Author Topic: Black Lagoon Anime/Manga based RPG (Revised, NC:H, action oriented) (Read 4848 times)

Vex · « **Reply #75 on:** July 27, 2015, 05:06:22 AM »

Hey ya'll! Sorry I've been on the quiet side, but I'm still around, just in case anyone was concerned. I was originally just giving some time for Daril and Writersblockade to sort out the details of their characters. Seems you two weren't the only ones getting things done! Nice job on the updated bio, Sessha! She looks like a fun character to have around! Well, maybe "fun" isn't the right word, but a good addition to the team nonetheless!

Anywho, I said a little bit back that I wanted to do some changes on my sheet. Seeing as it looks like we've got our crew more or less assembled, I'm gonna make sure to get that done in the next day or so. I actually already have a decent idea of how I want to change her background, in a way that (1) gives her more experience with maintaining watercrafts, and (2) explains a little bit more why a non-badass like her would be semi-comfortable sailing the seas in a place like Roanapur. I also wanted to give her a little pistol training, so she isn't entirely helpless, and hopefully limit some of her "damsel-in-distress" potential, but she still won't hold much of a candle to the rest of the crew when it comes to fighting. She'll remain more or less the same character, though, so hopefully there isn't many worries about any major shifts from her side of things.

Sorry if this is butting into the boat discussion going on. Honestly, the armament of the ship really doesn't seem like it would as much of a concern to me as it would be to the rest of you, so I'll let you all settle that matter, if ya'll don't mind.

Looks like things are really coming together! Nice job everyone! I'm looking forward to getting started!

Sessha · « **Reply #76 on:** July 27, 2015, 07:29:40 AM »

Glad you like her Vex.

Daril · « **Reply #77 on:** July 27, 2015, 11:59:15 AM »

What do people think of "Lucky Strike" as the name for the boat? And for the RPG itself, for that matter?

Considering that the boat is used for smuggling and may have to discreetly enter ports that are less lawless than Roanapur to pick up/deliver cargo, I don't think obvious weaponry is a great idea. Granted its hard to tell if a torpedo tube it loaded, but they take up a lot of deck space, and the torpedoes themselves are heavy, could be dangerous if hit by enemy fire, and might be worth something on the black market.

(Not that I necessarily think you guys are going to find those arguments very convincing.) As for depth charges, when are we going to be fighting submarines?

A .50 could probably be set up to either the front or the rear depending on the situation. MK-19s are cool, but after seeing what Revy did to those pursuing PBRs with a single shot M-79 grenade launcher, I'm leery of equipping our boat with a freaking belt fed grenade machine gun.

This is where firepower like that becomes a double edged sword story wise -it can be pretty satisfying to employ it, but its hard to make that satisfaction last very long because the threat goes away so quickly. That's my view on it anyway.

Sessha · « **Reply #78 on:** July 27, 2015, 12:29:44 PM »

The Mk-19 is actually more of an auto-cannon. It's not really close to a machine gun. Fire rate's too slow for that. (60RPM for rapid fire and 40rpm for sustained. Though to be fair, those Vietnam PBRs can't take a hit, never were meant to really. Though honestly I think replacing one of the aft duel 25mm guns with one Mk-19 in a concealed location that could be easily accessed when needed. We disguise it to look like something else that way no one knows we have it until we need to pull it out. As for small arms locker eh honestly go with tried and true assault rifles. Cause when on missions that's where Alex is going to store her heavy stuff. Things like her Barrett .50, SKO-TRG-41 and her G3A3 with drum barrel.

Sorrow Singer · « **Reply #79 on:** July 27, 2015, 07:54:55 PM »

Lucky strike sounds good, sorry Ive been sort of absent from the brainstorming process the rest of July is looking to be pretty busy on my end. But I'm still floating around for when this thing is ready to kick off.

Writersblockade · « **Reply #80 on:** July 27, 2015, 09:01:49 PM »

I would agree. Lose the torpedo launchers and depth charges. Give us a .50 cal we could set up in relatively good time, and throw in an RPG with 4-5 grenades in stock and a grenade launcher if you're feeling magnanimous lol. That should constitute enough firepower to use responsibly without going all berserk. The large caliber rifles would probably be broken down and cased until they are needed. Small arms and shotguns would be for use on the ship to avoid damage that could cripple the ship methinks, but someone let me know if that makes sense. It's one of the reasons my guy favors the weapons he has, to be honest.

