Final Fantasy D6: The Dicening; The Discussion
 

First off, the groups and links to all the character sheets:

GROUP 1
Mauve Mage: Dark Knight, Hume
Menarker: Dragoon, Android
IHMN: Blue Mage, Hume
Riin Whitewind: Black Mage, Tarut
phil_: Entertainer, Tarut
BardTheFifthLightWarrior: Red Mage, Hume
Teal Mage: White Mage, Hume


GROUP 2
Arhra: Fighter, Viera
Dracorion: Dragoon, Viera
Overcast: Blue Mage, Hume
CelesJessa: Thief, Viera
Geminex: Red Mage, Tarut
POS Industries: Gambler, Moogle
McTahr: White Mage, Tarut


THAT OUT OF THE WAY, the RP threads are up, and with them comes the brand spankin' new discussion thread. It is here you may ask any questions, or discuss any issues.

So... Get on that.

^^ Awesome.

Although my character will probably be one of the last to speak just because someone with 1 CHA should not be opening discussion, especially business!

Post once I'm done cramming.

Ooooh, if anyone is curious about what my dragon's appearance would be like... (or doesn't remember Jugan's appearance from the previous FF session)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1.../Dragonpic.jpg

Basically like this. Small size (like the actual one from the respective game) and without the bracelets.

Yeah. I'm thinking that our team should have some sort of discussion first. Do we even know each other yet? If so, how well?

Also, I'm tempted to start bartering with the dude.

Because there's a fat chance we're going to be able to bring the beastie back alive.

I'm going off of the assumption we are at a minimum familiar through the assignment at the Adventurer's guild. Fie's answer wouldn't have changed a bit anyway.

Research? Fie is super crazy rad mad interested. Of course, the rest of the party may not be. I almost want to see someone shoot the happy little bugger down.

Hey Phil, how would you feel about Bello being Ark's public handler? Basically attempting to offset any of the negative feelings that people have about an android (nevermind a 1 CHA one).

On the plus side, Ark's pet Jugan would probably enjoy Bello's story-telling like a child seeing a circus. ^^

EDIT: Any bets that Caspin is going to want to attempt to eat the monster they are assigned to capture and thus fail the mission? =P

You guys can go either way on knowing each other or not, if not then just assume that you were selected by the guild to carry out the mission and rammed together. If so just assume that the guild gave it to you as a pre-formed group.

Edit For McTahr: You've never heard about a monster like that and you're pretty confident that you would have (given your roll). As such you can ascertain it's either a new species or a one of a kind creature.

We'll see where my feelings take me, Mern.

That's fine. ^^

I just thought of Bello as the first option since if Bello does get Ballad of the Wind later on, then he'll be a natural partner with Ark using "Ride the Storm".

Entirely up to you though.

I advocate the shuffling of groups between missions, which makes sense with the whole guild thing. I assume at some point story takes over missions, but I still support group shuffling after that fact.

Which of course will be harder on Krylo, since it goes from two separate campaigns to one overruling campaign, but as a person who doesn't have to deal with that it seems more interesting.

Dude, IHMN, this is a Final Fantasy RPG. The guild thing is just lazy writing to get our respective adventuring parties together in the tutorial/prologue. After that, our groups go from being strangers to a big family and at least two of us hook up to a J-pop song. Shuffling groups would be like tearing that apart. Or like Ogre Battle.

Request General Lore Checks on:

• Malik Niris
• The Council of Four
• The City of Maris
• The Phrase, "Went Dark/Going Dark"
• Clandestine Organizations

To explain the last two/keep Krylo's work load to a minimum, I'd just like to know what Arden would think going 'Dark' means. For the organizations, either an example of, or the typical criteria to qualify as, a Clandestine Organization would be nice.

For the check on the City of Maris, I'd be particularly looking for approximate distance from Rios. Any additional information is, of course, welcome.

If you'd prefer to keep this stuff quiet for whatever reason (to keep Meta-Gaming to a minimum?), just PM me the results, alright?

I'll post after I figure out what I know.

@OC: Same as McTahr's.

Would any of the taller beings in group one mind having my Tarut riding their shoulders for a scene?

Oh you suck out loud. But I can understand, it is a fairly rare creature else they wouldn't want to study it. Which just makes him hungrier for its naked flesh.

Would be neat having your character do that on one shoulder and my pet dragon on the other. :3 And my character totally oblivious to it as if it was the most natural thing.

Haha, sweet. Consider it done.

