nexus Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... Besides' date=' let's all be honest ... this is a rip off of Zapp Brannigan from Futurama. The character is THERE to be derided and insulted. [/quote'] Zap Brannigan getting lucky? That would have to be villainous plot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Trent Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... Before I answer this, I'd like to clear something up with OP. Was Zapper expected to be with the team when the robbery went down and just why? Was it "He patrols with/advises us because he knows the area" or "We came to stop this crime specifically and he didn't show, but luckily it wasn't as major as we thought" or "We're in town for something, needed Zapper's help and the robbery happened like a random encounter? It would effect many of the answers. From the OP, I thought it it was the first or last personally which made allot of the responses seem oddly vindictive and over the top unless the PCs are short tempered, morally opposed to casual sex or something along those lines. I think it was a random encounter. In which case, I (and by extention, most of my characters) would wait to discuss the matter with "Big Z" in the morning. I would point out that misuderstandings like this could be avoided if he would take the time to let us know he was going to be incommunicado for a while, as that is really the part of this that is most vexing. Other than that, what he does on his own time is nobody's business but his. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Trent Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... Candy (a.k.a. Squid Girl) - Change into 9 foot tall squid form, ooze under the door, and let the nightmare begin. If Captain Z is too busy to go to the combat, then the combat will just have to go to him. With all ten tentacles. Couldn't resist... So, you would take the hentai approach to this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregghelmberger Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... It seems to me that a lot of people have a weirdly disproportionate reaction here. So the guy was getting his freak on in Vegas and missed a random mook encounter that came to no harm anyway. What's the big deal? That said... Miss Shadow utterly and deliberately acts spooky and freaky, even to her own teammates, so she would be standing outside the door, motionless, when Zapper came out. She would stare at him wordlessly and unsettlingly until he spoke, then wait some more until he spoke again, then say, "I hope you had a good time..." After another few moments of staring, she would teleport away through the dark dimensions, leaving nothing behind but an instant of numbing cold. She's an odd one. And the worst thing is Zapper wouldn't know whether she was being sarcastic or making an honest inquiry. Aeon, never being sure precisely what decade or century it is, would give Zapper a good scolding about sullying an innocent young girl's reputation and counsel him to think what Queen Victoria would say if she knew. Either that, or he'd quietly offer Zapper a super-enhanced biogenetically engineered pleasure-magnifying cybercondom from the 23rd century the next time he saw him. Sandboy's reaction would be simpler: he'd just press Zapper for details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamLeisemann Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... In my defense, when I wrote my character responses, I seem to have made much the same error as many other posters have; the assumption that CZ was supposed to be working with the group. I will not change my responsed on account of this error, as I have already posted and frankly, I don't need to re-write a whole bunch of responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... Sorry, I take the line an NPC superhero who was supposed to be working with you and your party was a no-show meaning that if the real reason had popped up, Zap would of still been AWOL. My thoughts were that everyone was on call if trouble happened. I think Kirby just twisted things to his own view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... Sorry, I take the line meaning that if the real reason had popped up, Zap would of still been AWOL. My thoughts were that everyone was on call if trouble happened. I think Kirby just twisted things to his own view. Twisted? Interesting spin. Maybe you're "twisting things to [your] own view?" As I've stated, I take the following: Your character and company are in Los Vegas' date=' Nevada (insert character appropriate reason here). Your visit has been uneventful right up until you receive word that a gang of violent thugs with submachine guns and a couple of low-powered villains are holding up a nearby cassino![/quote']To mean that "insert character appropriate reason reason here" and "gang of violent thugs" are two separate items. He's also working with you, not for you. And unless NPCs in your games are lap dogs, there's no reason to treat him Absent Without Leave because he has a life outside of you. And I still think that Captain Zapper deserves some "self" time. The entire trip has been uneventful. Most responses have been petty and some quite criminal in their vigilante-styled response (something more appropriate to Dark Champions). [sarcasm]Granted, as a PC, you're perfectly on call 24/7 and never would compromise aspects of the game that aren't required (eat, sleep, excrete, sickness, bills, employment, recreation, exercise, etc.) and that since you're perfectly played you're justified in defaming an NPC because, of course, he doesn't matter in your life. How