Souls of Steel

From me and the GM, Undying Phoenix...

The year is 2110 Mankind, as always, has flourished through both wars and peace. Cybernetic enhancements, once a thing for the disabled and rich militaries, are now almost universally available at even small town clinics. AI are able to fulfill tasks remotely for humans, both on and off the battlefield. Medicine is at the cutting edge, and with increasingly effective factories, has a but eliminated common diseases. And soon, humanity will finally allow any person to travel the stars, on the cusp of commercial space travel... But the invention of the Volaska Cell, a self replenishing fuel cell, has revolutionized the world of mechanics and electronics. No longer was there a need to desperately try and minimize the use of fossil fuels, no more need for appliances to be plugged into wall sockets. But what mankind uses for peace, they also seek to use for war. Thoughts turned to the war machines they could build with the miracle Cell. Tanks. Weaponized lasers. Even aircraft were designed to the Volaska Cell. But it was not enough. Nothing is ever enough. So the Germans, holding some of the best engineers in the world, and the Japanese, holders of some of the best technology in the world, united to produce a weapon that would dwarf all else. Years of work, and at the turn of the century, the first mechanical combat robot, the Stahl, was finally complete. Soon, its Japanese brother, the Tetsu, followed. The military was revolutionized, despite the time it took to make a single robot. Soon, every country wanted a piece of the pie, and designs came from all over the world. The battlefield was changed forever. But the armored suits needed pilots. Skilled pilots with bravery and determination to succeed. And so, the world's first piloting academy, the Volaska Pilot Institute, was started from those who had learnt from experience. Others followed, all in competition. But that means little. For you, an aspiring pilot, young or old, have decided to go to the Volaska Pilot Institute, having obtained a place at the premier academy for whatever reason. But the journey is only beginning. Threats are ever present, and only those with souls of steel shall protect the world. Strength alone cannot.

• Pilot signups Name:
• Gender:
• Age:(No younger than 18)
• Appearance: (Picture or text is fine)
• Personality:
• Abilities and traits: (Cybernetics, psychic powers etc go here.)
• Bio:(Just a little bit of history and how your pilot came to the Institute.)
• Mech Customization This is for things like paint jobs and weapons and items selection.
• Outburst Effect:
• Outburst Trigger:

Here is the worldbuilding thread.

edited 28th Nov '15 11:42:05 PM by NickTheSwing

• Name: James Deckard

• Gender: Male

• Age: 62. Advanced medicine has been kind to his body.

• Appearance: He always wears a gas mask. If you ask him he'll say that he's prepared for a chemical weapons attack on the school. http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/metro2033/images/1/10/Artyomcloseup.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20111128105503

• Personality: At the start of his career, James has been an extremely idealistic, kind, and helpful person. The years of war have turned him into a cynical, bitter, and psychotic megalomaniac. There are stories of him devastating entire squadrons of fighters when his partners were shot down; holding out against assault infantry as they he was waiting for the rescue team armed with only a pistol; surviving explosions, chemical weapons attacks, and an obstructive bureaucracy. The man has seen it all, but his flame is still burning hot. Make no mistake, just because he's over half a century old doesn't mean he will not hesitate to outmaneuver and outsmart younger men. His weakness is his delusions, he is the Don Quixote of fighter pilots. In his Zeus persona, he goes on and on about how great he is and how the others suck. In his Leeroy Jenkins persona, he is suicidal and... hunts suspected terrorists.
  • Zeus: His arrogant alter-ego that's the manifestation of James' repressed pride of being an undisputed ace pilot that controls the skies.

  • Leeroy Jenkins: His suicidal persona that is the manifestation of James' enormous survivor's guilt after his wingmen died because they couldn't keep up with him.

  • All in all, James can be pretty annoying if not outright destructive at times. Otherwise, he's a great storyteller with bizarre tales to share about his battles. Like this one time he rigged a coconut tree with a voice recorder that kept on repeating the screams of a woman. His enemies thought the tree was haunted with evil spirits so they never even came near that place. Another time he once shot a jet down while he was freefalling with his missile launcher.

