Rhona W

Another World's War

<Snipped quote by Foster>
I'm here to write a story with other players in a moderated game setting and have fun doing it. The "best" way of doing things may not always be the way that's chosen for the sake of the game, but it's a fictional story so there's not a lot of point in debating what would happen if these planes and weapons were really fighting this battle. We can make suggestions and inferences, but at the end of the day the law of plot overrides everything else (see bullet point #11 in the rules section).

It's great that you know all these fun facts and radio codes, etc. Maybe you've flown a military aircraft in combat- I haven't and I'd hazard a guess that most people in this forum haven't either. I may not be Chuck Yeager, but I can speak to some knowledge of what we're trying to do here in a Casual-RP and I think that's what will attract more membership and move the plot along.

<Snipped quote by Foster>

I'm having an absolute blast writing about it.

@Pilatus

Pilatus hits the nail exactly on the head here.
It doesn't matter particularly what you know and all the wonderful factoids and technical details, or how many of them get projectile-vomited across the OOC; the point is the story and the setting.

I have stated multiple times in the OP and the rules about what kind of game this is. It's a dramatic (and fun) interpretation of the world, writ large for the purposes of excitement and fantasy, rather than adherence to reality. Some accessions to realism is the salt on the meal, or the guidelines we follow to understand things and work from as a base, rather than the law laid down.
Like he said, the law of plot and the most interesting/most exciting reason to do something, as well as the most convenient way to keep the players involved is the one that will win out, rather than the realism of anything, or what's 'best' in terms of tactics in a real world setting. That kind of reasoning is why, for example, we still have aircraft that are retired in the game - because it makes it more fun.

If that's not to everyone's taste, then sorry to hear that, but it's the game I've put up for people to join, and it's the game I'm running.

Another World's War

<Snipped quote by Silverwind Blade>

Yeah, I'll be taking my leave.

@Massasauga

I'm sorry to hear that, as I was really enjoying your characters. But, it's up to you. Hope to catch you around later and somewhere else

Another World's War

Remipa can take over as Ranger 2 from now on then.

@Massasauga

Oh, are you leaving us then :(

Another World's War

<snip>

@Pilatus

For my part as GM, I don't disagree with anything you've done; you took initative and behaved in character, and also did what was sensible with the a/c you have. Ryan wouldn't complain too much as it made sense from a tactical point of view and he did urge Xi to engage targets and his words were 'scare' the big targets for himself and Ranger 2, rather than engage them - and it would be redundant and less-than productive for him to get up in anyone's face for taking out the enemy. Plus it wouldn't be in character for him either.
As the GM, I'm not going to argue with it; it made sense, it's been done, and it keeps us moving in the right direction, so I have no problem with it, and I don't really see why anyone else should either. There are more than enough targets to go around for all of us to tangle with at the moment.

Another World's War

Post is up - Clem and Xi have the fighters hot on their heels, after poking them with a stick. Luckily, Tony has arrived and is there to even up the odds a bit.

Down low, Ryan and Diane in the Intruder and Maverick and Mako in the Desert Falcon have some established bad guys to ruin the day of - if they can weave through the fire coming after them well enough, that is.

Amidst all of this, it seems like the survey team might have found more than they expected, which explains the... energetic reception from the Yerrill.

Also, because we lost Slypheed, Remipa's character takes over the same slot in the squadron and the same number as well.

Another World's War

Yerill fighters were clawed from the sky as the Rangers went to battle. Their first salvos had hit home well, the aggressive approach taking several of the unnervingly organic-looking and matte-black aircraft by surprise, and turning them into flaming balls of scrap as contrails twisted and looped through the morning skies.
Nonetheless, the Yerill had not fought Earth's forces and put them on the ropes through idleness. With manoeuvers the were near gravity-defying and certainly beyond the limits of human physiology and engineering, the remaining fighters regrouped with near right-angle turns and surged back in at their attackers, splitting evenly into leading and trailing groups and keeping separation as they closed in, sensors already scouring the skies for the MiGs that had hurt their numbers. Warbling lock-on warnings sounded for Clem, Xi and Lonnie.

