Welcome and Character Creation

Hey there,

We will be using this thread to create characters and decide on your relationships.
Please introduce yourselves to each other and if you already have an idea for your character, feel free to share it here!

Step one of character creation is to pick one of the Types ("classes"), which should also serve to help with coming up with a basic concept for your character.
No two players can use the same type. I'll post the names and blurbs here and you can pick. We'll go from there when everyone knows what Type they want to be.

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I would also like to make this game public. Let me know if you're alright with that. If not, totally fine.

Hello! I'm fine with the game being public, and I'd be happy to write up a "Weirdo" for the game. Does anyone else have a preference?

Hi! Thanks for having me! I'd like to play the Bookworm (which won't require much roleplaying, TBH, because that blurb perfectly describes me IRL). I've read the rules, and played a little bit some years ago, but must confess I don't have a firm grasp so I hope you won't mind me pestering you with questions. I don't mind the game being public.

Pester away, you pest 😋

Hi and thank you for the invite. I'm looking forward to playing with you all.

I'll be a computer geek because I actually know how to save a program on a tape from a Commander 64 😀
It is the early 90s late 80s, right?
I'm ok with the game being public.

Late 80s I believe. Which is fun because I was actually 13 12 in '86.

Yes, mid to late eighties. Which is fun, because I wasn't even born then 😄

I was a kid in the late 80s. 5-6 in 1986, so a bit younger than the characters here.

Hi all, really pleased to be in on this one ;)

Thinking I’m going to go with the Rocker…..I was 6/7 in 86 so my musical tastes weren’t quite there yet back then but I did end up that way a bit later on :)

Oh and I’m fine with the game being public

Looking good so far. @therecusant, any thoughts on your Type yet?

…sorry for the delay, I hadn’t subscribed to the forum - sorted now.

I had in mind a geeky kid with a passion for computers (C64 and ZX Spectrum) and AD&D, but this might be a but too close to @Stefron. Further, we seem to to have a preference for "Art-ies" over "Heart-ies", so why don’t I have a bash at playing one of TROUBLEMAKER, POPULAR KID, or JOCK? Whoever may want any of those roles, go-ahead and I’ll pick from what’s left.

Thanks for the invite GM, looking forward to playing with all you weirdos and creeps ;-)

I've set myself up with a custom character sheet, but using the TFtL template. Does that sound right/OK?

Same here!
I did the same.

TftL template sounds right. Here's a link to the sheet, taken from the repository thread.I think if you click the included link, it should lead you to creating a character sheet for the system.

From what I can see at the moment, we have:

Phil_Ozzy_Fer: Weirdo
Jabes: Bookworm
Stefron: Computer Geek
mcneils: Rocker
therecusant: Troublemaker, Popular Kid or Jock

There doesn't seem to be any overlap, so, @therecusant, if you decide on one Type, I'll be able to post all of your options for the next step of Character Creation. Either of what you picked so far will be fine.

hmmm.... eeney meeney miney mo ... Super-JOCK's the way to go

Awesome, then you can get started on the next steps of character creation.For your Types, the Key Skills are:

Bookworm: calculate, investigate, comprehend
Computer Geek: calculate, program, comprehend
Jock: force, move, contact
Rocker: move, charm, empathize
Weirdo: sneak, investigate, empathize

Bowl, did you want us to submit our characters so that you can see what we're doing we work our way through the process?

Yes, go ahead and submit them already. Can't hurt

GM, which Loop are we basing the mystery at - Sweden or US?

Oops, sorry 😄 That's definitely an important bit of information.

Sweden. With me, always Sweden

excellent :-)

I approved the sheets submitted so far.

recusant, if you put the skill level into the editable field, then it automatically gives you the roll in teh fiel to the right. That way, you'll be able to roll directly from the sheet.

You also all have only spent ten skill points so far. You have a number of skill points available equal to your age.

And Phil_Ozzy_Fer, the sheet has editable fields, so you don't have to go into editing to change the information, you can just click on the underlined parts to open a text field. That way, the mix-ups with the numbers wouldn't have happened either. I fixed those now, but for the future, that would probably make editing it a bit easier if you don't have to wade through the code

I've submitted my character and completed the first bits on them. Will be on Holiday this week so my posting may be a tad impacted, hoping to at least get on here during the evenings but I'm not going to know for definite until we get where we are going and I know what the score with the internet will be.

