I'm making an RP! Fear it! No, don't fear it. Join it. Seriously, come on. You're killing me, here.
Just so everyone knows, I don't exactly expect people to come rushing to join. Because this is a non-furry and non-anime RP, it would probably be immediately unappealing to most of you.
Just so you dudes know, waiting for other people to join before you join isn't a way to get an RP started.
This RP is based on the video game, Half-Life 2, with players solving trippy RP puzzles, fighting trippy RP enemies/monsters, and doing other trippy RP crap, with the ultimate goal of getting to the center of a city to smite evil once and for all. If you don't know anything about Half-Life 2, that's okay! All will be explained. If you're ever confused, you could always look in Wikipedia. If you're familiar with Half-Life 2, you don't need to read THE BACKGROUND! and you can just skip ahead to THE CURRENT PLOT!
THE BACKGROUND!
Let's take a flashback. The time is set in 1998 on Earth, in a facility named the Black Mesa Research Facility, located somewhere in New Mexico. A horrible experiment took place, opening portals to Xen, another world from our own, all over the Earth. Violent aliens spilt forth from the portals, wreaking havoc and "fudging spit up", if you will.
Let's fast-forward to the near future. At this point, humans have clustered into small, well-fortified cities for protection from the creatures of Xen.
A very advanced alien race named the Combine, attracted to the other-worldly portals around Earth, arrived with the intentions of invading our planet. Those punks.
The Combine, taking advantage of Earth's weakened state by the creatures of Xen, managed to take control over the entire Earth in a matter of seven hours, placing a Doctor Wallace Breen, the former administrator of the Black Mesa Research Facility, as the human leader of Earth. He has set up his base of operations somewhere in Russia, in a city called City 17. Even though it's Russia, everyone happens to speak perfect English.
Okay, now we're in the "present" (the future, but the present in this RP). The people of Earth live in a Tyranny under the Combine, and their ho, Doctor Breen. The Combine, being fat, giant, weak slug-monsters, can't form an army of their own, so they use technology to turn humans into their soldiers, and other aliens called "synths". Humans that resist meet a nastier fate.
THE CURRENT PLOT!
Still in the present. A man named Gordon Freeman has suddenly appeared. The man who destroyed the Nihilanth, ending its deliberate assault on Earth, and its reign over the Vortigaunts of Xen. He is known as the One Free Man.
His resistance against the Combine's tyrannous reign of tyranny has inspired the citizens of City 17 to rise up against the Combine.
The citizens have armed themselves with whatever weapons they could manage, from human submachine guns to Combine pulse rifles.
HOW IT ALL GOES DOWN!
So, it has begun. You, the players, are a part of the human resistance. The fighting has started, and the Combine are mobilizing to counter the surprisingly strong human resistance. Gordon Freeman is far from City 17, but the citizens know that he is off smiting Combine forces, so it's all good.
Doctor Isaac Kleiner and Barney Calhoun- former workers of the Black Mesa Research Facility- lead the resistance in City 17.
The players, in the beginning, will be placed alongside Barney Calhoun as he starts crap in City 17.
Here are the character specifics!
You don't have to make a fancy profile (you can introduce your character in a story-like fashion), but here's a nice layout if you want. All players must be humans.
NAME: First and optionally last name. This can include a nickname if it so pleases you.
AGE: This must be over eighteen. The Combine prevented embreos from being formed once they gained control of the Earth, so there are no children on Earth.
RACE/GENDER: Basically, if you're a white dude or a black chick or whatever you want. No purples!
STARTING WEAPON: This can be a semi-automatic pistol, a machine pistol, a submachine gun or a shotgun. You can have two pistols (including the machine pistol) if you'd like.
PROFESSION: Basically you're either a medic or a soldier, but if you want, you can be something fancy and specific like an engineer explosives expert guy, or a Combine vehicles/weapons expert, or a sweet kid from Alabama with a girlfriend back home that gets killed first or whatever.
