Here is a place for us to keep all of our brainstorming!

An alien race is collecting samples of various planets to test on them - both people and pieces of land/buildings/etc. Our characters undergo alterations to their physical and mental states. Then they escape. After their escape, they are tasked with figuring out what is going on, traveling the planet and meeting other races/finding other regions, and ultimately escaping all together (back to earth maybe).

Good summing up of the plot so far. I think that covers the general direction of what we had in mind.

I think if we did a little prologue scene for each of our characters, of their day-to-day life, before the circumstances that lead to their 'disappearing' that would be a good way to start?

As for the aliens, what do you think they should be like? Otherworldly energy beings, or more physical creatures? Individuals or more insect-like with a shared mind, or even elements of both?
I'm fine with any of those, but I'd suggest having them as 'physical' creatures would make it more interesting and easier to interact with them. Perhaps they could be somewhat insect-like, and very adaptable, using the genetics and technology of other species to improve themselves, so there's a wide array of 'sub-species' within their number. They could have a hive-like social structure, but still be individuals in character/personality, but vary in intelligence depending on their 'caste' and the needs of their 'place' in their society?!
I'm just throwing out ideas xD

Should we put up CS's as well? I think that might be a good plan.

I think so too. Almost a flashback, describing what they were doing the day that they were taken. I think that would shed some light on who they are. When you've been abducted by aliens, and you're trying to escape, you probably won't be acting like yourself right away!

I think physical creatures would be easier, yeah, in case we want to incorporate some character/alien combat. I think we could definitely run with the caste system idea. We could have different tiers of alien life. They all belong to the same race, but they have different forms and abilities. I'm sort of thinking Halo Covenant for this. There could be the mindless attack-dog pawns that are just soldiers. They could be controlled by some sort of troop leader, who controls them through the hive-mind. The troop leader answers to someone above them, who perhaps has more advanced psychic abilities. Their intelligence, and abilities grow with their higher ranks. Maybe those above the plain pawns can have their own personalities/character? A race-wide hive-mind might not be as fun as finding different aliens with varying abilities who can think for themselves.

And CS's would be great! A number of my 1x1 partners have preferred to jump right in, but I find making a CS helps me collect my own thoughts.

Yes, the Covenant are an excellent example of what I was thinking - well done for considering that first! Another example that would be good - especially with the dimension-hopping aspect, and the idea of co-opting and 'adapting' the races and their technology as they encounter them - are the Combine from Half-Life 2. I especially like them as they're very imposing and they manipulate their 'subjects' genetically to create more creatures and species for their own forces, as well as manipulating and enslaving the rest of the population to further their own goals. I like the fact that a lot about them is unknown, and you never really get a true scope for what you're dealing with, and it's almost like some kind of monolithic giant machine, where the working parts just happen to be organic species and people.
That can dovetail nicely with the idea you have about their having psychic abilities and increasing intelligence and knowledge as the ranks increase, as they need more information and ability to effectively deal with controlling more forces and having more 'access' to the larger base of knowledge and resources at higher levels.

I'm glad you agree about character sheets too - it's useful to have a bit of reference material sometimes when you want to check something in a hurry, and as you say to collect thoughts. I'll get one up tomorrow, if that's okay?

Take your time! I graduate next week, and this week is finals, so I'll be in and out myself.

OK! I'll try and get something up during the early part of the week. I've spent most of this weekend getting in touch with my other hobbies and making the most of having a good amount of time to spend on them. I'll start writing something up though, as I can get onto the site from home and from work.

What other hobbies? I know I spent the weekend horseback riding while it was still nice out. It is going to rain and storm for the rest of the week. I love the weather, but it isn't the greatest for trail rides!

Oh, I build model aircraft - by which I mean, I buy model aircraft kits and then add scratch-built and chopped-and-changed components from other kits to make them resemble the ones in the novel I'm writing. So, they're fictional variants of real-world aircraft.
I'm writing a long-term story around a group of characters and a setting I've had kicking around for years, and it's kind of a work in progress. I chip away at it, but I always find I never have as much time to work on it as I'd like, but it's always there in the back of my mind.

Horse-riding sounds cool. I've never had the opportunity to try it so far, but I'd like to. I like animals, and I like horses as well. My GF used to do a lot of riding, apparently, but she took a bad fall and has never really done as much since, but she's said she'll take me some time.
And I sympathise about the weather, too - I was lucky and didn't get hit by the rain when I was out and about on Saturday morning, but it's been pretty miserable since then. I was lucky not to get wet again today.

I'll post the sheet for my robot shortly!

Without further ado:

Name: Switchback

Group Affiliation: Autobot

Appearance: On the left.

