Pacific Rim - Jaeger Rising [Recruitment Thread]

Started by evangel, July 31, 2013, 11:26:56 PM

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Ember Star

Kaori is just driven by her own desire to rise above the traditional feminine role and prove herself as worthy as any man. She has mommy issues :P LOL
"One thing you who had secure or happy childhoods should understand about those of us who did not, we who control our feelings, who avoid conflicts at all costs or seem to seek them, who are hypersensitive, self-critical, compulsive, workaholic, and above all survivors, we're not that way from perversity. And we cannot just relax and let it go. We've learned to cope in ways you never had to." ~Author, Piers Anthony

Question Mark

Quote from: Karma on August 03, 2013, 12:33:45 AM
I think if the movie had taken place sooner to the initial attacks, that would have been the case. 12 years of constant death and destruction would have thoroughly worn away that kind of sensitivity. I'm not saying the anger is out of place, mind you, I'm just amused at how in concert everyone seems to be. A singular purpose makes for a more efficient organization.

Good point, but the movie could have given it more attention.  It was far too idealistic for my taste.

Quote from: SargentToughie on August 03, 2013, 12:35:06 AM
Except for the fact that it didn't take very long for the Kaiju to stop being threats. You guys all talk about these things like they're the Reapers from Mass Effect, when the movie explicitly states that for YEARS these things were basically just merchandise and film fodder.

Hearing that a Kaiju is coming for your city is slightly better than hearing that you're about to be nuked.  Even if a Jaeger stops it, the city will probably be paralyzed for days afterwards, even if their economy gets a boost.  People don't think they're about to die and then just move on when they're saved.  They'll think about San Francisco, and Milan, and how the Jaegers are not foolproof.  Even though Pentecost's Jaeger ended up killing Onibaba, Tokyo still lost millions of lives.  We're talking devastation on a scale not seen since World War 2, delivered in minutes instead of years.

I like to think of it as such: the Kaiju culture develops in non-Pacific cities and cities which have yet to be devastated by a Kaiju, especially those that have been saved by Jaegers.  Cities which have been attacked have developed a much grimmer, more realistic view.  When they hear a Kaiju alert, even if it's not bound for them, I expect them to react much as the survivors of Hiroshima did when they heard Nagasaki had been bombed.

It's that angle I'm going to be playing up in game, anyway.  I feel it's an underrepresented side of the conflict, the human element lost amidst the glamor of giant mecha vs. giant aliens.

Revenent

Quote from: Question Mark on August 03, 2013, 12:54:58 AM
Hearing that a Kaiju is coming for your city is slightly better than hearing that you're about to be nuked.  Even if a Jaeger stops it, the city will probably be paralyzed for days afterwards, even if their economy gets a boost.  People don't think they're about to die and then just move on when they're saved.  They'll think about San Francisco, and Milan, and how the Jaegers are not foolproof.  Even though Pentecost's Jaeger ended up killing Onibaba, Tokyo still lost millions of lives.  We're talking devastation on a scale not seen since World War 2, delivered in minutes instead of years.

I like to think of it as such: the Kaiju culture develops in non-Pacific cities and cities which have yet to be devastated by a Kaiju, especially those that have been saved by Jaegers.  Cities which have been attacked have developed a much grimmer, more realistic view.  When they hear a Kaiju alert, even if it's not bound for them, I expect them to react much as the survivors of Hiroshima did when they heard Nagasaki had been bombed.

It's that angle I'm going to be playing up in game, anyway.  I feel it's an underrepresented side of the conflict, the human element lost amidst the glamor of giant mecha vs. giant aliens.

...Not to sound offensive, but I don't think that's really the point of Pacific Rim. It's not supposed to reflect a "realistic human element" any more than The Avengers was. Trying to play to that too much may be interesting for a while, but it's really to the detriment of the spirit of the franchise if you take it too seriously. The movie was meant to be a hokey sci-fi action flick, not a serious natural disaster drama.

Question Mark

Quote from: Revenent on August 03, 2013, 12:59:36 AM
...Not to sound offensive, but I don't think that's really the point of Pacific Rim. It's not supposed to reflect a "realistic human element" any more than The Avengers was. Trying to play to that too much may be interesting for a while, but it's really to the detriment of the spirit of the franchise if you take it too seriously. The movie was meant to be a hokey sci-fi action flick, not a serious natural disaster drama.

