Originally posted May 26, 2009
((This post demonstrates the connection between a game system and role-play. I just couldn't see Chance as an unarmed, martial artist after the shooting at Roosevelt Academy. This gave me the opportunity to play with different power sets and archetypes in City of Heroes. I handled the adjustment terribly, and Chance suffered at the hands of thugs he should have been able to clean up in his previous incarnation.
I thought I would reflect the difficulties I was having in game on the character. Technically competent, Chance was not quite able to build a suit of powered armor. This bit provided a fun way to introduce his difficulties and re-examine his determination.))
The warning tone warbled in Chance's ear as the actuator failed. The armor stiffed around his right knee and he fell to the ground. He felt the impact through the padding and ceramics of the suit, thanking fate that he fell on his un-injured side. It's so uncool to scream and whimper in front of bad guys.
Chance kept still as the Hellion bent down to examine him. Sometimes, if they didn't see you as a threat, they just walked away. Sometimes, especially with the Hellions, they decide to take a crowbar to your head until something cracks. Chance held his breath as the gangbanger walked away.
Hellions. It had been a while since he fought Hellions. It chaffed at first, going back to the streets to battle low level street thugs after fighting the likes of Rikti and Malta Operatives. Watching the men return to passing a bottle around a drum fire while he lay collapsed on the ground, he realized that the aliens would reduce him to so much gooey muck were he to go up against them now.
He waited for the tone to subside. Its volume decreased as the part cooled. The armor still generated any number of issues. His rocket boots had not been this difficult to design and maintain. Chance had to face it. His skills didn't match De's or Ace's. It would take a long time before the suit could stand toe to toe with even a Rikti Monkey. With every mechanical failure, overheated joint, or unfriendly interface, Chance learned something new. He just couldn't see how all the parts needed to flow together quite yet.
He questioned the Samurai motif once again. At first, it seemed like a natural combination with Nitojutsu. He had plenty of examples in the condo he could use for modeling. Both he and his father had purchased kikou and kabuto during their time in Japan. If he had known more about mechanical engineering at the start, he would have never launched the design. He would have quickly realized it was just too difficult for his skills. Now, he just couldn't let it go. As quirky as the armor had turned out, it felt good around him and returned a full range of motion to his injured body. When it didn't overheat and leave him crippled and lying in the dirt, that is.
The tone quieted in his helmet. He inhaled sharply on the mouthpiece to start the boot up routine and listened as a series of sounds reflected the armor's progress. The breath driven interface had to go. The whole not kissing Reg on patrol just sucked.
The suit reported full functionality. Grasping he swords, Samurai Indigo got to his feet to take the fight back to the Hellions.
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