HGS Convergence Discussion Thread

Okay, before I make my next post, I want to make it clear that the lab group (me and KB) should've been able to enter the Library before Reze lined the entrance with bombs (and I assume that's all outside the doors). Can anyone do a continuity check here to make sure I don't mess up again?

Based on this post, it appears the lab folks were at least able to enter the entrance hall before the C4s were placed, unless I'm not reading this correctly.

~Troper No 9001 Sorry for the misconception.

But uhh, then where the hell does he end up? Clearly things happen so he doesn't stick around in the arena.

Also, I think it is?

Edited by jtard on Aug 29th 2023 at 10:12:15 AM

It should be his data clone in the Arena the whole season, with the original choosing whether or not he physically goes to Panem to use the Launch Room's VR chamber.

And in other news, I posted for the Library. Please let me know if I made a mistake so I can fix it.

~Cosmos And Chaos

Just a reminder that we have officially resumed the ZDR Arc (and I even had the Gems respond to Platinum's... weird thoughts about nudity via flashback in the last folder). The entire team has agreed to split into two groups: one to directly raid Hanubia and another to go underground to find the prisoners, while Sturm has tried destroying the forcefield with his Meteor Strike.

For the record, I'd have appreciated a bit more patience before everyone rushed to make multiple posts in the ZDR arc. My characters weren't even given a chance to react to arriving on ZDR before the hiatus, and now I come back from lab to discover two pages' worth of activity that I didn't even get to take part in. I know this was just a misunderstanding and you didn't mean to skip me so much, but it's still very frustrating. Please try to avoid making multiple posts before every participant has had a chance to respond in the future. I'd hoped to take the initiative here, but now I've got to catch up on a big backlog and explain why my characters were apparently doing absolutely nothing while all this other stuff happened.

Uh. I could have sworn NTC's chars had the time to react before the hiatus, but that one was on me. Understood. I was planning to wait for all others who haven't posted yet for my next post anyway.

Still, that raises a good question. Should we wait for every players to write something before I and/or KB post? Or can we afford to try to go a bit quicker for pacing reasons?

Thing is, I didn't. I asked about potentially using the Voidland Metroid to our advantage or otherwise causing disruption on the surface in the Discord server to help me compose my post, and that discussion was what led to the hiatus. I didn't want to post anything until that matter was fully sorted out, which only happened this morning when I wasn't home, and by the time I did get home... Well, what I just said. I'm sorry I didn't convey this better; I should have made it clearer that I was waiting for clarification rather than giving the go-ahead to proceed without me.

Incidentally, I asked because I was planning to have the Red Squad propose the aboveground attack, and I'm rather upset that other characters (Fire Eyes in particular) got to it first. It felt like a good way to make it clear that they were making their own choices rather than just following the plan blindly, but now it's not their own choice any more. Again, that's partly on me for not making my expectations clear beforehand.

As for your other question, I think it's only fair to wait for everyone involved either to post or to give the go-ahead on proceeding without them, especially people who are highly invested in this arc. I don't know about anyone else, but I've put a lot of effort into preparing for this arc and I really want some personal payoff. Please give me a fair chance to get it.

Edited by NineTailedCat on Aug 30th 2023 at 2:08:43 AM

I just wanna say sorry for giving Mario the go-ahead to have Sturm try destroying the forcefield with his Meteor Storm, and Scipion cutting ahead and "forcing" the surface team to combine their attacks to completely break it. On one hand, we wanted to give the newbie a chance to make a change in this arc, but on the other, we thought your suggestion for this direction of the arc was just made OOC and the other players can have their own ideas on how to go about it. We legit didn't know that this was all just a setup to have your characters break the forcefield for everyone else. I think that sounds a bit hypocritical when you put it that way because you weren't thinking of those other players' ideas, including Mario's.

Still, you were right that we still should've waited for you before getting things going at ZDR. We were just so excited to get it back on track that we forgot about you, even if I pinged you on Discord before Mario had Sturm use Meteor Strike (but TBF you said that you were busy IRL when I did so).

As for your team, I don't think they were just sitting around doing nothing the whole time. I think they were also studying the forcefield with Peridot.

Edited by TroperNo9001 on Aug 30th 2023 at 5:14:10 PM

Sorry about that. Thinking back, I guess my motives are kind of selfish - I do care that other people get their spotlight time too, but my main priority has been getting my own characters a more active role in the story - and I just assumed other people wanted similar things. In the future, I'll check before making my personal issues into group ones.

(To clarify one thing: It's not so much that my characters don't get to take down the forcefield by themselves as that they don't get to have the idea themselves. I saw it as a chance to drive the story a bit myself and was upset to lose it, especially to players who've already been in on the driving.)

So, since I wasn't clear enough about what I want out of this, I'll restate it as best I can: I want my characters to have a more decisive role. I want a reason for their presence beyond just filling out the roster. I want them to do something where it matters that they do it, not just that it gets done.