Oh, I know all that.  I went into the movie expecting a cheesy action picked film, and I got exactly that.  I wasn't under any illusions on that front.

That doesn't mean I don't lament the lost potential, though.  Just because it's soft sci-fi doesn't mean it has to have idealism, 1D characters, a paper thin plot, and generic writing.  Maybe, one day, I'll get a badass action sci-fi movie with an A-grade dramatic component.

Oh, Elysium...  *moon eyes*

Revenent

I don't think "cheesy action-packed" and "A-grade dramatic component" would work too well together, sadly.

Question Mark

Quote from: Revenent on August 03, 2013, 01:12:21 AM
I don't think "cheesy action-packed" and "A-grade dramatic component" would work too well together, sadly.

Drop the cheesy, add epic.

The point is that great action of the kind found in Pacific Rim and great story/writing/characterization (of the kind NOT found in Pacific Rim) are not mutually exclusive.  It worked in Children of Men, and District 9 had an inkling of the epic component while focusing more on the drama.  Back in the day, Aliens made bajillions off of the formula.

I look forward to Elysium now to pick up the torch.

SargentToughie

But Pacific rim was SUPPOSED to be cheesy from the beginning. If you 'drop the cheesy' then you drop exactly what makes Pacific Rim unique, and you make it into another generic summer blockbuster that'll be forgotten about and replaced in 2 years.
If you're reading my RPs from the outside and like my writing, feel free to drop me a line! I'm always looking for new, fun partners. :D
Ons and offs

Revenent

Well, I enjoyed the movie for what it was, and while you're free to try to take a more serious angle on it if you want, I'm going to try to follow more in the footsteps of the original story. The juxtaposition should work nicely.

Question Mark

Quote from: SargentToughie on August 03, 2013, 01:21:59 AM
But Pacific rim was SUPPOSED to be cheesy from the beginning. If you 'drop the cheesy' then you drop exactly what makes Pacific Rim unique, and you make it into another generic summer blockbuster that'll be forgotten about and replaced in 2 years.

It IS a generic summer blockbuster that will be forgotten in two years.  It had a lackluster box office show, meh reviews, and although it has a fandom (I.e. us), I don't think it'll be going anywhere fast.

That's the problem with cheesy movies: they're cash-ins, a quick buck, and -- worst of all -- an excuse for the makers to cut good writing, characterization, plot, and other intangibles out.

Quote from: Revenent on August 03, 2013, 01:22:50 AM
Well, I enjoyed the movie for what it was, and while you're free to try to take a more serious angle on it if you want, I'm going to try to follow more in the footsteps of the original story. The juxtaposition should work nicely.

Agreed.  Only in contrast can we truly see.

Revenent

Being cheesy does not automatically make a movie a cash-in. If every single movie in this genre was trying to make a grade A drama out of itself, the entire thing would be ruined, because there would be no variety. I definitely see where you're coming from, but entertainment-focused movies like this have just as much of a purpose in the market as ones focused on good writing. You can't have your Babylon 5 without your Star Wars.

Vaulera

#85
Name: Karla Lémair
Age: 22
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Ranger

Appearance:

Positive personality traits: Unshakable, Efficient, Resolute
Negative personality traits: Cold, Uncompromising, Never Retreats

Pre-PPDC experience: A trained expert in MMA fighting, particularly the Shorin Ryu Karate School and Muay Thai Kickboxing, Sub-contracted to assist in the hand-to-hand combat lessons of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Other skills:
Extreme organizational skills from managing a business
Slightly acquainted with computer language

