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Messages - Grom

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16
Suggestions / Re: Pills yo
« on: March 26, 2013, 12:03:37 AM »
I've used pills before on a roleplay server (using Tiramisu rather than an OpenAura script) and they're pretty useful. Having actual models with actual animations does add to immersion on the server which is a huge plus - seeing a vortigaunt or headcrab sliding along the ground in a T-pose quickly kills any mood you've built up and these pills solve that problem. I don't see the harm in adding them as long as they aren't overused or abused in the name of fun.

17
Outside City 45 / Re: Third Eye Warrant List
« on: April 25, 2012, 04:13:44 AM »
Im kinda sad im not on the list yet with about 15 dead i think ide get around but no
If you want to be on this list, there's something wrong with you. It's not a list showing off badass characters - it's a list of people that a well-organised group of infiltrators and undercover agents are actively hunting with the intention of killing them. You really don't want to be on this list. Ever.

18
Outside City 45 / Re: Map change?
« on: April 02, 2012, 08:26:51 PM »
As a few others have pointed out, there's a difference between the Outlands and the canals. Canal roleplay takes place much closer to the city, and technically should only really feature Civil Protection teams as opposition as well as headcrabs, zombies and barnacles. There's a strong resistance presence, but it's mostly in the form of the Underground Railroad, who are much less militaristic and much more about helping citizens fleeing the city and providing supplies.

Outlands roleplay takes place a lot further out. Resistance is much more open, and people tend to carry weapons to fend off Overwatch and xen creatures. The resistance are much more military and tend to patrol, protect camps and engage the Combine should they arrive.

At the moment, the Outlands server definitely falls into the second category, but where it falls short is lack of roleplay opportunities. The Outlands is very, very quiet. There's no xen creatures, no Combine patrols, no supply convoys and not much for most of the players to do. The well-established roleplayers, who're usually part of this rebel group or that resistance squad, can occupy themselves - they've got a bunch of friends and can always plan or clean their weapons or discuss a raid. Most of the other players, though, can find it rather boring. There's really not a lot to do beyond passive roleplay, which doesn't tend to be as well utilised as in the city.

I think the admin team should focus on making the current server more interesting rather than changing maps. Maybe have an Overwatch group formed who can conduct raids every so often instead of individual units having to run around the place. Something like a headcrab bombardment of the town could be interesting, providing both active and passive RP - clearing out the zombies and then rebuilding the town by fixing roofs and walls. Simple, engaging stuff with consequences and just a little admin help could make all the difference in the world for the Outlands server.

19
Outside City 45 / Re: Third Eye - Warrant List
« on: March 21, 2012, 08:02:12 PM »
You also have to consider the motives of whoever made up this list. Two of my characters on this list are discredited as a rapist and a traitor respectively, and both are marked as dead - neither are. This is an IC document spread ICly through the server and written by a character or group of characters, not some player's personal vendetta against you.

If you think your character's hard done by, have them work towards fixing the discrepancies. Tear up any of the lists you find around the place. Find Third Eye and confront them (easier said than done, of course, but still an option). Spread your own propaganda. Hell, make your own warrant list. But don't have a tantrum OOC because of IC actions.

20
Outside City 45 / Re: Increase Outlands Popularity (questionnaire)
« on: March 03, 2012, 10:04:52 PM »
I've only been playing on the Outlands server a few days, but I thought I'd share my thoughts and opinions anyway.

Why would you rather play on the city then the outlands? Personally, I prefer the outlands server as I'm bored of city roleplay which can become tedious and dull. Outlands roleplay can suffer from the same things, but I'll get to that.

What do you do for fun on outlands? Having only been on for a few days, and with a very small playerbase on the days I've been on, I've tended to talk to characters played by people I know and explore.

Is Ineu_Pass too hardware reliant for your current system? (too laggy) No, the map runs quite well. However, it is very big, which can be a hassle with a small playerbase - the odds of finding someone are very low unless they're already at the Alliance bunker or some other recognisable area.

What would you like to see more of on outlands? Events and things to do. The events don't have to be big, complex or even action-packed; you really don't need to be spawning NPCs, guns, weapons or anything like that. Maybe a group of citizens approach one of the Alliance members and ask what they can do to help. The Alliance member contacts an admin and asks if he can set up a small event - say the citizens have to search through a wrecked caryard, siphon off fuel and bring it back for a small reward.

