Color me intrigued. I've been thinking about looking for a SG, and I'm a fan of all things sci-fi. I haven't filed an application yet, but I'll give some thought to a character concept. In the meantime, a question and a contribution...
I'm always in "lite-RP" mode while playing - I enjoy talking in-character and try to bend OOC topics into IC talk - but I've never done what I would call "heavy" roleplaying, so I'm not sure what that means here. What are your hopes or requirements for SG-members contributing stories? Are you hoping for in-game, out-of-mission dialogue; AE mission arcs; forum stories; something else?
Here's an idea for allowing some characters to start in Nova Praetoria, some in Atlas Park or Galaxy City, and some on Mercy Island:
"Campaign Prologue: Flash! Thunder!"
"When Liberty Ascendant activated its emergency evacuation sequence, it was still caught in the event horizon of the dimensional rift. The matter-transmission streams were inadvertently split between two different Earths and, in a "snafu" reminiscent of the Allied airborne landings in Normandy, the crew were scattered hither and thither. Armed only with their wits and whatever equipment they could grab during the chaos of the evacuation, the crew members must orient themselves, locate each other, and reach their hastily-described rally point - Talos Island."
1. This allows players to start characters in any of the 3 starting zones, at their discretion. Honestly, I might rather eat a raw habañero than roll another low-level toon Blue-side. 
2. This means the campaign proper won't really start until characters are 20th level, for better or for worse. The good part is that it allows us to give our characters a test-drive; no one wants to commit to a SG and then discover that the character we created is no fun to play. The bad part is that anyone who wants to get the RP rolling sooner than 20th level can only hook up with whichever of their ship-mates happened to drop in the same location, and some of those crewmates may be lost before reaching the rally point (this could be seen as an RP opportunity too, I suppose, allowing crewmates from different departments, who may never have interacted aboard ship, to meet and learn to work together).
3. Why Talos Island? (A) I believe Praetorians arrive on Primal Earth there. Mine did, at any rate. (B) It's a hub zone, with a Wentworth's, a vault, and an entrance to Pocket D. (C) It's a level-20-to-27 zone, so the group could jump right into some pre-written content, if they wanted to. (D) Personal bias. I just happen to like it. I also like Dark Astoria and Striga Isle. 
4. The title I chose is a reference to the Allied airborne landing in Normandy in 1944, when the paratroopers were scattered all over the countryside. "Flash" and "Thunder" were the call-and-response code words given to the paratroopers so they could find each other in the dark. If you haven't seen it, I recommend the television series "Band of Brothers", particularly the episode "Day of Days."
5. "SNAFU" was an acronym, used by American soldiers at least as early as World War II, for "Situation Normal: All [Fouled] Up." The crew of Liberty Ascendant can probably relate to that sentiment.
Wow. Colour me impressed, excellent lore crafting, I'll make some modifications to the story on our forums and throw this in.
As for your query concerning the heavy RP, my definition is that it reflects in characters power choices, name, costumes and SG team play - outside of SG teams you can RP how you want.
Most interaction will probably be done in base and in written stories on the forums, with the possibility of AE arcs created as the story and SG advances.
Copied from our forums, again if you're interested, sign up.
Chapter 0: Flash! Thunder!
In 2010 a spacial rift was detected above the Earth. Vanguard forces were put on alert and began tracking the object that emerged with various long ranged weaponry. Heroes and Villains alike around the world paused in their day to day life, expecting the worst, another Rikti mothership, or at long last The Coming Storm.
High in orbit the Heavy Cruiser Liberty Ascendant registered weapons tracking its position and prepared its own weapons, prepared to decimate all threats. Only quick thinking on behalf of Positron, who opened up communications with both the ship and Vanguard forces, prevented what would have been an apocalyptic occurrence for both parties.
The Liberty Ascendant was a Heavy Cruiser stationed in Earth orbit in a parallel dimension, serving as a part of that dimensions version of Vanguard, the United Earth Defence Corps (UEDC). In their own dimension they detected an unknown object heading for the planet, and after identification and communications failed, they opened up with all the heavy weapons at their disposal. An unknown chain reaction occured causing a rift in space, dragging the ship and the crew into an interdimensional rift.
The ship itself arrived in the Primal Earth dimension, with the ships AI Libby taking helm control and putting into standard orbit. However while in transit the ship suffered damage to the fusion reactor core, causing automatic evacuation procedures to be initalized. Still caught in the interdimensional rift, some crew were transported to Primal Earth at random locations around the world, while others materialized in the world known as Praetoria.
As Captain James Caine was unable to be found by the ships AI, Libby utilized her acting position as C/O and arranged a diplomatic treaty with the UN and Vanguard. In exchange for a mutual stand-down and free access to the Earth for the purposes of research and materials to find a way to return home, the Liberty Ascendant was drafted into orbital security detail, to interact with Vanguard to protect the Earth from global threats.