DESCRIPTION: If you want, you can give a brief visual/emotional description of your character. Make sure to only point out important things.
Here's a nice example!
NAME: William "Willy" Johanson
AGE: 21
STARTING WEAPON: Submachine Gun
RACE/GENDER: Honky White Male (Honky not necessary.)
PROFESSION: A sweet kid from Alabama with a girlfriend back home, but he gets killed first.
DESCRIPTION: He's sweet-looking and he has a sweet personality. Aaaw!
The attire of rebels consists of long-sleeved shirts, pants, vests with ammunition and whatnot, and beanies. Not sure why. Medics don't wear beanies in the video game, but if you want a beanie, go ahead. If you don't want a beanie, don't have one! It really doesn't matter. It's not going to stop a bullet for you.
Rather than describing to you every little weapon, enemy and whatnot right here in the beginning, I'd rather explain them as the story goes along. The submachine gun has a grenade launcher, and the shotgun/pistols are rather modern-looking. Doctor Kleiner is old. Barney has the hint of a vandyke. There's your prefix.
I'll start up the adventure once some people join. Like, two. Basically, everyone starts up in a derelict building in the middle of the embattled city, meeting their comrades-in-arms as they plan their next move against the Combine forces, with the ultimate goal being The Citadel, a colossal monster tower of a building in the middle of City 17, containing Doctor Breen and the majority of the Combine soldiers and synths.
Barney Calhoun is leading the assault for the players, of course. I'd say about twenty citizens make up the small army he's leading, while other citizens fight elsewhere in the city. No, he won't be leading for too long.
Any "late" joiners can take the place of a generic NPC that's traveling with the players, or they can be a rebel that just happens to come upon the players and joins up with them.
Count me in, mang.
NAME: Gordan Frohman.
AGE: He doesn't know.
STARTING WEAPON: Shovel.
RACE/GENDER: White male.
PROFESSION: Citadel lackey.
DESCRIPTION: A new arrival to City 17, Gordon finds the city and its new management much to his liking, unlike the rest of the populace, who don't appreciate the interdimensional aliens who rule with an iron fist and kill without a second thought. Frohman isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, the brightest bulb in the box, or the most observant observer in the observatory, but he's upbeat as hell and loves watching TV (specifically, Breen's show).
And he's single, ladies!
EDIT: Sorry, this was supposed to be an edit to my previous post.
With a copyright characer like that, we should just let the festivities begin.
Though the Concerned comic already contains the City 17 chapter, I guess this will be some kind of alternate universe...
Though it already is since we're messing with Barney.
A city street. Once upon a time, it was just any other street in City 17, but now, it was a dramatic obstacle for our heroes.
At least thirty Combine soldiers had the end of the street barricaded and well-defended. This was one of the many streets leading to the Citadel, the objective of the Rebellion.
Smoking craters littered the street from where a large, powerful Combine monster had punched holes in it. It was gone at the moment, but the rebels had to be quick, because it could have easily returned at any moment.
"All right, guys... There are thiry-three CPs out there, armed with twenty-two SMGs, ten shotguns and a mounted machine gun."
The rebels, surely a rag-tag group pulled straight from your usual story about rag-tag rebels fighting The Man, crowded around Barney Calhoun, listening intently.
"Civil Protection really has this place covered," observed a rebel. "No armor?"
"If there was armor, I would've mentioned it, wouldn't I?" Barney asked rhetorically.
"Probably not, like last time, you jacka-"
"Listen up, people, I've got a plan," Barney interrupted. "Team One (3*), go through that door, make a left sweep and see if you can't get behind that machine gun on my signal. Team Two (5), head through that hole in the wall and make a run for that door across the street to distract the brunt of the CPs when I give the go. Then cut around through the buildings and try to get closer to the Combine to hit them from the right.
As Team Two makes their way across the street, Team Four (4) will go through that doorway, take cover in that crater in the street and hit that group of Combine soldiers over there with grenades to throw them into disarray so we can pick them off easier.