• Abilities and traits: He's an ordinary human with an exceptional aptitude for flying jets. (Not natural talent, because he's been flying them for over three decades.) He is notable for his superior tactical brilliance but lacks basic strategic finesse. This can be compensated by having Mission Control guide his actions. All of his abilities were gained through his experience in the military.
  • Master Dogfighter: He's not called Zeus, the god of gods for nothing. Despite this, he is not the ace of aces of the pilots, but he comes pretty close. He can still give any ordinary ace a run for his/her money.

  • Seasoned Veteran: He has literally survived anthrax, mustard gas, and pepper spray and this is no small thanks to the technology available today. He has been shot down many times and has made it out alive in all occasions. He has killed enemies by shooting them down with missiles and gunning them down with his trusty pistol. He is used to the horrors of war.

  • Repressed Insanity: Psychics' attempts to read his mind have been swatted down with his two personas, Zeus and Leeroy Jenkins. Their usual reaction to this is to clutch their heads in terror and roll over the floor.

  • Survival: Knows how to survive out in the wild when he's been shot down.

  • Leadership: He prefers to be a lone wolf, but the military has taught him how to take command of fighter squadrons. He is at his best when he commands only a few people, for he cannot focus on the big picture of things.

  • Marksmanship: Never challenge this guy to a duel, for he can draw his pistol quickly and put a shot through your head in no time. He is so used to his pistol that he can hit targets that are way beyond the pistol's effective range.

  • Mechanics: The Skye fighter is notoriously hard to maintain, so he has extensive knowledge on fixing mechas.

  • Pugilism: Not as spry as he was in his younger years, but he's spent years in the past in a boxing club. His straight right is famous for knocking out opponents in a single blow.

• Bio: (BASIC BIOGRAPHY: A FULL STORY OF HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE MILITARY IS TOO LONG TO LIST) James Deckard has been piloting jets ever since he's been flying combat missions at the age of 25. Lost his sanity at the age of 62 when it was revealed that his numerous traumatic experiences on combat missions has created a suicidal alternative personality by the name of Leeroy Jenkins and there followed another called Zeus. Soon, some of his old friends recommended that he should retire and stay away from the combat zones. Deciding that he would still wanted to be part of the action but not part of dangerous missions, he enrolled in the Volaska Pilot Institute in the hopes of learning more about the mechas he piloted and mingle with pilots of different models.

• Mech Customization: He pilots the Skye mecha, where he can fire MIR Vs, a missile that contains 9 smaller missiles to make it harder for his target to escape damage. The pinpoint laser defense system has been modified to fire at enemy targets besides missiles if they come close enough to his mecha. One of the compartments holds a secret stash of ancient porn magazines and beneath it all is a journal that is a written account of James' crazy adventures.
  • James is still contacting some of his friends so he could access an upgraded version of the Skye series. It features improved armor and speed. So far, he hasn't gotten his hands on it because its not supposed to be released out on the public yet.

• Outburst Trigger: Reminding him what he did in the previous missions.

• Outburst Effect: This will cause him to remember his old combat maneuvers and tricks that he used against the enemy at that time. Let's face it, he's growing old and he's insane, so most of the time he's not thinking straight.