As the current situation now stands, the Liberty Ascendant is cut off from all her crew, with Libby overseeing repairs to the ship, via automated drones. In a "snafu" reminiscent of the Allied airborne landings in Normandy, the crew are scattered hither and thither. Armed only with their wits and whatever equipment they could grab during the chaos of the evacuation, the crew members must orient themselves, locate each other, and reach their hastily-described rally point - Talos Island.
Suggestions for Potential shipboard divisions:
Medic Corps: A group dedicated to the defense and healing of their fellow crewmates, specializing in field triage and other defensive combat measures.
Research Division: While the Engineering branch is the rough and dirty backbone of the ship that keeps the existing technology working like a charm, those in Research Division are the neater, more clinical thinkers who study, research, and develop new tech (or new spells/wards for the Mage's branch) for the ship's crew.
Aerial Corps: those soldiers who, either through their own means or some form of technology (rocket boots, wings, small fighter ships) take to the sky rather than the land. They defend the Liberty Ascendant from the air while the Marines take the ground. (This could also mean a cool hangar type area in the ship/base filled with those Longbow flier vehicles, as well as innate rivalry among them and the Marines, which is fairly traditional in real and fictional militaries)
Communications Division: skilled linguists and communicators as well as able diplomats, they are the first to make contact with a new force or organization (and where the ones to initially make contact with Primal Earth under the Captain's orders and help negotiate a solution).
I was messing around with some uniform ideas. I'm not in love with any of these, but maybe something I've done here will spark an idea for someone else.
If it were up to me, I would ditch the "War Mage Division." It doesn't really fit the science fiction theme, to my ear/eye, unless you want to go "space fantasy" like Star Wars or Warhammer 40,000. Lots of weird powers can be explained as either technological or psychic, like the Biotics in Mass Effect. And I don't have a problem with the fact that certain power sets are difficult to squeeze into the SG's template - Thugs, Necromancy, Demon Summoning, and Ninja Masterminds, for example, would strike me as odd choices based on what's been outlined so far.
Except in the dimension this group comes from, they're part of Vanguard, and Vanguard does have its own mages to counter the Rikti that study magic.
Good point.
Hmm, not feelin' those costumes....
"So put up or shut up, Spartan!"
Alright, I will.
http://i55.tinypic.com/21ooa5s.jpg
Marines, Technicians, Covert Ops
http://i55.tinypic.com/2q1e9o0.jpg
Officer formal, Enlisted formal, Ship Security Division
I've taken liberties with booster items here and there, but mostly in places where individual flair can be added. The formal male officer's uniform can be altered in case the player doesn't have the science booster. A good alternative would be using the official shirt and award ribbons, or, if you insist on a more "class A" like look, the military decorated coat works just as well. That way, you can still wear a tie.
"People who take offense to IC actions OOCly need to learn to differentiate between the two... Or change their damn meds."
I definitely like where this is going.
Although with my current school arrangements I don't know how "heavy" I can be besides weekends. But, I will fill out a application anyway.
And I do like the costumes that Spartan posted too.
Marine suggestion:
This seems to be shaping up pretty well. I may roll a few characters to see if I can get hooked on a powerset/division concept.
On that note, have you decided on any kind of naming standards? IE real names, codenames or nicknames, serial numbers... 
Spartan has the right idea with costumes. I'm actually using one (or at least very similar) on my toon.
As for naming, I'd stick to actual names, nicknames and codenames.
Example Character, John "The Hammer" Smith, Master Gunnery Sgt and all around badass.
Names could be:
John Smith
John Hammer
The Hammer
But I would avoid rank in names, as it denies promotions / demotions in RP - unless you want to pay for a rename.
Quickly threw together a Covert Ops outfit
[x]
Planning on making him a stalker if I can decide on a reasonable powerset, if not going with DP Defender. Always wanted to make a DP.
Oddly enough, the acronym UEDC was used in Robotech of all things...
Of course, there it stood for United Earth Defense Council.
Comrade Smersh, KGB Special Section 8 50 Inv/Fire, Fire/Rad, BS/WP, SD/SS, AR/EM
Other 50s: Plant/Thorn, Bots/Traps, DB/SR, MA/Regen, Rad/Dark - All on Virtue.
-Don't just rebel, build a better world, comrade! Highly interested. Let me know at @Arch_archer about anythang and everythang.
(V)Thomas Peterson -- The Plain Walker(H)
I made my own costume ideas, just for fun:
War Mage:
Marine:
Covert Ops:
Engineer:
I'll roll a character once some of the uniforms get solidified and some kind of close-to-final idea for the ship's division gets up.
My brute just crossed into Paragon, so I'm ready to roll when you are.
