Post by Jakob on Aug 2, 2013 10:46:36 GMT -6
AUTHORS NOTE BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T GET IT: THIS IS ALL OPINION, I LIST NONE OF THIS AS FACT, I DON'T SINGLE PEOPLE OUT, THIS IS ALL FROM EXPERIENCE, THEY AREN'T MEANT TO COMMENT ON CURRENT OR PAST TEAMS, THE PURPOSE OF THESE THREADS IS TO PROVOKE AND ENCOURAGE DISCUSSION. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS, BITCH TO ME IN PMS AND NOT IN MY THREADS. THANK YOU.
I always like to say, the conflict of a good story is never the enemy. The greatest and most thought provoking war movies / games / novels (Full Metal Jacket, Spec Ops: The Line, Alls Quiet on the Western Front) are never simply about killing the hostile at the end of your gun. People don't think of Full Metal Jacket and remember the part where they get shot at with the tanks that one time. They look back and remember the door gunner laughing as he murders people. They remember the main character killing a sniper to realize it's a child, or a drill instructor driving a happy and innocent recruit to a murder-suicide.
A good war story shouldn't be solely about the enemy because war is never so simple. By this definition, Yappa's Halo RPG has never been a good war story. The individual posters weave great plots for their characters and write very well, but the main RP never fosters any actual development or anything different from what feels like a very video gamey experience.
Let's look back at the past RP's. Mission 1 was on Arcadia, we battled through the city, evacuated the civilians and then held down the ONI building until evac arrive and the info was wiped. The UNSC may have failed the mission, but the problem is still there.
Mission 2 was on a rocky moon, at the beginning we battled through the Covenant in rebreathers and then boarded the ship. We battled through the ship, a bomb exploded, we left.
Mission 3 (part: the first) was on a Earth like world, we battled through the Covenant forces in the planes and into Forerunner ruins, the mission ended.
Mission 3 (part: the second) was on a Earth like world, we battled through the Covenant in the cities, the forests and then an airfield, we lost, we left.
Mission 3 (part: the fourth) was on a rainy world, we battled through the Covenant in the city, evacuated the civilians in the weather and left.
Mission 4 was on a ship, we battled through the Covenant on the ship in rebreathers, we left.
Mission 5 is in a jungle, we are battling through the Covenant in a jungle.
The point is, it always devolves into the same formula of killing Covenant. There may be some rain or you may be in a jungle, but the only thing that will kill you is Covenant. The rain might make your aim worse, the jungle might give them cover, you might suffocate if they knock away your mask, but it's always the same thing. You, your rifle, your friend, the Covenant.
I am proposing this so that if the staff ever want ideas on what to do to make a mission interesting, they can look here. Everything here is strictly hypothetical and nothing is confirmed or accepted by the admins. Still, I was sick of rambling in the Cbox and decided that everything I have typed might end up being a bit more coherent and interesting if I gather it all together. So here, I present you, a list of things that can cause good roleplay other than pew pew Covenant, do objectives.
Blue on Blue
Rebellion
Madness: The Chemical
The UNSC has been ordered to defend Big Mt. research facility. All is going well, the Covenant have fallen back, tank support has come in, longswords fly patriotically overhead. But what exactly was the research facility researching? They find out when a banshee that somehow got through drops its banshee bomb and exposes the chemicals to the air.
Oh boy, the chemical was meant to drug and damage the human mind to the point of temporary insanity. The marines see Covenant, bears and their ex wives swarming them and attacking them, so they bravely gun them down while in reality they are shooting rocks and other people. Some marines have visions or flashbacks and simply break down, the whole situation turns into chaos.
Chemical Weapon
The UNSC is pressing through and into the Covenant lines, the rebels have broken and retreated. The three way battle gets very two sided. But the rebels aren't done yet, they have one more weapon up their sleeve. As the UNSC advances, bombs drop all around, and gas flies out.
