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View Full Version : The Plot! (critique requested)



Zen Master
2010-12-19, 10:54 AM
Ok, this is meant for shadowrun, but might be ... something else.

The basic idea is somewhat inspired by the Renraku Arcology (which I've never read, so I hope I don't stray too close to that story).

The Plot:

Something horrible happened inside a self-sufficient research arcology. Attempts to regain control failed, and the site was firebombed. Case closed.

Now, the parent corporation claims to have received a distress signal from survivors struggeling inside. Two mercenary teams are air-lifted in - a heavy weapons squad to attempt a rescue (and retrival of a data store, which is the real motivation for the corporation), and engineers who will try to restore partial power to assist the rescue.

Note: There are no survivors. The corporation just wants the research data.

When power is restored, an AI deep within the facility regains access to the network, and uses this to manipulate the players. It's motivation is to have it's hardware component brought out of the fascility.

Note: The players (and pc's) are almost certain to distrust the AI - despite it being the closest thing to a 'good guy' in the game. Hence the manipulation.

Further note: The team of engineers are there mainly to die horribly - while in radio contact with the pc's. Later, one of the pc's may need to go there to remove power from the facility again.

The corporation wants the data - not the AI. The AI can attest to the things that happened within, illegal experiments on humans and what not. The resulting data is less incriminating, and the corporation can always claim the arcology personnel acted without authorization.

The AI, on the other hand, will be freed of it's hardware shackles, and will joyfully sink it's former owners should the opportunity arise - if there is an advantage to be gained.

That is the plot outline.

The two teams go inside different buildings (A and D respectively), and as the engineers come under attack, the pc's will hear their screams on the radio, and see the flashes of gunfire and grenades from the windows.

The AI hacks an outside computer, and uses it so fake calls to the players - creating a fake outside persona who will pay for the retrieval of the AI core. It will be possible for them to send one of their contacs to check out where the call comes from, thus discovering this subplot.

My questions: Is this believable? Are there any obvious holes I've missed? How do you expect this to play?

Any help and comments are received with thanks =)

Altair_the_Vexed
2010-12-19, 12:09 PM
This is a job where there 'runners are hired to do a search and rescue mission, and end up maybe doing an extraction with the AI. Simple enough.

Questions: What do the Patron Corporation expect the team to do when they find there never were any survivors? Why do the Patron Corporation hire a heavy weapons team to rescue people? Who attacks the tech team? Who are the PCs supposed to think it is, and who is it really? What are the Patron Corporation going to do if the team try to run off with their AI? While the players are looking around for survivors, what is going to keep them interested until you reveal that there aren't any?

If you've got good answers to those already, then you're probably tight and ready to roll.

Zen Master
2010-12-19, 06:14 PM
Questions: What do the Patron Corporation expect the team to do when they find there never were any survivors? Why do the Patron Corporation hire a heavy weapons team to rescue people? Who attacks the tech team? Who are the PCs supposed to think it is, and who is it really? What are the Patron Corporation going to do if the team try to run off with their AI? While the players are looking around for survivors, what is going to keep them interested until you reveal that there aren't any?

If you've got good answers to those already, then you're probably tight and ready to roll.

The corporation plans to inform the team that the distress call was clearly a false alarm, maybe a hoax. They warn them of this, before they are even sent in there.

The send a heavy weapons team because the site is expected to be very dangerous.

The tech team is wiped out by whatever wiped out the arcology in the first place - illegal biotech experiments. Horrid things with claws and teeth. These things have been hibernating - this is something I have yet to work out all the details on. Like how they hibernate.

The corporation doesn't actually know about the AI - the just want the data core. Like .. the harddrive. But if the corporation feels they've been screwed, they will kill the team (or try to).

They get two locations inside the facility: Where to find the survivors, and where to find the datacore. I don't expect them to dig around much - there will even be maps showing them where to go.

Based on how clever the players are they may either complete both missions (deliver the data to the corporation, and free the AI), and get away with it - complete both and be found out - complete one or the other, which will have concequences either way - or complete neither, and likely die in the attempt.

Godskook
2010-12-19, 08:53 PM
1.In any situation where there are zombies, bio-experiments, or other similar 'hazards', and it is 'contained'(read: Military has established firm perimeter and firebombed), one does not send unarmed scientists into a building prior to a sweep team. This is true in the modern army where the 'hazards' aren't nearly as bad, so why would it change when zombies-level threats come on the table?

2.Firebombing would not be a proper "last resort" for a site which is shielded from firebombing.

In light of this, rethink your timetable. If there's valuable information, 'survivors' and other miscellaneous things to rescue *before* firebombing, that gives your PCs a sense of urgency, and at the same time, provides rationale for sending in scientists *with* another auxiliary sweep team.

Zen Master
2010-12-20, 04:54 AM
1.In any situation where there are zombies, bio-experiments, or other similar 'hazards', and it is 'contained'(read: Military has established firm perimeter and firebombed), one does not send unarmed scientists into a building prior to a sweep team. This is true in the modern army where the 'hazards' aren't nearly as bad, so why would it change when zombies-level threats come on the table?

2.Firebombing would not be a proper "last resort" for a site which is shielded from firebombing.

In light of this, rethink your timetable. If there's valuable information, 'survivors' and other miscellaneous things to rescue *before* firebombing, that gives your PCs a sense of urgency, and at the same time, provides rationale for sending in scientists *with* another auxiliary sweep team.

Hm - the unarmed scientists in question are the ones who originally created the bio-experiments. So while they were in fact sent in before the armed sweep - they were also sent in before there was any accident in the first place.

The building isn't shielded from firebombing - it's a burnt-out hulk. Not entirely destroyed, as it's HUGE, big enough to house a self-sufficient population of 20000. But it has sustained very major damage.

However, the input on the time table is still interesting. It might well be an attractive option to send in the teams closer to when the actual accident happened - possibly with the exact time of the fire bombing hanging over their head.

On the other hand, for scenery I really like them stalking around the torched remains of the arcology.