

[Nerd-o-rama]

Where'd you get a photo of Terra?

[Prime32]

What's a Scrander? :smallconfused:
:smalleek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiLpQ7iZXZ0 (or if you prefer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vRrM2_KhXU)


As for your actual role, I think I can fit something in...maybe as Rogue's Dragon/right hand man?Well, I do enjoy troping. :smalltongue: (for example (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ApologeticAttacker))

[Poison_Fish]

Where'd you get a photo of Terra?

Damn it, I thought we stopped those from floating around.

[Rogue 7]

I have a minion now! Muahahahaha!

Edit: And I just found a crumpled-up Hachimaki (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main.Hachimaki) in my pocket. I now insist that this be incorporated into my character design.

[Terraoblivion]

Unfortunately for you, i don't look like that NC. I have a different style of glasses, blond hair...and i guess i look kinda like Miyuki would in a realistic style.

And really, Drascin. It depends on what aspects of me you focus on whether cool or cute is most fitting. I am not really nice enough for most cute archtypes while i am a bit too clumsy and awkward for most cool archtypes. But judge me based on what you see.

[kamikasei]

And really, Kami.

I think you meant Nerdo?

[Terraoblivion]

No, i meant Drascin.

[Tengu_temp]

Unfortunately for you, i don't look like that NC. I have a different style of glasses, blond hair...and i guess i look kinda like Miyuki would in a realistic style.


You also are more argumentative and confrontational than Miyuki. Which is actually cooler.

[Drascin]

And really, Kami. It depends on what aspects of me you focus on whether cool or cute is most fitting. I am not really nice enough for most cute archtypes while i am a bit too clumsy and awkward for most cool archtypes. But judge me based on what you see.


I think you meant Nerdo?

I'm feeling like I'm Hong Meiling right now ;_;

[kamikasei]

I'm feeling like I'm Hong Meiling right now ;_;

I'm going to say "who?" because it seems like part of the joke.

[13_CBS]

I'm feeling like I'm Hong Meiling right now ;_;

That's it, I'm making your character Chinese (in ethnicity).

[Terraoblivion]

Yeah, sorry about that Drascin. I really did think about you, but i guess that talking to Kami while writing had an effect. At least i didn't slip random Danish into any of the sentences.

[13_CBS]

I've added Terraoblivion and Drascin to the cast list.

To do list for characters:

Poison Fish
Rutee
Closet Skeleton
Dizposition
Prime32

Am I missing anyone?

[Drascin]

I'm going to say "who?" because it seems like part of the joke.

"My name is not China! I AM HONG MEILING! HONG MEILING!"

Poor Meiling.


That's it, I'm making your character Chinese (in ethnicity).

...I'm not sure how I feel about this. If I do end up genderswapped, though, please do base the design a bit on Meiling in that case. If only because it's one more funny reference to the pile.


Yeah, sorry about that Drascin. I really did think about you, but i guess that talking to Kami while writing had an effect. At least i didn't slip random Danish into any of the sentences.

Nah, don't worry. Just a slip of the tongue (or would it it be slip of the hands, here?).

[Fri]

*Sprays his drink to his side*

Gah!

Well... uh

This is gooing to be realllyy awkward.... And I can see about a dozen way of this imploding now.

pleasedon'tblamemepleasedon'tblameme

*see? I'm already going to my mecha protagonist mode*

At least you can make the protagonist boring and empty vessel ala most VN protagonist now.

*So I'm really going to be romancing tengu now :smallsigh:*

[13_CBS]

Prime32 and Rutee added. Lurker edited.

@Fri: Relax. How many forum members can truly say that they've got themselves a harem of genderbent men? :smallbiggrin:

[Terraoblivion]

I have to admit that i had never expected to see a male Rutee. Especially not while still going with the Konata personality.

[13_CBS]

I have to admit that i had never expected to see a male Rutee. Especially not while still going with the Konata personality.

As I've said, I don't really know Rutee that well. And besides, the males were getting heavily outnumbered, and Konata's personality actually works pretty well with a guy--laid back, mischievous, a flirt, loves comics and cartoons, etc.

Edit: Once I'm done with the basic character summaries, I'll get to fleshing them out (names in the NV, age, other trivial info) and get to working on mecha designs.

[Prime32]

...and for some reason I expected to remain a guy. I'm not sure why.

@Fri: Relax. How many forum members can truly say that they've got themselves a harem of genderbent men? :smallbiggrin:You were not involved in BleachITP.:smalltongue:



EDIT: I have some mecha designs lying around.

[13_CBS]

...and for some reason I expected to remain a guy. I'm not sure why.

Would you prefer to be a guy? If you do, the Great Laws dictate that you'll be in a yaoi relationship with Rogue.

Edit: Just for lols, and also to help me keep track of the male:female ratio of the characters:

The following characters are female in the VN:

Tengu (Childhood Friend, Cloud Cuckoolander)
Nothingclever (Mysterious Waif, Kuudere)
Kamikasei (Imouto, Yandere)
Lurkerintheplayground (Evil Noblewoman, Big Bad)
Nerd-o-Rama (Tough-love Commander, Tsundere?)
Terraoblivion (Hot Scientist, Dojikko)
Drascin (Wrench Wench, Genius Ditz)
Prime32 (Mad Admiral's Beautiful Lieutenant, Lady of War)
Closet Skeleton (Bridge bunny, Kuudere)
Poison Fish (Comic Relief, Bottle Fairy)

The following characters are male in the VN:

Fri (Idiot Hero)
Lord of Rapture (Mad Scientist, lord of Wonderful Failures)
KnightDisciple (Lancer)
Rogue 7 (Dragon)
Cubey (Otouto, Emo?)
Rutee (Laid Back dude)
Dizposition (Male Bridge Bunny)

[Terraoblivion]

Konata is an otaku surrogate, she was meant to be a lot like a guy. Just weird to see Rutee be male, especially after what line it was that had Nerdo raise the topic of her being in this in the first place.

[13_CBS]

Just weird to see Rutee be male, especially after what line it was that had Nerdo raise the topic of her being in this in the first place.

Is it that weird? I can switch her back if that's the case.

[Prime32]

Would you prefer to be a guy? If you do, the Great Laws dictate that you'll be in a yaoi relationship with Rogue.Eh, I had fun playing a Dark Magical Girl (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DarkMagicalGirl) in BitP anyway, though that was partly due to the shock factor (KnightDisciple can explain) and my previous character always arriving too late to the party (particularly frustrating since I had intended him to defeat his foes with complex strategies (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WeakButSkilled)which I never got a chance to use).

[Terraoblivion]

For me at least. No idea if it is for the rest of the people who know her well.

[Rogue 7]

Would you prefer to be a guy? If you do, the Great Laws dictate that you'll be in a yaoi relationship with Rogue.

...wasn't I supposed to be doing Lurker's character already? The Depraved Bisexual (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DepravedBisexual) angle then?



Lord of Rapture (Mad Scientist, lord of Wonderful Failures)


Somehow my mind shortened this to Lord of the Flies. LoR=Beelzebub! Make it so!

[Fri]

I havent' mentioned it, but I dreamt about her once too, you know?

It's just after she's been banned. In my dream, I was watching some kind of circus, and I saw someone in the crowds. At first, I thought it's one of my real life friend, but I remember "none of my friend have blue hair? (as in, konata's hair color)"

Then I realized, it's Rutee! I tried to call her, but she didn't noticed me at all, and we're both got split in the crowd.

edit: And I was supposed to be romancing rutee too, but 'got cut because of budget' ? Uh... wow. That's really...

Sigh, if only my hatred on online chat had withered back then, I wont' lost contact with her like now. Back then I still had a deep disdain to all form of online chat.

[Drascin]

Is it that weird? I can switch her back if that's the case.

The whole thing feels more than a bit weird. Personally, having one character with my own name in there - and it being the one that's obsessed with weaponry, while I'm a total pacifist - feels entertainingly weird. The contrast is amusing :smallbiggrin:.

So nah, I say Rutee as Yaoi option is hilarious. If only, again, for the sheer absurdity of it. Of course, we can just ask her. Tengu and company still keep contact with her, after all.

[13_CBS]

...wasn't I supposed to be doing Lurker's character already? The Depraved Bisexual (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DepravedBisexual) angle then?

Eh, why not. :smallbiggrin: Of course, this depends on whether Prime prefers to be male or female.

[KnightDisciple]

...Um. Lots of posts since I last checked.

Well, besides being the Lancer, I tend to...not lurk, but post in spurts. I suppose I'm often "quiet", with just a short post here or there.

Until I get on one topic or another; then I can wall-of-text with the best of them.

I'd say besides the Batman fanboying, I'm also very much a Paladin. But the good kind, not the stick up the rear kind.:smalltongue:

I have a somewhat eclectic knowledge base that occasionally shows when I talk about literature or something.:smallwink:

[Lord of Rapture]

God, I go to sleep for the night, and everyone suddenly goes crazier than me. :smalleek:

Eh. Not that I don't approve or anything.:smalltongue:

Hmmm, so I previously suggested Elder Abominations as villains, with the cult as their pawns. Are we still doing that?

And shouldn't we be careful bringing banned members into this? I thought we weren't allowed to talk about them.

@Rogue 7: I already suggested that I could be a rogue Elder Evil, on nobody's side but mine, just out for my own enjoyment.

[13_CBS]

G
Hmmm, so I previously suggested Elder Abominations as villains, with the cult as their pawns. Are we still doing that?


I think so. No one's been talking much about the setting, I think. :smallfrown:

[Lord of Rapture]

Okay, here's the premise:

In the distant future, after humankind reached out for the stars, they accidentally awakened things Man Was Not Meant To Know. Hungry after their long imprisonment, and seeing humans for the weak, vulnerable beings that we are, they quickly begin decimating humanity's new space colonies, and render Earth a lifeless and toxic planet. Desperate, humanity tries everything to stop them, but only succeeds when they sacrifice their leader, who, leading a desperate charge with the human's newly developed prototype super-mech and 90% of their remaining armies, manages to defeat the ancient cosmic horrors. However, they are not dead, just sleeping again, until the time is right when they reawaken to return and destroy humanity.

It's been 300 hundred years since then. Humanity, paranoid and aggressive beings that they are, is in a mad hurry to defend against the cosmic horrors at all costs. To prepare for this alien threat, the universal human government that arose from the shattered remnants of humanity's society has devoted its resources entirely to war. The upper classes, who have the privilege of being spared the frontline horrors of war, are taught in the art of command and strategy, while those less fortunate are forced to become soldiers, engineers, officers, anything devoted to warfare. Living standards have drastically decreased since before the alien war, and those that cannot participate in war are cast aside as weaklings and cowards, good only as meatshields. Many of the disaffected, with nowhere to turn to, have sided with humanity's greatest enemy, in exchange for a better life and revenge on their fellow humans.

[Terraoblivion]

While i appreciate you taking the time to come up with a theme and a setting, Lord of Rapture, it seems like it doesn't quite fit what we are going for. As i understood it we were heading for a premise of making the most silly, cliche romance oriented visual novel we could and grimdark is hardly cliche for romance oriented visual novels. I would imagine something more along the lines of an old school super robot show with cartoonish, silly enemy mooks and a stereotypical Japanese school and so on. Possibly with a dash of Evangelion style meaningless symbolism and mindscrew. At least it seems like the characters are crazy enough for that.

[Fri]

You know his style Terra.