Before long, marines and civilians alike are choking and burning, falling over as their lungs are filled with the deadly chemical. Those marines who did survive quickly don their masks before they die and watch in horror as their fellows don't get so lucky. Meanwhile, the Covenant happily plod onward. At least the grunts do.
Accidental Insurgents
Let's go back to Confused Command, the civilians are dead, lots of them. The UNSC realize that they just gunned down around fifty civilians. And those police officers and other armed civilians just saw. Oh good lord, the marines are coming right at us! They quickly open fire on the devilish marines before they can murder their families.
The marines of course are forced to shoot back, within an hour, they are slaughtering the civilians they were meant to save.
Nuclear Threat
The rebels realize how screwed they are, suddenly they release a message telling the big bad UNSC and Covenant to get out or pay the price. Within an hour, highcom is telling the marines to get the hell outta dodge, nuclear threat detected. The bomb is somewhere in the middle of the city, they have an hour to leave the city, commence full evacuation.
Bonus points if it ends ala CoD. "EOD teams are currently disarming the nuc-" pelicans spinning out of control, city explodes, Michael Bay cries tears of joy somewhere.
Other
Hospital Supplies
I always like to say, the conflict of a good story is never the enemy. The greatest and most thought provoking war movies / games / novels (Full Metal Jacket, Spec Ops: The Line, Alls Quiet on the Western Front) are never simply about killing the hostile at the end of your gun. People don't think of Full Metal Jacket and remember the part where they get shot at with the tanks that one time. They look back and remember the door gunner laughing as he murders people. They remember the main character killing a sniper to realize it's a child, or a drill instructor driving a happy and innocent recruit to a murder-suicide.
A good war story shouldn't be solely about the enemy because war is never so simple. By this definition, Yappa's Halo RPG has never been a good war story. The individual posters weave great plots for their characters and write very well, but the main RP never fosters any actual development or anything different from what feels like a very video gamey experience.
Let's look back at the past RP's. Mission 1 was on Arcadia, we battled through the city, evacuated the civilians and then held down the ONI building until evac arrive and the info was wiped. The UNSC may have failed the mission, but the problem is still there.
Mission 2 was on a rocky moon, at the beginning we battled through the Covenant in rebreathers and then boarded the ship. We battled through the ship, a bomb exploded, we left.
Mission 3 (part: the first) was on a Earth like world, we battled through the Covenant forces in the planes and into Forerunner ruins, the mission ended.
Mission 3 (part: the second) was on a Earth like world, we battled through the Covenant in the cities, the forests and then an airfield, we lost, we left.
Mission 3 (part: the fourth) was on a rainy world, we battled through the Covenant in the city, evacuated the civilians in the weather and left.
Mission 4 was on a ship, we battled through the Covenant on the ship in rebreathers, we left.
Mission 5 is in a jungle, we are battling through the Covenant in a jungle.
The point is, it always devolves into the same formula of killing Covenant. There may be some rain or you may be in a jungle, but the only thing that will kill you is Covenant. The rain might make your aim worse, the jungle might give them cover, you might suffocate if they knock away your mask, but it's always the same thing. You, your rifle, your friend, the Covenant.
I am proposing this so that if the staff ever want ideas on what to do to make a mission interesting, they can look here. Everything here is strictly hypothetical and nothing is confirmed or accepted by the admins. Still, I was sick of rambling in the Cbox and decided that everything I have typed might end up being a bit more coherent and interesting if I gather it all together. So here, I present you, a list of things that can cause good roleplay other than pew pew Covenant, do objectives.
Blue on Blue
Gloryhound Brass
The marines are ordered to go take a city, simple as simple can be. The players carefully approach the position, making plans to carefully insert themselves into the city when suddenly they receive new orders from the new commander who is trying to prove himself as general material.
"Charge in!" The marines look at eachother and radio in a question, asking if he's serious. The man repeated his order, and when he sees no movement on his tacpad, he realizes the marines aren't moving. He gives them one last warning, charge and make a battle worthy of films and medals or he will personally have their ass. The UNSC leader on the ground can either do two things:
1. Charge in, tons of marines die. The Covenant position is taken with large casualties, the commander messages that he is extremely pleased and that he has put all the leaders on the ground up for medals. Any happiness that comes from that is extinguished at the site of all the marine wounded being dragged in and the commanders order to move in further.
