[drkrough]

Mechwarrior - 25 Years of Darkness

Lots of thanks to Sarna.net for making Lore easy to find/use.

Introduction

The Dark Age began 25 years ago. Unknown agents disabled the HPG grid, and roughly 75% of the Inner Sphere's hyperpulse generators were nearly simultaneously destroyed, crippled, or in some other way damaged. No one knows why or by whom this was done, but the actions crippled communications. Important messages, news, even something as simple as a family message must now be relayed via "pony express"- DropShips making runs to planets without a working HPG. Much like water resources and working factories in the Succession War era, planets with a working HPG have become much more important and vital military targets.

Solaris VII is known across the galaxy for its 'Mech fights. Gamblers place exorbitant amounts of money on longshot bets, and fortunes are won and lost daily. Solaris City, in particular, hosts six major arenas and numerous MechWarrior stables. Every year there is a Grand Tournament, which culminates with the naming of the year's champion. Even today the games continue. Solaris VII, with a still-functioning hyper-pulse generator, provides entertainment in a galaxy bereft of it.

And, for those without any other hope, Solaris VII offers a chance at a new life.

The Game

You are a mechwarrior, but fate has handed you all the wrong cards. Whether by defeat in battle, political machinations gone wrong, an enemy in high places, gambling, or just poor luck, you have nothing more than the gear on your back, and maybe a non-combat vehicle to get your there. Solaris VII is your new home for the short term, and Montour is the city furthest from anything or anyone who cares.

The General is there. He's an old friend, maybe a family friend, maybe a relative, or maybe just someone who knew someone, but he's there, and he's willing to give you another chance. Right now, that's enough. Just a chance to turn nothing back into something. On Solaris, everyone gets at least one more chance.

Rules

MW:25YoD will not be using Battletech or Mechwarrior rules. The focus will be on the Lore of the 32nd century, and living in the Battletech universe. Plus, I just don't like the AToW game, and the BT rules just don't work in PbP.

Characters- We'll be using a derivative of Cyberpunk 2020 rules. CP2020 is a very gritty system (don't get hit, it'll hurt) and has a good Battletech feel to it. The rules you'll need to play are in the forums. Yes, there are cybernetics (thank the Manei Domini). We will not be netrunning (not the game we're playing).
PS- How gritty is Cyberpunk? If the PCs get ambushed, I suspect a PC might die. The rules are lethal.

'Mechs- For mech combat, we'll be using an entirely homebrew system that focuses on being fast and roleplay intensive. Combat won't be about rolling a 12 and hoping for a head critical, but about how well written the battle is. Rules for mech combat are also in the forums. The rules are not done yet.
PS- How gritty will the 'Mech rules be? Less than PC rules. But battles should end in 5 turns or less, in general.

Only mechwarrior characters will be accepted. This game is focused on mechwarriors making a new life for themselves. Players may make NPCs fitting other roles (a tech buddy, or such), and in certain situations we may allow playing of other characters, but really, the focus is mechwarriors.

Application

My basic requirements are simple.
1) Post 1/day (weekdays) in this game. I will look at a player's history, posting rate, pattern, etc. This is the most important thing. Must be proactive in posting- it is a shared world, so helping with pro-team NPCs will be appreciated.
2) Play well with others. You can pick fights with NPCs (awesome) but not with PCs (not awesome)
3) Like Battletech
4) Be willing to play with Houserules, and offer constructive criticism
5) Understand that this is a roleplaying game, not a tactical simulation, and that the goal is to have fun.

I have two players already in the game. I'm looking to start with about 5-6 players (total), if I actually get that many applications. I usually don't get that many apps, so might be a moot point. I assume a couple will drop, that'll give up 4, and that's fine.

A completed application consists of:

• A character concept- about a paragraph highlighting the key points of your character idea.
• A story idea- what your character wants to accomplish in the first month of living on the edge.
• An enemy- a paragraph about your main enemy.