[Lord of Rapture]

Just because something sounds grimdark doesn't mean it is grimdark.

Besides, how else will kamikasei's route be maddening enough to count as the cynical path if it's entirely silly? It'd be a trainwreck! At least it can still be silly in the other routes this way.

But, eh, Terra's idea sounds fine too.

[Cubey]

Besides, how else will kamikasei's route be maddening enough to count as the cynical path if it's entirely silly?

Four words: School Days. Nice Boat.

[Lord of Rapture]

*twitches*

Must. Kill. Makoto.

Idiocy. Overload.

[nothingclever]

I disagree somewhat with my characterization. I think the main theme behind my character would be having no moral qualms with anything. I don't think I'd be moe even in fiction. I'd say my character would be shy in the sense that she wouldn't necessarily say much unless she had a reason to.

Since people are mentioning tv tropes and I never join in this stuff I'll use some as examples for once. These are what I'd use to describe myself:

The Quiet One (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheQuietOne)
The Stoic (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheStoic)
Tomboy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Tomboy)
Kill Him Already (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/KillHimAlready)
Cutting The Knot (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CuttingTheKnot)
Dissonant Serenity (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DissonantSerenity)
Tranquil Fury (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TranquilFury)
Death Glare (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeathGlare)
What Is Evil (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WhatIsEvil)
Anti Hero (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AntiHero)
What The Hell Hero (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitle0z548336167v?from=Main.WhatTheHellHero)
True Neutral (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TrueNeutral)
Above Good And Evil (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AboveGoodAndEvil)
Psycho Sidekick (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PsychoSidekick)
Deadpan Snarker (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeadpanSnarker)
Badass Normal (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BadassNormal)
Nietzsche Wannabe (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main.NietzscheWannabe) Minus feeling the need to talk about her views and without being emo.
Charles Super Power (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CharlesAtlasSuperpower) Possibly have this trope to make up for not having superpowers if other characters do.


I picture my character as being the person that helps the hero save the day only because she likes him. She doesn't care about actually helping anyone. If the hero decided to become a villain she'd still fully support him because she doesn't care either way how he chooses to act as long as she isn't mistreated. If the hero feels he may need to do something horrible to save the day she'd volunteer to do the deed for him so he wouldn't feel so bad about it. If she notices someone being bullied while she's with the hero she might ask him if he wants to help the victim but only because she doesn't want to look too cold in front of him. She'd have no qualms killing the bad guy regardless of the circumstances but she'd ask the protagonist what he wants to do before delivering the finishing blow again to avoid looking bad in front of him. If the protagonist tried to flirt with her she might be willing to take him up on whatever offers he makes but only as long as he realizes what they do doesn't mean anything to her until they develop a real relationship.

Since plenty of romance visual novels often have characters with very iconic characteristics that are practically put in solely to fuel fanfiction and satisfy a fetish I figure I'll give my character one. I envision mine as being strong and having very defined musculature while still appearing very feminine.

[13_CBS]

While i appreciate you taking the time to come up with a theme and a setting, Lord of Rapture, it seems like it doesn't quite fit what we are going for. As i understood it we were heading for a premise of making the most silly, cliche romance oriented visual novel we could and grimdark is hardly cliche for romance oriented visual novels.


I do like his ideas in the first paragraph, about how the elder evils came into the world and what impact they had on humanity. The setting doesn't necessarily have to be all sunshine and happiness to be able to be silly (I mean, look at Code Geass--it's fairly bleak, though not GRIMDARK, and it has plenty of silly moments, like cooking a giant pizza with a big robot). That said, the second paragraph may be a little to grimdark.



I would imagine something more along the lines of an old school super robot show with cartoonish, silly enemy mooks and a stereotypical Japanese school and so on. Possibly with a dash of Evangelion style meaningless symbolism and mindscrew. At least it seems like the characters are crazy enough for that.

My envisioning is this:

Tengu's route is the old school super robot show with cartoonish, silly enemy mooks and a stereotypical Japanese school. Hot blooded courage wins the day, villains scream "WATASHI WA SHINAN! SHINAN ZO!" before getting obliterated, etc.

Nothingclever's route is more balanced. Not everything is hopeless, but courage and effort alone aren't enough to save the day. Not every villain twirls his mustache, not all of the heroes survive, and not everyone visits the psychiatrist when he should. The evil is defeated, but, as always, it returns: however, the heroes' efforts have at least bought enough time for future generations to learn, improve, survive...and maybe even triumph.

Kamikasei's route is the depressing, ultra-cynical route, demonstrating how bleak the future is and the futility of humanity's struggles--no matter what the heroes do, they will only earn a brief respite until they're thrown into the horrors of war once more, and in the end it will all have been for naught. Friends will betray one another, the villains show how good is dumb, the last days of man are not in the far future but within the next five minutes...

...

What do you mean I'm ripping off Fate Stay Night? Go away, you.


Anyhow, I did a little bit of mulling and research, and I converted all of your forum names into real names:

Nerd-o-Rama: Neridie Oa Rama ("Nerd" --> "Neridia", "-o-" --> "Oa", "Rama" is left alone)

Nothingclever: Kara Witte ("Kara" = Japanese for "nothingness, void", Witte = wit, or "cleverness")

Kamikasei: Kamia Kasei (obvious enough)
Fri: Furi Kasei (Furi = "Fri" pronounced in Japanese, "Kasei" because he's Kamikasei's character's brother)

Knight Disciple: Ritt Schueler ("Ritter" = German for "Knight", shortened to Ritt: "Schueler" = "Disciple" in German)

Tengu: Siela Tempo (After doing a bit of research, it turns out that the Kanji for "Tengu" is made up of the characters for "Heaven" and "Dog". I looked up the French word for "heaven" and found...Ciel. Since "Ciel" is already taken up by the Curry Woman, I switched the C for an S. "Tempo" comes from Tengu's current forum name, Tengu_temp (take the _temp, changed it to Tempo)

Kyube Tempo ("Cubey" --> "Kyube", Tempo because he's related to Siela)

Lurkerintheplayground: High Priestess Lurika Plei ("Lurker" --> "Lurika", "Playground" --> "Play" --> "Plei")

Drascin: Mei Lia Drascin (Mei Lia = not-so-subtle Hong MeiLing reference, Drascin = forum name)

Terraoblivion: Terra Olvido (Terra is, well, Terra, "Olvido" = "Oblivion" in Spanish)

Rutee: Rudy Bamdan ("Rutee" --> "Ruty" --> "Rudy", Bamdan because I felt like it)

Lord of Rapture: Dominic L. Rapture ("Dominic" = "Our Lord" from Latin, L from "Lord", "Rapture" from forum name)

Rogue 7: Roag Septimus, Admiral of the 7th Fleet ("Rogue" --> "Roag", "Septimus" = "7th", Latin, "Admiral of the 7th Fleet" because, well, he's an admiral, and it's only fitting that he commands the 7th fleet)

Prime32: Prima/Primus Sanjuni ("Prima/Primus" = Latinized version of "Prime", "Sanjuni" = Japanese for 32 (San, Juu, Ni)). Still not sure whether Prime's character is going to me male or female...

Closet_Skeleton: Armadia Osteus ("Armadio" = "Closet" in Italian, then feminized: "Osteus" = pseudo-Latinized version of the Greek "osteo", meaning "bone")

Poison Fish: Toksus Uwoh ("Poison" --> "Toxic" --> "Toxus": "Uo" =
Fish" in Japanese, "Uo" --> "Uwoh")

...aaaand I think that's it. Tell me what you think.

Also, I did some brainstorming on the nature of our humongous mecha. As Fri dreamed, it's going to be a very large one made up of smaller mecha, and it's going to be in space, so I pretty much just took it from there.


First off, the name! I christen thee:

The ITP Firbolg-Class Giant *fanfare*

ITP = Imperial Tactical P.L.A.N.T.
P.L.A.N.T. = Poly-constituent Large Android—Naval Type


And our Mech By Any Other Name (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AMechByAnyOtherName) will be kept simple: Bipedal Tactical Suit, or BTS. Or, if you'd like, we can give it proper names.

As mentioned, the entire body of the Giant (NOT Rich Burlew!) is made up of smaller, constituent vehicles. Most of them are BTSs, while the head and the torso are more conventional military vehicles. Thus, each PLANT is essentially a small fleet/task force that can combine into a large mecha when heavy firepower is necessary, or separate into dozens of smaller constituent vehicles when necessary.

Head + neck: 1 vehicle, the Jude Class command frigate, INS (Imperial Naval Service) Yi Sun Shin1. A decent-sized warship equipped with sensors, communication equipment, the best computer hardware available in order to facilitate coordination, and a large viewport for overseeing the battle. Nerdo's character, Commander Neridia Oa Rama, gives orders from this command frigate, so yes, Fri, Nerd-o-Rama does indeed form the head (or, at least, his character does).

1A bit of author appeal here, forgive me.

Torso: 1 vehicle, Colossus Class carrier, INS Kato. When not being the torso of the Giant, the Kato serves as the mothership for all of the smaller vehicles, minus the Yi Sun Shin and the Disposition. When it is being the torso of the Giant, it houses the primary pilot's cockpit and a massive neural synchronization matrix that connects the pilot to the rest of the mecha. It's...a pretty big ship, and when it forms the torso of the Giant it collapses its massive hangar bay. Most of the ship's interior is made up of either the hangar bays, the engines, the reactor, or the synchronization matrix. The Kato is, of course, named after our very own Kato from the forums.

Shoulder: 10 vehicles for each shoulder, 20 total: Archer Class HOBTS (Heavy Ordnance Bipedal Tactical Suits. When the Giant is in fleet mode (that is, when not combined into a giant robot), the Archer BTSs serve as bombers.

Upper Arm: 4 vehicles for each upper arm, 8 total: Harbor Class RaMF (Repair and Manufacture Frigate). When the other vehicles are badly damaged, the Harbor RBTSs can serve as portable places where the BTSs can "dry dock" and undergo extensive repairs. The Harbors also have small manufacturing plants that can convert raw materials into goods, such as extra armor plating, spare parts, etc.

Lower Arm: 2 vehicles for each lower arm, 4 total: Aegis Class DBTS (Defensive Bipedal Tactical Suits). These are large, bulky, and heavily armored BTSs that provide shielding for other vehicles while in fleet mode, and for the Giant when in PLANT mode. As shielding technology is relatively recent, they require huge generators and large, unwieldy pieces of equipment--too large for even the Kato.

Palms: 8 vehicles for each palm, 16 total: Lancer Class ABTS (Assault Bipedal Tactical Suits). These BTSs serve as the heavy assault vehicles for the fleet: gunships, in essence.

Fingers: 6 vehicles for each finger and thumb, 60 total: Hornet Class IBTS (Interceptor Bipedal Tactical Suits). Their job is to shoot down enemy fighters and to help reduce any incoming Macross Missile Massacres so that the point defense systems can clear out the rest.

Hips: 1 vehicle: Ceres Class ECF (Energy Conversion Frigate), the INS Kriss. It is fairly useless while the Giant is in fleet mode, but is the primary source of energy for the Giant in PLANT mode. A large, bulky ship.

Thighs: 15 vehicles for each thigh, 30 total: LRMBTS (Long Range Strike BTS). The long-range Macross Missile Massacre mechs, providing heavy long range fire support that Archers often need to deliver their devastating payload.

Lower legs: 4 vehicles for each lower leg, 8 total: Aegis Class DBTS (Defensive Bipedal Tactical Suits). Another set of Aegis BTSs.

