The Energon Pub

Hey all,

Figured I introduce myself to the other players and discuss a few concerns I have coming in that I hope can be put to the side should I find a character with enough weight to them.

Been in pen and paper RPGs for almost two full decades, as of late I have been heavily involved in Vampire: The Masquerade. I've done a handful of RPG discussions on youtube and have been involved in online RPGs for the better part of four years over skype, google hangouts, and other vox chats.

I was brought here after reading More Than Meets The Eye, which I found fascinating as the G1 cartoon was the basis of my experience to Transformers(Particularly Ravage and Megatron), then seeing what has been done with the simple 80s cartoon and brought to something more complex and compelling. With that in mind I set out to see if there was any RPGs writen for pen and paper style games set in the Transformers universe and that lead to finding this forum.

The transformers I tend to lean towards tend to be Combiners, which probably doesn't bode well for me. I find the concept fascinating from an RPG standpoint, because it is the requirement of many individuals to put aside their own grievances, and internal struggles over control can become intense as many minds are forced into a 'push-me-pull-you' style relationship, which can lead to very interesting internal politicing and force conflicts that drive personal story archs that can have a lasting impact.

I am about to go and get through some of the threads that have been played out, and am trying to find the point in the Transformers history that these games are played in. As far as the method of play, could someone give me a quick rundown as to how you tend to play out events? Is it very freeform or is it run by a single or handful of game masters?

Anyway, that's a small snippet to introduce myself and how I came to be here. I look forward to working with many of you.

Nice for you to join us, MacabreDerek. We are just getting started into the special teams\combiners tech. Devestator and Monstructor are the only Decepticon ones in existence currently. An early version of Comptron just came online in the last few posts in its thread. Monstructor and Computron are in the Convergence thread while Devestator is in Sol System forum. The Aerialbots and Protectobots will be tested very shortly to see if they qualify to become their respective gestalts. We are NOT using the Enigma of Combination instead we are constructing them like they were in the early Marvel comics and G1 TV show. The origins won't be the same but the method will be. As for the rest of the Con gestalts, they'll be along in due time. I play Hot Spot of the Protectobots, Skydive for the Aerialbots, Nosecone of Technobots, and Seawing of the Seacons. Check the list to see who is all available. I have a thing for special teams\combiners myself. We do not allow any one player to handle an entire special team on a permanent basis.

As for your question on who runs this, the mods do have final say on story ideas and will if needed take control of characters to move along arcs which are moving too slow. You can ask the mods to do an arc and depending on how deep it is, it may get approved without issue or they may say they got too many on the plate right now. How the characters interact in the arc is totally up to the players unless they are key characters. Those get guided a bit more by the mods but even then still up to the player. From what I know, we rarely have a board wide arc which ties most if not all characters into it. I think we just got done with our last one not too long ago so most of the arcs are individuals.

MacabreDerek wrote:The transformers I tend to lean towards tend to be Combiners, which probably doesn't bode well for me. I find the concept fascinating from an RPG standpoint, because it is the requirement of many individuals to put aside their own grievances, and internal struggles over control can become intense as many minds are forced into a 'push-me-pull-you' style relationship, which can lead to very interesting internal politicing and force conflicts that drive personal story archs that can have a lasting impact.

I am about to go and get through some of the threads that have been played out, and am trying to find the point in the Transformers history that these games are played in. As far as the method of play, could someone give me a quick rundown as to how you tend to play out events? Is it very freeform or is it run by a single or handful of game masters?

Hi and welcome MacabreDerek! May I call you Derek or Macabre for short?

Regarding your queries about gestalts. Sumo gave you the run down, but I'll attempt as well. Our game universe is based on a mix of G1 and the IDW comics primarily, though we have snippets of other continuities thrown in for good measure.

Combiners are constructed as Sumo stated. We currently have Devastator, which has much of the push-pull dynamic that you seem to want from it. On the contrary, Monstructor, the only other combiner currently active, functions more as an individual than a collective. Computron is not technically active at the moment. There is a...version of him, but he is not open to his team posting for him due to certain circumstances of story.