Team Three (5), go up the stairs and, when Team Two gets to their destination, begin suppressing the Combine forces on the left to help Team One get to that machine gun. Team Five (3), you're with me. Are we all ready?"
One of the 'rebels' stepped forward. "Wouldn't it be easier if we just surrendered to the Combine peaceably?"
"Dammit, Frohman! We've tangoed with two dozen Combine already and you haven't fired a single shot!" Barney shouted.
"That's because I have a shovel," Gordon Frohman replied. "You can't fire a shovel."
"Where'd you get a shovel? What happened to the gun I gave you?"
"Dropped it."
"Dropped it? Where!?"
"Well, when you gave it to me, I didn't see why I needed it, so I dropped it in a trash can. I never litter in City 17! Doctor Breen wouldn't approve."
Barney paused for several seconds. "... Change of plans. Frohman, you detach from Team Two, run straight towards the Combine and get shot to death. Everyone else, stick to the previous plan."
* This means how many rebels are in that particular team.
Frohman marched obediantly towards the turret personally ensured of his own safety. After all, the Combine wouldn't shoot their own coworkers, right? ...Right?
-
"We got a rebel approaching," the turret-weilding CP noted. "He's armed."
"Armed with...?" asked another.
"A shovel, sir."
"We're not taking any chances. Mow him down."
-
Gordon smiled and waved as he jogged at the turret and said "Hi, guys! Did any of you tape the last episode of Docter Breen's show? I m-"
"OPEN FIRE!"
At the CP's words, the sound of gunfire filled the air fast and Frohman ducked behind pile of rubble.
"Hey, stop shooting me! It's me, Gordon Fr-"
"It's Freeman?! Everyone storm his position now!"
"No, it's FRO-" Gordon was quickly interrupted by the sound of many guns turned on his position. One CP pulled the pin on the grenade. As he started to throw it, many others started to reload. He released the grenade at about the same moment Gordon stood up and put his arms up in the air to shout "I surrender!" and accidentaly deflected the grenade right back into the group of approaching CPs, where it landed with a dull metal clank.
One CP made a move to kick the grenade away, but was a second too late. The explosion killed 6 metrocops and injured 4 more, which quickly limped and/or crawled to cover.
Gordon Frohman, of course, was extremely dismayed. "I better not get demoted over this," he though, and joined back up with the rest of the rebels, ableit the wrong group. As such he was fully prepared to start pestering Barney again.
"Can I quit now?" he said naggingly.
A Combine Metrocop, a member of Civil Protection.
- OOC -
That is perhaps the most hilarious thing I've ever read in a roleplay. So true to the character, too.
- IC -
"Holy crap!" exclaimed a rebel. "Did you see that? Gordon took out ten Combine soldiers at once by himself!"
"He's so brave!" said another.
"If we had medals to give out, I'd give him one!"
Barney, unlike his soldiers, was quite unimpressed. "He was trying to surrender."
"To fool the Combine into putting their guard down!" said a rebel. "I want to marry him!"
"When I grow up, I'm going to be just like Frohman!"
"You're like ten years older than him!" Barney snapped. "Uh-oh, the Combine are coming this way. Quick, everyone begin the attack! Go, go, go!"
Team Two began their rush across the street as Team One turned to the left, hiding behind cover to make their way to the machine gun.
The Combine, already hurting from the 'heroic efforts' of Gordon, didn't expect a dozen rebels to begin firing upon them. They suddenly ceased their advance and ran back to their barricade.
Team Four dove into the crater and began tossing grenades at the Combine soldiers.
Barney then made his move with Team Five, charging up the center of the street. Team Four stopped their grenade-tossing, joining up with Barney as they fired on the suppressed Combine.
William "Willy" Johanson was a sweet kid from Alabama with a sweet face and a sweet attitude who was destined to get killed first.
