[OOC] Rescue on LP-301a

[Enso]

Ten years ago earth's first colony in another star system was attacked. The message was cut short before we could learn who, or what, was attacking our colony. All we know is that whatever happened it was bad enough that they had tried to evacuate the colony for one of their advanced scouting camps. We don't know if they succeeded but your mission is to find out and potentially evacuate the colony if need be. You will be put into cryosleep for the duration of the ship and woken up when it arrives in orbit around the planet, LP-301a, in ten years.

Accepted Characters

Brief History

2034
Humans discover faster than light travel and begin scanning the stars using a dozen orbital long-range telescopes looking for a planet that would be suitable for human life.

2061
Humans discover a suitable planet, named LP-301a, a desert planet with an earth-like atmosphere and liquid water. The nations of the world begin collaborating on the construction of a colony ship named SEED.

2065
Construction of SEED is complete and the world's governments begin recruiting nearly one billion people to travel on board SEED in cryogenic chambers and become the first colonists of LP-301a.

2068
Recruitment and training is complete, SEED is fully operational and is sent on its way to LP-301a.

2078
SEED arrives at LP-301a and touches down, the colonists are awoken from their chambers and the very first human colony in another solar system is established without a hitch.

2079-2129
SEED is operating as expected, the colonists have formed a functioning government on LP-301a and are checking in with earth semi-annually as directed. They have explored most of the planet during this 50 year period they have established several cities and towns all across the planet and begun mining operations to supply their own metals.

2135
Earth receives an emergency transmission from LP-301a that they are under attack, by what is unknown because the transmission was cut short. Earth's governments have decided to pool their resources and send a team to investigate the planet. The nations of earth build a long range vessel named the Lacrosse that will be sent to LP-301a with a small crew to investigate the source of the attack.

2145
The Lacrosse arrives in orbit around LP-301a.

LP-301a

LP-301a is an arid planet orbiting a class G star (the same class as our sun). This star has only two other bodies orbiting it, both are uninhabitable gas giants. LP-301a's surface is primarily sand dunes. There is a salt water ocean on LP-301a, though it is smaller than anything seen on earth. This ocean covers approximately 9% of the planets surface.

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Landscape Example

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Environment Variability
LP-301a has six notable environments that the crew should be prepared for. These environments, and the portion of the planet they cover, are as follows:
Sand Dunes: 74%
Mountains: 10% (not all mountains reach high altitude)
Ocean: 9%
Salt Flats: 5%
Jungle: 6% (only exists surrounding fresh water oases)
Tundra: 1% (only exists at high altitude)

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Average Temperatures
Average Daytime Temps
Desert: 200°F
Jungle: 130°F
High Altitude: -40°F

Average Night-time Temps
Desert: 0°F
Jungle: 45°F
High Altitude: -70°F

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Notable Fauna

Name: Lizard-dog
Description: a large quadrupedal reptile that lives in both desert and jungle environments. They have brown or dark green scaly hides and stand about 3-4 feet tall and are 5-6 feet long (not including a 4 foot tail). They have long legs with three flexible, clawed fingers on the ends (but no opposable thumbs) that are used to fight or climb trees.
Defence: Claws, Teeth, Powerful tails that have been known to break human bones on impact.
Behaviour: Lizard-dogs are not aggressive unless provoked. They will warn you when they are about to attack by howling, screeching and slamming their tail into the ground. They travel in loose packs that gain and lose members frequently as they travel. They can be, and have been, domesticated in some cases as a food source or a method for keeping stinging ants away. They apparently make good pets as they are highly affectionate.
Diet: Stinging ants and Cutpurse apes
Other: They are immune to stinging ant venom.

Name: Burrow Beetle
Description: A large beetle-like creature with a dark shell that stands 1 foot tall, 3 feet long and 3 feet wide. They have six legs which are very flexible so that they can bury themselves in the sand or dirt and wait for their prey.
Defence: A thick chitin shell and razor sharp mandibles
Behaviour: These beetles, though somewhat smaller than other species prey on just about anything that moves and are extremely aggressive.
Diet: Lizard-dogs, cutpurse apes, strong-arm apes
Other: Their shell is so strong that it can stop most bullets. The only truly effective way to kill one is to cut off its head, step on it with a platform or blow it up with explosives.

Name: Stinging Ants
Description: small ant-like insects that only measure about 8 inches long. They have black, red or brown carapaces (the colour seems to denote a different colony) and have long antennae on their heads and have six legs which are used to dig.
Defence: Razor sharp mandibles, venom
Behaviour: Stinging ants are separated into multiple colonies based on colour, these colonies will dig complex tunnel systems in the dirt that they use as a hive. These hives are not permanent and are abandoned mere months after they are finished. When different colonies wander across another's hive they will invade it and try to kill the current residents. Researchers seem to think that the ants have evolved to dig hives in order to defend themselves against other colonies while simultaneously using them as a breeding ground to hatch their young and bolster their numbers, hence the extremely complex tunnels that often end in dead ends or loop around endlessly.
Diet: Burrow beetles, cutpurse apes, strong-arm apes
Other: Their venom is potent enough to kill a man with a single bit, the fact that they travel together makes them even more dangerous. The only effective way to survive an ant colony crossing your path is to entrench with flamethrowers or use lizard-dogs to chase them away.

