Realisation (OOC)

Out of character chatter about the Realisation RP thread can go here to avoid cluttering up the Roleplay thread.This is for longer questions and answers related to that Roleplay. Basically: if it needs a back-and-forth, put it here.
General rules questions not answered in the PbP Help thread can go in General Chat or here if they are directly related to the RP.

Add a link back to the post in question so we can have context. After posting you can right-click on the orange header and select 'copy link address' (or whatever your browser calls it), then paste that in your OOC post.

Your backstory does not need to come in one single post, if you need some back and forth with another player or the GM, post as much as you need for the other to react, just like any other post.

You can also sprinkle more detail in as we play, give us enough to understand how you got here, and enough to start getting a feel for your character.

Hey, Owlbeer: Great post. Looks like you are you are trying for a 'Star Wars Scroll' in your first post [ref]? You can achieve something like it by adding `display:block;` and `text-align:center;' (or just `center`) to the [ f]ormat code. In the sample below I also changed the background color to something a little less harsh than black, the movies had stars and other things that turned it more grey. (We really should add a 'block' option to the F dialog.) There are probably ways to get the full paralax effect, but they are probably not worth the tweaking effort.

The galaxy trembles under the Clone Wars. While peace talks on the Outer Rim falter, Jedi Master Solen and his Padawan, Taryn Devrane, have been dispatched to aid negotiations on the mountainous planet of Belor IV.

Unclear to Taryn, Master Solen turned against her. Thrown from a cliff, saved only by the Force, she survived—just in time to witness her Master engage the Republic's own clone troopers in combat.

Believing her Master has fallen to darkness, Taryn races to the nearest Jedi Temple, determined to warn the Order of his treachery. But unknown to her, the galaxy has already changed...

That was indeed my intent. Thanks for the pointers. I did fix it like that lo make it look better.

We will regularly need to frame the scene where another PC finds themself, but let's steer clear of saying what another PC actually does in that scene.

Purely as an example, the scene with Sera and Ka'el [ref] was well set, but it did not need to say that anyone other than Sera dismantled their lightsaber, that could have been open or assumed. And we should avoid saying that another character 'reaches for weapons', especially if we are also saying they 'forgot something important like that their lightsaber was dismantled'. Maybe their instinct is not to reach for a weapon?

Think about how far you would need to be pushed before you speak up and push back against 'small things' that were forced on your character. Don't put others in the position where they need to speak up.

Agreed and understood. Editing now!

Drgwen: I assume Findal and Jindal are the same person [ref]? Let's go with 'Findal' as that is what the others have adopted?

Whoops! Typo. Yes, with an F.

I think QTpi is gonna be Sera's emotional support droid.

Is Taryn staying inside the 'safe room'? Or is she stepping out the door to 'greet' the enemy?

Changing a post after it has been read (which means any time after it has been posted to the internet) means that some people won't know that there is new content, and won't respond. Some people will think it is still the old way, confusion ensues.

Instead, rather add a new post, with the new content. That way we get notifications and we can clearly see what has changed.

c.f.: Don't Edit

For clarity, can we use "quotation" marks around spoken words, and also state in the text that we are speaking (and to whom, if relevant). So: "We got to move." Voss says. (or 'says with urgency', as appropriate.:)
You tell me. Add any elements to the scene that you want to see.

If none of you feel competent to fly under these circumstance, then one of the NPCs will be able to, but then the story becomes about keeping them alive long enough to get you off this station.

If you can fly, and get a ship, then the story sorta becomes about keeping it, or about what you can do with it (you are a ship-capable crew). If you manage to get the fighter Taryn came in on as well, then you are a crew with a ship (of some sort) and an escort fighter, and that becomes the story... till you lose them and have to shift gears again... Thus it is.

Stealing a ship means risk, ongoing ones with people hunting you down. Keeping the registered Jedi fighter makes you recognisable... everything has pros and cons.

Stealing a ship is a great way to go. And I do hope we get to convincingly find an excuse to fly one. Taryn's fighter was basically Droid-Guided. So assuming she can tell the Droid to ignore these trap-guide-beacons, she can fly that one.

I am sure we can work something out ... if we will can get to the fighter. While the clones did not 'follow' you here, they know that is a Jedi ship, and they will probably be watching it (and possibly the hyperspace ring, though, maybe only after they realise the ship is missing?).

I would love to play as a member of a ship-capable crew.

We can definitely do that, when and where it is 'appropriate' for the story and the fun. It could come and go (or it could be another member of the crew (a la Firefly, or Scum and Villainy)).

It is up to us if we start (the next part) with such capabilities. We could just as easily start as a ship-desiring crew and need to play to get a ship, or we can start with a ship (or two) and need to play to keep the ship(s).

Whatever style of story the group is most keen on is what we do, we don't have a rulebook, but we also don't have a settings book telling us what happens and what we face. :)

So, 'the plan' [ref] is:

1. Launch all the escape pods to distract the clone troopers and draw them away from the hangar bay.
2. Infiltrate the hangar bay and assume enough control to try get the ships.
3. Find- and take control of a ship (or two)
4. Get away on that (those) ship(s).
5. Profit?

1. does not seem like it would be a challenge for someone like Sera. You can narrate that being done and make your way to the hangar (or hangars, up to you).

When you get to the hangar, we can see how well your tactic worked. (But I don't see that anything you do here will drastically affect the number of clones left in your hangar? Right? So no need to make a roll here.)

At that point (point 2 and onwards) we may need to make rolls, based on what you do and how you approach the situation. You may be able to further trick more clones out, or your noise may attract them all back... 'up to you'.

Let's do it! =)

We can have Ka'el catch up when Balthazar is ready.