God, it's late.
I won't be posting until tomorrow morning, I hope you guys aren't too far ahead by then, but Krylo, could I make a Lore: General check on Steeling Industries and a Lore: History check on the region? (I'd like to know whether there's a historical background to these 'fiends' appearing)

Arden is very interested in this question.

I'd post that she looks interested but it would be a boring one-liner like this one was, so I'll add that Jhenna has stupid high DPS.

It is so high it is stupid.

37~42 Without any help per Thunder spell.

56~63 While Phil's Singing a Song of Lightning.

@Mena, like having a Mana Cannon on your shoulder?

It could have been higher.

=3

Steeling Industries is just what they say they are, as far as you know. A weapons manufacturer. They're responsible for some new forging techniques and the specific magical and mundane preparation used in the Judge's armor and weapons.

The History of the Cornelian mountains is pretty sparse with Cornelia itself being rather insular, but your knowledge of history tells you nothing about any new fiends showing up there specifically. You do know it's happened from time to time in the past, and unique fiends aren't exactly a rare occurence.

See: Larvae under bestiary in the book.

Will post tomorrow.

Bluh. Curse you, POS, for stealing my thunder. While having a lower speech score than me.

Also, all-nighters, wheee!
Thank god I only have IT tomorrow, and we're still learning all about if() and for(), so I should be good.
Still, bluh. I'm gonna be a wreck by the time I get home.

Hey, we're gonna need someone to handle the paperwork that we're sure to have piling up in our blossoming careers as monster hunting mercenaries, so I'm just getting it out of the way now, if possible.

Also, I envision the receptionist as Thriftie.

Hmm... fair enough. Though I would've done it differently. Do a spectacularly good job now, then after the mission we do some market research, see who else could hire us. If Steeling try to hire us again, which they will, that's when we hit them with requests for increased payment, and we walk out if they don't do it our way.

Still, Thriftie is awesome, so that works too.

It's all about playing the table. If our employer doesn't think it likely that we'll attain the highest reward, take a risk and see if he'll increase the reward he doesn't think he'll have to give us. Then bet on succeeding!

Well, you're playing a gambler, so that's the logical course for you. My character's more of a diplomat, which means outmaneuver your opponents in the long run. If we do good work for no extra pay now, we'll make a good name for ourselves. That makes us more valuable. And being more valuable, we'll get more in the future.

Still, either way is good. I'm not complaining. But next time, I get to negotiate our reward.

In fact, Krylo, could I take a Lore: General check for 'Other potential employment opportunities in the city'? Or is that too vague?

Sounds like a bet to me.

Also seriously all this gambling talk with the Vriska avatar feels a little weeeeeeeeird...

You're talking to the guy WHO T4LKS L1K3 TH1S SOM3T1M3S. That's not weird at all!

Embrace the Vriska inside you. Bet on impossible odds and come out ahead. You have all the luck. All of it.

And then I blow you up with an omniscient cue ball cause I'm channeling Terezi, but it was fun while it lasted, eh?

Sounds good.

But yeah, with your careful planning and my crazy risk taking combined, there's not going to be much we can't do.

...Oh fuck we're the Scourge Sisters, aren't we?

And the rest of the world is Team Charge.

>=[
 

There are none. On the basis that I'm not writing up a bunch of potential missions for you so you can just pick and choose what you like most.

It's not as easy designing monsters and missions and over arching story plots as you might imagine!

Oh, no! I don't mean for them to be actually selectable.
I'm just saying that it'd make sense for there to be other offers for our services, once we prove we're skilled. Just logical. I wouldn't actually want to select them, hell no! Just have the offers be there.

So we'd... feel appreciated, you know?
Also, to have a plausible reason to demand more money when we get our next mission. Negotiating for more money feels kind of stupid when the only employer in the city is the one you're negotiating with.

Edit: Basically, what I'm saying is that, OOC, I'm perfectly fine with a more linear progression. But it'd make sense for us to have an illusion of choice IC.

I'm glad you believe in our success!

WELL with my gut reaction to your threats of walking out diminished: Inquiry (which is speech) check next time you're wandering around between missions.

Thanks, I'll try that.
And yeah, should've made it clear I didn't actually intend to walk out. That'd be sort of a douchebag thing to do.
I mean, I'm not here to sabotage your RP!
...
Yet.

Oh, and one more quck question: Do we start with 1 EXP from filling out our character sheets like good little boys and girls? I'm not asking for the EXP, I'm not gonna insist on getting rewarded for providing a friggin' character background, just curious.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhh.

