Aww, son of a bitch
Stuff you need to know
This is pretty much the basics shit so far. If you dudes wanna add onto any of this, or poo-poo certain bits of lore, go right ahead. I'll probalb ybe adding bits and pieces to this as we go on, so feel free to check back here any time.Cybertron
Located in some distant arm of the galaxy, orbiting a heavily engorged blue star, Cybertron is a glistening silvery jewel drifting through the cold vacuum of space. It is, in comparison to our own, human perception of things, a very odd place. It is a place of polished metal skyscrapers that click and whir through the movements of some internal mechanism, and of great, plunging canyons where a footstep becomes a thunderclap and a shouted word can shatter your eardrums. It is a planet of metal and stone, and whatever wilderness existed here has been swept away to make room for the ever-expanding cityscape on the planet's surface. While there are still some patches of uncivilized land, where great storms of corroding dust rage through barren plains propelled by untouchable winds and fearsome mechanical beasts stalk the shining dunes in search of fresh prey, the continual march of progress that characterized Cybertron's Golden Age has long since paved over such untamed wildlands.The native inhabitants of Cybertron are just as alien and bizarre as their home planet, for while we evolved from brachiating apes and inquisitive neanderthals, the Cybertronians were birthed from pulleys, levers, and grinding gears. Fitting, given the environment. A race of intelligent machines, the average Cybertronian stands as tall as a house, and some are even greater than that. They are, however, a relatively peaceful lot, content to create great works of art of staggering new scientific advances rather than busy themselves with power struggles or outright wars. Of course, not all Transformers share this attitude, and the planet is home to its fair shares of criminals, psychopaths, and generally unpleasant people. Unsurprisingly, most of these can be found on the side of the Decepticons.
While the environment may be as alien as it gets, the political climate of Cybertron is one that's relatively familiar. The class divide on Cybertron is more like a yawning chasm, threatening to swallow any poor fool who dares to cross it. While the common folk, the craftsmen, miners, gladiators and lawmen, slave away in the dimly lit undercities, Cybertron's elite, politicians, scholars, artists and entertainers alike, shuffle about their shining metal towers, for the most part ignorant of the plight of the lower class that dwell far beneath their feet. It was only a matter of time before someone would rise up, and drag the elite down to the level of the poor, Energon-starved masses.
The Great War
It has been eons since Cybertron has known war, an d it is only now that it finds itself locked in a prolonged conflict of ideals. It wasn't as if nobody saw it coming, of course. Most of the more sensible 'bots had predicted this quite a while ago, and truth be told they were probably more than a little energized but they were right all the same. It started small at first, the occasional riot, a few protests here and there, nothing that couldn't easily be put down. But then came Megatron, and death followed close behind.Megatron was, like most of his peers, a simple worker, gathering the volatile crystallized Energon that formed in dank caverns and plunging chasms. It was a tiring, thankless jobs, and he saw a great many of his fellow workers killed on the job, either from explosions or the simple negligence of their supervisors. Growing increasingly frustrated with his job, he took to fighting in the gladiator pits to relieve stress and, perhaps, claim some semblance of respect through flashing steel and spilled Energon. This wasn't the kind of pit fighting you'd see up above though, with staged fights and elaborate storylines. Here, in the dim arenas of Kaon, Megatron slew his fellow Cybertronians by the dozens, bathing himself in their life's blood and exalting in the cheers of the crowd. And yet, as he earned glory and the respect of his peers, he could not help but be overcome by a deep sense of ennui.
Had it truly come to this, that he would slay his fellow man for no reason other than some intangible social benefit? And had he become so dumb to this brutality that he had only noticed it now? It was then that Megatron decided that he would build a new world, a world where such senseless violence and needless loss of life would not be necessary. It was the fault of the upper class, he reasoned, for they enforced the outdated social structure that made such a thing possible, where those of the lower class would take to brutalizing one another for simple entertainment. This was but a symptom of a greater disease, and it would take more than one miner to cure it. And so he traded the blade for the book, setting out and preaching his message of equality to all who would listen.
And they listened, oh they certainly did. Megatron, charismatic as he was, drew a great many to his side, the vast majority of them drawn from the ranks of workmen and his fellow miners. They came to believe his teachings wholeheartedly, and soon Megatron led this new movement, which he dubbed 'the Decepticons', to action. It started small at first, acts of violence against officials, sudden riots, protests, but soon he decided that this was not enough. It would take something much more to claim the hearts and minds of all Cybertron. It would take a rebellion, nay, a full-scale war. It was, admittedly, an option he did not want to consider at first, but Megatron was a firm believer in the ends justifying the means, and soon, before anyone knew what was happening, the war had begun.
