Ground Zero - columns by Jiffy Blakes

Thursday 14.9.2006 - Daily Comet
Ground Zero by Jiffy Blakes
"Come and follow the path to my kingdom"

Hey hey hey good readers. It's Jiffy Blakes back from Zigursky Penitentiary facility known mostly as 'The Zig'. It houses the criminals that our heroes have put behind the bars. All of us here in Paragon City face the fear of gangs which mug the good citizens in the broad daylight and conduct dangerous rituals in the dark of the night. But what happens when the fear strikes back at the criminals themselves?

Last night something happened in the Zig. Something that raises a lot of questions. Last night the Zig was the kingdom of nightmares. Last night the terror that grips the soul visited those that only a few of us would argue did not deserve it. Those facing their inner demons were the men who have terrorized us. The question is does it still make it right?

The higher echelons of the prison administration remain tighlipped of the whole affair. The investigation is on, statements will be given later. The instant truth was found down in the damp cells and forbidding corridors that lead to them. The truth was there in the plain view for all who cared to take a look. I was the only one.

At nine-thirty last evening it all began. Inmates who were in sleep started to mumble and shout, wail and trash. And they could not be woken up. Despite their cellmates' best efforts they remained bound to their dreamscapes. This happened in every wing, every ward. Except for those that were sealed against psionics. This also happened to those guards who were taking their rest period or were just derelict in their duty.

Was it an experiment in prisoner control conducted by the staff itself? Was it a retaliation of an embittered psychic hero? Was it a new show of power from that mysterious group that calls itself The Lost? A few hours after the incident answers do not yet exist. All that is known is that the mass nightmare lasted for an hour and a half and touched thousands of prisoner. Afterwards many had to be treated medically and even so refused to sleep again. I would not be surprised if the suicide numbers go up after this.

I saw a man tho had clawed out his left eye in his madness. I saw a man who had bashed his head repeatedly to the wall. There were a lot of men I did not have the chance to see. Even if the terror has now left the shock effects remain. Men huddled in groups repeating over and over things as if they were mantras or nursery rhymes. Things like 'Come to my Kingdom', 'Follow the path' and 'Laughing men, lust for pain'. Over and over. Some of them cried.

Whoever did this, for whatever reasons - they need to be found. Fear and terror is never acceptable. Not even against hardened criminals. If we take away their human rights we are no better than the worst of them. Still there is already in the air the sweet bleached stench of a whitewash. Mark my words no other paper will print a line about this.

And so a major crime goes again unpunished. Right here. In Paragon City. In the city of heroes.

It sickens me.

** Jiffy Blakes, Reporter on Heroic Affairs and free columnist, Daily Comet **

((brilliant dude, really liked it))

((Very good. And, now i have a reason for my new dream based hero to come in. Move out of the way, GS! Or maybe not... Pends how much i like him :P. But thanks anyway ))

((no chance, u r but one, we are many))

(( Ah,but Oniel has decades of experience, and he practises. His entire buisness is focused on dreams and he has the bloodline of powerful onieroncists. Experience over numbers ))

(( This has sparked some interest over PMs and stuff.

This isn't a Big Plot in itself, it's part of stuff that goes on and has been going on for some time now. Still 'a plot' might be the best word to describe this. You can all consider me as a GM for this plot, at least as far as getting information is concerned.

People are free to take part but a few things should be considered. The actions taken can cause one or more characters to be removed as playable IC characters due to various reasons. If you don't feel comfortable causing such a thing best not to get too involved. The other side of the coin is that any character who feels threatened by actions of others may take pre-emptive measures to secure their continual survival.

This is not to say that anything drastic is forced on anyone. However it pays to think in advance how far you might be willing to go if push comes to shove.

If anyone wishes to investigate the events please send me a forum PM. Describe your actions and ways you see relevant in obtaining information. I will use invented NPCs as sources, meaning you won't get to talk to the warden directly, but some frontman. This is for two reasons. 1) I don't have enought lore knowledge to say who are the established characters in the Zig and 2) lore characters are usually unkillable while totally invented NPCs are not.