Doesn't really matter. I don't plan on watching EXP too close, to be honest. Just toss a level to two levels per mission depending on how hard it is, how well you do, and how cool you make it look.

For the negotiation thing, I was under the impression that the groups were pre-hired, or contracted, through the guild. If you said no they'd just get different guild members.

Maybe the clients aren't used to that, or just want to come across as friendly, IHMN. Like, they could just tell us, "Now hop to it," but that would be rude.

Which is why I'm trying to make our group stand out. If we want above-average pay, we have to show above-average performance and improve our image, so to speak. Stand out, make an impression on the city, and we won't be so easily replacable. Sure, they could get different guild members, but if we do it right they'll want us, and they'll be willing to pay extra. Y'know?

In the meantime Caspin will be willing to ditch the group entirely and have severely reduced pay to have the job if your negotiations go bunk and you offend people.

Because rare monsters are always worth it.

... you might want to be careful with that. The last RP session we had with FF, things started to drag out because Caspin left and then (if I remember correctly) Teal's geomancer thought of doing the same.

This is just my gamer philosophy here, but in my view a good gamer doesn't just quit the group and thus makes it harder on everyone else and the GM (and thus risk the game session crawling to a complete stop), but rather asks what possible valid in-character reason could the character possibly do or imagine as a benefit to want to go along with the group in the first place if the original plan isn't available.

Like maybe have Caspin wonder if the monster could possibly be bred and thus have the potentially tasty treat become more plentiful and thus more oppurtunity for eating or cooking.

Up to you, but just saying it would not be the best idea for the RP to be too easy to jump ship from the rest of the group.

GENIUS!

Caspin would wonder that if they found out how it breeds. Then simultaneously after understanding that figured out how to capture enough for breeding alive. Then concurrently brought them back to the arms company and try to negotiate a contract on offspring.

This would all require a mad degree of study and effort that more the likely the team will eschew and rather just find one and kill it as softly as they can.

Anyway, ditching the group is just a severe thing that will come if the two members who are probably less sly then they figure start making the group have a reputation for outrageous demanding that makes Caspin miss out on the two things he needs most. Knowledge and money. In this case knowledge is the main one.

I'll also note the last time I left because I was being shipped off to Boot Camp and separated from the entire outside world to be broken like a dog.

Ah, I see. That's more than fair then, as you were making your availability in-character match your real world availability. I wasn't trying to say that you were trying to leave us hanging then since there was already problems slowly growing before then (Naqel's disappearance cutting down a group of 5 into a group of 4 and then a group of 3 which was starting to get very tricky). I'm sorry if I implied otherwise.

But yeah, your suggested idea of how Caspin would think is a good one. :3

If a next time occurs I am so making a Cha heavy Tarut character with Sexy to play up some good old fashioned Lolicon/Shotacon in the world of FF.

I wanted to have Jade launch into something a little more involved but my brain is running on empty right now.

Next time.... next time.

No.

Yes, it's the high charisma negotiators that'll give the group a bad rep, not the freaky blue mage that gruesomly eats every living thing he comes across and makes everyone around him uncomfortable. That makes perfect sense.

Besides, even if negotiations fail, at worst the dude's gonna be like 'NO EXTRA MONEY' and send us on our way. He's not about to cancel the mission or refuse payment because we tried to barter. How would we lose the opportunity to gain money and/or knowlege?

And besides, we are totally as sly as we figure. You cannot beat us at a sly-off.

We're simply the best there is.

I will end you.

Edit: Apologies for the wait. Was going to post last night but got distracted by a skype call and was too exhausted to write anything half-way decent (as though I can while awake) when I got off.

If I were to make a different character, it would definitely be an Android Ninja.

AAARGH, Krylo! I was in the middle of posting!

EAT IT, BITCH!

S'What you get for waiting 24 hours.

On come on. I spent an hour on this friggin' speech. Seriously.

There.

Quote:

