Pokemon Umbral Theatre 15: Wherein everyone dies

[Astral Harmony]

Originally Posted by Geminex

AB, I was actually hoping to focus a bit more on the story aspect of the RP. Battles are fun, but the real advantage of writing something is that you can do what you want with the story. What I'd propose is leaving the combat system for now, and working out ways to make the story more epic.
Because I think there's a lot of potential for fun left in this story.
As-of-yet unused potential.

Your mentioning of this suggests to me that you have ideas. Let's see a PM, bub.

'Cause, lemme tell you that I've got plenty of my own. There's not just a lot of potential for fun left in this story. It's fucking immeasurable. I can't even measure it with Dracorion's ego.

The story is pretty solid. I don't really need to work on it for right now. A good idea isn't coming to mind because I've already made a bunch of them and none of them seem really shitty quite yet.

What ideas? I won't go into them. But Charlotte should gather information on how to file restraining orders against incorporeal beings (or find a way to use them to kill people), Renny should be a little extra protective of Lola, and Matthias...I'm not sure about. Several ideas are running through my head, but I'm having trouble picking the best one. I think he's going to be fighting some very silly villains.

[Dracorion]

Shit, Renny's going to get competion for Lola?

That's freaking hilarious.

Also, my ego dwarfs this RP's potential for fun.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Renny should be a little extra protective of Lola

When I read this, I assumed it meant Lola is in danger of death or something worse.

I vote it should be both. Renny thus has to hold his own in a love triangle and save the damsel in distress.

[Menarker]

Originally Posted by Dracorion

The increased power only applies as of Gen V, which we're not implementing yet.

Partly wrong. I just explained that the increased power was only for Bullet Seed and Icicle Spear. The other two had always been 25 power.

As for your most recent post... It feels like this...

http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=1098
http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=1104

Let's say that the delaying tactic of reinforcements that are exactly the same foes that we're dealing with is basically making the RP less exciting. (I admit when you said you would send re-enforcements, I thought you meant you would send postitive help to Bard's team so they could help catch up.)
1: The new foes are pretty much exactly the same foes with no variations. IE: Kinda boring.
2: Delaying require more posts for which Gem already has lack of time trying to post and I'm not able to contribute until the next battle presumably. Plus, Bard is also fairly busy with GMing as well. Plus for those of us in school, responding isn't very speedy.
3: Almost nothing changes in terms of combat. We're basically doing the same thing over and over. At least Bard's side has foes with varying types and multiple attacks with considerable effects.
It honestly feels like an non-interactive cutscene that I can't press pause and choose the "skip" option for.

I really really don't want to put down your side-quest, but so far, it has basically nothing but a run-on of the single battle that isn't epically challenging at this point or even important to the plot to express any urgency. Is there anything else you could consider to get out of this dragged on combat and get into something that could involve a bit more roleplaying or varied combat?


Renny having competition for Lola mades my stomache clench REAL HARD. I really hope I don't screw up somewhere down the line. >_< That would be a punch to the gut SO HARD...

As for the songs, I'm sorry you don't think Sburban Jungle matches. I think it kinda does. Although if I was to choose a non-Homestuck one, I might go with a classic: Cruel Angel Thesis. Lyrics support it and the music really does too in my head.

AB: As for ideas, I would like to see more benefit for using environmental interaction/tactics like having to scale walls/slopes, using flying pokemon to scout or tiny pokemons to go through cracks as well as general use of HM moves and moves with uses outside of combat to break open locks or something like that without alerting foes to the PC's presence. Maybe find someone important lost in the caves before the foes can reach him/her and kill them first. Might be a way to change up the story a bit.

