[a / b / c / d / e / f / g / gif / h / hr / k / m / o / p / r / s / t / u / v / vg / w / wg] [i / ic] [r9k] [cm / hm / y] [3 / adv / an / cgl / ck / co / diy / fa / fit / hc / int / jp / lit / mlp / mu / n / po / pol / sci / soc / sp / tg / toy / trv / tv / vp / x] [rs] [status / ? / @] [Settings] [Home]
Board:  
Settings   Home
4chan
/qst/ - Quests


File: anode season 2 clear.png (241 KB, 600x600)
241 KB
241 KB PNG
Prior Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/1387570/
Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Maverick%20Hunter%20Quest
The IRC: suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com, #MHQ
The Twitter: https://twitter.com/HunterCommand
The Recap (thanks to Scarab): http://pastebin.com/wMtuXJM2
Character sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18-L31ukeOd_0XvfqErwY7GogqiwMU8zyIYfXxjTUb-c/

You are maverick hunter Anode, and you are finally--finally--home.
>>
>>1502990
Arc managed to give you something resembling a nervous grin when you finally trudged back into the 15th’s base camp--you realize dimly that it had advanced a few dozen meters from where you first left it, and a few craters here and there suggest that Mortarphant had at least something to say to their attacks. But with all the fatigue crashing down on you at once, you didn’t exactly stop to chat with her.

Just as well, it turns out, you’re in the kind of shape where the Lifesavers are too busy fixing you to chew you out for getting that way in the first place. Time unlatches from sense and you’re content to just… sit there, a while, thinking about your latest brush with death on the greatest job ever.

Three hours. Three hours you were huddled in that hole, waiting for any second to be your last.

...And then there’s Sabomole, he’s on you, too. You hope the poor bastard is okay.

You realize it’s been a while since you heard or felt the numbed buzz of precision scalpelwork on your armor, and look up to find yourself in the medbay alone. Almost on cue, you receive a ping of a new contact in your mail.

I4115//signal trace fail
THE SLEDGE.

THE REFORGED HAMMER WILL NOT BREAK TWICE.

BE THEIR SWORD, AND EIGHT WILL BE YOUR ARMOR.

>THE RIDER. THE FORTUNATE. THE KNIGHT. THE SLAYER. THE PEACOCK. THE LANCER.

… Terrific.

>
>>
>>1502991
>THE FORTUNATE
>>
Happy memorial day weekend, all.

This one has some plot ground to cover, and, of course, upgrades. If I'm honest I hope they take a good long while, I could use the rest.

Such as it is.
>>
>>1502991
>THE SLAYER
>>
>>1502991
>THE KNIGHT
>>
File: Warframe0001.jpg (1.18 MB, 1920x1080)
1.18 MB
1.18 MB JPG
>>1502991
>THE SLAYER

Yay new thread, double yay for landing on a weekend where I don't have work.

In other news, Hunter operations have officially expanded into the Origin system recently.
>>
>>1502991
>THE FORTUNATE

Maybe it will pertain to Seven?
>>
>>1502991
The slayer
>>
>>1502991
>The Knight
It said sword in the cryptic hint might as well see where this takes us.
Good to see you up and running HC.
>>
>>1502991
>THE LANCER.
>>
>>1502991

>THE LANCER
>>
File: Maverick Hunter Quest.png (1.99 MB, 984x1492)
1.99 MB
1.99 MB PNG
>>1502991
>The Knight

Welcome back.
>>
>>1502991
>THE FORTUNATE

>>1502994
I am prepared to make upgrade discussions take as long as you need.
>>
>>1502991
>THE FORTUNATE

Howdy HC.
>>
>>1502991
>THE FORTUNATE
>>
>>1502991
>THE FORTUNATE
>>
>all these votes for the fortunate

>it ain't me starts playing in the distance
>>
>>1502991
>THE SLEDGE.
>THE REFORGED HAMMER WILL NOT BREAK TWICE.
>BE THEIR SWORD, AND EIGHT WILL BE YOUR ARMOR.

This suggests that when we do a mission with the 8th that we should focus on being the offense while they focus on defense.
>>
>>1502991
>THE FORTUNATE
>>
>>1503087
It also suggests that Frog is now immortal and unstoppable, which is a nice change of pace.
>>
>>1502991
>THE FORTUNATE

Hope the upgrades include armor or a big boom.

We almost died here if the elephant didn't alienate her own allies we would be dead.

This kind of opponents... they are too much for us.

We should have taken that pension.
>>
>>1503092
Doesn't say he won't go Maverick though, so get ready to hate his newfound immortality!
>>
>>1503098
We've branched out of canon. At this point, I'm pretty sure Anode is literally the only Reploid alive or dead that isn't coming after us as a mav, X included.

...you know, until the Anode Hunters or whatever make a Shadow Anode.
>>
>>1503093
>We almost died here if the elephant didn't alienate her own allies we would be dead.
>This kind of opponents... they are too much for us.

It was a (not completely) surprise S+ rank that interfered. If that beetle had not been there we would have been fine.
>>
>>1503078
>I ain't no Weissritter's son
>>
>>1502991
>THE KNIGHT
There we go.
>>
>>1503102
Shadow Anode. Hmm. Seems like he already has a counterpart, but she's not Maverick yet...
>>
File: 1487009317867.png (50 KB, 548x546)
50 KB
50 KB PNG
>>1503165
Don't you dare imply that.
>>
>>1502991
Right, be really nice to the eighth, got it.
>THE SLAYER
>>
File: Foxfire sketch.jpg (135 KB, 381x401)
135 KB
135 KB JPG
>>1502991
You’re silent for a moment, eyes glazing at the words glowing back up at you.

Finally, you key your response.

>THE FORTUNATE.

Nothing, for a moment, and then:

ACKNOWLEDGED.

>Who i

As you type the response, your screen blinks briefly, and then--

CONTACT LOST

Right.

You sigh and close the message, noting two more… from the same damn sender.

S. FOXFIRE: So wubsy, word is energy weapons defense are about to turn a corner. That turtle-thingy may not be long for this world... (March of technology: Tumult Shell is losing effectiveness)
S. FOXFIRE: Got another shipment of parts with the numbers filed off. They’re waiting in your room. Don’t ask me how I got them in there. (Soul Foxfire has sent along motorization components. These parts can be directed to either the Crossmore rebuild or to India’s jet project. These parts will make the Crossmore (blade configuration) available for remobilization.)

...Well, that, and one more.

R&DNOREPLY@MHHQ: Your parts order has come in and been delivered to 4th Overland’s lab.

That’ll be your next move, you suppose. You head to the lab--alarmed for a moment how empty the place is, before you remember with a start that the barracks have moved. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.

The lab space is still here, for now. You wonder if you’ll be sharing with other units if they ever move the whole base. You enjoy the quiet while you have it, still feeling somewhat withdrawn after your long hell-slog home.

A technician is dispatched, and in the ten minutes of waiting, you receive another notification. Oh, payday.

Combat mission and retirement of target: 15000
Hazard Pay (Artillery approach): 30000
Hazard Pay (enemy reinforcements): 5000
Opening of combat theater: 10000
Reclamation of occupied base: 10000
Bounty (DNA Mimic): 15000 (5000/head)
Intel (“PHANTOM” group): 5000
Command Commission: 7500
Gift of gratitude (Enfillade Shellephant): 1000
Total: 98,500 zenny

GRAND TOTAL: Z100,003
>>
File: HmmUpgrades.png (53 KB, 250x219)
53 KB
53 KB PNG
>>1503311
UPGRADES:
You have received Blueshift: Anode can now channel Capacitor energy into the Jump Jet to shift the flame wreathe into ionized plasma, providing greater speed, force, and damage.


OPTIONS:
Blaster Shell: Stock VWES option. A high-powered explosive shell with long range. Slow rate of fire. 16 shots.

Blaster Launcher: By installing a hardpoint into Anode’s shoulder, the larger barrel and more stable firing configuration will allow a longer range, higher-power shell. Though mounting a shoulder cannon will slightly reduce Anode’s overall mobility, any created shoulder weapons will be removeable before fielding. In general, shoulder-mount weapons do not consume a VWES slot, and exceptions will be noted. This particular weapon has no ammunition limit.

Shell Driver: By retooling the mortar component and shaping the warhead, this weapon allows for a far superior effective range--a shot is loaded into the buster and “charged” for distance, looping into OPAL to indicate its arrival point. In the time the weapon is socketed into the buster, that hand is unusable. However, it can double as an explosive melee punch--literally--that does not inflict any damage on Anode, even if a shell is detonated by incoming fire. In addition, due to the accelerant of the weapon itself having nowhere to go, the weapon provides immense recoil, likely launching the target (and Anode!) away unless braced beforehand. While the initial recoil is not absorbed, the kinetic impact from landing is not, providing additional capacitor charge. Anode can also pair it with the Mass Shriver to remain fixed firmly in place and send his target off on a joyride. 8 shots.

Other options:
Armor upgrade: Requires estimate. This would be a major endoconstructive overhaul of Anode’s combat plating and necessitate some downtime.
Buster: Refire Rate (82K), Additional Charge Level (161K)
Shielding: Shield Strength (40K), Increased Phase Margin (47K), Thermal Diffusion Algorithm (42K)
VWES Upgrades:
-General: Additional Ammo (20K)
-Tension Coil: Charge Capacity (50K), Wire Reclaim (50K), Fast Zipline (35K), Improved Conductivity (25K), Nonlethalized Braid (25K)
-Tumult Shell: Snapper (45K)
-Blackout Rocket: Blowpast (42K)
-Lockon Hunter: Recalibration (33K)

Other:
Misericorde: Refinements (TBD), Spiderbite (TBD)
Jump Jet: Refinements (35K)
Hardpoint: Installation (30K)
Point-Defense Drone: (55K)
Capacitor Saber Pack (50K)

Details available upon request.

UPGRADE VOTING: Bear in mind these are going to be majority by category, not majority combination.

MORTARPHANT UPGRADES:
>Blaster Shell
>Blaster Launcher
>Shell Driver
>Other?

OTHER UPGRADES:
>As requested and open to discussion.

MOTORIZATION COMPONENTS:
>Send to Crossmore rebuild
>Send to India
>>
>>1503315
>Blaster Launcher
XCOM tells me that this is very yes.
>Send to India
Must make waifu happy.
>>
>>1503315
Can we have more details re. the misericorde upgrades?
>>
>>1503315
> Shell Driver
We really need to focus more on melee, and this is great melee utility weapon for Anode.
> Shielding: Thermal Diffusion Algorithm
Its only a matter of time until we get hit with something like this again
> Send to Crossmore rebuild
>>
>>1503315
Information requests:

>Shielding: Thermal Diffusion Algorithm (42K)
>Tumult Shell: Snapper (45K)
Cost for dealing with the march of technology also requested
>Blackout Rocket: Blowpast (42K)
>Lockon Hunter: Recalibration (33K)

Initial thoughts regarding Mortarphant data are taking a bit of a liking to the Blaster Launcher, because not eating a VWES slot and no ammo to fuck with. Depends a lot on how slight that mobility reduction is.

As for the motorization components, the 8th would almost certainly appreciate the Crossmore, but getting India back in the sky would be a major gamechanger
>>
>>1503315
/r/ing further info on Increased Phase Margin, Wire Reclaim, Improved Conductivity, Snapper, Blowpast, and Point-Defense Drone
>>
>>1503324
>Shell Driver

>>1503324
Its not an Xcom Blaster Launcher (i.e. not a super Rocket Launcher). It is Vile's Shoulder Cannon.
>>
>>1503363
>Vile's Shoulder Cannon.
I love that thing! My vote's staying the same.
>>
>>1503315
>Shell Driver
>Send to India

Waiting for details on other upgrades before anything else.
>>
>>1503315
>Shell Driver
This might not actually be the most useful upgrade we can choose here but goddamn it sounds fun.
Though I wonder what options we would have if we wanted to reinforce the tumult shells

>see about misericorde refinement
>give parts to jet lady
>>
>>1503315
>Blaster Launcher
It basically gives us more VWES configurations with little to no downside. I think our design will look hideous afterwards though. We'll look too cluttered.
>give parts to India
It might just save our skin
>>
>>1503315
>Send to India
For personal and tactical reasons. Eighth has just been reinstated; they've got lots of resources. For all her wealth, India is in danger of being downsized. She needs it more.

>Shell Driver
This looks like a blast to use, but I'd also like to ask about some other alternatives.
Specifically, Mortarphant used a lot of missiles. Would anything in the recovered DNA be viable as a sort of missile/torpedo weapon? We have a couple water missions in our future, and if we get dunked, I'd think artillery won't be quite as useful as something self-propelled.

Details please:
>Jump Jet: Refinements (35K)
>-Tension Coil: Nonlethalized Braid (25K)
I thought TC was already nonlethal, as long as we fire the coil with the razor edges still folded inward. Is this like a lasso? I warn you, I will always vote for cowboy upgrades, just on basic instinct.
>>
File: x_and_zero.jpg (95 KB, 321x400)
95 KB
95 KB JPG
Misericorde upgrades could make the device more stable and/or wieldy, you’ll need to have it assessed by an expert, but generally they will trend towards making it better as a weapon, more effective at what it does, or retune it to be a less volatile weapon. Your expert assessment is coming shortly.

Shielding: Increased Phase Margin (47K) increases invulnerability window by 71 milliseconds.
Thermal Diffusion Algorithm (42K) decreases shield drain caused by thermal attacks.

(Remember that upgrades to systems are usually iterative--upping invuln by a tiny fraction now will let you improve it further to get more noticeable grace period windows.)

Tumult Shell: “Snapper” upgrade improves the density (and thus endurance) of the shell, and causes it to shatter when expired, releasing explosive compressed energy from impacts taken in transit.

Blackout Rocket: “Blowpast” upgrade would allow the payload to penetrate energy barriers even if the rocket impacts on one. This can damage enemies such as Barrier Attackers who are physically fragile but hide behind thick shielding.

Lockon Hunter: Recalibration could allow half-strength laser shots to consume less weapon energy, allowing 32 weaker lasers (with the same long range), 16 regular, or 8 overcharged.

Tension Coil: Wire Reclaim: Regain half the weapon energy used. Does not reclaim charged shots. Z50,000.
Improved Conductivity: The wires can already channel electricity, this makes them better at doing so. Z25,000.

Point-defense drone: As it stands, Anode's DNA doesn't support drones. Adding a drone component with market-standard autonomous systems would run Z55,000 zenny, even before the addition of any other customization.
>>
File: dammit.png (390 KB, 781x750)
390 KB
390 KB PNG
>>1503433
Jump Jet: Small optimizations would pave the way to later upgrades--a small increase in distance traveled, for now, could lead to faster recharge times or even the construction of additional booster vents built flush within your chassis. Starts at Z35,000.

T. Coil is still lethal, most noticeably when actually straining against it, which pushes the monofilaments out. Nonlethalized Braid: Removes the bladed braid. Can still do damage by striking with the charged variant (if you get one). Z25,000.
>>
>>1503435
Get snapper, help the shell stay competitive.
>>
To my previous vote, adding
>Blackout Rocket 'Blowout'
>Lockon Hunter recalibration
>>
>>1503315

>Blaster Launcher: Making a shoulder unit means it doesn't have to fight for VWES space.

>Shielding: One of them, don't really care which

Don't bother with upgrading the shell, we have limited slots and haven't been taking it already.

> Other: Jump jets refinements
>>
>>1503435
>Thermal Diffusion Algorithm (42K) decreases shield drain caused by thermal attacks.

So increased resistance versus fire? Or does this also include ice?
>>
>>1503462
I'd guess that it's probably only fire. Seems like it'd be Thermal/Cryo Diffusion Algorithm if it included ice. That's just my guess though.
>>
>>1503462
>>1503464
It does help against both extremes, yes.
>>
>>1503471
Oh, neat.
>>
>>1503471

Ok, the I don't think we need it now, but I think we should grab it before the Gibbon.
>>
>>1503315
Eh, gonna play it fairly frugal after all.

Upgrades:
>Shell Driver
>Increased Phase Margin

Motorization Components:
>Send to India

Also, think we could chip in for Sabomole to get some counseling or something? Poor guy's probably a mess by now.
>>
>>1503484
Seconding this. He's just a civilian, he shouldn't be having to deal with sadistic cephalopods and psychotic pachyderms.
>>
>>1503497
Yup. Agreed.
>>
>>1503484
>Also, think we could chip in for Sabomole to get some counseling or something?
Maybe we can see if there's a therapist offering a 2 for 1 deal!

That said, should probably also send a message of condolences to Compass' unit. At least Sabomole came out alive.
>>
>>1503315
Shell Driver or Blaster Launcher both have uses, That massive melee kick with skriver can open the enemy up for range attacks or throwing them onto terrain. Like sending bosses into spikes. Of course, having that heavy launcher means we can fire from THREE guns at once. Always a handy thing and frees up a VWES slot. We are already crazy mobile, so the hit isn't so bad.
>>1503440
We got the jump jet things on the Sabomole upgrade options.
>>
>>1503484
Great, soon he can join the "My Therapist is Dead" club.
>>
File: MHQ.png (44 KB, 418x455)
44 KB
44 KB PNG
>>1503315
>Blaster Launcher
>Jump Jet: Refinements (35K)
>Hardpoint: Installation (30K)

>Send to India

Also new edit
>>
File: bleah.png (836 KB, 900x659)
836 KB
836 KB PNG
>>1503523
Yeah, I somehow completely forgot you guys got the first upgrade for the jets.

Stand by a while, need to go note-hunting.
>>
>>1503435
>send to india

>Shell Driver

>jump jet

I figure we're fast enough and durable enough that we can close the distance from all but the longest of long range enemies and if that's the case they'd probably outrange us anyways.
>>
>>1503098
That doesn't sound like exactly what I would do and/or already did surprise.

Also hello everyone.
>>
>>1503535
sup Cain, last I heard HC killed you with puns
>>
File: S2 Mission Select V5.png (196 KB, 941x660)
196 KB
196 KB PNG
>>1503525
Also updated mission select
>>
this is a rather tame thread, normally when upgrades are involved their's more blood on the floor over what we should or shouldn't buy.

Also it's the 7th that's the air force right? Think they would buy india's jets to bolster their forces? I mean it takes YEARS to build reploids but only a few months to train someone to fly a jet so it could open it up for humans to let them fill their ranks quicker while they wait for those replacement reploids to show up in the mail.
>>
>>1503311
>S. FOXFIRE: So wubsy, word is energy weapons defense are about to turn a corner. That turtle-thingy may not be long for this world... (March of technology: Tumult Shell is losing effectiveness)

Just to dissect this for a second: "Something" is being developed that is going to make energy weapons much less effective. Tumult shell will be mostly redundant, since it's mostly geared towards blocking/deflecting energy weapons. Not much point upgrading it anymore. It should still come in useful against Stellar Atlantica and Glacier Gibbon, though, since they're best known for their laser optics.

The other side of this, though: It's also a good reason not to upgrade the lockon hunter or our busters, in the near future. We need to know what this new development is first, to plan around it.

I wonder if this is what made Collide so resistant to busters and the laser? Maybe he's made with similar cutting-edge technology, and we just happened to get a sneak preview before the nerds could break the news.
>>
>>1503566
Mortarphant's upgrade is pretty simple and both special options provide amazing combos. An unlimited ranged heavy weapon, or something with far more bang that can be used in melee or range and works with both OPAL and Skiver. Both are free as well, so it's not bad.
Shield strength and Phase Margin are both good. Taking more damage and our invincibility lasting longer means combo strikes or death by 1000 cuts are less an issue.
We'll need to look at the Armor Upgrade some time as well. Knowing how much that'll cost can give us an idea.
>>
>>1503598
>works with both OPAL and Skiver
>Skiver
X5 isn't for a while, you know
>>
>>1503315
While going full Vile is tempting, I'm worried that we'll have to stand still momentarily each time we shoot the Blaster Launcher like the aforementioned. Will this be the case?
>>
>>1503611
Shriver. Autocorrect Cuckoo likely got him.
>>
File: Shell Driver.gif (682 KB, 273x231)
682 KB
682 KB GIF
>>1503315
MORTARPHANT UPGRADES:
>Blaster Launcher

We're already among the most mobile Hunters, and the Blueshift ought to cover any mobility drop caused by a shoulder cannon. Plus, another heavy long-range option might come in handy on our S mission. Sometimes you just need more gun, and with it another VWES slot.

I won't cry if we get Shell Driver, though. Pic related.

OTHER OPTIONS:
>Armor upgrade: Requires estimate.
Get that estimate. Collide shrugged off an absurd amount and we ought to get a piece of that.
>Hardpoint: Installation (30K)
Required for the Launcher.

VWES UPGRADES:
>Tension Coil: Improved Conductivity (25K)
Mavericks call us Livewire. This'll make us livelier, and gives us a harder shock in melee range.

Save the remaining 55,003z for whatever the armor cost will be.

MOTORIZATION COMPONENTS:
>Send to India
She's been waiting.
>>
>>1503624
You can fire it while moving, but for range and accuracy you'll want to be able to aim it.

Keep in mind, dynamic and kinetic combat is a big part of what makes MMX what it is. You're not going to go full Siege Tank.

