World War Kaiju

[Polyphemus]

This is an RP I tried a couple years back, but I was inexperienced and made a lot of mistakes along the way that ultimately made it die an early death. I've learned a lot since then and I still believe the basic plot is sound, though, so I think I'd like to take a crack at it again.

Basically, this is set in a "Next Sunday AD" future where giant monsters of all sizes and shapes have begun to crawl from the oceans, descend from the skies, and emerge from the forests. Naturally these visits result in a huge amount of death and destruction. Because this is starting off in our modern day, big ol' mecha, death rays, and the like are not yet available- this is such a new thing that no one is really sure how to react yet. Military and police forces are still trying to work out the best response, scientists and engineers are trying to work out how to understand or fight the enemy. Not to mention the consequences for international trade and diplomacy- imagine what might come of a monster attack right on the border between North and South Korea, for instance.

This is where you guys come in. The United Nations (or some similar body) has gathered a small group of scientists, soldiers, pilots, engineers, firefighters, doctors, diplomats, all sorts of experts. Their job is simply to travel the world, wherever a kaiju attack is happening, and advise the local authorities on how to handle it. The people in the Godzilla movies who evacuate Tokyo, lead tanks into battle, and unveil some kind of new eleventh-hour superweapon? You're them. It's up to you to figure out how to react to this new threat and get the squabbling nations of the world to follow your lead. Eventually, depending on you in-game actions, you might be able to roll out big ol' mecha and death rays- your actions change the world around you.

There's something for everyone in this RP- military action, science fiction, interpersonal relationships, world travel, and so on. I want to realistically explore the consequences of giant monsters rising from the depths, but in a fun way.

Any thoughts? Questions? Comments? Suggestions? This is still mostly conceptual but I'd love to have your feedback and ideas!

[Tim the Yeti]

I would definitely be interested in something like this. Unfortunately, I'm tied up for another two weeks and won't be able to put time into it until then. If this does become a thing, I think it would be cool if it got set just a little more in the future (maybe an additional 50 years?) so the potential for death rays and whatnot could be a thing, we'd just have to invent them.

If you elaborate on this plot and add more context, character sheet applications and whatnot, let me know. I'd love to take part in this.

[Fabricant451]

Basically, this is set in a "Next Sunday AD"

@Polyphemus

Is there a guy named Joel that works at Gizmonic Institute?

[Polyphemus]

I would definitely be interested in something like this. Unfortunately, I'm tied up for another two weeks and won't be able to put time into it until then. If this does become a thing, I think it would be cool if it got set just a little more in the future (maybe an additional 50 years?) so the potential for death rays and whatnot could be a thing, we'd just have to invent them.

If you elaborate on this plot and add more context, character sheet applications and whatnot, let me know. I'd love to take part in this.

@Gimple

What I'm thinking at the moment (and this is subject to change, of course) is that kaiju very abruptly start showing up and sometimes wreaking havoc in populated areas. They vary greatly in size and shape- some are just bigger versions of animals, some are like dinosaurs or other prehistoric creatures, others are just plain weird. No one is really sure where they come from or any details of their creation (that'd be one thing to research, for sure). They don't make a beeline for cities, usually, it's more a case of accidentally wandering into them. Think something like an earthquake or hurricane, albeit one that is a living creature that can be killed. Unlike what the movies would have you believe, it's not a phenomenon limited solely to Japan- you're just as likely to see Johannesburg, Omaha, Copenhagen, or Sao Paolo suddenly threatened.

Naturally, this is a game-changer for the world. The biggest concern people have are the occasions when a kaiju attacks a populated area. Think about the chaos after Hurricane Katrina- lack of government prep or response made things much worse. And this is such a new even that no one is really sure how to respond exactly. Sure, you can blast the crap out of a kaiju with tanks and artillery, but what if it breathes fire? What if it carries some weird disease? What if tanks and artillery just plain don't work on it? Not to mention the civilians trapped in the crossfire.

National governments have their own ideas and plans, of course, but where the PCs come in is a sort of standardizing of practices. They travel the world as observers and advisors to local governments that have to deal with a kaiju problem, figuring out the best ways to handle the general chaos. This especially comes into play with less developed countries- sure, the United States could fight off a giant monster and recover from the damage without outside help, but somewhere like Zimbabwe will need aid.

As such, player characters are experts from all over the world whose skills lie in an area that would be useful in the event of a kaiju attack, as well as researching more effective ways to combat them. A couple of ideas off the top of my head- maybe a firefighter who's got experience in putting out massive urban fires and dealing with collapsed buildings. A biologist who is studying the creatures and their possible weaknesses. Or a soldier who is trying to work out the best way to use troops against a giant monster.