Down low, Ryan threw the big Intruder through the air. Down low, the attack jets' big wing did it well, and he weaved and ducked around terrain features, hugging the treeline and nosing over every contour of the land. Outside the cockpit, the world was a blur of green, brown, and occasionally blue as Ryan worked the stick and pedals like a conductor, and Di's hands played her console like an instrument. Almost immediately she had targets locked up.
"Got 'em," she said in a clipped, terse tone as she swayed in her seat straps with the jets' movements. "'Rill light walkers and GEV's* to our west, moving through the treeline. Second group south-east, four clicks out and moving down a creek bed".
"Roj," Ryan replied in the same tone as he smoothly guided the A-6 into a sharp bank, rolling wings level on a parallel course to the ridge. The red hawk painted on the topside of the aircraft gleamed wickedly in the morning sun as the Intruders' engines rumbled and whined as it closed in on its' prey.
"Yo, Ranger Two. Chairforce, I've got some hostiles down here in the mud. Two groups, one to my south-east. What say you take 'em, I've got these, over"
To Diane, he nodded his head sideways. "Let's get these; ready up the special delivery".
"Right, right - irons' hot, got 'em on the nose. Watch the ground fire".
"Roj," he replied, eyes and voice steady as he jinked the big tin tadpole with precise, firm, yet smooth movements. Lines slid into place on the HUD, and he mashed the weapon release button, smoothly yanking back as the fat shapes of bombs detached from the underside of the A-6F and sailed gracefully landward. A sharp wingover and a spread of chaff and flares completed the run, and were capped by the rolling flash and thunder of explosions along the ridge, and a diminishing curtain of firepower chasing the retreating naval jet.

Similar plumes of lashing shells and energy erupted up from the creekbed as they searched out the rest of the jets, and the warbling tone of SAM search radars intruded into the ears of the Ranger squadron as they circled toward and away from their targets.

"What the hell were the survey team looking for?" muttered Ryan as he craned his neck sideways, the Intruder in a sharp bank over the combat area. "There must be half a Yerrill standard combat formation down there, with the amount of fire we're seeing. Not to mention those fighters".
"That's about... ten to fifteen ground vehicles? Plus troops," Diane replied, looking again over her instruments and frowning. "Does seem a lot of a survey team just snooping around. Think there's something else down there?"
"The team must've accidentally stumbled onto something, or kicked over the ant's nest. The 'rill seem pissed".
"Ranger Lead, this is Cavalier, how copy?"
"Good copy, Cavlier. What's up, over?"
"Ranger Lead, the situation looks pretty gnarly from here. The Osprey can't get in for extraction with all the activity. I've got another aircraft, latecomer to your unit. I'm vectoring him in; Name's Ground Bird, callsign for this mission will be Ranger Five."
"Roger that Cavalier, patch me through."
There was a momentary hiss and fuzz and Ryan cursed under his breath, nosing the A-6F over a slope and ducking deeper into the weeds as more fire sprung up. A spurt of the 20mm's under each wing drove the shooter back into hiding as he wheeled around and blasted past, low enough to shake the trees in his wake.
"Yo, Ground Bird. This is Ranger Lead, you'll be our number five. Good to have you with us, and time to start earning your pay. We've got a surplus of bandits, go high and team up with Ranger Three and Four to suppress the enemy fighters. Two, stick with me and let's keep beating the bushes until the extraction bird arrives".

As if reacting to Ryan's words, The Yerill pursuing Clem and Xi took a more hostile posture, darting in as close as they dared, and jockeying for advantage. Warbling search tones took on the harsh buzz of lockons, and missiles filled the air.

* = GEV'S, ground effect vehicles; essentially directed-thrust hover platforms with mounted weapons.

Another World's War

You've got a jump-jet.

There's an A-6 that'll need an escort.

@Foster

I have AMRAAMs and gunpods, I don't need that much babysitting, ta.

Another World's War

Post will be forthcoming over the weekend, I have had a crap week, so haven't really felt like posting much nor had the time. Hopefully unwinding tonight will allow me to marshall my thoughts and get my imagination flowing to get something worth putting up into place.

Another World's War

Something I want to point out as well is that from a writing standpoint we don't really have a whole lot of info regarding the types of Yerrill craft and we're kind of winging it (pun intended) as far as writing about their capabilities. Some of the characters have been fighting them for some time and are familiar with all the different types. From what I've read so far in the plot details and in the IC posts there are fighters, interceptors, larger attack craft, troop carriers, bombers as well as large command craft and they all generally have a similar appearance. Their weapons are largely energy based, but some do launch missile-like projectiles and use a form of radar.

Lastly, it's the Expeditionary forces that are technically on the offensive in our story. Humanity apparently was good enough to push the Yerrill back through the portal in less than five years which would seem to indicate that we're better at fighting than they are (imagine that) while they seem to have mastered some form of dimensional travel that didn't necessarily translate into combat prowess. Maybe humanity is the first race they ever squared-off against that had the ability to fight back?

These could all just be fun plot items that are yet to be revealed, but its food for thought.

@Pilatus

Well, I'm imagining them as the timeless "Macross flying-bricks", beamspammery, and macross missile massacres.
-At least those are things I've learned to expect. Since RL-airfoils pretty much peaked about 20 years ago and things of/from space tend to be blunt for a number of practical reasons.

That isn't to say the dogfights in Macross are bad.
-In fact, if I start acting a bit too cocky, I fully expect to run face-first into this sort of predicament

Meanwhiles

@Foster

Macross is actually pretty much my favourite anime franchise, it combines two of my favourite things: jet fighters, and mecha. It also has decent music, and gigantic battle scenes.
Macross Plus is probably my favourite entry in the franchise so far, with Frontier a close follower. The movie, Do You Remember Love is still pretty beautiful for it's animation, which is more than 30 years old now, but still look sumptuous and artistic, even now.

