Model Citizens: Unmasked (WIP - Update March 11, 2022)

so Lucy ( Valkyrie) is my ex-wife, and i know her secret… I assume she still loves me because she hadn’t kill me …yet ? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Don’t worry about it! Just take your time and we’ll all be here when you need us

[Highkey waiting on more plot juicy tidbits because unmasking a hero seems like a hook/surface thing for the MC]

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@Eric_knight Depends on your past relationship with her, and what state things were in when it all… ended.

As for the yet- you’ll see :smile:

Thank you again for your patience! I very much appreciate it!

Well you’re very much right there, there’s quite a few people you’ll have the chance to unmask in this game. Starting with, of course, Red Light.

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Oh…i still keep the ring :stuck_out_tongue: i chose it as sentimental value of the past, now i just need to watch out for Vera, so that she doesn’t steal it again :sweat_smile:

Perhaps i can even write some news article with hidden message to tempt Valkyrie , or flatter her a bit…you know, just to let her know i still care :wink:

I just tell Red Light is Elvis, so that no one could ever find him :slight_smile:

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Fun “kind of spoilery but I think I already spoiled it long ago for Raf and its the same for Lucy so here it is” Fact: Lucy may or may not also have her ring as well and there may or may not be a scene planned with an MC who keeps the ring for sentimental value who discovers that she has it still as well.

Aha! I imagine this would confuse quite a fair few of The Rust readers. Also be a little awkward since she doesn’t know that the MC works for The Rust- she might think she has a secret admirer or something.

I mean…

You never know. :wink:

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Hey even if Lucy lost her ring, i just tell her that _" Even if you forget about our past , that doesn’t mean i will forget you _ :hugs:

Lucy never knows i am a reporter ?? :scream: no wonder you mention she might kill me one day :joy: But secret admirer route seem fun … especially when she knows who her secret admirer is :grin: Valkyrie only get stronger when she is hurt right? so we just be nice to her … :wink:

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That is perfect amounts of sappy and cheesy and I love it and you better bet she’d love it as well.

She might know you’re a reporter- depending on the background you choose. (Since you can be a reporter before the divorce, just not for The Rust.) What she doesn’t/wouldn’t know is what you do as a reporter. Which might make remeeting her… a tad bit more awkward than it already is (which is A Lot).

You’re right in saying she only gets stronger when she’s hurt! But don’t forget- even without her powers Lucy is a force to be reckoned with. :smile:

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Yeah … i am actually thinking now why i divorce Lucy in the first place ? Or did she divorce me ? :thinking: Now when i come to think of it…i don’t remember signing any paper , is that a law that say if a husband and wife didn’t see each other for a number of years, it is consider automatic divorce ? :thinking: Is it possible that, it was all a bad dream ? I remember i was dreaming in the opening chapter :yum:

So if i meet Lucy again , i just tell her " Hey …i think i dream of us getting divorce , please tell me it was all a bad dream :scream:.by the way i haven’t seen you for so long, where had you been ? Oh …and don’t worry, your secret is safe with me :blush: …you know i know your secret all along right ?? "

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Why you divorced is too spoilery to say… As to who is responsible for the actual divorce… It ain’t the MC.

As to whether or not the divorce is legal… I feel like someone asked me this before and I said it was too spoilery to say but… hmm… It’s very late and so I’ll just say that if it was done the, erm, ‘normal’ way then the MC would definitely not be where they are right now.

Lucy would be equal parts confused and concerned. But also sincerely wondering if she should just go along with this.

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That is so sweet … i think i will just play amnesia with Lucy for the rest of our life :blush:

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Is there the option to not unmask them if there’s a bigger story at work? Like by trying to unmask hero 1 we end up finding out something far more insidious and important newstory to break?

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Probably, but why should we? My mc loves unmasking the “caped menaces” (with one or two exceptions). :wink:
I mean anything you find out in the course of your investigations you can still follow up on (that’s how the mc got blackmail material on Ricky after all) and possibly publish.