Docus looked around, grinning at the world he had just entered. Such marvels, such wonders! Knowlege hidden everywhere. He could only imagine the wealth of information he could gain from those filing cabinets, the glorious wisdom- He mentally shook himself. He'd been travelling for a while now, but he still tended to get overexcited at new experiences. And this -he thought to himself as he looked around with a more rational eye- was a new experience indeed. Whatever else these corporations did, they didn't just support science, they nurtured it! And it nurtured them. There could be no nobler cause. But, of course, however noble their cause, it was still their cause. And while he felt compelled to bring the fiend back alive in the pure spirit of research, he also felt that he'd deserve more than 750 gil for it. So he stepped up next to the moogle who was currently acting as their voice, but then stepped past him, to make eye contact with the other Tarut. He smiled and spoke rapidly, but conversationally, eyes shining with enthusiasm. "I must confess, I find your endeavor to research and understand these new fiends, I find it fascinating. One of the great marks of an intellectually powerful society is the synthesis between theoretical and practical sciences, and this is a perfect example. Theoretical knowlege of the nature of these fiends is developed, and simultaneously this knowlege is applied for the the military, and thus, society! You benefit both sides of the equation, and you make a profit doing so!" Now he paused, as if thinking. "In fact... quite a significant profit, I would imagine. I think I have a pretty good idea of the ways you would benefit from our success, and unless I'm mistaken, they outweigh the costs... significantly. Not to mention that, while we're perfectly capable of completing this task to your highest standards, in itself it is still a challenging task, and one that not every party would be willing to accept. Considering the circumstances" -at this he stepped back a little, to stand at the moogle's right side "Considering the circumstances, I must agree with my colleague here. If you think it unlikely that we succeed to our fullest, you lose nothing by raising the reward. And if we do succeed, you've won more in giving us incentive than you've lost. Besides, the better you treat us, the more likely we are to come back, and I'm almost certain you will want us to return. So, what do you say? Will you up the ante?" ----- Speech check, obviously.

I would be highly appreciative if that could be worked into the post. Particularly since I had no way of knowing that you were about to post.

Only if you explain what the hell is up with Terezi's eyes in your avatar.

I have no idea, but it is awesome. I mean, yellow's fine, and red is the best color, obviously, But that orange glow really has... malevolence.

>: ]

Edit:
And thanks for the edit!
This would be the cue to the team to blurt out equipment requests, since money seems to be a problem.

Alright then...

Anyway, I copy pasta'd it into my post in a way I felt it would fit best. Without altering it. Half because I'm lazy. Half because I didn't want to alter your character's actions or your language.

Leave it to Geminex to come up with a post longer than everyone else's combined.

TL;DR: words

When I negotiate, I negotiate.

Except that post didn't really include negotiating on the really important thing.

I said "We want more of a reward". That's sufficient, for now. We'll see how this develops.

Now shush and sit down. Male Viera don't get to talk. Who let you out of the kitchen?

Hey, I got free dry-cleaning out of it. I'm good to go.

Also, we're getting a little off track over what was a throwaway joke anyway.

You have your receptionist and your dry-cleaning, I'm gonna get us high-grade accessories.

...

Okay, no I'm not. But man, can you imagine?

...

Okay, I give.

The Scourge Sisters can have their stupid sly-off and forget the important, mission-critical matters.

What sly-off? I'm actually trying to get results, here. Hell maybe I'm getting them. He's certainly off-balance. Hell, he asked what we want!

The sly-off is just a bonus that infuriates you.

Lousy stupid goddamn.

Though I would qualify it more as "overwhelmed" rather than intimidated. Little bastard probably isn't used to being more than a PR face or something.

I'm honestly with Drac on this. We need to get moving.

True. I won't complain if we leave without hearing a response.

You don't need to end me Krylo, POS is too busy ending me with the whole, "Even suggesting such a situation skirts the bounds of bantown population you" red text.

Whee! Military-grade supplies!
Should be fun. Eventually. Plus, receptionist.

And OC, I'm thinking that was less a threat and more of a reminder. Heed it, obviously, but don't take it so hard, it was just a mod-color no.

Short version: Don't push it, bubs!

Bo~ring.

For a Gem bit that wasn't exactly wordy, and fiiiiine, apparently I have been spending too much time with the wrong people and I found pedophilia hilarious again.

Ya gotta be more subtle, Overcast. Lure the audience in with, oh, he's just really cute, it's normal for people to be fawning over him. Nothing wrong with the big, scary Galka wanting to hug him and take him home and call him George. He's just so cute is all.

Much better than HEY! SHORT STUFF! WANNA /SS/?

Been spending too much time with Teal I think, he's turning me blunt.

Don't you dare drag me into this.

Do not dare.

I suppose I'll need to come up with a post soon. Arden's being too quiet.

Edit: Ah, screw it. Opening's not good enough. Feels too much like a shoehorn.

And thus Team One breathed a sigh of relief in that their Blue Mage, instead of being impatient and not a team-player, is instead an easily spooked coward.

Hey, at least you can pound on a coward until they shape up.

That low CHA score is going to keep cropping up all over the place. His oddity isn't the only thing that keeps his pretty face from actually getting him anywhere.