... not with THIS upgrade, anyway.
>>
Any chance of taking the raw tumult shell DNA and turning it into something external and more specialized like a shield?
>>
File: hello.jpg (33 KB, 399x336)
33 KB
33 KB JPG
>>1503648
After locking the configuration, no, you no longer have DNA, you have weapons data. You can play with the data in a few ways or try to hybridize it, but no turning it back into the most adaptable form.
>>
>Blackout Rocket: “Blowpast” upgrade would allow the payload to penetrate energy barriers even if the rocket impacts on one. This can damage enemies such as Barrier Attackers who are physically fragile but hide behind thick shielding.

Does this apply to normal shields too? Being able deal scratch damage during Iframes would be amazing.
>>
>>1503435
UPGRADES:
You have received Blueshift: Anode can now channel Capacitor energy into the Jump Jet to shift the flame wreathe into ionized plasma, providing greater speed, force, and damage.
OPTIONS:
primary vote Shell Driver
secondary vote Blaster Launcher
Z100,003
Other options:
definatly get
Jump Jet: Refinements (35K)
-Lockon Hunter: Recalibration (33K)
would also suport
VWES Upgrades:
-General: Additional Ammo (20K)
-Tension Coil: Fast Zipline (35K), Improved Conductivity (25K)
Hardpoint: Installation (30K)

MOTORIZATION COMPONENTS:
>Send to India
>>
We already have jumpjet refinements, HC copypasted without taking it off.
>>
Alright, alright, bare with me here while I try to get a direction here. I'm digging Shell Driver just a bit more than Blaster Launcher. The rocket punch could be a big boon with keeping big aggressive guys off of us like Collide and possible Tanker later. They go in for a big charge like they tend to and find themselves moving backwards rapidly thanks to a Shiver Driver combo.

I definitely want Blowpast though, and a price check on getting upgrades for the Misericorde. Both of those weapons have gotten us through way too much to neglect in any capacity.
>>
>>1503668
>Tell me more about the Armor upgrade.
>>
I'm on my phone so I can't make a big post but the shell driver has my vote.
>>
Can we buy a second copy of Mortarphant's data?
>>
So here's my current lean (not a vote yet)

Hardpoint: Installation (30K)
Blaster Launcher
Blowpast (42K)

The hardpoint gives us another weapon slot, and the blaster launcher is an unlimited ammo heavy weapon - better and longer lasting than what we could get in VWES.

Blowpast upgrades our blackout rockets, which have been consistently useful. If it lets us deal damage through all shields (and not just dedicated shielders like barrier attackers), then it'll be at lot more effective at dealing damage against single target bosses in addition to its current status as a great debuff.
>>
If we go with the Blaster Launcher, can we have it looped into OPAL to improve its aiming on the go?
>>
>>1503904
That sounds good but we need more armor since the tumult shells have been "downgraded" recently. Also better armor doesn't take a VWD slot and is always with Anode.
>>
>>1503315
We'll need as much firepower variety as possible, so the Blaster Launcher being a separate weapon is a big plus. Installing a Hardpoint will be necessary to facilitate equipping the thing, too.
>Blaster Launcher
>Hardpoint: Installation (30K)

From there, we increase our defense against other thins, like heat and cold.
>Shielding: Thermal Diffusion Algorithm (42K)

Finally, to round things out, we should increase our VWES ammo count; don't want to run out of the good shit like Chaff or the Lockons too soon, after all.
>General: Additional Ammo (20K)

That should leave us with 8k Zenny for a rainy day.
>>
>>1503566
Is because we are in qst.
>>
>>1504141
Not just that. Upgrade arguments have been memed up a bunch. The only really major arguments were tied to the multiple threads it took to get Sol's data and that was because everyone was split between flame dash and murder sword, two very different options.

Motorphant's options are much closer together filling similar roles with many only having a slight preference of either Shell Driver or Blast Launcher over the other while accepting both.
>>
One thing to remember about mounted weapons is that if it gets destroyed. Its either gone for good or we need to pay to get it repaired.
>>
>>1504107
I would say put off thermal diffusion until later and additional ammo only works for one vwes at a time. I'd say going for better shields would be a smarter choice. Actually HC, would the snaper upgrade put the tumult shells back in front of the curve again?
>>
>>1504224
Is that really the case, though?
>>
>Hardpoint installation (30K)
>Blaster Launcher

>Blowpast (42K)
>General: Additional Ammo (20K)

>Send to India

I won't be mad if we get the Shell Driver, though. I just prefer the Blaster Launcher slightly more.
>>
>>1504107
>>1504307
What do you want to get the ammo upgrade for? It's a per-VWES thing.
>>
MORTARPHANT UPGRADE
Blaster Driver. That looks like overwhelming offense AND mobility if we use it right, with a charge gotten out of it to boot. Too good not to take, even at 8 shots and a slot.

OTHER OPTIONS
Tumult Shell: Snapper. Might as well get ahead of the curve on this one, and adding an offensive aspect to our mostly defensive/utility VWES entity seems like a good idea.

Improved Conductivity: We use our T. Coil a lot, and zapping is our bread and butter. Besides, we've got a name to live up to.

As for the parts... I think we should ask India where they should go. I think we could use that Crossmore for taking on Yamatoad, and thus possibly scoring jet stuff from his shipyard, but since it'd only give us blade (which is good but I don't think it'll be able to work off of our pretty awesome VWES loadout), will mean we'll have to get up close and personal to shit, and we're not really ride armor trained.
>>
File: Saetos support unit.jpg (1.5 MB, 1988x3056)
1.5 MB
1.5 MB JPG
>>
>>1504107
This works for me. Maybe we could see if our B team needs upgrades too? For next time of course.

"B team?"

"I hope you guys reach B rank someday."

"Ah ok."
>>
>>1503315
Upgrade:
>Blaster Launcher
We seriously need an offensive punch, and this won't seriously hamper our mobility.

Other:
>Hardpoint: Installation (30K)
>Jump Jet: Refinements (35K)
98,500-65,000=33,500
hopeful that's enough for the potential miscorde upgrades.
>>
>>1504593
Heck, DNA mimics might be perfect targets for the team to take on. We might also be able to use it to justify HQ giving the Broken their own DNA upgrades.
>>
>>1504742
Maybe.
>>
Gentlemen, a thought occurred to me while looking at ideas. We could use the Launcer for rocket jumping.
>>
>>1504852
Don't think so. Shell Driver would though.
>>
Say. When our VWES entities become obsolete, does that carry over to the equipment the Bravely Broken sport?

Cause they're toting around those Tumult Shell shields.
>>
>>1505016
I think its more a degradation. (i.e. A rank weapon degrading to B rank) The Skippers were B ranks so them going to C pretty much made them obsolete as a VWES weapon.
>>
>>1504938
Rocket jumping is basically jumping off the blast. It just requires a big enough blast and the Launcher is even stronger than the standard VWES. It likely has recoil as well, which could be used for maneuvering as well. Should wait for HC before saying if it can or cannot though.
>>
>>1504852
We have a jetpack.
>>
>>1505119
No, Rocket/Grenade jumping is using the knockback effect of many FPS explosive weapons to move.

Only the Shell Driver has stated recoil.
>>
>>1505161
And? Could use that as well. Dash, jump, jump off explosion, use wire, and then jump jet. But in all seriousness, some strong, unlimited explosives can help us and using it in such ways help deal with the slight mobility drop.
>>1505183
And thats why I'm asking. The fact we needed to be on solid ground for better aim makes me think there is still kickback and recoil from making the shot. And the shell driver's knockback was likely mentioned due to it's incredible power.
Now, great power is nice, but we have been using a lot of low ammo weapons and they fall off quickly too. We got plenty of one shots, but our long term game isn't so good. The last mission showed that. We need some steady power that doesn't run out.
>>
>>1503315
>Blaster Launcher

SHOULDER CANNON. Seriously, it's a new weapon that doesn't take up a VWES slot. And maybe new data can allow us to develop new loadouts for it? This is just full of potential.

>Jumpjet refinements.
>Hardpoint installation.

Should deal with any loss of mobility. Beyond that, I'm open.
>>
>>1503315
Voting for the Blaster Launcher, and obviously as a result, the hardpoint install.

Also the Increase Phase Margin, I guess.
>>
>>1505312
Not only that but once we have that hardpoint installed we can put all kinds of stuff on there.
>>
>>1503315
What is the firerate on the Blaster Launcher? One every few seconds or so?

Also, sis is going to give us much a hard time about mounting a should cannon, especially if it winds up bigger than her guns.
>>
hey, if the shoulder mount is a standardized attachment system, does that mean there are some standard weapon/utility options, if our cannon isn't suitable for a mission?
>>
>>1505427
Well, it says that the cannon is removeable, and alludes to other options... I bet we can do all sorts of shit with that hardpoint.
>>
>>1503315
>Shell Driver
>Shielding: Thermal Diffusion Algorithm (42K)
>Tumult Shell: Snapper (45K)

>Send to India

> Donate to counseling as noted in thread if possible for Sabomole

If I missed something, feel free to let me know (I had to skip through the thread rather quickly)
>>
>>1504344
Wrenades, of course.
>>
File: is it counseling.png (347 KB, 549x353)
347 KB
347 KB PNG
Okay, back home, was visiting the family. Give me a little time to get caught up.

While I'm doing that, some clarifications:

1: The "expanded ammo" is per weapon, not a wholecloth upgrade.
2: Anode DOES have the improved Jump Jet, I managed to completely forget like a dingus. Now that I'm back I'll reconjure the expanded options.
>>
I'm for at least stabilizing the misericorde so it works underwater, seeing as how we have two naval missions to go still.
>>
File: youreadeadmotherfucker.png (866 KB, 800x700)
866 KB
866 KB PNG
>>1503713
No, just systems that circumvent direct damage via a secondary defense system.

>>1503736
Damn it, "Shriver Driver" is an awesome combo name. In retrospect, probably because of the Mass Driver pun in the first place.

>>1503784
Nada.

>>1503922
Yes.

>>1504224
>>1504280
Short version: Yes, but we're not going to go out of way to Rust Monster your gear. The worst you can typically expect would be damage knocking it out for a mission.

>>1504226
It'd improve them enough to keep them current, yes.

>>1504742
Unfortunately, the Mimics are already adapting weapons data, not raw DNA, so there's no getting bootleg Chameleon Sting or Shotgun Ice or what have you off them.

>>1504852
No rocket-jumping with the shoulder cannon. You can think of the Shell Driver as the Recoil Rod meets Rocket Jumping. ... with a side of Falcon punch.

>>1505016
Yes, but remember your low-power hardware is their specialist equipment. And sometimes the dropoff isn't overly harmful--if T. Coils get depowered, they don't stop being useful as grapple lines.

>>1505312
You will be able to amass, create, customize, and mount other hardpoint weapons.

>>1505400
One every few seconds, yeah.

And stand by, Saetos options on the way. No escape from upgrade hell.
>>
>>1505731
Is it time for me to screech about saetos swords again?
>>
File: saetos upgrade.jpg (433 KB, 1776x1000)
433 KB
433 KB JPG
Jump Jet options:
Distance retune: Reduce the damage component to significantly improve distance traveled. Z25,000.

ACtive IDentifier Reflex System: OPAL loop-in creates an emergency jump system that anticipates incoming attack and will automatically engage the Jump Jets if they are available to avoid incoming harm. Potentially double-edged sword, as it may misread an incoming attack or leave you without the jet at a crucial moment. Z45,000.

Extended Charge Projection: As the jets build energy for use, they will project limited compression bubbles outside the exhaust to use as additional energy storage. When in this “overcharge,” energy will visibly gather at the jets and contribute to the flame wreath on ignition, resulting in a more powerful flame effect on impact. Z55,000.

Inline Air Intakes: Modifications to Anode’s chassis will allow two front-mount vents and the beginning of an airflow system, improving the cycle time between jump-jet uses and cooldown. Z53,000.

Continued investment into the Jump Jet may permit retuning of the flame envelope around a beam blade projection on the move, or increased Blueshift power to release deadly bursts of UV lasers in all directions on boost.
>>
I mean... these are all pretty cool, but expensive. There's not a lot we can do with this info on this go around. Maybe next time.
>>
>>1505800
>Inline Air Intakes: Modifications to Anode’s chassis will allow two front-mount vents and the beginning of an airflow system, improving the cycle time between jump-jet uses and cooldown. Z53,000.
This plus the Snapper upgrade to keep tumult competive and useful would be good. I'd be fine with Driver if there are other options.
Though, how much does Indie give for weapon data? Because if it's enough, I say we get both intakes and extended charge. It'd be a great combo for it alongside blueshift.
>>
File: soulgain.jpg (55 KB, 250x400)
55 KB
55 KB JPG
>>1505800
is it possible to improve other systems/weapons with the Inline Air Intake in the future?

Also, how would everone feel about investing in some elbow blades(elblades?) sometime down the line. We wouldn't have to go full Soulgain, just something to make us less grabbable in the future, as well as possible extra parrying capabilities.
>>
Can we get additional info on developing the Blaster Launcher and the Shell Driver could look like?
>>
>>1505812
I'd beg to differ. Inline air intakes and Extended Charge Projection are both good. Increasing recharge speed and using that increased speed to bolster the overflow is great. With the Skriver Driver combo, we could send someone flying and then hit them with a over charged jetpack thats Blueshifted. It's not that expensive comparatively speaking to other options(about 10k more than snapper) and opens up more compatibility with our other upgrades. It is expensive, but it damned if it doesn't pull it's weight.
>>
How many additional wrenades would we get from ammo upgrade? Just 2, or more?
>>
>>1503315
>>1503772 here

Now that I'm actually at a computer, I can post my reasonings.

>Shell Driver
This not only gives us a much needed power boost in melee, but I imagine it will be the perfect follow up to the Misericorde.

As for the other stuff;
-Lockon Hunter: Recalibration (33K)
is the only thing I'm 100% behind considering we never take it off it's VWES slot.
>>
>>1505912
Recalibration makes our shots weaker though. We have problems with penetration as is, toning it down further hurts us.
>>
Giving an even weaker Lockon is a bad option; they already don't do a great job penetrating things.
>>
>>1505873
Not really, no. Most systems aren't positioned in Anode's chassis or systems in a way that would benefit from it. And they'd have structural complications besides.

>>1505894
Well, Blaster Launcher probably has a lower ceiling, and despite not taking up VWES, would also have the same problems with losing effectiveness long-term. That's not to say there's NO upgrade potential--you might be able to tune the fuzing or adapt the shells/payload.

Shell Driver, you could also change the payload as well as improve the recoil, increase the punch, maybe look into auxiliary systems for the charge-up mechanic. It would also be easier to develop a charged variant for, because it already has a similar component.

>>1505911
The Wrenade would start at 1. It's 1/8th base capacity at a time.

>>1505921
The Lockon Hunter can already fire the low-power shots, it just costs the same amount of ammo. Recalibration doesn't force you to. Think of it as changing from the 16 shot weapon you know to a 32 shot weapon that has a double and quadruple charge function identical to their standard/overcharged. It'd also let you do further upgrading down the line.
>>
>>1505921 >>1505930


I suppose you could look at it as "using the weaker shots when needed means you could use more of the regular or strong shots when it counted". I feel like it's less that they're not great at penetrating things, and more that we've come up against a lot of stuff that's great at not being penetrated.

If there are any funds left over, I think we should consider putting them into improving the firing range.
>>
>>1505921
No it doesn't? it just makes the half-charge shots not take a full charge amount of energy.

>>1505800
Inline Air Intakes: Modifications to Anode’s chassis will allow two front-mount vents and the beginning of an airflow system, improving the cycle time between jump-jet uses and cooldown. Z53,000.

Hell to the yes.
>>
>>1505938
what about upgrading it into a full on linear gun that we could spend capaciter charge to accelerate? that'd definately up the power ceiling.
>>
>>1505800
>Inline Air Intakes: Modifications to Anode’s chassis will allow two front-mount vents and the beginning of an airflow system, improving the cycle time between jump-jet uses and cooldown. Z53,000.
This gives me the mental image of Anode looking kind of like one of those ricer cars with a ridiculous body kit, and then eurobeat starts playing in my head.
>>
>>1505942
Except why would we use the half charge to begin with when we have problems with the regular charges' power output? We have not needed to use the dialed back function and in some cases had to use full power for it because normal plinks. It's not worth it.
>>
>>1505946
It's a mortar launcher with a shell projectile. It's not a rail weapon. Repurposing it into one is possible via solid metal payload shells (hello, bolts of liquid metal), but that's a one-way trip and might be better served just making a rail cannon.
>>
>>1505938
The problem is more that the current 1/16 'standard's shots just haven't been that good at penetrating things.

If we meet a rare target that is so ridiculously soft that something even weaker than a 'standard' lockon is gonna kill it, we shouldn't even bother wasting vwes ammo on it.
>>
>>1505961
Anon is probably talking about the Lockon Hunter, here.
>>
File: poppop.gif (470 KB, 500x500)
470 KB
470 KB GIF
>>1505969
True, but two caveats there:

1: Weapon properties: A buster shot is slow and has travel time and shorter range. Lockon Hunter is an instantaneous laser.
2: Opening up the weapon to additional upgrades. Bear in mind that you now have OPAL and could investigate the synergy there. And that one Anon had a point--whatever your issues with the weapon, it's never left Anode's loadout since gaining it.
>>
>>1505953
In several cases we had a large number of targets at long range but opted not to use Lockon Hunter because of ammo consumption.

>>1505969
We have been running into stuff we would overkill with standard shots but have not opted to use it due to ammo cost.
>>
>>1505950
From the chat, it seems the intakes shave away 5 seconds from our 30 second cool off time. Thats 1/6th of our cooldown shaved off. That's pretty good for the price.
>>
>>1505950
"NIGHTS ON FIYAH!"
"anode pls im trying to sleep"
>>
>>1505938
>The Lockon Hunter can already fire the low-power shots, it just costs the same amount of ammo. Recalibration doesn't force you to. Think of it as changing from the 16 shot weapon you know to a 32 shot weapon that has a double and quadruple charge function identical to their standard/overcharged. It'd also let you do further upgrading down the line.
I think we should gradually recalibrate it until we can choose between 1/1024 lasers that can temporarily blind people without hurting them and a 1 shot death ray
>>
>>1505985
is Susan's rifle able to calibrate shot strength? and if so can it be modified to mirror are calibration upgrade if we get it?
>>
>>1506056
Yes, but the ammo reservoir makes it a lot less useful.

And yes.
>>
>>1506058
i figured it had a lower reservoir, all the more reason to get it those extra shots. he could snipe the little annoying buggers for us on over watch(Baaaaaaattsss)

another thing, is there any way we could link up what we see to our team, or at least Susan? Running into another phantom while we bring them along and them still not being able to see them is not something I want to have happen a second time.
>>
>>1503315
>>Shell Driver
>>Lockon Hunter Recalibration
>>Increased Phase Margin
>>Send to India
>>
>>1503315
YES TO SHELL DRIVER. YES.

Other than that, I like the upgrades to Tumult Shell and the Tokyo Drift Jump Jets.
>>
>>1503315
OH! And load India up. Eighth could use the help, but we owe India a very serious debt.
>>
>>1506102
that and her supporting us would probably be hella useful against Yamato's fleet.
>>
>>1506098
>>1506102
I'll back this. We've had the Tumult shell for quite some time as well and it too provides us with plenty of uses. It'd keep it competitive, give it an attack option, and likely open it up as well.
Honestly, we could likely combine the Lockon with either Stellar's or Gibbon's weapon to improve it further. We can also use the upgrade to improve the Tumult shields that we have. That's two squaddies getting the boost instead of one.
>>
>>1505800
Juroko is going to have an aneurysm if no one mentions it, so I'm telling everyone that it has been clarified that the Inline Air Intake for the Jump Jet will cut 5 seconds off of the 30 second recharge time, and open up future options.
>>
>>1503315
>>Shell Driver
>>Lockon Hunter Recalibration
>>Increased Phase Margin
>>Send to India
>>
File: Hmmm.png (53 KB, 256x256)
53 KB
53 KB PNG
>BE THEIR SWORD, AND EIGHT WILL BE YOUR ARMOR.
>Meanwhile people want to give India the parts instead of getting the SWORD ride armor up and running
Really gets the tinker tonkin'
>>
>>1506200
Getting the Crossmore up is likely to make a maverick stage easier but getting India ready likely will make the Fortress easier.
>>
>>1506200
Yeah, with this in mind, I'm gonna go with using the parts for the Crossmore.
>>
Alright then, changing my vote.

>>Shell Driver
>>Tumult Shell: Snapper (45K)
>>Inline Air Intakes (53K)
>>Send to India
>>
Okay, so obviously "THE REFORGED HAMMER WILL NOT BREAK TWICE. BE THEIR SWORD," so we spend all the money on a shoulder mount, and install it into Emerald when he's sleeping. He won't be happy about having a gun, but we just put the bolts on the back where he can't reach them with his stubby little arms.

Or, no, wait, that's dumb, here's my real vote:

>Shell Driver - Energy defense is gonna turn a corner. Guess who is gonna have a big upgrade in non-energy attack? THIS GUY

>Inline Air Intakes: 53k . Anode will be blue and have a big fan going all through his body. He will be impossible to beat.