Feet: 10 vehicles for each foot, Chariot Class TBTS (Transport BTS). When in fleet mode, Chariots act as tugboats, using tractor beams to move away incoming asteroids or dead ships. They have a compliment of miners and mining equipment in case asteroid mining must be performed, and are equipped with very powerful engines and thrusters, which serve as the Giant's primary form of movement when in PLANT mode.

Toes: 1 vehicle for each toe, 10 total: Harbinger Class TCBTS (Troop Carrier BTS). There are times when boarding actions are necessary, and that's when the Harbingers come in. Each Harbinger houses a hundred crack assault marines for boarding and capturing enemy vehicles.

Weapon: 1 vehicle, the Brionac Class Strike Cruiser, INS Disposition. It acts as a fast, sleek battleship in fleet mode and as the Giant's primary armament in PLANT mode, transforming into a colossal silver lance.


So...any thoughts on this?




I disagree somewhat with my characterization. I think the main theme behind my character would be having no moral qualms with anything. I don't think I'd be moe even in fiction. I'd say my character would be shy in the sense that she wouldn't necessarily say much unless she had a reason to.


Good points. I think it'd be possible for your character to have moe moments, but overall not be a cutsey moe character. A bit like C.C, I suppose.



I picture my character as being the person that helps the hero save the day only because she likes him. She doesn't care about actually helping anyone. If the hero decided to become a villain she'd still fully support him because she doesn't care either way how he chooses to act as long as she isn't mistreated. If the hero feels he may need to do something horrible to save the day she'd volunteer to do the deed for him so he wouldn't feel so bad about it. If she notices someone being bullied while she's with the hero she might ask him if he wants to help the victim but only because she doesn't want to look too cold in front of him. She'd have no qualms killing the bad guy regardless of the circumstances but she'd ask the protagonist what he wants to do before delivering the finishing blow again to avoid looking bad in front of him. If the protagonist tried to flirt with her she might be willing to take him up on whatever offers he makes but only as long as he realizes what they do doesn't mean anything to her until they develop a real relationship.


A very interesting character idea...hmm...

I must think on this.



Since plenty of romance visual novels often have characters with very iconic characteristics that are practically put in solely to fuel fanfiction and satisfy a fetish I figure I'll give my character one. I envision mine as being strong and having very defined musculature while still appearing very feminine.

Speaking of which...


Since I'm finishing up the character information, I'm going to leave it up to you guys to decide what your characters are going to be like. Thus, feel free to make up whatever the hell you want on the following traits of your respective characters:

Appearance: Pick a hair color. Any hair color. No, really, ANY hair color. Green? That's fine! It looked great on C.C. and it'll great on your character. Pink? That's fine too. Also, feel free to pick any body type, hair length, hair style, height, weight, musculature, and, for the female characters, bust size (pettanko? Modestly endowed? Gag boobs?).

General backstory: Angst-ridden, mundane, or blessed?

Minor quirks: Does your character have a verbal tick, nano? Does she sound out onomatopoeias, nipaa? :smallbiggrin: Does he love booze, or eat a certain brand of food all the time?

Favorites: Foods, drinks, hobbies, locations, music, classes (if applicable), whatever. Feel free to invent stuff that might come around in the future: for example, maybe your character loves climbing Olympus Mons on Mars, or enjoys listening to Neo-Classical Jazz, invented in 2089.

Do try to come up with at least something: it'll go a long way to fleshing out the cast.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Trying to describe "myself" feels a lot weirder than just playing a female character, somehow.

[hanzo66]

I somehow feel a bit... Left out. Maybe because I'm a Wallflower-type character or like those damn numbered officers in Bleach in Squad Not-11: Not Worth Remembering the Name Of.

Still... It's a fascinating little thing you've got here...

[Rogue 7]

Lessee...hair...let's go with white. A fit build is essential. Being both a civilized man (for relative values of civilized, I am a xenocidal maniac here) and a giant robot pilot requires a well-toned physique. Short hair, fairly tall, thin. Add mutations to taste. Favorite food- well, the traditional answer is the blood of my enemies, but that's a little cliched so why don't we go with a good Chicken Marsala (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Marsala). He has a taste for good wine, but doesn't drink very often- it dulls the reflexes and prevents him from killing more efficiently.

And I love how your giant robot design is the single most impractical thing I think I have ever heard. I only wonder what mine is going to be like.

[13_CBS]

I somehow feel a bit... Left out. Maybe because I'm a Wallflower-type character or like those damn numbered officers in Bleach in Squad Not-11: Not Worth Remembering the Name Of.

Sorry about that...I was primarily including only recent posters in the General Anime discussion thread. However, if you post a summary of your online persona, I can try to fit you in somewhere.


Lessee...hair...let's go with white. A fit build is essential. Being both a civilized man (for relative values of civilized, I am a xenocidal maniac here) and a giant robot pilot requires a well-toned physique. Short hair, fairly tall, thin.


So...Il Pallazo with a haircut.

:smallbiggrin:

Edit: Also, whenever I think of Roag, I keep hearing this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMyYHAkLvlE) in my head. :smallconfused: And this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z93THqvU6z0&feature=PlayList&p=503B0F45CB6A0B28&index=9).




And I love how your giant robot design is the single most impractical thing I think I have ever heard. I only wonder what mine is going to be like.

I'm guessing you want yours to be something different? Hmm...I guess I could make a heavy-handed moral lesson about how the Good Guys work together (the Giant requires inhuman coordination to function properly, if you haven't noticed), while the bad guys work alone because, uh, they don't have friends, or something.

So maybe Roag's big mecha could be an equally large robot, piloted mostly by himself plus a handful of crew (he needs someone to shout "Intensify forward firepower!" to, after all). Most everything else is automated. Or something like that, I'm really tired at the moment.

[Rogue 7]

So...Il Pallazo with a haircut.

:smallbiggrin:

Excel Saga, right?



I'm guessing you want yours to be something different? Hmm...I guess I could make a heavy-handed moral lesson about how the Good Guys work together (the Giant requires inhuman coordination to function properly, if you haven't noticed), while the bad guys work alone because, uh, they don't have friends, or something.

So maybe Roag's big mecha could be an equally large robot, piloted mostly by himself plus a handful of crew (he needs someone to shout "Intensify forward firepower!" to, after all). Most everything else is automated. Or something like that, I'm really tired at the moment.

No, having an opposing enemy fleet that combines into a suitable giant robot for absolutely no reason would probably be more on the level that we're going for here. I could just be the face/captain/you-have-failed-me-for-the-last-time guy.

Edit: I quite like the track. My personal library does not include much in the way of "epic villain" pieces.

[Lord of Rapture]

Go look up my personality in the X-Com Terror from the Deep Thread. That's about it.

Except that I'm also in it for the eternal lulz, by which I mean conflict.

I was thinking I could be like a G-Man in the actual story, appearing only to random characters anywhere, anytime to offer my services for a price. Nobody knows who I am, except possibly the Big Bad, or my goals, which are known only to me.

Which is lulz.

[KnightDisciple]

...Good heavens, how big is this thing? And what would we be piloting from that fleet?:smalleek:

[hanzo66]

Cool, I'll see what I can do.


Hanz: A cheerfully nihilistic figure with a tendency to snark at others, she takes her role as an Affably Evil figure with a certain amount of Gusto. Rather than aligning herself with either the good guys and bad (it doesn't matter either ways since we're all gonna die), she'd rather just watch both of them bash it out while she milks both of them for what it's worth via services as a Mad Scientist.

Hanz, while piloting a custom Mech known as The Zweibel is not actually that great of a pilot herself. That's why she programmed an AI to handle most of the more difficult functions like moving around while she handles weapons...

What I got sofar?

[Lord of Rapture]

You're muscling in on my space. :smallmad:

Or have my first pawn to play.:smallcool:

[Echowinds]

For all the trope flinging and the amusing over-the-top character description, no one's really working on it besides 13_CBS. Furthermore, with that many character, I seriously doubt this will have any V in the VN.

[Rogue 7]

Yeah, that's true. But like I said before, this'd make a hilarious PbP roleplay if we can sucker some poor sap who has no idea what he's doing in. I'm terrible at actual writing, but I like to think I've got a decent sense for plot and pacing overall. We'd just need to work out if we want to make stuff up on the spot, or have the entire thing scripted out and just offer our victim a few choices.

[Fri]

That's a big mech...

And we can still only draw important characters. Though, dunno which one is better, completely without character drawing, or only drawing important/main characters.

[Echowinds]

Also, while everyone wants their own personal online persona to be featured, it doesn't make for good writing, over-the-top or not. PbP may be fun, but the writing's tend to be all over the place and that's a lot of effort from everyone that won't be appreciate by anyone else, mainly because no one will go through dozens of wall-of-text post without any meaningful plot. It also tends to break down as some people stops posting or whatever. If we are going to put the effort of scripting out the entire thing, we may as well write out an entire zany parody with perhaps limited illustrations. More random playgrounders can also read it, which is certainly a good thing as oppose to a small circle that can only shrink.

[kamikasei]

I was going to say "Rutee should definitely be female", especially if she's the cut route, and since it'd be weird for Terra to be lusting after a dude, but on the other hand:


So nah, I say Rutee as Yaoi option is hilarious.

So I could go either way on this.

Will give some thought to the persona thing.

[13_CBS]

Hanz: A cheerfully nihilistic figure with a tendency to snark at others, she takes her role as an Affably Evil figure with a certain amount of Gusto. Rather than aligning herself with either the good guys and bad (it doesn't matter either ways since we're all gonna die), she'd rather just watch both of them bash it out while she milks both of them for what it's worth via services as a Mad Scientist.

Hanz, while piloting a custom Mech known as The Zweibel is not actually that great of a pilot herself. That's why she programmed an AI to handle most of the more difficult functions like moving around while she handles weapons...


Hmm...

It looks like you'll fit as a Diabolus Ex Machina, the wrench that screws up someone's intricate plans. I think you could have a role in at least one of the routes, if not two. I'll see what I can do.


Also, while everyone wants their own personal online persona to be featured, it doesn't make for good writing, over-the-top or not.


Plenty of fiction series have large casts: I think we can pull this off as long as the secondary characters don't pull away too much time from everything else.



PbP may be fun, but the writing's tend to be all over the place and that's a lot of effort from everyone that won't be appreciate by anyone else, mainly because no one will go through dozens of wall-of-text post without any meaningful plot. It also tends to break down as some people stops posting or whatever.

Actually, I was hoping to do something like a Let's Play of a VN: plan and write out all three routes, then post them on giantitp.com as though we were doing a Let's Play of a visual novel, like this (http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3088127&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1). Any thoughts?


Edit: Also, no thoughts about the names? Are they stupid, do the work fine, etc?

[Fri]

That's actually a rather interesting/original idea, but I still prefer if you put it into renpy first so we can 'play' it for real. If I remember it correctly you simply need to post the text into renpy in a certain format, without any need to program.

OR

it can be the other way around. You post it as let's play, and another guy with lot of free time put it into renpy by copy pasting from your let's play. That's also doable.

Either way, no need to rush. do it slowly, you write some things and ask for a good background/bgm and we'll look for the bgm you describe, things like that.

One thing for sure, I'd like this vn to have a bgm. I don't really need fancy graphic, bgm is enough for me.

edit: After I thought about it, it really made sense. How do you guys think if 13_CBS post the story slowly here, part by part, and some other guy, the 'editors' put it into renpy.