edited 29th Nov '15 5:18:28 PM by Victor_Skye

• Name: Reiner Gottfried Albrecht
• Gender: male
• Age: 19
• Appearance: Reiner is a tall young man, with bright not quite long but not short either blond hair and intense blue eyes that can seem somewhat icy on occasion. He has a strong, athletic muscular frame that hints at his many athletic pass-times. He is very handsome and somewhat like a Pretty Boy, having a slight tan to his appearance. When not wearing the pilot suit for his mecha, he wears a black jacket, a white button up shirt, black somewhat skinny jeans and boots.
• Personality: An extremely talented yet incredibly bored young man, Reiner undertakes any distraction that can alleviate his boredom, having studied fencing and numerous other sports. He is helpful to the teachers, and likes to be popular among the students - hence, he tries to use his affluent background to set up little parties here and there. A lady's man, he doesn't seem to at the present have any real interest in a single girl - rather, he seems to only be interested in a series of "single nights". He does seem to get very intense when he finds a rival able to challenge him. Despite his strong appearance, he responds harshly to anything that might challenge his "masculinity", hinting that strength did not come naturally. He seems frustrated by what is going on with his parents, and dislikes the fact he so much as has a stepfather.
• Abilities and traits: Reiner is by all accounts a mundane human. He does have quite a list of skills;
  • Ace Pilot: Reiner is it seems a prodigy at piloting mecha, and exhibits tremendous skill - however, while most would fit into Skilled, but Naive, Reiner fits into Skilled But Callous - he doesn't really get what ramifications his actions may have.
  • Multi-Field Athlete: Reiner is very talented at fencing, boxing / mixed martial arts, swimming, surfing, and track and field events. He's even sky-dived once purely just to experience it.
  • Musician: Reiner is skilled with the violin and the clarinet.
  • Talented Student: Reiner has studied a lot of material across his youth, and always went for whatever was new and most exciting. He is industrious and organized.
  • Social Expert: Reiner enjoys high popularity and is very good at social endeavors. The dark side to this is he's very, very good at managing a rumor mill and discovering things about people.
  • Impulsivity: Reiner's impulsivity can be a strong trait of his and a negative. He lives by the idea that "reckless living is the best living." He hardly ever considers the downsides of his ideas, and rarely is bothered by them.
• Bio: Reiner was born to a very stern and distant father who owned a large "local" business and an opera producer mother. He was notably quite a skinny boy. His parents' careers thus giving him an affluent upbringing and a comfortable ride through life...until something happened. His home town was subject of a large and violent riot. The government sent three Stahls in to disperse the disturbingly violent rioters, and this evidently led to an epiphany - he wanted to pilot one of those. He trained beforehand in numerous other sports and then joined the Academy at eighteen. Some family drama has occurred while he was gone - his mother and father divorced and his mother married a lower-earning immigrant working man from Argentina (who Reiner utterly despises), and there have been a lot of arguments. Both parents continue to support their son's career as a pilot however.
• Mech Customization: Reiner's Stahl is a somewhat dark red and maroon machine. It is armed with a long and resilient sword-like weapon mounted on the arm rather than being held in the hand. It is also armed with a mecha scale machine gun, a light spear able to be drawn quickly and capable of skewering through armor, and a strange weapon - two short blade like weapons held on either shoulder, which are attached to cables that let him hold on to things or just shoot them at foes. For the support equipment, he has an extra magazine for the machine gun. It has a notably somewhat improved control and maneuverability.
• Outburst Effect: he is immediately told when looking at an attack how to counter it for a period of ten minutes.
• Outburst Trigger: once he reaches a certain point in Tranquil Fury, it activates his outburst.

edited 2nd Dec '15 1:05:06 PM by NickTheSwing

YAY! My idea for the Sentry went through! Time to make my character!

Pilot signups Name: Dorian Roy

Gender: Male

Age: 24

Appearance: Dorian is pale, with black hair. He is slightly overweight, though not very visibly.

Personality: He is deadpan and sarcastic, but laid back - he tends to be calm, and retains his cool in the heat of battle (though that is probably because he is mostly safe in a fortress). He is also extremely liberal, to the point of having trouble fighting alongside conservative soldiers.

Abilities and traits: Dorian has cybernetics, so that comes with a perk or two (actually just one and a half. Everything else is due to his education)

Intelligence: Has an IQ of 148

Lack of certain human needs: He does not need to evacuate his bowels or bladder as per having an implant that disintegrates waste after it is depleted of nutrition

Science!: Very skilled scientist

Jacking: Very skilled hacker, and has VERY minor easy control of technology with his cybernetic implants

Bio: Dorian Roy doesn't have a super-angsty background or anything. His parents are alive, his home city is still standing, and he hasn't been through any real pain. He actually has a pretty cushiony life, and he has an Upper-Middle (or maybe even Lower-Upper) class income. He has good education in technological sciences and is an up & coming gaming E-celebrity on youtube, with a growing subscriber base. He was born with a disease, however, that made his bones extremely brittle - he would make up for his weak bones with cybernetic implants, and would eventually add more, replacing his right arm (he is left-handed) and left eye with silicon implants (which, ironically, being made of silicon, are very fragile, detracting the need to upgrade his bones and muscles). This would also cause a sort of connection to electronics - he was always there when he heard a new technology was being developed. Upon hearing of the "Sentry" mechs he would be one of the first (and few) to undergo Sentry training - he just had to get that. Besides, he was all for defending his home country of Canada.