2. Ignoring his order, the leader carefully moves in. The commander is absolutely furious and quickly lets it be known over the radio. The UNSC is congratulated for their wise maneuvering of the battlefield afterwards, meanwhile, their leader and his officers are drawn up on charges of insubordination. They might not be imprisoned, just maybe, but they know their careers are as good as dead, and they made an enemy in the brass. Need an airstrike? Tank support? Snipers? Medics? Sorry, the commander has decided you aren't worth the risk.
Civil War
Communications have broken down, insurgents are swarming the players position and Covenant aren't far off. After a fierce battle, the innies break and run into the surrounding city. The UNSC sit and take a breath when suddenly, a counter charge! Well armed innies come down the road with what looks like armored support. The panicked and tired UNSC commander decides not to wait for any calls and quickly orders his men to fire with everything they got. The tank pops, the innies fire.
But they aren't innies.
Little do they realize what is happening, the battle is fierce, both sides take massive losses. One side thinks they are attacking an advancing insurgent force while the other thinks the innies have already taken the position and looted the UNSC weapons. They only realize what has happened when one side is dead. The surviving commander looks on, horrified at the dead and dying allies he just killed. The commander is drawn up for what he has done, along with whoever helped him spot that night.
Rivalry
The two regiments despise each other, accidents and problems have sparked and exploded in the past and caused too much grief for both sides. While they fight through the streets, an allied anti-tank shell accidentally flies off and kills three men, missing its target by a decent distance. A speeding warthog doesn't stop fast enough, a marine 'runs in front of' another's line of fire, an artillery barrage is called in too close.
And what can they do? There's no proof of real intention, it's a battlefield, things happen. And it's the word of hundreds of men against a few dying ones.
Spooks
ONI has interest in this particular place. There is something there they want, their mouth salivate at the thought. They want the info, the artifact, the prisoner, the tech. They are willing to do anything to get it. One of the players squad is suddenly beset by that operative they saw sitting in the corner of the war room. Before they know it, they are being ordered to follow him by both the agent and high command. The agent leads them away from the mission, which quickly goes pear shaped without the important squad. Meanwhile, the squad is torn apart trying to get the item.
Finally, they do it. The ONI operative happily takes the item of interest and runs off with the marines. He demands to be transported out immediately, the last pelican flights are already leaving. The operative quickly hops on and flies off. The squad and other marines watch their evac go into the distance without them and realize they are trapped.
Bombardment
The position is lost, the civilians are either dead or gone, half the company is dead and a quarter of the rest are wounded. The marines decide to make their heroic last stand but are quickly scattered by Covenant forces. Suddenly, they hear a screaming sound. Artillery! Aid at last!
But comms have been down for an hour, command assumes that everyone in the city is dead. Sadly, the commander orders the bombardment of the entire area. If the UNSC can't have the city and its valuable unobtanium, the Covenant can't either. Tons of artillery guns fire off, shortswords fly over with bomb bays full, the city goes boom.
But the marines are still there, the few scattered survivors began running around like chickens with their heads cut off. The city is literally exploding around them, they begin running to whichever way is either out or into one of the many subway tunnels which may or may not be collapsing. Covenant forces shatter and run around panicked as elites get turned to pulp, marines who don't find their buddies or get to cover find themselves getting gun downed by surviving Covenant as they try to find them. Maybe you can survive, hell your NPC buddy is waving to you from that cover... which just got disintegrated.
Straight Silver
Bragg and Larkin caught Cuu looting from some poor civilians home during the battle. When they get back to base, an innocent civilian woman is found raped and killed. On close inspection, it is found that a small coin is by her body, reminiscent to the one Cuu had stolen. Bragg and Larkin quickly point the finger at Cuu, who nearly finds himself on a firing line. Luckily for Cuu, their commander stepped in and saved him from the unfair punishment, realizing he was most likely innocent.