>Snapper: 45k. Mavericks currently know that the tumult shell is totally harmless to get hit by. So if we turn it into a powerful explosive weapon, it'll be one hell of a suckerpunch against the next guy we spring it on. It's also upgrading it to keep up with data degradation and be a better screen.

>Crossmore
>>
>>1506269
Changing my vote to this, I was
>>1505333
but now I'm at work so my ID's changed
>>
>>1505912 here. Official vote is

>Shell Driver
> Lockon Hunter: Recalibration (33k)
> Inline Air intakes (55k)
>Crossmore
>>
>>1503435
>>1503728 is me i am changing my vote in light of new info and analysis
> Shell Driver
> Lockon Hunter: Recalibration (33K)
> Inline Air intakes (55k)
> Crossmore
and i am thinking we should chip in 10K on counseling for Sabomole
>>
>MHQ runs when I'm sick and I only noticed now
for FUCKS sake
>>
>>1505800
changing
>>1504711
to
>Blaster Launcher:
>Hardpoint: Installation (30K)
>Tumult Shell: Snapper (45K)
>Parts to India
I'm hoping what's left can be used for misericorde.

want but can't afford:
>Inline Air Intakes Z53,000.
>>
File: Jimmies not rustled.jpg (99 KB, 799x1280)
99 KB
99 KB JPG
>>1506351
>He doesn't check twitter three times a day
>>
>>1506364
I would, except I spent the last 16 hours in a delirious haze.

>>1503315
>Mortarphant
Can we hybridize it with Blackout to create multi-stage explosive chaff?

>Send to India
> Inline Air intakes (55k)
>Improved Conductivity (25K)
>>
this is going to be a pain to integrate into the titanpad

https://titanpad.com/QVkirj5Z8C
>>
>>1506392
whoops, mistyped the cost

>>1506404
updated. Some of these things sound like they were offered in older missions that I just haven't gotten to yet, so I'll leave the date of offer blank.

>>1505938
Any Lockon upgrades we can get that just makes them plain better?
>>
Command, I'm curious. Did you plan out where the phantoms be during the timeline in advance, or did you just roll some dice? What would have happened if we never had the Opal upgrade, skip them? Did Cain Labs cackle like a madman when we picked that as our very first upgrade?
>>
>>1503315
>Blaster Launcher
While Shell Driver sounds fun as fuck, hard-hitting reliable ranged game is what Anode really needs right now.

>Send to India
If Light intended robots to walk around in larger robots, he'd not have stopped at one level of recursion.

No real opinion on the other upgrades.
>>
>>1503315
>MORTARPHANT UPGRADES:
>Blaster Shell
Doesn't need the charge up time, allowing for snap fire, and doesn't slow us down. It's simple, but effective.

OTHER UPGRADES:
VWES
>General: Additional Ammo (20K)
Also put some money aside for another dash for Bravely Broken.

MOTORIZATION COMPONENTS:
>Send to India
The whole sledge thing makes me want to do the Crossmore, but we promised to help India and we definitely owe her for the capacitor.
>>
HC, Blaster Launcher is the default stock VWES option?

If so, I vote for Shell Driver. We can always buy a weaker copy of Blaster Launcher.

Can we talk to India and Crankshaft and ask them where they think the parts will be more valuable before we commit them to a project?
>>
>>1506828
>Blaster Shell: Stock VWES option. A high-powered explosive shell with long range. Slow rate of fire. 16 shots.
>>
>>1506836
Sorry, mobile scum for the moment. That's the weapon I meant, the stock VWES, not the hardpoint.

I don't wanna vile mode. Also the punch looks strong and gives us more melee control.
>>
>>1503315
Vote:
>Blaster Launcher+Hardpoint installation
>Jetpack: Inline air intakes
>Get estimate on armor upgrades
>Get expert assessment on Misericorde upgrades
>>
I think Shell Driver is the best option. Range and melee, charges capacitors and a gtfo button or immense knockback.

I think if we upgraded the misericorde too we'd have a nice one two where we could knife 'em, fuck with their armor, then falcon punch.

Also HC I reread the quest and you know a furrow isn't very deep, right?
>>
In light of new information, changing >>1505312 to:

>Blaster Launcher
>Hardpoint Installation(30K)
>Inline Air Intakes (53K)
>Send to India
>>
>>1503315
Ok, think I'm ready to vote.
>Shell Driver
More possible maneuverability along with increasing utility is too good to pass up, even if I'm turning my back on Vile mode for now ;_;

> Increased Phase Margin (47K)

>Blackout Rocket: Blowpast (42K)
I can see these becoming obsolete soon, and we need em.

>Send to India
We owe it to her.
>>
>>1503433
>Specifically, Mortarphant used a lot of missiles. Would anything in the recovered DNA be viable as a sort of missile/torpedo weapon? We have a couple water missions in our future, and if we get dunked, I'd think artillery won't be quite as useful as something self-propelled.

I managed to miss this question entirely. It's not out of the question, you'd just need to adapt the projectile type.

That said, I'm trying to tally up votes now. God help me.
>>
>>1507256
It might help to post each seperate voting set as a different post EG: one post for weapon, one post for -various other upgrades-, one post for where the parts should go.

I'd think it would at least make the organization easier.
>>
>>1506518
sabomole had to have been made with the phantom unit in mind from the start. His rather shitty situation couldn't happen without someone actively taking hostages.
>>
>>1507256
Hahaha, good luck man. I keep getting the Shell Driver and Blaster Launcher names confused in my head, so I don't even trust myself to know what I voted for (it was the punchy one!).
>>
>>1503523
>>1503526
ahah, that's why

>>1504280
the recap is missing the jump jet optimizations purchase
>>
>>1506518
State secret.
>>1507061
Yes, but it's long.

OKAY, tally is done. Good news is we actually had a clear winner on the main weapon, after all the vote changes. India pretty handily got the parts, too.

Bad news is there's enough close runners up on several items that I'm going to do a runoff. It'll be easier, though, without the Launcher/Driver option debate.

Stand by, I'll write up a post where you make your first selections, and then we'll get into the misericorde assessment and then do the actual second round of voting with all options on the table.
>>
>>1507416
gonna need your comments on other VWES variations before runoff votes, though.

At least Blaster Shell is pretty definitely out. How much would the slaved data version be, though? Who cares if they aren't as good at aiming if they just use REALLY big guns?
>>
>>1507427
We beat the elephant because her aim sucked. And we cannot tank explosions like she could.
>>
File: FU-.png (290 KB, 500x360)
290 KB
290 KB PNG
>>1507427
Slaved Blaster Shell for the Berets would be 50,000 for 2 shots. It's a big gun.

And stand by, next post going up.
>>
File: Emerald DNA data.gif (6.74 MB, 853x459)
6.74 MB
6.74 MB GIF
>>1503315
That shoulder cannon is pretty tempting, and you feel like you’re going to get one eventually, one way or the other, but that Shell Driver is just too useful not to take. You also decide to send the parts for rebuilding the Crossmore over to India, instead--they should come in handy for her jet project, and you owe her one for replacing your capacitor.

You’re undecided on a few issues with throwing your money around when the door hisses open and Em breezes through it. He actually looks about as surprised as you for a second.

“Hey,” he finally says, breezing past and sitting down at a terminal in the back.

“So everyone’s gone, huh?” you ask.

“More or less.”

“Been to the new barracks?”

“Yeah.”

He’s being pretty close-lipped. “...Came here to get away?” You hazard.

He cranes over one shoulder to look at you, before turning back to his work. “Yeah.”

Em doesn’t speak further for an uncomfortably long time, tapping away on whatever he’s working on, and you’re just contemplating what to say next when he finally speaks up. “Close call?”

You chuckle darkly. “Yeah.”

He nods. “Figured. You were gone a long time.”

“Armor became an innie for a while too, that was fun,” you add.

“It’s not great, is it?” Em asks. You don’t particularly feel you have to answer. The feeling of helplessness against a straight outclass maverick, the hours of waiting to die… On at least some level, you get Em and his damage a little better now.

“Knife came in handy,” you offer. That gets his attention, as you fish it out and examine the misericorde hilt. “Cut open her armor, and she nuked herself.”

He snorts. “Nice. Glad it does the job, at least.”

“Think we could do anything with it?” you ask.

He spins around in his chair. “Yeah, actually. It’s been pissing me off since I made it, never been happy with that piece of shit. Lemme see?”

You toss it over to him and he inspects the weapon with a visible grimace. “Fuckin’ thing. Okay, so, I’ve been thinking, and here’s the problem.” He gestures with the hilt, tapping it against his palm. “I built you a can opener out of a katana handle and a wizard staff.” You can’t help but laugh at that, and dour mood or not, even Em grins. “Yeah. And, so, okay, it’s a specialist tool, and it does what it’s supposed to. I could make it better at that, improve the LN so you can use it more, but… it’s never gonna be any better than this.”

You nod--it really is good for what it does, but you consider your odds of hitting, say, Collide with it, which means getting in past his guard, something you’ve always had trouble with, even before considering how wieldy (or not) the tool is. “So what else could we do?”
>>
>>1507813
“I could inline some of the parts, extend out the hilt a little bit, make a real knife out of it. No loss to what it does, but it’d function a hell of a lot better as a melee weapon. Pretty good one, too,” he adds, igniting the hibeam and rolling it once for emphasis. “Orrr…”

“Or?”

“Or we could throw out the LN bullshit entirely and just keep the regulation I built with it,” he says. “We could go to a cryomer system--bigger, but a lot less fussy. It’d probably halve the AP.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, but here’s the thing--it’d work as a beam blade, it’d be a lot easier to play with, and it’d put more of its weight on the ice systems. They’d last for a while, too, so no more one-and-done bullshit.”

You mull that over--you remember half the reason you made the damn thing is because your systems don’t play nice with cryonics.

“And,” he adds, “I could make you a different weapon out of it. Would have to expand the hilt a little anyway for the cryomer. I was thinking like a smallsword or something.”

All of those sound like they could be pretty useful. “How much?”

He shrugs. “I don’t give a shit, don’t worry about it.”

RUNOFF UPGRADE VOTE: THE UPGRADE VOTENING

>Locked selections: Shell Driver, Motorization Components

MISERICORDE: Thanks to Emerald, this will be free of charge. Choose one:
-Improved AP: While doing nothing to resolve volatility or ergonomics, this will make the misericorde even more effective at piercing heavy armor.
-Inlined Components: By redesigning the weapon, this will allow the knife to function as an effective melee weapon without compromising the effectiveness of the AP properties when the reservoir is available.
-Cryomer Rebuild: By changing the payload to cryomer, this will produce a more dedicated “ice element” weapon. It will work as an effective melee weapon as well, but at the cost of some of its armor-piercing capability. The weapon can be modified into any edged melee weapon on creation (specify).

TUMULT SHELL: Snapper (45,000)
JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes (53,000)
LOCKON HUNTER: Recalibration (33,000)
SHIELDING: Increased Phase Margin (47,000), Thermal Diffusion Algorithm (42,000)

For now, your voting is between these options. You have Z100,003 to spare.

Now go! Fight and die for my amusement!
>>
If we do the cryomer rebuild, we gotta do it into something that's got good armor piercing ergonomics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseman%27s_pick

Let's make an ice pick.
>>
>>1507816
-Improved AP
-JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes (53,000)
-LOCKON HUNTER: Recalibration (33,000)
>>
>>1507816
>Improved AP
>Snapper
>Thermal Diffusion
>>
>>1507816
>TUMULT SHELL: Snapper (45,000)
>JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes (53,000)
-Inlined Components: By redesigning the weapon, this will allow the knife to function as an effective melee weapon without compromising the effectiveness of the AP properties when the reservoir is available.
Being able to properly hit with the thing beats raw AP for me. That improved finesse and some training could allow us to really put the hurt on vital spots.
>>
Honestly not really convinced on misercorde yet, so just gonna place my vote for the other stuff first.

>Snapper
>Air intakes

And see how discussion goes on the knife
>>
File: 1473630442956.jpg (121 KB, 990x990)
121 KB
121 KB JPG
>>1507409
I didn't put it in because I didn't see it -- and reviewing the Sabomole upgrade thread, I still don't. And yet HC remembered that we got them, so... something's not connecting.
>>
>>1507876
I'm going to have to go back and take another look, aren't I.
>>
>>1507880
What's throwing me is that optimizations weren't even offered at that point. Just Red/Blueshift.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/704030/#p704488
>>
>>1507816
>JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes (53,000)
>SHIELDING: Increased Phase Margin (47,000)

More mobility, more shield i-frames. Save upgrading our energy-weapons/defenses until after we find out what Foxfire means by energy weapon defenses "turning a corner". No blind turns.

>-Cryomer Rebuild: By changing the payload to cryomer, this will produce a more dedicated “ice element” weapon.
I was leaning towards inlined components, but a literal Ice Pick is such an awfully horrible pun I can't NOT vote for it:
>>1507837
>>
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/704030/#p713602


>You have ordered:
Backup battery replacement, jump jet optimization, another set of slave circuits ordered (other options it presented will be available for 75k apiece after this), but you will not have Blueshift until the parts can be delivered and installed, which will take a mission.
>>
>>1507880
>>1507876
It was mentioned though and bought here
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/704030/#p713602
>>
Oh, weird, snapper was 35k last time it was offered.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/704030/#p712167
>>
10k is added on that upgrades general stats due to march of technology?
>>
>>1507816
>Cryomer Rebuild: By changing the payload to cryomer, this will produce a more dedicated “ice element” weapon. It will work as an effective melee weapon as well, but at the cost of some of its armor-piercing capability. The weapon can be modified into any edged melee weapon on creation
short sword might work here. I mean our lance is great in all but if we're up against an enemy that just loves to get close enough for hugs I feel a simple blade will work better. Also the shell driver has some AP capabilities as well sing how it's literally a rocket fist. If we can combine it with our lance punch (or whatever the fuck it's called) I'm sure that could get through almost anything.

also
>JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes (53,000)
>>
>>1507913
That might be a typo, then.

Man, fuck everything today, I need more coffee. Let's go ahead and price it at 35.
>>
File: 1353784978122.jpg (44 KB, 480x442)
44 KB
44 KB JPG
>>1507816
MISERICORDE:
>Inlined Components
Still technically icy, but more importantly it'll be a reliable sidearm. Which is a thing we don't have.

OTHER:
>TUMULT SHELL: Snapper
At least two of our remaining four Mavericks seem to use energy weapons, so this will be helpful. Plus, without the cost of a hardpoint, this still lets us save zenny for the armor rebuild.
>>
>>1507897
>>1507901
Huh. I must have registered "jump jet optimization" as just a synonym for Blueshift. I'll adjust once all the voting here is done.
>>
>>1507816
>JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes
>LOCKON HUNTER: Recalibration
>Inlined Components

Im assuming this stabilizes enough for underwater use?

If so, this is the way to go. We aren't Emerald, we don't need to emulate his swordness.

>>1507837
A literal oneshot ice pick for our guys might not be a bad idea.
>>
>>1507816
>Inlined Components:
>TUMULT SHELL: Snapper (45,000)
>JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes (53,000)
>>
>>1507816

Misericorde
>Improved AP
Tumult Shell
>Snapper
Shielding
>Thermal Diffusion
>>
>>1507816
Fuck, no shoulder cannon. Oh well.

>Cryomer Rebuild->Ice-elemental smallsword
>Inline Air Intakes(53K)
>Lockon Hunter Recalibration(33K)

More speed, the Hunter is a standby we should hang onto, and I'd like to move into a more true ice weapon Anode could have in reserve.
>>
>>1507816
>Improved AP
>JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes
>LOCKON HUNTER: Recalibration

Operation: Cheer Em Up a go?
>>
>>1507982
Heretic, change your ways now to the one True Path of PAWNCH or be forever damned to be lame.
>>
>>1507816
>Cryomer Rebuild, keep it as a knife
>Inline Air Intakes
>Increased Phase Margin
>>
>>1507994
Hey now, there's nothing wrong with getting in touch with your inner Vile.

Besides who's to say that we will never wind up getting a shoulder hardpoint later to maximize Rockout potential?
>>
>>1507816
>Inlined Components
>Increased Phase Margin
>>
>>1508054
Who cares when we can punch people into orbit?
>>
>>1508068
Its not like I said you're point isn't valid salad, mate, just that shoulder cannons are still rad.
>>
>>1508079
But it will ruin our punching form, my friend. That simply won't do.
>>
>>1507816
I'm so tempted to get the intakes and phase just so we literally have 3 zenny to our name. But really:
>Improved AP
>Snapper

Save the rest.
>>
File: Zerohasaproblem.jpg (124 KB, 800x600)
124 KB
124 KB JPG
>>1508167
Not for nothing, a beer at the Dodo will run you about 3Z...
>>
>>1507816
Cryomer Rebuild
Inline Air Intakes
>>
Misericorde: Inlined Components. Make it a better weapon while maintaining its specialist status.

Shielding: Thermal Diffusion Algorithim. This'll just be handy, I think.

Tumult Shell: Snapper. I think that when we come to Atlantica we're gonna want this to be current.

Ask Em if he wants to come with us to give our sister our birthday present. He did most of the actual work, it's only fair. Apologize for pulling the shotgun-polishing on the porch routine with him too, maybe. Not that it wasn't fun to put the fear of big bro into him.
>>
>>1507925
Cool! We already liked snapper as an option before the runoff, and now we get everything we liked before AND 10k zenny on top of that.
>>
>>1507837
Dammit I wanted the inlined components but your idea is so much better

>>1507962
It wouldn't be oneshot, since you'd be doing the cryomer rebuild to get it.
>>
>>1507816
-Inlined Components
Howevere, if we WERE going to redesign the blade, I'ds say go for a style to assisst with just getting it in there. My money would go down on a Push dagger or Trench knife style one.

-TUMULT SHELL: Snapper
-SHIELDING: Increased Phase Margin

I think were getting better at getting in peoples faces and staying a threat, so, these choices should help.
>>
>>1507816

> Cryomer Rebuild [Roundel dagger]
> Lockon Hunter: Recalibration
> Shielding: Thermal Diffusion Algorithm
>>
>>1507816
Hey, just thought of this, but did we use our Emergency Battery last mission? 'Cause we should buy a new one if we did.
>>
>>1508442
Nope, I don't believe you did.

...then again, I'm like 0 for 2 on those, so by all means, go back and check.
>>
>>1507816
No matter what gets voted, can Anode "wonder" out loud if Em's name might be spoke about alongside Wayland and Masamune?

>>1508442
Don't think so. So much kinetic energy was being thrown around that we didn't need to use it.
>>
>>1508195
>Misericorde: Inlined Components.

Armor piercing is half the reason we use it.

How much for an ice lance specialised weapon?

>Shielding: Thermal Diffusion Algorithim.

Way too many enemies with fire.

Tumult Shell: Snapper.

Yes.

Get Em to train us more.
>>
>>1508543
>How much for an ice lance specialised weapon?
A lot.
>>
We didn't use the battery last mission.

The thread consensus last time we voted was going mortarphant->yamatoad, followed by atlantica. Since those are gonna be naval/underwater battles, we don't have to worry as much about anti-fire countermeasures.

Actually, since they're in water environments, HC, would all 3 upgrades let us use the misercorde underwater, or just some of them?
>>
>>1508546
Is that or better armor then? How about an ice knife build from zero instead of recycling? If we used a better sword as a base it should improve the weapon, right?
>>
I think that instead of going straight to a Mav, we should scope out some of that background stuff.
>>
File: badtimetoorderapizza.jpg (1.14 MB, 2113x1058)
1.14 MB
1.14 MB JPG
>>1508551
>>1508557
Cryomer has known boosts underwater, but mastering how the weapon behaves underwater is its own beast.

Short version: Improved AP is not usable in water, cryomer weapon has boosts with a caveat, and inlined components will work in water safely.

>>1508557
Not really--you already have a very serviceable weapon in the knife as built. Em offering to make it a dedicated cryomer weapon is basically what you're voting for.

Also, boss vote will be held as per usual, because there's some additional intel coming up that may affect that decision.
>>
>>1508577
If we face yet another phantom we are screwed.
>>
>>1508543
>Get Em to train us more.
Always a good idea, but we should also try to spar with Templar or find some big bruiser from the 14th so we can work on our fighting huge guys strategies
>>
>>1507839 here
Changing
>Imprioved AP
to
>Inlined Components
>>
>>1503315
>-Tension Coil: Charge Capacity (50K), Wire Reclaim (50K), Fast Zipline (35K), Improved Conductivity (25K), Nonlethalized Braid (25K)
>Nonlethalized Braid (25K)

I thought we'd gotten a non-lethal option for the coil right after the avalanche-causing spider-guy mission? After he killed himself on our coils, we made them less lethal and more able to capture.

>>1507816
>-Inlined Components: By redesigning the weapon, this will allow the knife to function as an effective melee weapon without compromising the effectiveness of the AP properties when the reservoir is available.

Is this a "you can do the really-armor-piercing stab once, and then use it as a normal weapon" thing? Or a "mwahahahaha now you can stab all you want!" thing?

As for actual upgrade votes, voting for this so far:

>TUMULT SHELL: Snapper (45,000)
>JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes (53,000)
>>
>>1508688
You did not.