Sub-group: 'Diplomatic Corps', aka Autobot Special Operations Unit C13

Function: Forward Scout and Armed Reconnaissance

Bio:
Switchback has a reputation for unfailing curiosity and an joi de vivre that is unmatched only by the likes of Hot Rod for exuberance. His is an urge to explore and experience the variety of the universe, from his compatrior mechanoids and Transformers and all their race has to offer, to the multitude of organic life forms and their various cultures and ways of life.
His curiosity - and respect - for these other races and their customs has lead him down the road of being something of an expert on other species cultures, and in observation and first contact with other species, often with the purpose of warning and readying them for attack from the Decepticons, or attempting to gain support for the Autobots in the form of allies.
Of course, beyond this, his role is more nebulous and shadowy, and is one of observation, reconnaissance stealth and quiet action against the enemies of Autobot High Command. Assassinations, raids on supply lines and camps and other vulnerable positions, as well as long-term recon and intel gathering operations, often far from Cybertron and other Autobot territories, with only a few allies and partners, most often changing from operation to operation, and their contact being a 'handler' known only by a codename and their stellar co-ordinates.
Switchback's operations so far have been a mixed bag - while he has some level of success, despite being a relatively new recruit to C13, he does tend to have a rebellious streak, and a notable reluctance for cold-blooded killing and what could be seen to some as 'amoral' decisions or undertakings, and a sense of personal nobility and heroism about his actions. While this is laudable, the practicality and effectiveness of it could be questioned.
Despite this aspect of his personality, he does have a tendency to inspire loyalty and passion in his comrades and allies, which has been noted as a useful quality, and he is a ferocious and tenacious fighter when the odds are against him, and has a cunning and canniving ability to plan for battle, and a willingness to disregard his own safety to ensure the safety and security of others. This more than anything exemplifies his dedication to duty and the letter of the Autobot code. Should he survive his demanding assignments and his penchant for dangerous odds, he has the potential to go far in the ranks of the Autobot Army.
Alternate Mode: Switchback transforms into an all-terrain four-wheeled armoured 'dune buggy'-esque fast attack vehicle, equipped with light weapon systems and a comphrensive sensor suite. This vehicle has a respectable off-road speed of over 80mph, and is capable of crossing even the roughest terrain at considerable speed, as well as reaching almost 100mph plus on paved surfaces.
Weaponry and other Capabilities:
Fitting his role as a scout and special operations operative, Switchback is equipped with only a small number of weapons, but they are hard-hitting.
His primary weapons are a pair of forearm-mounted Particle-Lance guns, which are capable of punching through armour at close range, and causing considerable damage at medium range. They also have a cutting setting.
Additionally, he is also equipped with a close-combat knife, which has a 'charged' blade that increases it's ability to cut through dense materials, but drains the built-in battery quickly, requiring it to be returned to a 'charging point' on the rear of his waist at regular intervals.
Befitting a scout, Switchback also has a comprehensive suite of communications and sensor-tracking equipment, such as night and thermal imaging equipment, scrambling and de-scrambling communications arrays and links, and other exotic and esoteric sensors.

I'll provide a more intimate personal history as our character get to know each other, and as I work out the history of the Cybertronian war and races as it works in this setting as we go along, if that's cool? I figure that'd work out well, considering you said you're only familiar with the movie-verse, and your character would equally not be aware of the transformers as a species either?

Oh wow, he looks great! I'm working on my character right now. :)

I'm glad you like him! I realise I haven't mention anything about his appearance beyond his altmode, but I will add that soon, so you have some kind of vague idea of what/who your character will be looking at when we start playing!

Hope things are well on your end - I've got another long weekend, woop woop! I'll try and post some more during it.

I'm really sorry that this is taking longer than expected. Things have gotten crazy with finals, and I graduate tomorrow. I haven't had an opportunity to sit at my computer for long! But I'd like to have something up by Sunday if that's okay with you. This is just a weird time for me!

Hey, it's no biggee for me - I'm happy to take things at a relaxed pace. It's pretty nice not having to rush anything, and to be quite casual about all of it. I hope your graduation goes well, and well done for making it through! I'll look forward to whatever you put up when it arrives.

Name: Rennee "Ren" Byrne

Age: 26

Career: Bartender

Appearance: Ren stands at 5’5, a height that is neither tall enough or short enough to be considered remarkable. Her average height is accompanied by an average weight. As someone who enjoys running, she is fit, but by no means exceptionally toned. Her skin is pale, but it darkens with any time spent in the sunlight. A handful of very light brown freckles adorn her cheeks, somehow making her round face appear even more pleasant. She has large, deep set blue eyes, and plump pink lips. Long, black hair falls to her waist, normally without any structure, but occasionally done up in a thick braid. Normal attire for her consists of blue jeans, black tennis shoes, and a hoodie.

Here is the image that inspired her look. It isn't 100% to what I have in mind, but it will give you some idea!

