Where do we start?

This is only a very vague idea, based on chats about Raf and Cat and their 'daring escape' [circa]. I have not invested any effort in 'prepping' it, so don't feel obliged to do it if you are not all interested.

---

---

In the final term [ref] Raf and Cat escape from a civil war after the government is weakened by a conspiracy Cat was involved in (right?).

Maybe there was a Navy Depot (D) Base (page 259) near where they were. Maybe Raf gained control codes for a Merchant Marine ship being stored there in mothball? He hears these Depots are seldom inventoried, so no one would notice one missing. Help would be need with financing the heist, and changing the registry to appear to be another ship (with its paper-trail and payments, to keep to the game rules). It might have a few fancy military features (extra turret was talked about?) for you to discover.

---

Raf has some claim on a ship (25% from Benefits). Maybe these are the Control Codes granting 'ownership'?

Cat has some cash she can contribute (4 Ship Shares, worth about a million each, from Benefits). She is also (now) an Astrogator, and has contacts (or claims she does, to get off this planet?).

Ronny was a spy who 'went above and beyond the call of duty'. If we want him to have been involved, maybe he helped topple that government? Is that why he also needed to leave in a hurry or in an untracked way, and now needs to lay low? Or were his spy skills vital to the mission or stealing the ship? Or all of the above?

Lio was in the Navy, doing well, but left at this time. Was he (ever or now) stationed at that Depot, maybe doing Mechanic work on the mothballed ships? Did that help provide access to the facility and systems?

---

If we are interested in this as a starter mission, we can say how we know each other --if at all-- in a way that 'justifies' our working together on this, and what our role was in the ship heist.

Was anyone else with you? Are you happy about having them along? Why and why?

Ronny also has a ship share.

I like the idea. It explains how we got together in a logical way. But more important, imo, is why we are staying together. How I'm reading it now is:
But I feel like, in such a situation, you'd split up and find your own way as soon as you got to safety.

I think it would help if there was a person leading the team. This can be an NPC or one of the PCs. We could give one of the PCs the Leadership skill for this.
Kinda like the Oceans 11 "I'm putting a team together".Would anyone want to take on the leader role?
Does anyone else have a good idea for our motivation to be a team?

We can turn that into a part of the reason you came along. Some of the control codes are yours to command. Ship Shares can be anything, so the knowledge of these access codes --or how to get them-- could be your 'Share', and something the others find valuable enough to include you.
Yes. That is why I am asking about how you already know each other, why you trust each other to do this heist together, and therefore why you stay together afterwards. It is better if the 'Shares' are something useful during the heist and not the reason someone came along.

Currently Ronny, Raf, and Cat all have a vested interest in the ship. So that can be the reason they stick with the ship afterwards? Maybe for Lio it is more about the people he has a connection to?
Raf is putting himself forward as the 'Captain', he has majority ownership of the ship. I think Raf also has Leadership 1 from his days commanding a team with Lio.

Of course what I have written above is my proposition, but I think it is very compatible with what VagueGM has written, set up us for some action, adds some time tension, but still leaves a lot of space for other PC to change the things. But if you don't like it. Feel free to change it:)I don't know if it is established but it seems to me that it could be interesting if Raf will not be sure if Cat was against or "with" the conspiracy? Had she her share in starting this civil war? Or was she more like an inside agent to hinder the conspiracy? How was it with Cat? And do Raf knows that?
I hope so. :) It makes sense in this scenerio. Being "hidden" for longer time in some forgotten hangar at the Depot... could allow it to have many different/strange futures.
I tried to incorporate this in my RP proposition. I wonder how involved Ronny was with the starting the war - probably we will get to know that someday. For now it really looks like he also have to get off the planet?
Raf is counting on that. How is it with Lio? @Airshark
"Was"? Or the "ship getting heist" is our first mission together? I provided some basic reasons. Hope that helps and others will agree.
I think for the heist and probably for the ship we need a "hacker guy" - to cover our traces of taking over the ship, probably even accessing it and later in some cybernating warfare and comms on the ship. Could be an interesting NPC. And maybe it will be the same guy that Ronny will "use" to transfer ship shares and get 2nd half of control codes back to us? Do you know someone like that Ronny? Or you got some hacking skills in the meantime(package skills?) @TheGenerator How do you see that guys?
That was really a good point! So my idea was - as I tried to incorporate this in my proposition - was that everyone will have to invest or risk something in the ship, so it would be harder to leave it after getting to safety. So at the beginning it could be simple will to have some returns fro your investments. And Lio - if that will be ok - seems to risk his navy career now... so there won't be "going back" for him.

