Bay 12 Games Forum

Dear [REDACTED],

The Organization thanks you for accepting this invitation into the highest ranks of our command structure. Your recent actions have given the founding members cause to grant you oversight of an entire branch of The Organization. You will be responsible for determining how to expand the Facility, which Equipment to develop to aid in your projects, Actions made to secure Anomalies, and Research done to further our understanding of the many unknowns that could threaten our everyday lives.

An unmarked black van with tinted windows and a yellow sticker in the top right corner of the windshield will arrive in exactly thirty minutes. If a vehicle matching that description arrives any sooner, lock your doors and windows, stay at least two feet away from any walls, and remain silent.

This is a team-oriented game where you will all work together to come up with ideas and proposals for the four phases of FEAR - Facility, Equipment, Action, and Research. The function of each phase will be summarized below, but we will be going over each of them repeatedly as we go forward regardless. Your primary goal is to identify, isolate, study, and ultimately utilize or destroy anomalous objects, beings, locations, ideas, etc. and keep your facility and The Organization as a whole functioning (probably).

Each phase will see you and your team work together to develop and propose appropriate actions and then voting for the proposal you prefer to push through.

The four phases of the first turn will be paired with a question to help define the operation you have been granted control of. The four questions, the answers, and their related benefits are below. Note that the bonuses/maluses provided will not be applied until after the Preliminary Turn is complete:



But how will you actually direct your facility? By coming up with and voting on proposals in each phase! Each turn walks you through the four phases of FEAR, and specific ranges of actions take place in each of them.

In the Facility Phase you come up with ways to build upon, expand, modify, or otherwise improve your facility to better...facilitate the direction your work brings you. Things like customized containment cells, a new remote facility, new security measures, or patching the holes in the wall after the latest rampage can be proposed here. Generally if it's something meant to specifically upgrade the facility itself or the way it functions then it fits as a proposal for this phase.

During the Equipment Phase you will propose new equipment to be used by your field agents and researchers alike. Tranquilizer rounds, radiation pills, rifles, body armor, a demon core, and the wheel are all things that could qualify as Equipment. If it is a tool or something that functions in a way to aid a human in a task, it'll probably work in this phase.

The Action Phase is where you can recruit or modify units and assign units to specific tasks. Note that units undergoing modification are unavailable for assignment during the same phase. Investigation and retrieval of anomalies are assignments you will most regularly assign to your units, but you may also deploy them against other targets of opportunity should they appear. While investigation and retrieval proposals do not need to be deep plans, utilizing the knowledge you've gained to make a more specific investigation or retrieval operation will likely make things easier. Or at least less likely to go horribly wrong. Note that it is possible for a unit to be eliminated.

Once you're ready to poke at the unknown you move on to the Research Phase. Here you can simply designate a contained anomaly for research and your scientists will make some slower but relatively safe steps forward in our understanding of the anomaly. Although slow and safe is probably less likely to result in a devastating failure, it cannot match the pace of study made using a detailed plan with specific goals based on intelligence gathered from field agents and prior research. If you are the Dominate facility then the Research Phase is where you will also choose to deploy anomalies. At the end of the Research Phase you will also get up-to-date reports on potential anomalous activity across the globe.

All phases also have the option to burn the action. If it is deemed unnecessary to perform an action during a phase you may vote to burn the action, which will push that action into the next phase. For example, burning a Facility Action will give you a second Equipment Action. You cannot burn an action two phases in a row.

You may find yourself with a proposal that could potentially fall under multiple categories. Don't worry! Something like a forklift (which could be considered Equipment used to aid in expanding the Facility) can be proposed in either one. It's up to you all to decide the best course of action. If something doesn't fit a phase or there is a question about validity I can always be asked about it here or on discord (linked at the top of the post), and will step in to clarify whenever it seems necessary.

All proposals are subject to a roll of 1d10 to determine their results, with a 10 being much better than anticipated and a 1 being something we'll probably just [REDACTED].

When voting you are required to use a "vote box". This is made by using the [quote][/quote] and listing the options within the quotes. You can vote for one proposal per action available, which means one per phase unless it received a second action from burning the previous phase. A proper votebox includes proposal titles, the names of voters, and an easy tally. For example:

Option A: (1) Bean
Item 1: (3) Mean, Machine, L.L.
Choice Prime: (1) Green

The truth is out there.