Lucky Strike's a decent enough name for a boat. I'll think about it a little more.

Daril · « **Reply #81 on:** July 28, 2015, 12:25:34 AM »

How about a .50 Browning, a SPG-9, and a supplementary M-60 (maybe two .50s if we want to have the option of mounting one forward and one aft). I still think the MK-19 might make dealing with small speedboats a bit too easy (though I guess a .50 could make pretty short work of a small speedboat as well).

Stepping away from the weaponry for a moment (there's more to say on that, but let's get a few other things worked out first), would either Sessha or Sorrow be cool with their character being a new member who just joined the crew? I was thinking we could start off with the newbie's first job with the crew.

Also, anyone got any ideas for the first job? One of the one's I'd been considering is a raid on a freighter that another group of pirates is after. We could also take a page from canon and have the group involved in abducting someone who turns out to be more trouble than they bargained for. Though I'm leaning away from that option at this point. Another idea would be to go to an island and take something out -probably not an ordinary job, but it could be interesting an interesting one.

Sessha · « **Reply #82 on:** July 28, 2015, 12:37:08 AM »

Why do a bit of both really? I'm a bit torn about this being my first mission and all but eh whatever. As for the mission thing I wouldn't be adverse to us having to get into a running battle over some cargo we were hired to transport. Someone else wants it and they send someone after us to get it. Oh and we fish your character out of the water somewhere along the way to.

Daril · « **Reply #83 on:** July 28, 2015, 12:59:08 AM »

It doesn't have to be your character's first job with the crew if you don't want it to be. I just thought that might be a good way to start things.

I ended up deciding against making my character a newcomer while working on his profile. I found that I didn't want to try to write him before he developed certain characteristics. Did you have some similar concerns about your character?

Sessha · « **Reply #84 on:** July 28, 2015, 01:13:42 AM »

No not really. Though I think I have a solution to our gunboat problem. I'm in favor of the Mk 19. It would do the same job as the SPG-9, but it's got a much faster rate of fire. (40 RPMs as oppose to 5-6 RMPs.) It can be manned by one person which leaves someone else to do something else themselves. It's also about nearly 30 lbs. lighter than the SPG-9.(77.6 lbs. as to 105 lbs.) Plus it's smaller size means it's more easily hidden.

I would leave the M2 on a forward mounting and instead of an M60 I'd go with an M240. It's a much more stable and reliable weapon than the M60 itself.(It's also become NATO standard so getting ammo for it is dirt cheap.) Plus it can be fitted to many different types of mounts so it can be used a deployable weapon if additional firepower is needed. It can also be used on the land if more firepower is needed.

Neysha · « **Reply #85 on:** July 28, 2015, 07:51:23 AM »

A SPG-9 is probably a fair bit cheaper to operate and maintain reliably, as well as find ammunition for in quantity and availability. The thing with many automatic grenade launchers is they need to be cleaned and maintained a lot and still are sometimes prone to jamming. And the grenades could be fairly hard to find and prohibitively expensive to buy in large quantities off the black market.

Daril · « **Reply #86 on:** July 28, 2015, 11:34:51 AM »

Hi Neysha. I think I saw you in my old recruitment thread. Are you interested in trying to join in? The boat's getting a bit crowded but we might have room for one more character.

@Sessha

I think part of the reason I like the SPG-9 is that it gives our pirates something a bit like a cannon to play with.

My main objection to the MK-19 is still that it might make dealing with small craft like speedboats too easy.

Regarding the M60 vs the FN MAG, part of its that Vietnam War weaponry seems fairly common in Black Lagoon. I'm not always set on having the latest and greatest. In fact I think sometimes it's more interesting not to go that route (which isn't to say there are no new or rare weapons in the boat's arms locker).

(BTW I've deliberately avoided bringing this up so far, but since you brought up ammo availability -one thing that's kind of bothered me about Alex since the beginning is that all her pistols use ammo which probably isn't widely available in Roanapur. I know you don't like nine millimeter very much, but what's wrong with forty five?)

