Dragon Ball In the Playground OOC IV: Planetary Annihilation for Fun and Profit

[Frozen_Feet]

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RPA is invisible to scouters and Ki sensing, and can turn off their ships, so they can hide pretty well if they want to. Even if Hailing ends up fighting them, they're based on Mars, not Earth, so it has little relevance to the alliance.

[Emperor Ing]

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I intend for Hailing to enter the Sol system soon-ish. He plans on going to Earth, so Mars and the Red Planet Army will be ignored if they stay out of his way, though if Trombone and others want to create a barrier that would stop Arcosian ships, unless they build it very quickly it's probably too little too late.

My intention was for Hailing to arrive on Earth and begin his investigation for what ever it is that the RA is trying to wish for on Earth. Having zero leads, other than it is on Earth (which is still a LOT of square-mileage to cover) and no way of knowing that the Dragonballs are not unique to Talsaiga, I imagine it would take him a while, months, or even years to even learn of their existence.

[Lord Raziere]

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Ok.

Are we talking "during the tournament" soon? or "after tournament" soon? Because I think that is important distinction to determine a lot that could happen.

Mostly because I want to know whether the Announcer has to tell Hailing "no you can't participate, you arrived too late, come back next time!" without knowing who he is at all and not really caring how powerful he is in a display of hilarious badassery for sake of sticking to the rules.

[Sagetim]

Well, Max was right about getting in trouble with some space police...just not the space police he was expecting. Ha!

But now the ball is in the court of the animate suit of armor, since this temporal intruder doesn't seem to have anywhere back to go to.

[Emperor Ing]

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"During the Tournament" soon.

Don't worry, Hailing wouldn't cause trouble at the tournament.

[Hawkflight]

Spoiler: Hailing Frequencies

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So, would Hailing still be on Earth when the RA returns? That's the big question.

[Emperor Ing]

Spoiler: Hailing Frequencies

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So, would Hailing still be on Earth when the RA returns? That's the big question.

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Yes. Very much yes. In fact, that's the idea.

[igordragonian]

My next reply would be probably about 48 hours from now.. if you need to move things faster.. feel free to do so

[Emperor Ing]

One last thing, Hailing is definitely going to kill Zorbab soon.

[Sagetim]

One last thing, Hailing is definitely going to kill Zorbab soon.

Oh no, not Zorbab! He's.....uh, um. He tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it didn't really matter?

I mean, at least we know what theme to play as he dies.

[Lord Raziere]

One thing I noticed is that the villain threats seem to depend upon the player:

-Igor's villains seem to be bordering on Team Rocket/Pilaf Gang levels of silly and threatening aside from anything involving Trombone and Fenrir before redemption
-My villains seem to be solid threats and have some measure of smartness to them, but ultimately don't seem to last beyond a single plot.
-while Ing's villains are probably even smarter and more threatening than mine, but given that there have been only two, one being a fear plant that required smarts to defeat and the other is Hailing who is the Big Bad, though considering that Apfel was once intended to be antagonistic....
-Starlight's villain I'm not sure how much of threat she was, or what happened to her.
-the one Red Pants villain that Rater had was I think about the same level as mine?

So level of villainy really depends upon who is playing the villain and how well they play them.

[igordragonian]

the sad thing my villians were never meant to be silly.
I am just very bad ay wtitinh characters.

Fenrir were actually supposed to be a bit silly...
ironiclly..


if you have anywhere "Dumb Guide to make characters who aren't suck" I'll be thankfull.

[Hawkflight]

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Yes. Very much yes. In fact, that's the idea.

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Then, um, silly question - how do we either prevent the RA from finding him or him from finding the RA (I mean, they're pretty obvious to anyone who can sense power levels)?

Oh no, not Zorbab! He's.....uh, um. He tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it didn't really matter?

I mean, at least we know what theme to play as he dies.

I prefer this version, personally.

-Starlight's villain I'm not sure how much of threat she was, or what happened to her.

He. And actually ... he'll be back. He's basically going to be a part of Starlight's "super form" saga. He wasn't meant to be on the back burner this long, but he's ... very powerful. At his peak, he's actually more powerful than Celestia (who, in turn, is meant to rank somewhere around SSJ Goku), but he'll be somewhat nerfed as the plot progresses and spoilers happen. Downside - he's intelligent, but not very bright, if that makes sense. His intelligence is hindered by his emotions and his vendetta (amplified by the Alicorn Amulet).

the sad thing my villians were never meant to be silly.
I am just very bad ay wtitinh characters.

Fenrir were actually supposed to be a bit silly...
ironiclly..


if you have anywhere "Dumb Guide to make characters who aren't suck" I'll be thankfull.

If it helps, the way I write my characters is I put myself in their mindset and then write what they would do / what I would do as them. It helps me not get distracted by what I want them to do as opposed to what they would actually do.