[Drascin]

That's actually a rather interesting/original idea, but I still prefer if you put it into renpy first so we can 'play' it for real. If I remember it correctly you simply need to post the text into renpy in a certain format, without any need to program.


Don't worry. As I said, I can take care of learning and getting it in renpy and that whole business. What we need is to start scripting and making scenes and how they affect each other and such other things. Having at least a bit of a flowchart before starting to write everything would be nice.

[13_CBS]

Don't worry. As I said, I can take care of learning and getting it in renpy and that whole business. What we need is to start scripting and making scenes and how they affect each other and such other things. Having at least a bit of a flowchart before starting to write everything would be nice.

And to do that we'll have to finalize details on setting, characterizations, and plot...

Edit: Character list has been reformatted.

Edit 2: Good news, everyone! All the characters have been completed.

Edit 3: Even more good news, everyone! OP has been updated with vehicle info.

[Nerd-o-rama]

You know what would be ridiculous?

If my character, in times of **** getting real, piloted another version of the main robot. By herself.

I'm ripping off this idea from Gravion, by the way, not trying to be a Mary Sue.

[Fri]

Our mech is FREAKIN HUGE. Our main weapon is a freakin battle cruiser.

We fight at planet destroying level I guess, not simply city destroying....

[Cubey]

You know what would be ridiculous?

If my character, in times of **** getting real, piloted another version of the main robot. By herself.

I'm ripping off this idea from Gravion, by the way, not trying to be a Mary Sue.
It's not the only thing we can rip off Gravion, you know. Especially if we want to make the novel very silly and full of fanservice.

Also, maids.
Also, crossdressing.
Also, guys crossdressing as maids.

[13_CBS]

You know what would be ridiculous?

If my character, in times of **** getting real, piloted another version of the main robot. By herself.

Chekov's gun time! Check your character's bio again.



Also, maids.
Also, crossdressing.
Also, guys crossdressing as maids.

Your will be done.

[Nerd-o-rama]

This whole project can basically be summed up with Sure Why Not, huh?

[Cubey]

Sure, why *gets gunned down*

[13_CBS]

Alright, so...any character descriptions?

[Prime32]

We don't want to rip off Gravion too much...

Also, can I request a different first name for my character?



Here's some old partially-completed mech concepts I had lying around:
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/Prime32_temp/Rough/needle_bot.png
Has an attack where it charges the "needle" at the tip with energy than rams an opponent to slice them in two. Has a transformation into a humanoid mode - the needle splits in two, and the top parts slide back to lie along the bottom parts. These then move to the sides of the mech to become an elaborate set of pauldrons, from which the arms detach and extend. The sections on the sides form the legs. The cockpit then folds over to lie on the back, its rear forming the head.


http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/Prime32_temp/Other/arm_bot.png
Flight-type unit. Has an alternate mode where the legs fold up, the thruster panels on the shoulders come together to form an armoured chestplate, a helmet slides over the head, and the boosters on the back come forward and become massive Giganscudo-esque arms. In this form it loses a lot of its speed and some of its manouverability but can... smash well.
Here (http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ngm2ar0edud)'s one related to wings and one that turns into a pair of legs (http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?u5dywjqamn5).

[nothingclever]

This whole project can basically be summed up with Sure Why Not, huh?
Sure, why not?

Anyways for my character...
Appearance: Long straight black hair extending to or beyond waist level unless tied up. Pale white skin. Gray eyes. Wears casual black clothes such as jeans and a t-shirt. Bust size significantly above average but not extreme. Really slim and muscular build with an emphasis on definition over size. Taller than average for an Asian female. Possibly 5'6"

General backstory: Mundane I guess. We need to define a general setting.

Minor quirks: Often remains quiet when something first annoys her but bluntly points out it out if it persists such as someone constantly talking loudly. Not afraid to try to solve a problem with her fists as long as it won't create another one.

Favorites: Martial arts, wide range of music, dark comedy, exercising.

[kamikasei]

Backstory? I don't know, what's most genre-appropriate? Should I have grown up with the hero or should we have been separated? How is it that we're not actually blood relatives?

Appearance... I'll say a pettanko version of Kagami. Quiet and snarky by default, fairly kuudere towards the hero to start with (in that she shows the most emotion when he's around, though only fairly low-grade stuff - she smiles more, speaks up more, etc.) until stuff starts falling apart. Anya from Code Geass is probably a decent template for manner, if not habits. She tends to be quizzical and nitpicky when others are arguing.

Has anyone claimed a Zettai Ryouiki yet? Because if not, I sure as hell am.

[Terraoblivion]

I'll be sure to post the things you wanted tomorrow, CBS. But today i am worn out from going on not just one but two three hour train rides while not really getting anything proper to eat. Or i might post later if i get bored.

[hanzo66]

Hmm...

It looks like you'll fit as a Diabolus Ex Machina, the wrench that screws up someone's intricate plans. I think you could have a role in at least one of the routes, if not two. I'll see what I can do.
Yeah, that'll be fun. I don't plan to be a Major Player in a role, more as the Character That's There.

Spanner In The Works is a pretty cool role though.

[KnightDisciple]

Name's great.

Lessee, description....

Appearance: Let's say he's 6'. Weighs about 185lbs. Pretty muscular, but not a huge guy. Fairly short hair, kept in a vaguely combed/spiked look; hair color is black. Eyes are...let's go with dark brown. Clean-shaven. Vaguely pointed chin; nothing devious, but definitely not the classical "square-jawed" look. Wears lots of jeans and t-shirts when not in his black suit with yellow highlights.

Background: Not sure, would need more setting details. Something sufficiently lancer-y, though.

Quirks: Can swing between loud and brash, and silent and broody. Oddly chivalrous. Likes old-fashioned weapons.

Likes: Old-fashioned weapons. Country music (because I'm sure it'll annoy at least 1 character :smalltongue:). Shotputting. Casual runs. Fast cars. Movies.

[Tengu_temp]

What do you mean I'm ripping off Fate Stay Night? Go away, you.


Just don't copy F/SN in the aspect that Fate is the most boring route. I want my route to be at least as fun as the other two.

[Lord of Rapture]

Apperance: Black hair, about 6', tan-brown skin, wearing a perfectly clean white suit no matter what horrible and bloody situation he's in. Always holding a strange square device in one hand.

No, I'm not ripping off the G-man in any way, why do you ask?

Background: No past, no proof of identity, nothing. Just appears whenever one side happens to be losing to tip the scales of conflict back into equilibrium. For what goal, only Dominic knows. Balance? Eternal Conflict? Whatever the case is, he is most definitely not a rogue Elder Abomination defecting from Team Evil for his own twisted amusement. At all.

Quirks: Always seem oddly detached and cheerful from the situation at hand, even if said situation is currently flinging metal chunks in a 500 mile radius. Unless he's talking to someone. Then he gets sarcastic and cruel when he isn't downright scary.

Likes: Conflict. And smart people. Which is why he hates Fri, even though he desperately needs him to keep Team Evil from winning.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Tengu = mission control, a la Misato Katsuragi (except less Bottle Fairy)

Cubey = the male, non-kuudere Bridge bunny

Problem solved. Throw in the devastatingly attractive female kuudere Bridge Bunny named Closet_Skeleton, and you've got drama on top of your pairing.

As much as I sometimes wish otherwise, I would like to clarify that I am male (I am in the You thread somewhere). If I must be genderswapped I must request to be at least allowed to keep my goatee :smallyuk:.

My devastating attractiveness I will leave for others to decide for themselves.

If you're going to make me a bridge bunny can I at least me the mole? I always GM (apart from the latest campaign where I'm a genki girl knife nut robot who likes making people uncomfortable by flirting) in tabletop that usually makes me the bad guys (tried making an evil campaign so I could be the goodguys for a change but it imploded).


Also: plug suits for everyone.

Hopefully not the bridge bunnies.


And i am saddened that in a cast with this many female characters, the one girl in the actual thread isn't in there. I know that i am not the most talkative person around, usually because i feel i have nothing to add, but i always read it and keep up. So know that even if i don't say anything i am always watching. Ohohohohohoooo...

It's nice to know you're there.

Description:

Appearance: I have long golden-brown hair in real life but wouldn't mind having dark green or blonde hair. Give me gold or yellow eyes if you go for brown hair. My hair is longer than that of any girl that I know (which isn't many) but if you wanted to gender flip me that could be inverted to a girl with shorter hair than most of the guys. I'm about six feet tall and thin in real life so I should be about 5'10" as a girl since we can't have every character being the same height. I usually wear brown and green and a long brown coat and red scarf when it's cold. I have a wide brimmed hat and a poncho that I wear whenever I don't care about feeling silly. I wouldn't dress skimpy if I were a girl. I like choosing nice clothes but tend to turn my nose up at the fashions shops actually stock. Put me in a military style uniform and I wouldnt' look that differant to my style in real life. If I wear a skirt I would have tights as well or grade a+ Zettai Ryouiki

edit: Oh, and glasses. I should have some glasses. Thin framed serious looking rectangular ones.

General backstory: Probably angst ridden, since in real life I'm overdramatic about how crap my life is despite having a more or less ideal family. If I'm an unimportant bridge bunny I should probably have a rediculously elabourate backstory that has nothing to do with the plot.

So my dad was an evil cultist who sacrificed the rest of my family to a dark god and then commited suicide, leaving me to be raised by strict nuns to be emotionally repressed. Then the nuns turned out to also be evil, leaving me unable to trust anyone. After that I was recruited for a morally dubious super-soldier project but failed the try outs for a front-line role and was relegated to bridge bunny.

I should probably be English, or part English if most of the people are japanese (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ButNotTooForeign?from=Main.CharlieDog).

Minor quirks: I'm squeamish (but not in the scared of bugs way), a quiet but snarky geek (but so is everyone here so you should probably change that). I tend to be a jack of all trades but master of none of random knowledge which means I'll start debates and quickly give in. I also apparently don't like anything. If you flip my sexuality I'll probably be a yaoi fangirl

Favorites: I like drawing, painting miniatures and sitting around failing to write stuff. I have an incredibly bland taste in food, but like meat that isn't chicken, pasta, pizza, rice and spicy things. I hate all vegetables apart from the holy trinity of carrots, potatoes and broccoli. I like English folk music and old music that some would call classic rock. I drink cider, whisky, irn bru and fruit juice. I hate the taste of water and mint, making brushing my teeth a nightmare.

[13_CBS]

Just don't copy F/SN in the aspect that Fate is the most boring route. I want my route to be at least as fun as the other two.

Alright. Any preferences as to how you want your fun, or do you want me to surprise you?


If I must be genderswapped I must request to be at least allowed to keep my goatee :smallyuk:.


:smalleek:

...

...? (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main.FetishFuel)




If you're going to make me a bridge bunny can I at least me the mole?


Very well.




Hopefully not the bridge bunnies.


HELL YES for the bridge bunnies. :smallamused:



Also, can I request a different first name for my character?


Okay. Any suggestions? I'll try to come up with something tomorrow.

Anyhow, thanks for all the information, folks!

[KnightDisciple]

Let me know if you need more.

Also, again, just how big, generally speaking, are you imaging this big combo-mecha being?

[13_CBS]

Also, again, just how big, generally speaking, are you imaging this big combo-mecha being?

Since it's pretty much an entire fleet/taskforce that combines into a giant robot...pretty damn huge. I can't give you any solid numbers yet, but...I guess the torso will be approximately...1 km long? Ish?

