ATP: OOC and comment thread.

[SW Freak]

Just as it says on the tin. Here's where you post all your out of character comments and any other ATP related comments here.

Rules are as follows:

1) No godmodding. I.e., no using anyone else's characters.

2) No Spam. Seriously.

3) No immaturity.

4) My word is final. If I have made a mistake, then by all means tell me. If I am wrong, I'll correct it. But do not argue with me when something happens to your character.

5) Improper posts are not allowed. I don't mean the odd spelling mistake, that's all right. What I mean is the stuff like OMGWTF! (Which I know you guys don't do, but it still bears saying.)

The way the intro is writen should give each of you a choice as to wheter to join Goliath. Some decisions may not seem like much, but it's there.

That's about all I can think of. If anything else comes to mind, I'll post it. And now, without further ado...

Let's jack in.

[J-Man]

I'm sorry, but it's just that my character does not seem to be present. I was just wondering this was intentional and that Crash would appear later. Just curious. :\

[SW Freak]

Um, yeah, he's there. Sorry. I accidentally skipped him in the intro. I'm very sorry. He's there, though. Sorry for the confusion.

[Statalyzer]

1) No godmodding. I.e., no using anyone else's characters.

What do you mean by "using"?

I mean, you can have someone talk back to something you say and stuff.

[Tolio]

And...er...SW, just call meh character Dave. I PMed you his skill(z) awhile back, but he's a operator anyway.

[SW Freak]

Stat: By using, I mean throwing them head first into a battle that they didn't decide to fight. You can have them talk back, if you're confident that the aswer you're giving is the answer the character would give.

Tolio: Um...Yeah, 'bout that. See, I never got a character sheet off you, so I forgot about your character. Aside from the fact that you never gave me a name for him (Her?) and no background, Shock is the operator of the Veritas. If you give me the character sheet, your guy can replace Shock, though I'd rather that didn't happen as she is important to the story I have in mind. But whatever. Just give me your character. I suppose the ship can have two operators.

J-Man: I've edited the intro so that Crash says a line. It's not much, but it's just to remind you he's there.

Right, all the skills are posted here, simply for reference. Makes little difference, but just so you know what's possible and such.

Driving: This skill is split into two characteristics.
1) RW: This refers to driving skills in the real world. Perhaps your character is particularly adapt at manipulating an APU or piloting a hovercraft. You'll have to specify. If your character is an operator (And yes, you can be) they would probably have some skill in piloting a hovercraft.
2) IM: This is the skill of driving inside the Matrix. Be it a motorbike or a sports car, or even a freight tanker, your character can drive it. You should state wheter your character has a preference, just in terms of flavour. It won't actually make a difference.

Hand to hand fighting: This one should be obvious. This is your skill in the ancient art of butt-whup, whichever style that may be. Swords and stuff like that count as hand to hand, if your character uses them. In terms of flavour, you should mention which fighting style you use, if you know one. (Butt-whup doesn't count as one)

Guns: This is another obvious one. All your skills with guns of any sort are represented in this catagory. If your character has this skill, then he's proficient in every sort of weapon, from shotguns to pistols. If you like, he can have a preference of weapon. Guns in the real world, both mounted (Ala hovercraft chainguns) and carried (electric gun), fall under this skill as well. Doesn't make much difference, it's simply, again, just for flavour.

Acrobatics: This is your character's skill in bending the rules of the Matrix and, in some cases, just plain bending. Everything, from somersaults to long jumps (You know the kind; hopping from building to building in a series of bounds.), is covered here.

Operator: If your character is to be the operator of a hovercraft, they must have this skill. It's the ability to read and interpret the code. Skilled operators can see even the most minute changes in the patch of the Matrix they're monitoring and, unless there's a violent distortion of the code, can follow their charges anywhere.

Diplomat: Not everyone in the Matrix has to be a fighter anymore. A diplomat has the gift of the silver tounge; not exactly a liar, but he can bend the truth sometimes. He can talk himself out of almost any corner and defuse even the most hostile situations. (This one will work with mot NPCs. Put up a good arguement, and they'll generally stop trying to kill you. If, for whatever reason, a PC is pissed with you they'll have to be the ones to stop. Sometimes they can be talked out of fighting someone, or doing something stupid. It's the PC's discression.)

