[Twi]Chronicles of the Impaler: Crisis of Infinite Draculas OOC

[Colesign]

Really? It's really dead?

Damn: I was hoping to do some physics.

You sure it's not just people having to deal with tests?

[Cracklord]

Yeah, well I'm not exactly thrilled to end it here, but unfortunately it's been stuck for quite a bit longer then that. Somehow I think it's not going to recover.
You have to know when to fold 'em.

[AnimeKid]

Some of that is my fault and I'm sorry for that. I am hving a hard time making decent posts because I'm mostly doing it from my PS3. This isbecause my laptops charger stopped working.

[Cracklord]

Well if you want to play that's different, but the impression I've got is that nobodies all that invested and would rather move on, including myself. Which is fine.

[industrious]

Yeah. Sorry. Things have been busy.

I'm actually at a conference right now (my first con!), so I'll post on Monday. I hope.

[Colesign]

It seems like everyone's busy. It's no biggy. If people take more time to post that means I can think of better things to write.

[doliest]

A question before I list my characters, Darkblade, but did we ever decide on my Non-Sebastian character?

[Cracklord]

It wasn’t Zim or an Animorph. Actually I’m pretty sure it was some kind of magical girl. Hope that helps.

By the way, I will play Caine, but not for a while. Despite his power he's a coward entirely focused on avoiding his own death, to forstall God's promised punishment, and there are entities in this world that could defeat him, three that he’s aware of, and who knows how many that he isn’t. So he's working on a plan to eliminate all beings that could threaten him in a way that doesn't rely on him winning a sword-fight, then he'll find a castle and start doing what Alucard and Dracula are up to.

Also, when dealing with characters like Death, the trick is to make the contest something that their powers don't help in. For instance, the oldest game (the 'Wizard's Duel'), or whatever, and let their pride trap them. Game's of Chance aren't such a good idea, but games of skill or quick-thinking are perfect.

[Colesign]

I was just talking to my roommate, discussing the every present-double edged sword of Comic book 'Cosmic Reboots' (especially in regards to the latest reboot and the much maligned "One More Day" reboot.)

And he said something so incredibly insightful.

"If these comics companies want to do something new...they should do something new. Create new characters."

From the mouth of babes. Or roommates, as the case may be.

Not that creating new characters and settings hasn't been done before, of course. But it takes work to create new characters, and entertainment industries have always had problems in regards to 'sticking to the new and proven'.

[doliest]

I frequently feel sympathy for the people behind reboots. Namely, something legitimately new is hard. Not just 'needs effort' hard, but hard. And prone to not working. In trying to make something new, you can make a character no one likes. Or one that you think is new, but comes off as cliche. Same with stories and settings. The best ideas are usually already done, which is why you want to tell a similar story. It's why my best DnD games aren't ones I made up, but where I tried telling a story already told, simply in a different way.

Admittedly, I think a willingness to ignore how ridiculous an idea is and running with it could probably help. That was what convinced me that 'Naruto' and 'Final Fantasy 1' worked together perfectly as a plot.

By the way, 'Dare to be Stupid' is one of my top five 'Creativity' songs.

[Cracklord]

Over-powered is a matter of perspective. And Caine was a joke. Anyway, in case you haven't noticed, this entire game is ridiculous, so power doesn’t make all that big a difference. The very idea of balance is less then realistic, since this is not a sane or rational universe. Indeed, it's as far from that as possible.

Now that I’ve said my piece, on to dealing with your suggestion. I'll deposit $0.02 for a soapbox and get on with it. Caution, rant ahead that will go into tangents.

Spoiler

The main problem with the idea of ‘new’ is simple. Comic books are not about creativity. It’s an industry, and like all industries it is about getting people to buy them, in order to make money. And more to the point, the money is not in the comic books themselves, it’s in the movies and merchandising. It’s in superman t-shirts and television shows, it’s in over-priced action figures and a hundred other pieces of useless junk.