Mech Customization: His mech is more customized for luxury than anything else - it has two cockpits, connected to eachother, it is filled with furniture, and it's snack bar is much larger than normal - that is the only real difference - there are no actual enhancements besides comfort and the ability to stay in it for large periods of time due to it being more of a VERY tiny apartment than a cockpit

Outburst Effect: The cybernetics in Dorian's body overclock, massively increasing his intelligence, allowing him to easily solve puzzles or jury-rig working items very quickly

Outburst Trigger: His cybernetic hand or eye getting shocked

edited 7th Dec '15 2:51:23 AM by ThisGuy481

All provisionally accepted while I work on the weapons and items list.

Also, I forgot to include Outburst Effect and Outburst Trigger.

edited 28th Nov '15 10:24:42 PM by UndyingPhoenix

Hmm, my character is the clear Cloudcuckoolander here. At times he'll be in for the pure comic relief, at times he'll be annoying, at times he'll be dramatic, but at times he'll question the status quo itself.

edited 29th Nov '15 5:22:55 PM by Victor_Skye

Nick this is three R Ps right now...

HE'S THE GM FOR THREE RPS?! Damn, I'd be stressed if I only had to manage one. But in this case Nick's the co-GM since the one who started this, Undying_Phoenix can't actually handle the RP because he's using a mobile phone.

Well, if you want, I can also carry the load since I don't have anything else to do.

Co-GM, Phil.

I just helped the actual GM set up the sign ups because he wasn't at a good place for writing it out on his computer.

He sent me the info on the sign ups and had me write it out and make the sign ups for his RP.

Alright, I'm going to use the opportunity of having a computer to write up a very brief list of weapons and items, to be added to later. Feel free to name any specific weapon you want. Note: All items marked in italics are built-in, and thus can't be reloaded in the field. Also, striked items are not yet available.

Weapons

1 slot weapons

Semi-Auto Handguns (Balanced, 15-20 shots)

Machine Pistols (Highest Fire Rate, Low Power, 20-30 shots)

Revolvers (High Power, Low Fire Rate, 6 OR 8 shots)

Marksman Pistol (High Accuracy, Low Fire Rate, 10-15 shots)

Built-in Autocannons (High Fire Rate, Low Power and Accuracy, 50-100 shots)

Small Melee (Such as combat knives)

Reinforced Limbs (For efficient unarmed combat. Also, using unarmed combat won't damage the mecha. Increases unarmed power.)

Mini Missiles (Split Missiles and such. Weak, but fire quickly. 15-20 shots)

2 Slot Weapons

Assault Rifles (Balanced, 30-35 shots)

SMG (High Fire Rate, Low Power, 20-30 shots)

Battle Rifle (High Power, Low Fire Rate, 20-30 shots)

Sniper Rifle (High Accuracy, Low Fire Rate, less effective at close range, 10-15 shots)

One handed melee (Medium size. Swords, maces, etc are accepted.)

Medium missiles and rockets pods (10-15 shots)

3 slot weapons

Large Missiles(5-10 shots)

Missile Launchers (5-15 shots)

Light Machine Guns (High Fire Rate and Power, Low Accuracy, 100-200 shots)

2 Handed Weapons (Zweihanders, Warhammers, Battleaxes, so long as they're two handed)

More as the RP progresses

Support

1 slot

Mk I Repair Module

Mk I Supply Module

Extra Magazines (Allows one reload of a weapon without a Supply Module.)

Weapon Modifications (Increasing Power, etc.)

Reinforced Limbs (Same as the weapon, but doesn't increase hitting power.) 2 slot

Mecha Enhancements (These improve a single stat of the mecha. Thicker Armor, thrusters for Speed, etc)

Mk II Repair Module

Mk II Supply Module (Can recharge energy as well)

Radar (Decreases the effectiveness of stealth.)