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Personal headcanon is, as of now, that my MC feels like a tabloid reporter than a journalist and it’s something she’s particularly frustrated with? Like she feels “okay so what if X is actually Y, unless X is an interesting figure what’s the story here”

So unless it’s like the hero is actually doubling as villain via playing both sides to ensure a monopoly or something, or something meatier than finding out the name of the hero/villain, she’s rather uninterested in the person. She’d rather run an expose on something like government corruption or idk. Just something more than a name and face behind the mask :))

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Ah, okay. So your mc really is a dedicated reporter then. My mc was a cop and still feels more like a vigilante or concerned citizen who believe the public have a right to know the real faces and identities behind the masks. He is also a bit of a political activist I guess in that he would like super-powers to be registered and strictly regulated as well as see the so-called “heroes” and “villains” held liable for the destruction of lives and property they cause on a regular basis.
As for government corruption the worst of it seems to overlap pretty neatly with the monolithic news organization we work for indirectly and the whole heroes and villains business.
Note that this goes for my main, Ricky romancing mc. The alternate who romances Vince is in the unmasking game simply because he loves solving puzzles and mysteries and because “he’s good at it”. He is also unashamedly a tabloid journalist and would gleefully publish any other celebrity “news” he might stumble upon (unless, as with Ricky its potential blackmail value is greater then the glee he’d get from publishing it).

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There is an option not to unmask them, though it will have repercussions. (I mean it’ll have repercussions either way. Which ends up better/worse depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.)

Gonna briefly maybe take a jackhammer to my no spoiler rule but here we go:

For example, by the end of Red Light’s case, you’ll have a choice whether or not to unmask him. If you chose not to, however, then you’re going to need bring something else to Triple N in order to appease them since his case was made a top priority for The Rust. Whatever you bring to them has to be big in order to appease them, or else consequences would be dire.

This case can be accessed if you still unmask Red Light- however there’ll be less pressure on it and you’ll also receive your benefit from following Triple N’s orders. Similarly, there’s benefits if you don’t unmask Red Light… as he might help you out on the case himself.

You’ll also need to be careful about managing Triple N’s trust. It will be possible to be fired later in the game, which will have some pretty heavy consequences as they provide a lot of protection for the MC’s real identity, as well as access to resources. If you refuse a lot of their requests then they might not see your MC as a viable asset anymore.

Which also brings its own benefits and drawbacks! Choosing to unmask a hero will have consequences both for you and whoever it is you unmask, which will play out as well. If you do well enough and garner enough reputation with Triple N then they might give you certain bonuses. And, of course, your stories have the power to sway the view on hero politics, which can also be a bonus.

And, like you said, there’s always the possibility of blackmail…

Your MC probably gets along well with Finley, then, from what I imagine.

You know, I remember I mentioned this over on the tumblr briefly so I’ll put it here as well. But I made a mini-codex (which will be received in-game later) about important heroic and villainous figures that the MC would know by living in the city (and the player will learn about either by reading the codex or just playing, none of the information is necessary to play but just some fun background knowledge that can be learned early on or given in context as you go.)

But anyway, on said codex it talks about two heroes, Sentry and Lullaby (also known as Madeline Briggs) who believe in a more organized heroic union. The latter of which, as you can tell from the aka, is a bit more radical in her beliefs in that she thinks that showing your name is an act of owning up to who you are as a hero, and all the responsibilities and consequences that come with. I get the feeling that your MC might like her ideology, though correct me if I’m wrong, aha.

Anyway, this is the codex. Beware minor spoilers that you’ll find out pretty soon either way? (Most of this is the kind of stuff the MC would vaguely know already so there’s nothing major here, just a list of major heroes and groups and some of their known powers and reputations. It will be found in the demo later on, as Finley will give it to the MC.)

