Re: [HOE] The Great American Mall (a plea for help)

[Theo McGuckin <tsm@jlab.org>]

> > Spoiler space non-marshals (Including you Bob Fletcher!) go away
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> If B, I would probably have the "Communication" from the light can be
> spotty, dont just give away what going on, but let the posse know
> something is helping them out.  Possibly have the Heavy can attack in
> the middle of the discussion with the light can in the arcade...
> ruining some of the arcade machines in the resulting fire fight.  

Right, I figured the video games would have a minimal ability to
communicate (images of one game coming on and showing a large robot
slaughtering 4 characters in short order come to mind).

One of the basic concepts I was trying to stay consistent with was that
the Heavy Can (I've been calling him Henry, and the Light Can, Sally)
cannot intentionally damage the mall shops. Basically he thinks he's there
to protect the mall and cannot do it harm (short of a few bullets in the
walls). Of course this probably won't work very well that I think about
it, as the amount of collateral damage that Henry will cause in a
fire-fight will be extreme, to say the least.

Maybe the posse gets the communique (however vague) then as they leave
they are "attacked" by the RC cars (in actuallity the cars are trying to
get them back in the arcade because all the noise and lights make it a
great place to hide from Henry). The posse will probably not heed the
warning, and when they leave Henry shows up and attacks. If they then
retreat into the arcade he stops and looks around at all the games for a
minute (make the posse think they're safe), and those charging through
anyway.

If the posse actually heeds the warning then they hide and see henry walk
by (first good view of him). He stops and scans the arcade for a minute,
approaching it (make the posse sweat/try to get them to fire first), but
moves on, unless they fire.
 
> The light can could somehow show the posse a maintenance entrance to
> the arcade that leads them to a hallway around the back of some of
> the stores.  Some interesting scenes could develop here:  more combat
> with maintenance robots, finding dead bodies, hearing the big bad
> heavy come walking down the hall while the posse tries to get through
> a locked door, possibly some maintenance records giving partial
> details on whats going on?

They could be forced to the back either by the advance of Henry or by the
RC cars. Or the games could even strobe on and off towards the back
(picture "the wave" at a ball game). In the back they could find a
"processing center" where bodies are being processed into "security
guards", basically Borg-ified bodies that are being brought back to assist
Henry. They'd basically be walking dead, but with a few primitive weapons
jammed into their arms and what-not.

> I would use some of the above ideas to create tension, giving some
> clues, and leading the posse to a "Security office" where they again
> confront the heavy, find some hard evidence as to whats going on, and
> realize they need a plan to take out the heavy.  

They might find security cameras and can track Henry from there. Maybe
they see a pattern to his patrol and can then try to time their moves.
Maybe some walkie-talkies are there. That's something I haven't seen in
many games...

They could also see that as they cycle through the cameras a couple are
blank. Some research or computer-hacking could reveal that those cameras
are for the primary security center and that the cameras are turned off at
the source. Of course the area around the primary security center would be
heavily patroled...

> I would come up with 3 or 4 ways of killing the heavy using stuff to
> be found in the mall (Vats of cleaning products in the janitorial
> closet, high tech workout equipment used to crush/pulverize the
> heavy, an electronics shop with parts used to make an emp or
> lightning gun, maybe another two or so) and just let the party figure
> out what to do specifically.  Use the light can to give hints and
> warnings that they are about to be discovered and need to move.  Make
> it difficult for the party to set up a trap due to the constant
> patrolling of the heavy, but dont make it impossible.  

Yeah, there'd be plenty of options, but I know my posse will just fall
back to trying to blow the stuffing out of him. Of course as he'll have an
AV of 6...

> Does that help?

Yes very much.
But I'd also like some "filler" encounters. I'm looking to make this
adventure a multi-session deal and need to expand it with some extra
"stuff" between the zombie-gang and the arcade encounter (which would lead
to the back hallways -> processing plant -> security post -> primary
security center -> saving Sally and escaping/winning).

Next I'll try to post some hard information (stats for Henry, and the
various bots, specific encounters, etc.)

Theo McGuckin - SysAdmin, JLab, Safety Warden (Bldg. 85)

	
	Keeping Jlab safe, one electron at a time.