Freak: Amidst the Neon Lights WIP and playtest.... last update July 4th 2019

I’ve only gone through the story once - though I plan to explore other paths ASAP - but yet even one with one run, I can feel the passion in this project. Not only is the writing lovely, but I really enjoy the effort you put into the “co-design” that I feel while building the MC. The way you’ve combined the choice elements and have them recalled and influence the world make me feel like the MC I’ve created in your world actually has an impact. Very cool.

I also appreciate the time you took to bold the various personality choices within the text - I like seeing how they are called forward, and you’ve written in such a way that it’s seamless and doesn’t feel like some variable is “just” being plugged in to a spot in a story. It works and it’s fun.

Likewise with the Stats. The attention you put into that information, how it’s arranged and communicated - awesome! Again, a lot of fun and effective. Can’t wait for the tabloids.

Definitely look forward to going through the story again.

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welcome to the twilight zone where every persons suggestion for the game is manditory…
:scream::sob::sob::sob:

Thanks and your welcome.

I hate when things seem clunky and unnatural. In my opinion this is a story first and a story sucks when it gets interrupted. So a smooth progression is my biggest aim.

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I noticed that after parting ways with Geo, Vyde and my First are “magically” in front of the hair salon place. And also, when I had my First go to get her hair cut with Vyde, it skipped over to the clothes store as soon as I chose the “nervous, but still getting a haircut” option. I didn’t get the chance to change color or style or anything, it just skipped over to the clothes store scene.

Weird will check

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I have to ask are there any character in this world that are like really over powered I guess you would say like. Able to lift up a building or break a metor with one punch. Or stop a hurricane?

There are five known Freaks that stand as the most destructive.

#1 Vyde:
-can generate and ionize plasma at an incredible rate
-high durability, immune to fire and heat
-can move at light speed and react just as quickly
-can charge and release 3km wide plasma explosion once every 20minutes.
-cannot fire bolts of plasma accurately mostly has to close distance to spare collateral damage
-can only move at high speed in straight lines using line of sight usually a series of planned stop and start manuevres.

#2 Kreagan
-Grey titan 8’ near 1000lbs beast
-insanely strong
-and nigh invulnerable
-can run at approx 600mph
-fatal counter attacks are his specialty
-his reaction time after being struck is fast enough to tag Vyde at full speed.
Only Freak that can go toe to toe with Vyde in a fight.
(Id describes his abilities more clearly but spoilers and all lol)

#3 Hightide
-hydrokinetic on a massive scale
-can control any water in her line of sight though her power doesnt work well with fine control as in she cant kill you with a glass of water or the water in your body… maybe giggle it around and make you woozy lol
-but on a larger scale she can create island killing tsunami’s the more water she has the greater the force she can muster.
–luckily shes a lazy surfer girl that just works on preventing natural disasters and surfing the waves she diverts.

#4 Geo
-terrakinetic
-can move and shape earth at will with a 50km range literally created the island of Atlantus’ landmass by pulling it up from the sea floor. This was a favour for Vyde the only person he considers a friend.
-he must have contact with the ground hes controlling, a rock in the air is out of his control same goes for sand unless hes touching it or its touching the ground hes standing on.

#5 Smiling Jack
-blood manipulator
-can infect and control blood
-contact with anothers blood allows him to take control and add it to his for a time allowing him to manipulate and control it in creative ways like an extention of his own body.
-can literally rip the blood from your body from first contact.
-unlimited regenerative abilities can steal nutrients from other people to replace his own IF he’s lost any.
-can harden and liquify blood at will creating tendrils armor etc…
-by hardening his own blood he can stitch himself together or use his blood vessels like a kevlar net preventing and limiting injury.
-can also augment his strength.
-if he kills a mass of people he can literally use that tidal wave of blood as a shapeshifting extention of himself but after a while the blood becomes useless as it consumes itself as fuel drying clotting and scapping over.
-in the event he’s incinerated his infection ability can take over the mind and body of another person via genetic memory.
-Jack is only a threat when provoked, his power is addictive to him feeding off adrenaline like a drug when he uses his power he tends to go overboard. Luckily he sticks to small towns biker bars and war zones (bit of a nomad)
-can be dealt with easily “compared” to those above but much harder to kill.
-also has a little sister hes very protective of.

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I have no idea how first will stand a chance against people like that.

Vyde and Kreagan are the only ones that can tank a punch from First with little damage done.

Jack is partially immortal.