[igordragonian]

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Then, um, silly question - how do we either prevent the RA from finding him or him from finding the RA (I mean, they're pretty obvious to anyone who can sense power levels)?

I prefer this version, personally.



He. And actually ... he'll be back. He's basically going to be a part of Starlight's "super form" saga. He wasn't meant to be on the back burner this long, but he's ... very powerful. At his peak, he's actually more powerful than Celestia (who, in turn, is meant to rank somewhere around SSJ Goku), but he'll be somewhat nerfed as the plot progresses and spoilers happen. Downside - he's intelligent, but not very bright, if that makes sense. His intelligence is hindered by his emotions and his vendetta (amplified by the Alicorn Amulet).



If it helps, the way I write my characters is I put myself in their mindset and then write what they would do / what I would do as them. It helps me not get distracted by what I want them to do as opposed to what they would actually do.

That what I am doing, the problem is, my IRL IQ is too low to imagine what a smart character would do.

[Hawkflight]

That what I am doing, the problem is, my IRL IQ is too low to imagine what a smart character would do.

I know the feeling.

Spoiler: Raz

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Hey Raz, would you be okay with saying that 23 granted Celestia and S.M.I.L.E. the rights to investigate, and if necessary impound, any technology on Earth that could pose a threat to Equestria or its allies? It's something I didn't think of, but Tia and Doc definitely would have.

[Sagetim]

I know the feeling.

Spoiler: Raz

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Hey Raz, would you be okay with saying that 23 granted Celestia and S.M.I.L.E. the rights to investigate, and if necessary impound, any technology on Earth that could pose a threat to Equestria or its allies? It's something I didn't think of, but Tia and Doc definitely would have.

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Well, Dr. Whooves might have more luck impounding Max's Ship than the RPA seems to be heading in the direction of.

I dunno about that version of the song, while it's fun to listen to, it might present an inconsistent emotional theme to poor Zobab's demise.

[Frozen_Feet]

Well, Max was right about getting in trouble with some space police...just not the space police he was expecting. Ha!

It's not good form to argue with the space police when they're about to take away your registry plates space ship.

[Lord Raziere]

That what I am doing, the problem is, my IRL IQ is too low to imagine what a smart character would do.

Well first I'd look at something like the Evil Overlord List, which points out various mistakes villains make for the sake of tropes and what they could do to prevent them, to get an idea of what a stock villain could do better to have more success than try to apply the same logic to other villains.

Or look at villains that are already great- Freeza, Cell and Buu are all very threatening characters for one reason or another, and every single one has a moment where they shine and outwit the protagonists:
-Freeza when he blew up Dende for being the white mage
-Cell when he manipulated Vegeta into allowing him to achieve his final form
-Buu when he responded to Piccolo's suggestion to "why not go kill some humans and be back later" with a single Human Extinction Attack that wipes them all out so that he can't repeatedly pull that distraction again.
-or look at King Piccolo! The first he did when he came back was to eliminate every person on the planet that could pose a threat to him, unleash criminals onto the streets and overthrow the world government so that he was in charge, wish for eternal youth then destroy the dragon so that no one can make a wish upon him that could overthrow HIM. If he was a tiny bit smarter and wished for immortality instead, Goku would've been SCREWED. His wish for youth was practically the only stupid thing he did and pretty much needed so that the plot would work.
-Vegeta gathering the Dragon Balls on Namek. His entire game plan was immortality so that he could beat Freeza, and he nearly got it. The only that saved them from an Immortal Vegeta was Guru dying by pure chance.

Quite simply, when your villains can say "I would've gotten away with it, if it weren't for this ONE LITTLE THING beyond my control or if I just made this ONE decision a little better....." then they are a true threat. Freeza? His One Little Thing was the Namekian password. Cell? His One Little Thing was having Saiyan Battle-Lust as well. and Buu......well he didn't really have plan, just chaos and destruction incarnate, and at the end, when he was Kid Buu, there was nothing nonsensical or flawed about him as far as villainy goes- he was ruthless, nothing could him hold back, he had no specific goals, nothing to monologue, he was just this force of nature that kept coming back no matter how hard you fought and could outlast you if you didn't come up with a better solution, thankfully they did and Hercule was The One Little Thing that allowed Earth to power the spirit bomb.

[Frozen_Feet]

"Of course, even a completely flawless plan can be ruined by a troupe of time travellers and space aliens from out of God-Damn nowhere."

[Sagetim]

It's not good form to argue with the space police when they're about to take away your registry plates space ship.

Well, to be fair, when those space police didn't exist in your history it gives you some reason to call into question their legitimacy. Might just be some space bandito's pretending to police things.

[Lord Raziere]

Well, to be fair, when those space police didn't exist in your history it gives you some reason to call into question their legitimacy. Might just be some space bandito's pretending to police things.

Technically they're created by the previous Guardian who is no longer alive and the current Guardian doesn't trust them.

