INTERACTIVE Photonovel - Not an update, but worth a look!

[jedistyle]

i'm still sticking with my original answer. but i would like to know what everyone thinks of the "thermal charge" bluff idea? it might work!

[Quazar]

I'm going to post here some comments from the other thread.  This has been a great conversation so far, gang, with some great posts and great communication!!

Clone Commander1

Cool update Lance!
Here is my input,
I agree with InRem, get angry, tell them that you have some very valuable info, and if they want it they had better stop sticking blasters in your face and yelling at you. Then, try and get some info out of them by baiting them with small bits of what you know, your uncles name, the imperial problems, etc. If that dosen't work, tell them that they need to tell you what they know, for you to tell them anything.


Flacksguy
Exactly what I was thinking as well, stand right up to Fang. Don't be afraid of him. He's not going to get any information out of you if he shoots you, so him waving his gun at you is just to intimidate you. But I do think you should give up a little information about your uncle. Just a little, then demand some info from the group...give and take, like Commander & Rem said.

[findswoman]

What fun!  This is defnitely really taking off now.  And the eyebrows are a very cool touch.  Great discussion, all -- I've been enjoying reading the replies.

I don't really have much new to add from what people have already suggested.  While I'm mostly a diplomatic and non-violent sort, I don't think that a little anger, frustration, & indignation would be misplaced -- as long as we keep our cool as we express it (which can be done).  After all, they now know more of your story than you do of theirs.   They have really barely told you anything about who they are and what they are doing.

So I don't mind giving them the info they want, but, as many have also suggested, I believe we should be firm and insist that they tell us more of their story, too.  "Quid pro quo, Clarice."

"Look, I'll tell you more, but if I'm to help you out, as Doc keeps saying, it's only fair for you to tell me more, too.  What are these plans you mentioned?  Who are your 'operatives'?  Why do you need to avoid the Empire?"

If ti's a ship & a pilot they need, we can do both (although I realize that piloting isn't Deak's main specialty, as Quazar points out), and can offer them our services.  But only if they tell us some more about them. "You want a ship?  I've got one, and I can fly it.  But you need to tell me more about your mission if you do.  It's only fair."

As for our blaster... I agree with Chewie that whipping it out right now wouldn't be such a good idea.  If we do, it might give Lucen the wrong idea altogether, as if we only came down there to shoot them & destroy their plans -- they have shown us a bunch of trust in agreeing to meet us, after all.  We should really "keep our cool" here -- as my husband puts it, "what would Clint Eastwood do?" 

For the same reason, I'm going to have to disagree with the idea of the thermal detonator bluff put forth by jedistyle. Sorry, jedistyle! 

Another option is to disarm ourselves and lay the blaster down.  Even Lucen Fang wouldn't really shoot a man he could see was unarmed, would he?  While you're telling him to "stop sticking blasters in your face" or whatever, you can even say something like "I'll put mine down if you put yours down." I also agree with In Rem and Chewie when they suggested saying something like, "If you shoot me, we won't be able to help each other out," or some such, because it's absolutely true. 

Just my $0.02.  I know whatever happens in the end will still be cool and exciting and will lead our hero on to some great adventures! 

... the Findswoman

[S_A_Longhorn]

Flacksguy
Exactly what I was thinking as well, stand right up to Fang. Don't be afraid of him. He's not going to get any information out of you if he shoots you, so him waving his gun at you is just to intimidate you. But I do think you should give up a little information about your uncle. Just a little, then demand some info from the group...give and take, like Commander & Rem said.

I agree with FLACKS.  My additional input would be to bait Fang.  Give them a little info, and make them chase you for more info.  I agree Fang is just trying to act tough, but blondie gives the orders, not him.  Get them to do what you say, and then you can manipulate them to get the info you need.  The Anakin approach!

[Clone Hunter]

Ted Underhill<-- awesome

Can I get a steak sandwich and a steak sandwich?

Pardon me, can I borrow your towel, my car just hit a water buffalo?

On topic, I would contact the barkeep to see if there is a covert way off the station, use uncs ship and take these goons where they need to go which seems like the treasure hunt?

[Quazar]

Hey, gang, time for a new update!

I know these dialogue scenes are probably getting tedious for you guys, but we're getting near to the end!

Most everyone was on the same page here with the "angry" approach, originally suggested by In Rem and echoed by Clone Commander 1, Flacksguy, Longhorn, Chewie and Findswoman.

I tried to use at least a little dialogue from all those who posted some - In Rem, Chewie, Findswoman. 

Alas, only jedi style with his suicida- uh, "aggressive" suggestion was voted down by the rest.  However, his coinage of the phrase "gutter-punk section of the station" was too cool to pass up.

I would like to remind you all that, since it was well over six months ago that the scene with Deak and the Imperials at his uncle's quarters was played out, that the entire story can be viewed by visiting the earlier pages in this thread.  It couldn't hurt to take a quick peek to refresh your memory.

