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View Full Version : [Mass Effect/Crowdsourcing] Help me populate a ship's crew



Kiero
2012-12-18, 11:35 AM
In our Mass: the Effecting (http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Mass:_the_Effecting) game Transcendence (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?622888-nWoD-Mass-Effect-Mass-The-Effecting-Transcendence), the PC's organisation, Penumbra Securities has grown. From one frigate initially, we are now two frigates, having added a support vessel to our burgeoning fleet. We've added new capabilities in terms of surveillance and communications (because the support ship comes with massively enhanced sensors and comms) which greatly increases the scope of contracts we can take on. For example in the present mission, we might be called upon to act as the command and control/co-ordination point for a large collection of other mercenary groups.

I'm a big believer in having lots of detail we can use in-game on our campaign wiki (http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Mass_Effect_Transcendence). I've had some input from the other players, but they're mostly happy to leave it to me to populate the new ship and fill out the rest of our existing crew. In which case, rather than have things go stale or take on a same-y quality, I'd like to offer the chance to round out what's left to other people.

The crew roster (http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Mass_Effect_Transcendence/Our_People) has the various roles that need filling. There's a mixture of species, though the bulk of the crew is either human (the Scalpel is predominantly so, barring a large minority of drell) or turian (the Prism is predominantly so). I'm trying to avoid having many more military veterans, as far as the humans go (one or maybe two more could be stretched to). Ex-military turians is fairly natural, but the remaining humans should probably be from civilian backgrounds. Some need names and bios, some just need bios. Try to keep the bios relatively brief, like those I've done already. We can flesh them out still further in play.

If you've got ideas, please post them here so we can discuss, and I'll edit the wiki with finalised ones.

Noedig
2012-12-18, 04:58 PM
Love it when you ask for this kind of stuff. I'll see what I can cobble together.

frost890
2012-12-18, 09:30 PM
OK the first thing I saw was the first ship has a lot of drell and I take it the other personnel were human since they didn’t have a race mentioned. The second is there anyone taking care of the personal equipment(armor, weapons, tech abilities used through the omni tool). i think Jacob and Mordin filled this role in ME. another is you said that they got a third ship, have you started filling out this ship yet or is it just not up on your page? I would probably say put some kind of research lab on one of the ships. that way the PC's have a place to make the odd things that blow themselves up... I mean like to make, and my final question is, I didn’t see it but do you have a contact/base on a plant? for people to contact with while everyone else is running around, they can find the next mission. but it looks pretty good otherwise.

Kid Jake
2012-12-18, 11:52 PM
Make the pilot a big, beefy, cross dressing Krogan. None of the humans can tell that there's anything off about him, since his 'feminine' voice is still a booming baritone and nobody understands Krogan fashion anyway; but any other Krogan he encounters makes disparaging remarks about how he's contributing to the death of their people.

invinible
2012-12-19, 01:15 AM
Here is my idea for the ship's doctor:

Fortune Cookie - This unicorn took on this role to heal as many creatures as possible as well as save as many lives as possible. The feature that she tends to get most asked about is the mark of the start of the big bang on both her flanks that represent her ability to suddenly appear anywhere.

GolemsVoice
2012-12-19, 01:50 AM
I've added two people on the MSV "Scalpel", see if you like them. Mercea Fendrix, Mess Chief, and Kol Vorban, Volus ace pilot.

Kiero
2012-12-19, 04:39 AM
Love it when you ask for this kind of stuff. I'll see what I can cobble together.

Cool.


OK the first thing I saw was the first ship has a lot of drell and I take it the other personnel were human since they didn’t have a race mentioned.

They're human barring the drell, the XO, a turian bridge tech and the volus quartermaster. The trick is in their names and bios. Almost all the turians have a specific style of name (Roman-sounding) and have the Hierarchy mentioned in their bio.

For those who aren't named, I've put "[human name]" or "[turian name]" to denote species. All the Scalpel crew are named, but not all the Prism crew.


The second is there anyone taking care of the personal equipment(armor, weapons, tech abilities used through the omni tool). i think Jacob and Mordin filled this role in ME.