Codex

Heroes:

Atlas (passed) - Atlas was perhaps the most powerful hero to have ever existed. Some thought they were a deity, fallen from the heavens here to reshape the world as they desired. Most of those people were, admittedly, fanatics. In truth, Atlas never did… much. And what they did do cast a shadow of doubt on whether or not they could really be considered a hero at all. But calling someone that strong a villain was a terrifying prospect all on its own. Not that anyone has to worry now, they died several years ago, and now their legacy is left to nothing more than whispers of a dead deity, an apocalypse that never came.

Their powers were… hard to pin down. They could… change things. Change them to whatever they desired, give the nonliving life or turn the breathing to stone and metal- they could make solids into liquids and vice versa seemingly without changing any other aspect of their nature. Or they could change the substances entirely- turn silver to gold, wood to metal, gas to air, dust to grain- whatever they desired.

Nymph - Nymph was one of the two who were thought to take up Atlas’ title of most powerful hero. She was beloved by most people as a fair heroine who always seemed to be there whenever anyone was in trouble. All in all, she was very well liked before she just… stopped. She didn’t stop heroing entirely, mind you, but it seemed as if Nymph started dropping off the face of the earth time and time again. Now she’s most famous for her rivalry with the minor villain Bugbite. This has soured her reputation considerably, to the point where most people don’t speak about her fondly, and usually the kindest remarks is that she’s ‘a hero from a past time, far past her prime’.

Her powers include control of all living, organic matter. However the more complex the life-form the harder it is to control, so she mostly sticks to plants. (However her most famous exploit was controlling a massive attack by a now-deceased villain who attempted to turn a deadly bacteria into a bioweapon that would’ve wiped out Nickelport if she hadn’t contained it.)

Elapine - Elapine is more often referred to as a hero of East Bay than he is a hero of Nickelport. He is extremely popular in the East Bay community, and has almost become something of a hero mascot for them. However, outside of the East Bay his popularity fades a bit, though he is still loved, there’s more tension to his praise considering he very rarely moves out of helping just the East Bay area, and some say it’s selfish for a hero to choose who to help and who to ignore. However, most everyone agrees that due to his influence, the East Bay is no longer Nickelport’s most deadly area, which has opened up a lot of trade and tourist opportunities and generally helped Nickelport’s economy greatly. He is also famous for being the one hero to work closely with Atlas, a reputation which has both bolstered as well as tainted his reputation, due to Atlas’… controversial nature.

Elapine rarely uses his power, actually, since it’s more… immediately lethal and he’s known for non-lethal tactics. However, his power is a poisonous touch, and in turn a resistance to most toxins himself.

Lady Luck * - Lady Luck’s reputation is… a bit in the air right now. She was a well-loved hero back in the day, but she retired quite a while ago and had begun to fade from the memory of most Nickelport citizens. However, she’s returned from retirement just recently, and now most people are hopefully holding their breath to see if the hero they loved so much is back once more.

Lady Luck’s power is tricky one… It’s exactly as her title implies- a control over luck. However what that means changes from context to context- and she can’t control how it’ll come into play… but most people realize when they’ve been affected by her powers.

Sentry - Sentry is just starting to make a name for themself. They’ve been around for a while as a quieter hero presence but have recently come under both scrutiny and praise for their radical ideas for change. Sentry is the leading face in an attempted to create a more organized system of heroics. They’ve been public in their wish to forge the way for a kind of heroes’ union, and have been working closely- or trying to work closely- with Nickelport’s government to make that happen. There are… mixed opinions about whether or not this could be Nickelport’s saving grace, or if it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Sentry’s power is a bit like your basic forcefield. They create temporary solid figures, seemingly from nothing, that vary in breadth and width and can be used for a multitude of purposes- including the classic shielding, but also a platform in mid air or even as a weapon.