I try to read and answer all PMs within one day but it's perfectly acceptable to prod me IG too by telling me there is a PM waiting. Global is @Coile. ))

((this is something jack would get involved in (or at least a member of his order all will be revealed) since my goddess as one of her titles is a godess of 'dreams'... i say this here cause... i... don't know what PM is lol))

((Oniel Onieros, Onieromancer and sorambulist extrordinare, will most certainly be getting involved. THIS is just too big to miss out on!))

((this may be difficult for Jack to attend due to an incident involving the circle, a thorn and a giant black dog named Crour Canis...))

[ QUOTE ]
((... i say this here cause... i... don't know what PM is lol))

[/ QUOTE ]

A PM is a Private Message, a message you can send directly to one person. Check under "My Home".

I was asked for more details how this works. The short and sweet answer: your activity is everything. All I need to know is who does what, how and what is the aim of the said actions. I will reply with results.

The longer answer is a repost of a guide written by Jisha during our SWG days. The examples would fit better if replaced with CoX related ones but the points come across still.

*************

(( Written by Jisha. ))

PLOTS FOR DUMMIES

One of the scariest words in roleplay jargon is ”plot”. We’ve nicked it from TV-series, or at least use it in the same way. Plots can run for a single episode (in our case, a single evening), or play our over weeks and months. Even initially single-night plots may spawn spin-off plots later.

Plots are also the hardest part of play for casual players to get involved in. Most think that unless you happen to be at one of those big one-night events, or have a GM willing to throw you hooks and pull you in, you don’t stand a chance. This isn’t true – you just need to know a few tricks.

The current text deals with how players can get into plots, interact with plots even if they can't make big online plot events, and generally get more out of the story-oriented side of roleplay. Eventually, there'll be a second guide for aspiring GM's on how to plan and run plots.



1) Use the Forums, Luke!
They’re the single best source of what’s happening in Phoenix and Be-Serat Slaret. We have sections for public announcements (where most events are announced), we have sections for rumours (where gossip on plot stuff gets posted), and we have IC chatboards. We also have the BSS Citizen grid chatroom in-game, which is IC. Skim these, pick up bits that might catch the interest of your character. Another good trick is to listen in at player events, and start following up on things you may hear there.

[ QUOTE ]
Posted in the [old] Phoenix Rumours section, Aug 19th: Those damn cats!

Someone's gonna have to do somethin about em.
Whaddaya mean, bout what? The damn-em-to-hell-tied-to-a-tree-an-burn-em cats! Tha' damn collection 'a jax kits that pansy-[censored] baker-gone-geneticist left behind! Left in a real hurry, 'e did ... didn't even take down tha' snack-stand he'd put up, the Corp jus' got militia go pull it down. Knowin' the mayor's temper, I'll betcha a few hirelings got their ears singed takin' the order, too... Wonder why the sucker took off like tha', anyway. Empire after 'im for tax evasion, maybe?
Anyway, the frickin' cats. Got left behind when the pansy shipped off, see, which was just fine an dandy while they was kits. Now they's gettin' ta be big ol' cats, and y'know how jaxes get when they go hungry. So far they's just stalkin' the vermin, diggin' up people's gardens an pissin' all over the place, but don't say I didn't warn ya when some poor sod passed out in a ditch gets is face chewed off. Or onea them rugrats the punters the Corp's got workin for it pop out ta share the joy'a livin' in this armpit a civilisation.
Come ta think of it, might be a job in that. Y'figure I could maybe get the town brass to cough up some creds for baggin' their rogue pussies?

((Hru Forra, Bothan trapper, over several beers at the Firebird's Nest))

[/ QUOTE ]

So, it’s a drunken Bothan complaining about stray cats. It’s also a hint that there’s a problem in town that needs dealing with. If you’re a hunter, you could head to the town authorities and offer your services. If you’re not, you could still talk to them about the town not doing it’s duty to protect the citizens. Either way, you have a reason to go talk to people, and let them get to know you.