We're still in character creation so that should be fine. I'm hoping we'll be able to start sometime next week, but that shouldn't be a problem.

GM, under the skills category you had written - " At the start of the game, you distribute 10 points among your skills". I thought the age points only went into attributes?

Right, yes, silly me. You're right, what's in the original post is correct

When I initially went in to edit the sheet, it opened as code. Since I don't use the templates, I hadn't realized it would edit without requiring me to save it, like with other sheets.

Ah, makes sense. Newerr features can be confusing the first couple of times. Maybe I shoudl have explained more!

@Jabes, how is it going for you? Any difficulties?

Hi! Sorry, busy weekend. Getting on it now.

Edit: Submitted Michael Galvez.

Looks good so far then! On to the next steps...

@bowlofspinach how do you want to handle tick marks?
1. Start blank, mark when expended
2. Start marked, untick when expended

Thanks!

I'll leave that up to you individually. Just keep it consistent for yourself.

Will we discuss PC relationships together, GM?

One relationship occurs to me: perhaps Michael is a friend of my younger brother/sister, and since he gets bullied, I look out for him when I can

Do we need to discuss the "Relationship" portion with the other players, or do we just make it up and they live with whatever we invent individually?

Discussion seems like the way to go. I like @therecusant's suggested relationship between Erik (the Jock) & Mike (the Bookworm)

You should definitely discuss them, or at least suggest something and get an okay from the respective player

That's a good idea. And stuff like the Problem can also be brainstormed together.

Perhaps we could be a loveable band of misfits that have come together to escape the torments of school? Social issues seem to be a common theme so far, and I used bullying for Robbie as well.

If Birger could show Robert odd stuff about computers and/or Math, Robbie would undoubtedly be intrigued.

I like that idea Phil_Ozzy_Fer. Maybe Birger could show Robbie how to do fractal images and weird computer sounds.
Therecusant, maybe Erik could be someone's friendly big brother?

I'm sure Mandelbrot was using Cray Computers in the 1980's rather than ZX Spectrums! LOL

Ok, have some internet at the moment and I've been thinking over a few things for Andreas so going to drop it here for thoughts of how he fits with the group:

Andreas is 12 years old and has an older brother who he idolises but hasn't seen for a while (he left home some time ago, reason???). Since he has been gone Andreas has been borrowing some of his things (music tapes and records, his old leather jacket), he knows if his brother finds out he'll kick his ass but he misses him and part of him is hoping the more stuff he borrows the sooner his brother will come home.
Since his brother left home his mother has been very overprotective of Andreas whereas his father has been increasingly distant whereas before him and Andreas had been very close. Andreas has been getting into more and more trouble of late as this seems like the only way he gets a reaction out of his father and recently started shoplifting. He hasn't been caught doing this yet but he has been getting increasingly careless. Andreas is generally well liked but most of the adults in town, a lot of whom have been much more friendly towards him since his brother left for some reason, and has found this has meant he has been above suspicion when things have been found to be missing in stores he's been at. This has only encouraged him to take more and more risks and he now has quite the stash of 'borrowed' items.

Iconic Item - older brothers old leather jacket.
Problem - has recently started shoplifting for fun/attention. Hasn't been caught yet but has a stash of items that will cause problems if found. Also may have been caught on tape in at least one place.
Pride - thinks he's perfected the 'art' of 'borrowing' things. Will be likely to try his hand at taking something right from under the nose of someone as he thinks they'll never notice and even if they did he can talk his way out of any consequences.
Relationships - ?
Anchor - his brothers girlfriend. She's been very sad since Andrea's brother left but has always seems a bit happier when she sees Andreas, views him as the little brother she never had.

Sounds good. Does Andreas know why his brother (name?) left and you just haven't figured out a reason or does he not know either? Did the brother just disappear without a word?

I had imagined Robbie as wearing uninteresting clothing with solid colours or simple patterns. The kind of stuff you'd find in bundled packages in cheaper stores. His overall appearance tends to be that of a kid that just sort of rolls out of bed and starts his day, dressing with the clothes that are within arms reach. In a word, disheveled. His trusty pup sleeps in his room, and so he's often got dog hair on his clothes. He carries a journal with him all the time, for taking notes or sketching ideas that pop into his mind.