Writersblockade · « **Reply #87 on:** July 28, 2015, 11:56:56 AM »

Actually one of the reasons I went with 9mm weapons. The subsonic rounds are specialty, but those are only used on certain missions. Most of the time hell have the mp5 handy on the boat, and the glock on the street during normal day to day

Sessha · « **Reply #88 on:** July 28, 2015, 04:05:12 PM »

Quote from: Daril on July 28, 2015, 11:34:51 AM

Hi Neysha. I think I saw you in my old recruitment thread. Are you interested in trying to join in? The boat's getting a bit crowded but we might have room for one more character.

@Sessha

I think part of the reason I like the SPG-9 is that it gives our pirates something a bit like a cannon to play with. My main objection to the MK-19 is still that it might make dealing with small craft like speedboats too easy.

Regarding the M60 vs the FN MAG, part of its that Vietnam War weaponry seems fairly common in Black Lagoon. I'm not always set on having the latest and greatest. In fact I think sometimes it's more interesting not to go that route (which isn't to say there are no new or rare weapons in the boat's arms locker).

(BTW I've deliberately avoided bringing this up so far, but since you brought up ammo availability -one thing that's kind of bothered me about Alex since the beginning is that all her pistols use ammo which probably isn't widely available in Roanapur. I know you don't like nine millimeter very much, but what's wrong with forty five?)

To answer the questions first off the .357 SIG rounds are a standard round produced by SIG Saur since 1994 so getting the round isn't exactly all that hard. As for the .50 Desert Eagle. Not exactly something she pulls at the drop of a hat. As a matter of fact she's more likely to pull the SIG first since it's ammo is the cheapest to find. As for the 10mm they are a bit harder to find but not that difficult honestly.

As for the M240 honestly it's not exactly new and neither is the Mk. 19. The Mk. 19 has been around since the Vietnam era.In fact the Mk. 19 was sometimes fitted as one of the optional pieces of equipment on the old PBRs. I'm mainly advocating the Mk. 19 for it's ability to be concealed far better than the SPG-9 and as a limiting factor. Also the M240 is while a more complicated(mechanically speaking) machine than the M60 it is far better in overall maintaince than the M60. Besides which when dealing with fast moving targets even something as fast firing as an Mk. 19 isn't going to be horribly accurate. Hence why I suggested a mountable M240. Also in close quarters you aren't exactly going to be using the Mk. 19 now are you?

Anyway those are my counter arguments.

Writersblockade · « **Reply #89 on:** July 28, 2015, 05:35:48 PM »

*laughs* It's a good counter. One thing, and I know it'll make people groan, I would say that if we're having difficulty with keeping folks honest on accuracy of fire, we could work on a dice system.

Hear me out. Most of the RP based stuff we do will barely involve guns, and if it happens to, it would be pure story anyway, BUT on decisive battles (gm discretion), we would employ a roll based system to determine hit and damage. I am aware that this takes this to a whole 'nother level, so I will understand if people object, but I don't foresee our posting speeds to be extremely high, so it might make for an interesting experience. Just a thought.

Daril · « **Reply #90 on:** July 28, 2015, 09:44:16 PM »

@Sessha It's ultimately your choice, I just think those calibers would be at least borderline special order in South East Asia. Heck, there are parts of the US where it's hard to find those calibers in stores.

My concern with the MK-19 is that one could walk rounds onto a target by observing where shots are landing and adjusting accordingly. Might not work against a fast moving target at extreme range, but if you're talking a pursuing boat that's a couple hundred feet behind yours I imagine it might work fairly well. I'll admit I'm not an expert on the matter though.

Just to be clear on this, I was thinking the heavy weapons would be dismounted and hidden away when not in use (one reason I chose the SPG-9 over some larger models of recoilless rifle). I figured the .50 would be for dealing with other boats, the SPG-9 would be for intimidating bigger ships into surrender, and the M-60 is a supplementary weapon that doesn't really require a special mount like the others (and which might be useful for the rare land job as well).