2) Talk to people. Get interested.
So you have your info. PlayerX has been asking about rebels? PlayerY has been acting strangely ever since going in for medical treatment at a shady facility? OrganizationZ has been accused of being just a front for Imperial Black Ops? Hot damn. Maybe your character is out to make a personal profit out of blackmailing another player, maybe you want to help them instead, maybe you want to sign up with the big bad or join the good fight against it. How do you make that happen?

A news article in the Phoenix Call tells of the town being threatened by one gang and offered protection by another. The article mentions several player characters, who have been present for these events. What can you do to get involved? Well … that’s the wrong question. The real one is, how do you want to be involved?
* Maybe your character is the heroic type, always ready to help the underdog. Would it be like him to seek out some of the players named in the article, find out a little more about the situation, and maybe eventually offer his help in defending the town from the gangs?
* Maybe you’re a negotiator type. Again, study the situation by talking to people, maybe contact the GM’s for any additional info your character can dig up about the gangs, and try to resolve the situation peacefully.
* You’re a noncombatant, and scared silly by the gang threat? Then raise hell! Send the Phoenix Call and town officials letters from a concerned citizen. Badger them in person. Or stand up, and try to organize the people who can fight to do so. Or, if you’re really scared … call the GM’s, and tell them you’ll sell out to the gangs and spy for them, because if you’re useful they won’t hurt you.
* Or … maybe you’re a no-good mercenary, who doesn’t really care as long as there’s cash in it for him. Call the town, get hired as protection. Or call the gangs, and hire out to them, as muscle or a spy. Or go all the way, and do both. Just make sure you have a fast speeder at hand, in case you’re found out.



3) Ask questions. Ask more questions.
This is the trick. The game world is part what the game engine shows us, part the plot elements, NPC’s and other things us roleplayers make up to populate it with. Only the game engine part is there 24/7. The other part you get at by talking to people. Ask questions – IC from other players if it makes sense to do that, or OOC from players or GM’s.

Player: “I’m mightily [censored] off at this corp. I want to get back at them – but they’re too big for me to take them on alone. I need allies … I’m gonna start looking for other enemies of the organization.”
GM: “Well, public info on the Holonet says they have a lot of financial competitors. They have problems with gangs in one of their colonies.”
Player: “What about the unofficial word? I can’t hack stuff, but I got reasonable bounty hunter contacts … not above bribing people, or getting them drunk for info, either.”
GM: “There’s a gang rumour on the streets … A Tatooine gang was in a few months back, to torch a lab owned by the corp. It got hushed up, not even a mention in the holomags. Gang’s called GangY”
Player: “Bingo – does the guy know where on Tatooine they hang?”
GM: “No, but someone in Mos Eisley probably will – that’s the obvious place to find criminals on Tat.”
Player: “Right. I head over, find a bar, ask the bartender. They usually know who comes and goes. Moderately generous credchip on the counter with the question.”
GM: “He tells you you’re late, GangY’s fallen apart. Most of their people migrated to a criminal freehold town, and joined what passes for law-enforcement there.”
Player: “Eh? I know that town … or well, I know a guy in the force there. Time to go talk to him, I figure…”



4) GM’s lie IC.
Your investigation succeeds! You get your answers. They’re not what you thought they’d be. What does this prove? Either that you were wrong … or that some of the information you’ve found is tainted. Misleading IC information is one of a GM’s best tools – just because your character is told something doesn’t mean it’s true.

OOC fact: Ben murders Bill
OOC fact: Bob had a fight with Bill the same night, in front of witnesses
IC announcement by GMs: Bill’s dead! He had a fight with Bob, and afterwards Bob followed him home and killed him! With a hacksaw!

Players who didn’t know Bill or Bob will probably not give a damn. Players who did know one of both of them might have a hard time with this. Time to ask those questions: what’s the case against Bob, really? What kind of evidence is there? Does anyone else have a motive, or the opportunity?
Most of the time, GM’s will give out information and suggest the most obvious way to interpret it. A lot of the time it’ll be true. Sometimes … it’ll be a secret, just waiting for players to chase it down.