During the next battle, Bragg is found with his skull crushed in. The company mourns the loss of their friend, killed by those Covenant bastards. Later, Larkin fires at the enemy when he feels something stomp into his spine. He gasps to see Cuu standing on him with his knife in hand. Larkin has a reputation for being a bit nutty, and believes no one will believe him that Cuu killed Bragg and is coming for him, after Cuu gives a confession of his crimes. Cuu is about to finish the job when Larkins friend, Murril, runs in to stop him.
After the battle, trooper Murril is mourned. Found dead. Her death is quickly written off as shrapnel, but people are starting to talk.
And Cuu doesn't like that.
The names and situation were all stolen from a book, but in the end it's all basically the same. Murderer has a score to settle, and starts hunting down marines during the battle.
Blind Pilots
Visibility is real bad, the infantry can hardly see a few feet in front of them and neither can the door gunners of the UNSC air support. The marines need help badly though, so the door gunners lock on to what looks like an enemy and begins to chop him up along with all his bastard friends.
Uh oh! The marines are screaming about friendly fire.
Elements
Dust Storms
Command has decided that the precious unobtanium held on Bocantes B is the most important shit and decides marine have nothing better to do than holding the precious unobtanium fields. The marines sit at the refinery, watching the desert as the Covenant prepare their attack.
The wind picks up, the sand kicks in their faces. The marines cough and raise their balaclavas, the sand keeps coming, they lower their goggles. Oh no, visibility suddenly dropped to somewhere in the range of three inches to you're fucked. The Covenant, with their superior technology, stroll into the refinery and brutally murder the marines. The marines put on as big a fight as they can, but find themselves scattered. In the desert. With no supplies.
The Covenant pick off any survivors they can track, the heretics can't desecrate their precious unob- forerunner relics anymore! The humans in the meantime, face the grueling desert heat, the lack of food and water (shouldn't have stripped your gear at the refinery!) and the fact that they are alone and being hunted by elites.
Hurricane
The battle is going well, the UNSC are pushing back the Covenant into the outskirts of the city. Marines cheer as the grunts and elites scatter into the nearby unobtanium quarries to hide. The rain, which had been steadily picking up all day, gets harder and harder as they stop cheering. What did that news broadcast they saw when they first came in said? Something about a... oh god... hurricane.
The Covenant come back in force, the marines might have been able to hold them if trees weren't flying like leaves and mud wasn't sucking them under and drowning the helpless humans. But hey, that tank is here to hel- oh god that building with the supports that got hit by the shell just collapsed on top of it. Oh god run.
Fire
The shanty town the marines had battled through was being taken easily enough, but Covenant resistance had become surprisingly strong in the town quarter. It seems the Covenant pulled the remainder of their forces in for a last stand. Simple enough, call in artillery and laugh at their screams.
The commander smiles as the first shell hits the square, and another, and another. What was that explosion? Oh it hit those propane tanks they were using as fuel? Oh the shack is on fire? And the one next to it? And the one next to it? Who knew wooden shacks are flammable.
Wait, how flammable, what do you mean VERY. Oh dear lord, everything is on fire, flames everywhere. Marines run out of buildings screaming as they burn, civilians follow closely behind. Grunts panic and run from the flames, an elites shield pops from the intense heat constantly licking at it, the marines are running around looking for a way out when they run into the Covenant doing the same. The only cover is that flaming rubble and that leaking propane tank.
The marines are ordered to go take a city, simple as simple can be. The players carefully approach the position, making plans to carefully insert themselves into the city when suddenly they receive new orders from the new commander who is trying to prove himself as general material.
"Charge in!" The marines look at eachother and radio in a question, asking if he's serious. The man repeated his order, and when he sees no movement on his tacpad, he realizes the marines aren't moving. He gives them one last warning, charge and make a battle worthy of films and medals or he will personally have their ass. The UNSC leader on the ground can either do two things:
1. Charge in, tons of marines die. The Covenant position is taken with large casualties, the commander messages that he is extremely pleased and that he has put all the leaders on the ground up for medals. Any happiness that comes from that is extinguished at the site of all the marine wounded being dragged in and the commanders order to move in further.