Macross dogfights are pretty much what I had in mind for the pace, chaos, and - though we aren't playing in a visual medium - 'visual effect' of the dogfights against the Yerrill, and it's kind of a benchmark for the feel I was trying to go for with the game overall. Light military, light realism (but still some of it), with a big sci-fi twist for interest.

In terms of what the Yerrill's craft actually look like, though I dislike the series itself (loli's in underpants is really not my thing) the Neuroi from Strike Witches have a really cool aesthetic.
I couldn't really find any 'fighter' neuroi, but I did always like the look of the R-series of futuristic fighters from some of the Ace Combat games, which kind of match the idea in my head for what the shape of the Yerrill craft should be, and match the idea I had of them being fast, maneuvrable and pretty deadly.

In terms of tactics and weapons, they obviously actually have some of both, considering that the established canon for the game is that they did a shitload of damage before earth's forces pushed them back, and that there was a high cost in doing so. I.e. they aren't a complete pushover, and it's only through learning about them that 'we' managed to counter them at all. Narratively as well, five years seemed like a good length of time for the battle to be damaging, costly, large and desperate, while at the same time being short enough that our characters could have lived through it as adults, and that we'd still have a recognisably 'modern' timeline and technology base to play with, rather than having to make up oodles of stuff. Again, might not be realistic, but fuck realism, I wrote the game I wanted to write and enjoy and the setting I wanted to run and play in xP

The Avalonians have fought the Yerrill too, however, they were more-or-less beaten by them to the point of being a resistance movement in a mostly dominated society. There's more to that particular story, but it has to do with the idea that their society and cultural heritage are different to Earth's, and they didn't fight in the same way, or react in the same way, or as quickly. We'll find out more about them as the game progresses.

The Yerrill craft/facilities/etc do indeed have highly effective jamming (in fact, I think that's mentioned?) and they do use some beam weapons, as well as missiles, or missile-equivalents that have guidance of some kind. They do use equivalents to radar and other senses as correctly surmised, and can be affected by countermeasures in the same way, and detected etc. in the same way (for ease of writing on our part, so our characters can do things to evoke dramatic tension, and we as writers can have something to relate to rather than just trying to make it up on the fly).
Their tactics probably consist of high-speed, unexpected and somewhat erratic-looking jinks, direction changes and maneuvers like any fighter. Teaming up on hostiles to overpower them and out-maneuver them into dangerous situations and using their own speed, maneuvrability and agility - and seeming ability to ignore a lot more G than one would expect - to engage targets. They're also not above or unknown to ram targets or engage in kamikaze attacks, often at moments when such tactics seem unnecessary to an outside observer, but given how many of the buggers there are, they can probably afford to. They can be outwitted and out-thought sometimes though, and while they are wily opponents with a dogged, tenacious and vicious approach, they aren't always the most intelligent. They do love ambush tactics, however.

Hopefully that expands on them a bit at least? I realized there probably wasn't as much to go on about them as there could have been; I apologize for that and hopefully adding this adds a bit more flavour to the setting, as well as helping with writing our combat scenes.

My little pony FIM: TTOTLK

When they finally reached the survey area Vince let out a slight chucklee as he saw how a place could look even more ominous than usual in a otherwise quite scary forest... "Wow... and here I thought we would actually go to a beautiful garden inside here or somethign..." he said quite sarcastic before nodding and circling closer together with the other stallion. "heh, aren't you quite the hero type?... Sounds like quite a good pickup line" he said and chuckled once more. He landed on all four at pretty much the same time in no particular order and once down there he looked around a bit extra as he sure could feel eyes on them as well. "Yeah... don't want to get in trouble here... I've heard that there should be a castle ruin here somewhere... The castle of the two sisters... uh... did that rock just move?..." he said suddenly glancing towards the distance, it was faint... but somewhat it did indeed look like there was actually a rock troll snoozing over yonder.

@Iatos

Silverwind gave a sidelong grin at Vince as he landed not far behind. "I'll let you keep the line for Rainbow Dash next time you see her," he replied with a wink, before he looked around. As Vince mentioned the castle, the darker pegasus nodded, and pointed over the tops of the trees. The top of a castle tower could be seen, rising up a fair ways off.
"Yeah, it's not so far from here-" he stopped as the green pegasus mentioned a rock moving. Squinting, he took a half step closer and then widened his eyes as he saw the troll as well.
"Oh. Oh, my um... well..." he lowered his voice. "I guess we'd better not hang around. I don't want to get mixed up with a rock troll," he said nervously, glancing over at Vince. "...maybe the quicker we get done, the better?"
He poked his muzzle into his saddlebags and took out some measuring instruments, and a small camera. A few quick measurements... maybe.. and then time to leave?