There are also teams who may soon become combiners, which have available positions. Aerialbots, Protectobots, Seacons, Terrorcons, Combaticons, Predacons, Stunticons to name a few. The Monstercons also have openings in their roster if Monstructor appeals to you. Unfortunately, I believe a lot of the Constructicons have been taken. You would have to check if they interested you. Also note that if a character is listed as an NPC, you can apply for them.

This RPG tends to be fairly freeform, I find. Plots are constructed by its participants. There are large overarching events that need moderator approval, of course. But you can build up to something using your characters and work to further things on your end that way.

Threads are location based and we all live in the same timeline as well. Which means one character is only ever going to be in one thread at any given one time. The timeline that we are currently in is four million years after the start of the Great War. We've only just arrived on Earth and have not made contact with the humans as of yet.

Recent plot points to note on Earth:
- The demigod known as the Fallen possessed the Autobot Hot Rod and lead a group of heralds, trying to bring about the extinction of the Cybertronian race. He was stopped due to a truce between Autobots and Decepticons.
- Optimus Prime and Megatron were missing long before the Fallen incident. They've only just returned and both are in Autobot custody. The Decepticons are not aware of this fact.
- Ultra Magnus leads the Autobots on Earth and Razorclaw leads the Decepticons.

Recent plot points to note in the Convergence (Scorponok's Fleet):
- The Decepticons have seized the Autobot prison known as Garrus 9, and have released Jhaixus who was being held prisoner in the Rig.
- Jhaixus was put to work perfecting the Monstructor Six after their defeat at the hands of Overlord.
- Jhiaxus examined several Autobots and Decepticons for their compatibility to the combiner process.
- Omega Supreme fled Garrus 9 with Aequitas and made his way to the Sol System.
- Jhaixus has incapacitated the vast majority of the Decepticon forces and now has the Technobot combiner designated Logicor and Monstructor at his beck and call.

Recent plot points to note in the Kol System (Thunderclash and Skyquake):
- Thunderclash and his Autobots have been captured and taken aboard the Nemesis.
- Skyquake extracted a map from Thunderclash that supposedly leads to the Knights of Cybertron.
- Elita One and a few other of her forces have infiltrated the Nemesis and seek to free the Autobot prisoners.

I think that about covers it. Let me know if you have anymore questions or you need help finding a character you like! I'd love to help!

Appreciate the quick responses.

So as I understand it, no one is old enough to remember the beginnings of the Transformers, but is the original uprising and the death of the senate still fairly common knowledge or was it something that only the originals would know and any characters and fanmades coming in would not be completely aware of due to being activated in the middle of the conflict?

You can call me Mac, Derek, Macabre, MacabreDerek, MD, or.... Well, we just met ;P

Mostly worried as I do not have an overtly extensive knowledge of the world, but am very interested in seeing what kind of RP prospects are in the Transformer's universe.

Sounds like you guys are developing your own history though, so that is probably for the better, as you are dictating what is cannon and what is not.

As it stands, I am mostly trying to figure out the details to the two characters I am working on. Quite frankly I dont feel right in playing someone else's creation that already is established in the cannon. It's one thing to take what is effectively a blank slate and put your own spin on it, but it's another to take a character beloved by many and worrying about portraying it badly. Since I do not have an intimate knowledge of the characters in what needs to be portrayed, it feels like a minefield I should avoid.

There would be a few that would remember past, say Sentinel Prime. The Monstructor Six were constructed during the reign of Nova Prime. They are fairly old comparatively. Cyclonus, Jhaixus and others were also online at that time.

Of course, Omega Supreme and Metroplex are even older than that, and Alpha Trion is conceivably older than them. It gets a little hazy the further back you go.

Most Cybertronians remember the senate and its corruption. Some even remember Sentinel who came before Zeta Prime. There are some who were warborn, but fanmades do no necessarily have to be warborn. They can be as old enough to have lived some before the war broke out. We even have some Camiens.

As for not wanting to play a canon character, I can empathize with that, but many here would be happy for you to take on a canon role. I felt the same when I first started out. But now I play Optimus Prime. I got over it.