Inlined components, the weapon functions identically to how it does now (one-and-done, usually), but it's also actually usable as a melee weapon.
>>
>>Inlined Components
>>TUMULT SHELL: Snapper (45,000)
>>JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes (53,000)
>>
>>1508613
>>1508543
>get Em to train us more
I was thking we could Tag team some sims so he can give us pointers and we can get close to real combat experiences without needing to get repaired again
>>
>>1508709
I thought it was already usable as a melee weapon? I'm 99% sure it was said it works as a normal, if somewhat subpar, hibeam knife after the LN's gone.
Or do you mean usable without blowing the LN charge on the first shanking?
>>
>>1508755
It's usable, but 1: the cumbersome cryo-tech makes it really unwieldy, and 2: Anode isn't really very skilled at melee. Combining the two, it doesn't go well for you trying to actually hit someone with it. Inlining the components gives it all the ergonomics of a proper fighting knife.
>>
>>1507984
Changing misericorde upgrade to inlined components.
>>
>>1507816
>MISERICORDE: Inlined components

>JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes
>TUMULT SHELL: Snapper
>>
File: ugh.png (223 KB, 298x416)
223 KB
223 KB PNG
Pretty clear majority wins, here. I'll write in a little bit, this weekend is continuing to dump on me.
>>
File: Spoiler Image (239 KB, 1614x1573)
239 KB
239 KB JPG
A bit off topic, but... HOW ABOUT THAT CHOGOKIN GIGA ARMOR X FIGURE, HUH?

I know it's highly likely that it's not gonna be canon AT ALL, but just look at this Wing Zero-esque craziness. I love it.
>>
>>1509593
What makes it better is that the armor combines with a red dog mechaniloid to form a ride chaser.
>>
>>1509659
There's also a Giga Mission Carddass series to go with this madness. So that'll be fun.

Also, if X is getting crazy cool likely non-canon armor, that probably means Zero and maybe Axl, depending on how far in the timeline this takes place will get some cool looking not!Gundam armor of their own too.
>>
>>1508731
Yes, and we could also try all the fighting sims we can on our own.
>>
>>1507816
>-Inlined Components
>JUMP JET: Inline Air Intakes (53,000)
>T. Coil: Improved Conductivity

I still think we should upgrade T. Coil over Lockon and Tumult. Tumult because I don't think snapper is enough of an upgrade, and Lockon because we can wait until we get more actual laser DNA before upgrading.

We won't need the charged version of T.Coil any time soon if we're getting Shell Driver, but there's nothing wrong with just improving how it plays with our regular setup.
>>
>>1509897
Tumult was just DEGRADED, if we don't upgrade it we won't be able to use it well next mission.

***S. FOXFIRE: So wubsy, word is energy weapons defense are about to turn a corner. That turtle-thingy may not be long for this world... (March of technology: Tumult Shell is losing effectiveness)***
>>
>>1509942
even considering that. Can't we make it expand in-transit or something, or just wait one mission to hybridize it with Yamato DNA for an S-grade defensive VWES?
>>
>>1509981
We might not survive the next mission if we go cheap on defence.
>>
>>1510009
>we go cheap on defence
We are still primarily a defensive reploid. Particularly for guys like Collide, what saved us was our offensive abilities.

Tumult is losing effectiveness because energy weapons are getting better. Guess what still works against energy? The phase lance.
>>
>>1510009
Our defense is rooted in our mobility, and we have plenty of that. Our weak-point is currently our offensive ability; it takes too long to wear our targets down, thus mitigating our defense/agility advantage.
>>
>>1510040
And yet this gives our defense offense as well. Our offense has also been amped up with thewrenades and our Shriver driver combo.
>>
>>1510040
Mobility does shit against mass bombarment.
>>
>>1510083
you mean the mobility that got us to Mortarphant's doorstep?

I just want to point out that we don't have a lot of ways to use capacitor charge at range. Besides raikousen dumping, we need to be in close range. The insta-charge buster cycling doesn't sound like it's enough burst unless we also grab the next buster charge level, and that's hella expensive.

T. Coils are comparatively cheaper, and we can just keep hooking and shocking available charge.
>>
>>1510111
You remember that it was more that she came looking for us because she got angry and we did expend hours inside a cave hidding from the bombing, right?
>>
>>1510125
I'm not really sure how an upgraded tumult would help with that.
>>
>>1510111
We have always been able to just fire it at range. It's just not as effective.

>>1510052
Shriver driver does damage but the primary usage is getting someone out of melee with us really quick. We're still lacking in punch.
>>
>>1508551
I felt the consensus involved Moloch before that, for his neat-sounding armor killer weapon.
>>
>>1510181
It seems more like its secondary usage is that thing and its primary usage is to fuck shit up. Like, it's literally a falcon punch that we can boost even harder.
>>
>>1510133
Mobile shielding while we run. And imagine we upgrade them enough to control the shields to move with our mind.
>>
>>1508562
This is a good idea too. We're four bosses in.
>>
>>1510181
>It's just not as effective
so ineffective we don't do it at all even when our capacitor is beyond max capacity.

>primary usage
Pretty sure it's "primary" usage is being a slower but more powerful Blaster Shell, but we're so hooked on the explosive punch that it might become the primary.

>>1510205
is that possible? Isn't that turning it into a completely different type of VWES?
>>
>>1510203
We can do the full damage by firing the driver. It's ranged but we can also punch and negate our knockback while knocking them back by engaging the mass shriver. Hence Shriver Driver.

>>1510216
The Driver by itself is a ranged weapon with capability of using in melee. The Shriver Driver negates the knockback for us, but not for the jerk we hit with it. The point of the Shriver Driver is utility, it doesn't really add much damage while punching with it.

Using it with a high charge Raikousen, however...

And no, the tumult shell is energy weapons only, we can't make it into that kind of weapon, and it's completely useless against non energy weapons anyway.
>>
>>1510216
I guess we could also have the shields orbit around us? That would be way easier to program.
>>
>>1510199
Hm. Maybe we can get a shoulder-cannon out of it.

Yes, I'm going to fucking obsess over this.
>>
>>1510261
The weapon shoots a thing that acts as a shield. You're talking about something that is not like that at all.
>>
Does anyone else think that the Tension Coil would be better suited as a part of our build rather than a VWES weapon at this point? It's pretty core to Anode and his combat style, even managing to get us the nickname Livewire. We'd have to get HC's ruling on this, but I wanted to throw the idea out here.
>>
>>1510274
Some classic Megaman shields do shot something that orbits around Megaman. They have literally know how to program an orbiting shield for decades.
>>
>>1510297
We might need to get a few more upgrades, but I agree.

Maybe there's a list of specific upgrades that HC will require, so that it can be applied to any VWES instead of "enough upgrades until I feel like it".

>>1510325
there is nothing in Tumult that gives it the consistent propulsion for orbiting. No special weapon in the X series orbits, the closest being a forward facing shield that matches the user's speed, something that Tumult explicitly has some trouble doing.
>>
>>1510325
>>1510359
Nobody programs these weapons. It's part of their DNA which is converted to VWES weapon data.

Tumult does not have that in his DNA nor is it part of the weapon data we created from his DNA.
>>
>>1510359
But this quest has people knowing about Robot Masters and even having a few of them in museums!
>>
>>1510272
Long range armor pierce to go with misericorde's short range? Could work.
>>
>>1510418
We tend to use VWES for long range and we could use a knife for really short range.
>>
>>1510359
Don't the dragonflies from x6 orbit?
>>
>>1510563
fuck me, you're right. Yammar Option

In my defense, these things still have wings for flying, and Anode has more GOFAST than X/Zero, so I wonder if they'd be able to keep up.
>>
>>1509694
Wait what. What madness is this to get another Carddass game (and where did you hear about it)?
>>
>>1510816
>>>/m/15568074 said there are hints of a new Giga Mission game.

A year ago last May, Capcom was talking about revisiting old IP. This could be part of them doing so.
>>
>>1510933
I bet is another renamed Megaman.exe game - -
>>
>>1510933
Oh man, that's great to hear. The Carddass series has brought some neat backstory to the series (even though most fans have probably never heard of it) so something to flesh out the universe even more might be just the something that we need to see.

(thank you kindly for the heads-up btw)
>>
Cardass will probably be amusingly silly - side material backstory almost always is. Like X-Kai

>http://www.rockman-corner.com/2015/10/heres-backstory-for-x-kai-truforces.html

>Long ago when Dr. Wily stole Mega Man’s blueprint from Dr. Light, a prototype was built. However, with the development of Zero moving forward, this prototype was discarded and forgotten. During the formation of the X-Hunters, the robot was discovered and completed by a mysterious man. Unlike the original blueprint, it was given much higher specs than that of Mega Man X, using state-of-the-art technology.
>(At this time, it is assumed there will be no armor evolution as seen in Mega Man X)

Which is either the second unstoppable megaman copy that Dr. Wily built as a prototype and then abandoned, or possibly is the part of Rockman Shadow's backstory that took place in the future ( http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/Rockman_Shadow ).

Either way it's all very silly.
>>
>>1507816
>Inlined Components
>Snapper
>Inline Air Intakes

You give another bitterly amused huff as you tap in a few choices on your datapad as you mull it over. Well, if your chest already needs some surgery anyway…

“Yeah, all right. Let’s make a real knife out of this thing,” you decide.

“Good call,” Em replies. “I’ve got some shit stowed away here, one sec.”

“You think you could see your way to showing me some more?” You ask.

He pauses, rifling through what looks like a small strongbox. “Yeah, actually. I was going to ask you about that. Wasn’t sure you’d go for it.”

You chuckle. “I got my torso rearranged by an asshole named Collide.”

“I noticed. How’d it go?”

You exhale. “Ever just been… straight fucked, in a fight?”

He pauses again, and for a moment, he’s elsewhere. “Yeah. Yeah.”

“This was… it wasn’t even like Saetos, and he fucking killed me,” you admit. “It was just us… well, at first, fuckin’--he had backup, I had backup, but then after that--you know.”

He nods, carefully disassembling the knife on the table. “It was still you and him, and it was him?”

You stare a hole in the floor, feeling a tightness in your teeth that matches the compressed chestplate. “All him. He had me, Em. The only reason he left is because Mortarphant was a fucking lunatic. Shelled his backup until he just… up and left.”

Em’s quiet for a while, tinkering with a longer hilt from his mess of spare parts. With what looks like tweezers, he slowly takes thin grey cylindrical tubes and transplants them into a slitted ring. “Schwarz told me about a few escapes like that. And… I had mine.”

You remember what he told you--that no one can put him in that place ever again. Three hours in the dirt and this distant feeling like your ears are still ringing… yeah. You could stand to avoid being put in that place ever again, yourself.

“Even Schwarz, huh?” You ask. “Better lucky than good?”

“Better lucky AND good,” Em replies. “That’s what he always told me. But... “

“Luck runs out,” you finish.
>>
>>1511396
Em lowers his head, quiet again. Schwarz’s luck ran out. “I’ve been worried about you,” he finally says. Your turn to say a lot of nothing. “Couldn’t outmove him?” He asks.

“What, Collide? Tried. He had my number all the way through. Couldn’t juke him. And he was fucking fast. Like twelve feet tall, busters, and he had these big ceratanium fists, blocked all my range. So I had to be in melee…”

“...Right where he wants you,” Em finishes. “Yeah. I know the type.”

“All kinds of tricks, rushdown…”

“At that level, they’ve all got tricks.”

“Oh, he’s also permanently invisible without boosted scanners.”

Em snorts. “Wow, that’s some bullshit. Can’t be too strong a system, though, if he’s got everything else going on. Not at that bodymass. Did you see any external power anywhere?”

“No, just a shitload of out-facing armor on his back and fists, even the regular shit was heavy.”

He nods. “All right. All right, yeah. If I could see him…”

>I dunno, man.
>...Wake up, dude.
>I don’t know, maybe.
>...You probably could.
>Other?
>>
>>1511412
What's the difference between
>I dunno, man.
and
>I don’t know, maybe.
?
>>
>>1511412
>Other?
"Hey, Em, let's talk about how you're a suicidal nutcase now and your dead brother explicitly asked me to keep you from that sort of thing."
>>
Does that imply we can load our opal data into something to show emerald?
>>
>>1511432
"I dunno, man" is faintly negative on Em's ability to face such a threat. "I don't know, maybe" is not for one or the other.
>>
>>1511412
>A beam sword's not going to parry a giant fucking fist.
>>
>>1511412
>others
How would you go about seeing him? Seriously, I don't want my guys to have to face that.
>>
>>1511432
The difference between "Nah" and "Sure."

We have "placating" yes/no and "hurt feelings" yes/no. And Other.
>>
>>1511412
We did manage to stop him, that one time. It was like having a hi-beam saber duel with a truck, though. We dug a trench in the ground.

I think Em could have maybe taken him, maybe, if he was able to see him. I think WE could have maybe taken him better. But not in those circumstances. Not with Sabo in the hole, back-up, and hell threatening to rain down on us at any moment.
>>
Oh, duh. Collide has a limited internal battery life and that's why he has to keep returning to base.
>>
Actually, come to think of it, it was sort of like dueling Tanker that one time.
>>
File: telephonefrog.jpg (34 KB, 723x562)
34 KB
34 KB JPG
>>1511471
we should spare with Frog. seeing that we're still alive would probably make him happy, plus he's got a lifetime of experience he can share.

Also he's know Em longer than anyone, maybe he can give us some advice.
>>
>>1511412
>Not with shells falling every which way. My feet started melting towards the end of it.
>But you'd have been able to stop him from hurting anyone else. Compass...
>>
File: 1418596622544.jpg (349 KB, 1279x1036)
349 KB
349 KB JPG
>>1511412
This is tough. I don't know what Em needs to hear the most. Would our confidence in him help or hurt, I wonder? I don't want to kick the little green puppy with a wakeup call, but he needs some kind of alarm, so...

>I dunno, man.

Expanding on that, something like...

>"I dunno, man. You're the king of swords, but he was the ace of clubs. And don't tell yourself I don't know what I'm talking about. You say you've been worried about me? Well I've been worried about you. You need to know you're more than your skill."

And other expressions of concern that are more than platitudes yet less than An Intervention.
>>
>>1511412
"I am worried about you trying to get suicide by Maverick. I mean before? Sure refusing to upgrade was nuts because ya know, your.... your family was upgrading. But now? You want to die, heck doesn't even have to be a Maverick, I saw how you baited that asshole... but he knows how shit your armor is and was sure to leave you alive. Do I have to tell India? Make Foxfire do a video call? Gang all girls that care on you? I just have no fucking clue how to deal with my best friend wanting to kill himself. I... I undestand... if Cathode was gone... I would probably go crazy too. So... now what?"
>>
>>1507807
Also, holy shit that's the most a slaved data weapon can cost, over 3 times Lockon Rifle.

We should upgrade the ascent lance at some point. Maybe not next mission, but soon.
>>
If we have to choose between patronizing Emerald and overinflating his confidence, I'd err towards the latter, frankly. Neither are good choices, but Emerald really can handle himself, even if he's annoyingly resistant to getting an upgrade.
>>
>>1511657
It would cost more or less than a real armor upgrade and I honesty prefer the armor upgrade.
>>
>>1511412
>Other?
Maybe? Depends on if you had the right tool in your tool box to deal with those fists. I didn't so he clobbered me.
>>
>>1511680
I think telling Em that he is scaring us the fuck out of us by going suicidal would be IC. Anode is not that old after all and Em would at least appreciate the honesty once he calms down.
>>
>>1511701
I don't think he's trying to do suicide by maverick. I just think he's getting wound up about skill against gear again. I don't think we should say anything as drastic as that.
>>
>>1511719
He literally baited a guy that hates his guts to beat the shit out of him. Then went against the Commander and got himself into what's basically suicide missions.
>>
>>1511730
Alright, point. Maybe voice some concern.
>>
Here's a crazy idea: Hook the lance onto a shoulder mount and make a giant harpoon canon.
>>
>>1511763
We aren't fishing for giant whales any time soon.
>>
File: dahak angler mode.jpg (57 KB, 564x593)
57 KB
57 KB JPG
>>1511763
That's something best saved for 8th officer Hybrid Hound
>>
>>1511412
>I dunno, man.
You'd probably fare better than me, but right now I've got trouble seeing anyone short of X beating that monster.
>>
>>1511412
>You'd have needed the flambard for that armour, but you probably could.

Let's play nicely with the guilt-ridden wreck of a guy.
>>
Hmm, maybe actually run the analysis by Emerald.

>Actually, fuck, you're right. Maybe he's just got one big capacitor or some shit to power all that stuff, and he ran away because he was outta juice and actually *couldn't* finish the job. You probably woulda figured that out live, instead of hours later.
>>
In addition to possibly figuring out a strategy that works against this asshole, it also strikes about the right balance of being positive without seeming insincere.

Oh yeah, and we gotta give him a 'thank you' as well, both for this and the knife. Hypothetical situations are nice and all but real gratitude is probably better for his wellbeing.
>>
It's possible that he might have spotted something like a weak spot on Collide, but that would be contingent on him being able to see him in the first place.

The whole thing's kind of fucked and I don't know that it's really a productive avenue of discussion.
>>
>>1511412
"...And maybe you could have stopped him from punching Compass into oblivion. Maybe if it'd been you, Sabomole wouldn't be a broken wreck. Hell, if I hadn't been there slowing you down, you probably could have taken Shiva!"
>...Wake up, dude.
>>
>>1511412
>I dunno, man.
>I don’t know, maybe.

I dont doubt that Emerald could have out-maneuvered Collide way better then us, I just dont know if he'd be able to actually hurt him. He pretty much took all of our weapons and strength head on without a scratch, And then literally stood in the center of a heavy artillery barrage with little to no trouble before walking away. If he had some small weakpoint to take advantage of, I dont know if Em would be able to actually find it between avoiding him and his bullshit invisibility.
>>
>>1511412
>He was standing in an artillery barrage like it was /rain/, he might be a level of bullshit that even you can't crack.
>>
>>1511412
>I dunno, man.
>>
>>1511412
Yeah, because you had such an easy time with Terrapin
>>
File: fondnostalgia.jpg (115 KB, 828x966)
115 KB
115 KB JPG
Morning, folks.

It'll be a little bit before the next post. Had to do some cleaning/shopping, and I've got a gym trip in my future, then it's laundry hell all the way down.
>>
>>1511412
>“Oh, he’s also permanently invisible without boosted scanners.”
The crash roaders beelined for Collide just fine, though. Either they have better optics than I'd expect, or he turned his cloak off by then to save power for his shield.

>I don’t know, maybe.

He might have a chance. Collide took damage from the Lance, and Em is loaded down with hi-beams. He'd have a much higher damage potential than Anode, and melee is Em's specialty. Even against another huge melee specialist, he probably has a chance.

Here's the thing, though. Every indication is that Collide is smart. Really, really smart.

He didn't follow through on attacks he thought could get him hurt. He was totally confident in his defenses in most cases. The only times he took damage were the Wrenade - which made him examine the scratches to his paint job - and the Shriver/Lance combo, after which he IMMEDIATELY backed off the reassess the situation. He knew exactly what his own strengths were, used them to exploit Anode's weaknesses whenever possible, and avoided overcommitting to attacks at all times that I could see. Even right at the end, when he was most frustrated, he re-evaluated Mortarphant's contributions and decided she wasn't worth fighting for any more.

So, the moment he sees Em bearing down on him, loaded with Sabers... he's going to use his underslung buster-arms to control Em's movements, force him to engage in melee on Collide's terms, not Em's. If Em engages and deals enough damage, Collide can zoom away, and repeat from elsewhere in the arena. It's possible that Em could win, but he could also die a death by one thousand cuts. I wouldn't put it past Collide to cherry-tap him all the way.

Collide isn't scary because he's built like Tanker; he's scary because he fights an awful lot like Schwarz.
>>
>>1513171
He is a meelee stealth ninja!
>>
>>1513171

Really good assessment of Collide, but...

>... You probably could.

Equipment aside, Em has a hell of a record. Collide might be a smart cookie, but Em is no slouch in that department either. I find it hard to believe that he hasn't had to deal with opponents at least as tricky as this.

Remember, Em trained with Schwarz. He said himself that he knows exactly what this kind of opponent is like when Anode mentioned being forced to play into Collide's range. Em has even mentioned being able to consistently take down Schwarz in melee.

Frankly, I get the feeling that Em could probably pull more than a few things that would surprise even us.
>>
>>1511412
>...You probably could.

Em has survived god knows how many missions with little in the way of armour or buster. He's been able to best Schwartz at melee. He basically made rank through sheer will. Saying that he can't is not only an insult but a challenge to him.
>>
>>1511412
>>Other?
"You wouldn't be doing it alone."
I can see where he's coming from with what could be his weakness; a limited ammount of power due to his bonuses. He is agile and clever, but like hell we'd have him go along against Collide. We needed help as well, after all.
>>
>>1513238
Em also lost every time to Schwarz because Schwarz didn't play the melee game with Em. What makes you think Collide would play the melee game with the suicidal green swordball?
>>
>>1513523
Very much this. Being able to outmelee a guy only matters if you can force him into melee.
>>
File: Emerald epitaph.png (110 KB, 725x142)
110 KB
110 KB PNG
This one was kind of hard to judge, close between the overall sentiments of “I dunno, man” and “Maybe.” Writing will reflect that.
>>1511412
“...I don’t know, man,” you finally admit, and you watch his posture stiffen almost instantly. “I mean, you’d probably have done a hell of a lot better than me, but he was shrugging off artillery like nothing.”

