This is becoming a problem. And until resolved, if it can be resolved, I will not be responding to this post for some time. Not that this post is usable, as it has provided no indication or need of action.
TheMOCingbird, your writing lacks clarity in regards to the space/map of the area and location of things. Along with minor failures of continuity and larger issues of world forces acting contrary to their logic. For demonstration, we will be going through this post by post when each issue appears.
First off is the opening post itself. Others had already pointed out the most immediate (potential) contradiction here regarding the sun. However, I don’t believe the others, even yourself, realized why this was confusing and a problem.
Your post says, quote,
This statement, taken as written, means that the characters could appear anywhere. They don’t have to be inside the ship, just underneath some debris of the ship. Which implies that the ship is significantly damaged, later supported by Duke’s comments about the ship being unstable. However, nothing was provided to the players (at start) to show or describe just how damaged the ship is or its current position.
Without such crucial information, players couuld only assume that they’re inside the ship. The narrative opening also implies that they should be inside the ship still. Since it was stated that they remember the alarms and the ship going down. Hence the confusion for how they could see the sun while also being entombed in metal. It sure sounds like they’re still inside.
So let’s say your intention was for them to still be inside a piece of the ship. There are few locations, unless the ship is significantly more damaged than described at this point, where both being trapped by rubble but also in view of the sky is possible. After all, Venator-class Star Destroyers are mostly hangars with massive doors and little else. Meaning most would have their characters appear somewhere in the hangars.
This confusion could have been easily avoided if either:
A. Picked a location(s) for where all the clones would start. You partially did this already by specifying what they could see (sun, sky) and their current predicament (under rubble). At that point, you might as well had them all in one spot or a few premade areas with random selection.
B. If sticking with the players deciding where their clones ended up, the map needs to be more clear. As in option A, you could have a couple preset locations to make it easier. Or, at a minimum, properly describe how wrecked the ship is and some visual aid. The characters won’t know the state of the ship yet, but it doesn’t do the players any good if they don’t know.
In this topic, this conversation somewhat clarified with the following.
That is information we really need, and honestly still need, to better understand what’s going on. For where the clones first wake up, and how they need to respond depending on ship orientation, and later as they travel around it. A more exact image and/or description is really needed.
First, Wannabe appears and location is not specified. Bravebird and Quips post next, both in the hangar; Wannabe is suddenly specified as being in the hangar. And then they hear Tesz’s cries for help…from where, exactly? Is she also in the hangar? By the hangar?
So, she’s by the remnants of the bridge. But the trio are still in the hangar. And they can hear her, even quickly get to her, but even the furthest back the hangar goes is still quite a distance from the bridge. Not to mention needing to get out of the hangar first and then get to that area. Is there a nice, big clean hole in the back? How did this event happen? Is the Venator not only in pieces, but those pieces laying on top of each other?
There is no clear sense of space here. How, from the hangar, did they so easily get outside, to the bridge, and to the Jedi?
Graphite is trapped somewhere, unspecified. Saddle, in corridor and then hangar. Rescues Graphite from further in the hangar, must have missed the other group of clones. I guess no-one did a good look around.
Rook, unspecified. Legacy, quarters/sleeping area. Captain Duke manifests in crew’s quarters, evidently near Rook and Legacy. Boomstick, unspecified, but somehow not far from the the group near the Padawan. Buoy, unspecified.
Speaking of Buoy.
A fun note to clarify and further prove the issue. I didn’t have Buoy appear inside the ship and thinking he was drowning as a stroke of subversive genius. No, the only reason I didn’t have him appear in water was due to the opening’s wording and it sounding like they were in the ship. That and being trapped under rubble and underwater would have sucked.
It also being a jungle planet, and not particularly certain on what type, I didn’t know if there were any bodies of water anyway. We don’t know where the ship crashed or what the surrounding area is really like. Even now it’s still vague. Debatable how far around the crash site should have been described at the start, but could have helped. Further details expanded as clones start exploring.
