[OOC] Transformers: Rise of the Masters

[Revans Exile]

This is over.

[Zero Hex]

I do like that you've included the "-master" gimmicks (though it looks like you forgot about the poor old Actionmasters) and made them an important part of the story, but have you considered allowing people to play regular cybertronians on the autobot's side or letting Decepticons employ the different -master technologies? I dunno, it feels wierd to have that separation, like you can't play a more normal Transformer if you're an autobot and you can't have a gimmick if you're a Decepticon.

On another matter entirely, what Decepticon "origin story" are we going with? I mean they're obviously always the antagonists, but the IDW comics paint them in a somewhat more sympathetic light than most other takes on the G1 continuity, for instance, and gladiatorial contests have been a big part of Megatron's origins and the creation of the Decepticons since the original Marvel comics but weren't part of the original cartoon (that I can recall). So, justified freedom fighter movement turned opressive military dictatorship or just plain evil group using superior strength to achieve dominance? What is the Decepticons' deal?

[Kalamadea]

I'd prefer the freedom fighter movement turned oppressive military dictatorship origin, as that is my favorite backstory for the Decepticons out of all of them. It feels like they were developed far more deeply than the "just evil to be evil" kind of deal, and it also makes a lot more sense to me.

[Revans Exile]

Zero Hex said (though it looks like you forgot about the poor old Actionmasters)

Actionmasters are stupid IMO, they aren't Transformers because they can't Transform they are just plain, ordinary, boring robots. If you want to play an Actionmaster that controls Transtector like a Power Ranger controls his Zord by all means go ahead.

Zero Hex said have you considered allowing people to play regular cybertronians on the autobot's side

You can do that if you want but your character will have to be a person who joins the team after they upgrade from Micro to Head/Target/Power.

Zero Hex said or letting Decepticons employ the different -master technologies?

The Cons for now can only be Micromasters or regular eventually they will get the Head/Target/Power Master Tech.

Zero Hex said On another matter entirely, what Decepticon "origin story" are we going with? I mean they're obviously always the antagonists, but the IDW comics paint them in a somewhat more sympathetic light than most other takes on the G1 continuity, for instance, and gladiatorial contests have been a big part of Megatron's origins and the creation of the Decepticons since the original Marvel comics but weren't part of the original cartoon (that I can recall). So, justified freedom fighter movement turned opressive military dictatorship or just plain evil group using superior strength to achieve dominance? What is the Decepticons' deal?

I wasn't going to deal with the origin because it's been well over a million years since they formed and the Cons have had total control over the planet for near a millions years so just the oppressive regime of Shockwave where the NAILs are left alone and live in relative peace as long as they stay in line.

On Cybertron right now the Decepticons are the rightful rulers as far as the Decepticons and NAILs are concerned because the Decepticons won the war. To use an analogy the Autobots are Al Qaeda, they are nothing more than losers (as in they lost the war not in slang people use) who can't accept they lost putting lives of innocent NAILs in danger.

---

I changed the CS Names. Instead of Decepticon CS it is Standard Transformer CS which can be for those who want to play a normal Autobot.

Here is something to keep in mind, the cave where the Head/Power/Targetmasters live currently is more suited for the 6ft tall Transformer not the standard size Transformer. The standard size Transformer while at home may be forced to stay in vehicle mode the entire time. The small size of the cave is one of the natural defenses against the standard size Transformer.

[Zero Hex]

Revans Exile said Actionmasters are stupid IMO

Poor Actionmasters, hated by all. They really are the fucking worst Transformers line ever made, or at least a really, really strong contender for that spot.

Revans Exile said
I wasn't going to deal with the origin because it's been well over a million years since they formed and the Cons have had total control over the planet for near a millions years so just the oppressive regime of Shockwave where the NAILs are left alone and live in relative peace as long as they stay in line.

On Cybertron right now the Decepticons are the rightful rulers as far as the Decepticons and NAILs are concerned because the Decepticons won the war. To use an analogy the Autobots are Al Qaeda, they are nothing more than losers (as in they lost the war not in slang people use) who can't accept they lost putting lives of innocent NAILs in danger.