They took Kaon first, though in spirit they already had. They were unstoppable, overwhelming trained security forces and automated defences alike by dint of sheer manpower. Soon, the war was on, and it's a matter of contention how long it's been since then. War tends to blur your perception like that, you focus on the now rather than how all this happened to begin with.
The Autobots
One major flaw in Cybertron's social structure, and there are quite a few, is that they lacked a standing army. Hence, aside from security forces and heavily-armed drones, they were ill-prepared for the rise of the Decepticon movement. Though thankfully, the High Council saw fit to correct this grievous error with the formation of the Autobots, a military force that would strike back against the Decepticons on their own terms and, hopefully, end the war before it started. This didn't happen of course, but the decision is considered a success anyway.Admittedly, the Council wasn't all that discriminatory when it came to recruitment, and though many a concerned citizen and security officer volunteered for service, a sizable portion of Autobot troops were drafted, made to combat the Decepticon threat whether they liked it or not. File clerks, comedians, musicians, even some of Cybertron's upper crust where trained and armed to push back the menace in their own back yards.
In hindsight, this was a rather poor decision, and a great many Autobots died during their first day of service, but those who survived were some of the greatest soldiers you could hope for, even if the group could best be described as 'ragtag'. Though doubt and dissent may sometimes run wild in the ranks, for every 'Bot who questions the necessity of this whole debacle there is another who will do whatever it takes to serve his planet and his people.
The Golden Age
The Golden Age, also known as The Age of Expansion or Way Back When, is the term commonly used to describe a period of Cybertron's history marked by incredible strides in science, art and technology and a policy of relentless colonialism. The Cybertronians were a young race back then, eager to explore their home and perhaps make a new one among the stars. They built grand machines to facilitate this desire, tremendous gates of shining metal that still hand in Cybertron's orbit today, said to be able to rip holes in the fabric of space to transport starships across unfathomable distances.They established colonies on far off worlds, sometimes shaping the landscape to their will or subjugating the local populace is necessary. The colonization project was, in the long run, a colossal failure, as planetary outposts were either brought down by the environment or natives, or declared independence from Cybertron and became their own, sovereign nations. It's a mystery whether or not these rogue colonies are still functioning, as nobody has ever felt the need to investigate or contact these distant worlds.
Though the Golden Age has long since passed, a great many values and scientific advancements have carried over to modern Cybertron, not the least of which being the stark divide between classes and the system by which the High Council distributes precious, life-giving Energon.
Earth
Blackrock Enterprises
G.B Blackrock is a good man, the occasional complaints about child labor in his offshore factories aside. He pays his taxes, he donates to charity, he's got a wife and two beautiful children, and he just so happens to own one of the largest corporations in the known world. Blackrock Enterprises and its numerous subsidiaries make just about everything, from household appliances to computers to military hardware. G.B is a little ashamed about that last one, he doesn't want to be seen as an arms dealer after all. Sure, Blackrock tech will occasionally fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals, but that's hardly his fault.G.B built this company from the ground up, with a mixture of technical know-how, good business sense, and just a dash of sheer charisma. While he likes to think of himself as the down-to-earth industrialist, G.B has become increasingly interested in the subject of alien visitations. It's only a matter of time before he finds out about our own mechanical visitors, and when he does we can only hope he finds the right ones.
Skywatch
Derisively referred to as 'the X-Files' by my respectable agencies, Skywatch is a US government organization dedicated to dealing with extraterrestrial matters of all kinds, though in the unofficial sense they function as a sort of dumping ground for ex-CIA or FBI agents who were transferred to Skywatch due to harassment charges or extricating circumstances. It's generally agreed that supplying Skywatch with too much funding would be a complete waste of taxpayer money, and as such they have to make due with what they have.Although most people aren't even aware that Skywatch exists and the vast majority of them are rather sceptical as to whether aliens exist at all, Skywatch's engineers are some of the most talented in the world, almost the archetypical mad scientist. A good deal of Skywatch's equipment was reverse-engineered from alien crash sites, rare though they may be, and their agents are well-trained if a bit under-equipped and only a handful are able to be deployed into the field at a time.
"You have more than enough potential. So tell me what is the one wish that would make your soul gem shine." -Mitt Romney, probably
All right, here I go.
•Name: Nightbeat
•Gender: Male
•Faction: Autobot
•Appearance:Looks like every other typical detective robot guy with a trenchcoat and fedora. Here is a picture of him in his sleuthing mode. Nightbeat
◊. And here is a picture of him in his altmode.