2. Ignoring his order, the leader carefully moves in. The commander is absolutely furious and quickly lets it be known over the radio. The UNSC is congratulated for their wise maneuvering of the battlefield afterwards, meanwhile, their leader and his officers are drawn up on charges of insubordination. They might not be imprisoned, just maybe, but they know their careers are as good as dead, and they made an enemy in the brass. Need an airstrike? Tank support? Snipers? Medics? Sorry, the commander has decided you aren't worth the risk.
Civil War
Communications have broken down, insurgents are swarming the players position and Covenant aren't far off. After a fierce battle, the innies break and run into the surrounding city. The UNSC sit and take a breath when suddenly, a counter charge! Well armed innies come down the road with what looks like armored support. The panicked and tired UNSC commander decides not to wait for any calls and quickly orders his men to fire with everything they got. The tank pops, the innies fire.
But they aren't innies.
Little do they realize what is happening, the battle is fierce, both sides take massive losses. One side thinks they are attacking an advancing insurgent force while the other thinks the innies have already taken the position and looted the UNSC weapons. They only realize what has happened when one side is dead. The surviving commander looks on, horrified at the dead and dying allies he just killed. The commander is drawn up for what he has done, along with whoever helped him spot that night.
Rivalry
The two regiments despise each other, accidents and problems have sparked and exploded in the past and caused too much grief for both sides. While they fight through the streets, an allied anti-tank shell accidentally flies off and kills three men, missing its target by a decent distance. A speeding warthog doesn't stop fast enough, a marine 'runs in front of' another's line of fire, an artillery barrage is called in too close.
And what can they do? There's no proof of real intention, it's a battlefield, things happen. And it's the word of hundreds of men against a few dying ones.
Spooks
ONI has interest in this particular place. There is something there they want, their mouth salivate at the thought. They want the info, the artifact, the prisoner, the tech. They are willing to do anything to get it. One of the players squad is suddenly beset by that operative they saw sitting in the corner of the war room. Before they know it, they are being ordered to follow him by both the agent and high command. The agent leads them away from the mission, which quickly goes pear shaped without the important squad. Meanwhile, the squad is torn apart trying to get the item.
Finally, they do it. The ONI operative happily takes the item of interest and runs off with the marines. He demands to be transported out immediately, the last pelican flights are already leaving. The operative quickly hops on and flies off. The squad and other marines watch their evac go into the distance without them and realize they are trapped.
Bombardment
The position is lost, the civilians are either dead or gone, half the company is dead and a quarter of the rest are wounded. The marines decide to make their heroic last stand but are quickly scattered by Covenant forces. Suddenly, they hear a screaming sound. Artillery! Aid at last!
But comms have been down for an hour, command assumes that everyone in the city is dead. Sadly, the commander orders the bombardment of the entire area. If the UNSC can't have the city and its valuable unobtanium, the Covenant can't either. Tons of artillery guns fire off, shortswords fly over with bomb bays full, the city goes boom.
But the marines are still there, the few scattered survivors began running around like chickens with their heads cut off. The city is literally exploding around them, they begin running to whichever way is either out or into one of the many subway tunnels which may or may not be collapsing. Covenant forces shatter and run around panicked as elites get turned to pulp, marines who don't find their buddies or get to cover find themselves getting gun downed by surviving Covenant as they try to find them. Maybe you can survive, hell your NPC buddy is waving to you from that cover... which just got disintegrated.
Straight Silver
Bragg and Larkin caught Cuu looting from some poor civilians home during the battle. When they get back to base, an innocent civilian woman is found raped and killed. On close inspection, it is found that a small coin is by her body, reminiscent to the one Cuu had stolen. Bragg and Larkin quickly point the finger at Cuu, who nearly finds himself on a firing line. Luckily for Cuu, their commander stepped in and saved him from the unfair punishment, realizing he was most likely innocent.