One idea I have is them dealing the final blow to the Voidland Metroid once the others wear it down some, if that's not too much to ask. I have a satisfying finishing move in mind, and since they actively sought out weaknesses in the first one, it feels like appropriate closure for them. Not the only option, but it is there.

Now, here's a question for everyone else: What do you want out of this arc? Is there more you're looking for, or are you satisfied with what you're getting? It'd be good to know what everyone's expectations are to make sure they can all be met.

Reposting what I said on Discord:

I'm fine with whatever the Crystal Gems do here as long as they can defeat a good amount of enemies and do their part in defeating the Final Bosses and rescuing the prisoners. I know that KB already has his reservations for one of the boss fights Cleo will have underground, but again, it should be like way back in the LOD finale where Bale allowed the other players to land the final blow on the Legion, including the higher-ups.

ETA: I think I also found another mistake here: I think we ended up metagaming after we agreed to take the Hanubia/underground routes by having our major chars suddenly go "oh right, we can risk breaking the forcefield and splitting up this way!" (even if it's plausible for Garnet to suggest the split in the first place due to her Future Vision). That's why we ended up kicking the plot back into high gear too fast.

Still, both sides are at fault here for not communicating things better.

Edited by TroperNo9001 on Aug 30th 2023 at 10:05:17 PM

~Cosmos And Chaos Your team should start preparing to head for the elevator while the surface team's breaking the forcefield.

~jtard Since all the tributes are cloned, the data clones from last season are presumably discarded to make way for the new ones, unless that was supposed to be a reference to the event where a tribute does discover the body of one from a previous season.

Edited by TroperNo9001 on Sep 2nd 2023 at 4:32:42 PM

If that's a possible event (and I don't think it's that rare), I don't see why it shouldn't happen.

Edited by jtard on Sep 2nd 2023 at 1:39:02 AM

Yes it is (as in, it exists), and fair enough.

Edited by TroperNo9001 on Sep 2nd 2023 at 5:06:29 PM

Apologies for my sporadic presence the past couple of days. 😅 I've had a very busy Labor Day weekend and my brain has been too fried to come up with posts lately.

Apologies for delaying my post for several days, other pressing matters happened elsewhere, including the second BR discussion on Main, and that's all I'm gonna say here.

Can I get some clarification on the plan for the surface team now? Are they supposed to get captured, get saved by some outside intervention, or just find their own way out?

Personally, I think all options are available, mainly the first (get captured) or the third (make a run for it and hide), depending on what you guys plan/want for your characters. For the second option (outside help), Rouki and his team could definitely come in handy, if Bale wants it.

Edited by Scipion3 on Sep 12th 2023 at 12:06:14 PM

Good to know. I think since the Elite Guard has given the "kill them all" order already, surrender's pretty much off the table, so that leaves escape or rescue. I'll wait for Bale's input before proceeding.

EDIT: I did have one thought: If the army was poised to show up as soon as the Metroid was down, that means they had to be relatively close, right? So some of them might have been affected by its energy too. If you need a way out, that could help.

Edited by NineTailedCat on Sep 12th 2023 at 3:25:59 AM

Alright. For the "surrendering" option, it might still be possible if they realize that the chars who would choose this option can be "useful" (like Twilight, who they have already captured, or like they intend to do with Bale or the 'Brijes)

As for your idea, I suppose it could work should an escape be chosen (I'm not entirely sure about whether the Metroid's aura affected everyone or only those it considers "enemies". I'll choose depending on what is decided and how to proceed).

I'd support the rescue option to let Rouki show some new tools and abilities. Also I can have Corrupted!Amethyst attack the group to further press them

And I'll choose to have elite Mawkins attack the group.

Edited by VengefulBale on Sep 12th 2023 at 8:07:21 AM

Will say that those with Stanford’s Light Bracers also have the ability to temporarily summon some of Eye-Sicle’s previous tributes who could help with a possible rescue as well, though for the sake of not getting in other peoples’ way I might abstain from doing so for now or only have one tribute show up.

On a related note, I’ll go ahead and say that I’ll be establishing the presence of corrupted clones of some of Eye-Sicle’s tributes in Hanubia in my next post as well, which hopefully won’t be a problem. (Given the volume of Mooks already surrounding the surface group right now, though, I’ll only show that there are only a few, like 2-4, around the group right this very minute.) Will go ahead and say that they’ll be much easier for the group to defeat than something like the VL Metroid.

Edited by kablammin45 on Sep 12th 2023 at 4:30:39 AM

Regarding the Mane Six being brainwashed, I actually agreed to this with KB and Scipion in PMs/DMs, but I have to see whether I will still have control over them or if Scips or KB will do so when it happens.

I'm sure this probably won't be important, but CAC/Platinum/Ugo is left-handed, which means he's holding his light sword with his left hand(paw at the moment), while Dick and Elfin are right-handed.