◊
•Personality:Nightbeat is a loyal Autobot who is also the 'Bots' military detective. He is constantly on the lookout for clues and will do anything to solve a mystery. He loves puzzles and riddles and is quite easy to get along with...if you're not a Decepticon.
•Abilities and Equipment: Nightbeat carries nothing except his trusty pistol and his trenchcoat and fedora. His altmode is fast and flashy but not too durable.
•Backstory: So far, Nightbeat is a new cadet to the Autobot ranks but he has had several centuries of detective experience on Cybertron. He now hopes to aid them using his marksmanship and deductive mind to find the Energon before the Decepticons do.
UTINNI!
- Name: Skyhammer
- Gender: Masculine
- Faction: Autobot [Ex-Decepticon]
- Appearance: Transforms into an A-10 "Warthog" Thunderbolt◊ plane. Cockpit area changes into his chest (with nose pointed down), with arms coming from the planes mid-section and his tail transforming into his legs. Jets transform into jump jets on his back while his wings transform into a mix of kibble and 'shoulder pads'. While his Autobot symbols are present on his shoulders, he still has the remains of his old Decepticon symbol on his chest as a personal reminder to himself, though it's heavily scratched up to make it clear that he's not aligned with them anymore.
- Personality: Battle-hardened and tough-as-nails warrior who's first loyalty is to cybertron. As he puts it, he didn't betray Megatron, Megatron betrayed him (and Cybertron). His time with the Decepticons and eventual defection has left him a bitter robot, making it even more difficult for him to make friends than it normally would be for a military defector. What's not in doubt though is that he's always a robot you can count on in combat, and if given the chance he'll be the first soldier in, last soldier out, and always has his allies backs.
- Abilities and Equipment: Primary weapon is a high-power repeating rifle (which becomes the Avenger cannon of his vehicle mode). Secondary weapons include guided rockets, a couple explosives that can function as either bombs (flight mode) or planted explosives (robot mode), and a spiked mace he likes to refer to as his "ugly stick". In addition to being a tough-as-nails fighter, in robot mode his planes jets turn into a jump pack that gives him extra maneuverability on the field - he can't fly with it, but it does help him get around at lot easier.
- Backstory: Skyhammer started his life out as a guard. A guard of the Kaon gladiatorial arena, as a matter of fact. Which was a perfect place for him to watch the rise of Megatron firsthand. And as Megatron started arguing for change on Cybertron, Skyhammer found himself agreeing and siding with the charismatic leader when the movement first took over Kaon.
- However, as time went on, he also got to see the 'transformation' of Megatron from a charismatic force for change into a power-hungry warlord. Feeling betrayed by the Decepticon cause and hoping that Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, might be the force for change he was hoping for, Skyhammer defected to the Autobots.
- While many of the Autobots didn't trust him (he had, after all, been responsible for killing several of their friends and allies), in time he was able to prove himself at least enough that the other Autobots don't feel like they need to be looking over their shoulders to make sure he's not about to stab them in the back.
edited 14th Nov '12 9:30:18 AM by SpaceJawa
I think we need some 'Cons up in here, folks.
- Name: Drag Strip
- Gender: Male
- Faction: Decepticon
- Appearance: Drag Strip’s about average size for a Transformer, maybe a foot or two smaller than normal. His body is mostly black, with some purple detailing along the arms and legs, and his face is a slate grey while his optics—like most Cons—are fiery red. In robot mode his front wheels are located on his forearms, while his rear wheels instead jut from above his shoulders. His Decepticon insignia is emblazoned on the center of his chest, which—like most Transformers with cars for altmodes—is made up of the vehicle mode’s front section. On Earth, Drag Strip transforms into a black Audi R8 sports car.◊
- Personality: If there’s one thing Drag Strip loves more than anything else in this universe, it’s victory; the thrill of beating others at something, be it in a race or on the battlefield, is so intoxicating to him that he would much rather die a horrible, lingering death than sacrifice a victory and settle for second place. His need to be first in everything he does has led him to adopt some rather ruthless methods when it comes to racing, and he applies those methods to the field of battle as well; no cheat or dirty trick is so vile that he won’t stoop to using it, so long as it lets him win. Oh, and don’t expect him to be graceful in victory, either; if he beats you in a race, he will lord it over you and brag about it until he bests someone else. And if you ever manage to beat him, unless your name happens to be Megatron you’d best watch your back.