Name: Cutpurse Apes
Description: A small simian species that walk on all fours but can stand on their hind legs and use their small hands to manipulate objects. When standing on their hind legs they are about 1 foot tall and have an extremely flexible 1 foot long tail. They have white or grey fur with slightly darker stripes.
Defence: None
Behaviour: Cutpurse apes are a communal species that live together, they tend to stick near the families of strong-arm apes in their local area and when a family of strong-arm apes dissolves and heads out into the jungle to find new homes cutpurse apes will often ride along on a chosen strong-arm ape and steal any food that ape doesn't eat.
Diet: Jungle fruit and meat (only during migration)
Other: They get the name cutpurse apes because they are incredibly curious and are not afraid of humans so they will often approach humans and take anything that isn't strapped down. Some people like to keep them as pets.

Name: Strong-arm Apes
Description: Large, fat looking apes with black fur and thick arms. They walk on all fours and their large upper bodies prevent them from standing on their hind legs.
Defence: Powerful arms that have been reported to be able to crush burrow beetle shells with repeated blows.
Behaviour: Strong-arm apes are communal creatures who live together in the jungles. Once the elders of the family die the family group dissolves and the children wander off into the desert looking for a new jungle to live in where they will join a new family group and begin mating with a chosen female. Strong-arm apes cannot climb trees so, when hungry, they will group together under a fruit bearing tree and begin striking it and throwing sticks and rocks into its branches until fruit falls from it. They are usually passive and will only attack when an intruder gets too close to their young. They will try to scare away intruders before attacking by throwing rocks and large sticks at them and howling.
Diet: Fruit and meat (only when migrating)
Other:

Platforms

Platforms are mechanical vehicles that are used for a variety of purposes. Most are used by civilian contractors for construction work or other manual labour. The military has developed several platform designs of their own that are used for combat. Most platforms are bipedal and stand about two or three times the height of a human being and very few are fully enclosed. The only platforms that are permitted to be fully enclosed are military platforms, even then most are still open. The platforms being sent to LP-301a on board the Lacrosse are civilian construction platforms that have had their arms removed to make room for guns (see platform one), standard issue military platforms (see platform two) that have cockpits that rotate separately from the legs allowing them to strafe while firing without sacrificing speed and a Mobile Command Unit that has been modified to be automated and used as a mobile storage unit to carry food, water and any spare parts or weapons that the team finds (see MCU).
Platform One
Platform Two
MCU

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Rules

1. No godmodding, pretty simple, your character can't be totally indestructible or infallible.


2. No metagaming or any of that omnipotence nonsense. Your character doesn't know everything you do


3. No controlling another person's character without permission (duh)


4. Keep romance pg-13 anything higher can be done in PMs


5. Limit of one character per person (subject to change based on interest)


6. Posts should be a minimum of one paragraph per character


7. There is a posting order to make sure nobody gets left out but if the person that is supposed to post before you hasn't posted within 3 hours you can break the posting order

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Character Sheet
Name:
Age: (before being in cryosleep for 10 years. minimum of 20)
Gender:
Country of Origin:
Appearance: (Picture or description)
Personality:
Training: (Engineering degree, platform pilot, assault rifle training, etc.)
Equipment: (Primary weapon, secondary weapon and any other notable equipment that they will have with them.)
History:

Platform Sheet
(Only fill this out if you want a platform)
Platform Type: (Type one or two shown above but don't worry as the story progresses you can upgrade your platform or build/find a new better one)
Primary Weapon: (Machine guns are the only weapons available early on but later you can get long range rifles, rocket launchers, etc.)
Secondary Weapon: (Same types as primary can be picked)

Please do not post your character sheet in the OOC, PM them to me and when I accept them post them in the accepted characters thread here.

[PhoenixEye9]

I don't know if you'll be agitated at this but reserve

[Enso]

That's fine, you have a spot reserved for you whenever you have a CS ready just PM it to me.

[Shoryu]

Hey, would this work for an engineer? I know it's 'dead spacey' but honestly, It's always been one of my favorites XD and I'm loathe to spend 'another' hour scouring the internet for a suitable example... if only I have LP2 on my PC TnT but alas, i do not... plus, i have ideas for the big fist attachment =D

http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/155/7/8/the_engineer_by_legend571-d529279.jpg

[Enso]

Yeah, i suppose it could work, I don't see why not.