@Writersblockade We might be able to use dice to settle disputes if it becomes necessary, but I generally prefer to go freeform. I like to think that people will be smart about things and vary their accuracy a bit with the needs of the scene. Also I'd actually intended for this RPG to be relatively quick paced (though I'll grant I haven't been the greatest at fast responses the last week or so).

BTW, would you be willing to consider options other than a suppressed Navy model MP5? It just seems weird for your character to be using one of those when my character is the one who has extensive training with that particular weapon.

(Though I'd actually been planning on having him use something else).

@all So anyway, most important issue to get worked out here: does anyone have any preferences for what the first job should be? I figure once we get that figured out, we can get things started pretty quickly.

Sessha · « **Reply #91 on:** July 28, 2015, 11:40:46 PM »

My main issue with using something like a recoilless rifle is the sheer size of it. I'm speaking of things from the stand point of we don't have a lot of people with us. So that means we need weapons that can if need be, be fired by a single person. The SPG-9 with a trained gun crew can maybe 7 rounds in a minute. Now imagine all that being done by one person. Your fire rate would easily be cut in half. Possibly even more than that. As for portability the Mk. 19 is far and away better than the SPG-9. Again I point to the weight difference between them. The Mk. 19 weights 77.6 lbs. where as the SPG-9 weight 105 lbs. Plus the Mk. 19 can be mounted on the same tripod as the Browning M2. Also as anyone will tell you explosives are cheap and easy to get a hold of. Also if we have it I would think that the crew itself would be taking care of and cleaning their weapons. At least I know Alex would be. She's a gun nut and taking care of your guns can me the difference between that firing and saving your life to ending up in the morgue.

Daril · « **Reply #92 on:** July 29, 2015, 01:12:34 PM »

I wasn't really thinking of the SPG-9 as a rapid fire weapon in the first place. Frankly, its a completely different class of weapon than the MK-19. Being able to use the same mounts as other weaponry would be nice, but for my part I still like the idea of the crew having a cannon type weapon.

I suppose we could put the matter to a vote if you're really set on it.

Sessha · « **Reply #93 on:** July 29, 2015, 03:54:37 PM »

The reason I'm arguing this Daril is that the weapon itself for what you want to do is too heavy to use in fast pace deployment. Also most of your pirate groups don't even use weapons like the SPG-9 simply because it's too unwieldy in combat with a small number of people. In naval warfare the smaller your crew the more you have economize the number of people you have doing certain jobs. The rate of fire on a weapon has a HUGE impact on the battlefield. It's part of the reason why the M1 Garand was so effective against the Germans and the Japanese. It was a semi-automatic weapon with nearly twice the ammo capacity of either of the other two primary rifles. Plus it had about twice the fire rate of the other two.

Rate of fire was part of the reason why the M16 in later stages of the Vietnam was faring better in the eyes of the GIs than the AK-47. It relied on the idea that you fired three rounds into the bush and the guys to your right and left fired three rounds into the bush and so on for them. Just between you and your buddies you've about emptied a third of an M16's magazine. Also the Soviet Union took notice of this and decided to pursue development of their own 5.56 rifle equivalent. Then the AK-74 was created which fired the 5.45x39mm cartridge.

I know you like the idea of us pirates having a cannon onboard the ship, but I'm saying that it's just not feasible with as small of a crew as we have to say nothing of the fact if you want it to be deployed during combat. That's the whole reason I want to switch over to something like Mk. 19. It can be carried into position and fired by one person if needed be without any loss of combat functionality, plus that frees up someone else to bring up a third weapon, like say the M240.

Neysha · « **Reply #94 on:** July 29, 2015, 04:19:58 PM »

Quote from: Daril on July 28, 2015, 11:34:51 AM

Hi Neysha. I think I saw you in my old recruitment thread. Are you interested in trying to join in? The boat's getting a bit crowded but we might have room for one more character.

I am. What kind of character does your crew still need though?

Writersblockade · « **Reply #95 on:** July 29, 2015, 05:22:38 PM »

If you don't mind me saying, Daril, we can use a bloody medic. I have a feeling this crew's gonna need it lol. At least someone that can keep a person alive until they can get to a hospital.