Would also be interesting if there are instances where we can get "previews" of potential battles and choose between them among the groups. Kinda like... "You come across a fork in the hallway and the lights are greatly dimmed. To your left, you hear clanking noise, grinding of gears and running water and suddenly a flash of light like a bolt of lightning. To your right, you hear the soft murmering of voices and the sound of clattering and suddenly a massive roar that reverbs across the narrow passage."
Then we choose whether we go to the left which could be anything from a bunch of mechanical robots and maybe a malfunctioning water fountain. Or a waterwheel or maybe an electric pokemon. Or we choose choose the right, which could be enemy soldiers, wild pokemons, maybe a captive, or an ongoing pokemon battle.
Which brings me to another idea. That PATCA could encounter battles already ongoing with both sides evidently potentially needing help, maybe even trying to convince PATCA that their side is the righteous or better side to join. Might be better to do that though with PCs that are split up though, unless you want PATCA members fighting each other...

Menarker, until I've dealt with some stuff, we'll go with your plans. Days need to start having more hours. Though my teachers would just use that as an excuse to fill them with more work. In the same vein, I'll get around to the conversation when I can. But I wanna spend time on trollslum as well, that's a lot more fragile than this.

Not to worry. That convo can be put off until later, since it's something that can be put as a flashback. Thank you in advance for your agreement to go with my plans without requiring you to respond each time.


Anyhow, my response tomorrow might be slow/lacking. My b-day and thus I'm celebrating with family. ^^

[Dracorion]

Well I don't wish you a happy birthday.

I suppose I could throw in a couple of Millenium Battlebots instead.

Menarker, it's been three turns. Each team is, frankly, facing more enemies than the whole main formation did in any one battle all throughout last mission.

I don't think it's so much that the battle, particularly Bard's, is dragging along so much as we're posting rather slowly. Also, Killdolls should be way harder and I had to nerf them to keep them from slaughtering your team.

I'm also not going to let you proceed before Charlotte's team. Even if I did let your battle end early, you'd still spend the whole time while Charlotte finishes up walking around doing nothing.

So yeah, I'll throw in some Millenium Battlebots I guess. Tomorrow.

[Astral Harmony]

Originally Posted by Menarker

AB: As for ideas, I would like to see more benefit for using environmental interaction/tactics like having to scale walls/slopes, using flying pokemon to scout or tiny pokemons to go through cracks as well as general use of HM moves and moves with uses outside of combat to break open locks or something like that without alerting foes to the PC's presence. Maybe find someone important lost in the caves before the foes can reach him/her and kill them first. Might be a way to change up the story a bit.

Would also be interesting if there are instances where we can get "previews" of potential battles and choose between them among the groups. Kinda like... "You come across a fork in the hallway and the lights are greatly dimmed. To your left, you hear clanking noise, grinding of gears and running water and suddenly a flash of light like a bolt of lightning. To your right, you hear the soft murmering of voices and the sound of clattering and suddenly a massive roar that reverbs across the narrow passage."
Then we choose whether we go to the left which could be anything from a bunch of mechanical robots and maybe a malfunctioning water fountain. Or a waterwheel or maybe an electric pokemon. Or we choose choose the right, which could be enemy soldiers, wild pokemons, maybe a captive, or an ongoing pokemon battle.
Which brings me to another idea. That PATCA could encounter battles already ongoing with both sides evidently potentially needing help, maybe even trying to convince PATCA that their side is the righteous or better side to join. Might be better to do that though with PCs that are split up though, unless you want PATCA members fighting each other...

I'll uhhh...see what I can do about that.

[Menarker]

Tiny comment to say to Drac to relook his battle results for this round. KillBot M was one of the foes attacked, so it should not be at full health.

[Dracorion]

Fixed.

Also, Shiny Evolith and Killdolls Q and R were replaced by one Millenium Battlebot.

[Menarker]

Still saying "But Mirror spoke too soon. The mechanical enemies retaliated forcefully, and were soon joined by reinforcements: two Evoliths and two Killdolls. Thankfully, the new foes did not attack."

Also, could we have the scanner data for the Battlebot? Or are you saying it's the same one as we faced before and you expect me to fish out the data for it?

[Dracorion]

Yes.