More complicated events could be, as mentioned before, Overwatch sweeps of the area, or maybe a xen incursion that a group of players need to eliminate. Maybe a dropship crashes and the Resistance grab a bunch of refugees and head down to strip it clean. Perhaps there's a headcrab bombardment targetted at the town and it needs to be cleared out; citizens could be armed with clubs, axes, crowbars, pistols and the like, which could be given to them after the event or reclaimed.

Outlands RP can be quite dull if nothing's happening, and the onus is either on the admins or the players. Resistance players have many of the tools you need to make roleplay for others - what's to stop them grabbing a few lonely-looking refugees and going for a hike to scout out a few campsites? The refugees get to meet some new people, the Resistance characters get to go for a hike and entertain themselves and it's a win-win for everyone.

What do you want to do on outlands? Something interesting. Passive is all well and good, but not when that's all you do. The Outlands gives admins enormous scope for what events they can run, from Overwatch incursions to nests of antlions. All they need to do is act on that creative scope.

What is about outlands that makes you not want to join or play it? I think a big part of nobody joining the server is the small number of players usually on. I'll hop on if there's only two or three players, but usually people don't join unless the playercount is up to nine or ten. People need to take the initiative and jump on, even if they just stand around idly in the bunker.

What can I do to Civiwatch/Alliance Network to help you enjoy the outlands? Resistance groups in the Outlands really create roleplay for many of the individual players and citizens who aren't part of a faction. They have the resources and manpower to create small events that could easily involve citizens, like organising a scouting party or handing out basic food supplies. Maybe the Alliance broadcasts over the public network advising citizens they'll be handing out some food - the equivalent of rations in the city.

Extra comments. For roleplay to be kept interesting, things need to happen. Events don't need to be big or have far-reaching consequences, but they need to be frequent and interesting and targetted at new players - long-term players are usually able to come up with roleplay themselves, but new players like to feel welcome. Nothing welcomes them better than a small event or two.

21
Accepted Authorizations / Richard Fulton's Authorization Application
« on: March 02, 2012, 10:46:52 PM »
Player Section

Steam Name: Grom
Age: I'm eighteen going on nineteen and currently at university.
How long have you been Roleplaying? (can be any game): About six years, give or take. I started with text-based roleplay at a number of sites.
How long have you been playing Serious GMod RP?: Five or so years now. I've played at a few communities, such as PubGamer, Necropolis, InfusionGaming and a few others besides.

Character Section

Authorization(s):
This character would be a former member of the British Special Air Service, or SAS. The British SAS have served as a model for special force units across the world, and are some of the most highly-trained soldiers in the world. Trained in close-quarters and ranged combat, survival techniques for most environments and mental and physical endurance, the SAS are some of the world's most elite operatives in the fields of combat and infiltration.

This application will also be for one of the SAS's distinctive sand-coloured berets, which will serve as an heirloom rather than a piece of physical attire, and a combat knife. Clothing in muted colours would also be appropriate, such as a brown jacket or undershirt and some appropriate boots. Any other weapons I intend to acquire while on the server; I have no wish to start out with an AR2 and three RPGs.

Name: Richard Fulton
Age: Thirty-two yers of age.
Gender: Male
Affiliation: Resistance

Write a detailed in-canon back-story how your character obtained these authorizations.
Born to a colonel in the British Armed Forces and his civilian wife, Richard spent much of his childhood and early teenage years travelling from military base to military base depending on his father’s transfer orders. Although many would find this a lonely childhood, Richard was never particularly friendly with anyone at any of the bases he attended; he regarded many of the children with contempt, and spent much of his time alone. A talented sportsman, Richard played several spots throughout his life, though most were extremely physical – rugby, boxing and fencing to name a few.

Groomed from an early age for a career in the military, Richard was fast-tracked into an officer’s course when he was of age, and proved a competent strategist, though his lack of concern for the men under his command constantly worried instructors. Granted the rank of lieutenant, Richard was deployed during the Iraq War and performed during several combat operations. He gained recognition for being a keen strategist and courageous soldier, though several of his superiors viewed his penchant for destruction and ‘glorylust’ – their way of describing Fulton’s fixation with violence and desire to inflict harm – as detrimental to his command.

Richard’s valour in battle, and his father’s position, saw him face selection for the British Special Air Service. Along with a handful of other men, he underwent intense training, both physical and mental, before being chosen to serve in the 22 SAS Regiment. He was assigned to A Squadron, and served with some distinction in several ‘black’ operations and a number of conventional conflicts.

Prior to the Seven Hour War, Fulton was assigned to a training detachment on tour in central Europe as part of an international instructional conference. During his stay, the Black Mesa incident occurred and the subsequent conflict rocked the globe. Called to service, Fulton instead chose the path of least resistance; he deserted during the night and was quickly captured, along with most of the world’s population. Richard assumed the name of his younger brother, who died during childbirth – now James Fulton, he spent several months as one of the faceless multitude, the citizens enslaved by the Combine.

He spent his time preparing, continuing to train when he could – simple exercises, such as pushups or laps of abandoned courtyards, kept him in shape, while he traded tokens for maps of the area surrounding the city and wider countryside and excess food. After months of preparation, he made his escape; through the sewer tunnels of the city and to the canals. A number of refugees accompanied him, ferried by the ‘underground railroad’ – on his third night in the canals, Fulton abandoned them, electing to make his own way to freedom.

On his twelfth night outside the city, Richard came across a pair of citizens who had elected to kill to survive. He had found the bodies two days prior, their throats slit during the night and their corpses stripped clean. This time, the murderers were caught unawares. While they reclined at a fire, laughing and eating the supplies stolen from those they preyed upon, the ex-commando slowly crept up on them, a screwdriver his only weapon. The first men only managed a strangled scream as Fulton stabbed at his throat with the improvised knife, lodging it deep in the man’s larynx. The second man did not die as easily; a prolonged fight, made all the more difficult by the man’s weapon – a finely-honed combat knife – ended when Fulton stove the murderer’s skull in with a rock plucked from the riverbed. Fulton had killed his first man in months, and it gave him joy like nothing else.

Hiking through the wilderness and free from the Combine’s iron fist, Fulton stayed in the wilderness, seeking out national parks and expanses of mountainous forest where he could avoid detection from the air and from on foot. In the forests, he relied on his training to avoid contact with everyone – citizen and Combine alike. His supplies were rationed carefully, supplemented with flora and fauna from the surrounding area. He seldom relied on fires, eating food raw or cooked over only the lowest flame on the cloudiest nights. He camped in only the most difficult terrain, often camping on narrow ledges set into high cliffs and in dense shrubland and frozen tundra. Armed only with a knife and his wits, Fulton evaded detection for several years.

Eventually, Fulton found himself unable to remain alone in the wild. Any game had long been hunted to extinction, either by him or by the unnatural predators that stalked the forest by night. His supplies had run low, and he was forced to move, heading for more populated areas. Military camps and prewar installations, scattered around the country, would prove to be hotbeds of resistance activity, which Fulton had anticipated. Moving by night, a few miles a day, the commando made his way towards the nearest base and back into the pages of history.

What will these authorizations give your character in regards to perks or defects?
Perks
As a former member of the British SAS, Fulton would be an expert in hand-to-hand combat as well as fieldcraft, marksmanship and infiltration. A life of dedicated training, both physical and mental, would put him in peak condition pre-war. Fulton would also be very level-headed in stressful situations, and accustomed to blood and death. Service in the military would grant him knowledge of a variety of firearms, and he would be relatively proficient with many of them. Post-war, his physical abilities have degenerated due to malnourishment and the inability to practice many skills; he has, however, tried to maintain his skills as best he can with what he has onhand.

In short:

- Proficient with a variety of firearms and close-combat weapons.
- Adept at surviving in numerous environments, including forest and tundra areas.
- Heightened reflexes and endurance, maintained through constant exercise and training.
- Skilled infiltrator, able to operate in a variety of conditions.
- Excels in ranged and close-quarters combat.

Additionally:

 - Armed with a well-kept combat knife.
- Carries an SAS beret, which he keeps as a memento out of sentimentality.

Defects
Fulton is not a perfect man; far from it. He is, first and foremost, focussed on his own survival - he will do whatever it takes to save his own skin. Until now, that has meant staying away from urban areas and any locations the Resistance would likely have set up, including military bases and wartime installations. As such, he has few friends and little desire to make any, and tends to avoid human contact. Should allying with a group provide him with an edge, or ensure his survival, he would likely do what he could to gain their trust and acceptance. He would also turn on them in a heartbeat should it prove the most effective course of action.

Richard is also, for all intents and purposes, a psychopath. During childhood, he was selfish and often left alone, partly due to his antisocial tendencies and partly due to the life he led as a child of a serving military man. Even at an early age, Fulton found himself compelled to violence, largely as a show of power; he exerted his strength over weaker children, and was branded a bully and a danger to others. As he grew, Richard learned to control himself and to channel his violent nature towards more accepted outlets – he boxed for a time, before serving in the military. In the post-invasion world, Fulton spends much of his time alone, and with few outlets for his violent tendencies he is often agitated and prone to anger. Weakness infuriates him, and he sees those that refuse to stand up for themselves as cowards and fools who deserve to be oppressed; who deserve to be kept beneath the fist of the strong. He does not make friends easily, and many distrust him – for good reason. Fulton is paranoid, calculating, and often cynical; all traits that lead to many seeing him as a bastard, which, of course, he is.

Naturally, as a trained soldier, Fulton would also be a high-priority target for the Combine. Should his identity or background be discovered, he would likely be shot on the spot or converted into a transhuman unit, which would, ironically, grant him what he desires – survival and free license for violence. Whether he would appreciate the irony of the situation in his augmented form is left to the imagination.

What do you plan to do with these perks/defects?
Rather than create another highly skilled ex-military Resistance member with a heart of gold, I plan to make Richard an interesting and unique character through his background and his abilities. He’ll be an immensely talented fighter, a skilled soldier and a competent tactician, but he’s also a selfish, self-centered man with violent tendencies and a superiority complex that rivals that of Stalin. He’s hardly a hero, and there’s one word I can think of to describe him: flawed. Without his defects, he’d be a champion of the Resistance, a man capable of great feats, but with them he’s lost and dangerous. He’s a ship without a captain, but with guidance, he could be truly great.

I believe in creating roleplay as well as experiencing it, which I believe I can also achieve with this character. Though he won’t be seeking out those in need to save them in their time of trial, he’d have an enormous amount of knowledge he could impart. He’d be able to teach Resistance members and citizens alike, provided he could be found and convinced to aid them.

Will anyone else need these auths? (If so, list OOC and IC name(s))
No.

Which server does this apply for?
Outlands

Extra Notes (optional):
The main thing I’m trying to avoid is creating a Combine-hating killing machine, and I think I’ve managed that with this pitch. I’m more than capable of handling the responsibility that would come from such a character, having played several Resistance members and high-trust characters, such as a Civil Administrator, Civil Protection officer and blackmarket arms dealer, at other communities in the past. I’m sure there’s a few ex-Pubgamers that will vouch for me, but hopefully their word won’t be required – I hope this application has made enough sense and seems to be written by a person you’d deem mature enough for the responsibility a character such as this would need. If there’s anything you think needs clarification or changing, don’t hesitate to let me know.

22
City Administrator / Re: CA Event Suggestions
« on: December 21, 2011, 07:08:50 AM »
If you have any Event suggestions for CA's to use, please post them here.

I'll start this off:

1. Question and Answer letters.
Q&A letters are always good - as long as the citizens participate. For them to work, you need people to actually write in with valid points for you to address. To allow them to write in, I'd suggest maybe a small office area inside the Nexus where citizens can be taken and given writing materials - that way, you know they're not going to nab the paper and go stick Resistance propaganda up all over the place.

Being a Civil Administrator can be a boring job. You aren’t allowed outside, you can’t go on raids with the Overwatch teams, there’s nobody to chat to except the random Civil Protection goons around the office and you’re expected to make your own fun. There’s a few ways I found during my time as an Administrator to stay active and keep the RP interesting for yourself – because when it all comes down to it, if you aren’t having fun, you’re not going to be active and you’re not going to roleplay well.

Coinciding with the question and answer letters, one thing that I found was popular when I was an Administrator was simple speeches every now and then. Talk about what's happening in the city. Ask for information on anticitizen behaviour, promising incentives (which you don't even have to fork over - after all, they're just citizens!) for anyone who assists in the apprehension of any undesirable citizens. Ramble on about public infrastructure plans; I spent a lot of time plugging the CWU-equivalent organisation at my old community because it was one of the few things citizens had to do, and a lot weren't sure what the process for joining was.