There is a whole lot of people who will automatically buy a comic about Green Lantern. And chalk out $50 for a ‘Blackest Night’ limited addition ring. Where as, if you try a original character, you have to work up the fanbase from nothing, and unless you really catch on chances are you’ll never see a fraction of the profits. A new idea is completely in the cold. It can work anyway, there are plenty of examples. But it’s the most recognizable characters who do the heavy lifting for the companies. In a funny sort of way, it’s not even comic book fans that they rely on, as the characters that do get movies are generally so well established in popular culture it doesn’t matter if you read comics or not, and you don’t need to read Batman to own a Batman shirt, for example.

Now there are plenty of people who complain about this. Bendis or Ellis are good examples of that (but really, **** them and their constant complaining about what other people write), and want to write about something other than super hero comics, though really all he actually seems to write is deconstructions, which take far less talent then coming up with the ideas in the first place, and somehow putting swearing, adultery, references to rape and violence into them doesn’t make them more appealing to me, and certainly not more 'mature' and 'grown up'. I pity the people who think growing up means more exposure to the seedier side of life.

Quite the opposite, actually, I'd rather read a sappy and overly idealistic Superman comic that ends with a wink, then trudge through an adolescent, pitiful attempt to inject some 'reality' (whatever the hell that is meant to mean) on a world where it's possible to shoot fire from you're eyes, fly faster then light and benchpress a sun.

Hell, when did it stop Alan Moore?

And that’s not what draws me to comics anyway. I like them because I’m stepping into a world with no beginning and no end. A story with it’s high and low points, like any other, but one that never really ends, or begins. It’s actually a never-ending story, and hell, given the shared universe it’s an entire world of never-ending stories. There are reasons for this, but ultimately doing something new is not necesarily the right step. The ideas they started out with are pretty damn good, or the characters wouldn't be succesful in the first place. I like Spider Jeruselum, for example, but you know what? Everyone's heard of Superman, not him, and that's not because the characters been around longer.

I'm fine it's superhero comics that are doing it. So what if the industries saturated, you don't like it, turn your creative energy elsewhere. I'm sure they'd be happy to have you.

In conclusion, no, I don't think the way to go about things is start again with new characters. I like the ones we have just fine (well, I like the ones that I like, anyway). What needs to change are the way the stories are told. Instead of trying to turn them all into whatever will sell, keep them consistent and with their dignity attached. You'll win over more people that way.

But at the same time, people have to be able to take characters in new directions. Swamp Thing is an example of this done right, One More Day of this gone horrificly wrong. The difference? One was an attempt to rework the character within the world, the other was the result of an aministrive decision. One was to tell new stories, one was the opposite. So what does that tell us? New stories shouldn't come at the expense of actions having consequences. You shouldn't be able to wish an inconvenient part of the character away, you should deal with it within the bounds of the universe. If the only way to write what you want to write is to disregard everyone who came before you, then get out of town.

I hope that makes my position clear.

As for how to end this game, well I'm just along for the ride.

[industrious]

Con was awesome.

Very tired.

Post later.

[Draxx]

Originally Posted by Colesign

Really? It's really dead?

Damn: I was hoping to do some physics.

You sure it's not just people having to deal with tests?

Not a chance. Not until I become God-Emperor of Mankind.

[Colesign]

Caine is a joke?

*Sighs in relief*

Funny Game or not, that's a bit of weight off my chest.

And you know what? You're right: we don't have to worry about balance levels and such.

Which means I don't necessarily have to worry about balancing NPCs with PCs.

As long as we have fun, things'll work out.

[Cracklord]

Besides, I made Caine ridiculously easy to beat. Sure, in a fight he can pretty much tear anybody to shreds. So just starve him and he'll burn out in under an hour on his own, starve to death, and die that way.
The trick is getting away from him. Normally he has his worshipers hunting for him, but no such luck here, however he can still use his own obscene levels of power.

Originally Posted by Draxx

Not a chance. Not until I become God-Emperor of Mankind.

Well if that's the way you want it, you might want to start posting again.

[Colesign]

Simon Belmont think that Cain's a harmless bum.

To be fair, he's used to villains proclaiming themselves grandiously and swishing glasses of chianti back and forth.

[darkblade]

I still need most people's characters for the High School game so I can finish writing the opening post. I need more than four people.