Daril · « **Reply #96 on:** July 29, 2015, 11:43:24 PM »

@Sessha -I can put it to a vote if you want, but I don't view the SPG-9's size and rate of fire as being serious limitations in its primary role. And its heavy punch might come in handy on occasion.

@Neysha -Another person with watercraft experience would be an asset. Are you wanting to play an action oriented character or more of a supporting one? Or are there any particular concepts you've been considering?

@Writersblockade -If the crew had a medic, I think it would probably be someone with rather basic training. A highly qualified battlefield surgeon isn't likely to be employed by the crew of a small boat when they could be doing brisk business in the city itself.

Neysha · « **Reply #97 on:** July 30, 2015, 12:34:41 AM »

Cool. Thanks for the suggestions. I have an idea in mind and will post up a concept tomorrow.

Writersblockade · « **Reply #98 on:** July 30, 2015, 07:37:38 AM »

I know, that's why I worded it that way. My character would have basic med experience, but it would be someone like a navy corpsman our something

Vex · « **Reply #99 on:** July 30, 2015, 07:54:18 AM »

Alright! After a bit of a busy week, I finally got some revisions in for Ami's background. Feel free to read it on reply #27, if you'd like, but I warn you, it's a bit of a read. Sorry about that! Still, I think it does a better job at relaying her skills and a little bit about her favorable impression with societal outsiders, like the rest of the crew. I also modified her fighting capabilities to specify a bit of basic firearms practice, but she still doesn't shift as much of a warrior.

Speaking of, if you have any suggestions for a compact or semi-compact pistol for her, I'd appreciate it. I'm certainly willing to do a little research on my own, but I'm definitely not a gun aficionado, so I was hoping you might point me in the right directions. I was initially thinking a Glock 19, Glock 26, or Walter P99c, wanting to stick to 9mms for the most part, but I wouldn't really know if those were reasonable handguns to carry at this time, nor place in the world.

Quote from: Daril on July 27, 2015, 11:59:15 AM

What do people think of "Lucky Strike" as the name for the boat? And for the RPG itself, for that matter?

I have no issue with the name. I'd say Writersblockade has the greatest say, seeing as he's the boat's presumptive owner, but if he's cool with it, I am.

Quote from: Daril on July 28, 2015, 12:25:34 AM

Stepping away from the weaponry for a moment (there's more to say on that, but let's get a few other things worked out first), would either Sessha or Sorrow be cool with their character being a new member who just joined the crew? I was thinking we could start off with the newbie's first job with the crew.

I can't speak for Sessha or Sorrow, but I certainly don't mind being a relative newcomer to this whole thing. I'm not sure about this being her first venture with the crew, but I don't see her having been a part of this life for all that long, maybe a year or two at the most. I can understand why you might be adverse to writing your character before he develops a certain attitude, but I actually think that would be pretty neat, at least for Ami. She's pretty empathic and somewhat innocent, by Roanapur standards, but everyone involved in that mess becomes tainted sooner or later. I actually think it could be fun to discover what kind of dark side she ends up harboring.

Quote from: Daril on July 28, 2015, 12:25:34 AM

Also, anyone got any ideas for the first job? One of the one's I'd been considering is a raid on a freighter that another group of pirates is after. We could also take a page from canon and have the group involved in abducting someone who turns out to be more trouble than they bargained for. Though I'm leaning away from that option at this point. Another idea would be to go to an island and take something out -probably not an ordinary job, but it could be interesting an interesting one.

I'd be reluctant to start exactly the same way the original story did, just because we're already closing in on some parallels between them in our characters. I do like the abduction angle eventually, but probably not to start with. A simple package delivery might be ideal, something a faction wants delivered safely, even as an active force seeks to recover or destroy it. It's not terribly complicated, but if you're looking for an introductory venture, that might be ideal. That said, if you want to make it a little more complex, if could be that our employer doesn't have said package, and we have to retrieve it from someone else. To combined it with Sessha's idea, there might be a rival faction that desires it too, so it can be a triple threat game, between our deadlines, the rival crew, and the people we have to claim it from in the first place, assuming they won't hand it over willingly. Sounds like a freelance pirate job to me.