Em lets himself relax, a little. “What worked?”

“Not much. My biggest ranged hits, when they weren’t hitting his fists… but my lance did, when I could hit with it. Jump-jets, too.”

He looks up at you. “Like I said, melee. Those fists, what’d plasma do?”

“Nothing at all.”

He nods. “Ceratanium. Heavy as shit, but he was built high-spec. His ranged defense is probably as good as yours.”

“Anything that got past didn’t do much,” you add. “I think the boosters did the most.”

“I’ve seen the specs on that data, that makes sense. Same for beam weapons. See, here’s the thing, man--” His shoulders relax, and for a moment, the maniacal beam-fetishist chatterbox friend is back, and the bitter prideful thing fades away. “Before busters? It was ballistics, you know that. But why go from bullets to busters? They’re slow enough that you can dodge them, and their range is way shorter.”

“Shielding,” you reply. “Armor got better and trivialized conventional ballistics, and busters were the most cost-effective solution that could get through it.”

“Right. And because the range of engagement got so close, and you had fuckin’ robots doing the fighting, melee weaponry became practical again in a way it wasn’t for ages.”

“And sabers do more work against shields, right,” you reply, getting the gist of his argument.

He grins. “Understatement of the year, man.”

“What about catching him? I kept trying to disengage like you told me, and he just kept running me down.”

“Right, the kite-and-whittle-down argument, right? It works, if you can shoot me. If.”

“How do you catch him if he doesn’t feel like being caught?”

“I do have a dash--I’d be cautious with it, but I’ve had to chip down a few turtles. So I’d take him piecemeal. Everyone is ‘theoretically’ unbeatable, man, you and me included. But mistakes get made.”

“Maybe not as much as you’d think. He was cautious as hell, the moment I pulled anything out he’d break off and size me up again.”

Em nods. “So he’s smart, and he was in friendly territory. He would run out the clock. Probably defensive anyway with a build like that.”

“Sort of,” you correct. “Mortarphant wasn’t exactly friendly to anybody. Part of how that whole shit-show unraveled.”

“Right, right.”

“I dunno,” you repeat again. “Not even talking shit, I don’t know if the both of us together could have taken him.”
>>
File: When's Dynamo.jpg (374 KB, 1054x834)
374 KB
374 KB JPG
>>1514094
He doesn’t reply, for once, and for a moment you’re worried you’ve pissed him off again, but… “Hey, Anode?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks. For not--for not doing what fucking everybody does about shit like that, and writing me off.”

You shrug. “It was worth thinking about--he WAS vulnerable up close, I just couldn’t do anything with it. But, for real?” You wait for him to look up at you. “I was getting a little worried about your reaction. Can I say something that’ll piss you off?”

He pauses for a second to think about it. “Yeah, hit me.”

“Your brother made me promise to keep you from doing exactly this kind of shit.”

Emerald’s face goes leaden and he looks back down at the half-assembled misericorde, and clicks a panel back into place silently. “You’re right, that did piss me off.”

“It’s true, though.”

“Yeah, I know, that’s what fuckin’ sucks about it.” He rolls the blade over and starts installing another panel. “So, you said you tried to do what I told you?”

“Yeah. Hit and run, use my mobility, all that shit. He was still all over me.”

Em nods. “Yeah. Yeah, I think we ought to teach you a little bit of real melee. I was gonna ask, actually--you ever considered having a sim made of yourself?”

You frown. “What a combat sim?”

“Yeah. Best way to capture the data is to run a few spars in VR with it, let it record your movement, fighting style, and scan your systems while you’re at it.“

“Let me guess, you have one?”

He snorts. “Buddy, I’ve been updating it at least once a week for five years.”

“So what, I’d go in and fight…”

Em clicks the last piece of your misericorde into place and ignites the envelope, testing it with his hand before snapping it off and back on again, blade engaged. “Me, motherfucker.”

>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
>That is a terrible idea. I’m not fighting you, VR or otherwise.
>I’m not entirely sure I’m cool with having a combat sim. Live spar?
>Other?
>>
>>1514101
>SIGN ME THE FUCK UP
>>
>>1514101
>Let's go for it. You'll help me evaluate after you've kicked my rear right?

(might as well see who'd come on top and re-evaluate how to best proceed)
>>
>>1514101
>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
Fuck it, what's the worst that could happen?
Well, I guess the SIM data could be leaked to the Mavs, but other than that I don't see any potential downsides.
>>
>>1514101
> Get Sol Foxfire. Lets show her what the up to date versus of the Sim can do compared to the out of date copy she threw at us.
>>
> Snort this line of whupass Em is serving up like it's coke from a hooker's chest
>>
>>1514101
>>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
Em is going to be laughing the whole freaking time isn't he?
>>
>>1514101
>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
>>
>>1514101
>Fuck it, do it up. Let's help me kick my own ass.
>And after I'm done doing that, I'm gonna use what I learned to kick *your* ass in a live spar.
>>
>>1514101
>>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
India would be the only one that'd actually get this reference, isn't she?
>>
File: 1435420628205.gif (44 KB, 408x408)
44 KB
44 KB GIF
>>1514101
>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
Do it and get India in the audience. We can give her the parts after.
>>
>>1514101
A slut for punishment, hohohohoohoh
>>
>>1514186
>>1514216
Its settled then, gather the popcorn eaters. Foxfire, too, maybe Grach if he has the time.
>>
>>1514148
This is a terrible idea, she is gonna say the wrong thing, the leprechaun will get angry, and then we have to explain to Command why a VIP got sabered.
>>
>>1514101
>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION

Who cares if the Sim gets leaked, we get upgrades so much it would soon get outdated.

"Fine but I won't update my own Sim more than once a month, too many people out there wants me dead."
>>
>>1514268
Remember, a sim of Em was her ace in the hole.
>>
>>1514295
No shit, why do you think it's a bad idea to have her present while we're fighting a sim of Em while Em watches?
>>
>>1514148
0/10, not even funny.
>>
>Fuck yeah, let's do this shit.

Upgrade chat: Can you give us a rough estimate for how much a stealth system in Collide's range would cost, if we wanted to install one?

If his range is super expensive, how about one that just lasts for a couple seconds when switched on? Anode's pretty damn speedy and can go a long distance in a couple seconds.
>>
>>1514295
We told Em that his Sim was leaked in the Black Market, right?

Em x Master Sword OTP.
>>
>>1514101

Engaging partypooper.exe. After we've seen what Foxfire can do, are we sure we're cool with having our data accessible to others so easily?

I mean, yeah, it'd be hilarious for our friends to watch. Plus, fighting yourself to figure out your own weaknesses is an *awesome* thing. And >>1514271 is right, we do upgrade quite a bit. And also Foxfire is probably the only one who can summon Sims to fight. And... uh...

Fuck it. I'm gonna vote like I've got a pair.

>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
>>
>>1514312
It should be the opposite. Most are viewing Em based on the out of date leaked sim data rather than what he currently is capable of.

>>1514326
Not a joke.
>>
>>1514327
yeah, but most of our speed comes from things that would break stealth.
>>
>>1514357
The point is not about the age of the data, the point is putting Em in the same room as the person using his sim data as their ace in the hole during a situation that is reasonably likely to cause her to bring it up.
>>
>>1514101
"Hey Em I am getting the Tumult Shell upgraded, do you want the new data for thwt glove thing you did? And if you got the savings I can let you examine my lance since I know you want something like it and you could make your own version."

>The only somewhat defensive upgrades Em has been interested in.
>>
>>1514371
And you think Em wouldn't be flattered that his /out of date/ Sim data was her ace in the hole?

Em's biggest problem is that he feels people look down on him and count him out.
>>
>>1514399
I think he is liable to be right pissed that she used it on his friend, and given how foxfire tends to act, she is super unlikely to share the news in a way that softens the anger.

Like, it would be entirely in character for her to walk into the room, see the sim fight on a screen or however you spectate the things, and be all 'hah this reminds me of when I fought that chucklehead'
>>
>>1514417
>Like, it would be entirely in character for her to walk into the room, see the sim fight on a screen or however you spectate the things, and be all 'hah this reminds me of when I fought that chucklehead'

Which is more likely to happen if we do not invite her. She will show up during the Sim instead of before it when we can mitigate some of the damage.
>>
>>1514101
>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
"Fuck yeah, let's help me kick my own ass! Wait..."
>>
>>1514101
>>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
This is gonna be great.
>>
>>1514101
>FINAL DESTINATION MOTHERFUCKERS

But with a question, after, since it has bugged me for a while.

>Y'know, I know you are master of all things phallic and pointy, but do you ever try building weapons that are not swords for your own use? Polearms, flails, the like?
>>
>>1514101
>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
But raise the stakes: if we manage to take out his sim, he has to give a long, public speech about how lances are superior to swords.
>>
>>1514895

This is a terrible idea.

I'm down.
>>
>>1514101
>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
>But you know, it wasn't fun when your outdated sim got thrown at me. You do what ya gotta do, but that shit wears on you in a different way from mortarphant.
>>
>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION

I was actually thinking at some point that in the future we should see about getting some kind of simultaneous sim going hunters could have non-lethal no holds barred spars.
>>
>SHIT YES THIS IS SO HAPPENING
>>
>>1515134
We should get our own sim and then watch 100 Anodes fight 100 Emeralds
>>
>>1515250
>The sim lags out and crashes before a winner can be decided.

You know that's exactly what would happen.
>>
>>1515250
>>1515273
we'll get chewed out for the ridiculous amount of energy spent on sim-electricity and sim-blades
>>
>>1515273
Reroute all power

Anode is an electric vampire it is within his capabilities

Mavericks? Pshaw, this is far more important
>>
>>1515250
You're not thinking big enough. Since we can (probably) have a theoretically infinite number of sims at the same time, we could see how many Anodes it would take to beat Sigma. And going even farther, we could use Sigma's sim as a unit of measurement.

>One Sigma is equal to the number of sims from a single reploid needed to successfully take down Sigma

How many of you add up to a Sigma? If you're .001, it took a thousand of your weak buckets of bolts to beat him. If you're .25, you managed to take him down with just four of you.
>>
>>1515299
How do you measure it for a hunter who can't beat Sigma in any quantity?
Or compensate for a hunter who has unusually good or bad teamwork with themselves?
Or who keeps bitching about how their sim data isn't on par with them?
>>
>>1515250
I feel like we went down this avenue of thought once and were told something to the effect that the 2nd Recon has a simulator capable of doing large scale stuff for battlefield analysis and such, and that this kind of thing is why they don't let everyone use it.
>>
>>1515342
Maybe 2nd Recon should be renamed to 2nd Fun Police

Boooo
>>
>>1515359
Go home Em, you're drunk.
>>
cleaned up the titanpad, all upgrades that are impossible to get for one reason or another have gone to a pastebin linked at the bottom.
>>
>>1514101
>>I’m not entirely sure I’m cool with having a combat sim. Live spar?

Real threat equals real learning.
>>
>>1514101
>GET READY TO LOSE, SHORTSTACK
>>
>>1514101
come to think of it, since we have Blueshift is the next upgrade in that area going to cost 75k due to space limitations?
>>
>>1514101
>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
Hell yeah, was going to ask about this myself.
I assume Ems going to fight the sim of us too?
>>
>>1503315
So where do the 8 shots of the Shell Driver come from? VWES? Do we have to carry them?
>>
>>1516588
Its an alternative VWES configuration from the stock version.
>>
>>1516622
Aw, really? We already have too many VWES. should have taken the Blaster Driver so we could add to our offense, instead of swap it.
>>
>>1516668
i mean, going by that logic we could have just dropped Tumult.

But Shell Driver represents a more focused dps where wrenade is more of an aoe fuckyou. It's still filling out functions that were missing in our VWES kit, so there's nothing wrong with getting it.
>>
>>1516685
The point was that we need upgrades that /add/, not ones that /replace/. The Blaster Driver would have been a straight increase in our offense, as opposed to having to remove something to use the the Shell Driver.
>>
>>1516729
look, it's been over a day since the vote.

Both are good options, but the consensus was Shell Driver.
>>
>>1516746
No, you're right. Just irritated is all.
>>
So who is it that normally writes Em off for 'shit like that'? Considering he's a bare step below S-class and trained by Schwarz, I can't think there's many.
>>
>>1516785
It was mentioned in the past the Em was designed as the "AK-47" of reploid design: doesn't mind getting busted because he's super easy to fix. He hasn't gone out of his way to get himself upgraded, which is, in a way, hamstringing himself. The fights are getting harder, and Em's tech is getting outpaced faster than he's willing to admit, mostly because his personal skill makes up the difference.
>>
>>1516851
And because he wants his family to be able to kill him if he goes Maverick and that's bullshit because his family is/was upgrading.
>>
File: 1451769834053.jpg (81 KB, 960x896)
81 KB
81 KB JPG
>>1516785
Gopher, probably.

>>1516851
>>1516881
Right. In the trinity design, the one who kills him is now dead and he's the one who kills his sister. He feels nothing for his "parents," so his siblings were his family. He wanted to make it easier for either of them if they ever had to put him down, and make him a soft target to defend against if he ever had to put -them- down.

Yet at the same time, he had to keep getting more and more skilled to make up for his weaknesses in the normal course of work. As a result he kept getting more and more threatening in a fight, so he had to keep himself stagnant -- weaker and weaker as tech improved -- to equalize his siblings' chances against him.

But Sapphire's the only one left, and she's already at a disadvantage against him, so he has to stay weaker, but he still has to work, and still has his pride, so he has to get stronger...

Poor guy's a bundle of issues.
>>
>>1516975
What kind of timescale are we looking at for his new sibling? I'm guessing it's going to be a couple of years in-game to go from his family designing and building them to them leaving the lab, but war-footing presumably means more of a rush on it.
>>
>>1517000
Dunno if they'd bother. The three of them were a prototype for a contract that never materialized. Dunno how long our design work took, but it took ~2 years to raise and train us.
>>
>>1517019
Pretty sure they already said in their call to Em that they'd had some kind of commission for a new reploid.
>>
>>1517019
He was a super prototype for a possible series of mass-produced reploids that were competing with the steel berets to replace the aging lanceteamers . His great performance during the competition was attributed to all the extra bells and whistles (a secondary brain and a 4 "eye" system being two of them) they shoved into him rather that the quality of the base chassis. Didn't win the line soldier contract but the hunters took Em in as a officer and contracted the creation of 2 more (Diamond and Sapphire) officer level reploids.
>>
>>1517000
>>1517019
>>1517027
I don't know if Em would even care about a new sibling, given how his parents tried to comfort him with "Don't worry, we can build you another!"
>>
File: Emerald goes maverick.png (181 KB, 448x750)
181 KB
181 KB PNG
>>
>>1517095
Very possible, but he might still care about the new sibling while not giving a shit about his builders, especially if Sapphire considers him/her family. We haven't had his opinion either way, just being pissed off about the reaction of his builders to Diamond's death.

(On a different topic, we still don't know how the apology to Seek Parrot went.)
>>
>>1517019
>>1517027
>>1517095
I kind of want the new sibling to show up, if only for the familial angst.

Little Brother or Sister I'm thinking... Zircon would be a good name, to continue the gem theme, and emphasize that they are a replacement for Diamond. doesn't know how shitty his/her parents can be, and is as naive as any fresh-faced recruit into the Hunters can be. Desperately wants to connect with their elder siblings, with mixed results, with Em probably being the one with the worse reaction between himself and Sapphire.
>>
>>1516975
Is Embrace training us to be a replacement for Diamond now? If not, well, maybe that is something to bring up with him. Help ease a worry, maybe open up a new conversation that could lead to productive paths.
>>
>>1517112
Interesting autocorrect there!
>>
>>1517116
So it is.
>>
>>1517108
Ah, yes, the Ken Penders approach.
>>
>>1517168
>Implying angst of any sort equals Ken Penders-tier writing
Frankly, I'm insulted.
>>
>>1517108
You misspelled 'zirconia'
>>
>>1517193
Well then that just locks the possible little sibling into being a sister with that sort of name. it's a good name, but Zirconia sounds decidedly more feminine.

Then again, we're ruminating on something that remains a possibility, not a certainty.

There are other names out there, as well.
>>
File: Spoiler Image (10 KB, 367x137)
10 KB
10 KB PNG
>>1517204
>There are other names out there, as well.
A few.
>>
>SIM ONLY, NO ITEMS, FINAL DESTINATION
You grin right back at him. “Let’s do this, pine-fresh.”

You mull things over, before sending a few pings out on the way.

“Hey, India? I got another Ride Chaser blown up. As penance, can I interest you in front-row seats to the wholesale ass-beating Em is about to bestow upon me?”

A pause, and then: “Yes. Yes you can.”

With one of the psychotic ladies in your life dealt with, you comm the other. … And when you get Cathode’s away-on-mission auto response, you shoot a line to Foxfire. “I know you’re going to find out about this anyway and crash the party, so get over here if you’re gonna.”

Again, silence for a moment, and then:

https://youtu.be/coUkVDnbkfg

“...Was that Stars & Stripes on a grammophone?” you ask.

“You looked that up,” Foxfire replies.

“Whatever, just… keep quiet about the whole black market sim data thing, okay? I won’t cut your arms and legs off and throw you in a river, but I make no promises for Em.”

She snickers. “I’ll just watch from a distance, hotcakes.”

Wait, what? “How? Like, can you take the recordings or do you have remote surveill--” Doot, goes the line closing.

Damn it, Foxfire.

“So what’s the plan?” you ask Em, as you return to the sim room… the first time you’ve seen it since Tanker and Seven turned. You feel a vague sense of retroactive unease, remembering him looking down at you in the machine…

… And Dodo was there, too. You remember his outraged squawk as the sim-X’s armor flashed to life, and Tanker’s genuine belly-laugh.

You clear your head, focusing on what Em’s saying. “...a few cycles, depends how long you wanna go. It won’t be perfect no matter what, because you need to fight a bunch of kinds of enemies, get more complete data.”
You peer over Em’s shoulder (not that it’s hard) to see the screen.

>SELECT SIMULATION:
>NOTICE: Simulations of active unit members is not permitted.

“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters at the machine, tapping a few commands in on the pad. “Not gonna be a simulation anyway, it’s going to be me. One sec, diagnostic mode, data creation...”

As it processes the request, it blinks CREATING RECORD along the top as the most recent simulation. Below that, though…
>>
>>1517655
>EMERALD (T. TERAPIN): YOU HAVE RETIRED YOUR TARGET (RATING: A)

And below that, another. And another. Ten anothers. And then, it changes:

>EMERALD (T. TERAPIN): YOU HAVE RETIRED YOUR TARGET (RATING: A)
>EMERALD (T. TERAPIN): YOU HAVE BEEN RETIRED (RATING: A)
>EMERALD (T. TERAPIN): YOU HAVE BEEN RETIRED (RATING: A)
>EMERALD (T. TERAPIN): YOU HAVE BEEN RETIRED (RATING: A)
>EMERALD (T. TERAPIN): YOU HAVE BEEN RETIRED (RATING: A)

...Again, and again, and again, all the way down off the end of the backlog scroll. And it's a long backscroll.

>...What the FUCK, Em.
>I am beginning to understand some of your damage.
>Other?
>>
>Fuck man, didn't realize you were hunting cheevos too.
>>
>>1517669
>I am beginning to understand some of your damage.
"... but that doesn't mean I think this is healthy. Christ."
>>
>>1517669
>When did you even find the time to run this many sims?
>>
Man, Em's fucked up.
We should introduce him to our therapist.
>>
File: PROCEED.jpg (327 KB, 725x1280)
327 KB
327 KB JPG
>>1517708
I laughed.

Also, I am salty because I originally had that with a gorillion repeating lines of both, but spam detection made me hack it down to just a few lines and a description of the rest. Kinda neutered the intended effect.
>>
>>1517669
>Just stare blankly at him.
>Ask what was needed for a consistent win.

Might as well learn something from his raging insanity.
>>
>>1517669
>Dude, do you even have time to drink anymore?
>>
>>1517669
>But did you do it European Extreme, no weapons, under five minutes, 1cc?
>>
>>1517669
>Okay, but did you beat him with fists only?
>>
>>1517669

Well, I'm sure that's not concerning at all.

Em clearly has a more hindsight based view of preparation as opposed to our barrel top of the line gear into danger and blindly stumble into victory approach.

That being said,
>I am beginning to understand some of your damage.
I think conveys the mix of concern but not judgement that feels appropriate.
>>
>>1517669
>Other
"This isn't healthy. ... So what worked?"
>>
>>1517669

I call bullshit. HOW the hell does he have the TIME for this?

I mean that literally -- I feel like one reason we never use the sims, is because we just don't have enough time. We have to go on the next mission too soon to be able to spend hours in a sim. Sure we can talk to a few people on base, try to clear up problems or maybe order stuff for our team, but then we're off to the next mission.

So how the hell does Emerald have the time? When does he get the opportunity?