Alternatively, most of the story (excepting the most recent chapters in the Sewers) is archived on my website HERE

And a special thanks to our newest player, Clone Hunter.  His suggestion about contacting Callie is a good one, but wouldn't be quite appropriate just yet, since the trio has not yet agreed to go with you.  If you want to re-suggest that idea next time around, please feel free.

Anyway, on with the show!
















WHAT DO YOU DO?

WHAT DO YOU SAY?

Inventory:

dirty poncho (worn)


personal comlink
Credit Stick
toolkit
hold-out blaster
backpack containing -
change of clothes
control pad for ship
data pad with technical schematics
68 credits

[In Rem]

I love it! Great update! Finally we're getting somewhere with these ruffians

And thanks for including my "mean-looking guy with a jetpack"

Let's see... it sounds like they want to know more about Fett, and I can't see any harm in relating what we know (especially since we don't know that it's BOBA FRIGGIN' FETT we nearly brushed with).

I went back and reviewed our encounter. We know Fett's voice, but it won't help much. We know Fett wears green armor on some sort of a jumpsuit. He wore a helmet and his face was completely concealed. The helmet was green with some red around the visor. There was an antenna sticking up on one side of the helmet. He had some braids hanging over his shoulder, but we don't think it was his hair.

For a nice detail, I would love to have Deak say something like "His helmet looked sorta like something I saw in history class back home; like the helmets the Clones wore during the Clone Wars..." Deak should trail off as if to suggest a "You know what I mean, right?" to the others.

We should describe him with the assumption Fang is going to have a light go off in his head at any minute. The way you describe a movie to someone that you know you've both seen, but can't remember the title to.

Once we're done with describing Fett, we need to press Doc for what she may have helped create. I'm sure she's not ready to fully disclose, but we need to let her know that we expect to be told at some point. Something like "I'm willing to help you out as much as I can if that means finding my uncle. But I don't want to be part of anything that's going to hurt a bunch of people no matter what's happened to my uncle. So I need you to go ahead and fill me in this invention of Doc's."

They'll probably say heck no, but we need to let them know we're curious.

[jedistyle]

yes, great update lance, and i like the dialog scene's, they are informative and edgy. the charecters are matching witt's and determination, very cool!

glad you liked the "gutter-punk" phrase. thats somthing i used to say alot in high school!

Fang clearly thinks he knows who the bounty hunter is already and just wants more info for conformation. so as In-Rem suggested, there is no reason why we can't give him all the info about him we think we have.

- a description of his clothing, a detailed description of his helmet and the way he seemed to be operating with the imperials, i.e. seems to be leading them stands back very quietley and observes, etc.....

- based on Fang's reaction, which i'm sure will be shock and unease, press him and doc for more info. somthing like this:

Fang: Boba Fett, it's Boba Fett.(Fang gives a cautious stare to Doc)

Doc: This my change things a bit!

Deak: Alright, i don't know who this Boba Fett is, but he didn't look very pleasant and judging by your reaction, it's not someone any of us wants on our tail. i also know you don't use someone of Fang's style and a wookie if you don't need protection. it seems that whatever you created, your plans and the empire have quite a bit of danger attached to them, so now that i'm abour to be in the same position as you, i'd like to know what i'm getting into, if you would be so kind!

i want to know as much as possible about what you created, where you are trying to take it, what you theory is on what happened to my uncle and the other pilots and why the empire would enlist the services of a bounty hunter? you tell me these things and my uncles ship, my piloting and technical skills, and anything else i may be able to help you with is at your disposale, as well as any information you want from me!

- i think that Doc and mabey Fang too, will respond to this approach and the realization of the involvment of Boba Fett will make them more apt to share info with you!

[In Rem]

jedistyle said what I was trying to, only better

[findswoman]

Another excellent update!  The wheels are really rolling, and the plot is thickening -- one can just feel the tension in the air.    And I don't think dialogue scenes are boring at all.  On the contrary, they're where the story gets told. And, as we know, friend Quazar here tells one mean story!  

We can say a few more words abt the bounty hunter, but we should also respond to Doc's request for more details, "no matter how trivial" -- because there is more we can tell her.  Back at the scene where Deak finds that his uncle's quarters have been ransacked, Deak notices that a big locked box is missing.  (Compare these scenes with the first scenes in the apartment.  It's the one that had been next to the black chest, that looks like a small, grayish refrigerator.)  Indeed, that may not even be "trivial."

Here's another little detail from the very very first scene of the story: Uncle Lance asks you to join him because "his mechanic/co-pilot had dropped out at the last minute" to go on a "three-month scouting operation in the Outer Rim" for a big mining company. Mining what?  Something legal, ,ike gold, or something illegal, like spice?  Maybe that's just a red herring, but there could well be a good reason for that.  (For the Harry Potter fans out there, think of Regulus Black in Book 5: Voldemort asked him to do some unspecified task, but he backed out at the last minute, and therefore got in beeg doo-doo...)  Anyway, just a thought.