Lullaby - Lullaby, also known as Madeleine Briggs, is famous first and foremost for the fact that, despite still possessing a heroic alias, she has never hidden her identity- nor does she wear a mask. According to Madeleine, it’s an act of owning up to what she does as a hero- of taking responsibility for her actions. While the reaction is somewhat mixed, it’s definitely more positively leaning, and has earned Lullaby a solid reputation as one of Nickelport’s most famous heroes- even though she hardly ever speaks to the press, and most of her statements are curt, single-sentences or silent nods. Lullaby has also recently garnered a bit more fame for openly expressing an interest in aiding Sentry’s hero organization process. Which, from what little can be gathered from her silent nature, is because she believes that a systems of checks and balances could do a lot of good for the heroes, and the people they’re supposed to protect.

Lullaby’s powers are, as you might have gathered from her name, to put people to sleep. However, it’s not quite her voice that does it, but rather a mist that she can breathe out on command. A kind of knock-out gas that she can control.

Stillwater (passed) - Stillwater was the second of the two heroes who was thought to take on Atlas’ reign. He was greatly beloved by all and often pointed to as the example of a what all heroes should strive to be. He was public and unafraid to speak with the people, even seen taking casual strolls around town or chatting with people on the street when the recognized his outfit and called out to him to talk about… well… anything! The weather, his favorite TV shows- Stillwater was most well known for bragging with great gusto about his daughter and how proud he was of her, even to villains waiting to be taken away by the police after he’d apprehended them. He always kept a tight lock on his identity, though, as he explained that he refused to put his family in the kind of harm’s way that would come to be should anyone evil had ever found out who he was. Other than that, he got about as open and public as a man with a secret identity could’ve been- even working publicly with the NPRC. That was, until he was killed in the Lotown Mining Incident, when a cave collapsed in and Stillwater rushed in to save the people inside- he managed to save most of the miners, but was ultimately trapped underneath the rubble and killed with several others.

Stillwater’s power was essentially to learn. In short, he could copy most other powers he came into contact with, albeit in a much lesser form. In his time as a hero he was able to learn flight, some enhanced strength, the ability to heat up and cool down his body temperature, enhanced durability, communication with animals, and a couple others.

Red Light - Red Light is a new hero on the scene. He hasn’t done much yet, despite this, has already garnered a rather wide and passionate following. He is well-loved by those who know him and is often referred to as ‘The Next Stillwater’ for his open, charming personality. Though he’s still new on the scene so it’s hard to say where he’ll go from here.

Red Light’s power appears to be paralysis. Though it’s hard to tell since he hasn’t been in many fights. but that seems to be the leading theory on what he can do.

Villains;

Sweet Sound - Sweet Sound is infamous and terrifying as a phantasmic figure with a multitude of rumors surrounding her. She’s become something of the boogeyman of Nickelport, with no one really knowing what’s due to her influence, and what isn’t- where she’s going to strike next, or if she’s ever going to strike at all.

Nobody knows her powers.

Likewise - Likewise is… god. What can I say about Likewise? Likewise is Nickelport’s Most Wanted- the most powerful villain alive whose track record extends all the way from minor robbery to killing a hero (or two, or three). There’s no rhythm or rhyme to what Likewise does or why Likewise does it. Only one thing is for sure- everyone, and I mean everyone, knows who they are.

And almost everybody wishes they didn’t.

Likewise’s powers have two layers to them. The first is mimicry- they can mimic any singular power of a person nearby them. The second aspect is nullification- they can nullify the powers of anyone in range. What’s important, and kind of tricky, here is that while they can mimic only one power, they can nullify… almost all powers in range. (Granted, in order to nullify or mimic, they first have to get close, but once a power is nullified, it will stay that way for quite a while, ditto with mimicry.)

Domino * (retired) - Domino was a rather infamous villain most well known for his rivalry with Lady Luck, mostly due to the similarities in their powers. However he retired about five years ago, and hasn’t been seen on the villainous scene since then. However with Lady Luck’s return to heroism there’s been some speculative whispers about whether or not this will goad him out of retirement as well.