5) GM’s never lie OOC.
So the GM’s lie. Is playing a total waste of time then, because they can just make up stuff on the fly? Are the GM’s just messing with us because they can?
No, and no. OOC facts are hammered in stone and do not change. IC information is usually twisted for a reason. Maybe the IC source of the information may not have all the facts? Maybe they have their own opinions of how things are. Maybe they have reasons to lie. Whatever the case, you can find out. Just grab a GM, and start asking questions.

Player: “Okay. So Bill’s dead, and Bob had a fight with him.”
GM: “Yeah. It was loud, and Bill hit Bob at the end. A lot of people at the bar saw and heard it.”
Player: “Ok … then one of the waitresses on shift that night can probably tell me if Bob followed Bill out. I’ll kinda slip a tenner across the table, to make it worth her while.”
GM: “She pockets the money and says Bob left about an hour later. By then, he’d cooled down a lot. Said he was gonna go home and sleep it off, and apologise to Bill in the morning. Ben told him not to be an idiot, Bill was dead wrong.”
Player: “So Ben was in on the fight too, huh? I wonder when he left the bar…”

Friday 22.9.2006 - Daily Comet
Ground Zero by Jiffy Blakes
"We don't dare to print that"

Hey hey hey, readers. It's again Jiffy Blakes at the epicenter of mayhem. Today I'm going to talk publishing politics, censorshit and the struggle against destabilizing organizations in our city.

Some time ago I got whiff of a major effort by our most prominent hero organizations against an unnamed target. It was supposed to be something big, plenty of groups pooling together to make a big strike. I took to the streets to find out more.

What I found was some foul attitudes by the hero crowd but after I got past the hostility there was a bonanza of exciting operations going on. The target at the time was the Freakshow. I got an interview, I made the story - and my editor backed down. Went on all fours and bent over in fear of retaliation.

My story got shelved and to drive the point home I spent the next two months on a foreign assigment. Two glorious months making notes about how Hero Corps established an office in Uruguay. The point that was made was "do not write about sensitive matters, do not draw fire". That's cowardice in my book. I still am not allowed to write about all the things I see going down in the Heroic Affairs section. I abide by the office policy.

Ground Zero is my pedestal. Here I can shout out what's on my mind. Here I can take names and get down to business. Maybe it's time to shake things a bit, what do you think?

So, the Freakshow was the target back then. Those cybered up weirdos who have traded their hands for mallets and scythes, who sport an 80's punk look and fart electricity. Do you ever wonder how they blow their noses? Do you think they will now hunt me down for making fun of them? Calling them names? Fear works only against the timid.

Heroes don't worry about that, and neither do journalists. Not true heroes or true journalists anyway. We tackle the problems and conquer them. Heroes by taking out the thugs and me by telling you how it is. Oh, you are all shaking in your pants, is he going to write about Hellions bumming around in Galaxy City? Let me tell you who my next target is.

Crey Industries.

You people love them. You use their products and by doing so endorse their brand of evil. Only thing that they do better than public relations is making damaging evidence vanish along with the people who uncover the truth. It's time to shed some light into the darkness that is the Crey.

There is a hero that has been taking out Crey operations that they themselves always dub as "rogue elements". I will look that hero up and interview her. Ask questions about what she has encountered. About the so called Paragon Protectors. Then I will load the story to you.

Be on a lookout for when the nuke goes off in the middle of the Crey empire. There will be a new Ground Zero. What remains will be the Truth.

** Jiffy Blakes, Reporter on Heroic Affairs and free columnist, Daily Comet **

Friday 27.10.2006 - Daily Comet
Ground Zero by Jiffy Blakes
"She blew up my home!"

Last Sunday a tragedy occurred. No doubt several took place but I will discuss one in particular. As usual people are drawn to matters which make news, not necessarily to matters that matter. The event I will discuss made news.

A lone hero met with a lone villain on the rooftop of Triton Tower in Siren's Call. They fought as a newshelicopter caught the action on tape and on the tape was caught also the end where the top five floors were engulfed in flames as a large scale detonation rocked the surrounding areas.

Police reports have so far indicated that there were explosives planted into the building. The detonation was planned. The current theory is that the hero mined the place in order to kill her opponent as well as herself.