Basically, really damn big.

[KnightDisciple]

....Holy. Crap.

So, we (as in the characters, esp. the Hero, 3 possible "path" girls, and the Lancer) will be piloting...?

Some of the bigger mecha that are still tiny to this thing?

I'm not complaining, mind. I'm just trying to get a feel for how things fit in here.

I guess another question is, how often does MEGAMECHAOFDOOM get formed?

[13_CBS]

So, we (as in the characters, esp. the Hero, 3 possible "path" girls, and the Lancer) will be piloting...?


Yep. There's a reason why it's called The Giant. (Aside from the obvious references, of course.)



Some of the bigger mecha that are still tiny to this thing?


Here's how the mech works in my head: feel free to criticize, add, mock, flame, etc:

The direct command of the PLANT goes from Command Frigate to the pilot to the pilots of the constituent vehicles. For example...

Commander Neridia: "Pilot, incoming missiles from [coordinates]13. 5. -40, evasive maneuvers now!"

Furi: *thinks about how to engage in evasive maneuvers (like swinging a leg back and an arm up to flip himself to avoid the missiles, raising his arms and using his shields to block the projectiles, etc)*

All the other pilots in the PLANT: "Pilot Furi wants us to do X! Go go go!"

So the system is something like a first person shooter video game, maybe...Halo (since everyone knows what it is). The Command Frigate acts like your HUD, telling you your ammo count, sensor readings, radar, etc. The pilot is like the player: he sends commands through the controller in reaction to incoming data from the HUD and from the screen. The pilots of the constituent vehicles (let's call them Secondary Pilots) are like Master Chief: he interprets the commands from the controller and executes actions in response to them.

In short, the breakdown is like this:

Command Frigate gives sensor data and tactical suggestions/orders.

The Primary Pilot receives the info and decides how to move the mech around in response to the data.

The Secondary Pilots receive the commands from the Primary Pilot and do their best to execute his orders.

So, in a training simulation...

Commander Neridia: "Ok Pilot, raise your left arm slowly."

Furi: *Thinks about raising his left arm*

Secondary Pilots: "Raising left arm." *Secondary Pilots in the constituent vehicles making up the left shoulder, left upper arm, and left lower arm engage their thrusters, resulting in the colossal mech moving its left arm. All other Secondary Pilots stay still.*

Commander Neridia: "Well done. Now try doing a flip."

Furi: *Thinks about doing a flip by engaging thrusters on the PLANT's heels and letting inertia and physics do the rest*

Secondary Pilots: "Flipping. Heel units, engage thrusters." *Secondary Pilots in the PLANT's heels engage their thrusters, flipping the PLANT around.*

Thus, the PLANT moves its joints by the use of dozens of thrusters located on the surface of its body. If it needs to move a limb, certain thrusters in the limb fire, moving it. And so forth.

Does this make sense? Or is it just really confusing?

FYI, the pilot's cockpit rests in the PLANT's upper torso, roughly where the human heart is (accusations of symbolism are strictly forbidden (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitlebqmxtrir9bav?from=Main.WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSy mbolic)).

So, to answer the original question...yes, the constituent BTSs are very small in comparison to the whole PLANT. Only the Colossus-Class Carrier, INS Kato, compares to it in size (and that's really only because it forms the torso of the thing).

(Now that I think about it, I guess we could keep everything simple and just have the Primary Pilot be in full control of the PLANT, with the Secondary Pilots sitting around and doing nothing. On the other hand, by having the Secondary Pilots participate in every battle, it'll be easier to make Furi into not just an idiot hero but an inspirational leader type, a bit like Kamina: by screaming hot blooded stuff and sheer determination, he gets the frightened and demoralized Secondary Pilots to haul ass and kick ass.)



I guess another question is, how often does MEGAMECHAOFDOOM get formed?

I imagine each BTS being able to fold up into a roughly rectangular/quadrilateral figure, with at least one of its maneuvering thrusters pointed outwards. When the order is given to go into PLANT mode, all ships abort whatever mission that they're on (unless ordered otherwise), head towards the Kato, transform into the rectangular boxes, and start connecting themselves into the correct places.


@ Prime32: I made you a new name (that took a lot less time than I thought :smallconfused:): Ila Sanjuni. The first name is based off of Korean.

[Cubey]

The secondary pilots aren't just sitting and doing nothing. They're there to provide SPIRIT SKILLS. And because this mecha is friggin' huge, it's going to have like hundreds of them. Imagine a unit with hundreds of co-pilots? It'll be unstoppable!

...

I really have to stop looking at everything like if it was Super Robot Wars. I also probably should make a character description or something, but that comes later. It's 4:20 AM. I should've gone to bed 2 hours ago.

[KnightDisciple]

Hm. Maybe compromise; basic movements are controlled by the primary pilot, but the secondary pilots still manage subsystems, as well as firing the smaller weapons for things like AA fire and such. Maybe the top 5 Secondary pilots-again, the Path Girls, the Lancer, one or two others-help coordinate main and secondary weapons, everyone else on tertiary?

[13_CBS]

Character quirks and trivial info updated where provided.

Edit: Just as a reminder, here's a quick to do list:

1) Finalize the characters outside the context of a plot or setting. I consider this my top priority at the moment.

2) Finalize details on the robot.

3) Lay down the foundations for a setting (so far we have: far future, evil cultist empire vs our good empire, high school (I'm thinking about an Academy + Combat School space station, combining both a stereotypical Japanese high school and big robots)).

4) Start integrating everything together: figure out how the characters and robot fit into the setting, etc.

5) Figure out and plan a plot for each route (start, a middle, and an end)

6) Figure out and plan the details for each route, plot-wise (where to put choices, bad ends, etc).

The rest will be additional doo dads, like music, art, etc.

[KnightDisciple]

FYI, the "black suit" is actually the plugsuit, which I presume is required piloting uniform.

And we'll say favorite foods....chocolate, steak, and white rice. Though not necessarily all at once.:smalltongue:

[13_CBS]

FYI, the "black suit" is actually the plugsuit, which I presume is required piloting uniform.


Oh, gotcha.



And we'll say favorite foods....chocolate, steak, and white rice. Though not necessarily all at once.:smalltongue:

:smallamused:

[KnightDisciple]

:smallsigh:Sure, fine.

Also, yes, jogging is what I mean. Actually, nature jogs, to be more specific. It's like nature hikes, but you move faster.

[13_CBS]

:smallsigh:Sure, fine.

Oh, you spoil sport. :smalltongue: I'll change it back. :smallwink:

[Fri]

Just for comparison, current day battle cruisers are about 100-200 metres lengthwise, and an aircraft carrier is about 300 m+ length

Gundams are about 20 m. so a 1 km mech=50 gundams...

But, I still think that 1 km mech is too small, we got more than 50 mechs, right?

by the way, anyone got that mech size comparison chart?

edit:

@V you're right. Didn't thought of that.

[Echowinds]

Volume wise, 1 km length mech will have 50x50x50 = 125,000 worth of gundams, assuming they are in the same ratio.

So it's plenty big.

[kamikasei]

On controlling the mech: a machine that large would be completely ridiculous especially if each component has to be manually controlled by an operator receiving instructions from a central hub.

How about the combined pilot force forms some sort of gestalt entity, where everyones' minds get linked up to handle tasks as a distributed subconsciousness? Something like the original plans for the Matrix. You could have it that each of the three main girls is a different major subsystem and the pilot links all three. (What's a suitable division? Movement/Weapons/Power Management?)

This would mean that the extra pilots are quite literally there for their Spirit bonuses. And once people start getting killed off, it should make things very interesting.

[Prime32]

It's funnier if everyone controls one joint.


@ Prime32: I made you a new name (that took a lot less time than I thought :smallconfused:): Ila Sanjuni. The first name is based off of Korean.

If the character is Korean, shouldn't the surname be San-Juni?:smalltongue:

[KnightDisciple]

On controlling the mech: a machine that large would be completely ridiculous especially if each component has to be manually controlled by an operator receiving instructions from a central hub.

How about the combined pilot force forms some sort of gestalt entity, where everyones' minds get linked up to handle tasks as a distributed subconsciousness? Something like the original plans for the Matrix. You could have it that each of the three main girls is a different major subsystem and the pilot links all three. (What's a suitable division? Movement/Weapons/Power Management?)

This would mean that the extra pilots are quite literally there for their Spirit bonuses. And once people start getting killed off, it should make things very interesting.

Hm. Maybe combine this, and my suggestion about the various other pilots manning individual mini-turrets and such.

Maybe...one girl is Defensive Systems, one is Weapons, and one is Power Management? With the main pilot as Movement?

Which leaves everyone else (including the Lancer) as spirit bonuses. Somehow, that thought amuses me some.

Or you could split weapons between one of the girls and Ritt.

[13_CBS]

If the character is Korean, shouldn't the surname be San-Juni?:smalltongue:

Nay. If her first name were Korean, her last name would be San, Ju, or Ni. Only one of the three, since Korean names can really only 3 syllables total. :smalltongue:

My post was a bit misleading. I meant that the name "Illa" is a pun based off of Korean ("Il" = 1 in Korean), not that the character itself is Korean.

...though I can make her Korean if you want to. :smallconfused:

I'm at class in the moment, so I'll need some time to think about the mech issue.

[Nerd-o-rama]

The secondary pilots aren't just sitting and doing nothing. They're there to provide SPIRIT SKILLS. And because this mecha is friggin' huge, it's going to have like hundreds of them. Imagine a unit with hundreds of co-pilots? It'll be unstoppable!

...This is how the penultimate level of Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann's introductory SRW is going to look.

[Cubey]

This is how the penultimate level of Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann's introductory SRW is going to look.

I was thinking roughly the same thing when making the post.

[Nerd-o-rama]

The alternative is base it on the movie finale, and just have everyone in a ridiculously huge version of their normal robot made entirely out of hot blood. Yes, even the real-type pilots.

...hopefully this game will also have Turn A Gundam (for Tengen Toppa Kapool).

[Prime32]

Nay. If her first name were Korean, her last name would be San, Ju, or Ni. Only one of the three, since Korean names can really only 3 syllables total. :smalltongue:

My post was a bit misleading. I meant that the name "Illa" is a pun based off of Korean ("Il" = 1 in Korean), not that the character itself is Korean.

...though I can make her Korean if you want to. :smallconfused:
Half-Korean then. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ButNotTooForeign) :smalltongue: Or half-Vietnamese (http://www.viet.net//~nguyent/hoa_03.html), or whatever would work.

Appearance-wise I don't have much to say, except that her uniform or flight-suit should have hard sections suggestive of armour (if not actual armour plates).

[Terraoblivion]

The name seems fine and working from that i'd say we should go with making my character be Spanish. Not that i am Spanish or really know anything about Spain, just seems fitting when having a Spanish last name, besides i couldn't take the name seriously as an actual name if we were to use the German, Swedish or Danish that would all be more accurate for where i am from.

Appearance: Tall and slender with surprisingly pale skin given her country of origin. Going with the whole being Miyuki theme pink hair, even though i don't like pink, and bustiness are both required. So are glasses, but they would be even without the Miyuki angle, though i'd prefer narrower, though still girly, glasses over the big, round things she has. As far as clothes go i'd imagine heading towards the kind of lack of fashion that marks classic nerd girls, which is to say cute without having either the girlishness of other characters meant to be cute. So basically a less prudish version of the hot librarian, who just doesn't have the skill at fashion.