[Colesign]

I just typed up a ridiculous amount of content for my two characters: And then it got deleted by accident.

*Weeps manly tears*

Here's my characters in brief, then:

Student Character:

Spoiler

Gary Bell, 'Alpha' Class Metahuman

"First I have to go put my lunch in the fridge. And then I have to go greet my co-workers appropriately"

•Technopath Powers: ability to perceive and interpret electromagnetic signals. Not Drummer level, but still able to be a walking Information Database, Surveilence System, Snoopers, and other such things.

•Midlevel Asperger's Syndrome: very smart, but socially stunted, blunt, literal minded, and unintentionally rude sometimes: does not 'grok' social mores, and has trouble reading people's emotions. A Kind person underneath the emotionally mute exterior. His powers and condition make him immune to mental compulsion powers: Biochemical means still work, though

•Vulnerable to Denial of Service Attacks.

•Always goes to bed at 9:30. Doesn't like food with everything mixed up.

He works with a group of similar 'low-level' metahumans: subtle,' plausible' superpowers based on neurology, mainly. Their leader, Dr. Rosen, is an ordinary person who acts as a father figure while being somewhat manipulative at times.

Teacher Character:

Spoiler

[Aren't really any images of the chap Online: wispy haired old man in a tuxedo with tinted spectacles is what he looks like]

Grandpa Leavenworth Smedry:

"I've been arriving late to my own death since before you were born! In fact, I once was so late to an appointment that I arrived before I left!"

•Alcatraz's Grandpa, the Patriach of the Smedry Family, Champion in the War of the Free Kingdoms Against the Evil Cult of Librarians that secretly rules the Known World!

•Mystical Occulator, plus the 'Talent' of Arriving Late to Things (Bullets, Disasters, Foul Odors, Social Criticism, etc.).

•Very Eccentric, Reckless, and audacious: suscribes to the 'Crazy Enough to Work' school of thougth. In short, a Smedry.

•Nice person that's good at pep-talks.

•Distrusts everyone who wears horn-rimmed sunglasses.

•Wears a tux all the time when infiltrating 'The Hushlands'.

His supporting cast is the entire Smedry Family, filled with a diverse range of people who have all sorts of talents ranging from Tripping over One's Feet, Talking Gibberish, Getting Lost, Breaking Things (sounds familiar...), Saying Embaressing Things at the Worst Possible Moment, Being really bad at math, Dancing Horribly, and Waking Up in the Morning Looking Extremely Ugly.

They're...something. Yes. That's the right word.

Also, Darkblade: The Climax is night for this game: want to bring in a new character?

[industrious]

Player Characters

((I've decided, actually speaking, to shift my two character's from an AU of War Games to post-DCU. Because I'm upset about it, dammit))

I'm playing Cass and Steph. Sheets to be posted tomorrow.

[doliest]

Okay, double checked the old post to figure out who I was playing;

Sebastian

Spoiler

Light seems to attract a certain type of supernatural entity; namely, the bored kind. Sebastian has tired of the typical 'tempt mortals and bring them to sin,' route. Rather, he makes smaller deals, a soul for his service. And, unlike most demons, he doesn't attempt to screw them over. Indeed, if he favors his master, he works hard to avoid them paying that price early.

+Powerful, in every sense of the word. Fast, strong, nigh-unkillable.
+One hell of a butler.
+Highly knowledgeable on all things supernatural.
+Quick witted, able to adjust his plans on a dime to better ensure there success.
+/- Unbreakable loyalty to contract holder.
-That holder is Light Yagami.

Panty and Stocking Anarchy
(List does contain actual Spoilers)

Spoiler

Angels are imagined as generally two things; loving, nurturing and caring like a mother...or vengeful, relentless killing machines, slaying evil without hesitation-the perfect weapons. The Anarchy sisters....are neither. Rather, they could be described as lazy, slutty, gluttonous, hedonistic and uncaring. Kicked out of heaven for all of the above, they stick to Earth and its pleasure while trying to earn their way back through killing ghosts. Not that they put much effort into that.