I ask because it adds another depth to the roleplaying. In the G1 cartoon, even if Shockwave's Decepticons were the de-facto rulers of Cybertron after the Ark and Nemesis departed, non-Decepticons weren't going to support that, because the Decepticons in that continuity are basically 100% evil, starting the Great War entirely because they felt they could lord their military might over others; while in many, many other continuities people might be more willing to accept the Decepticon movement because they actually had a very legitimate cause to start a civil war.

Revans Exile said
Here is something to keep in mind, the cave where the Head/Power/Targetmasters live currently is more suited for the 6ft tall Transformer not the standard size Transformer. The standard size Transformer while at home may be forced to stay in vehicle mode the entire time. The small size of the cave is one of the natural defenses against the standard size Transformer.

Well, I get the cave is better navigated by human-sized beings but what's stopping Shockwave's troops from bombing/shelling the crap out of it and collapsing it over their heads, especially considering NAILs won't give a crap long as they're left alone? Also this does remind me, some normal cybertronians like Bumblebee, Brawn or Cliffjumper are actually kinda small compared to other members of their species, so what about them? Could they navigate the caves with only some mild discomfort? Granted, Transformer scale isn't exactly stable even across a single given work, but some guys were always just smaller than the rest.

[Revans Exile]

Zero Hex said Well, I get the cave is better navigated by human-sized beings but what's stopping Shockwave's troops from bombing/shelling the crap out of it and collapsing it over their heads

That would require the Cons to know the location to begin with, which at this point they don't.

Zero Hex said especially considering NAILs won't give a crap long as they're left alone?

I think the NAILs would care considering it's under a city, not one of the most populated like say Iacon.

Zero Hex said Also this does remind me, some normal cybertronians like Bumblebee, Brawn or Cliffjumper are actually kinda small compared to other members of their species, so what about them? Could they navigate the caves with only some mild discomfort? Granted, Transformer scale isn't exactly stable even across a single given work, but some guys were always just smaller than the rest.

I'm going to say they would be able to stand up straight, but the paint job on the top of their head will get messed up.

[Revans Exile]

gggg

[Zero Hex]

I'll edit in my bio here today or tomorrow

[Zero Hex]

so hey I'm gonna doublepost because it's been a while with no bios. I assume it's dead? Whatever, I'm done so here you go, an attempt at making an Action Master not be incredibly shitty. I failed.

Autobot CS
Name: Overboost (formerly known as Impulse)

Master Type: Action Master (term not used within the story, but it'd be the proper franchise term for it)

Character theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU7uGKV7d4E

Appearance:
If one squints they might still see traces of the almost completely unremarkable cybertronian that was once known as Impulse: a mid-sized transformer mostly colored in blue whose only distinguishing feature was his altmode, and hence his general superstructure, being designed after an old model of cybertronian car instead of the sleeker models of the current age; giving Impulse a blockier, more angular look that was generally deemed rather quaint and oddly stylish, if not particuarly evocative of either speed or power. Nowadays, however, Overboost is barely recognizable as the cybertronian he used to be, his form laden down with external, dull-grey armor plating and upgraded hardware that would severely impede any cybertronian's ability to transform into a vehicle mode of any sort. Also of note is the apparent lack of an insignia, though that is solely because Overboost chooses to hide his allegiance by employing a rubsign placed over his chest.

Personality:
Impulse wasn't particularly sociable before the war but he was an alright guy once people got to know him. Oddly optimistic and even a bit of an idealist, his seemingly perpetual high spirits were often described as contagious by those who took the time to hang around the guy. Nowadays, Overboost is brash, curt and bitter; resentful of life in general and the Great War specifically. His weariness has led to him fighting with the reckless abandon of those with a deathwish, charging into enemies head-long with no apparent regard for his own safety, all guns blazing and losing himself in these bursts of near-berserker rage. Though mistrustful of Autobots, he is fiercely hateful towards Decepticons and spiteful towards the majority of the remaining NAILs on Cybertron. Do not bring up his lack of transformation abilities. Don't.