Stealth Module Mk I (Enables partial invisibility)

Defense Systems (Jammers, point defense, etc)

3 slots

Repair Module MK III

Supply Module MK III (recharges more energy than II)

Stealth Module Final (Full invisibility, high energy drain.)

More as the RP progresses

So, anything I've missed? What do you think?

edited 5th Dec '15 1:07:27 AM by UndyingPhoenix

Meet your Headmaster

Name: Hendrik Schafer

Gender:Male

Age: 32

Appearance: It's the man himself.◊

Personality: Hendrik tends to be blunt and straight to the point. Not a man of words, but of action, Hendrik is as experienced as any veteran despite his young age. Strict, though not overly so, he is stoic and reliable, though not afraid to speak his mind. He often sees things too generally as black and white, with no grey area. Still, none can doubt his presence and strength of character.

Abilities and traits:

• Ace Pilot: Despite his young age, he's one of the best mecha pilots in the world.

• Cybernetic Leg: After an incident that Hendrik would rather not talk about, he lost the use of his natural leg. He then replaced it with a cybernetic one, though he still walks with a slight limp. Still packs a mean kick though.

• Tactician: Though he's no master of the art of war, Hendrik can come up with plans and improvisations quite easily. He's also good at analyzing strategies of the opposition.

• Leadership: Hendrik runs a school for mecha pilots. Of course he's a leader. That, and he's a former military man.

Bio: Hendrik was born into a relatively well off family. Not much was really special about his early years. He attended a public school, got a degree in mechanical engineering before he joined the military. What happened after that is mystery as Hendrik doesn't talk about it. All that's known is that when the Institute was founded, he jumped at the opportunity to be headmaster. Still, some people wonder what his past is like...

Mech Customization: Hendrik pilots a unique model called the Platin. Only he and a select few know what it looks like, and even fewer know what it's capable of. All that's known is that it's clearly inspired by the Stahl.

Outburst Effect: Hendrik becomes even more cold and calculating than usual, almost instinctively avoiding every single attack and pushing the Platin's specs to the limit.

Outburst Trigger: Hendrik Outbursts when his allies are in critical condition.

edited 30th Nov '15 10:56:09 AM by UndyingPhoenix

My character seems a bit overpowered, so want me to tone him down a bit?

And here's my personal character

Name: Zachary "Zach" Wakeland

Gender:Male

Age: 20

Appearance: Quite the loner.

Personality: Zach is rather distant, an introvert who prefers not to interact with others. He's not cold, but not too friendly at the same time. He's calm and collected in almost every situation, keeping a level head and thinking things through. He's a man of logic, not emotion. However, deep inside, there's an intense desire to protect people. He's been known for doing the stupid, but heroic thing despite all warnings. As such, he has an intense hatred of all tyrants, or would-be tyrants, feeling that everyone has the right to their own choices and freedom.

Abilities and traits:

• Keen tactician and analyst: Zach has an eye for figuring out enemy strategies and countering them.

• Eagle Eye: He pilots a Mistral, a sniping unit. It should be obvious that he specializes in accurate fire and scouting ahead.

• Calm Under Pressure: He's not prone to losing his head in combat.

Bio: Born in a small town in England, Zach had a relatively difficult life. His family were poor, though they did manage to scrape him through public school. However, none of his potential careers truly satisfied his desire to protect people. Wanting to do something with his life, and remembering the talk of things such mecha on the Internet when he had the rare opportunity to use it, he found a kind sponsor, an old friend, for him to attend the Volaska Pilot Institute to learn how to pilot the giant robots.

Mech Customization: He pilots a pitch black Mistral, which are commonly known as the "Black Death" model. He nicknames it the Sparrow, on account of it's small size and high maneuverability. It's armed with both a 10 shot kinetic and laser sniper rifle, a combat knife and a 15 shot semi auto pistol. It also carries an extra magazine, and modified the laser sniper to use less energy.

Outburst Effect: When the lives of many people are endangered, that is when Zachary starts fighting for real.