Personality: Ren is generally a mild-mannered woman. However, when challenged, she will argue to the point of being excessive. She has a short fuse and a nasty temper, a trait that many associate with the Irish. She is fiercely proud of her heritage and will not hesitate before laying out anyone who mocks her thick accent. Independent and self-reliant,Ren cares not whether she is surrounded by people or entirely on her own. When she has to, she can play well with others, but often has to resist the urge to take charge. At the end of the day, she will do whatever it takes to survive long enough to return to Ireland. She refuses to meet her maker on unfamiliar soil.

History: Born and raised in Killarney, Ren grew to hate the small-town atmosphere. She always wanted to get out and find something bigger, but she was haunted by the notion that she might never leave the town. Killarney had been the birth place of her parents, and her parents parents, and so on. Her chance came when she was accepted to the National University of Ireland. She packed up everything and left for Galway, promising herself that she would never again be trapped in such a small, sleepy city. She fell in love with Galway, and after graduating with a four year degree in business, decided to stay in the city. She hoped to one day open her own pub, and to build her resume, she began working at one full-time. As she was on her own in a big city, Ren studied martial arts, and became familiar with defensive hand-to-hand combat.

Though she was away from them, the girl managed to stay in close contact with her family, especially her uncle Mike. They had always been close, and they grew even closer after he helped her pay her college tuition until she became more financially stable. One day, she received an interesting offer from him. It seemed the man had been offered a job in the United States, and he had just purchased a new house. Rather than hauling his wife and two young children across the pond just to find out the house was not to his liking, he asked Ren to check things out for him. He offered her enough money to cover the trip, as well as the promise of a new adventure. At first she was hesitant, as it was a long trip to make on her own. But remembering the money he had given her, Ren knew she owed him a favor. She learned that she would have the house to herself for three weeks. She would be free to do whatever she pleased. With high hopes, she had accepted. But when the taxi dropped her off in the incredibly small town in Vermont, the girl feared she might snap. It was like being back in Killarney, but everyone spoke strangely and she knew no one. She spent her days learning how to shoot a hand-gun at the local range, just to blow off steam and give her a feeling of being in control. Of course, the girl could never know that she would be sprung from the city only weeks later by an alien attack. She swore no matter what, she would see Galway again before she died. She would do whatever it took to stay alive that long.

Abilities: For reasons that Ren does not understand, she awoke with the following abilities:
- Memory manipulation: Ren can "tweak" a person's memory, and replace it with something of her choosing. For example, she can erase her presence from the memory of someone she is trying to sneak by.
- Reading thoughts: Ren also has the ability to read the thoughts of those around her. She must do this deliberately, by focusing on that individual (she doesn't just hear a jumble of thoughts from around her).
- Invisibility: This physical alteration begins to manifest throughout the story, and she struggles to control it.
* Note: These abilities do not work on every race that she encounters. It is really hit or miss.

Looks pretty good to me - sorry it took me a while to reply. I've added a temporary picture for Switchback as well (I just stole his appearance from Skids in the comic for now, though I might try and draw a picture or scan something later).

How do you think we should start off? Do you think we need to discuss the aliens a bit more?

We could start with our characters waking up in captivity, just before the break out? They could have been there for a while, but kept unconscious during the testing. How do we want them to break out? I was thinking a riot of some sort might give them the chance to sneak out.

And we could potentially create the aliens as we went, since there will be so many different types.

That sounds like a good idea to me - breaking out in the middle of confusion would be good, as it'd give out characters some time to explore without being chased immediately, and a chance to get to know one another as well. And I agree about them being unconscious during the testing too, that makes sense.

Creating the aliens could be fun too! I like the idea you suggested before, making them a bit like the Covenant from Halo, with a number of different races all working together.

Hey! I am so, so sorry for the delay. I found out that I failed my teacher certification test last month, and I pretty much swore off fun internet stuff (Tumblr, RPG, etc.) until I passed it. But I just passed it, so I can pick up now if you're still interested!

Would you like me to go ahead and make the first post? I can throw something together if you'd still like to run with the "breaking out in the middle of commotion" idea.

I'm thinking that they've been in and out of testing (and consciousness), but they could of picked up bits and pieces of conversations while they were in captivity. So maybe they knew that there was going to be an uprising, but they didn't know enough to really be involved? They just decided to make the most of the moment.

No problems! I figured it was something like that. I've had a rather hectic couple of weeks myself. Everything at my workplace is going topsy-turvy, and it's been crushingly tiring as a result, and things at home are rather grinding as well, due to problems with my partners' employment. But we're getting through, and have got to a quiet patch for a while, too.
Go ahead and post, that would be great - I think your idea sounds fine, and we can totally get start from there. I'm interested to see what you come up with and how it goes!

Sorry that things have been so hectic for you! I know how stressful life can get when your partner is having a hard time - even if it isn't happening directly to you, you can feel the effects. I hope that everything clears up and calms down for both of you.

Post is on its way!