History:
The Great War cost Impulse everything, even his identity. Once an unremarkable middle class cybertronian who sided with the autobots for the good of Cybertron after suffering the brutality of the Decepticon movement firsthand, ages of conflict left him both mentally and physically drained. With the key figures of the Autobots gone in a quest to find a powersource to revive their ailing planet and support its desperate population, Impulse was fast approaching the end of his line when he met Chopper. The leader of a small band of Autobots, Chopper was a small engineer who preached that the War, while catastrophic, had once again strengthened the Cybertronians after they'd grown bloated and complacent after their Golden Age had gone by. "The Ark's quest is unnecessary", spoke Chopper, "for in the deepest bowels of our world, long ago abandoned and thought hollowed, I have discovered the lifeblood of Primus, a miraculous fuel that will make us more than we ever thought possible! We are strong, hardened by conflict, we will take this powersource and bring about a new Golden Age for Cybertron!".

There was no choice, the planet's reserves of energon were all but depleted and controlled by Shockwave's faction, it was that or death. And so Impulse and many others consumed the fuel with the voracity of a starved animal, heedless of the substance's effects and Chopper's ulterior motives. The Nucleon, for that was the substance's name, did indeed grant the group an impressive boost in power and efficiency, strengthening their natural abilities, granting new ones and allowing them to operate for long periods of time while consuming only a fraction of the energy they had once required. For a time all was well as more and more people joined under Chopper's banner, partaking in the Nucleon and hailing Chopper as the savior of Cybertron. And then changes came.

They were gradual and inconspicuous at first, some people having a bit of trouble transforming or momentarily losing control of their new abilities. And then it got worse. The Nucleon permeated the Transformers down to their very sparks, changing them in unpredictable and often extreme ways. The lucky ones completely lost their ability to transform, their bodies changing into a solid monoform, shedding parts as their figure alteration systems converted into energy storate reactors, while others suffered devastating side effects that cost them their sanity or even their lives. Eventually, Chopper vanished, leaving those affected by Nucleon to their gruesome fate.

Impulse, already starting to feel his body changing, decided to investigate the matter and managed to track Chopper down to his base of operations. He was greeted by the dissected corpses of those that had previously lost their lives to the Nucleon and the twisted, maddening forms of the people who had once followed Chopper and had been irrevocably mutated by the unpredictable substance. That, and a swift jab with an energon prod that knocked him out cold. He awoke to Chopper running a battery of tests on his mutating body and got the answers he sought.

Chopper had known about Nucleon's instabilities all along, and had never truly considered it Primus' anything, merely a fascinating fuel with truly amazing potential that required test subjects to properly determine. According to Chopper, loss of Transformation ability was the only constant side effect of pure, raw Nucleon, which otherwise would seemingly create a different reaction for every Transformer it interfaced with. As it turned out, the Nucleon within Impulse was remarkably stable, only carrying with it the seemingly inherent lack of transformation as a drawback, something Chopper regarded as easily fixable with external equipment.

Impulse lost track of time as Chopper continued to experiment upon him, continually injecting him with paralyzing cyber-venoms, drawing samples of the nucleon coursing through his body and testing out a variety of hardware on him. Eventually, Impulse lost consciousness and Overboost opened his eyes, a Transformer who'd been forced to sacrifice his ability to transform for the benefits of Nucleon. His newfound rage gave him heightened focus and a power not even Chopper could've predicted. Breaking free of his bonds, Overboost rampaged through the sanctum, destroying everything he could despite Chopper's attempts to stop him and accidentally happening across a strange motorcycle within a sealed room.

A single touch was all that was needed. The vehicle's name was Road Gator, and it had been created to interface and binary bond with Chopper after he had undergone a stabilized Nucleon treatment. However, contact with Overboost ensured that it was now his and his alone to command. Overboost climbed on and promptly used it to smash Chopper through a wall, trapping him under a pile of rubber as his sanctum began to collapse. Overboost made his escape, and has roamed Cybertron ever since with no clear goal in mind.

Weaponry:
-Collapsible pistols (x2): A pair of laser pistols that can compact themselves into an easily concealable shape, built into the insides of Overboost's forearms and powered straight from his Nucleon-enriched systems to give them a good boost in power. When activated, the armor panels shift to reveal the pistols, which then slide into Overboost's hands via an extending mechanism and expand into their usable battle configuration. Cannot be employed while wearing Road Gator as armor.