+Despite their nature as...well....lazy hedonistic b****es, they are excellent fighters.
+Able to turn their namesakes in guns and swords respectively. Said weapons can harm evil spirits(and good spirits) but not humans.
+Vaguely connected; despite being exiled, they're still angels, and a few within heaven still care about them.
+Quality singers and very attractive. To everything. Period.

The -'s list.

-Panty and Stocking's greatest enemy is themselves. Nothing can screw them over better than their incompetence.
-Lazy. They won't really react to any situation that can't benefit them.
-Unobservant. Couldn't tell two bright red girls with horns were demons.
-Prone to infighting.
-Panty will sleep with anything, regardless of the circumstances. If distracted, she WILL leave a battle to get laid.
-Stocking is sweet-obsessed. Same rule as Panty, but with cake.
-Will ignore anything even like cover.
-Horrid at stealth.
-Stocking is in league with Hell.

[Cracklord]

Originally Posted by Colesign

Also, Darkblade: The Climax is night for this game: want to bring in a new character?

Why try to end it now? It's just getting good! We're only just getting to actually play Dracula!

[Colesign]

Was absent from the computer most of the day. Happy Thanksgiving, incidentally.

As for the Crisis of Infinite Draculas...I suppose we can play it by ear, Cracklord:

I can't help but suspect that you're going to try and create a universe conquering army. But can be excessively suspicious at times.

[doliest]

'Appy 'Angs'iving 'oo 'ou 'oo Cole'ign!


No. I do not know what accent I was going for there.

In fact, happy thanksgiving to anyone in the thread who celebrates immense amounts of food.

Happy 'another day where the Old Ones don't devour your souls' to everyone else. Don't worry, a few more days, and the Old Ones will be free. FREE TO DEVOUR YOU ALL AT MY WHIM AND ENSURE MY VISUAL NOVELS GET AN OFFICIAL RELEASE IN AMERICA! MWHAAHAHAHAH!

[Colesign]

Sounds a bit Cockney. **** van Dyke Cockney, in fact.

And wait a second...



You written Visual Novels!

That's pretty cool! Can you tell me about it? I'm writing up some stuff for NaNoWriMo!

[Cracklord]

Originally Posted by Colesign

I can't help but suspect that you're going to try and create a universe conquering army. But can be excessively suspicious at times.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought we were playing Dracula.

Originally Posted by doliest

Happy 'another day where the Old Ones don't devour your souls' to everyone else. Don't worry, a few more days, and the Old Ones will be free. FREE TO DEVOUR YOU ALL AT MY WHIM AND ENSURE MY VISUAL NOVELS GET AN OFFICIAL RELEASE IN AMERICA! MWHAAHAHAHAH!

Actually, C'thulhu rose last Tuesday, over here 'down under'. Unfortunately, he hadn't kept up with all the evolution that has turned all the Australian Wildlife into distilled death, and got dealt with by a passing platypus on the run from the really dangerous wildlife. So no worries on that front.

And I'm interested in Doliest's artistic expression as well. I wish to know more.

[Colesign]

Looking back upon my grammar in previous posts, it's clear that I was suffering from sleep deprivation.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought we were playing Dracula

Oh yes you are. Oh yes you are.

[doliest]

Not written. Writing. Long term project. Inspired by playing a few and realizing they're fun and not just porn. Limited by inability to program anything, meaning term 'choose your own adventure novel' might be more appropriate. Also more of a hobby than anything with the intention of getting paid-I'm applying to Tech to get into Pre-Law, after all. It's like an informal version of the script I'm writing for that school project-fun, and something to do only when I'm not busy. I.E the minute biology is finished....and when I'm at that conference in D.C...same thing, sort of, as I'm dong most of my Bio-work in advance in hopes of passing despite missing days.

Got off topic there-if you want, I can run through the plot, cutting out the details that push it past what forums allow.

And it can't be cockney-I've written cockney before, and didn't even try.

[Colesign]

Sounds pretty cool! I'd guess that programing it the most vital component of a Visual Novel, given that they're not too dissimilar to power points with soundtracks...

Googled 'visual novel engines' and found this beasty here: seems like one of those 'easy programable' engines along the lines of 'Adventure Games Studio' or some such thing.