noble of you. [/sarcasm] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... Calico: Would break down the door and scream "WHAT THE *&^%#@" ARE YOU DOING WITH MY HUSBAND!"That's a heroic response to not being at your side? No concern for Captain Zapper. No concern for the civilian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... That's a heroic response to not being at your side? No concern for Captain Zapper. No concern for the civilian. That would be her response. Most of my other characters would have concern that he couldn't be contacted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... Twisted? Interesting spin. Maybe you're "twisting things to [your] own view?" As I've stated, I take the following: To mean that "insert character appropriate reason reason here" and "gang of violent thugs" are two separate items. He's also working with you, not for you. And unless NPCs in your games are lap dogs, there's no reason to treat him Absent Without Leave because he has a life outside of you. And I still think that Captain Zapper deserves some "self" time. The entire trip has been uneventful. Most responses have been petty and some quite criminal in their vigilante-styled response (something more appropriate to Dark Champions). [sarcasm]Granted, as a PC, you're perfectly on call 24/7 and never would compromise aspects of the game that aren't required (eat, sleep, excrete, sickness, bills, employment, recreation, exercise, etc.) and that since you're perfectly played you're justified in defaming an NPC because, of course, he doesn't matter in your life. How noble of you. [/sarcasm] I took the original post to mean that we were there working. Doesn't matter if it was Las Vegas or Omaha. A PC would of gotten the same treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... Your character and company are in Los Vegas' date=' Nevada (insert character appropriate reason here).[/quote'] Character appropriate reason? If company came along and an outside contractor, must be something work like. Why would we being working with someone then? Your visit has been uneventful right up until you receive word that a gang of violent thugs with submachine guns and a couple of low-powered villains are holding up a nearby casinos! You and your party make quick work of the hoodlums, but one thing vexes you: an NPC superhero who was supposed to be working with you and your party was a no-show at the casino robbery despite several attempts to contact him via communicator/cellphone/whatever. Visit is uneventful could mean that the trouble we were there for, didn't happen or were still waiting. And if I'm vexed, we must of expected to be able to contact all members of the company. So I think we were all on call. The "hero", we'll call him Captain Zapper, is notorious as a world-class gloryhound and lecher. True to form, when you go back to the hotel looking for the jackass, you're told he was last seen chatting up some leggy blonde at the bar and the two of them went upstairs together. Sure enough, you find the familiar Do Not Disturb sign on the door to the Captain Z's room, and judging by what you can hear on the otherside of door, the two of them are in there and still *ahem* "going at it." WWYCD? This part is actually immaterial except as a setup gag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Certified Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... This discussion seems to have jumped into "spirited mode." To boil this down to universal this is how I interpreted the event: You work at a job, while you are off something comes up and you are called in. You try to call one of your co-workers to help resolve the incident but they can't be reached. They were not on duty or on call either. The incident at work is resolved without calling in the other person. You are their equal not their manager, how would you treat them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... This discussion seems to have jumped into "spirited mode." To boil this down to universal this is how I interpreted the event: You work at a job, while you are off something comes up and you are called in. You try to call one of your co-workers to help resolve the incident but they can't be reached. They were not on duty or on call either. The incident at work is resolved without calling in the other person. You are their equal not their manager, how would you treat them? Well, it could also be that everyone was on call. After all, one person that was repeatably called, didn't show. The others did. If the case was that people were off to do their own thing, then no biggie. It didn't sound like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... Nothing. He might have arrived after the fighting was over. None of my characters are screwed up enough to really care what he did with his holidays or interrupt his fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... You work at a job' date=' while you are off something comes up and you are called in. You try to call one of your co-workers to help resolve the incident but they can't be reached. They were not on duty or on call either. The incident at work is resolved without calling in the other person. You are their equal not their manager, how would you treat them?[/quote'] I work for the gummint; this happens all the time. Best thing to do is to just let it drop. Take the high road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... I work for the gummint; this happens all the time. Best thing to do is to just let it drop. Take the high road. Which would be the way to go if not on call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... I'd hoped the OP would have cleared things up or maybe it's up to the reader to decide which would be more interesting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... I'd hoped the OP would have cleared things up or maybe it's up to the reader to decide which would be more interesting? But how are we to argue about it then!