Background: A blessed background of academic success and fortunate, if not truly upper class, economic conditions marred by poor social skills seems fitting.

Quirks and favorites: Apart from the tendency to be overly wordy when excited, a great fondness for tea and sweets are clearly in there. So is a generally positive attitude towards anything and difficulty getting angry over things that aren't deeply personal, while a very easy time getting excited about things she likes. Cannot get her food spicy enough. Loves reading, whether things relating to her profession, random other information or actual literature, though with a preference for trashy pop culture over high art, all of which has left her with quite large stores of trivia. Has a generally sedentary lifestyle with few physically active interests, though she is surprisingly good at cooking, though that is marred by her being fairly squeamish. And of course she is very fond of girls. :smalltongue:

[Tengu_temp]

Huh, Siela is the only lead girl with no description. Time to change that!

...

I can't think of anything right now. Well, when I do, I'll let ya know.

[Terraoblivion]

I see that Kamia is essentially the illegitimate, yandere child of Kagami and Ruri.

[Rogue 7]

I see that Kamia is essentially the illegitimate, yandere child of Kagami and Ruri.

The fact that this sentence makes total sense to me made me stop and realize just how incomprehensible we must look to probably half the people on this board.

[Terraoblivion]

And a much larger proportion of the people who have no ties to nerd culture.

[kamikasei]

I see that Kamia is essentially the illegitimate, yandere child of Kagami and Ruri.

The worst part is, I haven't even seen Nadesico. I'm assuming indirect transmission is responsible.

[Rogue 7]

The same with me, and I've only seen like, 4 episodes of Lucky Star.

[Closet_Skeleton]

3) Lay down the foundations for a setting (so far we have: far future, evil cultist empire vs our good empire, high school (I'm thinking about an Academy + Combat School space station, combining both a stereotypical Japanese high school and big robots)).

Stellvia of the Universe is an anime a bit like that. Except the space station/school is more like a mothership and the bad guys are natural disaster wave of energy rather than aliens.

If you want a mech that big, look at the Macross (http://mahq.net/mecha/macross/macross.htm). It's dimensions are 1210/496/312 meters.

[Prime32]

May I suggest that Nerdo's character have cybernetic implants/be the result of a failed super-soldier experiment/etc. which enhances her mental abilities? Just to explain how she could pilot a PLANT by herself.

[Cubey]

Well, Nerdo's stealing that part of his character from Gravion's Sandman, who could pilot Sigma Gravion all by himself because he's awesome. Also an alien, but mostly awesome.

[Prime32]

Well, Nerdo's stealing that part of his character from Gravion's Sandman, who could pilot Sigma Gravion all by himself because he's awesome. Also an alien, but mostly awesome.But this way she can tell someone the 278th digit of pi, then casually shrug at their reaction! That contributes to awesome, surely!

[Nerd-o-rama]

I have an ex-girlfriend who can do that, so let's not.

[kamikasei]

I have an ex-girlfriend who can do that, so let's not.

Your ex-girlfriend was a cyborg? :smallconfused:

[Tengu_temp]

Your ex-girlfriend was a cyborg? :smallconfused:

That explains his fondness for robot girls.

[Terraoblivion]

But all female cyborgs are lesbian Mary Sue, how could Nerdo ever date that?

[Tengu_temp]

Nah, only the Major is. Other female cyborgs are just lesbians.

[Random832]

But this way she can tell someone the 278th digit of pi, then casually shrug at their reaction! That contributes to awesome, surely!

I have an ex-girlfriend who can do that, so let's not.

Uh... Anyone can do that. It's 6.*

The real question is, is, can she tell someone the Nth digit of pi for arbitrarily chosen N where N <= 278? or rather, what is the largest M for which this is true where N <= M?

*Made you look! But, for the record, no, I didn't just make up a number; I looked it up.

[13_CBS]

I have a bit of a concern...

Both Kamia and Kara are interesting characters, but at the moment they both seem rather similar--or, at the very least, they're both kuudere in some way or another. If it's not too much trouble, would either one of you mind making your characters more distinct from the other in terms of personality?



Appearance-wise I don't have much to say, except that her uniform or flight-suit should have hard sections suggestive of armour (if not actual armour plates).

Very well. I'll fill out the rest of your Appearance section going off of Illa's ethnicity.



Going with the whole being Miyuki theme pink hair, even though i don't like pink, and bustiness are both required.

If you don't really want pink hair, it's entirely up to you. What color would you prefer? And if you wish it, I can make Terra be modestly endowed, or even flat chested (or...even gag boobs :smalleek:).

@ Nerdo: Are you alright with Neridia having subtle, mysterious cybernetic enhancements hinting at her previous involvement as a PLANT Primary Pilot?

[kamikasei]

Both Kamia and Kara are interesting characters, but at the moment they both seem rather similar--or, at the very least, they're both kuudere in some way or another.

Well, nothingclever called his first, and I wasn't looking at it when I made mine, so I guess I'll revise Kamia a bit. But not right now. zzzzzzz

[Terraoblivion]

Sticking to the joke is of greater significance to me than a minor preference in color and no real preference in breast size, except for a dislike of gag boobs. So i stick to what i said, the me as Miyuki thing demands it.

[Cubey]

But all female cyborgs are lesbian Mary Sue, how could Nerdo ever date that?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e0/SubaruNakajima.jpg/230px-SubaruNakajima.jpg

[13_CBS]

Update: I've started to further develop and organize the characters in terms of role in the story and personality. This will take a little time, however.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Nah, only the Major is. Other female cyborgs are just lesbians.

The Major is bi surely?

Unless she's asexual.


subaru

Memetic mutation aside, Subaru is no gayer than any other random anime female who has a female best friend.

Chise from Saikano is a female cyborg whose heterosexuality is key to the story. Even her closest female friend is nothing but competition where sex/romance is involved.


I have a bit of a concern...

Both Kamia and Kara are interesting characters, but at the moment they both seem rather similar--or, at the very least, they're both kuudere in some way or another. If it's not too much trouble, would either one of you mind making your characters more distinct from the other in terms of personality?

Do we have any female characters who aren't kuudere? Starting out openly attracted to the protagonist would kind of hurt the standard romantic plot development. You could just make Kamia not kuudere, just a friendly, open closet psychopath. Maybe Kamia fakes having feelings and Kara fakes not having feelings.

Give my character a revolver, otherwise the poncho makes no sense.

[Nerd-o-rama]

@ Nerdo: Are you alright with Neridia having subtle, mysterious cybernetic enhancements hinting at her previous involvement as a PLANT Primary Pilot?Whatever facilitates the plot. My character's presumably older than others, so there's room for plenty of semi-relevant mystery.


Memetic mutation aside, Subaru is no gayer than any other random anime female who has a female best friend.Have you actually watched StrikerS, or are you solely commenting on the memetic mutation? They went on a goddamn date.

[13_CBS]

You could just make Kamia not kuudere, just a friendly, open closet psychopath. Maybe Kamia fakes having feelings and Kara fakes not having feelings.


That's...a really awesome idea :smallbiggrin: Any thoughts, Kamikasei?



Give my character a revolver, otherwise the poncho makes no sense.

Any preference as to model and make?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

A quick note on the soundtrack...

I grew up playing the violin, so I have a huge bias towards orchestral music, especially in stuff like anime and videogames. That said, here are some "placeholder" soundtracks that I have in my head for tidbits of the VN. Hopefully, we'll be able to compose our own stuff, but until then, I'm thinking of stuff along the lines of the following for spicing up our VN scenes. As a disclaimer, none of this will mean that the VN's soundtrack will consist of nothing but orchestral music (though I'm hoping that at least some of it will), so rock and pop fans won't be too disappointed:

Admiral Roag's fleet forming up into PLANT mode (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ek3JvUBYaI&fmt=18)

Some battle music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU2NLu9fYDA&feature=PlayList&p=1F13F144F3160C61&index=0)

The fleet encounters enemies and prepares for battle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqVyvIeS9hY&feature=PlayList&p=1F13F144F3160C61&index=4)

Furi and Roag have a tense battle of wits and philosophy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSfZmiVdrZk)

The cogs in Kamia's mind spin... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVZM6ILJLro&feature=PlayList&p=503B0F45CB6A0B28&index=1)

Admiral Roag orders the 7th Fleet to deploy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUmq1cpcglQ), and likewise, Admiral Roag's Flagship bridge theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tczX9GWio1E)

(Stealing in more ways than one from Homeworld): Furi's first time at the controls (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIUxwEJ-GXI&feature=related)

And so forth.

[Cubey]

Memetic mutation aside, Subaru is no gayer than any other random anime female who has a female best friend.

Even excluding the sound stages, I can't believe anyone can claim that after seeing how Subaru wakes up Tea in episode 10.

But anyway, I posted Subaru to show Terra that not all female cyborgs are Mary Sues.

[Lord of Rapture]

Where the heck did that come from? :smallconfused:

Anyway, I thought 13_CBS could use some help writing, so I'm asking if he needs help with writing a prologue now.

[13_CBS]

Anyway, I thought 13_CBS could use some help writing, so I'm asking if he needs help with writing a prologue now.


Not at the moment: I'd rather not start writing anything other than test excerpts until we have most of the essentials finalized.

See this list?:



1) Finalize the characters outside the context of a plot or setting. I consider this my top priority at the moment.

2) Finalize details on the robot.

3) Lay down the foundations for a setting (so far we have: far future, evil cultist empire vs our good empire, high school (I'm thinking about an Academy + Combat School space station, combining both a stereotypical Japanese high school and big robots)).

4) Start integrating everything together: figure out how the characters and robot fit into the setting, etc.

5) Figure out and plan a plot for each route (start, a middle, and an end)

6) Figure out and plan the details for each route, plot-wise (where to put choices, bad ends, etc).


Until all those are done, I don't think we should do any major writing aside from, as I said, test excerpts (little short story sized bits of fiction designed to let us test and see how the characters look on text).

edit: added text for Kamia Kasei and Dominic L. Rapture.

[kamikasei]

You could just make Kamia not kuudere, just a friendly, open closet psychopath. Maybe Kamia fakes having feelings and Kara fakes not having feelings.

I'd be okay with that, but I thought part of the idea was to break her during the route? I mean, if she starts out already a psychopath, it's a little less dramatic.

Doesn't bother me either way, just a concern for how to structure the story.

[Lord of Rapture]

I'd be okay with that, but I thought part of the idea was to break her during the route? I mean, if she starts out already a psychopath, it's a little less dramatic.

Doesn't bother me either way, just a concern for how to structure the story.

How about part psychopath? Sane and normal until someone tries to make a move on her brother? Then she gets psychopathic and murderous.

[kamikasei]

How about part psychopath? Sane and normal until someone tries to make a move on her brother? Then she gets psychopathic and murderous.

Well yeah, that's covered by yandere. What I mean is that I was under the impression that she was supposed to become a murderous yandere, not start out as one who just hasn't actually killed anyone yet.

[Lord of Rapture]

Then downgrade to simple jealously and protectiveness then? It makes the transition to yandere easier.

[hanzo66]

Well, can I make a few notes for my character?


I'd suggest a reddish hair color with some bits pointing upward (and electricity coursing through them). Give him some big ol' goggles and a classic white coat.

Actually, just go nuts and indulge in whatever Mad Scientist cliche to put on him.