>>1517655
>“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters at the machine, tapping a few commands in on the pad. “Not gonna be a simulation anyway, it’s going to be me. One sec, diagnostic mode, data creation...”

Hey Hunter Command, to clarify; is this supposed to mean that Anode and Emerald are going to go and have a virtual fight?

I was actually intending to ask this after the previous update, but I was behind on updates, so: "Hey if a person can enter the computer to fight a simulation... why can't 2 people just enter?"

In fact, why don't MORE people do this instead of live-fire sparring or practice?

Hell, use the sims to practice team assaults, or teamwork with Lanceteamers or whatever. There's probably some reason this isn't done though. But what is that reason?
>>
>>1517786
Didn't we do just that with Schwarz and Em a few times?
>>
>>1517786
Anode has range training, social time, squad time, etc etc.
Em likely doesn't, and we know he has a bad habit of skimping on food and sleep.
>>
>>1517786
Most of the times he died were within seconds. And then when he got better, most of the times he won were within a minute.
>>
File: doot.png (715 KB, 1115x1500)
715 KB
715 KB PNG
>>1517786
Because the sims are limited--both in processing power and fidelity--and lack the weightiness of real-world fighting--even if it "looks" real, the hunter in question knows it's a sim, and thus a safety net. It's kind of like training versus combat time--you do a lot of the former for the latter, but it's just not the same experience.

And yes, this will be a virtual fight, which will let you start building a combat sim of Anode as it records.
>>
>>1517786
Bear in mind that the simulated fight is probably just the 1v1 with whatever mav. Not and entire goddamn campaign waged. Most of our actual face to face fights have been over damn fast.
>>
>>1511412
>“Couldn’t outmove him?” He asks. “What, Collide? Tried. He had my number all the way through. Couldn’t juke him. And he was fucking fast. Like twelve feet tall, busters, and he had these big ceratanium fists, blocked all my range. So I had to be in melee…” “...Right where he wants you,” Em finishes. “Yeah. I know the type.”
>>1514094
>“I dunno,” you repeat again. “Not even talking shit, I don’t know if the both of us together could have taken him.”

If you can't beat an enemy at first, then change weapon loadouts and maybe tactics. The other obvious thing to try... is to bring a friend. I'm kinda worried that this asshole would see that coming. Or that he'd somehow bullshit and have something prep'd just for Em if we tried a 2v1. Bastard.

>>1517792
>Didn't we do just that with Schwarz and Em a few times?

Huh. Did we do that? I don't remember that. I know we tried the Megaman sim once. And maybe we tried the sim a second time. But did we use the sim other than that?

>>1517812
Hm. Hey, what does it take to create a sim? I mean, we have old enemies in the sim, right. Presumably that came from combat data shared by the Hunters that retired the Maverick?

So, hey, would it be possible to start assembling a COLLIDE sim?

At least we'd be able to re-do the fight we had against him.
>>
>>1517843
We didn't use the sim other than a) the X fight, and b) an underwater one as training for Skipjack. Schwarz was just one spar, outside simulations.
>>
>>1517669
>I am beginning to understand some of your damage.
>>
>>1517812
>Because the sims are limited--both in processing power and fidelity--and lack the weightiness of real-world fighting--even if it "looks" real, the hunter in question knows it's a sim, and thus a safety net. It's kind of like training versus combat time--you do a lot of the former for the latter, but it's just not the same experience.
What if you took a reploid that was sleeping, plugged them into the sim, and woke them up in the sim? Would they be able to tell they were in a sim?
>>
>>1517920
Yes, immediately. For that kind of fidelity, the closest you can come is 2nd's Large Scale Simulator and a drunk unitmate prank.
>>
>>1517922
Damn.
Even if you dosed them with a lot of data-nanites before waking them up?
>>
>>1517922
Well, now I know the circumstances of our first visit to the large scale simulator.
>>
>>1517937
You say that like Anode's the first to have that idea. If you can infiltrate the infiltration specialists, with a drunk guy in tow, though, you've earned it.
>>
>>1517669
I'm with >>1517786
>What the FUCK did you do to yourself to have this much time, Em?
>I mean, I get it, but there's no way I could try that many times between missions.
>>
File: MHQSeason2InANutshell.gif (371 KB, 322x240)
371 KB
371 KB GIF
>>1517669
>I am beginning to understand some of your damage.
I think at the rate Em is losing it, we're going to postpone wing manning him in favor of escorting him around the base and forcing him to make small talk with people.

>>1517946
Well, now would be an ideal time to try: they've just had to move all their equipment to the new base; plus they're low on officers and we just got Compass killed...
>>
>>1517955
Em doesn't spend his downtime between missions like we do. While we interact with our squad and unitmates, he's in the sims
>>
>>1518013
I got that, I would just like Anode to get to reach and react to that conclusion.
>>
>>1518013
Didn't he use to spend a lot of time in pranks and drinking in the bar?
>>
>>1518013
>while you socialized, I studied the blade
>while you got drunk with other hunters I mastered the blockchain
>while you wasted your down time watching movies I cultivated inner strength
>>
>>1518038
Lies Em got wasted and played pranks a lot. What part of RM BEING YEARS OLDER THAN US are you guys missing?
>>
>>1518057
It's a meme you dip
Also the recent logs are just that, recent
>>
>>1518064
He had time leave before he went against orders.
>>
>>1518064
No, no, clearly Em knew that he was going to be facing Terapin some point in the future, so for the last few years he's been exclusively training against him in the sims, just waiting for the opportunity. And then when the real fight came, he suddenly got amnesia and forgot how to beat him.

Obvious, really.
>>
>>1518095
Nigga whut
>>
>>1518110
He did get beaten up by a guy who hates his guts in order to go to missions, remember?
>>
>>1518132
No, Em has been allowed on his own since things went down. He sparred Rezador because he wanted in on a very specific mission.

Anyone else want to see how he fares on the Wren SIM, by the way?
>>
>>1518249
I wanna have Anode and Em tag-team every single bird-mav on record, in order. Figure out all the fun bird-deaths we can rack up, prep for bird-tricks, then have it all go tits up with the first live bird-mav.
>>
>>1518301
Next time we have a bird, I vote we ask Crankshaft to come along with a jet and surf it into them, then get to work while they are recovering from a jet to the face.
>>
>>1518301
Since we don't do missions with Em every time, I think we should do those solo.
>>
We just need to get Emerald to teach us Tsubame Gaeshi.

Assuming Anode's superiors don't disallow it because it'd remove his RPS weaknesses.
>>
>>1518474
Isn't his weakness the fact that he can't generate electricity on his own? Until he gets hit a lot?
>>
>>1518506
That's the major one, though not the only one

It's why he and Cathode in tandem are at least a high S class.
>>
>>1518515
>Anode/Cathode desperation attack
>It's Redshifted Raikousen for 2 solid minutes
>>
>>1518474
>remove his RPS weaknesses.

Why would a judo throw do that?

>>1518506
No, his weakness is how ice wrecks him.
>>
>>1518808
No idea how it would help Anode, but given the topic how far do you think he could toss Tanker with a mass shriver judo throw?
>>
>>1519096
He was able to shoryuken Ursa like 3 stories even without it, so I'd say pretty far.
>>
Ask Em what his tactics were to get the consistent wins.
>>
Ok, who put Anode on the /tg/ suffering chart?

Can't really argue with the 20,85 placement.
>>
>>1519324
wut?
>>
>>1519324
Sounds about right. Kid's been through some shit.

>>1519328
See >>>/tg/53511941
>>
>>1518808

It's a sword technique.

A sword technique designed solely for cutting up birds.
>>
>>1519353
Oh, Turning Swallow Cut... but that is what the birds use on us, not an anti bird maneuver.
>>
>>1519367
No, it supposedly cuts a swallow midflight.
>>
>>1519415
No, it mimics the movements of a swallow tail while diving. Its a downward slash followed instantly by a rising slash forming a v.

The belief that it could hit birds was likely a folk etymology to explain the name.
>>
>>1519117
Ah. Whoop. I completely misread these and now that'd sound uh... Douchey and sarcastic.

Are those two up there the most recent, or is everything after the two wins losses?

Still, inquire about the wins.
>>
>>1519882
It says between the two shown wins that there are ten more wins, and elsewhere mentions the top are the most recent.
>>
>>1519961
So I read it right the first time, then later on read it less right.

Well... The spirit of the vote remains unchanged, at least.
>>
File: Weeaboo Fightan Magic.gif (4.78 MB, 320x164)
4.78 MB
4.78 MB GIF
>>1519470
Personally I don't want Anode to learn boring real life sword skills, I want him to learn Weeaboo Fightan Magic.
>>
>>1519353
Raiusuken Upercut? Like what Ryu from Street Fighter does but with lighting? We need a few upgrades to do that.
>>
>>1520453
Not really. We can already Shoryuken a guy with electrodashing. We've done it. Clocked a giant bear up three stories or something. All you gotta do to electrify that is release capacitor charge out of the fist doing the punching. And now we can do it WREATHED IN BLUE FIRE if we really cared.

We need this sim. Gotta buckle down to some training, get a couple advanced maneuvers practiced so we're not making everything up on the fly while dying all the time.
>>
>>1519470
Who invited buzzkill mandrill?
>>
>>1521223

This is an excellent name for a maverick.
>>
>>1521223
>>1521262

The Dreaded Bee Monkey!
>>
>>1521101
Hell, now we could do it with our new Falcon Punch option while wreathed in blue fire. If dash systems can be improved currently, imagine what we could do with the ability to dash up, raikousen, our jet pack, the mass shriver, and the shell driver.
>>
>>1521319
Drain our LIFE battery besides our electric one?
>>
Possibly no post tonight, I have to help a guy drink some beers.
>>
File: wheredoyouthinkweare.jpg (62 KB, 500x644)
62 KB
62 KB JPG
>>1521505
drink one for the fallen
>>
File: Emerald by Gale.jpg (148 KB, 1700x1909)
148 KB
148 KB JPG
>I am beginning to understand some of your damage.
“Jesus, Em,” you mutter to yourself.

Em glowers. “Yeah, yeah. Get in the pod, Anode.”

“No, I mean… I get it, what you said. What worked? What was he weak to?”

“Skill.”

“No, seriously. What did you do differently?” You look up at him--Terapin nearly had both of your number.

He sighs in exasperation. “He was kitted to counter the two of us, right?”

“Yeah.” Thanks for that, Seven.

“So I started looking at things I don’t have an answer for, and why I don’t have an answer for them. Most of the time it’s because I wasn’t leaving myself an out.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“Like what?”

“Like explosives. Most of them are impact fuzes, it’s easier to minifab so you can make more ammo faster. Which means you can dodge them.”

“Airburst does exist,” you point out.

“Yeah, but that relies on the shooter, and Terapin was pretty slow to switch and sight. Let me show you, get in the sim.”

You nod hesitantly, climbing into the pod. Em kips up and around into its twin next to you. A moment later, and in a moment of alien weightlessness, you’ve entered the simulation.

“Okay, you’ve still got those lasers you jacked him up with, right?” He--actually Em?--asks.

You nod and switch to Lockon Hunter. “Why?”

“Shoot me with it.”

“Uh.”

“No, come on,” he says, drawing a saber off his shoulder and rolling it once, unignited. “Come on, keel me, do eet.”

You snort. “Okay, fine, but only because you wooed me with a Predator reference.” You snap your arm up and fire--

And in an instant, watch the laser diffract across the tip of Em’s ignited blade, held and leveled on you.

“Um.”

“I don’t have to be faster than light, Anode. I just have to be faster than you. Get it?”

“I think so.”

“Right.” He grins savagely, wheeling the weapon in his hand again and taking a ready stance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW9twKhCRdc

“Let’s go.”

>Run and gun. It’s what he told you to do, after all.
>Test out the knife--he’s sure not going to expect it.
>Other?
>>
>>1521746
>Run and gun. It’s what he told you to do, after all.
>>
>>1521746
Assuming that we're not being held to melee only, start off keeping our distance, pouring on the saturation fire with both barrels. When he gets close, fire a blackout straight down if we have to and raikousen through, then aim busters to either side of the cloud since he's probably not going to be in it.

Is this simulation taking place in a single room, or an expanse? If single room with walls, intermittently throw out tension coils as area denial, aiming at floors, ceilings or walls, then at Emerald. It doesn't have to hit him, it just has to be something he needs to deal with.

If he closes in to melee, disengage with jumpjet; don't use blueshift unless necessary. Throw out Tension Coil after jumpjet to come back in and throw out a Shell Driver, assuming we have it equipped. Play hit-and-run, always be moving.
>>
>>1521746
>Use fast and slower attacks at the same time. Lockon and Blackout. Wrenade and T. Coil.
man, what the hell are we supposed to use against SKILL?
>Ready a Shell Driver to slam into the ground and get him with debris
>>
>>1521801
>>1521802
What actually is our loadout right now?
>>
>>1521746
>Run and gun. It’s what he told you to do, after all.

Hey Em, it's your best friend Chaff.
>>
>>1521746

>Run and gun. It’s what he told you to do, after all.

Accept the premise, give it a chance before rejecting it.
>>
>>1521809
If you want, go ahead and pick it now, otherwise it's just your equipment as of last mission.
>>
>>1521847
no point in tumult; Em will just dodge it easy.

....are we finally dropping T. Coil? If it's about learning raw skill, it might be good to get back to the fundamentals.
>>
>>1521847
I'd say:

T. Coil
Lockon Hunter
Shell Driver
Hurricane Bomb
>>
Tension Coil
Lockon Hunter
Shell Driver
Hurricane Bomb

Now to business.
>>Don't melee the melee spec. Hit him with a wrenade and bust him up, shell drive the ground if he closes.
>>
>>1521746
>Run and gun. It’s what he told you to do, after all.
use ever move, tool, and trick we have to keep out of his melee range since we know he'll destroy us up close.
>>
>>1521746
>Run and gun. It’s what he told you to do, after all.
but with a dash of
>Cheat. It's what an old war dog once taught you to do.
Place a pair of Hurricane Bombs in his path, with just enough space to for him to pass between, then fire a Shell Driver at him. Won't get him but should slow him down, apply liberal buster fire. When he closes in, fire a Blackout at Anode's feet, we should take the chaff better than him.

Can we use our emergency battery in VR?

>>1521847
Tension Coil
Blackout Rocket
Hurricane Bomb
Shell Driver
>>
>>1521802
>Ready a Shell Driver to slam into the ground and get him with debris
Huh. I wonder how high could we fling ourselves by punching the ground with that?

Being up high, with jumpjets still fully charged, would make for one hell of an air dash. Or a BLAZING GROUND SLAM. The fact that it starts with an explosion, too, is just icing on the cake.

Sure, it's stupid and insane, and the tension coil zipline makes it totally redundant, buuut...
>>
>>1522050
well if we ground slam, then raikousen, then jumpjets, THEN T. Coil, maybe Em won't be able to parry it.
>>
>>1522079
Oh yeah. If we try it on Em, we're gonna get skewered.
On the other hand, it would be a cool way to die.
So I'm torn.
>>
>>1522079
Does the VR space have a ceiling? I don't think Em has a solution for flying opponents, we could T. Coil up there and taunt him.
>>
>>1522211
He'd find a way eventually, but maybe we can wear down his hi-beams with a combination of Lockons and buster fire

or can he do that laser deflect even with lo-beam weapons?
>>
>>1521746
>Run and gun

While picking his brain on things. Stuff like seeing if we understand how he did that (magnetic sheathe, I would assume), what sorts he has gone after so far, and if he thinks it would be possible, within his parameters, to potentially make himself a more potent magnetic blade or similar that could help him shore up ranged defense.
>>
>>1522226
That was his shoulder mount, so he did it with one of his starter lo beams.
>>
>>1521997
>not including lockons after firing a lockon
Tiny flaw in your proposed loadout, m8.

>>1521847
Actually, since this is a sim can't we hotswap VWES between bouts, or even during if the sim's set up to permit it?
>>
Since we're simming anyway, we should find out what 90% charge will do to Em.
>>
Can we form both hands into busters with lockon hunters active?

Not FIRE with both hands, but have them both LOOK like they're capable of being fired.

His trick with aimdodging is good, but can he block two angles at once?
>>
>>1523050
He has two hands and half a dozen swords.
Yes, he can block two at once.
>>
>>1521746
>Run and gun. It’s what he told you to do, after all.
>>
I'd say open with a pair of Wrenades honestly. Blast radius and damage may catch him off guard if he hasn't seen them since the Limited Mission.
>>
File: AnodeMeetsNappa.gif (54 KB, 408x408)
54 KB
54 KB GIF
>>1523145
Sure if he has them both in hand, but if he's two-handing a saber or hasn't started dual-wielding yet, I think Anode can get a shot off before Emerald manages to quickdraw a second blade.

It's worth a shot, anyway.
>>
>>1523288
I am not entirely sure about that as Em is a zippy motherfucker.
>>
>>1521947
I like this anon's tactics, but I'd take rockouts over coils for this engagement.
>>
>>1521825
>>1522670

How about we chaff the ground and full discharge when he gets close? Emerald is lightly armored, and even as skilled as he is I don't think he can parry five hundred blades that are also lightninging at him.
>>
>>1523357
No, but he can dodge them well enough.
>>
>>1522415
I assumed we could change our load out after Em showed off his trick. If we can't, just change out Shell Driver for Lockon Hunter.
>>
>>1521746
>Test out the knife--he’s sure not going to expect it.
>>
>>1521746
>Run and gun. It’s what he told you to do, after all.
Loadout: Blackout Rocket, Shell Driver, Hurricane Bomb, Tension Coil.

You decide to open up fast and hard, rather than chance giving Em an opening. A pair of Wrenades screams downrange, one low, one high. Right on their heels, you follow up with a blackout rocket, aiming to saturate the air with shrapnel.

Em dashes clear beneath the first, the grenade whirling over his head and exploding behind him as he comes up on his heels, arresting his move with a short hop before springing to his left, the second Wrenade exploding where you’d expected him to lunge. You send another blackout iinto his path, breaking into the opposite direction behind your double-screen of chaff.

Behind it, Em breaks into an easy trot, keeping on the move, one hand hovering at his side, fingers splayed, the other wrapped around his lobeam, ignited and ready. He starts in towards you again as, for a moment, you’re indecisive.

Though--you switch to coils, while you have a moment, and fire up into the ‘ceiling.’ A moment of hangtime, and then--a floaty facsimile of the line biting into the roof and retract, yanking you overhead. You roll your wrist and free the line, holding onto it with one hand as you sight down with your buster, sending a burst-salvo Em’s way.

He doesn’t even slow down, raising the blade to block one of the shots casually. “Really? We’re gonna do this?”

“Does that mean you don’t have an answer for this?” You ask, building charge.

He chuckles darkly. “You tell me.”

You fire, and he breaks to the side. flinging an arm up over your head, an ignited beam knife turning end over end-in-flight. You raise your buster and attempt to knock it out of the air, but the spinning blade slaps it aside. Still, you grab on with another coil as the blade chews through the braided cable--

And you’re startled to see Em bearing down on you in midair--shit, if there’s a ceiling, there’s walls. You snap-fire a Blackout straight for him, and he contorts in midair, twisting around it like a falling cat. You go to fire again, only to realize you’re falling with him--switching from coils to rockets in a hurry, you didn’t have time to keep the line spooled.

>He’ll land first. Boost down right on top of him with the jumpjets.
>Coil out again. Keep defensive, build charge play to your endurance.
>Other?
>>
>>1525392
>Coil out again. Keep defensive, build charge play to your endurance.
we were built to last, let's use that
>>
>>1525392
>He’ll land first. Boost down right on top of him with the jumpjets.

He'll know he'll land first, so he'll get the hell out of the way. So what -we- do, is jumpjet down where we think he'll land, and hesitate a split-second there for him to reel himself back toward us for a hit. That's when we swing a Shell Driver Falcon Punch at him.
>>
>>1525392
>He’ll land first. Boost down right on top of him with the jumpjets and give the shell driver a try.

If it hits, it hits, if not, the force can clear us away from Em's counter.
>>
If he doesn't have an airdodge, he can't change where he's gonna land.

>Shoot a blackout at where he's gonna land, so he has to hit the chaff cloud.
>>
>>1525392
>He’ll land first. Boost down right on top of him with the jumpjets. Couldn't hurt to use our momentum here to do that.
>>
>>1525392
>Coil out again. Keep defensive, build charge play to your endurance.

Iunno
>>
>>1525392
>Coil out again. Keep defensive, build charge play to your endurance.
Cling to the wall, switch to the ceiling again once Em gets started on a path, then Shell Driver the ceiling. As soon as we detach the T. Coil connected to the ceiling, ready that buster on another Shell Driver as we dash along the ground to do a ground Driver this time.
>>
>>1525447
this.
>>
>>1525447
this, and since we have the Rocket ready anyway, shoot one where he's going to land as we boost. shots toward the ground get accelerated by the very velocity of the shooter. its how planes in WW 2 took out tanks with relatively small auto cannons.
>>
>>1525392
>Jumpjet away from Em. He'll just try to cut another cable.