Still, if you are uncomfortable, I'm happy to assist in fixing up any original characters you might want to start with.

At first I was concerned about portraying a cannon-character wrong as well. However, all you really need to do to avoid that is to read the profile first before applying, and sometimes it's also helpful to go to somewhere like TFwiki to also read up on the character's original incarnation (usually G1). Pretty much all that needs to be done is to write them how the character is described, but you can also add your own flavor.

Constructicon Bonecrusher for example; my first character to pick up on here; is a bit random with how he acts. The description described him as having a high temper that makes him do stupid things, and that's about it. I have added a bit to him however that makes him calmer in some situations when he is still trying to figure out what's going on, and then he'll just suddenly become a bull in a china shop. It makes him slightly more unpredictable, and does also make him more of a interesting character. Bonecrusher is constantly boiling with rage on the inside, it's just a matter of him trying to figure out where to direct it. And when something pushes his buttons, that a lot of times is the unfortunate target. Even though he may not be very smart, he still knows that attacking other Decepticons is not always a very smart thing to do. But like the profile says, he doesn't always listen to good reasoning. (Sorry Swindle)

MacabreDerek wrote:So as I understand it, no one is old enough to remember the beginnings of the Transformers,

I think it was established above that Sid is.

And I'm even older than him.

Psychout wrote:

MacabreDerek wrote:So as I understand it, no one is old enough to remember the beginnings of the Transformers,

I think it was established above that Sid is.

And I'm even older than him.

Ha!

*stabs*

Insidious wrote:
Ha!

*stabs*

Ha!

You missed all my vital organs!

They're kept in a jar over there on the mantlepiece.

Psychout wrote:They're kept in a jar over there on the mantlepiece.

Huh. I was wondering what the cat kept getting into at night. Well, who needs a liver anyways, right?

I'd figure by now that both of our livers would be well pickled anyway.

As you can tell, we may take our RPG fairly serious but as players we like to cut up would it be by jokes or cutting each other up with knives. I enjoy a good sword fight but a properly placed grenade always works.

**Walks behind Pschout and drops a grenade between his legs knowing he won't lose too vital of body parts.**

sumowrestler wrote:As you can tell, we may take our RPG fairly serious but as players we like to cut up would it be by jokes or cutting each other up with knives. I enjoy a good sword fight but a properly placed grenade always works.

**Walks behind Pschout and drops a grenade between his legs knowing he won't lose too vital of body parts.**

*shouts, pounces on it, and then wraps grenade with my torso and arms*

...well, you guys have got him well trained.

I will leave all my RPG characters and account to Autobot N.

*blows up*

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Ah well.

This was my plan all along! To become a ghost so I can have more power!!!

*Autobot N shows up*

No! Wait! I was joking about you taking my account! NOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Heroic acts are for those who have no self esteem.

Friends and fellow writers of the board, we are joined here today to remember the loss of SillySpringer. His sacrifice to save Steve's nether-regions from Sumo's second attempt at Transformer-based erotica is one we shall remember for years to come. Your sacrifice to these forums will not be in vain...



Alright, time for mourning is over. Back to work!

We can rebuild him. We have the technology.

*grabs some duct tape*

Alright, let's do this thing.

Smokescreen85 wrote:We can rebuild him. We have the technology.

I mean I'm more than sure we do, it's just I'm on a bit of a budget trying to save for a vacation in March. This might set us back...

Foximus wrote:*grabs some duct tape*

See, Fox has the right idea.

Foximus wrote:*grabs some duct tape*

Alright, let's do this thing.

[youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/embed/pY7nx5Z6Kzo[/youtube]

Thanks Fox. Two essential tools for fixing anything: Duct tape and WD-40. (The WD-40 was to guarantee I don't get arthritis within the next hundred years.)

So I am comping at the bit to get the characters I am working on in and rolling. Any thoughts on how to contain my boredom outside of doing their design in photoshop for the tenth time today?

MacabreDerek wrote:So I am comping at the bit to get the characters I am working on in and rolling. Any thoughts on how to contain my boredom outside of doing their design in photoshop for the tenth time today?

You can practice voices for them in the mirror.