I don't suppose you'd be interested in talking a bit about the plot? I myself can get a bit clingy with story details at times?


And whatever that accent was...perhaps we should forget about the accent, eh?

Additionally, I do believe that Draculvania has been restored to full power. You can start summoning monsters out the wazoo if you wish.

[Prime32]

*sticks head in*

Did someone say visual novel? There was an attempt at one a while back, with writing by 13_CBS, art by Kasanip and characters based on forum members.

While it didn't get very far, I managed to get a basic engine written in Python.

[Draxx]

First up, I wish to make it clear that I really want to keep the IN SPACE!!! game going, if for no other reason then getting to play Paul Atredis is like waking up one morning and realizing you're Batman.

That said, if we are moving on, here is my list of characters. I'll toss in an evil one as well, if you want.

Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy

Spoiler

Spoiler

+ Broad knowledge of classical literature and music, art and all the other elements of a Renaissance man, including languages (fluent in English, German, French, Latin, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, and Russian). Charming, witty, erudite and insightful.
+ His vast scientific knowledge ranges from theoretical physics, quantum mechanics, differential equations, nanotechnology, anatomy, biomedicine, analytical chemistry, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering to the construction of a hyper-magnetic device.
+ Super strength (up to about eighty tonnes), agility and speed far beyond human limits (roughly ten times, though this is arbitrary), has incredible flexibility, coordination, balance and control of his body. And he's fast. He also has a lot of other powers, such as being blue, furred, can control his pheromones and has senses twenty times that of a normal human being, allowing him to see in other spectrums and be perpetually aware, as well as increasing his perceptions.
+ Is a highly qualified surgeon, so qualified in fact he doesn't even need a lab. You know how Tony Stark built it in a cave? Out of boxes of scrap? Well Beast can perform open-heart surgery using two coconuts and faith.
+ World-renowned biochemist, having earned a Ph.D. in biophysics and genetics.
+ A commendable ability to see the big picture, making him a useful member of the X-men, or S.W.O.R.D. Tremendous insight into teenagers, no matter how dysfunctional.
- He's an apelike, feline, blue mutant.

Emiya Shirou

Spoiler

Spoiler

+ Basic Tracing and Reinforcement magic, which allows him to analyze the physical make-up of an object and then strengthen it.
+ He possesses an innate talent in Projection magic, which enables him to replicate items — including Noble Phantasms — that he can visualize in his mind (although the copies are inferior to the originals
+ A healing factor that makes him almost totally invulnerable (though he might not have that in this continuity, as he has Archer instead of Saber).
+ Head of the archery club. Has hit a bulls-eye every time, except once when he didn't want to.
+ A real chick magnet. Has good looking girls all over him without effort, however being shy ad awkward does not take advantage of this.
+ A Master of a servant, though he has no idea how or why it happened, or why whenever he looks at his servant he has this overwhelming feeling of deja-vu.
- No training as a magus whatsoever, or understanding of how it works, and nobody to teach him. Furthermore, he has no combat training to speak of, and a tendency to assume things.
- A bit of an idiot, overly idealistic and unprepared for the realities of the world, as well as naive.

Archer

Spoiler

+ A total pragmatist, he's unfettered and not held back by anything. Archer doesn't have allies, Archer has goals.
+ Perfect eyesight, capable of spotting the individual bolts on a bridge from kilometers away. He does not need light, and cannot be rendered blind.
+ Can recreate any weapon he has ever seen along with its powers, including noble phantasms, and complex machinery. This takes him a fraction of an instant, and they vanish shortly after leaving his hands.
+ Immune to low-level spells (ones simple enough that they can be cast instantly and never require an incantation). He also has considerable resistance to more powerful spells, even rituals.
+ Has a supernatural ability to determine the choice of action which would best help his goals.
+ Unlimited Blade Works
+ Has not any particular luck, but his 'Eye of the Mind' skill compensates for this, allowing him to substitute it for his other abilities, which he frequently does.
+ A real talent for manipulation, and a habit of using it.
- While still superhuman, his raw stats aren't nearly in the class of most Servants. Most other servants would wipe the floor with him in a fair fight.
- Must obey the person who summoned him.