I’d been feeling like these updates had sort of run their course after the delivery of the core books and the 100th post. I thought maybe I’d stop intruding on your patience and in-boxes, so in the September update I suggested going to an as-needed update schedule. I was surprised by the response from folks who wanted the monthly updates to continue, so here I am again, happy to keep going.
Storm Surge
I’m working on a final content edit before the campaign goes to a more capable copy editor. I landed right on 20k words, which was surprising as I tend to overwrite. Unfortunately, with the bits I’m feeling compelled to add during the edit, I’ve already busted through that initial word count and will likely land closer to 25k words.
As I shared before, I waffle back and forth between being convinced Storm Surge is a cooly unique adventure or a hot mess that should be thrown overboard. However, since we’re all marine conservationists here, I won’t pollute the ocean and remain committed to its odd structure. Accordingly, here’s a another excerpt.
“Native Node – 2B – Black-Bagged
If the native characters are recaptured by the GenDiver operators – player characters capturing player characters – in Operator Node 2A (XX), then GenDiver has the advantage, and the native characters have a whole new set of problems. The story can go lots of places from here, but there are some useful paths.
Suggestions:
A – In some unlikely way, the native characters are able to escape their captors on their way back to GenDiver headquarters. Maybe the operators underestimate their skills or resolve. Perhaps one of the characters manages to sabotage and crash land the transport, they are hijacked by freedom fighters, or maybe one of the special operator characters has had a change of heart and has been waiting for the chance to betray the team and ally with the insurgency.
B – An insurgent amphibious strike force, using nereid nanites to disassemble detection systems and bulkheads, conducts a nighttime raid on Santa Elena (M90) to rescue the native player characters.
C – The characters are incarcerated under heavy guard in Santa Elena and put through a very public and increasingly contrived show trial. Though this will stall the native character thread for a while, it would center the GEO agent thread, and create a more political game, driven by political agendas and intrigue skillsets.
Agent Node – 2B – Quick Reactions
This node should be inserted in response to either the events of Native Node – 2B above, in anticipation of Operator Node – 2B below, or if the moderator is feeling ambitious, in conjunction with both.
If responding to the capture of the native characters, the GEO agents must decide what to do.
Suggestions:
A – The agents do nothing. The GEO offers counter propaganda to any claims being made by GenDiver, but otherwise considers the loss of the native characters the cost of doing political business. Unless the moderator wants to run a prison game, if this happens the native thread will stall until some other actor secures their release or some force breaks them out.
B – The agents use the full force of the GEO’s political and legal machine to stymie GenDiver’s efforts to put the native characters on trial, using various precedents established through the Athena Project (P23). This would not provide a lot of opportunity for action, but there could be political drama and intrigue.
C – The agents could plan – and perhaps even participate as advisors – in the execution of a raid on the GenDiver detention facility to free the captives. The detention facility is located in Santa Elena’s (M91) Security and Coastal Patrol complex out in the bay. Air or amphibious assault are therefore possible, but the whole complex is protected by automated defense systems and fast response security patrols.
This option would result in tremendous political fallout, but would for sure involve the most action and excitement for both the agent and the native characters
If overseeing the take down of the GenDiver operators, the agents need to make a plan, secure resources, brief their special weapons team, and potentially help execute the mission as advisors. Based on the location and the level of hands-on involvement of the agent characters, moderators could create a dramatic set piece for the showdown.”
BP AP
No details yet, and it wouldn’t be posted until the actual play was complete anyway, so it could be a good long while before it is available, but my good friend Ross at Role Playing Public Radio announced at GenCon that a Blue Planet campaign is on their schedule for this year. I offered him the draft version of Storm Surge and he seems interested. I’ll let you know if that happens and when it goes up.
Campaign Consultations
There are still a few of you who backed BP at levels that came with an “Official Blue Planet Campaign Consultation.” I’ve been in touch with most of you, but just wanted to encourage you to reach out and schedule your time. I’ve really enjoyed engaging with backers in this way and look forward to hanging out (at least virtually) with the rest of you.