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoutybloke Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... Look, the guy let us down in a life-threatening situation (SMGs can take down any member of silverbolts team on a good roll) because he wanted to have sex. All he had to do was phone and leave a message saying " I'm going off the grid for a while, be back at 12" and things would have been fine. He didn't. I don't think a general blackening of his name in the crimefighter community is an inapropriate response. Okay, we handled these guys allright, but what about next time, when it's Doctor Destroyer? If Zapper is so dependent on the approval of his peers that he commits suicide over the tarnishing of his reputation, then he's an idiot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
input.jack Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... This seems to have been hijacked from "interesting scenario" to "unwillable situation where everything you do is wrong". If things unfolded in the manner ending with Zapper's suicide? Me the Player: Flips the table and walks out on the game. Permanently. I feel the need to repeat myself on this matter: It had been my understanding that Captain Zapper was working WITH the characters on a mission. Not just some yutz who lives in the area. And that there was cause to expect him to show up, which he failed to do. Otherwise, yes, any reaction other than "oh well" is inappropriate. If the scenario was ambiguously presented, done intentionally as a "trap" to goad people into overreacting, so that the GM could "see what the Players are really like", then that is also a table-flipping offense, in my book. Entrapment in a game for no other purpose than the GM's self-gratification is odious, to say the least. (If its part of a story-line, groovy. But to do so as a "social experiment" on your Players, for no other reason that an excuse for the GM to feel superioroty and smugness that he is "better than they are" is different) But I seriously doubt that Marcus Impudite meant the scenario to be a trap. I think its just one of those things that happens when several different people look at the same text-only communication, devoid of deeper context, body language, or inflection cues, and all try to decide what it means. Happens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... I don't think the OP meant it as a "trap" though there's a fine line between trap and the PCs actions have negative or unexpected consequences. Everything the PCs do is right is just as much of a railroad. But the "suicide" angle wasn't even in the OP or written by Marcus Impudite. The only issue was the context of the set up was unclear. Was there any reason to "realistically" expect (or maybe depend) Capt Zapper to be there at all aside from the fact the PCs were in town and superheroes as well? It might be more "interesting" if he ditched the group and was clearly in the wrong in a game but WWYCDs aren't games. It's perfectly okay (IMO) for them to be little "tests of character" or just interesting situations. It's also okay for some characters to be short tempered, vindictive, easily annoyed, whatever. Characters should have flaws. It is hard to write these things so they're universal enough to apply to a wide variety of character but not hopelessly vague (Someone does something somewhere involving your character(s)) or railroading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... If things unfolded in the manner ending with Zapper's suicide? Uh, what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 I'll leave it in Vegas I think its just one of those things that happens when several different people look at the same text-only communication, devoid of deeper context, body language, or inflection cues, and all try to decide what it means. Happens Agreed. I shall now unsubscribe to this thread since I don't believe anything more productive or entertaining can come from it. It'll also not get me riled up at what I see are horrific responses, but that's me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great Beyond Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... You work at a job' date=' while you are off something comes up and you are called in. You try to call one of your co-workers to help resolve the incident but they can't be reached. They were not on duty or on call either. The incident at work is resolved without calling in the other person. You are their equal not their manager, how would you treat them?[/quote'] Thing is - if I take the day off and not tell anyone, the worst that happens at my job is that some reports don't get written and some calls don't get returned. If in my line of work, someone could die if I didn't show up, then I deserve everything that's coming to me. When a two second call of "Hey, I'm going to be busy for the next couple of hours" would have taken care of things, and it was nothing but pure selfishness that lead to my not letting folks know, that's shamelessly irresponsible and that's the type of hero I'd have nothing to do with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re: What happens in Vegas... Uh' date=' what?[/quote'] Post 44. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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