As another brief aside, it was questioned why Viego Norr was potentially on the wrong bridge.
“The port (left) tower was the starfighter command bridge, while the starboard (right) tower served as a standard helm and command bridge.”–Wookieepedia
wild_toa is incorrect as to which bridge the General was on. He was on the command bridge. Probably a simple error due to the image provided earlier and thinking of the ship in the wrong direction.
Now back to our regular programming.
Duke, Legacy, and Rook head for the armory. Buoy heads for the front, reports in that he’s nearing it. Quips, Bravebird, Wannabe, and Tesz all head to rescue the General, except for Boomstick. Who decides to meet up with Duke somehow teleports from outside the ship, by a bridge, and inside the ship’s armory.
Buoy makes it to the front, Saddle and Graphite not long after. With a brief discussion, Buoy informs Duke that Vulture Droids are coming at the front. He does not tell Duke of any clones aside from himself being at the front. Which makes this pretty awkward.
Duke doesn’t know Saddle is at the front. Why does he ask Saddle? He should be asking Buoy, the only one who reported his location and the droids in that moment.
Duke knows: Saddle (first), Legacy (second), Rook (met, name not given until much later, only learned due to Legacy asking), Buoy (fourth), Bravebird (five, informs of Quips, Boomstick, Tesz, and Wannabe). He knows Buoy is at the front, doesn’t know about Graphite nor his location at the front with Saddle (whom he also doesn’t know is up there). He knows the other group has disobeyed orders to rescue the General and are by the bridges.
Though back with the Vulture Droids, their positioning is unclear and their behavior is unusual.
Based on this post, the three Vultures sound like they’re returning from wherever they came from. Possibly ignoring the three clones, at the very least moving back out into their view. It’s possible the “doubling back” means they’re circling around the Venator, but it’s unclear.
With that said, I’m not entire certain how the other Vultures knew one of their own had died. It’s possible they heard the blaster fire or have something in them to notice when a squad mate is down. Seems a bit unlikely, but at least they’re staying together as they should…oh wait!
Briefly back with some of the others, Duke and friends leave the armory. They eventually make it into the hangars and then from the hangars they’re out…somewhere. Evidently 25 yards or more away from the front. Now this part is more directed at wild_toa, but to the GM more clarifications or corrections should have been given.
How does this happen? Where are you guys? How do you know the droids will be there? How far from the ship do you have to even run to get a shot at them? Who are you talking to? The buddies you left behind? Very confusing.
Wait wait wait. It survived? How? Even if barely caught, that’s still an explosion. If a Vulture’s wing is damaged it’s going down. How is this thing still flying?
I’m sorry, but why is it doing that? Its bro just got shot with a rocket. It should be helping it take on the attackers. Remember, they’re swarm fighters, they would stick together.
And, even if they didn’t for some reason, why would it continue going towards the front? Clearly, the attackers moved further down and probably aren’t at the front anymore. There’s no reason this droid would think to go this way, it’s plot contrivance.
But also, what? Where are we again? Are they at the front? Near the front? If this is the front, then the droids shouldn’t have split up at all. Clearly, all the attackers are right here and just shot at you. TheMOCingbird, you later said there’s a decent distance between them and Graphite, so what gives? Where is this?
Which makes this post all the more confusing.
For some reason, it came over here and just randomly started shooting. Somehow, neither Buoy or Saddle saw it coming over. Up until the rocket shot, as far as we knew, the vultures were still closer to the back of the ship. But they, like also maybe Duke’s group, are just at the front?
And what do you expect us to do with this post? Is the fire truly random? Why would I, or Keps, have our characters take a hit? Maybe our characters can’t tell if the Vulture sees them, but we as the players should know to better respond to the scene.
I wasn’t even going to respond to that post, but I did anyways hoping for clarity. Also to make it look like I wasn’t ignoring your game, since I responded to other ones.
But at this point, it is unacceptable. It is unclear where everything is, the enemies are not behaving as they would in canon (or rational thought at all), and it is unclear what sort of response you are wanting from us.