- About the only thing he’s content to not be first in is the Decepticons’ hierarchy; he’s fine where he is, because unlike some other bots with more ambitions than processing power he can see that the thrill of ousting Megatron from his throne just wouldn’t be worth the hassle and stress of keeping this merry band of thieves and murderers in line.
- Abilities and Equipment: Drag Strip has undergone extensive modifications to improve his vehicular combat capabilities, including such nasty little surprises as integrated caltrop dispensers, a mine-laying mechanism and wicked hubcap spikes; he can also deploy a reinforced plough blade on his front, which he uses to ram and run down any Autobots foolish enough to get in his way. By comparison—and consequence—he’s lightly-armed in robot mode, carrying an Energon battle pistol, a plasma grenade launcher, and his winning personality.
- Backstory: A veteran of the Cybertron racing circuits, Drag Strip tended to secure victories through unfair, illegal and oftentimes dangerous means. This doesn't mean that he isn't a good racer, but he certainly has a ruthless streak to him; even before the war, he had no qualms running his racing rivals off the tracks by mangling their tires with spiked hubcaps, explosive caltrops and similar underhanded tricks. Unfortunately for him, his string of ill-gotten trophies would not last; eventually Drag Strip’s duplicitous racing methods came to light, and he was thrown into the stockade in disgrace. He would have rotted there for hundreds of solar cycles, but the war broke out not long into his sentence; the Decepticons overran the stockades and released the prisoners, looking for able-bodied bots willing to join the ranks of Megatron’s growing army—and Drag Strip, itching for a little revenge on the killjoys who robbed him of his glory and locked him away, was among the first to sign on. Now Drag Strip puts his need for speed and dirty tactics to use in service to the Decepticons, scouting out distant locales to provide intel and luring gullible Autobots into battles where the odds are stacked in his favour.
edited 12th Nov '12 10:06:17 PM by SullenFrog
The Danse Macabre Codex
BWAH-HA-HA!
- Name: Scrap-Back
- Gender: Masculine
- Faction: Deception
- Appearance: Transforms into an AC-130 gunship, though if you were expecting some square-jawed hulk, he'd disappoint you. In truth, he's larger than your average decepticon, but much of the gun-plane's bulk is mounted onto his back and shoulders , giving him a hobbled, hunch-backed appearance to reflect his old age. Only some of the ship's grey-black plating covers his front. To those who know his work, all in all, his feeble appearance is but one of his greatest possible weapons.
- Personality: Generations of warfare have gone towards honing Scrap-Back's talents, making him, first and foremost, pragmatic and ruthlessly task-driven. He deals strictly in facts , solid information, and the harsh realities of loss; idealism and unfounded conclusions are are an immediate sign of naiveté and the bane of his existence. He has some dignity, but will never seek to overestimate the odds of success. Insult him, demean him, defeat him......unlike Megatron or Starscream, he will not curse. He will not yell. He will not take the time to repair his ego. He will plan, and then he will strike back twice as hard as he did before.
- Abilities and Equipment: Far from the type to boisterously wade into battle guns-a-blazing, a vast majority of his arms and ordinance will separate from his body, forming a series of automated, airborne turrets. These serve to incapacitate, stall, or harass his enemies, and are listed as such:
- Tyrant: His primary offensive turret. Armed with an 105mm howitzer cannon and two 40mm heavy machine guns. Can operate at speeds up to 90 miles per hour in travel mode, 45 in hover mode. Protected by 3/4 foot of the regenerative molecular armor that all transformers use.
- Twin Successors: Secondary Offensive/ Primary Diversion turrets. Both are armed with four 20mm rotary cannons, each. Top flight speed of 170 miles per hour, 100 miles per hour in hover mode. Protected by 1/4 foot of the regenerative molecular armor.
- The Barons: Recon/Anti-Baillistic Devices. Four metallic orbs, all around the size of your average Ford Pinto, they can gather a layout of the local area from a distance of about two miles , uploading information as to the location of nearby Autobots, hostile targets, and possible traps. They're also equipped with a five use anti-ballistic laser.
- Custom Energon Battle Rifle: Capable of both standard automatic fire, three-round burst, and powerful semi-automatic shots. Can segment itself to corners, if need be. Transitions into his primary rotary cannon in gunship mode, capable of both air to air and air to ground combat.
- Specter Grenades: Eight in all and slung across his chest in a bandolier, these grenades can de-attach themselves and hover in the air, serving as a makeshift proximity mine when fights start getting too close for comfort.