"People who take offense to IC actions OOCly need to learn to differentiate between the two... Or change their damn meds."
Quote:
Almost got my MM to Paragon, will be setting it up in the next few days.
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Originally Posted by The_Spartan
My brute just crossed into Paragon, so I'm ready to roll when you are.
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Cooool
Hola, compadres. I've been thinking about trying out a Stalker of some kind as my next Praetorian character. If you think a Stalker would be appropriate for this SG, I could build him with that in mind (name, costume, background, etc). Do you think a Stalker would be an appropriate AT? They're all melee so except for Temp Powers, guns and grenades and stuff aren't an option.
If a Stalker would be a good addition to the group, I'm thinking Claws, Electrical Melee or Energy Melee, and Regeneration, Electric Armor or Energy Armor would fit the theme best (Science or Tech Origin, as appropriate). Martial Arts and Ninjutsu seem popular too, for a Natural Origin, but I'm not sure they fit the theme as well. I haven't ever played a Stalker before, so if there's any substantive difference between these sets, I'd be happy to consider opinions on them before choosing (I'll probably peruse the Stalker forum and guides too, fwiw).
Also, Travel Powers:
1. Is there a particular Travel Power that I should be aiming for? Some people like a themed SG to be uniform. There aren't any Travel Powers I loathe, and they all have a prerequisite I can use, so my choice of Travel Power is always a thematic one.
2. I found a travel power completely unnecessary on my first trip through Praetoria, and if I don't need one, I won't get one. We could, as a group, do the Atlas Park and Kings Row Safeguard missions and get the Raptor and Zero-G Packs. Those each last for 2 hours of usage (e.g. when they're turned off, they don't run down the timer). I did that with my villain, who's now 29th level and has used only about half of each. He also has a Rocket Pack Invention Recipe that he can build for himself when the Raptor Pack finally dies. He may never need to get an actual Travel Power.
3. The Steel Canyon Safeguard mission gets you the Summon Teammates Group Recall temp power, which lasts 24 hours of in-game time, whether you use it or not; we could do that one individually, as needed by the SG, so that 1 or 2 of us always has it available.
4. For inter-zone travel, the SG Base teleporters, the Midnighter's Club, and the Ouroboros Gate will eventually be available to us too.
More costume ideas.
- I didn't like the look of any of the Claws options. The metallic gauntlets pictured here would be for Electric Melee or Energy Melee. If I went with Martial Arts, I would go bare-handed or gloves instead of gauntlets.
- The high-tech belt in the first one is his Cloaking Device; #2 doesn't have one, he's just sneaky; and #3 & 4 have it integrated into a full-body Stealth Suit.
- The eye-pieces in #1 & #4 are cybernetic implants; #2 & 3 just wear helmets. I tried #3 with a "blast shield" visor, but it looked too much like a motorcycle helmet.
- I'm not in love with the camo in #2, although I think the shorter boots look better than the higher ones in #1.
- I just realized I should've varied the belt options in 2, 3 & 4, but oh well.
- I tried Army-green and SWAT-blue versions of these gray-scales, but I wasn't impressed with either.
Quote:
Not fussed as long as you keep it to a reason.|
Originally Posted by Hundred_Nations
Also, Travel Powers:
1. Is there a particular Travel Power that I should be aiming for? Some people like a themed SG to be uniform. There aren't any Travel Powers I loathe, and they all have a prerequisite I can use, so my choice of Travel Power is always a thematic one. 2. I found a travel power completely unnecessary on my first trip through Praetoria, and if I don't need one, I won't get one. We could, as a group, do the Atlas Park and Kings Row Safeguard missions and get the Raptor and Zero-G Packs. Those each last for 2 hours of usage (e.g. when they're turned off, they don't run down the timer). I did that with my villain, who's now 29th level and has used only about half of each. He also has a Rocket Pack Invention Recipe that he can build for himself when the Raptor Pack finally dies. He may never need to get an actual Travel Power. 3. The Steel Canyon Safeguard mission gets you the Summon Teammates Group Recall temp power, which lasts 24 hours of in-game time, whether you use it or not; we could do that one individually, as needed by the SG, so that 1 or 2 of us always has it available. 4. For inter-zone travel, the SG Base teleporters, the Midnighter's Club, and the Ouroboros Gate will eventually be available to us too. |
Examples:
Super jump because you have armor/enchancements in your body that give you greater leg strength.
Flight because you're a war mage or you have rocket boots.
Teleportation because you have a short range teleporter device, or eventually, access to the ships teleportation system to to short jumps.
And so on. As long as there is a rough reason there won't be much of a problem since travel powers are almost a necessity in CoX.
So what's the status on this?
The above is a rough list, I'm still looking for assistance over on our forums for storybuilding, but it should give you a rough idea with what to work on.