Inspired by it, I put a way in my RP so that everyone have to provide something valuable(shares and/or risking the end of career) and their skill to the heist and ship. Hope that others will like this proposition.
I hope he will come along with Raf - like in the old days at the university... - and he seems to have some good reasons to end his career with a big BANG, don't he? :)
I posted a little demo of Raf being a leader, if others won't like it we can change that. Personally I think he is a good fit for the role:)

That's a bit too much to read and reply to at work 😅. Gonna check it out when I get back home this evening.

Maybe, but that is just money. It is the relationships that will really keep the crew together. But you did not bring these people together because of the money, so those relationships are the primary reason here anyway.
Again, remember, 'capital ships' are HUGE. There is probably only, like, one per system. I am not saying 'no', but you were much more likely to have been on Space Ships than Capital Ships. That is why I said earlier that you probably would not want Pilot: Capital Ships.

Maybe adjust your scale, what you are describing as Capital Ships are probably Spaceships? Maybe you are thinking of spaceships as being the size of a van? That is a Small Craft. 'Small Craft' are big enough to live in and make a home in (Inara's shuttle on Firefly, for instance). Not a big deal, just making sure we are using the same terms.
'Ship Share' are not transferable as money, they "cannot be redeemed as cash" (page 47). They don't actually exist in the game world, they are merely a Character Creation conceit to indicate that someone 'has a share of a ship'. If we want, Cat can transfer money she has to the captain for this, but I worry that that does not invest her in the ship itself, you just 'owe her money'.

It might be better if we can work out how she is connected to the ship, or the heist, or something and that is 'her share'. While it is only slightly different, the work you speak of later --getting the papers you need, using her contacts and Social Standing, and such-- might be a better illustration of her 'share', and might invest her more in the ongoing narrative.

Let's let @WhtKnt say how/what they contribute. Same for Ronny's 'share', and whether Lio is 'already at the Depot' or even still has proper access to it, or maybe is with you now, and involved in getting you all into the Depot.
Currently we, the players, have no idea. :)

Cat can tell us, when they want to. Cat can tell the other characters as well, but that does not need to be the truth. :)
I would hope you hope so. It was there by your request. :)
True. But we only know 'for sure' what 'was', what has happened so far before we start. :)

It sound like we are starting with the heist in action? So we only need to know why we are each involved, and what we think our Character can contribute. I will create challenges for you to overcome based on the suggested reasons you are each here. (Similar to the rules for Starting the Run in Yesterday's Tomorrow (v1.1 PDF)).
Lio has Computers 1, so he can install the new codes once you get them and get there. Your 'hacker guy' does not need to be physically present unless you want to take them with you when you leave, up to you guys.
I worry that we don't have to be on the ship to benefit from that return on investment. It is just money and we can leave and still receive those payments. Better if we have a reason other than money to stay together and money just drives what we do together. That is why we have Connections and know each other already.
Lio has left the Navy on good terms. Presumably this was not the reason? Up to Lio
He can still go back. (Though that will be complicated in the game:)

I like the setup Pedrop did to get us all together.
These are good points. So if we can just weave those bits out of Pedrop's initial setup, we should be good.

I think for Ronny, I can come at it from a different angle to get rid of the need for this ship share. Since he was a spy, it's likely that he was there to spy on these developments. But then sh*t hit the fan and somehow the people he was spying on are on to him. So he has to get out quickly, and with someone he knows won't turn him in. It just so happens that his old pal Raf needs help with getting off the planet as well. Well isn't that convenient...Now, since Ronny is obviously out of a job and possibly being hunted, he's going to need to stay out of sight for a while. I guess sticking with the ppl on the 'acquired' shop seems like a good idea. Maybe go by a different name for a while?

This way Ronny has a reason to stay.

As for the 'hackerman', I'm sure Ronny would have a favor to call in from someone of the sort. It can probably be done remotely as long as we plug in a wireless receiver into the ship somewhere.

---

My next question: Does either Lio or Cat have a 'job' for us once we get out of here? Preferably some easy money. Maybe a cargo run of some sort. That would give them a reason to stay and at the same time offer a chance for the team to bond.

What do you guys think?

Though, this is an OOC thread for setting things up. So don't treat it as an RP post of 'things that happened'. Treat that more as an 'in character voiced example' of what could have happened. Nothing in there is canon, we will still need to see it in play before it becomes fact.
Depending on how things go, you may all need to go by different names for a bit. :)

We can assume you will get to change the ship's name in the registry after you get away, so if you have to make a big show with the ship on your way out, that need not paint a target on your back from the start.
Makes sense.
Absolutely. They can also tell someone like Lio how to do it, "suck down a script and pipe it into a shell" or something if they want to keep their procedure fairly secret.