Hacking: Should be obvious. Most unfreed humans have this skill, and so have many freed ones, if that's what they need to do. It's the ability to bypass security systems, shut down electric alarms, plant viruses, etc. This skill corresponds with the operator skill in that if a PC has both, then both skills are increased. An operator who is also a hacker already has a good understanding of the code, and will be able to work faster than operators who just have the operator skill. It also works the other way; if a hacker sits at the operator's computer banks, they'll have some knowledge of what to do, sheerly by way of instinct.

Focus: This is a purely In Matrix skill. It's basically bullet time. A character who is skilled at focusing themselves can move faster than others for a short period (One post.). Not fast enough to dodge bullets like Neo, mind. But definitly fast enough to find some cover as the bullets start flying. Focus can't be used all the time. It takes some time to build up the energy to do it again (Wait of two posts. Long enough in a fight). Focus can be used for a lot of things; chasing after cars as they begin to drive away, flipping over bad guys, running away from irate husbands who's wifes you have been...conversing with(just because it's not real doesn't mean it's not fun.) If you have both the acrobatics skill and focus, you can dodge things easier and make more spectacular leaps and such. (Say someone is attacking you with a sword; If you posses both skills, you can not only dodge the sword but you can flip over their head, kicking them in the face at the same time. Or some such.)

Natural World Code Manipulation(Aka NWCM): This is another In Matrix skill. Pay attention. This one has a lot of paticulars. Weather systems and animals are all artificially created, shaped from the code. Someone who knows how can form the nessecary lines of code to aid themselves in some way.
These ways are:

Rain storm: Like it says. This can be helpful if you're being chased by a vehicle, so that they skid out. It can also obscure vision since it falls so thick. (Lasts till manipulator stops concentrating.)

Lightning strike: Just so it's not a god weapon, this form of manipulation is inacurate. At best, you'll probably hit your enemy once every ten times. At worst, you'll zap yourself or your team mates. (Lasts one post)

Snow storm/ice: This one can be used to freeze something immeadiatly, provided it's not living. Living beings have too high a body temperature to be frozen in one post. Depending on the thing, I'll decide how long it takes to freeze. (lasts till the manipulater stops concentrating)

Call swarm of dogs/cats/birds/etc: Obviously, this calls a number of a certain type of animal into being. They won't be smart, but they're obedient. Use common sense; you can obviously call in more bees than dogs, but only one large cat, like a tiger. (Lasts till manipulater stops concentrating.)

Pea soup fog: Good for hiding in. (Lasts as long as manipulater concentrates.)

Hurricane force winds: This doesn't actually call in the cyclone of air, but instead causes winds of hurricane strenght to eminate from the area surrounding the manipulator. It doesn't affect people behind the manipulator, only those in front. A strong opponent can resist them, or hang onto something. I'll decide what happens. (Lasts one turn.)

Healing: This one is interesting. It was discovered only a short time ago, but has proved usefull to those who learn it. It was found that healing inside the Matrix was, apart from the various syrums injected while inside the pods, controlled by a certain code. Healing isn't instantainious. It takes a while, depending on the wound (Minimum is one post long). It can't be used to regrow limbs, but it can be used to reknit skin and bone, so lost limbs can be reattached. It can be used to stop bleeding, if not close a wound entirly. (Lasts as long as manipulator is concentrating.)

Telekinisis: The power to lift things with your mind. It's not without consiquences. For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. You can only easily lift something that you could easily lift with your hands. If you wouldn't be able to lift it with your hands, then the world has to compensate; more often than not, the reaction of weight would force you into the ground. Though in some peculiar cases, the psycic's head has imploded. (Lasts untill manipulator stops concentrating.)