Nobody could have expected what happened next.
"ARGH!" yelped Willy as a Combine bullet struck him in chest.
The rebels were too busy battling the remaining Combine to notice Willy's woes. Except one.
"Gordon!" shouted Willy through a mouthful of blood. "I need... I need a medkit!"
Gordon had stopped for a moment to debate his next course of action. "Hm... I could give him a medkit... but that would help the rebels win... yet, if I didn't... I'd come off as some heartless killer. And I don't want that! And yet, how am I going to get a medkit..." After making up his mind, he yelled at Willy to hang in there and backtracked a little bit.
Frohman ran over to a nearby medic and said loudly to elevate his noise above the sound of battle: "I need a medkit!" He medic nodded and quickly dropped one onto the ground. Gordon had to stop and plan carefully. He had a bad history of using up medkits the instant he got ahold of them, even if it was to fix something so menial as a tiny little blister. It didn't take long for him to reassure himself of his superior self-control. "I'm reassuring myself of my superior self-control!" he exclaimed, and grabbed the medic.
"I need another medkit!"
-
Moments after treating all the life-threatening misquito bites on his forearms and ankles, he grabbed the leftover medkit and sprinted back to Willy and used the medkit on him - an indescribable act as nobody truly knows how the mysterious medkits work or what they contain.
He didn't stop to talk and ran to Barney's position, avoiding bullets by the power of luck and said, once again naggingly, "I just saved Willy. Can I quit now?"
"What?" Barney asked Frohman over the din of the battle without sparing a glance.
"I said, can I quit now!" said Gordon more loudly.
Barney turned, wide-eyed. "Quit? No, you can't quit! This is a war! What do you think will happen to you if the Combine win?"
"Things will go back to normal, Doctor Breen's show will stay on the air, and we'll all live happily ever after under the wonderful rule of the Combine?"
Barney became angry. "What's wrong with you, Frohman? Are you insane? You're the only person alive that thinks the Combine are great! You might as well be Doctor Breen's son!"
"That would be great!" Gordon said wistfully.
"Dammit, Frohman, I-"
"Holy crap!" shouted Willy, running up to Frohman and Barney. "Gordon just saved my life! He's the best rebel ever! With people like him on our side, we'll win this war, no doubt!"
Barney stared at Gordon in disbelief. Frohman had performed two acts of heroism, benefiting the rebels. 'He must be a hero in the guise of a Combine-loving idiot,' Barney thought to himself.
A metrocop suddenly leaped in front of Barney and brought the butt of its gun into Barney's chin, sending him hurtling backwards.
Willy reached for his gun, but couldn't find it. "Oh, no! I dropped my gun! Quick, Gordon, use your shovel on that CP!"
"Hi, Chad." Gordon said casually, crossing his arms.
"Hi, Frohman. What're you doing with the rebels?"
"It's a long story and I just kind of got caught up in everything, but Barney won't let me quit now. How about you? You're in metrocop digs!"
Chad shuffled his feet a little and looked at the ground. "Yeah, I... I got demoted."
"How could you get demoted? They said you were a real go-getter!"
Chad shifted uncomfortably. "...I don't want to talk about it. Anyways... I guess we have to fight now?"
"...Yeah. Sorry."
"Sorry for wha-"
CLANG! Frohman struck the metrocop right in the temples with the shovel, on the sharp edge. As Gordon was aiming for, he was just unconscious, not dead.
"I just saved you both. Can I quit now?"
Barney stood up, rubbing his chin. "What just happened here?" he asked.
"Gordon saved you from that CP!" shouted Willy.
"Did he???" Barney looked at Frohman in disbelief. Frohman was looking at Barney as if he was expecting something. Barney's look turned sour. "Well, what does he want? Some kind of reward?"
"I want out of this stupid war!" snapped Gordon. "I don't want to fight the Combine!"
"Then how did that Metrocop end up on the ground like that?" Barney asked, pointing at Chad.