Or Lio might know how to do it, but just need some valid codes.
If we want, we can say 'yes' but leave defining it till we get there and see what interests us.

You all still have some money. You can always engage in Speculative Trade, or just ferry cargo, mail, or people around for a bit, or even pick up mercenary work if that takes your fancy.
If we don't come up with a solid plan for what to do next and keep us together, we can just say that you need to get far enough away from 'here' before you are safe, so you are forced to spend that time together and form those bonds. But remember to rely on your existing Connections and relationships as a first choice if you can.
If we have ideas that we like more than what we had before, don't stress too much about the past. Unless it outright contradicts the mechanical events we have established, we can put together the story we like the most now.

That's true, but I still think it would be better to share a task other than 'running away' during that time.

Yes, it is good to use the same definitions:) The reason I called it that way was that I thought that at "Merchant Marine" they fly on the capital size ships. If not, that is not a problem. It was a Spaceship then. But to be clear. I always imagined it that when Raf was aa Merchant Marine career he was flying at ship that had at least 100-200 people on board(but could be even 1000). But after you explanation I presume it still is a Spaceship.

And good point with small crafts!
I saw it a little different: tossing quite a few millions to get the ship working/available for us to escape doesn't mean Raf owns her anything. He only shows her a way, an opportunity. We now have common ship - what is great. But if Cat(or others) ever want to get back the money(investment) now we have to use it together to make those money back. We are talking here about millions: luxury, peaceful life, safety on some remote sytem, retirement, keeping her social status and so... not buying some hod-dog:) And leaving the planet in this situation is as much business/necessity for Raf as for any other PCs - on the brink of the war. It is not only what Raf wants - everyone have a reason to get a ship, and by that unnoticed off the planet and then dangerous system.

But I have no problem with your interpretation:)
Of course it was only my proposition. If that doesn't resonate with others and you want to discard it(as usual it seems) - I'm fine with it. I will be just waiting for other ideas and will stop giving mine. No problem.

And of course I expected others PCs to change the beginning of the story to better fit their character and what they are doing and where.
Yes of course, just an idea, to maybe use.
Again: just an idea.

Yes, please whatever you feel will be good for the story - I just wanted to start us somehow and have some concrete text to work on. Also this RP took me quite some time(probably 1h) to write I must say... so I hope it will be not tossed into the bin entirely, but we can and should change it deeply:)
I like this approach - it fits perfectly to my proposition. Having a wanted spy on our team will be cool.

Let's do every tweak we need.

+1
My proposition is to "get moving". We can figure it out: the reason for staying together for longer in the OCC threads while we will be getting a/the ship. If - of course - loosing millions and having some powerful conspiracy/government on our backs is not enough for us to stay together and make up for these losses and before we achieve relative safety. Having only each other to truly trust for the time being... ;)

I hope @Airshark is still with us?

Unless... my RP(based on GM's ideas) is already discarded and we start in different way?

So could that be the task of: shrugging off the conspiracy from our backs that would chase us?

Or maybe we have to deliver someone to a certain place? Someone that is also running from the conspiracy/government of that system that started/is going to start the civil war? Or someone that have some information to end the war before it will fully began? Or after it will begin.

What other ideas do you all have for this?

Agreed. A shared task going forward would be better, though that would make more sense if it were born out of your already knowing and trusting each other, and that being why you got together here --motivated by the shared need, of course-- and why you made future plans together. The best reason to stay together is the Connections, that is why they are there.

One wonders why you all --with your Connections to each other-- were all on this planet/system together at this time. Were you a 'crew' before this escape? Did you come here on a job? Did that job involve the toppling of this government,or was that a mistake?

Fine if this was not the case and it was just opportunistic.
Also fine if we don't define this now and discover the truth later. Though it is worth at least thinking about now so we don't accidentally cut of such avenues for the story.

If you all want me to link this situation to a larger conspiracy that we discover later, I can do that too. If we do, feel free to admit later if you knew about, or were involved in, some of the stuff we learn about as we play.

1000 required Crew is definitely pushing towards Capital Ship size, but 1000 people (including passengers, cafeteria workers, marines, janitors, and such) can still be a large Spaceship. As a --weak-- point of reference, the book says you need 1 Medic for every 120 people, and 1 Stewart for every 100 Passengers, so 'hundreds' is a normal number.
Which can have its own dangers. Too much invested effort can leave us with a vested interest in keeping what we wrote --no one wants to delete their stuff:)-- but also often results in a narrowed focus that can overlook things like not stepping on each others' toes or taking away other players' agency. Let's rather try to avoid 'telling other players what they did'.