[13_CBS]

On Kamia: I actually quite like Closet_Skeleton's idea. Start Kamia off as superficially a Genki girl (the more cliches the better, right?) who mostly fakes the emotions, and then slowly break her over the course of her route. She'll initially be only slightly troubled, so there's plenty of room for her to get emotionally shattered.

As for the robot...

What if we had multiple Huge Mecha, one for each heroine? We could cut down on the size/# of vehicles in The Giant so that Commander Neridia's fleet isn't much more than a regular taskforce built around the INS Kato, so instead of having one HUUUGE robot we'll just have 4 HUGE ones instead, each piloted by the 3 heroiens.

[KnightDisciple]

Hm. Honestly, I do like the "each pilot just has a big mecha themselves" thing, rather than "let's make a ginormous fleet into a super giant mecha". I mean, yeah, giant combiner is cool, but...20 smaller mechs per shoulder felt a little ridiculous.

This way, each pilot can have a mech more suited to their style. As well, a character dying cuts their force, but doesn't necessarily mean "oh noes, we can't form voltron" kind of thing.

Also, shouldn't it be at least 5 Huge Mecha?

1 for the hero, 1 each for the heroines, and 1 for the Lancer?:smalltongue::smallbiggrin:

[Rogue 7]

13_CBS, I see you gave my character a secret love of Rock n' Roll. Know that in the event of a Play-by-Post game, I will most likely post random rock songs when in battle or when alone (though that's unlikely to be featured.)

[KnightDisciple]

13_CBS, I see you gave my character a secret love of Rock n' Roll. Know that in the event of a Play-by-Post game, I will most likely post random rock songs when in battle or when alone (though that's unlikely to be featured.)

....If you do this, I might be tempted to post random country songs. :smallwink:

[Lord of Rapture]

So, I have an idea for the basic outline of the prologue.

1. Kamia wakes up Furi to get ready to go to school. Furi gets up reluctantly, and complains about how he's stuck down here while there's an intergalactic war going on. Kamia tells Furi that someday he'll be in the war like he's always dreamed of, and Furi's response is to sigh wistfully.

2. On the way to school, Furi meets Siela like he does every morning, and they suddenly start reminiscing about their childhood days together. However, Kamia then butts in on their conversation, using the fact that there's only 3 minutes left to get to class as an excuse to break the ice.

3. During lunchtime, Furi spots a mysterious man in white staring at him from outside, and accidentally bumps into Kara, which is how they meet. Furi starts breathlessly apologizing and helping her clean up the mess, but she slaps him in the face anyway. Despite her aggressiveness, there is some hint she is attracted to him anyways.
When Furi manages to look out the window again, the man has disappeared.

4. Furi, Siela, and Kamia head home after school ends, and Kara appears and wants to join them on the way. Furi gets flustered, and Kamia and Siela seem a little jealous, and object. The argument gets extremely hot, and Furi gets fed up with it and quietly slips away while the 3 girls are arguing to get some ice cream to get them to cool down.

5. Dominic then appears in front of him and mocks him for coming up with such a childish way of solving a catfight over him. Furi is surprised, since he hadn't said anything about what he was going to do... or did he? In any case, Dominic then introduces himself and asks whether Furi wants to join the fight against evil someday. Furi answers yes, but doesn't believe he'll ever be able to. Dominic then tells him he can make his dream come true, and then asks Furi whether he'll accept the terms of his contract.

a. Furi answers yes. Dominic then mocks him for not asking the terms of the contract, but says he'll fulfill his side of the agreement anyway. He then walks away, and Furi is left alone on the sidewalk while the girls are still arguing over him. Unable to understand what just happened, he dismisses it as a hallucination, and goes to get some ice cream.

The next day, a giant rift appears over the city, and Roag and his fleet appear overhead and start destroying everything in sight.
Start of Siela's path.

b. Furi answers no on grounds that he doesn't know the terms of the contract. Dominic then remarks that he's smarter than he looks, and walks away, but not before saying that Furi will sign a contract with him one day.
Suddenly, a rift appears over the school, and Han starts attacking everything indiscriminately. Everyone panics and runs as fast as possible to the only government bunker in town.
Start of Kara's path.

c. Furi answers no because Dominic is a total jerkface who is unlikely to keep his word. He's right, but Dominic takes offense to this, and he vows to make Furi's life hell for this offense. When Dominic leaves, Furi finds that he is frozen in place, and Han appears again. This time, because Furi is unable to move, he is crushed by a piece of falling debris, and is saved by Kamia. However, he loses all his limbs in the accident.
Start of Kamia's path.

[Nerocite]

Why no tentacles?

[KnightDisciple]

Not enough Ritt.:smalltongue:

[Cubey]

That's a nice idea you have there LoR. Doesn't it mean Dominic has some kind of control to make plot happen, rather than just rewind reality to make sure Furi doesn't die horribly? I don't really have anything against that, but it may go against the original idea.

I was going to suggest that choosing a path requires more than just answering one question, instead being the result of several choices you make during the prologue. But I changed my mind, because my idea is not how visual novels work!

[Lord of Rapture]

Well, this is an idea. We can still make modifications to it whichever way we want.

And how is rewinding reality not related to plot changing powers anyway? :smallbiggrin:

[Cubey]

Well, it's removing a portion of the plot (by rewinding the game to before it happened) rather than creating new plot elements altogether.

This also gives me an idea. Since Dominic's very concept is meta, he's there to make sure the player enjoys himself (will we have any girls playing this game?) and doesn't screw up before the plot is over, then what if we introduce a path where Furi actively works to THWART Dominic's efforts? Sorta a rebellion against the very plot of the game and its creators. Or maybe we could say that the cut Rudy route was supposed to be like that.

[KnightDisciple]

On the mecha design...

Here's my thoughts:

Ditch the "hundreds of ships making one giant mecha" idea. It has some merit, but feels too clumsy for what we plan to do here.

Instead, the heroes have individually large mecha; what size range is up in the air, but probably bigger than the Arm Slaves.

Meanwhile, the fleet is reduced somewhat, but not totally, in size. Actually, probably keep most all of the numbers. Just don't have them being transformable parts for a giant mecha.

The non-hero mecha would be smaller, less flashy, non-customizable, and serve as backup/redshirts.

Maybe there can still be a fleet combiner, it just uses fewer ships; maybe the command frigate, carrier, power ship, battlecruiser, and a few others. This giant combiner is much slower than the hero mechs, but has a heck of a lot more firepower, and is nice and tough to boot. Essentially, it's the "oh crap!" button.

Thoughts?

[Lord of Rapture]

Shouldn't that be the Kamia path, where Furi actively goes against Dominic because he's a jerk? Besides, since Dominic is the one who recruits Furi in the fight against evil anyway, without his contract, Furi starts breaking down into insanity.

Besides, the good path is the path where Furi thwarts Dominic, since there's no more conflict left when good wins.

Remember, Dominic's goal is conflict, so he needs Furi around to keep the forces of evil from winning, but also keep him from achieving the ultimate victory over evil.

[13_CBS]

Very interesting ideas! However...




1. Kamia wakes up Furi to get ready to go to school. Furi gets up reluctantly, and complains about how he's stuck down here while there's an intergalactic war going on. Kamia tells Furi that someday he'll be in the war like he's always dreamed of, and Furi's response is to sigh wistfully.


Although everyone's in on the secret that the school is both an academic learning center and a military training post, I feel that it might serve the VN better if we make it a little more subtle. Maybe make vague statements about how Furi wants to "go out there and and be a hero", throw in some descriptions about people acting in subtly militaristic ways, etc.



3. During lunchtime, Furi spots a mysterious man in white staring at him from outside, and accidentally bumps into Kara, which is how they meet.


For the sake of Crash Into Hello, I agree with this, but...



Furi starts breathlessly apologizing and helping her clean up the mess, but she slaps him in the face anyway. Despite her aggressiveness, there is some hint she is attracted to him anyways.


It would serve Kara's romance with Furi better, I think, if her initial meeting goes very badly, with no hint of romance aside from maybe Furi thinking that she's pretty (and then hastily retracting that thought when she's a total jerk to him). The slapping part is fine.



4. Furi, Siela, and Kamia head home after school ends, and Kara appears and wants to join them on the way.


Agreed, but to be clear I think it'd be better if she joins using some other reason as an excuse. It's still too early for Kara to show attachments to Furi, I think.



Furi gets flustered, and Kamia and Siela seem a little jealous, and object. The argument gets extremely hot, and Furi gets fed up with it and quietly slips away while the 3 girls are arguing to get some ice cream to get them to cool down.


Cool stuff! *pun not intended*


*Choices*

An interesting idea, and it brings up a few issues (which I was actually hoping to get later, AFTER we're done finalizing details about the robots and the characters...):

1) Some VNs give you more than one opportunity to pick a route--an example is Yume Miru Kusuri, where there are three heroines but one must actively choose 1 of the heroines repeatedly (and ignore the others) in order to pick their route. Thus, the player has a chance to mull over which route they want to take. Others, however, give you only one chance: once you take this choice, the heroine is automatically decided then and there (like Fate/Stay Night: by either stopping or not stopping Saber at a certain point, you pick either Fate or UBW). Which variant shall we take? LoR's suggestion is the latter, where one must pick a heroine pretty much then and there.

2) What sort of role should Dominic have? Shadowy manipulator or, as LoR prefers, a more direct puppeteer? The "direct puppeteer" approach makes him more like G-Man from Half Life; the shadowy manipulator approach leaves him much more a meta concept than a character.


On mechs:


The original dream by Fri was a colossal mech made up of many, many constituent vehicles. I personally would prefer to stick with the original idea, or at least the spirit of it, partly because I'm writing this to (literally) bring realization to someone's dream, but also because...well, it's new, never really been done before. It'll be tricky (certainly there are reasons why no one's done this before), but hey, it'll be fun, I think.

Thus, my current mech proposal is this:

There are at least 5 taskforces making up a certain fleet (Furi's hometown's sector fleet, I guess).

The 5 taskforces are each centered around a PLANT: Furi's is the ITP Giant.

Furi, Kamia, Siela, Kara, and Ritt are all PLANT pilots, and each are assigned to a taskforce. Again, each taskforce is an element of the local Fleet.

Each PLANT is made up of numerous ships and BTSs. I still want to stick with the original Command Frigate + Carrier + Energy Converter + Strike Cruiser + lots of BTSs idea, but with fewer BTSs to keep things simpler.

As for how the PLANT actually works, I have an idea that piggybacks off of Knight's and others' ideas:

1)The PLANT is still piloted by a Primary Pilot located in the Carrier (still the torso), and is advised/ordered around by a commander in the Command Frigate (still the head).

2) The Primary Pilot controls the PLANT via thoughts: he thinks of the PLANT's arm moving, it moves accordingly. He thinks of the thrusters in its feet going off, the thrusters go off.

3) The Secondary Pilots don't do all that much. Their job is to sit there and try to align their minds, particularly their emotions, to that of the Primary Pilot's. The more synchronized the Secondary Pilots are, the better the mech functions. This keeps things simple while still giving the Secondary Pilots something to do, and also incorporates the SPIRIT function that everyone likes.


On the setting:

It looks like everyone's fine with the "academic school that also trains youngsters into military folks" local setting and the "good empire faces off against evil cultist empire that worships elder evils" universal setting, so we'll stick with that. First thing's first, we need names for at the very least:

The school
The good empire
The bad empire


Edit: While I'm at it, some tentative names for the 4 other PLANTs and their taskforce names:

Furi's PLANT: ITP Giant
Kamia's PLANT: ITP Behemoth
Siela's PLANT: ITP Titan
Kara's PLANT: ITP Colossus
Ritt's PLANT: ITP Leviathan

Or, if the "gianty" theme doesn't suit you...