- Bio: Originally a weapons contractor and developer, Scrap-Back often found himself on the brink of debt, due to the fact that there'd been no standing army on Cybertron. He barely got by developing weaponry for private security purposes and government policing. This was constant up until the war broke out. His often self-destructive desire for quality in his weapons was quickly noticed by both the Cybertronian government and the Decepticons, and soon enough, be was secretly producing increasingly potent weapons for both sides. As it was, he became one of the wealthiest transformers on the planet, though it was his excess that brought him down. The Cybertronian government became suspicious of Scrap-Back, seeing that'd he'd become all too comfortable from only the contracts they'd given him. They launched an investigation on his manufacturing plants, quickly discovering his deal with Decepticons. His entire industry was stripped from him, his life's work, and he was on his way to trial for his treasonous acts when Decepticons assaulted his convoy. They broke him out; a favor from Megatron for the good business between them. After scrapping together some of his best technology from his remaining labs, he defected to the Decepticon cause.
edited 13th Nov '12 12:24:38 PM by goodisgood
To the law and for the good of man. All I need to live by.
- Name: Soundwave
- Gender: Male
- Faction: Decepticon
- Appearance: Transforms into a B-2 Spirit◊, a stealth bomber. In robot mode (roughly but not exactly this◊, a large amount of dark blue is revealed and the inside of the jet transforms into a rather bulky form. The obvious parts of the plane take the form of two flat wings on his back and the cockpit sitting on his left forearm. On and in his chest is a large rectangular compartment, not too dissimilar to that of a cassette player, often containing his companions and assistants Laserbeak and Ravage, who transform from warheads◊ to a red and black robotic bird, seen in the picture of Soundwave's robot mode and a robotic panther◊.
- Personality: Soundwave, while far from simple, is simply stoic. What personality he has is near-entirely hidden and he speaks in a complete monotone, what one would generally expect from a robot. He is very loyal to Megatron, feeling as much for his cause as Megatron does and seeing him as a good leader.
- Abilities and Equipment: In vehicle mode, his jet form has extensive stealth technology allowing him to be minimally visible to most detection methods. While it may seem simple, Soundwave has some fairly useful gadgets built into him; he can do almost anything one could think of with sound, from recording and playing it to creating and faking it. Combined with his ability to send and receive data straight from his body, he can do almost anything with sound and plant it almost anywhere he wants as fast as he can find a connection.
Of course, he is not entirely without more violent tools:
Bombs and Missiles As well as the warhead forms of his two small assistants, he can carry and drop various bombs, from simple explosive warheads to guided missiles.
Concussion Blaster A shoulder-mounted cannon capable of discharging great force. He can force it to come out of his jet form, but doing so is something he tries to avoid as it decreases the speed and stealth of his otherwise fast and sneaky form.
Rocket Launcher A handheld but nonetheless large weapon capable of firing rockets that his vehicle form can't, and in a few cases missiles that it can.
Laserbeak Laserbeak, the bird, has the same audio capabilities as his master, and is even more stealthy. He goes wherever Soundwave commands, as long as he can keep himself alive in doing so, and records everything he hears, transmitting it back to Soundwave.
Ravage Ravage, the panther, is much more attuned to violence than Laserbeak or Soundwave tend to be. He will sneak when he needs to, but when he sees an enemy he tears it apart.
- Backstory: In the beginning, Soundwave was a lowlife, working in the energon mines and using his assistants to do what he could, Laserbeak blackmailing the less scrupulous of Cybertron and Ravage fighting in the arenas. When Megatron rose up, he was almost already at his side. From the start and through the civil war he fought, and although large portions of the Decepticons were not fond of him, he started to gain the respect of the one he has loyalty to: Megatron. By the time the battle was in full swing, he was the 'cons loyal spymaster, communications officer and confidant.
edited 13th Nov '12 10:51:02 AM by Replica
Aww, son of a bitch
Welp, just about everyone so far's accepted. I'll go ahead and list them in the OP.
Also, goodisgood, the link in your signup is broken. At least for me it is, I don't know about the rest of y'all.
"You have more than enough potential. So tell me what is the one wish that would make your soul gem shine." -Mitt Romney, probably
BWAH-HA-HA!
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
On it. It's always a little hassle getting an image link that isn't Safebooru.
EDIT: Done!
edited 13th Nov '12 12:24:58 PM by goodisgood
To the law and for the good of man. All I need to live by.
Space Jawa, am I correct in assuming that you took creative liberties with Skyhammer? Because I've never heard of him being a 'Con before. Personally, I like your backstory for him better than the official one.
UTINNI!