The facility you are under command of is made largely to house a specific anomaly. Which facility is it? This will determine the flavor of your starting location as well as the first anomaly you will receive automatic possession of. The other options will become the NPC factions you will be working with/against. More details on the anomaly will be provided once chosen.

A. The Amazonian Bunker - A concrete structure built deep in the Amazon, complete with a helipad and small airfield. While it may be dense jungle, the vast amount of surrounding resource-rich free real estate gives the facility two rolls for their Facility actions, taking the highest result. The facility resembles a military bunker complex (because it was), and has an underground section to contain and study the anomaly. Three curiously large eggs about the size of a large child are housed in special 3m by 3m incubators mirroring the strangely hot pockets of air they were originally found hovering in. The eggs are perfectly spherical and opaque, but a fist-sized shadow can be seen wriggling within each one. We speculate the eggs should hatch relatively soon.

B. The Chernobyl Subterranean Complex - A long-running facility built deep beneath the infamous nuclear reactor. Being in a nation amid an active war makes it pretty easy to get hands on the latest in high-end gear, giving the facility two rolls for their Equipment actions and taking the highest roll for the result. An old Soviet-era style medical facility uses a large iron lung-like pressurized chamber to house and observe the real Elephant's Foot, a mass of steel, concrete, corium, flesh, and bone. The blob is constantly shifting and screams in agony when a mouth is exposed on the outer layer.

C. The Boston Storage Facility -A series of unassuming warehouses currently unusable due to extreme structural damage according to the Boston Port Authority, but there always seems to be more important paperwork pushed ahead of the repairs to delay work indefinitely. The warehouses were designated by The Organization as storage for extremely mundane anomalies prior to your assignment, but the future of the facility is yours to direct. As a result of their designation the only objects in the warehouse are thirty-two plastic black and white recorders confiscated from a local elementary school. Testing in a soundproof booth wired with recording equipment reveals each recorder plays a single note regardless of which note is being held. None of the recorders play the same exact note. The crew here is extremely bored and extremely enthusiastic for the prospect of field work, giving them two rolls for their Action actions, with the highest roll taken as the result.

D. The Arctic Habitat - A-Hab is a pressurized dome structure built on the seafloor of the Arctic. This extremely high-tech facility gets two rolls for their Research actions and takes the highest result. The very isolated remote location means it is very secure, but very alone. This facility is developed to contain and study a wriggling mass of fleshy tendrils growing out of a cave. The structure has an airlock built between it and the cave, and the tentacles presently seem unable or unwilling to bypass the steel doors. The facility provides Environmental Protection Suits to any employees who need to work outside.


While you are choosing where to start you also get to Propose a development to be applied to it immediately. Most general ideas should be able to function across each location so don't try to sweat synergization too much. These first proposals are to get a general idea of what to expect, so I won't be giving many more examples of what is possible, and will instead let you all come up with your ideas and I will confirm whether or not they are valid, and if not then what phase it would be doable in. You cannot burn this action.

I can hear them scratching in the walls.

The Buccaneers have finally split from those treacherous Reavers. You must rebuild and strengthen your band of pirates and outwit, outplay, and outlast your rivals.

Where did your faction set up their base of operations and install the Laneripper?

A: An abandoned space station in orbit around the local star. The hydroponics module was largely left intact, allowing your band to sustain themselves a little better. The faction produces 1 Food for use each turn. The food from this bonus will not be stockpiled, and will be used before stockpiled food.

B: On a (barely) habitable planet. The environment is harsh, dense jungle covering what little of the planet isn't covered by salt water, but the vast amount of minerals just under the surface of the land and sea are readily available for fabrication. The faction produces 1 Materials for use each turn. The material from this bonus will not be stockpiled, and will be used before stockpiled material.

C: From the bridge of the light cruiser your faction managed to steal away with after the Sons collapsed. The light cruiser (to be named by you if you choose this option) is armed with a spinal 210mm coilgun, twelve torpedo tubes (six fore, two each port, starboard, and aft), and a single fore Point Defense Laser. Armor is light for the class. The light cruiser also has two Cargo Bays. The ship is Unique with a Unit Size 1 and comes Moderately Damaged. As with all larger ships, it requires 1 Fuel to deploy.



It is the Design Phase.

In addition to providing an answer for the above, you can also propose Designs. Some guidance will be provided this turn in the form of feedback regarding difficulty and plausibility of proposals. Remember that you will be selecting Two Proposals.