That's Kane's job, he's our chief engineer and armourer. Along with his engineering team.


another is you said that they got a third ship, have you started filling out this ship yet or is it just not up on your page? I would probably say put some kind of research lab on one of the ships. that way the PC's have a place to make the odd things that blow themselves up... I mean like to make,

No, we've just added a second ship (the Prism), which is our support vessel. It has an expanded sensor and comms suite, a proper medical suite (rather than the Scalpel's basic medbay), and proper labs. We haven't recruited most of the scientific/research staff yet.


and my final question is, I didn’t see it but do you have a contact/base on a plant? for people to contact with while everyone else is running around, they can find the next mission. but it looks pretty good otherwise.

We don't really need one. We have an extranet site with a secretary VI, people can get in contact with us directly if need be. Later on we'll probably set up a proper management office, but for the moment Kirroe has to handle all the business side of our growing empire.


Make the pilot a big, beefy, cross dressing Krogan. None of the humans can tell that there's anything off about him, since his 'feminine' voice is still a booming baritone and nobody understands Krogan fashion anyway; but any other Krogan he encounters makes disparaging remarks about how he's contributing to the death of their people.

Just as there is only one quarian (Kane), we only have one krogan, Yghorl. That's by agreement amongst the group. So no more quarians or krogan, I'm afraid.


Here is my idea for the ship's doctor:

Fortune Cookie - This unicorn took on this role to heal as many creatures as possible as well as save as many lives as possible. The feature that she tends to get most asked about is the mark of the start of the big bang on both her flanks that represent her ability to suddenly appear anywhere.

Uh, what?

The slots marked UNFILLED are intentionally so - we haven't recruited everyone yet. Especially the senior roles running the medical suite and labs.


I've added two people on the MSV "Scalpel", see if you like them. Mercea Fendrix, Mess Chief, and Kol Vorban, Volus ace pilot.

They look good, though for future reference could people please post them here first, rather than directly to the wiki.

Though perhaps Fendrix should be turian, rather than human as is implied by the bio. Since a turian mess chief makes more sense for a primarily turian crew.

I've also changed Vorban slightly so he was a bomber pilot.

GolemsVoice
2012-12-19, 05:21 AM
Though perhaps Fendrix should be turian, rather than human as is implied by the bio. Since a turian mess chief makes more sense for a primarily turian crew.

I've also changed Vorban slightly so he was a bomber pilot.

Sure, go ahead and change it so that it fits. I'll glady write more if you like them. I'd also be willing to write a small post about Turian cooking :smallbiggrin:

EDIT: also sorry for editing the wiki right away. I'll post my future contributions here first.

Kiero
2012-12-19, 01:55 PM
Sure, go ahead and change it so that it fits. I'll glady write more if you like them. I'd also be willing to write a small post about Turian cooking :smallbiggrin:

EDIT: also sorry for editing the wiki right away. I'll post my future contributions here first.

By all means, yes, if you've got other ideas share them.

GolemsVoice
2012-12-19, 03:54 PM
MSV Prism:

Engineer - Tibur Vrak: like all Turians, Tibur joined the military at the age of 15, where he was drawn to the engineer corps, since he had a talent for machines of all kinds. After finishing his service, he joined a small Human-Turian mining corporation as chief of security, hoping to have a bigger impact on a small business. There, his competent, calm demeanor soon made him many friends, but despite his best efforts, the company failed. This saddened Tibur greatly, as he saw the failure of the company as a personal failure. However, the relationship he began with a fellow employee, Savara Nahlus gave him strength, and together they joined Penumbra Securities

Engineer - Savara Nahlus: after finishing the Turian mandatory service, where she served as an assistant engineer aboard a Turian dreadnought, Savara hired as a member of the engineering team of a small Human-Turian mining cooperation, dealing mainly with the bigger machines. Although a tragical accident with a faulty mining laser almost cost her her life and left her with a slight limp and a few scars, she keeps her cheery (for a Turian) outlook on life and her devotion to machines. Her work was also where she met Tibur Vrak, and the two soon became a couple, leaving together for jobs at Penumbra after the mining company defaulted.