Domino’s powers were very similar to Lady Luck’s. However, instead of simply changing luck, he has the power to change the result of any specific event. The new result is randomized, and though others will remember the previous result any of its effects will be neutralized- as if it only existed in memory.

Oppenheimer - Oppenheimer is a relatively young villain who has made a bit of an explosive entrance into the villainous world. (Pun wholly intended) Like most villains she’s not exactly well-liked. Most people fear her for the fact that her attacks seem to come without warning, and almost always target upper-class areas that should be better protected- yet she never seems to be noticed or caught until after her attack is finished.

Oppenheimer hasn’t been in enough fights to really understand what her powers are. But they most likely have something to do with explosions.

Valkyrie and Harbinger you all already know. So I’ll spare you from a rewrite of what you know, but they’re also on the well-known-villains list.

Groups/Others:

The Honeybees - Redacted. You’ll meet them soon. :grin:

Mambo’s Gang - Mambo’s gang is something of a hospital system for villains exclusively. They’re located somewhere on the Rusty End, but even if someone knows, they don’t dare go after Mambo or anyone who works for him out of fear for the backlash from the entire villainous community- not even the worst of the worst would dare lay a finger on someone under Mambo’s protection, either out of fear for their own health the next time they need severe medical help, or out of fear for the influence Mambo has in the villainous community.

Generally, those who actively know about Mambo’s Gang and aren’t villains dislike it, but not even heroes can deny that the neutral, no-fight territory that Mambo’s created is useful, if for no other reason than they don’t have to worry about protecting people within that area.

Ever since the disbanding of the NPRC, there’s been more tension surrounding Mambo’s hospital services. Heroes are left using the public hospitals, which while mostly works, the safety and secrecy of Mambo’s services are very tempting… But he doesn’t seem willing to extend his services any time soon.

The Nickelport Powers Research Cooperation (disbanded) - The NPRC (as they were called) was a lot of things. On one hand it was what Mambo’s Gang was for villains but for heroes- a hospital and medical facility. On the other hand, it was a research and development company- running tests with (voluntary) cooperation from heroes like Stillwater and Alchemist. It published papers on the nature of powers and discovered how they were passed down from generation to generation- and from person to person. They also had begun a series of technological developments meant either to aid heroes with their work against villains or simply to make everyday life easier and safer when the next great battle of the century could go down next door.

They were shut down quite a while ago, quietly and without explanation.

Some speculate that it had to do with the loss of Stillwater, who the NPRC often referred to as their greatest asset for his power’s flexible nature. Others think that the reason was… something else.

Alchemist (retired) - The Alchemist was… well… She was known, she was liked- perhaps even loved- and then she… stopped. She was a hero, and was perhaps going to be the most powerful hero before Atlas. She was, also, very very popular. With an almost meteoric rise to fame that fizzled out as fast as it began. She just… announced that she was retiring. She did some work with the NPRC afterwards but… never really came back to the spotlight after that.

Her powers were to change the substance of things. She could make solids into liquid, liquids into solids, gases into liquids, and all other variations, and bend them to her will. She could even turn one kind of substance into another with ease.

It was rumored that she was related to Atlas, considering the similarities in their powers.

After her retirement it became known that her real name is Ulla Parker, via a Rust article on Atlas while they were still active.

Igneous - Igneous is most widely known as a villain… yet it’s clear that he doesn’t think of himself as such. Often proclaiming himself a ‘protector of the innocent’ and ‘One of Nickelport’s saviors’. Still, between the mass destruction and cross-fire casualties that he causes he’s not… exactly well liked. As either a hero or a villain.

Igneous has the power to melt any part of his body into lava. This also comes with a minor regenerative/defensive aspect, as cuts or injuries that are melted will often return better than they were before, and any weapon that passes through a melted part of him does no actual physical damage so long as it didn’t touch his actual skin but the lava instead.

*A fun side fact: In the early, early, early version of Model Citizens, Lady Luck and Domino were the same person with the same personality and powers. In fact… they were a bit of a Raf and Lucy 1.0- the original choices for who you could be married to. (Only just the pronouns and appearences changed, they were still the same person back then, unlike Raf and Lucy now, who are entirely separate personalities and characters.)


