I'm assuming that those of us without weapons are at a disadvantage? :(

Why? The weaponry will run out -- there aren't any extra clips in space -- and everyone will be getting, for lack of a better word, powers. Don't worry, you'll be able to properly fight the alien threat :)

With mind bullets!

Cecil has five (physical) bullets. He has no intention of using them all up too quickly.

In order to fight properly, we're going to have to deal with at least one, and probably more, aliens in a purely physical manner. And then only after taking out the shield server, which will probably raise an alarm of some sort, drawing more aliens that we will have to fight through in order to reach the two mental power suppression ETs, who, if smart, will be as far apart as possible, in an inaccessible place, surrounded by heavily armed guards. Powers or no, we're going to need weapons of some kind, even if we have to make them ourselves, or send the humanity society down dirt-side for ammo runs, if not just outright make more ammo using some kind of rapid prototyping/minifacturing system.

The aliens hold all the cards so long as the server is up. They're practically immortal. We can do nothing to them, but they can do whatever they want to us. Powers, weapons, anything. It's only once the server is down and the specialists are dead that we are on relatively equal ground, and they still have home field advantage and the advantage of numbers. So we have to be cunning, sneaky, and ruthless. We'll have to infiltrate each section without being detected, and disable the server. Once it's down, then we have a chance to fight back physically. If we're smart, we'll have a plan to assassinate the specialists as soon as the shields go down. Once all this is done, then all we have to worry about is the enraged alien horde descending down upon us.

Now do it without weapons and explosives.

Assuming that the aliens themselves don't have weapons that the players can get a hold of, or use.

True. All I'm saying is that we're going to need some kind of implement suitable for causing physical damage to our enemies. Until we get them, all we have is what we brought with us, and frankly, Jason is going to trust a 357. magnum or a 30-06. more then a piece of alien tech, because he knows how it works, and can fix it should it get pooched in a firefight. With the alien tech, he'd have to drop it for another, which could get tricky in a shootout. If there's any way he could get more ammo for his weapons, he's going to go for it for the reasons stated.

I'm not so sure that fighting will be nearly as important as you seem to be implying, balthazar. There's all sorts of options to try before actually resorting to combat. And even if we end up fighting; not all weapons need ammunition - if Cecil had known a bit more about what he was getting into, he would have packed a knife.

Fighting will be important, just maybe not all that frequent. If we can achieve our objectives without being detected, so much the better, but I get the feeling that there will be lots of fighting. Once that sever goes down, all hell is going to break loose, and that server is going to have to go down if we get detected. We can't even use our powers to help us as long as the specialists are still conscious and breathing, again, requiring us to destroy or otherwise disable the server, raising an alarm. As for melee weapons, are you wiling to take on an army with only a knife and/or a length of pipe? Though, if you want, Jason can loan Cecil a knife.

Cecil's not going one-on-one against an army, no matter what weapons he's carrying. Against a single strategic alien target, like one of the power-blockers? He'd rather go in with a knife than without a knife, especially if it saves him a bullet to use later.

And therein lies the problem. Jason just might decide to go mano-a-mano against an army. I guess the best thing we can do is wait for Lady W. to explain some more about how this physical combat stuff is going to work, and whether or not there is some kind of firearm analog involved.

So given that Jethro was a Controlled, and because it was getting downright tiring to write his accent, I intend to play a different character. So weatherwax, I surrender his roleplay to you, should you decide to bring him in as an enemy NPC...

I'm toying with the idea of playing as a child. He/she'd be at a massive physical disadvantage, though.

Just a few days, my pretties. I think I've sussed out the main powers/tasks to my desire. Still starting on Saturday, as I'm trying to work on the ol' thesis during the week. I tend to post during work hours which is WRONG and BAD. Still, things should truck along nicely after the kick-off.

This story/game does have an ending, so don't think when the plot twists around that it's an attempt to keep things going perpetually.

I think the only time there might be a pause in gameplay is from July 7 -- 12, with spotty replies from 12 -18. I'm standing in a wedding and was a major planner in bachelorette duties, and then a friend will be visiting me for about a week after the nupitals. After that, depending on how long this game lasts, I'll give you a head's up if I'm required away from the game.

If you don't post for more than 2 weeks, consider your character Controlled! This is a game where everyone will have to work together, as your powers compliment each other. Not playing means you've fallen behind or are dead weight. OF COURSE there are exceptions for RL getting in the way. Just post if you can't get to the game for a while.

I'll say up front that I'll be absent from June 27 through July 2, as I'll be up in the mountains with the scouts with no Internet access. (Well, I'll have my phone, but reception will be somewhere between poor and nonexistent, and since I'll have no way to charge it, I'll probably be leaving the wi-fi turned off, when the phone's on at all.)