Kiero
2012-12-19, 06:15 PM
Romance amongst the crew, I like it! Not sure what hoary old engineering chief Praxis would think, but this isn't a military vessel. :smallbiggrin:

Ravens_cry
2012-12-19, 07:18 PM
Chen MacGill. (Human Celtic/Asian)
Short, stout, with a bushy, almost prickly, black beard and shining bald head, with a metal plate and cybernetic eyes that resemble goggles from a distance.
Sub-engineer. Was born and lived in space all his life, though he looks like heavy worlder stock.
A bar fight left him with a metal plate in his head, and the magnetic fields produced by the reactor induce a feeling of religious euphoria in him every time he gets near them. Secretly, he has a shrine built with loving care and surprising skill built to the reactor, which he literally worships, though he has had to repeatedly tear it down and move it elsewhere when it has been discovered.
Despite his eccentricities, he is an excellent scrounger and bodger, keeping things running within his narrow preparative when some engineers would throw up there hands and head for the escape pods. He is terrible at delegating, however, and tends to get nervous and works less well as a team.
A connoisseur of fine wine, he got his infamous head wound after starting a fight with another engineer who was mixing a local brand of soda with some champaign imported from Earth. The latter fellow is said to have come off worse from the encounter.

GolemsVoice
2012-12-20, 01:13 AM
Romance amongst the crew, I like it! Not sure what hoary old engineering chief Praxis would think, but this isn't a military vessel.

Well, they're Turians, so I'd expect that their romance does not infringe on their duties. Turians in general don't exactly seem a romantic lot.

Crossblade
2012-12-21, 04:21 AM
The doctor should be a Batarian. If it's not bleeding, missing, have a hole in it, maimed, burnt or a strange color; he tells the patient to quit whining and dismisses the problem. He will come back and fix whatever upon protest, just not initially.

Sith_Happens
2012-12-22, 09:21 AM
Romance amongst the crew, I like it! Not sure what hoary old engineering chief Praxis would think, but this isn't a military vessel. :smallbiggrin:

Hey, Russel's the one with Socialize O (Fraternizing).:smalltongue:

...Speaking of which, I find your lack of Asari disturbing.

Kiero
2012-12-22, 06:57 PM
Chen MacGill. (Human Celtic/Asian)
Short, stout, with a bushy, almost prickly, black beard and shining bald head, with a metal plate and cybernetic eyes that resemble goggles from a distance.
Sub-engineer. Was born and lived in space all his life, though he looks like heavy worlder stock.
A bar fight left him with a metal plate in his head, and the magnetic fields produced by the reactor induce a feeling of religious euphoria in him every time he gets near them. Secretly, he has a shrine built with loving care and surprising skill built to the reactor, which he literally worships, though he has had to repeatedly tear it down and move it elsewhere when it has been discovered.
Despite his eccentricities, he is an excellent scrounger and bodger, keeping things running within his narrow preparative when some engineers would throw up there hands and head for the escape pods. He is terrible at delegating, however, and tends to get nervous and works less well as a team.
A connoisseur of fine wine, he got his infamous head wound after starting a fight with another engineer who was mixing a local brand of soda with some champaign imported from Earth. The latter fellow is said to have come off worse from the encounter.

Cool, I'll add it to the mix.


Well, they're Turians, so I'd expect that their romance does not infringe on their duties. Turians in general don't exactly seem a romantic lot.

Yeah, there is that, I guess.


The doctor should be a Batarian. If it's not bleeding, missing, have a hole in it, maimed, burnt or a strange color; he tells the patient to quit whining and dismisses the problem. He will come back and fix whatever upon protest, just not initially.

GM's nixed batarians on the crew. I did ask, mind.


Hey, Russel's the one with Socialize O (Fraternizing).:smalltongue:

...Speaking of which, I find your lack of Asari disturbing.

That's for morale-boosting purposes!

I don't think we're established enough to attract any asari yet. An asari doctor would be cool.

Ravens_cry
2012-12-24, 12:33 AM
Cool, I'll add it to the mix.

Glad to help. It should be 'prerogative' rather than 'preparative', by the by. :smallredface: