A New Platform [Intro Post October]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

"Good morning passengers, it is day sixteen of the month of Horsehoe. Points have been updated on the system and new stock is available."

They have indeed and everyone can spend the morning shopping. Those who have been on the train a while will be expecting the second announcement that comes a few hours later.

"Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." A lurch and a jolt and they are soon surrounded by the fog that means they are at a platform. The first thing they may notice is that this platform is inside a basic shelter, making it warmer than the last couple at least.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Adora, Alex Hashimoto, Catra, Cloud Strife, Elizabeth Midford, Feanor, Gerome, Gladiolus Amicitia, Glimmer, Ifrit, Isabella D’Oro, Maru, Nari Reno, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum, Scorpia, Siobahn Chereshei, SXT-2, Tamamo-no-Mae, Tony Stark, Uta, Zidane Tribal

But on the platform itself there are many new faces. Wearing hoodies in all four colours in various states of confusion.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see is steam. Billowing around them as they come to their senses. The second thing they will notice is it is gloomy, even without the steam and fog. They are in a wooden building, open to the tracks on one side. It in a creaky shelter, cobwebs hang from the rafters and there is a peculiar whistle as wind finds its way through the cracks.

They are standing, in clothes that are not their own, styles they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on their back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone in the white haze but then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large and it holds nineteen figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. Both left and right the tracks disappear into the mist. Then there is a roaring sound and out of the fog arrives a train. Jet black with gold writing on the side. The Voidtrecker Express. There is a hiss as the doors slide open and out into the gloom step a selection of people. Some are human, some are less so. Most are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple though some are sporting different clothes in a variety of styles.

The Train

The doors hiss open. Those from the train may encourage those on the platform to board. It’s not like there is anywhere else to go and even if there was, you feel a pull. A need to board, a feeling that staying on the platform would not be a good thing. If that is not enough, there are plenty of people on the platform now, to encourage them onto the train.

Indeed whereas usually there is plenty time for people to be met and brought slowly onto the train, the whistles blow a lot quicker this time, as if hurrying the passengers along.

Each ICP shows the same message and next to the screens there are stacks of leaflets written by those on the train, with further information. The store rooms have been restocked, with… teddy bear shaped luncheon meat being the main ingredient to be found. There are plenty of other staples.

A new carriage has been added, those that go to investigate will find a room full of lockers, designated as the Armoury. Even for passengers without weapons it is somewhere to secure possessions. There are instructions on how to use the lockers and enough for everyone to claim one.

New passengers will find their tickets allow them into their cabins. They may need to negotiate for beds, especially if they want a top bunk!

Room is tight but there are storage cubbies at the head of each bed, beds fold up and the bottom bunks double as benches for the small table. There is storage under those benches and you will hopefully find a pillow for your bed if it has not been nabbed by a roommate, there are also spare blankets for if it gets cold.

Departure

A second horn sounds over the noise of the hail stones to encourage any stragglers braving the snow and the doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view as it picks up speed.

"Welcome aboard, passengers of the Voidtrecker Express." A female-coded artificial sounding voice echoes throughout the train. "Please take the time to read the passenger information displayed on the Information and Communication points and familiarise yourself with the layout and emergency exits."

The train begins to tilt, leaving the ground and rising up into the fog filled sky.

"Entrance into Voidspace imminent. New passengers are advised to remain seated. Entry into Voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

A shudder, a jolt, a lurch to the left. A flash of light, colourful and blinding. As quick as it happens it is done. The train seems to steady. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever changing colours.

Welcome to the Void!

Comments

shall we play a game

[flatteries]

[ Inigo is not okay. He's definitely not okay. But he's trying so hard to seem okay as he's aimlessly wandering the train, unsure of what to do with himself.

So when he suddenly hears someone speak up to him, he swallows thickly. He knows he can't just ignore this, even though he's not sure at all he feels up for a game right now.

But he'll try. Inigo sucks in a breath, forcing a smile up on his face. ]

Oh, I recognize your voice. [ He takes a step closer. ] You're the guy who was all about farming, right?

Re: shall we play a game

[extrasaltypotato]

[He laughs, recognizing that voice too.]

I'm all about whatever I can learn, but that certainly included farming last mission. You're the fellow I bulldozed with talk of rice, aren't you? Inigo?

There will be some practical results, at least. I'm practicing my brewing; you can make a fine wine out of rice, yeast and time.

But that's not what we're here for - we're here for games. Such as this one. I won't claim it's simple, but I like the depth of it.

[flatteries]

[ There's a small nod at the mention of his name, though as he notices Hikaru eager to move on from the topic, Inigo can't help but insert a small-- ] Well, I wouldn't really mind some wine, you know..

[ You know. Just saying. Keep him in mind if you manage to brew some proper wine, Hikaru!! ]

But.. sure, I'm willing to try it out. [ He looks over at the game. ] I can't promise much though. I mean, you've already noticed, I'm sure, but I'm not really..

[ He makes a vague hand gesture.

Not really smart, he means to say, but even by Inigo standards that feels a little too self-depreciating to say out loud. So he'll just let the implication hang in the air instead. ]

[extrasaltypotato]

Remind me to tell you a quote of a brilliant man, concerning how one might measure a fish. But I will try to be brief, honest.

This is a wargame. You win one of three ways: destroying your foe's ability to fight; taking the most Planets - land, in other words; or developing the best base on the land you do have and so gaining 13 points.

[He demonstrates; sweeping dice reading 25 off of his deckbox before returning them and then discarding his whole deck; then placing six face-down cards in front of it in a line, then flipping one face down 'planet' card and stacking Sector cards on it until they show 13 points.]

Does that follow?

[flatteries]

Yes.

[ Though that doesn't have much to do with being smart. All Hikaru has to do is tell Inigo it's a wargame, and he can already guess what kind of thing you're supposed to do. Inigo has lived through actual war all his life, after all. ]

So some of those cards are planets, and [ Ignoring the sector cards for a moment here, since they seem to him to be about building to get points.. ] others are thinhs you can use to fight?

[extrasaltypotato]

Any face down card can serve as a planet - it's why they have one on the backs - but yes. Most of the cards are Units, that fight directly.

[He reveals a basic example of the type: a Planetary Guard, with a number and a symbol on the top left, and another series of 3 down the left side.]

Cost on the top: attack power, defense rating, and speed on the bottom. Attack is how much damage it deals in one turn, defense how much it can take. We won't worry about speed yet.

[flatteries]

[ Don't mind Inigo over here. He's going to pick up that card to take a better look at it from up close. ]

Right. So when it attacks, you match up their attack power to the defense power of what the opponent has? [ It's easier when he keeps the space theme out of it and just thinks of it in plain battle terms like that.. At least that's what Inigo is used to. ]

[extrasaltypotato]

That's right. Damage to units is healed between turns... damage to Sectors is not.

[He places it's Weapons score worth of damage tokens on a sector: one, two red glass beads.]

And Units generally don't attack each other directly; as in real life, they attack an objective and enemy units try to intercept.

[He demonstrates, placing two units with red card frames, both Speed 3, in front of a base... and two Planetary Guards with white card frames behind it, also speed 3.]

In order to damage the enemy sector, you need to first deal with the defending units. Does that follow?

[flatteries]

[ Hey, in Inigo's game units totally attack each other directly once you draw aggro, okay! Hence why he seems a little confused for a moment, but then manages to mentally separate the reality of the game from actual reality as he knows it. (Maybe it's just the time difference, he figures, since he's from medieval times...)

So he slowly nods. ] Yes..

[ He points at the cards. ]

Do the colors on the cards mean anything special too?

[extrasaltypotato]

[Well, that's because this game is about operations and his is about tactics, clearly.]

The colors indicate different... factions? No. Strategies. Generally a deck wants two. The in-game excuse is that they represent different kinds of technology, but that's an excuse for different strategies.

For example: Force, red, is generally fast and aggressive, capable of dealing damage without entering combat or of bypassing slower units. Gold, Harmonics, is focused on defenses and improving units and Sectors. Psychic, Blue, mainly likes to have more cards in hand and to bypass combat entirely.

I could describe all of them, but for now: Color indicates Tech, Tech suggests overall strategy.

[flatteries]

[ Thank Naga he adds that explanation about the colours, because if there's any single word that gives Inigo the heebie-jeebies, it's technology.

The way he ends up putting it is a lot more understandable, though. So Inigo nods. ]

Got it! So do you just get one of those colours to play with, or can you pick which one you want?

[extrasaltypotato]

You can pick a mix of any, but...

You need to do Research to use cards of a certain Tech. And research costs money, that you might otherwise use to pay for cards, and an Action, that you might otherwise use to draw cards, play cards, or launch attacks.

You see these icons under the cost? [He indicates two symbols - each one a stylized sunburst.] This card has costs 3 money, and requires Force Tech Level 2. As long as you have the money, and you have Force Tech Level 2, you can purchase any number of Units or other things with that much tech or less. But you couldn't get something with Harmonic tech 1 for any amount of money. Or, for that matter -

[He holds up a card with a cost of 0 - and that's Tech Level Force 3. It's text reads Order - Tactic: "deal damage equal to your (force)."] - this. No cost in money, but above your tech level.

SO, generally, you want to have no more than two colors in your deck. Three at most if you have a lot of cards that make research cheaper.