I did take a lot of creative liberties with the character, but if you'll click on the link to his name, you'll see that there are versions of him on each side - two Autobot (original and the live action movie version) and two Decepticon (Universe and Power Core Combiners).
Planet-Killer
Well, here goes nothing...
- Name: Ramshot
- Gender: Masculine
- Faction: Decepticon
- Appearance: Altmode is a Msta self-propelled artillery gun with scrubland camo paint Robot form is a squat, shellformer-esqe bot where the superstructure that houses the massive gun forms large sections his back armor. The tracks on the front end of his chassis forms his arms while the crew compartment combines with the rest of the front end of the chassis to form his chest. The Engine block becomes his pelvis and the rear part of the tracks become the legs. Has his faceplate modified to make it look like the Decepticon insignia as a show of loyalty to both Megatron and the cause he champions.
- Personality: You would not be mistaken when you think of Ramshot as a creepy loner at first glance, This untalkative and introverted soldier spends most of his time staring into nothing while emanating an aura of unease and gloom that makes Dead End of all bots to almost look friendly and inviting in comparison; though Dead End is genuinely depressed, Ramshot is not. For what he sees in his thousand-yard stares are not horrors or nightmares, but rather his greatest achievements and fondest memories... As one of the most ruthless and uncompromising hitmen in the history of Cybertronian crime. Despite not wanting or caring to share the true nature of his 'hobby', those that fought with Ramshot tend to speak fondly of his psychotically calm and frosty attitude under even the most intense of firefights as well as his incredible proficiency at dismembering Autobots from both miles away and at melee combat. But many Decepticons still find him to be disturbing and would only socially interact with him if they lost a bet.
- Abilities and Equipment:
- Heavy 152mm Railgun/Artillery cannon, stored behind the right shoulder in robot mode
- A pair of Energon daggers, stored on his hips in robot mode.
- Null ray laser pistol Disguised as an NSVT heavy machine gun, stored behind the left shoulder in robot mode and can be fired from there.
- His body is covered with a special radiation-absorbing paint not too dissimilar to the kind used in modern day stealth fighters, making him hard to detect using radar or other non-visual means.
- Through a nasty head injury he received due to a botched Hit from his old profession and an equally screwed up surgical procedure to save his life by a back-alley doctor, Ramshot's nervous system has been deadened; giving him significant resistance to pain. But sadly, also suppressing his emotions and sense of touch.
- Backstory:A dirt-eating miner from the city-state of Vos, Ramshot had little to be happy about his lot in life, from the back-breaking labor to the abusive overseers; but during a particularly violent and large riot, he managed to somehow escape the mine that had been his prison ever since his activation and into the crime-ridden slums of Vos. But being a miner with little to no experience in anything other than breaking things, as well as being a runaway slave with a price for his smouldering chassis; life actually became much harder for Ramshot, forcing him to become a ruthless and violent mugger/murderer just to make ends meet. One fateful day however, Ramshot murdered the wrong cybertronian; specifically a hitman of an organized crime ring; who had intoxicated himself on some tainted energon to the point that the inexperienced but vicious mugger was able to snuff his spark; otherwise, Ramshot would have been killed in a matter of seconds. The syndicate's retribution was swift and after being beaten to near death, they gave him a choice: Work for them or be thrown into a pit full of Scraplets. Ramshot chose the marginally less deadly option of becoming a hitman, but against his bosses' and his own expectations; the ex-slave was actually much better than the bot he replaced, eventually culminating in his Magnum Opus: The successful assassination of Vos' police chief with the very first use of his infamous Railgun. Said chief had been cracking down on the syndicate's activities because they weren't willing to give him a cut of their profits... Afterwards, The new police chief took it upon himself to bring the ones responsible for his predecessor's demise to justice. Unfortunately for the syndicate, the new guy kept his word; resulting in it's dissolution and the imprisonment of the members who were lucky enough to survive the sting operation, Ramshot included. His stay in prison wasn't for very long as the Decepticon uprising soon came to Vos and he was subsequently broken out of jail by armed slaves. After being put to speed regarding the current situation, he was then led outside to find the city under Decepticon control. And right on time to bear witness to Vos' ruling class, the ones responsible for the reason why bots like Ramshot ended up being dealt with such a miserable existence; get torn apart by an angry mob of slaves and criminals amidst a booming and passionate speech by the so-called Decepticon leader. Won over by "Megatron's" speech and promises of a Cybertron where there will be no more bots like him, Ramshot has since then been one of the Decepticon's most fanatical, rabid and fiercest supporters.