[Shoryu]

Name: Solas 'Midi' Oiche [His parents had some wierd reason to name him that]
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Country of Origin: Ireland
Appearance: Image

Personality: Midi can be described as a 'wild man' of sorts, He likes things exciting, whether that reffered to a fight or just ideas he has... He finds things exploding equally as exciting as coming up with a wild idea for a new weapon design, platform modification, or other such technological 'wonder' [in 'his' mind]. He's also got a wild imagination, a Stomach of Obsidian [figuratively speaking], and a strangely wide reaching mental fortitude against things that would freak most people out. [I.e. he wouldn't get sick if someone suddenly lost a limb.]

He also has a veritable addiction to music, Almost constantly playing some sort of music in his helmet or from any Platform he's piloting, combined with the translation of his name earning him the nickname 'Midi'.

Training: Engineer Expertise, Platform Piloting, Standard Pistol Training, Hobbyist practice with weapons that don't require special training [like shotguns, personally invented gadgets, and that such.], Inventive Experience, 'bypasser' [His word for someone who finds ways to get through things that normally require skills he doesn't have. I.e. if nothing else works, he'd try ripping out the door panel and melt everything to see if it makes the door open.]

Equipment:
Storage Pack: Simply put, a Large lightly armored Back-pack used to contain and organize... well, whatever you put in it, spare ammo, electronics, back-up weapons, repair materials, broken weapons, simple scrap materials, and so on. It has roughly 1 x 2 x 3 Feet of Space in it.

Primary: Engineer's Attachment Gauntlet

Attachments

E.A.G. - One of the most important qualities for an Engineer is Adaptability, and the EAG is the ultimate example of this [In Midi's Opinion XD that may change later].

The Gauntlet has the Basic functionality for occasional Augmented Strength in the right arm that is instrumental in manipulating weighty pieces of equipment that the Engineer is expected to operate, build, or repair. It only lasts for a few seconds at a time but enhances the strength output of the gauntlet by several factors before a cooldown of similar time frame. [I have an alternative version of this that involves it 'charging' to put out a single enhanced strike before recharge, but I figured the 'strength' would be less useful in terms of individual strikes in a fight, and more fitting of an engineer's need to manipulate damaged metal objects.]

More importantly, It uses a smaller version of the frames used for making weapons interchangeable on Platforms, to allows it the use of many different Gauntlet Attachments, dependant of course on what's immediately available.

Due to their compact nature Midi can carry up to 3 Attachments [each one he doesn't carry gives more room for toting around extra work materials] And being that the mission has only just begun, He only 'has' 3 at the time.

Shield Attachment - Large Bulky Dome-like object, when attached to the Gauntlet it un-folds into a variable shield, able to re-adjust itself between 1x1 foot and highly reinforced, to a less reinforced but larger 3 x 4 Foot maximum. The overall design keeps it tapering to a point on it's front end, making it moderately useful for Striking with the Gauntlet's enhanced strength function.

Shotgun Attachment - Similarly shaped to the Shield attachment, though instead of deploying when attached, A Barrel jumped up on the top of the dome shape, while the front spreads out into a pointed extension to add to instances when used to punch things. It can hold roughly 24 Shells at a time and auto-loads from a drum clip that pops out from the rear of the Attachment when empty.

Engineering Attachment - Naturally there's going to be one for this, A Special Boxy attachment that opens up to produce a wide variety of Engineering tools, torch, manipulation claws, saw blade, knife, shock tool, and so on. Essential for enacting repairs, minimum backup tools are stored inside as well.

Secondary: Revolver

Gadgets: More'll probably get listed here as we go along

Grappling hook - Left hand - 20 Foot range - Primarily used for climbing or moving lighter objects to the user, very useful when on a platform and short on time to climb down to get an important part.

P.D.A.: Compact computerized device used to create, store, and transfer data for it's user, loaded with design plans and useful schematics that should aid in the completion of the mission.

History: TBA

[Enso]

You can go ahead and post your character in the accepted characters thread so that everyone can look him up whenever they want to.

[Shoryu]

*whistles idly as he waits*

[Enso]

I know, it's been a long time but I haven't received any other CSes, I think this may end up being 1x1 if I don't get any more.

[Shoryu]

>=C

Send out reminder PMs?

[Enso]

Well, I sent out a PM to the other three who showed interest, I hope they join up.

[Rock Killjoy]

Hey you need some kind of kick ass female in this xD so that's where I come in ill pm my CS in a matter of 30-40 minutes or less~

[Enso]

Sounds pretty good, every team needs a kick ass female.

[Rock Killjoy]

No damn femme fatale armor tho xD

[Enso]

Thank god, that armor would get you killed faster than a cutpurse in a stinging ant colony. How is it supposed to offer any protection? It covers about as much skin as a bathing suit, if that.

[Rock Killjoy]

XD if even lol *men wear giant suits of armor* woman *wears string* < video game logic = same protection

[Enso]

Which makes sense, right? I mean who doesn't know that string is stronger than a 5 inch steel plate? that's just common knowledge right there.

[Rock Killjoy]

Well of course lol anyways almost done just need to find the right image~

[Enso]

Take your time, no rush.

[Rock Killjoy]

Left it in your pm~