TURN INDEX:
Turn 1 Design

In the beginning there was darkness. Lots of events occurred afterward to craft a beautiful, unique planet filled with equally beautiful and unique life. One of these forms of life is human: you! You are all the leaders of a sizable tribe of humans as they move from barely subsisting to settling and, hopefully, thriving through the ages. There is only so much room at the top where the lucky few bask in the fruits of the labors of others, and this creates a divide between you, the leaders of this as-of-yet unknown tribe!

If you join before the first update is posted, you will have the opportunity to declare yourself as either a Major Founder or a Minor Founder. The first three players to declare themselves as Major Founders lock their roles in and default all other players to Minor Founders. All participants will be kept in a Master List maintained in my next post (with further details covered in the “Winning The Game - The Master List” spoiler).

Both types of families can propose plans of action for the tribe during all four phases of each turn and all generally want their peoples to continue existing. Beyond that, they are all competing for the position of Top Dogs as the Minor Founders try to outmaneuver one another to usurp a Major Founder and the Major Founders do everything they can to hold onto their positions.

But how are you supposed to do any of that while you’re also leading what may one day be a multicontinental empire? Find out more in the spoilers below!

Each turn is divided into four distinct phases that take place over a wildly variable amount of time - months, years, or even generations can pass by over the course of a single turn.

And here's some more spoilers covering a few other things!



NEW!!!!! TURN LINKS!!!!!! NOW MADE WITH REAL MEAT!!!!!

Exploration I
Expansion I
Exploitation I
Experimentation I - Start of Ligneous Age

Exploration II
Expansion II
Exploitation II
Experimentation II
Exploration III
Expansion III
Exploitation III
Experimentation III - Start of Pastural Age

Exploration IV
Expansion IV
Exploitation IV
Experimentation IV - Start of the Golden Age of the Neolithic Artisan

Exploration V
Expansion V
Exploitation V
Experimentation V
Exploration VI
Expansion VI - The Metal Revolution
Exploitation VI - The End of The Beginning

It's 3155 and those slippery Okinasu have decided their regional dominance is more important than providing for the common defense of the UPC. While we can't be certain who struck the first blow, we are determined to strike the last. You will be pivotal in this goal as you develop mechs for use in our glorious Republican Armed Forces. The RAF looks forward to utilizing the Hitman as well as whatever other metal beasts you make.

The first larger engagements we will be introducing our BattleMech forces in are predicted to take place on the planets of Keiko's Rest and Vordwelt. Both planets are temperate with low civilian populations. Keiko's Rest will be our first offensive operation, with the capture or destruction of mech production facilities being the primary objective. Vordwelt will be a defensive operation as the Empire seeks to steal the wealth of resources buried beneath the surface. Battles on this planet will often take place in wide open fields.

We're counting on you to provide us with mechs capable of securing dominance on the field. Good luck!

Remember, you have TWO DESIGNS to utilize. Also remember that you cannot make a wholly new Chassis without a credit!

2020 was a crazy year for everyone. Protests, riots, political unrest, the superstorm that circled the planet multiple times and crushed civilized life as we know it into dust. Crazy, crazy times indeed.

But that was in the past. It's 2177 now, and pockets of civilization have risen once again. The Old United States is long gone, replaced by an endless number of roving hordes, bandits, and nomadic tribes broken up by the occasional reclaimed city or metropolitan neighborhood. In the wake of the destruction of the old world rose a new faith - Shotism. Shotism is a belief that nothing is more sacred than a firearm, no cause worthier than the restoration and maintenance of a gun, no humbler and holier activity than reloading casing and shot to feed the divine tools. In the early days of their faith Shotists built Monastery Ranges dotted across the continent, from Central America to Alaska, from Pacific to Atlantic Ocean. All recognized the power of the faith held by Shotists - even those of ill will would ask for safe passage through Shotist lands rather than risk near certain death by the immaculately faithful.

A schism sundered the United Shotist faith in 2056, resulting in the first Independent Monasteries after the Grandslinger declared the revolver to be the holiest of firearm designs above all others. The Grandslinger's time in this most high position didn't last long (ended, as all things should be, at the end of a barrel), but the damage was done. Monastery Ranges began to declare their own preferred firearm family as the Most Sacred. Decades have passed, and much of their shared knowledge has been divided or lost. The Shotist faith has lost it's great influence and is in a state of decline and despair. Shotists, isolated from one another's Monastery Ranges due to internal politics, distance, and the lack of respect for the faithful among the populace nowadays, have become experts in their specific craft, but this has only served to reinforce the barriers between the faithful.