So the legitimacy IS kind of questionable. But then again, Android 23's Guardianship is kind of questionable as well, given the strange circumstances she acquired it through. Really, the whole thing is a big debate of legitimacy that may or not be worth having, but neither party seems to really care to talk about for other more important things to do.

[Frozen_Feet]

On the other hand, Shanakan and Luxana seem pretty chill about them, so it's almost a shame Shanakan didn't come around to serve as a medium.

I say "almost", because this way we get to have amusing mix-ups.

[Sagetim]

Technically they're created by the previous Guardian who is no longer alive and the current Guardian doesn't trust them.

So the legitimacy IS kind of questionable. But then again, Android 23's Guardianship is kind of questionable as well, given the strange circumstances she acquired it through. Really, the whole thing is a big debate of legitimacy that may or not be worth having, but neither party seems to really care to talk about for other more important things to do.

And Max is aware of none of this, and doesn't know who the kami before Kami was. Dende? Sure, who do you think his father and by extension tiny himself bugged about namekian healing techniques without having to leave Earth? Leave his child with daycare while going to talk with god? Don't be silly, bring the small child who can barely fly along to meet the green guy and take out four birds with one stone: enriching your child's education, spending quality time along the way, getting your professional related consulting done, and not having to pay child care fees for the day. All this and more in Dr. Banders guide to balancing family and work! Buy now and get a copy of his previous best seller, Kami and Me in the bundle for the low low price of 2000 zenni.

[Lord Raziere]

On the other hand, Shanakan and Luxana seem pretty chill about them, so it's almost a shame Shanakan didn't come around to serve as a medium.

I say "almost", because this way we get to have amusing mix-ups.

I made the decision to wait thinking that the Red Planet Army would be chill with new arrivals.

I made the decision to not interfere thinking that the situation would resolve itself neatly.

How foolish I was.

Now I'm thinking Android 23 needs a serious talk with the leader of the RPA about time/space foreign/immigration policy and the concerns of legitimacy.

[Frozen_Feet]

What do you mean, everything is going fine, nothing's been blown up yet and Max's not running away. I'm sure that with the Doctor to help clear time-travel-induced confusion, it will all end juuuust fine.

[Emperor Ing]

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Then, um, silly question - how do we either prevent the RA from finding him or him from finding the RA (I mean, they're pretty obvious to anyone who can sense power levels)?

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His presence on Earth is going to be obvious, of this I have no doubt. His power-level radiates like a supernova, and i'm sure the RA's friends on Earth, including Masala herself, whom Hailing has no way of knowing is affiliated with the RA, are going to reveal this. Hailing is intending to meet the RA when they return to Earth, assuming they don't just hang out in space for a little longer and train, while he and his goons searches for what will end up being the Dragonballs.

Put simply, i'm intending for Hailing's presence to be obvious, while the RA can more easily hide while Earth is being occupied.

As for my villains, i've always been enamored with the kinds of villians that act reasonably and rationally in the context of their personality and motivations. The ones that are defeated by cleverness on the part of the protagonist, like what you would find in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Whether it be a personality flaw, the exploitation of a hidden-but-obvious-in-retrospect physical flaw, or using the environment in clever ways, I want my villains to be outsmarted, and have designed them accordingly. Yes Apfel was originally designed to (at least initially) be antagonistic. He's not only extremely strong, but an expert martial artist and fencer who also has spidey-senses. In one-on-one, he can easily match opponents stronger than he is, but he struggles when he's outnumbered.

[Sagetim]

What do you mean, everything is going fine, nothing's been blown up yet and Max's not running away. I'm sure that with the Doctor to help clear time-travel-induced confusion, it will all end juuuust fine.

What? Run Away? Now why would Max do that? Then the automaton would have a reason to give chase to him. I do think Doctor Whooves is going to have to yell to get a word in edgewise between Max and his Great Debate with...an officious automaton. And yes, he did just make trumpet sounds with his mouth after Trombone's name.

[Hawkflight]

Spoiler: Raz

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Hey Raz, would you be okay with saying that 23 granted Celestia and S.M.I.L.E. the rights to investigate, and if necessary impound, any technology on Earth that could pose a threat to Equestria or its allies? It's something I didn't think of, but Tia and Doc definitely would have.

I'm going to assume yes, for the sake of my not holding things up. If no, let me know and I'll change things.

[Lord Raziere]

I'm going to assume yes, for the sake of my not holding things up. If no, let me know and I'll change things.

Hm? Hm......Ok, but 23 reserves the right to change her mind if it goes a direction she doesn't like. Sorry I forgot this among everything else.

[Hawkflight]

Hm? Hm......Ok, but 23 reserves the right to change her mind if it goes a direction she doesn't like. Sorry I forgot this among everything else.

No worries. It's just like, "Hey, if there's something that could pose a threat to us, we'd like to make sure it doesn't." Though here, Doc is unofficially adding, "If there's something that could pose a threat to us, or if it would screw over these jerkholes."*

*He does have other motivations, but we'll save that for later.