- Abilities: In vehicle form, Ramshot can travel 500 kilometers at a speed of 60km/h. Because of his alt form's autoloader, the rate of fire of his railgun doubles in vehicle mode, though he is unable to use it at full power in this form due to the incredible recoil. Speaking of the railgun, it fires "darts" of superdense metal at massively hypersonic speeds every 12 seconds or the standard-issue high-explosive shells that came with his altmode, though he has to turn down the power to his weapon whenever he has to fire the shells as they can't withstand the friction of being sent out of a barrel at velocities many, many times the speed of sound without prematurely detonating or deforming and being rendered unable to explode. He has very, very powerful sight that brings out the full potential of his railgun, giving him the ability to snipe anything wearing the Autobot insignia from as much as 15 miles away. But due to the power demand and strain of using this "Super-sight", Ramshot has to stay immobile when he uses this ability, thus making it useless in direct combat.
- Weaknesses: Ramshot has no major physical weaknesses in either form. The incredibly low rate-of-fire of his two ranged weapons gives him trouble when facing multiple foes at once and their danger level drops considerably when any lucky Autobot closes the distance and fights at mid-to-close range. His deadened sense of pain, while very intimidating; is actually detrimental to his survival as it causes him to ignore serious injuries in favor of standing his ground until he is physically incapable of fighting, forcing him to stay in the infirmary for much longer periods of time than his fellow Decepticons... Should they be nice enough to drag him to safety that is.
edited 14th Nov '12 10:20:57 AM by Strigon
Shameless Self-promotion ho!
I say, would it be possible to take an older alt form if they hide at old armour field(like how they have old tanks and field guns in front of civic centers and airports)//as a museum piece?
Aww, son of a bitch
I'll be perfectly honest with you, Strigon. I'm kinda wary about accepting this guy. Partly because this guy seems crazy OP, even by TF standards, and partly because, well, you haven't exactly proven yourself to be one of the more stable RPers out there. Real sorry about this, bruh, but I just don't think I can take Ramshot in as-is.
Yeah, sure. I was actually considering doing something like that with Megatron.
Also, we gots ta get us some more Autobots up in this piece. An Optimus, at the very least.
"You have more than enough potential. So tell me what is the one wish that would make your soul gem shine." -Mitt Romney, probably
I might break out Prowl for this if I can write a decent sheet for him.
"Yup. That tasted purple."
I'm sorry, but I'm kinda new to R Ping. What does OP mean?
edited 14th Nov '12 2:28:28 PM by FantasyLiver
Aww, son of a bitch
Cool. He'd be a nice complement to Nightbeat, IMO.
Over-powered. It means his character is just too rad for us.
Oh, thanks. Damn, there's like a million different acronyms for R Ping, isn't there.
Aww, son of a bitch
Oh yeah, you don't even know.
Some of them you don't even see used on these forums.
"You have more than enough potential. So tell me what is the one wish that would make your soul gem shine." -Mitt Romney, probably
Name: Groundfire
Faction: Decepticon
Alternate Form: Anti-air vehicle / SPAAG// Vehicle form modelled after Marksman anti-aircraft system.
Gender: Masculine programming
Appearance: Tall, long-limbed, with heavily armoured lower legs and torso. Forward torso forms tank front, while torso back forms turret. Khaki/dark green paint job. Possesses indent 'slots' inbetween neck and shoulder plating. Wheels are attached to the sides of arms and legs, while the treads form an extra ammo belt leading into the guns across the chest, bandolier-style. Manipulator-digits are modified for handling shoulder-gun assembly, and painted black. Head has two-pronged points, three optics (all burning red, top optic changes to green during stationary targeting), and a mouth plate (mouth plate forms a red 'crack' across it communicating facial expression).
Armament: Dual flak-cannons mounted on back (cannons have three modes in order of firepower and firing speed: Mortar, Default, and Firespray)// wrist-mounted plasma gun on left arm// Melee weapon: retractible high-vibration blades in boots.
Personality/Backstory: Formerly an aerospace security guard, and a practical minded one at that. Nevertheless, got tired of the low pay and status, not to mention boredom. Sided with the up and coming Megatron, who called for all able chassied Cybertronians to come to Decepticon banner. When the war started, got wrecked saving Shockwave from a collapsing structure. For such efforts, was eventually reformatted as the ammo transport/anti-air Decepticon Groundfire.