Furi's PLANT: ITP Giant (still sticking with this one as a reference to our beloved forum)
Kamia's PLANT: ITP Halberd (Kamikasei seems to enjoy stuff about Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha's Bardiche, so I named Kamia's PLANT after a type of polearm)
Siela's PLANT: ITP Tengu (no guessing on this one)
Kara's PLANT: ITP Von Lohengramm (Legend of Galactic Heroes reference)
Ritt's PLANT: ITP Reaver (Knight seems to enjoy Bleach: however, Reaper seemed a little too macabre, so I changed it to Reaver).



Taskforces:

Furi's taskforce: Taskforce Root of Spring (named after forum member Haruki-kun: Haruki is made up of the Kanji for "Spring" and "Tree")

Kamia's taskforce: Taskforce Randon (named after forum member Random_NPC: "randon" is from Middle English, and is the root of the modern English word "random")

Siela's taskforce: Taskforce Victor (named after forum member Vic Sage)

Kara's taskforce:Taskforce Akumono (named after forum member Evil Thing: Akumono is pseudo-Japanese for "evil thing")

Ritt's taskforce: Taskforce Kabal (named after forum member Innis Cabal)

[Cubey]

Shouldn't that be the Kamia path, where Furi actively goes against Dominic because he's a jerk? Besides, since Dominic is the one who recruits Furi in the fight against evil anyway, without his contract, Furi starts breaking down into insanity.

Besides, the good path is the path where Furi thwarts Dominic, since there's no more conflict left when good wins.

Remember, Dominic's goal is conflict, so he needs Furi around to keep the forces of evil from winning, but also keep him from achieving the ultimate victory over evil.

So basically, this means Kara's path is the only one where Furi fully keeps his part of the deal. You already described Kamia's, and in Siela's path you basically out-Gurren Lagann everyone.

I'd say this fits.

[Lord of Rapture]

I was thinking more shadowy manipulator afterwards. After Furi accepts (or rejects) Dominic's contract, he basically disappears from the story, only to show up to Furi whenever one side is winning to give the other side an edge to come back from the brink.

However, the only time it doesn't work is in Siela's path, when he appears briefly at the end when the forces of evil are going to lose, because Furi is about to win no matter what in that path.

[kamikasei]

On Kamia: I actually quite like Closet_Skeleton's idea. Start Kamia off as superficially a Genki girl (the more cliches the better, right?) who mostly fakes the emotions, and then slowly break her over the course of her route. She'll initially be only slightly troubled, so there's plenty of room for her to get emotionally shattered.

Yeah, that works. So at the start of the game, she's fooling herself with her own facade. Hmmm, a snarky Genki Girl? That can work, I guess... actually, I'm kind of playing one already...

On mecha, I'd be happy with the giant-themed names. "Halberd" would be a bit flat, I think.

[Fri]

Hey! As I said, at this point, don't mind my dream too much. My dream was silly, this is awesome.

As I said, I'd be proud to be one of the few people with adaptation distillation/displacement of his own dream.

Btw, do I need to give description/whatsoever on the main character? Or he should be a 'blank' character like a lot of VN protagonist?

[KnightDisciple]

Very interesting ideas! However...



Although everyone's in on the secret that the school is both an academic learning center and a military training post, I feel that it might serve the VN better if we make it a little more subtle. Maybe make vague statements about how Furi wants to "go out there and and be a hero", throw in some descriptions about people acting in subtly militaristic ways, etc.



For the sake of Crash Into Hello, I agree with this, but...



It would serve Kara's romance with Furi better, I think, if her initial meeting goes very badly, with no hint of romance aside from maybe Furi thinking that she's pretty (and then hastily retracting that thought when she's a total jerk to him). The slapping part is fine.



Agreed, but to be clear I think it'd be better if she joins using some other reason as an excuse. It's still too early for Kara to show attachments to Furi, I think.



Cool stuff! *pun not intended*



An interesting idea, and it brings up a few issues (which I was actually hoping to get later, AFTER we're done finalizing details about the robots and the characters...):

1) Some VNs give you more than one opportunity to pick a route--an example is Yume Miru Kusuri, where there are three heroines but one must actively choose 1 of the heroines repeatedly (and ignore the others) in order to pick their route. Thus, the player has a chance to mull over which route they want to take. Others, however, give you only one chance: once you take this choice, the heroine is automatically decided then and there (like Fate/Stay Night: by either stopping or not stopping Saber at a certain point, you pick either Fate or UBW). Which variant shall we take? LoR's suggestion is the latter, where one must pick a heroine pretty much then and there.

2) What sort of role should Dominic have? Shadowy manipulator or, as LoR prefers, a more direct puppeteer? The "direct puppeteer" approach makes him more like G-Man from Half Life; the shadowy manipulator approach leaves him much more a meta concept than a character.


On mechs:


The original dream by Fri was a colossal mech made up of many, many constituent vehicles. I personally would prefer to stick with the original idea, or at least the spirit of it, partly because I'm writing this to (literally) bring realization to someone's dream, but also because...well, it's new, never really been done before. It'll be tricky (certainly there are reasons why no one's done this before), but hey, it'll be fun, I think.

Thus, my current mech proposal is this:

There are at least 5 taskforces making up a certain fleet (Furi's hometown's sector fleet, I guess).

The 5 taskforces are each centered around a PLANT: Furi's is the ITP Giant.

Furi, Kamia, Siela, Kara, and Ritt are all PLANT pilots, and each are assigned to a taskforce. Again, each taskforce is an element of the local Fleet.

Each PLANT is made up of numerous ships and BTSs. I still want to stick with the original Command Frigate + Carrier + Energy Converter + Strike Cruiser + lots of BTSs idea, but with fewer BTSs to keep things simpler.

As for how the PLANT actually works, I have an idea that piggybacks off of Knight's and others' ideas:

1)The PLANT is still piloted by a Primary Pilot located in the Carrier (still the torso), and is advised/ordered around by a commander in the Command Frigate (still the head).

2) The Primary Pilot controls the PLANT via thoughts: he thinks of the PLANT's arm moving, it moves accordingly. He thinks of the thrusters in its feet going off, the thrusters go off.

3) The Secondary Pilots don't do all that much. Their job is to sit there and try to align their minds, particularly their emotions, to that of the Primary Pilot's. The more synchronized the Secondary Pilots are, the better the mech functions. This keeps things simple while still giving the Secondary Pilots something to do, and also incorporates the SPIRIT function that everyone likes.


On the setting:

It looks like everyone's fine with the "academic school that also trains youngsters into military folks" local setting and the "good empire faces off against evil cultist empire that worships elder evils" universal setting, so we'll stick with that. First thing's first, we need names for at the very least:

The school
The good empire
The bad empire


Edit: While I'm at it, some tentative names for the 4 other PLANTs and their taskforce names:

Furi's PLANT: ITP Giant
Kamia's PLANT: ITP Behemoth
Siela's PLANT: ITP Titan
Kara's PLANT: ITP Colossus
Ritt's PLANT: ITP Leviathan

Or, if the "gianty" theme doesn't suit you...

Furi's PLANT: ITP Giant (still sticking with this one as a reference to our beloved forum)
Kamia's PLANT: ITP Halberd (Kamikasei seems to enjoy stuff about Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha's Bardiche, so I named Kamia's PLANT after a type of polearm)
Siela's PLANT: ITP Tengu (no guessing on this one)
Kara's PLANT: ITP Von Lohengramm (Legend of Galactic Heroes reference)
Ritt's PLANT: ITP Reaver (Knight seems to enjoy Bleach: however, Reaper seemed a little too macabre, so I changed it to Reaver).



Taskforces:

Furi's taskforce: Taskforce Root of Spring (named after forum member Haruki-kun: Haruki is made up of the Kanji for "Spring" and "Tree")

Kamia's taskforce: Taskforce Randon (named after forum member Random_NPC: "randon" is from Middle English, and is the root of the modern English word "random")

Siela's taskforce: Taskforce Victor (named after forum member Vic Sage)

Kara's taskforce:Taskforce Akumono (named after forum member Evil Thing: Akumono is pseudo-Japanese for "evil thing")

Ritt's taskforce: Taskforce Kabal (named after forum member Innis Cabal)

This idea, I like better. I also like the thought of reducing the number of BT's in each PLANT. It gives us greater tactical flexibility, as well. And now there's not an insta-crisis when one of the major pilots die.

And I like "ITP Reaver" and "Taskforce Kabal" (esp since Innis and I are buddies :smalltongue:).

Edit: @Fri: Hm. A big part of me says "give a description". We can subtract later, if need be. Better to have more than we need, and all that.

[13_CBS]

Alright, for Taskforce names and PLANT names I'll just go with whichever ones you guys pick.

@ Fri: If you could, yes. VN protagonists are eventually seen by the players, so we do need some sort of description of Furi's features.

[Nerd-o-rama]

13_CBS, I see you gave my character a secret love of Rock n' Roll. Know that in the event of a Play-by-Post game, I will most likely post random rock songs when in battle or when alone (though that's unlikely to be featured.)...Ozma?

Anyway, I approve of the less stupidly large mech, although not having any combination aspect sort of messes up my intended Gravion reference. Eh. Call my secret backup PLANT the ITP Sturmvogel and make it a Macross 7 reference.

[kamikasei]

Anyway, I approve of the less stupidly large mech, although not having any combination aspect sort of messes up my intended Gravion reference. Eh. Call my secret backup PLANT the ITP Sturmvogel and make it a Macross 7 reference.

But they still are combining mechs... each PLANT is made up of several units.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I got confused then. That's what I get for skimming technical details.

[13_CBS]

Yeah, that works. So at the start of the game, she's fooling herself with her own facade. Hmmm, a snarky Genki Girl? That can work, I guess... actually, I'm kind of playing one already...

*Lightbulb*

...Kohaku from Tsukihime? Not a carbon copy, of course, but an inspiration...

Kamia: "Are you a blockhead, onii-chan?" :smallbiggrin:

[kamikasei]

*Lightbulb*

...Kohaku from Tsukihime? Not a carbon copy, of course, but an inspiration...

Kamia: "Are you a blockhead, onii-chan?" :smallbiggrin:

Actually, I meant that a PbP character of mine could (partly) be described that way. But yeah, it had occurred to me that I'm pretty much cast as Kohaku now. It's... hmmm.

[Terraoblivion]

This set-up seems fairly reasonable as far as i can tell. Still combination and enormous robots, but not quite as ridiculous and hard to wrap your head about as the original idea.

As for names, i think i prefer the giant themed names. Especially given that these things will be freaking huge compared to just about anything else out there. Also theme-naming seems neater to me than a general variety of names. I like the taskforce names, though.

I also prefer Dominic staying back, though that being said having him take an active role starting the plot seems like no problem to me. Lucifer never really got to be a direct puppeteer in SMT: Nocturne, despite being the one who sets the stage for your involvement. I don't see a problem with a simple choice determining route, as long as it isn't super obvious. Both of the two models works for m, though.

And Kami, which of your characters would that be?

[kamikasei]

And Kami, which of your characters would that be?

Magda, a little bit. Though really, she's only the Genki Girl by contrast in some of her interactions, not in any objective overall way.