Outburst Trigger: His accuracy is pushed through the roof, allowing him to fire shot after shot with milliseconds of aiming time, upping his fire rate as well.

@Skye: You could lose the mechanic, pugilist, and survival as A: The Institute has professional mechanics, B: Pugilism doesn't tend to translate to use in a mecha due to scale and C: There won't really be a need for survival, since ejecting also activates a distress beacon,

edited 1st Dec '15 10:15:48 PM by UndyingPhoenix

Meh, I feel like keeping them, since who knows when I'll need 'em?

Given everyone elaborated on their skills and abilities, I'll do the same with Reiner's.

So, before things go further, would anyone like to set up who are friends and the basic relations?

I don't know, would anybody like to be an acquaintance of a grumpy and psychotic old man?

My character does not fit well into having a Blue Oni, Red Oni relationship, and prefers people like him - intelligent and laid-back

Hey there! Still room for another one?

Name: Eleonore "Leo" Bradley
Gender: F
Age: 20
Appearance: This◊ (She's a girl, honest!)
Personality: She's quite the tomboy and veeeery hot-blooded, she can lose her temper by just calling her a coward, but overall she's very friendly and loyal to her friends, sometimes even suicidally on the battlefield. Another major fault of her is the massive naiveness and she also tend to over-idealize war heroes.

Abilities and traits:
Quick thinking: She can find a solution to an emergency very quickly (but is not warranted that it's the best one)
Ace air pilot: She's an exceptional air pilot, making her a good Skye or Wasp pilot, but she's pretty average as a land pilot.
Markswoman: She's proficient with normal infantry weapons, a skill that translate well to mecha fighting.
Will of Iron: She's a Determinator, and nothing will stop her if she's locked on the target. However managing to break her spirit can cause a major emotional trauma.
Homesickness: Oh boy, she miss so much good old Alabama...

Bio: Little Eleonor was born and raised in a town near Montgomery, in Sweet Home Alabama and her family had a long tradition of military pilots, the lineage ranging far back at the days of WWII. She was raised in a farm after her dad resigned from the Air Force and she grew up surrounded by brothers and loving parents.
Wanting to follow her dad and ancestors footsteps she joined the USAF and became known as an exceptional jet pilot and, with the sponsorship of her commander, she joined the Academy, mainly for the challenge of piloting the "Next Big Thing in Air Warfare".

Mech Customization: Her Skye has been painted in light blue and it have Flame decals near the cockpit, the flag of the State of Alabama and the USAF logo on the wings. The mecha is armed with a kinetic chain gun with a Mk I Supply Module attached, 6 smart-rockets that can split in 4 smaller rockets and a combat knife. She lovingly nicknamed her mecha "Hellcat", an homage to the first fighter plane her family used.

Outburst Effect: She go berserk on the enemy, suicidally ignoring any damage to herself until she destroyed any enemy on the field.
Outburst Trigger: If verbally abused too much (or the "Coward" Button is pressed) she give a ""Reason Why You Suck" Speech" (or at least try) before entering Outburst Mode.

edited 3rd Dec '15 11:43:16 AM by Damacyn

Alright, I have only one concern.

The mech customization loadout is slightly overfull. The chaingun and missile pods are already built in, but the Skye only has one weapon slot, while a handgun and knife would take up two. You'll have to drop one, preferably the pistol since without a knife, your mech will be damaged when attacking unarmed at close range.

Ok, done! :3

Alright, Eleonore is accepted!

Huh, no one's taking psychics. Guess I'll have to put one in the squad, just to round things out.

edited 3rd Dec '15 10:37:58 AM by UndyingPhoenix

Hey for the Skye's appearance what about something Macross-like? Basically a jet fighter with legs and arms.
Also, it's ok if I add Boosters since I have a free support slot?

At this point in time, you would need two support slots to install something to improve the stats of a mecha. A weapon modification is perfectly fine with one slot. Or a repair or supply module.

Assuming Victor is okay with it, I don't see why it can't be Macross in appearance.

edited 3rd Dec '15 11:31:42 AM by UndyingPhoenix