Transmorgification: This is the ability to change one thing into another. Like changing water into wine, for example. It only works on inorganic material. You can't turn your enemy's head into taffy. This skill can be used to change programs with extreme concentration (Three posts' worth at least. Depends on what you're trying to do.) (Lasts forever)

Mind block: A character trained in this ability is able to institute mental blocks in an opponent's mind. The person in whom's brain the blocks have been placed will find themselves unable to think straight and, if the character is truly skilled, think at all, effectivly rendering them harmless. (Lasts as long as manipulator concentrates.)

The sub skills are split again into sub groups.
These are:

Weather control: Rain storm, lightning strike, snow storm, pea soup fog, hurricane winds.

And

Psychic powers: Swarm, healing, telekinisis, transmorgification, mind block.

When trying to manipulate the world, the character has to concentrate for one turn. In the next turn, the manipulation takes place. If a character is interupted they must start over. With most of the NWCM sub-skills, the character cannot move themselves while concentrating as it takes so much will power to keep the changes in place. With the Call Swarm sub skill, however, the character can move around, provided they keep their mind set on keeping the swarm in place. A character who has both NWCM and focus can change the world in one post. Each sub group is a seperate skill of it's own, so you can have both but only one other skill. In your character sheet, simply put NWCM: Weather Control or NWCM: Psychic powers.

"Wallcrawling": This is the general term for those practically impossible stunts that freed humans pull off so easily in the Matrix. Be it running along the wall in time with techno music or jumping twenty feet into the air and putting your fist through the wooden floor of the dojo as you land, this is the skill you need. If you don't have it, you can still try. But everyone will laugh at you as you fall flat on your face.

Languages: A helpful skill for a diplomat. Obviously, this is skill with languages. Any language. A character with this skill can speak just a fluently in Chinese as they can in German(not to mention English). If you're going to be speaking a different language, but it's important that I, as GM, know what you're saying, please PM me.

Precision: This goes hand in hand with the gun and hand to hand skill. Sure, any eejit can sling guns and fire bullets off in any old direction, but how many can actually concentrate a group of five bullets in a small area, i.e. someone's throat. With hand to hand skill, this is the ability to inflict just the right damage to incapacitate your enemy while leaving him with the ability to talk if need be.

Stealth: The ability to sneak. Duh. It'll work on most characters, unless there are special circumstances. I'll alert a PC someone's sneaking up on if they detect them. Not that you would be sneaking up on a PC, right?

Courage: This can sometimes be a bit of an anti-skill when possesed by a stupid character. With this skill, your character fears nothing. Not death, not agents, not war. Nothing. Courageous characters can generally rally their team mates into action, giving them the equivilant of a slap on the back and a "Let's jolly well go out there and hit them for six" speech. However, sometimes brave PCs rush in without properly assesing the situation. Sometimes the coward is the last one standing.

[Statalyzer]

Nyerguds please check your PMs.

[Nyerguds]

right, done & replied.

[SW Freak]

Guys, I'm sorry to spring this on you, but I'm afraid ATP must go on hiatus. I WILL get back to it, but life sucks at the moment. I'm sorry. I'll do my best to return to it, and GM it in a way that I'm happy with. If you guys really, really, really need it to continue, one of you can take over. Contact me via PM/MSN/AIM and I'll fill you in. Sorry about this.

[Artificial Idiot]

I think it's probably better off on hiatus than somebody else taking over...

As long as it's not a Shadow like hiatus that lasts for several months on end. :p

[SW Freak]

Heh. Hopefully. I'll get back to it as soon as possible.

[Artificial Idiot]

Take as much time as you need... I'm sure your slavish leigons of ATPites will be here for you when you return...

Speaking for only myself, obviously...

[SW Freak]

It's back. The post is to get the ball rolling again. Another bout of walking, I'm afraid, but then we will have some character building conversations in Zion, and there'll be some changes. The post isn't anything spectacular, but it's there. Thanks for your time.

[VO]

I probably can't touch a thing until mid next week. EXAMS EXAMS EXAMS EXAMS EXAMS EXAMS etc.

[SW Freak]

S'cool. I don't know how many will be returning anyway.

[AI]

Death has been warmed up and is ready to serve...

[SW Freak]

Excellent. Nice to see the death man walking again.