During the next battle, Bragg is found with his skull crushed in. The company mourns the loss of their friend, killed by those Covenant bastards. Later, Larkin fires at the enemy when he feels something stomp into his spine. He gasps to see Cuu standing on him with his knife in hand. Larkin has a reputation for being a bit nutty, and believes no one will believe him that Cuu killed Bragg and is coming for him, after Cuu gives a confession of his crimes. Cuu is about to finish the job when Larkins friend, Murril, runs in to stop him.
After the battle, trooper Murril is mourned. Found dead. Her death is quickly written off as shrapnel, but people are starting to talk.
And Cuu doesn't like that.
The names and situation were all stolen from a book, but in the end it's all basically the same. Murderer has a score to settle, and starts hunting down marines during the battle.
Blind Pilots
Visibility is real bad, the infantry can hardly see a few feet in front of them and neither can the door gunners of the UNSC air support. The marines need help badly though, so the door gunners lock on to what looks like an enemy and begins to chop him up along with all his bastard friends.
Uh oh! The marines are screaming about friendly fire.
Elements
Dust Storms
Command has decided that the precious unobtanium held on Bocantes B is the most important shit and decides marine have nothing better to do than holding the precious unobtanium fields. The marines sit at the refinery, watching the desert as the Covenant prepare their attack.
The wind picks up, the sand kicks in their faces. The marines cough and raise their balaclavas, the sand keeps coming, they lower their goggles. Oh no, visibility suddenly dropped to somewhere in the range of three inches to you're fucked. The Covenant, with their superior technology, stroll into the refinery and brutally murder the marines. The marines put on as big a fight as they can, but find themselves scattered. In the desert. With no supplies.
The Covenant pick off any survivors they can track, the heretics can't desecrate their precious unob- forerunner relics anymore! The humans in the meantime, face the grueling desert heat, the lack of food and water (shouldn't have stripped your gear at the refinery!) and the fact that they are alone and being hunted by elites.
Hurricane
The battle is going well, the UNSC are pushing back the Covenant into the outskirts of the city. Marines cheer as the grunts and elites scatter into the nearby unobtanium quarries to hide. The rain, which had been steadily picking up all day, gets harder and harder as they stop cheering. What did that news broadcast they saw when they first came in said? Something about a... oh god... hurricane.
The Covenant come back in force, the marines might have been able to hold them if trees weren't flying like leaves and mud wasn't sucking them under and drowning the helpless humans. But hey, that tank is here to hel- oh god that building with the supports that got hit by the shell just collapsed on top of it. Oh god run.
Fire
The shanty town the marines had battled through was being taken easily enough, but Covenant resistance had become surprisingly strong in the town quarter. It seems the Covenant pulled the remainder of their forces in for a last stand. Simple enough, call in artillery and laugh at their screams.
The commander smiles as the first shell hits the square, and another, and another. What was that explosion? Oh it hit those propane tanks they were using as fuel? Oh the shack is on fire? And the one next to it? And the one next to it? Who knew wooden shacks are flammable.
Wait, how flammable, what do you mean VERY. Oh dear lord, everything is on fire, flames everywhere. Marines run out of buildings screaming as they burn, civilians follow closely behind. Grunts panic and run from the flames, an elites shield pops from the intense heat constantly licking at it, the marines are running around looking for a way out when they run into the Covenant doing the same. The only cover is that flaming rubble and that leaking propane tank.
Civilians
Abandonment
The situation is absolutely FUBAR, the Covenant have broken the marines back before they could evacuate everyone. Luckily, the UNSC frigate Big Plot Element has flown in, secured the skies and docked at the orbital elevator. Sadly, the Covenant have tons of anti-air and there is no way pelicans can land to take everyone in. Captain Coolbro orders his marines up the elevator, what few are left.