One thing I'd warn against is going out for meet-and-greets with citizens. Leaving your office as an Administrator tends to get you killed or, at the very least, harassed by idiots. Instead, why not do interviews with citizens? They’d be searched, tied and led to your office, and you can have a nice face-to-face chat with them. Heck, if they raise a few good points about, say, the flavour of the manufactured meat substitute in the ration packs, address it in a speech. It’ll make the citizen feel good, and it gives you something to do.

Another thing you can do is take on an assistant or two. Do a speech offering a position as your assistant and ask for a written application.  Get any applicants to do a short interview with you – find out about them, their lives, their interests and their skills. My preference is to handle it all in-character; no need for useless forum applications that reward players for writing a thousand words of legible prose when they can’t RP their way out of a paper bag. Then turn the citizen over to the Civil Protection for a background check. This shouldn’t be a scary, dehumanising process; you don’t want an assistant who’s scared of your shadow, you want a competent worker who you can have a chat with and bounce ideas off. Having another face around the office gives you someone to chat to on a day-to-day basis and gives another player something to do besides sit on a bench and pick up cans, so it’s a win-win scenario!

One final thing I’d add is the importance of interacting with your fellow Civil Administrators. Silent (Slont, as he may go by here) and I spent many an RP session sitting in comfy armchairs in our offices and discussing the state of affairs in the city over a bottle of not-entirely-legal Scotch. He was my character’s boss, and I was his right-hand man. I did the talking, he did the listening. It was a great roleplaying opportunity and I enjoyed it immensely. But you don’t have to be best pals with the other administrators – stuff like petty rivalries or even full-blown feuds over ideological beliefs could make for fantastic roleplay. Just make sure the other player is cool with it so there’s no undue drama.

So that’s my ten cents (which, based on the length, is probably more like twenty dollars, but oh well). Remember that being an Administrator is about you as much as it is about the city as a whole, but always bear in mind that you’re one of the big figures on the server.

23
Half-Life 2 Roleplay / Re: Rations.
« on: December 19, 2011, 09:27:21 PM »
In city 45 you act as a whole and general actions that are against the union IC are punished as a whole. I.E Me and other citizens start a riot. This causes everyone's rations to be deducted.
Although this is entirely true, this logic should only be applied where appropriate. It's one thing for a group of citizens to start a riot; it's another thing entirely for two or three minges to start hopping on heads, punchwhoring people and acting like idiots. You have to make the distinction between characters acting IC with consideration given to their actions and idiots ruining things for the rest of the group.

If a group of citizens get together and formulate a plan to start a riot, then by all means, punish the civilian populace accordingly. But three idiots yelling "TEH UNYUN SUCKZ!" or "WE HAV BOMS LOL" should be dealt with individually and - preferably - by an administrator. That's what administrators are for; distinguishing between IC actions and OOC idiocy is just one of their roles.

24
Introductions / Re: Hi.
« on: December 19, 2011, 01:44:58 AM »
This guy is cool. Except when he bullies me. :(

Hi Combine!

25
Introductions / Re: Hi.
« on: December 19, 2011, 01:42:44 AM »
Hi Raged. Promise you won't beat me up this time please. :(

26
Introductions / Re: HELLO FRIENDS
« on: December 19, 2011, 01:40:59 AM »
HI SLONT! DID YOU MISS ME?

27
Introductions / Aloha!
« on: December 19, 2011, 01:38:30 AM »
Hey, guys.

I got dragged in here by Slont and Luke and Raged and Combine, who are all pals from way back. I haven't done any GMod roleplaying for a while, but back in the day I was pretty involved on a few servers, and I've done a lot of text- and forum-based roleplaying over the years.

During my time roleplaying in the HL2RPverse, I've been an arms dealer, a lowly citizen, a Combine informant, a CP, a Civil Administrator and a Vortigaunt. I've loved, laughed, lied and died, with a bunch of awesome guys. I'm hoping I get a few great experiences here, and I'll try to be fairly active around my uni and work.

So yeah. Hope to see you all around!

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