General Backstory:
Karla grew up in a pretty run of the mill household in Vancouver, BC. Her father, Marcus Lémair, a loving, quiet and rather introspective man, worked as a financial consultant and pulled in a fairly sizeable salary every year, necessary when living in a city with such high real-estate costs. Karla's mother, formerly Diana Holton, was also a working woman, a nurse working in the ER. Her earliest childhood were her happiest memories, learning to bake from her mother, spending quality time with her father and generally enjoying the life of a very happy family. The only difference between her and many others was her rather strange hobby and interest of martial arts. Contrary to the norm, however, Karla's parents were very supportive of her hobby, and made every effort to help her explore her interest and newfound talent from the age of seven. Her only issues started when she reached highschool. Her focus and her talents were so far from what were necessary that it became absolutely clear she wouldn't succeed there. Even yet, her love for the world of MMA and it's component arts persisted. Financial issues arose at home, and it made friction between her father and mother. Very much unlike her husband, Karla's mother was under constant stress from her job, on top of being the only one to be in charge of things like helping her education and hobbies. Another couple years into highschool and Karla's mother snapped. She divorced Karla's father and left, leaving Canada entirely to live back in her home town in the states. Karla's father, such an ordinary man, had been in love with his wife for so long that she was the very core of his world. Losing her was a brutal shock to his system that he never recovered from. To escape his own demons, he started taking solace in the bottom of a bottle. Eventually, his alcoholism developed to the point where he had to be let go from his job, and Karla had to drop out from highschool, taking over management of the gym she had attended for many years, while the original owner expanded to another location. Marcus, now completely dependant on his daughter, became abusive and bitter, even as Karla flourished in her position, growing to such a state of expertise that she made an appearance in the national scene. Even the military had an interest in her vast repertoire and expertise in martial arts, contracting her through the gym to assist in the instruction of trainees in the Canadian armed forces. However much Karla was abused by her father, she did love him, and she always had the escape in the ring and at her gym, but everything fell apart April 23, 2015, when Karloff attacked Vancouver.

Karla was away from Vancouver that day, fighting a match in Toronto when she heard the news. She had seen and heard the horrifying news of the previous Kaiju attacks, but when she returned home, it was more than she could possibly comprehend. The gym was destroyed, her home was destroyed, her father, students and friends were all killed when the Kaiju hit their block. Her whole life in tatters, Karla was at a loss. With the removal of sponsorship and the destruction of her gym, her hopes of an MMA career were all but shattered and all the people she held dear were dead, besides her largely absent mother. The only other people Karla had grown close to were some of the men in the military. With very little else to turn to, she went to the colonel in charge of the men she was teaching hand-to-hand, and through him, she was able to reach the opportunity to attempt to join the Pan Pacific Defence Force and the Jaeger program. When it came to hand-to-hand combat, her skills were unrivalled in her group, and when they attempted drifting, she was able to remain calm and cool, even under the most stressful of circumstances. Karla, with her brutal efficiency and cool head under fire, was deemed suitable for piloting a Jaeger, and in combination with her partner, piloted a mark 1 Jaeger quite successfully for years, earning quite the reputation. The story of how she and her partner were actually paired, was an ordeal.

(Reserved for when Evangel makes his character, time for some teamwork writing <3)

evangel

Brief notes

- Looking over characters after I wake up and can properly ascertain between adjectives and verbs. And think more beyond "Whoa, Bushido Dawn looks rad."

- As much as I love discussion of the movie and the artistic integrity of robutts slapping giant lizards with boats, further talk should go to OOC. Or better yet, its own topic in Elliquiy off-topic section.

- Karma, Question Mark, I'm fine with what you guys want and Sargent seems to be fine with waiting. But Question Mark, I just don't want you to get bored or sidelined because Karma has declared that Athena's posts may be a bit sparse or irregular because of real life issues (as far as I recall. I'm drunk with lack of sleep at the moment.)

Primarch

Code Name: Vasa Centurion
Launch Date: 2016
Classification: Mark II
Status: Active
Country of Origin: Australia
Height: 75
Weight: 1800
Appearance:
The swankiest murder machine this side of the southern hemisphere!

Equipment:
XV88 Flamethrower: Vasa Centurion's left formarm and hand can unfold to reveal a Jaeger sized flamethrower. The particular chemical used to fuel the weapon will stick to the Kaiju and burn intenly and is notoriously difficult to extinguish. While it is very effective at causing horrific damage to a Kaiju, for obvious reasons it is not overtly practical near populated areas or underwater.

3.99 'Brass Knuckles': Vasa Centurion's hands (or rather fingers) mount a set of 'brass knuckles' that increase the damage of impact when striking a Kaiju.