Also try to steal/destroy his beam knife if he hasn't picked it back up. Beat him through attrition.
>>
Looked up CL and HC's comments about airdashing. Based on that, it'd be really weird if Emerald could do it. It's new and very difficult tech to build and Em's not exactly cutting edge.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/18587497/#18596520

>"Since we had the normal dash, and it's after X2, I assukmed we had Air Dash, because I mean, what is the dash anyway? A short energy burst from the feet right? Well if you can do that on the ground why can't you do that in the air?"

>CL response: "Air Dash isn't an easy design. It's extremely nonstandard. Very useful though."

Even Zero doesn't have an airdash at this point.

So if Em can't airdash, then even if he can spin around like a cat to dodge midair, he can't change where he's gonna impact.

We've got a chance at a guaranteed hit here. Let's take it.
>>
>>1526088
>Zero doesn't have air dash in X3

I was gonna argue, but I realized you were right. He gains that and his double jump during X4.
>>
Uh, all this keep-away is gonna pattern-lock us. Dodging only works if he doesn't already know where we're at, we gotta stay unpredictable or he's gonna nail us.
>>
>>1525392
>>He’ll land first. Boost down right on top of him with the jumpjets.
I'm kind of worried that Em would be able to predict this from Anode. Since he lands first anyway, all it takes is him deciding to *angle his sword to stab us*.

Also, that choice involves us getting into melee range with Emerald. I'd rather not.

So instead... Do what >>1525460 said.

>Shoot a blackout at where he's gonna land, so he has to hit the chaff cloud.

We know where he's going to land. He can't dodge in the air. We can finally land a shot at him!
>>
He's gonna have some kind of extending pole he'll use to vault away from the chaff cloud, calling it now
>>
>>1526734

Oh, right, I forgot, we actually do have Emerald's character sheet

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/35872679/

Interestingly enough, he already has that repulsor gauntlet he was thinking about. Wonder if he can upgrade it with snapper.

>Repulsor Gauntlet: By adapting Tumult Terapin’s considerable defensive systems, Emerald has produced a glove that emits a repulsor field along its major planes. It can serve as a shield against incoming attack or, with care, used to even ‘grasp’ a beam blade for short periods.
>>
>>1526754
Keep in mind, it's been several missions since then.
>>
>>1525392
>Shoot a blackout at where he's gonna land, so he has to hit the chaff cloud.
>>
>>1525392
>HEY EM, WHAT'S IN MY BUSTER?
>>
>>1526088
I'm just worried about the moments after the hit. Em's armor is crap bit we've seen him function fine with serious injuries, so there's little chance we take him out in one shot. That leaves us in close combat with Em, who we won't come out on top of of in a straight brawl. His dash is on par with ours and the jumpjets will be on cooldown, limiting how we can disengage. T. Coil isn't going to be fast enough, he'll chop us to ribbons before it hits a wall. Raikousen might be able to give us some distance, but it becomes the question of whether we can get out of his sword's reach quick enough. The only other option I see is to punt the little green bastard, either with a Shell Driver or the Mass Shriver, but the problem is making sure we get a hold of Em with either and he's very nimble.
>>
>>1525392
If we jumpjet into a blackout cloud, it'll probably eat all of the flak. Fire a rocket at where Em will land, switch to coils, fire a line at the ground and drag ourselves down, raikousen into it, and then Shell Driver or jumpjet out as circumstances dictate.
>>
We can coil out after launching a blackout - we already have blackouts as our active weapon so it'll take basically no time to fire one.
>>
Do we know what charge we have? I'm guessing not enough to electrocute him in mid-air, but just in case we do...
>>
>>1525392
"Didn't you heard? Tech is advancing, that gaunlet is gonna become obsolete soon."
>>
>>1525392
Ayy HC I asked this in the IRC but I probably missed your answer. I was curious how much "hp" you'd say Anode has.

If for example a standard Steel Beret has 8 HP, where would you place Anode (not considering armor as a factor)?

Somewhere in the high 30s?
>>
>>1527251
In terms of endurance, Anode's "stock" design is among the more robust on the market, both because of and despite complications caused by the armor-facing design. Introducing shields significantly improved his lasting power. you can think of Anode's capability as between X's starting and maximum life bar in game. Also bear in mind that the bars you see for enemies are usually an abstraction--putting aside armor/DR, some of them are less sturdy models who have obtained their own heart or sub tanks, while X of course is typically thrown against nastier opponents, or at least meaty ones. Short version: We know your exact number, Anode does not.
>>
>>1527304
So somewhere between 16 and 32?

That's quite a range, but it does narrow things down.
>>
>>1525392
>He’ll land first. Boost down right on top of him with the jumpjets.
Keep the boost exhaust towards him and get your lance ready
>>
>>1527395
good point. We have a fire aura that Melee Guys won't like.
>>
>>1527424
We should work in getting an electric aura. Oh and start using our blasters more, they use regular energy shots right?
>>
>>1527984
Your busters? They're just standard weaponry, no charge cost.
>>
>>1527984
Sure, they are free ammo-wise, but they kinda suck. There's a reason we don't use them much.
>>
>>1528247
They're perfectly decent busters. The VWES stuff is better, but if Anode had to go 1v1 with a mav busters only, he'd do fine unless they had something absurd like Solstrike's buster.
>>
>>1528218
how pissed would em be if we tried to get him to either upgrade his blasters or to get actual shielding to boast his defense? How pissed would Indy be if we tried to bring her down to the range more to train?
>>
File: 1478570771705.png (2.99 MB, 2200x1600)
2.99 MB
2.99 MB PNG
>>1528247
nigga I don't think you realize how solid our busters are. Even before we'd thrown upgrades into them the baseline busters were hella good between having them paired and the refire rate. We have since added charging and increased shield penetration.

The busters are perfectly fine, you're just a prat who things anything that doesn't leave a gaping hole in the target in one shot means it sucks.
>>
>>1528325
While I do like big guns, last I checked ours were notably underpowered for A rank. We got an upgrade for them a while back, but I was under the impression they were still weak.
>>
Unrelated to buster talk, a thought I had, is the prototype Steel Beret still active, and how different is he from the final specs of the masspro model?
>>
>>1528361
IIRC we have a weak charge mode and our normal shots may be around 3/4-7/8 normal but our ROF is stupid high at creation we could fire 2x the normal number of shots using both busters at once which is not normal and now we fire at about 28 normal ROF per buster so about X4 ROF over all
>>
>>1528378
Anode started with triple-shot paired busters, so 6x baseline at some unspecified lower power. He since upgraded for charge capabilities, but went to double-shot. Still 4x baseline ROF.
>>
>>1528378
High ROF, but low DAM / shot. Good for trash mobs, but not very useful against something with proper defenses.
The upgrade bumped the DAM at the cost of some ROF, but it's still under typical DAM / shot. If I remember right.
>>
>>1528271
>>1528361
There are A-ranks who would kill for a pair of burst-fire, shield-penetrating busters that also charge to a "full" level charge.

Check out some MMX buster duel runs if you want a decent idea of what your busters can do, even before X's upgrades.

>>1528390
Currently your config 2x burst, or standard charging.
>>
>>1525446
>>1525447
>>1525460
>>1525462
>>1525598
>>1525851
>>1526689
>>1526824
>>1526923
>>1527395
Your moment of freefall gives way to a snap decision--with rockets already armed, you fire straight down to where Emerald has to land--there’s no dodging this.

But just to be sure…

Your jump-jets whine as you’re wreathed in flame, channeling your Blueshift for the first time, the flames rising into crackling blue plasma. The ground rushes up at you as Em touches down amid the cloud--

And before you can process, you impact, crashing knee-first into the featureless sim-ground. Bits and bytes kick up in blooms of white cube ‘matter,’ dancing amid the shrapnel, lambent like fireflies in Summer as your capacitors jump up another 10% from the meteoric landing.

And beside you, almost unscathed, Emerald turns crisply on his heel and finishes out a motion he began before you landed. You feel his saber bite into your back from behind, already switching to your Shell Driver to swing, but he steps past, disappearing from view amid the blinding cloud, taking a chunk out of your side as he goes. You slam your mortar down into the floor, but he’s already vanished from your periphery, leaving a third hit raking across your shoulder on his way out. The shell detonates and blows the glittery chaff away with a whoomph of air pressure, leaving you to feebly turn to see Emerald sheathing one of his blades on his hip.

“So hey, you’re pretty loud,” he calls blindly, chaff streaming off him over his shield-flickers fading. You look down at yourself--odd, flickery gouges out of your digital manifestation hover like orange-pink decals on your chassis--deep ones, particularly the first and second cuts. “So hey, my turn, right?”

You look up to see that knife flying again--you didn’t even see him catch it--and snap-shot it out of the air with another Shell Driver. You’re panic-switching back to Wrenades when Em barrels through the smoke, straight at you, lunges under your first swing, leaps your second, and brings his saber down in a twohanded overhead swing as you raise your buster to meet him, falling past you as, for a moment, you stop being ‘alive.’

>YOU HAVE BEEN RETIRED
>COMBAT RATING: A
>SIMULATION DATA CAPTURED

Em sheathes his flambard--damn, was that through the thermal shielding?--and turns back to you, white sim-veil over his eyes fading and letting him see again. “Not too bad. Good call on the chaff.”

“Can’t have been that good,” you reply, looking down at where, a moment ago, you’d been almost hacked apart in… three? Swings. You tap the plating--still dinged up from the real-world mission you came from, but now ‘intact’ in the virtual sense. “Am I really that loud?”

“You’re a couple hundred pounds and constantly dashing, boosting, or shooting. Yeah, you’re that loud.”

Well, shit.

“Another?”
>Ask some questions first.
>Set up for another spar: Outline your strategy in your vote.
>>
>>1528579
aaaaand that's why you don't get in close with someone who knows nothing but fighting up close and has done so for years

>>Ask some questions first.
any tips?
>>
>>1528589
>Ask some questions first.
most obviously, what did we do wrong?
>>
>>1528579
>"Is there anything we can do to improve our melee beyond 'git gud'?"
>Try some ranged game next spar, our busters were designed to lay down suppressing fire, lets see exactly how Em knows how to counter it
>>
>>1528579
>Ask some questions first.
>How badly did I fuck up?
>How did I fuck up?
>How can I stop fucking up?
>>
>>1528611
I meant ask Em if he had any tips to help us fight better for the next round.
>>
>>1528579
Voting for >>1528611
You can't fix your problems if you don't know what they are.
>>
>>1528579
responded to wrong post >>1528611
>>
>>1528579
>Some questions first
First off, on the lockon hunter, how did he pull off the difraction from before? Best to know if that's a common thing that could be an issue if we're going to keep using it.
Second, did we ever even hit him?
Third, from his perspective, what mistakes did we make in trying to face him?
And fourth, after this is he open to thinking up bullshit to make his own stuff into?
>>
>>1528579
>Em sheathes his flambard--damn, was that through the thermal shielding?--and turns
What thermal shielding? We didn't get that upgrade.

>Set up for another spar: Outline your strategy in your vote.
Something melee oriented. That's sort of what we're here for, not more run-and-gunning. Em can fight with a handicap using only his feet, or something, if he likes.

Personally, I think that flaming dive was a fun way to lose, so I don't regret it at all! But we definitely need more practice punching the ground. It dodges too easily.
>>
>>1528579
Well that was disheartening. Turns out getting into melee with a melee specialist is still a bad fucking idea.

>Ask some questions first.
"So what's your advice for hitting something I can't hit? Because area saturation doesn't seem to work."

BTW, did we skip over debriefing with Gopher?
>>
File: god dammit.jpg (376 KB, 899x1495)
376 KB
376 KB JPG
>>1528791
>What thermal shielding? We didn't get that upgrade.

I need to retire from MHQ. Swear I've made more bungles this thread than I have in the rest combined.

If nothing else, that'll be a sufficient impetus for me to go update the official character sheet.
>>
Good thing we didn't get the flame shielding if it doesn't prevent getting cut up with a firesword anyway.
>>
>>1528808
>official character sheet lists chaff rockets, phase lance
>tension coil data currently being debated
>OHGODWHY
>>
>>1528579
So what I'm getting, at least from Anode's POV and not strictly ours, is that he needs to start prepping his next moves earlier. Em's not just straight faster, he links between motions smoother and leaves less pauses in between.

>Ask some questions first.
>most obviously, what did we do wrong?
>>
>>1528844
>So what I'm getting, at least from Anode's POV and not strictly ours, is that he needs to start prepping his next moves earlier. Em's not just straight faster, he links between motions smoother and leaves less pauses in between.

In that case I guess we need to ask "How can we do better? Chain attacks and maintain tempo better?" too.
>>
File: WHY.png (378 KB, 485x465)
378 KB
378 KB PNG
>>1528824
Fortunately I'm reeeeasonably certain it's up to date. Link is in the OP if anyone wants to give it a look.

>>1528816
In fairness, it's Em's biggest stick, and the damage was lessened. You keep running into Strong vs. Stronger situations, like Collide.
>>
>>1528886
we need to learn judo.
>>
>>1528579
Another spar.

Loadout

This time, give him zero room to breathe. Put pressure on him constantly. Never let our eye off of him. Engage in melee, then pull out as many dirty tricks as we can. Throw rockouts at our feet in the middle of duels and juice the clouds. Fire tension coils in close range, then fire the other end at a wall; even if it misses him, it should be something he'll have to cut or dodge. If it hits, or if he ends up trying to block a blade (far from a given), introduce him to what our Shriver and Driver can really do if we're not hitting air. If it looks like he's going to get a hit on us, hit the jumpjets and see if that does anything to lessen the damage.

If he attempts to disengage, fire wrenades, lockons and cyclers and do our best to close.
>>
>>1528886
>and the damage was lessened.

...wait! No it wasn't! Anode didn't take that upgrade! GodDAMNit, HC!
>>
>>1528929
that's pretty much what we just tried, though. The problem is Em is already dodging by the time we fire, and he's never going to stop charging forward, because that's what he needs to do to win. Honestly, our strategy for the next round should be the counter punch: stand in one spot, let him come to us, and hit him as he's stabbing us. I don't think we'll win, but we might actually land a solid hit, which would be an improvement from last round.

>>1528978
So did Em only need one Flambard hit to kill us then or what?
>>
>>1529009
in fairness, I think any hit from a high beam will kill us in one hit if they hit us right. Wren's blades were even worse, those sliced us up like a carrot on an infomercial.
>>
>>1528579
>Ask some questions first.
"How can somebody with my kit be quieter? And is that even important, or were you just giving me a hard time?"
"What actually worries Captain Emerald in combat?"
>>
>>1528978
Don't blame yourself. There is tons of stuff going on with upgrades and we can't see all the numbers going on in the background to point out if you messed something up.
>>
>>1529060
Yes, it's important. We have a sensor-jamming cloud, but it doesn't do shit to the target's hearing, and since we're so fucking loud, anyone who takes a moment to listen for us will know exactly where we are and where to hit. Someone with a kit like ours can't really get any quieter. We're not specced for stealth, or even anything like it. So if we're going to use the chaff rockets, we'll have to use them for something that isn't stealth.

So here's a question. Can we fire a rockout from our left buster with our lance couched in our right? If we can, we can instead fire an electric line into the cloud, and offload more damage instead of closing in to a zone not safe for us.
>>
>>1529640
>Yeah, we can couch and fire a rockout. That said, we don't need to couch the lance to fire a line of electricity into the cloud.
>>
>>1528978
What we ended buying then?
>>
>>1529709

Shell driver. Snapper. Inline Air Vent Intakes. Upgrade Misercorde components into full dagger.
>>
>>1528404
That makes me wonder how much damage a normal strike with the lance does in comparison. Still one bar? 2 or 3?

>>1528795
>BTW, did we skip over debriefing with Gopher?
Guessing so, since we got paid for more PHANTOM intel.
>>
Actually, Anode doesn't need to get quieter. He just needs to make his chaff cloud louder.
>>
>>1529934
We are not a stealth model guys.

And if we go fast enough it doesn't matter if they can hear us.
>>
>>1529640
>>1529934
We should see if we can do something with a copy of the data from that one Maverick with the sound weaponry that Em retired. Make it so Anode goes up to 11, so to speak.
>>
>>1530008
Or see if there's anyone else we could get data off of, maybe.
>>
>>1530008
We could make the chaff piezoelectric, and vibrate until they deal sonic damage when electrically charged, but i think that might damage anode too.

We can focus the noise that anode makes to become weapons without needing VWES, but i feel that might impact charge efficiency or jumpjet cooldown
>>
>>1528579
This >>1528628
>>
So, with X1 to X3 era dashes, visually, they're not too impressive. It's a bit of thruster-fire from your boots or wherever you have your EAS equipped. But then you get to X4 to X6 and then suddenly you have X and Zero dashing so fast they leave behind pseudo-afterimages.

Think we can get that fast? We are kind of speccing into a speed/power build already, so it might be possible. Eventually.
>>
>>1530573
Em might be the flagship prototype for that, if we can convince him to upgrade. He's super light, and it should take a while for a working model for the much heavier anode.
>>
>>1530704
A direct upgrade is a no but we can get him to upgrade his glove and do his own version of his lance. After all the glove is based on outdated tech.
>>
>>1530704
We should at least convince him to not do suicide missions.
>>
>>1529009
>>1529028
>>1529740
Beam blades in general are currently extremely damaging, even lobeam strikes. Hibeams are nasty, and can be made nastier with a high skill ceiling. They're a niche weapon, but, well, you saw how fast Em retired you on round one. They're around because they work.

Anode's lance definitely does more than one bar of damage.

Also, question stockpile accumulated, will try to write the answers up later today. For now I need to hit the gym again and then get ready to go test drive a car.
>>
I know it'd be overkill for most missions, but It'd be interesting to see Anode and Cathode do a mission together like they're designed: with us running defense and harrying opponents, while Cath pours out dakka. The times we have worked together weren't optimal conditions for us. And ended rather poorly.
>>
Hey, I got an extra half hour in, have some Q&A.

>>1528589
>>1528611
>>1528625
>>1528628
>>1528777
>>1528844
>>1529060
Well, from the top, then. “Okay, so what did I do wrong?”

Em shrugs. “Was more doing the same thing better. I guess the biggest thing is fluidity. You’re kind of mechanical, it’s like… you remember doing combat drills before your first live tests?”

You frown… yeah, you can see what he’s talking about. Lots of rote movements and ‘bridging the gap between software and training.’ “That bad?”

“Not bad bad, but for combat with another A? Yeah.”

“Right. Any tips?”

“More practice, work on your movements. Practice what you’re trying to do. It’s good, but you can do better.”

“Anything specific and immediate?”

“Your coil combos are good, but predictable. Throwing yourself around might be the best trick you’ve got, but you should get faster at it. Can you speed up the ziplines any?”

You pause and think. “Yeah, actually, I think we could improve the motors in the spools.”

“Do that. Also, the jet thing is fast but it was easy to read you. Once I knew you were coming down with it, I knew you didn’t have a fast method to get away. Shell took too long to come out without prepping it. I’d have come down with it equipped and just landed with that and the booster. Actually, I probably wouldn’t have used the booster at all.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I mean, you can take a few hits, I can’t. If I had that in my back pocket, I’d save that for when I had absolutely no options left and then get out of dodge.”

“Did I even hit you?”

“With the chaff rocket, yeah. That was a good move. But it was relatively low damage, and like I said--you’re loud.”

“Oof. Is that something to work on?”

He shrugs. “If you can help it, you can run your lighter systems until you’ve directly engaged. After that, it’s probably not usually going to come up. But I couldn’t see you and I know how you move, so it did.”

You remember Em darting right past you and carving you up. If he was doing that blind... “How many hits was that?”

“Four, total, all hibeam.”

You wince. “What could I have done once you were on top of me?”

“You know how you zone with your guns? Zone with your lance. It’s big, you’re sturdy. A better move would have been to draw into a wide swing, angle down for a two-hand grip on the return for either a thrust or back into a guard. I’d have gotten past you anyway, but you’d have avoided one or two of the hits and stayed in it.”

“You think I’d have been fast enough for that?” You ask wryly.

“Not yet. We’ll work on it.”
>>
>>1530843
“How’d you do that thing with the Lockon?” You ask.

Em ignites a lobeam and steps back to raise it, letting you look at it straight-on. “It’s not a solid ‘point,’ but it tapers down at the end of the envelope and helds divide the shot. If I had less time, I’d have just blocked or deflected, but I was trying to make a point. Most energy weapons will split or fizzle on impact. Projectiles will probably burn up, explosives will detonate early. Getting it at extension can make the difference.”

“So, if you’ve got such a handle on ranged attack, what do you worry about out there?”

“Saturation is tougher, even low damage stuff, though my shields usually just stop going off on scrapes. Mobility denial is the tough one--if I get stuck, I’m in trouble. I don’t have a lot of options.“

You nod. “Don’t suppose you’d be up to figuring out some new toys you could shore that up with.”

“I’m always up to talk,” he says with a shrug. “And I like toying around with tech. I’ve got a bunch of shit in my notes and in my safe in the lab. Most of it’s fun but a little too niche.”

“Was just thinking of your gauntlet thing. I got a tip that it may not be useful for much longer.” You wonder idly if you should check out the upgraded Skippers, not that there's much point against a melee monster like Em.

“Guess I’m not too surprised. That’s the other thing that usually happens. Anyway, we can talk ideas sometime, sure. Anything else?”