There’ll be a bit more in the actual codex that you receive in-game. But this is the gist of it, pretty much.

That’s a pretty gosh darn fair assessment I’d say.

Hey if you gotta do shady work why not like the shady work?

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Okay. Finley is really high up there on my heart so most def gets along with the boss (idk if it’s full out moving on from Raf but highkey love them lots)

But so glad to hear about consequences for actions!

(Come on Informant pull through for me though because The Rust/Triple N I feel is where a real expose could possibly be found. Let poor Cass have something that doesn’t sound like a TMZ article)

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Could always cause yourself pain and do a run through where you try to move on with them but end up still being in love with your ex.

Yay! Yep! Consequences are something I really wanted to play with here. Especially for unmasking a hero and how/what happens after that, both to them and the person who unmasked them. One of my driving thoughts behind making this story, honestly, aha!

EDIT because I just saw your addition: First of all now I’m imaging some The Rust TMZ-style television show and quietly wheezing in laughter so thank you for that. Second of all- the Informant actually can grant some access into some really interesting cases down the line. Especially if you befriend him. It’s gonna be fun (to write, at least. I can only hope it’ll be fun to read, too!)

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Why would you suggest that /slowly hides all the wips pertaining to MC and the Ex angst + moving on (or not)

BUT YAY FOR CASES OUTSIDE THE OFFICE! /please imagine a super done MC giving the higher ups the middle finger while backflipping out with shades

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You should know by now that I’m 120% for all drama and angst and plan to include and suggest as much of it as is humanly possible.

No one is safe.

Also mmm I’ve already broken my spoiler rule a lot today so what the heck? Here’s a fun fact about the possibilities regarding backflipping out of the office:

It may or may not be possible to eventually quit The Rust and turn instead towards starting your own newspaper with the same goal as the original version of The Rust- unmasking heroes who do wrong and exposing those who abuse their power.

This would have be pretty much at the end of the game though so don’t expect that happening anytime soon.

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Hmmm…while my main mc has no trouble unmasking heroes and villains he is also passionate about casting mislabeled “heroes” for the villains they are. As you earlier implied Triple N is behind a lot of the media spin on most heroes they might not like my mc much for that either.
In general with heroes and occasionally villains he likes he’'d just stick to merely unmasking them, however with the ones he hates he’d bound to go full tabloid mode and also dig up and publish whatever dirt he can find out about their real identities.

If my main mc really, really likes somebody, which would at this moment only really apply should Ricky turn out to be super-powered he might give Ricky and only Ricky the choice to unmask himself at a time and setting of his own choosing, within a reasonable timeframe of course.

As himself, yes, his own Alter-ego “Moriarty” doesn’t exactly like any meta-humans and the tone of his pieces will at best be neutral and objective towards those he respects. Which would indeed include Lullaby.
As Sentry hasn’t yet owned up to who and what he is I don’t think Moriarty really respects him and would, for the moment, consider his proposals to be mere platitudes to divert attention. Even if he does agree with them in theory.

Hence why Triple N might not like my main mc anyway, even if he is very good and dutiful with the unmasking part. They probably appreciate him spilling the real-identity dirt on their favourites, particularly the unjustly labeled “heroes” a lot less.

You kinda need that attitude to romance somebody like Vince anyway, but, yeah, compared to my main mc he’s probably much more laid-back and more of a “bunny ears lawyer” who mainly wants to work his way back into the “good life”. Probably also comes from a wealthier background (depending on background choices of course) then my main mc and is a fair bit lazier too. Also writes under a much sillier pseudonym, probably a gender-neutrally named on and an utterly silly lastname to cause maximum confusion.
Though both my mc’s are probably very quirkly and eccentric in their own, different ways. They are both also damned good investigators because for this job you kind of have to be.

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