Starburst Flash Lamps: Embedded into each of Vasa Centurion's shoulders are an array of powerful lamps that draw directly on the Jaeger's nuclear core to produce an immensely bright flash of light - upwards of thirty billion candlepower for a half-second burst, theoretically visible from space and capable of blinding or disorienting a Kaiju in close quarters.

evangel

Go ahead and move your profiles to the character topic, Jaeger and all. Everyone so far is approved. Question Mark, Ryan Kodo's background should be updated to reflect his status in working with Immaculate Shogun. Also, a few more lines for his childhood and teenage years are needed.

I'll get LOCCENT NPC profiles up sometime tomorrow, and we can start tomorrow as well.

Question Mark

Quote from: evangel on August 03, 2013, 03:25:36 PM
Go ahead and move your profiles to the character topic, Jaeger and all. Everyone so far is approved. Question Mark, Ryan Kodo's background should be updated to reflect his status in working with Immaculate Shogun. Also, a few more lines for his childhood and teenage years are needed.

I'll get LOCCENT NPC profiles up sometime tomorrow, and we can start tomorrow as well.

Ugh, I loathe writing backstories.  But... fine, I'll whip up some BS and post it to the thread.

Primarch


Evil Tim


Primarch


Swordsman18

#93
Name: Alicia Mataron
Age: 32
Nationality:  Spanish American
Rank: Chief Engineer of Grave Digger

Appearance:

Positive personality traits: Intelligent, Caring, Resourceful, Hard working
Negative personality traits: Obsessive Compulsive, Overprotective, At times she is not all that knowledgeable of things outside the PPDC,

Pre-PPDC experience:  Mechanic Assistant for her father when she was a teen, Bachelor's in Physics and Engineering. PHD in Non-civil Engineering with minors in Physics and Biotechnology.
Other skills: Due to the sheer amount of time that she has been spending with Jaeger development and maintenance, she has learned some coding and other operations pursuant to Jaeger AI. Also will work on things with her mechanics if there is something to be done on Grave Digger or other Jaegers. Also proficient at driving cars at very high speeds.
General Backstory:
Alicia was the only child born into a family that was really male-centric. It was a family that was about racing cars, fixing cars and building up the name of their shop and Car Club. So even though she was a girl, she was not treated as such. And quickly she adapted to it. By the age of 10 she could quite literally build an engine by herself. But even then, her father who saw her potential would not allow her to be his Assistant due to her age.

So she continued to perfect her craft and help out the other mechanics when she was not at school. And at 15 when there was a car brought into the shop that looked like a lost cause. She took the job knowing that it was going to be days of grueling work. After completely rebuilding the frame, axle, engine block and the outer frame to like new conditions, she was rewarded with finally becoming a Mechanic Assistant.

A year later, she got her license and then she became a racer. She went through a few pitfalls and lost her car but generally she did fine in the car scene. Whenever she lost money, she could always make it back through her mechanic work. After she made it to her senior year, she was given a choice. It was either go to college or stay and keep doing what she was doing. After a talk with her father, he sent her off to UCLA.

It was during her time there that she met Derrick Cines who was just an amateur fighter then. Though she had initially disliked him due his arrogance, she grew to like him. What truly brought them together was that she had decided one night to race one of the college guys that thought since she was a girl she stood little chance. She gave the guy a run for his money challenging with her car that she maintained since she left her father's shop. But at the end of the race, the cops appeared.

Derrick seeing the familiar car opened up his garage allowing her a place to hide and avoid the police pursuit. And that night their relationship began. She continued her education and he became a legitimate fighter.

But then the Kaiju attacked, and the world changed. Upon hearing of his entry into the PPDC, she joined following him up as she finished her Masters degree and began her work as an engineer on the Jaegars. Thus that continued to this day, with her protecting her boyfriend through maintaining his Jaeger and him defending her from Kaiju. Both of them are very much in love which at times can get be used as both a benefit and detriment to her work.

TheGlyphstone

Non-civil Engineering? Seems like a very rude field to get a degree in. :D

Swordsman18

Yeah. she could have gone with Quantum Mechanics but she was just not sure how you build stuff out of Quantum.

TheGlyphstone

I'm just wondering what field that's actually supposed to be. There are a ton of Engineering disciplines that aren't Civil Engineering.