Legend has it that one day there will be born the Chosen Gun, the one Shotist who has the power to learn all schools of Shotism and unite the faith once more. That legend brings us to you.

You were born to two devout Shotists. Which Monastery Range did your life start in? (Note: This is not a comprehensive list of every Monastery Range, just the starting choice)


A. The League of Lever-Action Rifles (Connecticut)
B. The Haven of M1911 (Utah)
C. The Hunter's Lodge (North Carolina)
D. The Double Barrel Disciples (Coahuila)
E. The Pipe Gun Prophets (California)

It is the Design Phase for TURN 0. You have Two Designs to decide upon for this phase, and by the end of the turn must also decide on an Island and an Avatar. Remember, the Avatar needs a name and some sort of description, and the base description should provide any details you think are useful.

You've been around since the dawn of time watching and waiting. Worlds form and crumble often without ever doing anything of note. Not this time, not under your eye. A star system in a tucked-away corner of some galaxy has a planet that has drawn your eye, one that holds the capabilities to create and sustain life. As long as you're there to offer a guiding hand. But what is it about this planet that has attracted you?

Describe your planet in it's earlier stages. Include information like it's makeup - is it a rocky planet? A gas giant? Is it made of sapphire? Is it actually a moon? How far is it from the system's star? Is there an atmosphere other than what we'd expect here on Earth? What is it's size relative to Earth? This will largely define all the species you burn through create going forward and is probably the most important decision to work together on to figure out. Don't worry about specific environments, just provide a general description of your home planet, specifics will come in following turns.

Discord Link
Enlightener's Thread
Uplifter's Thread

The universe is a vast place, one full of infinite dangers and opportunities. One of these dangerous opportunities comes in the form of life, and one solar system happens to have two planets showing signs of it. But this life is as of yet undefined - same with the planets! It will be up to you to guide one of these two planets from formation to abiogenesis, through evolution, and onward! After you choose your team - either The Uplifters or The Enlighteners - you and your fellow guardians will be faced with a series of prompts covering hurdles or advancements that will define a period of time for your planet and the species upon it.

Players can propose solutions to prompts in their team's threads and can attempt to tackle them in any way they see fit. Military, scientific, cultural, and diplomatic solutions are all viable, and will shape the planet and it's inhabitants accordingly. Each team will be responsible for voting on one proposal to choose as their advancement using a votebox similar to the one below:

Ideas:
Good: (4) Bill, Ted, Grilled, Cheese
Bad: (2) Jesse, James
Ugly: (2) Your, Name

As this is a game, I will act as the Will of the Universe and will be rolling 2d6 in order to determine just how effective and beneficial the changes the proposal end up. The result for the proposal is better as the roll gets higher, with the most dramatic results at the extreme ends of the dice pool. While rolling from a 3 to an 11 will usually provide a small evolutionary, technological, or magical advancement, rolling a 12 is how your planet's life advances to it's next stage. That advancement becomes a massively defining characteristic in the ascension of the species as they leap forward. However in order to balance that, a team stuck in earlier stages of development will get progressively higher chances to advance as well. (This is why, in order to preserve secrecy between sides as much as possible, the rolls themselves will be kept behind the scenes.)

At the other end of the spectrum, rolling a 2 on the 2d6 results in a Mass Extinction Event. Every prompt that immediately follows a Mass Extinction will allow you to decide if and how your primary species survives, or what it gets replaced by as the clock gets set back a good bit regardless.

The end goal of the game is to have the two different teams come into contact in some way, shape, or form. Once that occurs, their timelines get sync'd up and we enter the Endgame. The Endgame will be defined by the interactions of your two planet's species in whatever form they're in at that time as they attempt to outlast one another against themselves, and perhaps some other threats.

While the Endgame may end up dramatically one-sided, we can't know for sure what awaits us until we start looking. And who knows, there's always a risk of a Mass Extinction Event...


Please state in this thread which team you are joining, then head over to that thread (linked above), join the Discord server (if you want, also linked above), and get started! Your first prompt is waiting for you! And remember to resist the temptation to look into the other team's thread!