Over time, has become used to warfare, even enjoying the odd rush on an Autobot base. Aside from combat thrill, is rather sedate off the battlefield. Knows well enough to keep audioemitter shut down when the boss is angry. Loathes Starscream. Not fond of other fliers either, but is capable of working with them. Generally loyal to Megatron, but has some personal loyalty towards Shockwave. Possesses no ambitions of greater status beyond promotion. Does not really despise the Autobots, but holds contempt for their choices of form as impractical for a real combat zone. Can be impressed by marksmanship.
Uses flak cannons for their obvious purpose, but is also fond of using them to break through defenses and barriers. Has been known to give a rare chuckle at "chasing" targets onto open ground. Always will have a weapon aimed at a target, even if they manage to close in at melee range. Several Autobots have taken a "suckerkick" to the spark chamber upon evading ranged weapon fire. Plasma gun used only in specialised circumstances.
I wouldn't mind seeing Prowl, especially since we have more 'Cons than 'Bots at the moment.
The Danse Macabre Codex
Planet-Killer
It's deintely the railgun isn't it? The radar-absorbing paint seems fair to me since he's not supposed to be detected given his role. As for the thing with the pain, I'll probably have to remove that.
Shameless Self-promotion ho!
Time to roll to the rescue!
- Name: Heatwave
- Gender: Male
- Faction: Autobot
- Appearance: Fairly standard windshield-on-chest robot mode, head resembles a firefighter wearing a helmet. Transforms into a fire engine.
- Personality: Heatwave is disgruntled, but loyal to the Autobot cause, regarding the Decepticons in much the same way he'd regard a wildfire: an out-of-control danger that must be neutralized for the sake of public safety. Dislikes the "robots in disguise" aspect of his mission and would rather do his job openly, but reluctantly accepts that the people of other worlds aren't always ready to learn the truth. He may act like a surly loner, but the truth is, he has a heart of gold, and the protection of his people... of all people... is of paramount importance to him.
- Abilities and Equipment: As a fire-response robot, Heatwave is built to withstand extreme temperatures, and carries a tironium rescue axe that can break through even the tougest of barriers. He is also capable of firing high-pressure streams of water from his firehose, and his siren converts to a sonic shock blaster that fires ulta-concentrated blasts of sound. Lack of formal combat training can make him an unpredictable opponent.
- Weaknesses: Heatwave has very little combat training or experience, and while it sometimes works out in his favor, it more often leads to him getting in over his head or being blindsided by an attack a more experienced fighter would have seen coming. His dedication to the safety of others sometimes causes him to take needless risks, and is easy for more ruthless enemies to exploit.
- Backstory: A former rescue worker, Heatwave joined the Autobots out of a sense of obligation, having seen the devastation the Decepticons caused. Disgusted by the pain and destruction left in their wake, Heatwave vowed to stand against them until the universe was finally safe.
edited 10th Feb '13 12:06:29 PM by Scrounge
Oho! Just caught sight of an I Share stock management ad, run by Black Rock. : D
This dead?
Well, if the crappy intro didn't turn you away, then welcome to Transformers: Hands of Steel. Dumb name, I know, but it's all I could think of. This as, as you may well have guessed by now, a Transformers RP. The setting is a completely knew one, divorced from any established continuity. Though I would hesitate to call it unique, since I'm re-purposing a lot of bits and pieces from other TF stuff. Think of it as Marvel's Ultimate universe, but with giant space robots.
The actual plot should be rather evident at this point. The Autobot's, fearing that the war with the Decepticons may deplete their planet's supply of precious Energon, have sent out an expedition to a distant colony world from Cybertron's Golden Age, one that the locals have taken to calling 'Earth', in the hopes of recovering fuel and technology to help fuel the war effort on Cybertron. The Decepticons, catching wind of this operation, launch their own ship hoping to beat the Autobots to the stockpile of valuable resources that waits just beneath the Earth's crust.
We'll be running by standard RP rules here. No godmodding, no ghosting, all that good stuff. You'll be playing as either an Autobot or a Decepticon, one character apiece, though if the balance tips too heavily towards one side or another I may allow multiple characters. I'd advise against human characters, since aside from a few major human NPC's and organizations I'd like to keep the focus more on the bitchin' robot men. Original characters are allowed, along with canon characters such as Perceptor or Barricade, though I'd much prefer you use existing characters because I'd like to see what new directions you could take them in.
I'll give a quick summary of the setting so far in my next post, for now I'll leave you with a character sheet to work on.
Autobots
Decepticons
edited 13th Nov '12 11:48:18 AM by Bindlestick
"You have more than enough potential. So tell me what is the one wish that would make your soul gem shine." -Mitt Romney, probably