Mattchstick

And then the murders began...

Now, I'm just imagining Attack on Titan but with Thomas the Tank Engine instead of Titans.

@Poi

Post that comment on Reddit and it'll be on YouTube in an hour.

Experiment-200: KILL_OR_BE_KILLED (Always open)

@FourthKingYou have until midnight tomorrow to get your first post in or to request more time. If not, I'm executing your character.

Project Crossover [Video Game Crossover RP]

I guess our interpretation of how characters from Xcom would work are just that different XD I always look at it like even on the battlefield, you're letting them react to things how they would.

@Zarkun

*Panics, shoots the VIP*

EDIT: CS has been tweaked. The changes are in a lovely shade of blue for easy reference.

Project Crossover [Video Game Crossover RP]

I'd like to take a moment to point out that some of the things you list about Ruben aren't entirely true, such as no personality. If you take the time to watch your troops in the barracks, and the bar in Xcom 2, they have plenty of personality. The needs direction is something of a game mechanic, which is moot in this RP because you ARE the character, otherwise you would see all of us with that same weakness. For example, James, one of my characters, would just stand there without input from a control, but he moves, he aims, he thinks, he talks, all without outside influence.

So I guess I'm saying that while your sheet was good, there are some unfair judgements made on the character of the character.

Now, more in line with the question, I'm fine with that, though it's, again, just a game mechanic. We kinda like to see some autonomy without express permission from a, honestly, outside force here.

@Zarkun

It has actually been a while since playing XCOM, and I don't recall ever watching the troops (and I don't have XCOM 2). So ya got me there.

The need for direction spawns more from him just straight up being a soldier than a video game character. The idea is not for him to maintain a lack of autonomy. I'm going to RP him as an actual character, just as a character who is used to being given instructions on a battlefield rather than making them, as opposed to an FPS hero/protagonist (i.e. James). In some turn-based games, the turns are being determined by the characters (like Invisible Inc, for example), but in XCOM, you as the player are specifically the Commander. Ruben doesn't decide where to go and what to do on a battlefield. He is given orders on where to go and what to do.

I can give him a handful of personality traits, but ultimately the concept is that a character who is not autonomous (especially in combat) develops autonomy. Maybe even leadership skills. Rather than be an existing hero with an existing story and existing personality/mannerisms/preferences, I'd like to sort of be below that status and build up to that. There are no "heroes" in XCOM. If Squaddie Ruben dies, XCOM can pay some credits and get a brand new Squaddie almost immediately, unlike, you know, the Heavy or Cloud Strife. Personalities in general are irrelevant to the XCOM initiative. That's why this RP is so interesting. He's getting sucked out of the world of XCOM and put into a totally different situation, where he has to make his own choices and isn't expendable.

It's easy to jump in as X hero from X game and build on that. I want to try someone who isn't quite there yet.

Project Crossover [Video Game Crossover RP]

Hmm. I've been writing Ruben's first post in my head, and it has occurred to me that his most prevalent weakness is that he only knows how to follow orders, and there is no clear chain of command in the crossover world. Subsequently, he can't make independent decisions (or has never needed to) and will be incapable of performing in combat without a CO on the field or in contact (since that's how XCOM works anyway). I'm thinking maybe free will is something that is stripped away when you join XCOM? Or maybe it's just as simple as he's never been trained how to do that? Either way, one of the immediate problems will be him trying to locate a CO and taking direct orders from them.

So what I'm wondering is, could there be a way for either Bradford or the Council to contact him through a screen or something? The XCOM research division is crazy good at future technology, and maybe Vahlen could take a signature from the magic circle and research it to find a way to connect to Arcade. My plan is for Bradford/the Council to explain that Ruben will have to make independent decisions now, rather than constantly give him instructions or anything. I can set the length of time until completion of the connection, since XCOM can research whenever they want, so it can either be handled immediately or after the first mission. I imagine it'll be difficult to work with him if he only follows orders, which would make his first mission more difficult and would probably make his allies dislike him, but I can use that to develop his character. Trying to make people like a character that they initially don't gives plenty of room for growth.

In fact, I think I like the "Needs orders" weakness more than "Authoritative," since authority is the last thing XCOM operatives have. Some Arcade allies would be fine with telling a rookie what to do, but I doubt any of them would accept orders from him, and that would just overly complicate things immediately with, frankly, a bunch of lame arguments with other characters not wanting to be bossed around. Heh, maybe a character could get a little power-thirsty and start taking advantage of him at first?

tldr; 1. Can I find a way for XCOM to contact Ruben, and 2. Can I change Ruben's "Authoritative" weakness to "Needs Instructions?"

@Holy Soldier@Etherean Fire

Men vs. Women Race to 1000

625

Project Crossover [Video Game Crossover RP]

It's not accurate, though. It says that "The group returns to Platform City to rest and recover from tragedy as well as to welcome new additions to the cause," but right now half of the characters are in Dream Land and the other half are just now leaving the station on the Doom Train. I think.
@Holy Soldier

Post a random fact about yourself.

So here's a scary story for you all.

We have an adopted cat named Spooky. He's coal-black with a little white patch of fur. He's really friendly and even comes when you call his name. Anyway, a year ago, our grandmother moved in with us. She was suffering from severe dementia, to the point that she couldn't even speak. We had a fancy electric hospital bed brought in and set up in a side room so we could monitor her. None of our pets (three cats and a dog) ever showed any interest in it or her and generally just kept their distance. One night, my mom noticed that Spooky was sitting under my grandmother's bed. I saw him too. He was sitting there, paws curled up, staring at us. We called him a couple of times but he didn't flinch. He had never been around that bed before, but for some reason he was crouched under it, directly below my grandmother.

My grandmother died the next day.

Project Crossover [Video Game Crossover RP]

@Holy SoldierHoly goodness, I don't think I can read all of the IC content even with 11 days. That's a lot of research as well. Is there a more recent post I can start with, rather than starting from the beginning?

@Etherean FireI mean, it can only target one person at a time. In fact, the character as a whole can only focus fire on one target at a time.