I know it can be frustrating when things are not moving as fast as we want. But sometimes a wall of text can slow everyone else down --"I can't read that now, I will leave it"-- and make it harder for others to know what to say if they feel their options are removed or their character is suddenly in a situation they had not envisaged or that does not fit their vision.

(Some breaks between paragraphs and especially between sections could have helped, too.)

Let's maybe slow this down till we hear from the others about how they want their characters to be involved at the start. Rushing the start can have deleterious effects on the rest of the game.

I tried to do it in such a way that the only thing I "decided"(more proposed - as I see it) for other PCs would be that they are in the same physical place - also by developing your provided ideas(!). I didn't "do" anything special for their PCs or made some a decision for them, did I? Raf only presented his plan how the things could come to life. As requested - I wanted it to be similar to - "Ocean 11 way" - probably it wasn't by that was my intention. I would not have a problem if Ronny would in the end decide not to come for the meeting or Cat, or them have different ideas to solve the situation and/or participate in the heist.

So leads me to conclusion that you simply didn't liked my RP and had different idea for this beginning. And that's also OK for me:) I will delete it in a minute in order - "not to tell others what to do". Also I'm going to switch to "reading mode" as it seams my propositions limit others, so I will withdraw from them. Please tell me - when we will be ready - how we start, what is the opening scene and if Raf is a pilot and/or captain or even we have this dreaded ship altogether. I will only react from now on.
That can be true. And especially the lack of paragraphs is also not helping, but I like to think that was to imitate Raf's rushed talking as he would be already chased by someone:)
Yes, of course, I just wanted to offer something concrete for further development. But it won't happen again.

Let's let them suggest the ways they might have provided something rather than 'putting in a way for them'. It can be uncomfortable to have to contradict what someone else has said --and can lead to hurt feelings like we seem to have now-- so often people just go along with it even if they would not have otherwise wanted to go that route. It can be very hard to tell if we might have had a better idea once the seed has been planted.
I am not sure if you want to discuss this. I really don't want to appear to be criticising if you would rather drop this conversation and take a breather.

It is a bit hard to speak about specifics after you deleted the post, but I recall 'dictating' phases like: "Ronny/Cat can provide ship shares" and "Lio really wants to change his life" and "Lio has some scores to settle with the Navy" and "Lio is currently at the Depot" and such. This is a lot of assumptions about the other PCs, and kinda paints them into a corner.

Presenting it as an RP and then forcing people to either agree or have to come out and say "I don't like that" is fairly different to discussing it with them in OOC and asking if they like those ideas for their characters.

We know you did not mean harm, and you were invited because of your enthusiasm. Suggestions are welcome, but just don't tell others what their character does.

Aside from that, your making calls and bringing the team together (Ocean's-style) was fine, we can pick up from there if we want. Raf can even ask the other PCs if they can contribute in the ways you mentioned... but let's first let the players suggest how they might like to see their character get involved (preferably in ways that are not simply about money).
Please continue to engage in discussion with the other players. But slow it down a bit and let them catch up or initiate ideas.
I did not comment at first, assuming this was just 'a rushed example of a proposal'. Going forward, it is better to be clear than to try to imitate a style or thought process --or worse, an accent-- using fancy text tricks. Clearly stating the facts and saying something like ' "..." Raf says in a rushed way' is much better than showing us the rushed way he is saying it and leaving the facts unclear.

---

If you want to speak privately we can do that too.

OK, I read (almost) everything.
- Lio too has a ship share (for what it's worth)
That is fine by me. We could start the story right after Lio resigns from the navy.

I have a small problem with making him do illegal stuff. There has to be a reason why he would risk everything (carreer + social status) other than 'for the adventure'
So I'm thinking: he doesn't know they're actually stealing a ship, or there has to be a greater good. aka damsel in distress.
Another angle could be that he 'owes someone a favor' and had no other choice. But again... not great with background stuff and afraid it will put me into a corner later on in the story.
Lio's computer skills are mostly medically based, but basic stuff wouldn't be a problem. Just to say that I don't think he is the hacking type,... unless it's biohacking maybe :-D


Been going back and forth in this thread, and I hope I didn't misunderstand anything. Will also try to keep up with the current pace (but quietly hoping it will slow down just a little bit ;-) )

Usually I'm fine with whatever you all come up with, but stealing a ship and running off seems kinda wrong for a succesful (rescue) medic / physician. If anyone has a suggestion...