"Because I had to shovel him to save you so you can fire me from your troop so I can go back to the citadel and go back to my desk job of ordering things and playing Freecell!" Gordon was becoming increasingly upset that he was yet to leave the team, still not realizing it's his own fault for making himself such an asset thus so far.
- OOC -
Sorry for the long post, but I want to make an area transition that manages to be interesting.
- IC -
It was curtains for what little remained of the Metrocops. The battle came to a close, with five Rebels wounded but none dead. How lucky!
Willy told all of his comrades the feats of Gordon. "He saved my life!" said Willy. "Not just me, but Barney, too!"
The rebels looked at eachother, considering Frohman's apparent sudden change of opinion on the Combine with great appreciation.
"Wow, Frohman! I thought you were a traitor!" said one citizen.
"Me, too! Boy, were we wrong! Gordon's a hero!" said another.
"Y'know what I thought?" asked a third. "I thought that perhaps Gordon was just hurting the Combine completely by accident. Y'know, like these strange coincidences where he was trying to be nice to them, but instead blew them up. He really was trying to help!"
"STOP SAYING THESE THINGS!" Gordon snapped. "I-"
"You what? Love freedom and hate the Combine? I knew it all along!" said Willy. "We love you, Gordon Frohman!"
"Group hug!" shouted a rebel, and group hug they did. Except for Barney, of course.
"Are you people insane? He wasn't the only one fighting the Combine!"
Gordon shook free of the hug and said, "I wasn't fighting them at all-"
"You all have been fighting, too!"
"Yeah, but that's different," explained a rebel. "We were already combating the Combine. We thought Gordon was useless, but he took on a whole mess of CPs by himself!"
"I can't believe this," Barney muttered, rolling his eyes. "Well, come on, everyone, we can't risk standing around here."
Gordon was about to protest, but was swept away with the other rebels as they moved up the street, climbing over the makeshift barricade set up by the Combine.
When they got to the other side, they realized that what was once a two-way street was now blocked off by a giant Combine wall from the Citadel.
A citizen shook his head. "Well, this is ironic. All of that fighting, and nowhere to go-"
"Shut up, man!" snapped Barney. "There's two doors. One on the left, one on the right. Real convenient-like. It'll be slow-going if we all try to cram through those one doorway, so we'll split up.
Team Two (5*) and Team Three (5), take the right. Everyone else, go left. Meet up on the other side. Move out!"
Frohman, Willy, and eight nameless rebels went to the right.
"What is he thinking?" Frohman ranted. "Who's to say going left and going right will lead to the same place? What if going to the left leads into a store that doesn't go anywhere else? Then they'll just end up going right. But I don't want them following us! Screw them! They chose their path!"
The rebels made their way through the dank, run-down, vaguely designed corridors as everything got darker and darker, eventually entering a room that was pitch black, the acoustics suggesting that the room was about ten by ten meters.
The rebels activated the flash lights on their guns.
"ZOMBIES!" shouted one of the expendable extras. "Who would have thought zombies would be right here in this dank, run-down, vaguely designed building, right in this room? What a weird place to inhabit!"
Gonna-get-killed was right. Wretched creatures littered the room. One stood up slowly. The former-human-turned undead was covered in blood, wore a white shirt for some reason, wielded razor-sharp, inhuman claws, had a giant, teething, vertical mouth in its chest and, most importantly, some kind of bald, four-legged alien covered its head. It let out a horrid moan.
"THAT'S ONE HORRID MOAN!" shouted gonna-get-killed as he filled the zombie with buckshot, sending it flying across the room, lifeless. "That was easy," he announced.
Then two dozen other zombies stood up. One reached up and tore gonna-get-killed's face clean off. I don't know about you, but if someone tore my face clean off, I'd probably be really dead.
"Well, that's weird," commented Willy. "I'd always imagined I'd be the first to get killed."
* I'll probably start giving the numbers at least once in every post for a head count.