I will not mention their names. I will not talk about their affiliations to supergroups or to persons. In fact their personal lives don't interest me one bit although in that regard it feels I am alone. I'm talking about priciples here and mixing names in would give the event a face. For those with a low brow interests and hunger for trash there is enough yellow press floating around among the sewage.

A building was destroyed deliberately in the name of stopping a mass murderer. I will bet my annual income that no thought was given about the building in question. Siren's Call has been evacuated for two years since Sunburst died washing the neighbourhood with radiation and fallout. Since then the zone has been partially opened for clean-up. The big idea is to make Siren's Call habitable again. For the former residents to return to their homes.

The house that is now more in ruins than standing was a home to people. Their dreams of resuming their lives where they had lived in some cases for decades went out in a hail of rubble as Triton Tower's top rained around the landscape. Someone made a call and these people's lives changed irrevocably.

Accidents happen. Some people disagree but I believe that when superpowered beings are involved it is realistic to expect occasional collateral damage. It is part of life. The pinnacle of this line of thinking is Sunburst's demise and the destruction of Siren's Call. The difference between the events two years ago and last Sunday were that the recent incident was carried out with forethought. It was no mishap.

That is a way I can not condone. Wanton destruction belongs to the villains, not to heroes. Their purpose is to protect us from those who give no regard to common decency, not to commit to the follies of their enemies. Ends do not justify the means.

This is a reminder to all the heroes who carry on serving and protecting us as their license mandates - consider the repercussions of your actions. You are responsible for harnessing a tremendous amount of power and it should not be misused. Don't let your call for truth and thirst for justice blind you from the big picture.

If you can't deal with it, the ferry to Rogue Isles leaves tonight. I can cough up the dough for a one way fare.

Friday 22.12.2006 - Daily Comet
Ground Zero by Jiffy Blakes
"Consider me miss merry vigilante"

Today I will talk about a certain brand of hero that operates on the thin, grey fringe area of what's acceptable - the vigilante.

You know the type. Dark, brooding, alone, driven. Mad. They all start out all daring and courageous. They have this mission you see, probably about revenge. They hit the streets with fervor and start making a name that is to be feared and respected by the evil-doers. Public loves them, they are the fluffy lovable rogues taking down punks that your usual heroes are too busy to deal with. Press dresses them as mascots for the public consumption.

Then there happens a minute shift. A new flavour of the month magazine cover girl takes over and the vigilante is past their prime. They commit follies all the time but suddenly that becomes the news. Pressure builds and there is a [censored]-up. They become overnight the enemy. Tabloids spray them devils and public cries out for their blood. The hunt begins. Police starts taking potshots at them and heroes add them on their arrest agenda.

At this point the ones with survival instinct head out to Rogue Isles to avoid the law. Those without make their last stand and fall. Those who survive are put into Zig and those who don't get buried in Dark Astoria just to get at least someone to attend their funeral.

That's the usual story.

Last night I met the new generation of vigilante. They are the ones who make the stand, take the fall and still persevere. In their fall they lose their dark brooding doom and gloom and become the hippy generation of unlawful heroism.

They rely on their friends and also protect them. They can even plan the future with a certain someone. In a word they are no longer alone. They are happy and they dream. Their mission agenda is less strict and the aim no longer is a singular wish to gun down a special target.

They go the full circle from airhead barbies to murderers to fallen to redeemed. The circle completes but as a spiral. They evolve. They become merry vigilantes.

They are the future, you brooders out there. It's Christmas time. Go to your families, I assure you the dark alleyways survive without you lurking about a few days. Go and be merry. New year's is coming and now's your chance to make resolutions. How about less gloom and more cheer for two-double-oh-seven? Evolve to the new generation or get gunned down as a relic of the old.

Peaceful Christmas to all, and best of luck to miss merry vigilante. Here's hoping your prospective SO finds his way.

** Jiffy Blakes, Reporter on Heroic Affairs and free columnist, Daily Comet **

(( Same in graphics: CLICKY ))

(( There is an editorial in Daily Comet today. Accessible through the link. Please note that if you have no tolerance for bad words, do not click. ))

Solid Core (1.2.2007)