Consider Firsts speed agility toughness strength and intelligence. Its like going against a mini spiderman hulk lol

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Ultimately, Hightide is probably the only one who’s a hard-counter to First (“Water. Why did it have to be water.”).

A fight with Smiling Jack would have some element of rocket tag, basically boiling down to “can he survive the first punch in order to steal First blood?” (and depending on how easily or not he manages to take blood, he might have a real problem doing that anyway).

Geo is basically turning the whole thing into the obstacle race from hell. Certainly tricky, but it seems to me he might lack a way to decisively deal with First, at least once they reach a certain level (I mean, can’t you just see First plowing through a mountain to get him?)

Kreagan and Vyde make for one hell of a brawl, but I could definitely see a more experienced First taking them on an equal footing - and even gaining an advantage if the slugfest keeps going.

Of course, in every case, First probably needs a bit of training before picking fights with the best of the best anyway.

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Hightide is unsurprisingly the greatest threat to First. Can simply drown the MC because of there dense molecular structure. Interesting superpower for First as well, reminds me of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. @Snoe I love your WIP, cannot wait to run around as an invincible wildcard.

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I’m so happy to see this back! I love all the little variables and things in this game- my favourite part of CoGs and fiction like this in general is to build a ton of different characters and this game is probably one of the best at that :wink:

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“Smiling jack” I wonder if hes going to be in the sequel :wink: does he open the box? If none of these are getting through I’m sorry:(

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If the top five ever fight first.

Hightide is a bad fight for anyone that cant ‘get’ to her. But draw her away from a water source so theres at least a delay between attacks and first just needs to throw something at her. Think about a rubber ball pitched at 100-300mph. Non-lethal rounds lol.

Jack wouldnt be able to bleed first easily need to pierce that hide. He’d need to cause a massacre first to get some extra fire power.

Vyde is WAY too fast and can easily plow over Firsts current upper limits. It would have to come down to clever tactics, Vyde is a cautious fighter his weakness is restraint if you can limit the field of view and confine the fight to a dense and populated area he may back off he doesnt like risking casualties and his ability to ‘move’ vaporizes anything in his path like a lightsaber being fired at mach-stupid.

Tactically speaking Kreagan is by far the hardest to counter, dude is an experienced fighter against Darwins. It would be a wrestling match and the bigger guy usually has the advantage and pressure doesnt feed as much energy as striking.

Though these are the top 5 their are wildcard characters that might simply outthink outmanuevre or simply you cant defend against.
Three of these wildcards are

Empathy- emotion detection and mild telepathy(range) and tactile manipulation. Imagine your emotions going out of your control. One touch and game over. B-B-But shes so nice she w- oops too late now the villain is now on the floor bawling their eyes out. (Laughing hysterically, depressed etc…)

Silic- unpredictable shapeshifter made from a nearly diamond hard substance that can turn into a razor sharp cloud of dust. (Crazy smart sandman with no real weakness beyond superheating and a love for parties excitement and shiny things)

Ten- a gunman with a gadget baseball bat an arsenal of grenades guns and gadgets. AND the ability to predict the next ten seconds of any action or reaction then choose said reaction and execute it without flaw. His only weakness is human physiology, he gets tired lol

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Was thinking on Jack being the ‘core’ to an offshoot. A person infected after Jack was ‘killed’ only to slowly become the ‘new’ Smiling Jack… or Jacqueline lol

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Though that does sound awesome. Smiling jack is the name of a character in the vampire masquerade bloodline series, and they just announced the sequel. Unless you knew this and I’m far to gone to realize this. Ethier way still looking forward to this so keep up the good work and hey, stay out of trouble.

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Im aware but ‘smiling jack’ was more a reference to ‘spring-heel-jack’ or jack the ripper. The vampire guy is cool too lol

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Hey I ain’t accusing. Just saw the name and made me think of it is all. World of darkness doesnt have a monopoly on the name smiling jack so fret not. Not trying to start anything just was trying to make a silly joke:)

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Which is obviously why you should romance her! Aside from the fact she’s best girl, I mean.

(but more seriously, telepaths are probably the kind of Darwins that would stay dangerous to an experienced First, even at relatively modest levels, simply due to the fact that they don’t play by the “I’ll punch/blast/throw something at you” rules, instead using a mean of attack First would have little defenses against. Once again, rocket-tag seems to be the name of the game.)

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I know lots of smiling Jacks.
Including Jack-o-lantern. Man that tricked the devil. If you read your myth history :slight_smile:

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