-----------------------

Action Master Exo-suit
Name: Road Gator

Function: A large high-power motorcycle painted red and blue with a few details in grey, it is a rugged and well armored all-terrain vehicle that sacrifices some speed in exchange for a stronger build that can traverse the worst terrains and take heavier beatings. Road Gator doesn't only function as a practical vehicle but also has the ability to transform into a blue and red suit of powered armor, complete with a visored helmet, that attaches itself to Overboost's body for an increase in combat performance. While Road Gator is sparkless and can even be directly controlled by Overboost from a distance if need be, it does retain a rudimentary AI that allows for limited autonomous operation. The irony of a sparkless vehicle being able to transform while he can't is not lost on Overboost, he's just not a big fan of it.

Weaponry:
-Crash Shields (x2): A pair of small-ish shields mounted on each of Overboost's forearms while in robot mode, they're actually made up from the separated front wheel and make good use of its magnetic capabilities (see Magnawheels below) to both repel enemy attacks and act as effective bashing weapons, forcing enemies away from extremely close range and into a more comfortable distance for the use of Chain Shredders.

-Chain Shredders (x2): To put it simply, a pair of retractable chainsaws mounted between the Crash Shields and Overboost's forearm proper when Road Gator transforms into its exosuit form. Extremely vicious melee weapons, as one would expect, but completely unusable in motorcycle mode.

-Crush Pincers (x2): A set of collapsible, powerful pincer-equipped arms built into the back of Road Gator's bike mode and placed on Overboost's back while in exo-suit mode. They're a rather nasty surprise weapon in the thick of melee, where they emerge to crush, batter and immobilize unwary opponents and leave them open for a finishing blow, if the pincers haven't already finished the job. Can also be employed to snatch (or smack) people around while in motorcycle mode.

-Nucleon Shock Gauntlets (x2): Suppose you've destroyed or otherwise overcome all of Overboost's weapons, you think he's disarmed, you move in for the kill. And then you run into these. The Nucleon Shock Gauntlets obviously fit over the hands and are designed to draw energy straight from nucleon-powered systems and channel it into devastating strikes and even short-range emissions. Cannot be used when Road Gator's in bike mode.

-Magnawheels: Road Gator's wheels can employ magnetic fields to allow it to traverse any metallic surface no matter the angle. Works in both bike and suit mode, where the bottom wheel splits and remains attached to Overboost's legs, while the front wheel's magnetic properties are employed as Crash Shields.

[Revans Exile]

Great bio. Of course it is accepted.

Zero Hex said I assume it's dead?

I PMed everyone who posted in the interest check. Haven't one word from them.

We could do this as one on one at first allowing others to join later or we can ignore it like roadkill. I'll leave it up to you, I'm fine with either way.

[Zero Hex]

If you don't mind running it I don't mind playing in it

and uh, what kind of weapon does Nitro Shot turn into? You don't really say, though I suppose he's meant to be Convoy's machinegun turret?

[Revans Exile]

All Targetmasters turn into identical blasters only difference would be color schemes. The Machine gun turrent is the default weapon of the Convoy Transtector.

I'll get started on the IC probably around 7:30 pm EST.

[Zero Hex]

I'd hoped more people would join but it looks as if that's not the case. I assumed the group was already out from the getgo because why even take the time to drag out the ride through empty caverns. So Overboost rides off, roleplay's dead. Sorry about that, wish it'd actually gotten more players. Also, seriously, I'm surprised any autobot would actually follow Mega Wire, especially now that he's actively trying to kill another autobot because he won't join his merry suicide band.

[Kalamadea]

I'm here. I'm working on my sheet right now. My character will likely introduce some good RP potential when he's introduced.

Yeah, my internet went down and only just got up today. I'd have given a warning if I'd been able to.

[Zero Hex]

Hm, then I might be able to get someone else to join

[Kalamadea]

Well, Revans gave me the go-ahead for a cross-dimensional character, and I'm almost done with the sheet. I just have a little bit left on the personality and then the history.