As far as tech and research goes, I admit I haven't thought through it all the way. I don't want to do anything as formalized a s tech tree, but I'm thinking if research character have a specific goal in mind they can work towards it over the story. If somebody wants to build a mecha, don't expect them to roll out Gipsy Danger the very next day- there's going to be incremental steps of course. Not the least of which is getting funding to build such a thing.

I hope this gives you a better idea of my thoughts, but I fear I've just made it more confusing!

[Tim the Yeti]

This elaboration makes me even more excited for the concept. I've been thinking of an engineer who specializes in weaponry, mechs, and independent defense AI. I like the idea of these technologies taking time to come to fruition. That makes the early battles all the more difficult as we try to work with our limited resources.

I'm down for this. I just need some time before I'm 100% free.

[Polyphemus]

Yeah, and the variety of kaiju will hopefully be enough to keep people on their toes. Quick thinking and problem-solving will be paramount, otherwise a lot of people might die.

[Tim the Yeti]

I'm so down for this. This sounds awesome. How far into the sci-fi elements do you want to delve? I mean, we already have monsters cropping up from (what I assume) are different dimensions. But is there anywhere you might want us to stay away from?

[Polyphemus]

Good question, hadn't given that much thought. I guess I'm generally going for hard science fiction, so nothing too crazy, nothing you wouldn't see in an issue of Popular Mechanics.

I guess maybe psychic powers would be cool, but again it's baby steps. Maybe I might include magic? I might regret saying that, but I kinda like the idea of a bunch of druids or shamans doing some kind of ritual in the direct path of a rampaging 30-story monster in the hopes of stopping it.

[Tim the Yeti]

It's up to you. I think it would be cool if we were limited to just what we could achieve through technology. But, as always, baby steps. Achieving these things is going to be so much more satisfying if we took the time to actually achieve it.

[Polyphemus]

It's up to you. I think it would be cool if we were limited to just what we could achieve through technology. But, as always, baby steps. Achieving these things is going to be so much more satisfying if we took the time to actually achieve it.

@Gimple

That's my thoughts too, but I'm willing to add more elements to get more people interested.

How would you feel about being co-GM once you're available?

[Tim the Yeti]

I would definitely be down for that. It all depends on how my schedule is going to look. What might that entail, might I ask?

[Polyphemus]

A few suggested roles if people are unsure what kind of character to create. This is by no means an exhaustive checklist where every niche has to be claimed and filled, it's meant more to give people an idea of the kind of roles that might be helpful on a team devoted to countering giant monster attacks.

Military personnel- officers from land, sea, and air branches to coordinate with the locals and work out the best weapons and tactics to bring into play in combat. Keep in mind you'd have to work with what the country under attack has available- not every country can whistle up massive amounts of firepower. Some don't even have military forces.

Emergency management- Someone with experience in efforts like evacuations, putting out fires, treating massive numbers of wounded, digging survivors out of rubble, handling chemical spills, that sort of thing. Maybe they come from a large city's fire department or something like Germany's THW. Same issues as above, so quick thinking and improvisation are key again.

Biologist/ zoologist- Definitely handy if you want to understand these new animals. Analyzing behavior and functions of kaiju, a new science. This is far from a rear-echelon role, expect to get up close and personal with the beasts.

Engineer- The person responsible for building the tools to deal with this new threat. Don't expect to roll out Mazinger Z in a week, though- there's bound to be prototypes, testing, trial-and-error.

Hopefully that gets some ideas flowing!

[KaijuBaragon]

Hey I remember this, this was The White Gloves.

I'd be interested in giving this another try.

[Polyphemus]

Hey I remember this, this was The White Gloves.

I'd be interested in giving this another try.

@KaijuBaragon

Yeah, that's exactly right! Like I said, I always thought this was a good idea, just one I didn't handle the right way two years ago. You'll notice I've changed a few things in the general concept.

I'd love to have you!

[Polyphemus]

Well, it looks like we got enough people to start with, so I'll start putting the thread together. Of course, the more the merrier, so if you're only just now seeing this we'd be happy to have you!

[Yin Jingshin]

Hey there, I'd be quite interested in this. Is there a character sheet or what? Is there an OOC?

[Polyphemus]

Hey there, I'd be quite interested in this. Is there a character sheet or what? Is there an OOC?

@Yin Jingshin

Not just yet on either one, but thete will be soon! Watch this space for updates!

[Yin Jingshin]

Cool beans lad. I look forward to it :D

[Polyphemus]

@Gimple@KaijuBaragon@Yin Jingshin

Alright, guys, thanks for your patience. The OOC is now up.