>
>>
>>1530845
Do you know anybody we could spar with if you happen to be out on mission?
>>
>>1530845
>Ask him about using Mass Shriver. What's the right timing to turn it on and off during a swing, both to save charge and to catch the enemy off-guard with the sudden boost of strength?
>>
Any advice for dealing with flying assholes?
>>
>>1530845
Met Templar yet? Nice guy, seems to be more solid weapon oriented. Think he would be good to include in the training roster?
>>
>>1530863
The sims are here for a reason. The DMPC gave us a straight checklist on what we can do to improve.

We need to practice, no way around it. That means we spar with him when he's available, and sim when he's not.
We need to improve the Tension Coil. It's a weapon that's both smart and strong. Make it stronger and practice will make us smarter.
The rockouts have been covered. We need to amp up their damage or find a use for them that both is not stealth and doesn't rely on damage.
We now know we can take three hibeam hits without going down and the fourth will retire us, which is apparently pretty good. Put time and money in the above, and we'll be able to avoid some damage, too.

>>"Yeah. Let's do that again."
>>Otherwise, load up an Anode sim. If we need to work on our fluidity first and foremost, there's no better way to unlearn what we're doing wrong.
>>
>>1530893
Well, we know that three hibeam hits from a weapon good enough it could have been a gift to Rhodes is our limit, but it is still good to know. Probably best to assume 3 from a hibeam is our limit, too.

As for the Rockouts, I wonder what happens if we put Moloch into them? And for the guy who wanted the shoulder mount cannon, nothing says we can't do that separately.
>>
>>1530893
That was sort of what I was asking, if he had any recommended sims.

Certainly wouldn't be opposed to meeting an old training buddy of Em's or something but it seems highly unlikely haha.
>>
>>1530845
1. tell him about the slowdown with Wren. ask if he knows what that is

2. tell him with this war going we don't have time for more than minimum downtime before the next mission and we need to improve as fast as possible. can he spar with us more? if he can't, aside from sims what should we do?

3. can we go again right now?
>>
>Also is there a way to set the sim to 'roguelike' so it just keeps throwing more and more random shit at me until I die?
>>
>>1530899
Do you want to start basic, or skip to our tough stuff?

>>1530900
1. We were on death's door (read: 1 life bar left). It may or may not have been an abstraction, but that was there to show us we needed to be super cereal or go the fuck home.
2. It depends on what we're trying to train. If we want to maximize our returns, throwing ourselves against a brick wall is going to be less useful than a threat we know we can handle but which will be difficult.

I think we should try Guns Wallaby again to gauge exactly how far we've come, what we've lost and work on our defensive lancework. After that, retry Wolfspider. Follow with Wren, since we survived that one only by the skin of our mechanical teeth. Then we'll see where we are.
>>
>Can you play operator on me while I refight tumult?
>>
>>1530845
>Rematch? Y/Y
>>
>>1530843
>Let's try that again.
>Incidentally, if you happen to be out on mission what should I consider doing? No partner, sims only, final destination? Is there somebody I should grab to spar with?
>>
File: Guns_Wallaby.png (49 KB, 650x400)
49 KB
49 KB PNG
After the next one see if India wants in. She probably has good gun fu so it'd be a good balance. Considering how Wallaby kicked our sorry ass it'd probably be something good to work on.
>>
>>1530845
"Do you want the data of my upgraded Tumult Shell? You could use to upgrade you gauntlet? I mean I am sure you can just copy it and get something out of it since you are better than I am with tech. Or get Foxfire to help you with that. Also, do you want to examine my lance? It was useful for you that time you used it. Maybe you could make your own version or something?"
>>
>>1531442
You can't trade upgraded data. He has to pay for the upgrade on his own.
>>1530914
did HC say it was that?
>>
>>1531442
>>1531599
In this case, the data from snapper has no use for Emerald even as basis for what he could try as his use is so different from ours. That said, we should ask him what hunts he has been on, maybe try and find synergy or a way his gauntlet could end up a full on shield, or maybe better still.
>>
>>1530845
Zoning in melee's a Big strategy, right? Can he give us some pointers on that or should we find somebody like Frog?

So if after that round, any advice on how we can fight giant punch bugs in melee?

Another round?
>>
We got a full list of saetos's systems way back when they did the DNA analysis. Obviously the pure list is not good enough to actually build them, but I bet it's enough data for the sim program to put together a sufficiently unfair fight.

Can't be the best if you can't beat the best.
>>
>>1530845
Rematch!

>Mobility denial is the tough one--if I get stuck, I’m in trouble. I don’t have a lot of options.
Also, Em could use a warning about the DNA Mimics. Both the ones we fought had weapons mostly for mobility denial, hence why they were deployed with a cannon driver.
>>
>>1530845
>You up for another round?
>>
>>1531847
Ooh, yeah, you're right. We don't want him getting Shotgun Iced. Not that that's his weakness, but he still deserves to know.

>>1530870
Come to think of it, how much would physical strength affect an energy weapon like the misericorde?
>>
so, problem. Titanpad is going down.

I'm looking up alternatives, but does anyone have any suggestions? I'm looking at these 3 right now.
>primarypad
looks fine, but the chat is a little hard to find before you expand it.

>collabedit
looks like a sterilized version that's somehow aimed at coding? requires nicknames

>PiratePad
looks exactly like titanpad. Can someone tell me if this was a deliberate move to replace titanpad after they said they were going away?
>>
>>1534925
Edupad can work too.
>>
>>1534925
How about maxipad ahue hue hue
>>
>>1535173
that's the one that's also like titanpad, but in a different language right?

On closer inspection, piratepad has been around for way long, and has more features to boot. At this point, I'm just looking for someone to give me a reason NOT to use it(besides "it has pirate in the name")
>>
>>1534925
gDocs are an option. If setup right, I think the only account needed is the document creator.
>>
>>1535617
Bad idea, google has the nasty habit od deleting stuff without warning. Some years ago tons of fics that were stored in google docs were nuked without warning.
>>
Are we gonna debrief or we skipping it this time?

Has anyone made guesses on the RPS this time around?
>>
File: imsorryimsorryimsorry.jpg (53 KB, 230x322)
53 KB
53 KB JPG
>>1535876
You're gonna debrief.
>>
>>1535913
that pic confused me until I read the title. Then I laughed and then I felt bad for laughing.
>>
File: ptsd man.png (434 KB, 800x900)
434 KB
434 KB PNG
>>1536061
I'm sorry.
>>
>>1535913
I thought we already had, seeing as we got paid for intel.

New thread for next post?
>>
>>1536087
I mostly just wanted to get the upgrading the hell out of my way first, and you needed pay to buy most of your options.

And maybe.
>>
File: teamattack.jpg (376 KB, 1600x1200)
376 KB
376 KB JPG
Since page 10 on /qst/ takes ages and we only just hit it, gonna continue here for now. Will see how I feel about proceeding later.
>>1530863
>>1530870
>>1530872
>>1530874
>>1530900
>>1530946
>>1531699
>>1531847
Right, time to talk some shop. “So I didn’t use it, but you remember when we were talking about strength? I’ve got this capacitor thing now. Zap me?”

Emerald shrugs, pulls that electric knife off his boot, and tazes you with it. You respond by winding up for a swing, and he obligingly pulls out one of his blades and assumes a guard.

With Mass Shriver engaged, you baseball bat him so hard that he actually dies. It crushes through his block, shoving his own weapon into his torso, and neatly “bisects” him as he’s flung into the air on a tempest of glitchy bits.

>YOU HAVE RETIRED YOUR TARGET. RATING: N/A

Em backflips and lands adroitly (about forty feet away), impressed. “Sweet.”

You chuckle. “How do I use that?”

“Wherever possible, honestly. How much charge does that use?”

“Five, ten percent, usually. It’s an on-off thing.”

“Right, so what you do is end a combo with it.”

You snort. “I can’t combo, Em.”

“Not like I do, like--make two swings, okay? One-two. Light-heavy.”

You try it, going for a quick overhead slash into a backswing, and he nods. “Keep it in your back pocket until your enemy thinks they know what you’ve got, and then spring it on them. Be unpredictable, and you’ll stay alive.”

“You were talking about zoning? Isn’t that a technique for bigger guys?”

He balances the hilt of his knife on his palm, standing it on end while he walks back. “Yes and no. I mean, for one thing, you can hit like one now, with that trick. But, I mean… if you can’t engage, then force them to disengage. Remember what I told you about melee? Being in it should be your choice.”

“Well yeah, but I can’t, that’s why we’re here.”

“Right, but overall--force them to break off rather than commit. You could have avoided one or two hits on the last go-round and stayed in it.”

“How about big assholes? Or flyers?”

“Big guys usually don’t try to block everything. Find out what they bother trying to guard against, and find a way to use it. In melee, you should be able to at least maneuver around them a little, pick up your feet. Flyers, same deal, stay mobile. They usually have to land or swoop to make a run on you, don’t get caught out. Oh, and usually they have to commit to their moves, kind of like dashing, or you with the jet thing. Aerial maneuvering is tricky--the faster you’re going, the more time it takes to stop or maneuver.”

“Okay… any reccs for practicing that?”

“Maybe look up Frog, he’s small--” You snort at that. “--But he fights like he’s bigger, and he knows the lingo.”

“How about Templar? You seen him yet?”
>>
>>1536192
Em shakes his head. “No, though I looked him up. He might be big enough, but his reach might be short. Not sure how he’d do.”

“Nice guy. Might be worth trying to get an Overland Fight Club training thing going.”

“Heh heh, fight club.” You groan at your unintentional pun. “Anyway, maybe. That Spider guy is a decent dodger, you can tell by how he moves. Might hit him up for range practice sometime. As for sims… You’ve done Bright Seastar, but he’s a little weak for you these days. Oh, that’s an idea--you can make it harder for yourself by unbounding walls and ceilings. Makes it a little weird if you cover a lot of sprawl, it has to try to render more space in realtime, but it’s good practice for handicapping yourself. Pretty much the whole 14th has their sims up, maybe look for ex-members. They’re a favorite, they all know their shit. I lose to a good few of them still, and a few are 50-50s even with practice. Quickblade Krill--technically we’re not supposed to have access, but Schwarz pulled a favor--Bubble Crab, Spark Mandrill, maybe, but the lightning might make it too easy to be worth the time. You can definitely do Terapin, especially with his anti-us loadout.”

You nod. You’d been considering Terapin… especially with the totally-not-creepy simathon Em did on him. “If I did, think you could watch me fight and take notes?”

“Yeah. Oh, and…” Em scowls. “You could load up Tanker’s sim. It’s pretty accurate. Might not do you much good, though.”

“No?”

I still lose to the motherfucker,” he growls. “But he’s good practice.”

“That reminds me,” you say a little hastily, hoping to short-circuit that anger. “When I was fighting Wren…”

“She’s got a sim too, actually,” Em interjects. “A few versions, even. Most current one is from when she recovered, after she downgraded.”

Hum. “Good to know.”

“Yeah. She volunteered to put that up there,” he adds. Ouch. “So, what were you saying?”

“When it came down to it, when it was--her and me, and I was sure I was gonna die, something happened.”

Em’s expression shifts. “Go on.”

“It was like… suddenly everything made sense. It was only a second as she was bearing down on me, but it felt like forever. She had me, and then… she didn’t. I got right by her and hit her as she was coming in to finish me off. She actually broke it off and left.” You remember seeing her carve through men, and tanks, and Phasian, who you immediately recognized as a vastly superior melee fighter. And then… you, up until she didn’t. “You ever seen anything like that before?”

“Yeah,” he replies. “Yeah, once or twice.”

The pensive, slightly frustrated look on his face bothers you. “Any clues?”

He shakes his head. “I wish. I’d love to be able to just tap into that shit on demand.”

“Happened to you?”
>>
>>1536198
He lowers his head, still thinking. You can see in his face the same feeling you’ve got--trying to piece something together you can almost, but not quite, wrap your head around. “It’s like… it’s like suddenly I was in the zone, and everything else was just whatever.”

You nod. “That sounds familiar.”

He looks down at his hand and flexes his fingers. “It wasn’t even my sensors. There was one, Shade Sumatra… ex-9th, S-class, it was a big team takedown, 14th had point. He got the drop on me after Foxflash and his team moved out against a feint. He was trying to take out the rear guard, string us out and pick us off. I commed for help, but… it was just like a slideshow. I knew everything he was going to do before he even threw a move. It was--comical. I held him off until the entire squad got back and Foxflash just mulched him. And, I mean, before he got there… it should not have gone that way at all. I’ve run that sim and lost to it recently.”

You nod distantly, resigning yourself to the mystery with a sigh. “One last thing, you’ve heard about the DNA Mimics, right? I ran into a bunch on my last op. They had these rebounding, splintering ice projectiles... and Tumult Shells.”

Emerald nods. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

“You ready for another?” You ask.

“Sure thing, but before that, let me show you a thing.” He sheathes his weapons. “Get a feel for your weapons on me.”

...Weird. You shrug and raise your busters, cycling your VWES.

One Lockon Hunter at overcharge burns right through his shields. He weaves to the side on the second, the shot punching right through his shoulder without resistance. He stands still for the third, which drills through his chest and retires him. “Has to be to the vitals, that was my core,” he adds.

Two Shell Drivers. Four Blackout Rockets. A single Wrenade. That’s all it takes to put Em down, on a direct hit. Clean hits to his extremities take them right off, but anything that isn’t immediately lethal doesn’t so much as slow him down.

“Bear that in mind when we’re going at it,” he says. “Match weapons to targets. Use that zoning when I’m up close, keep me from taking advantage of the opening. Try to deny my moves before I make them.”

...It’s about then you realize this lesson is no longer about surviving melee in general.

>I know what you’re trying to do. I’m not going to replace Diamond, Em.
>Em, that is FUCKED UP. Fuck you for even trying.
>...Okay. I get it. If you go, I’ll be the one to take care of you.
>Say nothing. Don’t even bring it up.
>Other?
>>
>>1536204
>...Okay. I get it. If you go, I’ll be the one to take care of you.
>>
>>1536223
In addition:
>and I'm going to keep any of your awesome stuff that Sapphire doesn't want.
>>
>>1536204
>Just so you know, we have an audience. Let's talk about this later.
>>
>>1536236
This
>>
>>1536204
>>Em, that is FUCKED UP. Fuck you for even trying.
>>...Okay. I get it. If you go, I’ll be the one to take care of you.
"...so what happens if I turn?"

if he's pulling that shit on us we can do it right back to him
>>
>>1536204
>Say nothing. Because what the hell CAN we say? The expression on our face probably reveals just how grim and sad and awkward we think this turn is.
>>
>>1536204
>Disappointed silence.
>"Not the best idea when there's somebody else watching, bro."
>>
>>1536204
>>Other?
Use that as leverage to bring up the Upgrades deal again. He's crossed a line and we both know it; give some tit for tat.
>>
NOW we have a reason to build a giant fucking magnetic weapon, even if we only ever use it on Em.
>>
>>1536204
>Say nothing. Don’t even bring it up.
I know you know I know.
>>1536236
But we WILL be talking about this later.

Honestly? Yeah, I think we can take on that kind of morbid responsibility, if it means he can stop being so uptight and avoiding Sapphire all the time. Be family a bit more like Anode and Cathode.

Now kick my ass, dumbass. Or India will dropkick me out a window.
>>
>>1536204
>Say nothing. Don’t even bring it up.
Let him have this one.
>>
>>1536204
>...Okay. I get it. If you go, I’ll be the one to take care of you.
But understand that we are going to improve and that you should too. We are going to support you man, but that includes more than just being the one who takes you down.
>>
>>1536381
If you want to rephrase your reasoning, make sure to delete your old vote.
>>
>>1536396
Looks like I did. Thought I did and it doesn't show up on my screen.
>>
>>1536402
Still shows up for me, under the name of Dutchanon, here.
>>1536331
>>
>>1536421
That's weird... apparently I can see the ghost of comments past.
>>
>>1536204
Going to support >>1536381 here. Because if he is going to ask us to do this (which I was honestly expecting), we are going to expect his absolute best. We both need to grow, after all.
>>
>>1536204
>...Okay. I get it. If you go, I’ll be the one to take care of you.

But tell him that's a lot to ask of you. And in return, he has to upgrade. You don't need any more dead friends.
>>
>>1536204
On an unrelated tangent, I call bullshit on that pic. Wily totally made the Dragon bot in Megaman 2.
>>
File: 155261498231.png (256 KB, 692x577)
256 KB
256 KB PNG
>>1536204
>Em we've got an audience and I don't want to go into this right now but that is majorly fucked up.
>>
>>1536528
It is, but at the same time, he needs it in more than one way. He is going suicidal on his rushes because he is afraid no one will stop him if he goes mav. He holds off of upgrades and using his buster out of fear. He keeps himself away from friends. At the end of the day, he needs support and this was something understandable.
If promising to putting him down in the worse case means he actually tries to improve himself, recover, and stop being suicidal, they we do it.
>>
>>1536528
why does it look like zero has tits in that picture?
>>
>>1536566
Booblights.
>>
>>1536566
Because she does
>>
>>1536566
Robo-tumors. That's why he's dying.
>>
>>1536549
Yeah I'm just worried that he'll try to push us away.
>>
>>1536204
>If we're going to have this conversation, it's going to be in private and where I can deck you and it actually hurts
>...Okay. I get it. If you go, I’ll be the one to take care of you.
>>
Reiterating the votes for privacy and agreeing to the friendship death pact.
>>
>>1536672
>the friendship death pact.
that makes it sound like we're some kind of yandere stalker or something.

Be my friend forever or I'll kill you.
>>
We should also tell him that if we get the opportunity to capture his limbless torso we'll take it.
>>
>>1536204
>> "dude, if you want something from me, dont be an asshole and try to trick me into it."
>...Okay. I get it. If you go, I’ll be the one to take care of you.(( But you better not give up, or keep yourself wea. Fight to live dammit))
>>
How many tumult shells does it take to kill Em? Or is it like trying to beat him to death with pillows?
>>
>>1536259
Addendum to this; make absolutely sure this is what he's saying. It'd be weird if we accepted or denied a friendship murder pact and he was just using himself as an object lesson in identifying weaknesses and matching weapons to them.
>>
>>1536885
Also kind of get across the point that this just isn't a good or healthy way to think about things.

Hunting might basically mean that you die fighting or turn, but there's no reason to accept that as the inevitability for him and, by extension, all of us. Our profession shouldn't preclude us from maybe one day hoping that things will get better.

Otherwise, what are we even fighting for?
>>
>>1536909
X, don't you have things to do?
>>
>>1536909
>what are we even fighting for?
I can't ever read that in a straight voice anymore.
>>
>>1536204
"... Diamond made me promise to take care of you. If this is what you need to feel secure? Then sure. But don't you fucking let someone else beat me to it, you understand? You keep getting better. Get some goddamn upgrades because I will too. You want me to handle you? Then I want you to race me to S. Those are my terms."
>>
>>1536204
>Em, you realize that if you go mav you'll likely stop shunning defensive upgrades?
>>
>>1536833
"I've never made it without biting, ask Mr Owl."
>>
>>1536204
>>...Okay. I get it. If you go, I’ll be the one to take care of you.

With a dash of
>> Em, that is fucked up.

Like, I get it, he needs to know that someone won't let him become the monsters he fights, but like, just sort of maneuvering us into being that without warning or discussion? Fucked up.
>>
>>1536061
I laughed too, but I didn't feel bad for laughing for some reason.
>>
>>1536204
>Em, you realize that if I accept, I have an in to bully you into upgrading, right?
tradeoff. Honestly, just getting him to upgrade before his tech falls any more behind is worth it.
>>
>>1536204
"You do know the girls are watching and now you will get even more people nagging you to upgrade, right?"
>>
>>1537026
This is a good point
>>
>>1537026
Good point.
>>
File: Inactive wrenade.jpg (90 KB, 500x493)
90 KB
90 KB JPG
>>
>>1536915
How does he even use that itty bitty keyboard with his big oven mitt hands?
>>
>>1536192
>Right, time to talk some shop. “So I didn’t use it, but you remember when we were talking about strength? I’ve got this capacitor thing now. Zap me?” Emerald shrugs, pulls that electric knife off his boot, and tazes you with it. You respond by winding up for a swing, and he obligingly pulls out one of his blades and assumes a guard. With Mass Shriver engaged, you baseball bat him so hard that he actually dies. It crushes through his block, shoving his own weapon into his torso, and neatly “bisects” him as he’s flung into the air on a tempest of glitchy bits. >YOU HAVE RETIRED YOUR TARGET. RATING: N/A

You had the perfect pic to use for this post man.

>>1511396
Emerald takes on the Sigma sim.gif
>>
>>1536204
>...Okay. I get it. If you go, I’ll be the one to take care of you.
But do it in private, because this is several kinds of fucked up.

But then let him know that this behind the back bullshit is not cool.
>>
>>1536204
>...If this is what I think it is, one, what the hell, two, don't try and sneak it in, three, I expect you to tone down your crazy.




Delete Post: [File Only] Style:
[Disable Mobile View / Use Desktop Site]

[Enable Mobile View / Use Mobile Site]

All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective parties. Images uploaded are the responsibility of the Poster. Comments are owned by the Poster.