[Kalamadea]

Name: Flameheart

Appearance: Flameheart is fairly tall for a Cybertronian, but not terribly so. He reaches the shoulder of Command models such as Optimus Prime. His standard form is heavily influence by his alt mode, as it takes on the appearance of an anthropomorphic dragon. The legs are digitigrade in shape, much like the hind legs of an actual dragon. Each of his digits, four per hand and foot, end in razor sharp metal claws, and his mouth is lined with razor sharp fang-like teeth. The plates of his armor are arranged much like the scales of a dragon, right down to very fine plates around the mouth area to allow for a full range of expression. Because of this arrangement, his armor looks like a scaled hide, with a thick secondary layer of armor beneath it to provide rigidity and protect the inner mechanics from blunt trauma. He also has a total of twelve metal horns, all soot-black in color. Two are on the back of his head, six are on his lower jaw, two are on his elbows, and two are on his back where wings would normally be.

Alignment: He's technically neither one, but his dimension's version of Cybertronian culture has left him more similar to Decepticon than Autobot, though he might be able to be brought around.

Alt Mode: His alt mode is essentially a quadrupedal version of his biped mode. He shifts his hip, shortens the legs, leans forward, and deploys wings from his back to become your typical red dragon. The wings are a form of carbon nanoweave cloth, which becomes as tough as diamonds, but still remains flexible, once an electric current is passed through it. However, the metal that serves as the wings' support is just as vulnerable as normal Cybertronian metal, and breaking these would make them just as useless as puncturing the fabric.

Weaponry: Flameheart's weapons are mostly about fire. He has two wrist-mounted flamethrowers and a much bigger mouth-mounted flamethrower that allows him to "breathe fire". The two horns on his back are also the hilts of two chainswords, the links of which can fuse together to become two solid swords (physical swords, not energon swords). For situations that call for it, he also has a single wrist-mounted plasma cannon on his right arm. His alt form is only capable of using the mouth-mounted flamethrower. In addition to these "unnatural" weapons, he also has "natural" weapons that are a direct result of his alt form. These include his claws, teeth, and tail.

Special Abilities: The metal of his armor is tempered in a very specific way to make it highly resistant to heat, allowing him to take far more fire-related damage than any other Cybertronian.

Personality: As with most Cybertronians of his dimension, he is cold and hungers for combat. The existence of a powerful Cybertronian empire during the whole of his life has also led him to think far more highly of his race than even the Decepticons do. It isn't uncommon for him to cite their having only settled Cybertron as a sign of weakness.

History: Flameheart is a recent construction, and he also originates from an alternate dimension. In his native dimension, Cybertron controls a vast multistellar empire, and Earth was next to fall to their wave of conquest. However, Earth would prove to be the first planet to offer them meaningful resistance, and the planet had already been shown to be a very rich source of energon, a resource that was becoming increasingly scarce as the Cybertronian population continued to boom. Flameheart was specifically constructed to scout out the planet, and was given the form of one of the native creatures of this version of Earth: the dragon. For this Earth was the very image of our fantasy, and had little to no technology. The assignment went quite well for a while, until Cybertron reported a new Space Bridge technology that they wanted Flameheart to test out. He reported to Cybertron, but once he entered the Space Bridge, something went wrong. Instead of being sent to his Earth, he ended up on our Cybertron just outside of the cave the Masters are currently hiding out in.

Other: I know the personality section sucks, but I'm the kind of RP'er who prefers to flesh it out IC.

[Revans Exile]

Flameheart is accepted.

Just so you know I am picturing Transmetal 2 Megatron but with a more mechanical look when I think of Flameheart.

The series of caves that lead to the base are tall enough for say Megatron to stand in but the base area is only big enough for say Bumblebee to stand in comfortably. Your character while in base would have to remain in dragon form or stay outside of base all the time.

[Zero Hex]

Yeah, nope, I'm done. I'm getting railroaded hard just because I roleplay a basic autobot reaction towards decidedly non-autobot attitudes and you just give your guy an army to do your bidding and cover for the lack of signups.

[Kalamadea]

Yeah, I'm not too keen on that, either. Consider me out, as well.