Go ahead and show us how you 'launch all the escape Pods' [ref]. If you do anything fancy (with the timing or pathing or something?) to try draw even more clone attention, then include that in you narration and we will see if any rolls are needed for the extra effect.

We can then pick up at the hangar.

[ref] If Voss needs to fight —Brenya is still unarmed— we can assume Ka'el takes over manhandling Sera. Just pass her off to 'someone' (could also be Findal or Tai'ar), no need to specify.

To be honest I forgot Findal and Tai'ar was there.
I'm very fond of having a GM character sheet with npc with artwork that I can plop in. I don't know if you are familiar with this? Otherwise check out this post

[npcs="NPC list"]
Tai'ar  |https://i.imgur.com/5P97J6W.png
Findal |https://i.imgur.com/LTYisAy.png
Trooper | https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Stormtrooper_%28Star_Wars%29.png
[/npcs]

Are you asking that in character? Maybe use writing conventions of "quotation marks" and 'Voss asks' to make things clear.

Does Voss know that this is a relevant ship? You probably recognise it as a Jedi Starfighter, but we don't know where Taryn parked it. I am assuming it is a Jedi Starfighter since it was described as: "A lone starfighter approaches" [ref].
@Owlbeer: Is Taryn the sort to know how to refuel a ship? Up to you. :)
@htech: Brenya seems less 'princess-like' (though I may be misjudging Taryn:), but, likewise, do you know how to refuel a ship? Are you able? (*)

(*) Jar Jar Binks was famously clumsy, so much so that he was banished from his society because of it. Presumably this clumsiness is not an inherent trait in Gungans, but you are welcome to describe your character as you like. That you have hinted at some clumsiness is the only reason I bring it up.
I generally prefer to discuss with words rather than using polls which limit the communication options. Only in the case where everyone is completely OK with the plan, and has nothing to add, do I approve of 'polls'. I don't ban them, but I don't use them.
Fine, if we want that. Though it is Taryn's Starfighter, and she suggested Brenya be her gunner (but that may have been in the Mulberry, up to her) (possibly while she deals with getting the droid to fly them where they want ("Flying's for droid" - Obi-Wan Kenobi)).

We can easily assume Ka'el is 'tagging along', rather than giving him separate responsibilities in a second ship. We don't need to reflect real-life complications in the game world, but this works fine as a solution if we want that. I don't want to force them to reply, though.

I don't think it changes anything much? I thought you were responding to Voss' plan. :)
There is a chance you may be able to fit the Starfighter in the Mulberry's hold, though it may mean filling it up so there is no room for cargo. You will only know if you try.

Rolling! For the first time!

We will need a roll from Brenya sneaking, hooking up, and getting fuel [ref]. I figure we can use a single roll of a d6 for the whole task:

• On a 1 (the only 'failure state') your actions are noticed before you can get connected up or get the fuel going. htech can describe what goes wrong. There may still be just enough fuel in the lines to get you away, but you might end up in a worse situation if try a jump in these conditions. You can deal with the problem and make another plan.
• On a 2: You can get just enough fuel (to get away and to a nearby system) before you are found out and interrupted. It may not be an idea place for you to lick your wounds and try work out what is going on, though. You will have to deal with the interruption, and with disconnecting the lines before you can leave.
• On a 3: You can get enough fuel that you will have some choices available to you, but they are not really ideal destinations for several reasons. Or you can push your luck and try to keep getting fuel, but this will bring problems (and possibly more rolls).
• On a 4: You can get most of a tank. You will have choices about where you go next, but none of them all that good.
• On a 5: You can get most of a tank. You will have some good choices for where you can go next.
• On a 6: You are able to fuel up fully. Once you get away you can travel to almost anywhere you want.

What do we think?

htech: You can describe Brenya's actions, up to the point they could fail, then add a roll and we can see how well you do. If the outcome is obvious (mainly the extreme numbers:), you can go ahead and describe that outcome in as much detail as you like.

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The others may also need to roll, to get the ship open, to get it unlocked and started, (and to bypass the security protocols the smugglers have placed on it, but you don't know about these yet, many of them are 'in-flight' measures:). We will deal with these once we know what you are doing.

This ship is riddled with booby traps and secret features. It will take a lifetime to find all of them. :)
This means we can discover new features of the ship as we play, allowing us to 'upgrade' it without needing to 'get parts installed', and the like.
I doubt your Force Sense probing will set off alarms... unless you want them to... which would mean the previous owner deliberately took steps against Jedi?

We could save the roll for actually starting the engines? That is actually our intent. Rolling for each step along the way almost always results on a failure, and we don't want to get stopped all the time. We should only roll to avoid risk and only when both outcomes are interesting.
Sometimes this is appropriate, but I have never been a fan of hidden traps. "Rocks fall, you die" is so much less interesting than "there are rocks that would fall and you would die. How do you disarm or get around this trap?"

I am much more a fan of 'traps as encounters' than 'traps as surprises that chip away at your HP'.

If there is a booby-trap in the cockpit, and you can't disarm it now, then it can be an ever-present danger that y'all have to constantly work around till you can.
I don't really like 'out for the scene' consequence, they are boring for the player, and not very impactful to the character and story. We have already seen that pushing herself too far is bad for Sera, I think her choosing to do it again can be a choice she can make, and you might roll to try endure and stay operational if you do, but that feels separate from any roll for starting the ship. What say you?
That may well be available on the ship, but feels a bit 'out of left field' for what we are doing right now? If your characters find that they need fake IDs (I don't think anyone is thinking that far ahead, you don't know what is going on, yet) then the ship might provide, but we can deal with it then, as the story unfolds?
You are the tech expert, I don't think you need to roll to work out how to start the ship. You might need to roll to do it fast enough, while your companions fight to keep the clones off you long enough? ...

Actually I think we will just do that...