Iconic item - jouranl (no lines!)
Problem - target of bullying
Pride - People say I'm a late bloomer
Relationships:
-Birgir: has cool fractals
-Erik: Robbie this Erik has cool hair
-Michael: Robbie feels oddly appreciated by Michael, and so reciprocates the affection.
-Andres gave Robbie a pair of Macho Man Randy Savage Sunglasses he "found".
-Group at large: lovable misfits?
Anchor - My dog

I guess there's no harm. Unless disallowed. Something they can bond over. I know my buddies and I loved sharing drawings.

I think it would be better to have more distinct iconic items. They're supposed to be iconic, after all

Okay. Well the rules suggest an encyclopedia. This was before internet/smartphones so we're talking a physical, multi-volume encyclopedia housed in the public library (Michael's family can't afford to buy him his own set). Michael has it prety much memorized. Or if you think that's too much then he has to go to the library to use it.

It would probably be a smaller encyclopedia, one for children, not one of those huge multi-volume ones. Something that's just public property at the library isn't really an iconic item 🤔

Single volume encyclopedia? Never heard of such a thing. Maybe a book of trivia/facts? An old, dog-eared pocket edition the kind bookstore owner gave him rather than throw it out for not having a front cover. Michael has repaired the cover and bindings as best he can, and highlighted favorite entries, and scribbled notes and drawings in the margins.

The sketch pad is an example in the core book. I guess I could add some details to it. Would that help?

Maybe an almanac @Jabes?

Sketch pad is fine for one kid, I just would prefer not to have two characters have very similar items

Neat idea, but I think I'll stick with the book of trivia/facts because now I remember having one as a kid. Michael probably won't quote from it like a smart-ass but he'll use it to discreetly look stuff up if it's not something he hasn't already memorized.

Birger's iconic item is his Commodore 64 (of course)

Relationship:
Robbie is interested in fractals and other thing Birger is doing on the computer.
Michael knows a lot of stuff and can answer any questions Birger have on all topic.
Birger is always happy to see Erik because you don't get bullied by the older pupils
Birger have known Andreas since kindergarten and they have been in the same class ever since. Though their interests differs, Andreas is a well known person in Birger life.

I've updated my relationships. How does all of this work?

Relationships:
-Birgir: has cool fractals
-Erik: Robbie this Erik has cool hair
-Michael: Robbie feels oddly appreciated by Michael, and so reciprocates the affection.
-Andres gave Robbie a pair of Macho Man Randy Savage Sunglasses he "found".

It sounds like we're about getting ready. You'll still need to update your character sheets and some of you are still missing avatars.

But it looks like we'll be able to start soon.

The one final thing you'll still need to decide on after all of this is you

Treehouse? Junkyard? A piece of mysterious abandoned tech of unknown origin (like a stripped out capsule or robot or something)?

All good ideas!

I like Jabes last idea. It would be fun to explore some of the alternative side of this universe and have a cool strange hideout. I'm not so much into the lore to be able to suggest anything concrete.

There's echo spheres. Maybe you found a particularly large one that seems safe to you and used the inside of that as a hideout. Nobody else would dare to go near it so the secret is safe.You could also have found some old bit of abandoned loop tunneling or an old underground lab underneath some hatch in the forest...

Or you could have found an old, broken down magnetrine ship somewhere and made that into a hideout.

If we're using tech from the game, I vote for the magnetrine ship.

Echo sphere, loop tunneling, magnetrine ship, I love them all equally.

Either of those is good for me. If Phil_ozxy_fer has a preference for magnetrine ship, I think that should be our secret hideout.

Sorry for the extended absence, only just getting back to normal after the holiday.
Brothers name is Stefan, as far as Andreas knows he just left. His parents have told him that he's working away but everyone seems to shy away from the subject and if Andreas tries to bring it up his mother get's upset and his father gets angry (everyone else just tries to change the subject). I'm going to leave it as neither me nor Andreas know the full story behind where his brother is :)

Magnetrine ship seems to be a good shout for the hideout.

Yeah let's do that! No doubt we've decorated it with all sorts of junk, movie and band posters, maybe a boombox in there?

Sounds good.

I think everything is sorted out then? Or is someone still missing something. I'll try to get us started on the game tomorrow

Yes, I like it!

Ah, one more thing I'll need as well while we're already starting:

There's a new kid in your school, Pelle. He started there after the last summer break and he's 12 years old. He's very well liked in the whole school because he's an open and friendly guy. He's also really good at both sports and schoolwork.

What does your character think of him and how well do they know him?