Now, ą propos the bounty hunter, in response to In Rem and Jedistyle:
 

Let's see... it sounds like they want to know more about Fett, and I can't see any harm in relating what we know (especially since we don't know that it's BOBA FRIGGIN' FETT we nearly brushed with).

Fang: Boba Fett, it's Boba Fett.(Fang gives a cautious stare to Doc)

See, that's the thing... we don't know if it's Boba Fett.  It may not be.  If I remember correctly, Quazar has mentioned before that figures of mainstream SW characters are not necessarily meant to represent those characters in the context of the photonovel.  The example he mentioned was Deak's mother, who is "played" by a Mon Mothma figure,  but isn't Mon Mothma herself.  (Lance, am I remembering this right?)  So this may very well just be a totally ersatz no-name Mandalorian-armor-wearing hunter being "played" by a Boba Fett figure.   Of course, that doesn't mean we can't tell Lucen and Doc a little more about him, and only Quazar knows for sure...

Keep up the great work, everyone -- I'm looking forward to more, both from Quazar and from all of us discussers!  

... the Findswoman

[jedistyle]

you mabey right Findswoman.

Lance can you clear this up, i thought that it was supposed to be Boba Fett, Deak just dosn't know who Boba Fett is. If it is Bobs Fett, then i stick with my original plan, if it isn't Boba, then i still stick with my original plan, but just change a couple words:

Fang: A mondalorian, it's a Mondalorian!(Fang give Doc a cautious stare).

Boba Fett or not, a mandalorian bounty hunter is somthing we need to be waery of and Fang and Doc don't want involved! so we could still proceed in the same fachion.

[findswoman]

you mabey right Findswoman.

Well, I may be wrong, too... it won't be the first time!    Lance, what sayest thou? 

I forgot to mention it the first time, but I also agree with your and In Rem's suggestion that we ask Doc for more info on this thing she's invented.  And why exactly she needs pilots because of it -- that seems a little odd.

Anyone?

... the Findswoman

[Quazar]

Okay, team, Findswoman brings up an important issue regarding characters, action figures and who is really supposed to be who.

Way back when the game began, I wrote something explaining that, due to my very limited customizing abilities and budget, I might occasionally use a recognizable SW character meant to be a different character.

The only real instance where I did this was in the opening sequence, showing Deak's mother, "played" by Mon Mothma. 

I believe I also said that, with a few exceptions, that you would probably NOT run into a lot of established characters.

So I can see where the confusion is coming from.

Here's the deal - I really don't have a large customizing budget and my skills are extremely limited, basically just head swapping and extremely rudimentary painting.

HOWEVER, look again at Mon Mothma.  She is not wearing her trademark outer garment and instead is wearing a crappy Leia "skirt".  As lame as it is, this is my cheap-o attempt to at least partially customize the figure in order to establish that it is NOT the same character.

Look at the Bith in the bar.  He is wearing a cloak different than the one the figure comes with.  Hardly a very elaborate custom, certainly, but it at least hopefully establishes him as being "different" from the Cantina band members.

Here's where it gets tricky, though.  In the case of extremely minor or "extra" characters - characters who had no real significance in the films other than as background, I may not bother with ANY customizing at all.

It is safe to assume that Doc's wookiee friend is NOT, for example, Senator Yarua, but is, in fact, Doc's wookiee friend named Fardle.  Also, the twilek damsel in distress at the bar is probably not the same Aya Vida barfly from AOTC, but just another twi'lek female.

To avoid confusion, you will never see me using an unmodified Han Solo or Ben Kenobi action figure meant to represent anyone else.  I will never use unmodified, major character figures to represent different characters.

So, if, for example, you see a human smuggler with a black vest and white shirt accompanied by a large Wookiee with an ammo belt - it's safe to say you're looking at Han and Chewie, even though "Deak" won't recognize them.

In the case of the mysterious "bounty hunter", I made an effort to make the scene and the character feel, well, rather familiar.  Note his use of the phrase "As you wish," which, admittedly, is not something I came up with on my own. 

Additionally, though I am not really up on EU, it was my understanding that there really weren't many other Mandalorians around the time of the OT.

However, at the end of the day, that isn't really relevant to how you play out the scene.  Your confusion over the identity of the bounty hunter echoes Deak's.  It won't affect what you say to Fang, since all you can do is describe the guy and let Fang come up with his own conclusions.

Hope this helps!  Though I'm lazy when it comes to customizing, I'm not out to deliberately confuse you guys.

Thanks for your fantastic participation!!!

[Smartypants1635]

But I thought Jango was teh last of the madalorians/ boba. so there wouldnt be any other mandalorians out there. at least none old enough to fight,ie like maybe bobas son or daughter but thats all eu and during the njo

[jedistyle]

thanks Lance. i stick with my suggestion before where i had Fang piecing it together that the bounty hunter was Boba Fett. we didn't suggest to him it was Fett, we just gave the description to the best of our ability and he comes up with Fett as the mystery bounty hunters identity.