But wait, the hundred civilians aren't there yet! They should be getting in the elevator as soon as it gets down to them. But the Covenant are swarming them too! We could wait a bit for the civilians, but what chance does that give us? Coolbro now has two options.
1. Have the engineer with him blow the elevator. The bottom half plummets, the cord snaps, the top stays still. The marines safely retreat onto the Big Plot Element and off to safety. At the bottom, the remaining civilians and a few marines are slaughtered to a man as the elevator crashes all around them. Coolbro is investigated and his action deemed acceptable, but he and the other marines now have to live with the guilt.
2. Get the civilians up, the marines quickly allow the civilians through the elevator and they are soon making their way to the ship. Uh oh! The marines need to get the other civilians up inside quickly! They only got the first twenty. They all wait, shifting from leg to leg... oh god, those aren't civilians. The few remaining marines are swarmed by Covenant, they might live, but they are forced back into the ship. The Covenant keep swarming up the elevator and their numbers are only getting larger. Panicking, the Big Plot Element shoots away without most of the marines.
The few who are left are trying to now stop the Covenant from tearing apart the ship, but there are so many of them and so few marines.
Confused Command
Coolbro is running through the city, explosions all around him. Thank god for commands UAV drone, which has saved them so many times today. Suddenly he gets the report, the bored drone pilot tells him that approximately thirteen plus innie foot mobiles are running through the cover in front of them. The marines realize they probably have an RPG and Coolbro, not one to take chances, has them gunned down.
The marines pass by, happy to have destroyed those dastardly innies. But wait, those aren't weapons! These were civilians!
Madness
The marines have been evacuating civilians left and right, the Covenant have failed to stop them when they see an old woman standing on a platform ahead. The marines quickly run up, trying to tell her that they are here to help when suddenly Pvt. Personman falls, Corporal Guyman looks around confused when he also drops. The marines scatter when they realize the old lady is holding a rifle.
Do they negotiate? Do they fire? She has quite an aim, do they call in a strike? Support? Meanwhile the old lady cries and screams, shouting profanities and prayers, cursing those 'alien bastards' she believes she is shooting.
Difficult orders
Captain Coolbro has received his orders. With that tank platoon he has at his disposal, charge from point A to point C through point B. In the big city, a brigade of marines with their complement of civilians are trapped at C and getting slaughtered. They don't have long and desperately need armored support to kill those tanks and hunters. Simple.
But point B is the section of the city they haven't evacuated yet, it's full of civilians and the only way to get through with the tanks is if they pave the way. Countless civilians will die, but how many more will die at C?
Abandonment
The situation is absolutely FUBAR, the Covenant have broken the marines back before they could evacuate everyone. Luckily, the UNSC frigate Big Plot Element has flown in, secured the skies and docked at the orbital elevator. Sadly, the Covenant have tons of anti-air and there is no way pelicans can land to take everyone in. Captain Coolbro orders his marines up the elevator, what few are left.
But wait, the hundred civilians aren't there yet! They should be getting in the elevator as soon as it gets down to them. But the Covenant are swarming them too! We could wait a bit for the civilians, but what chance does that give us? Coolbro now has two options.
1. Have the engineer with him blow the elevator. The bottom half plummets, the cord snaps, the top stays still. The marines safely retreat onto the Big Plot Element and off to safety. At the bottom, the remaining civilians and a few marines are slaughtered to a man as the elevator crashes all around them. Coolbro is investigated and his action deemed acceptable, but he and the other marines now have to live with the guilt.
2. Get the civilians up, the marines quickly allow the civilians through the elevator and they are soon making their way to the ship. Uh oh! The marines need to get the other civilians up inside quickly! They only got the first twenty. They all wait, shifting from leg to leg... oh god, those aren't civilians. The few remaining marines are swarmed by Covenant, they might live, but they are forced back into the ship. The Covenant keep swarming up the elevator and their numbers are only getting larger. Panicking, the Big Plot Element shoots away without most of the marines.
The few who are left are trying to now stop the Covenant from tearing apart the ship, but there are so many of them and so few marines.
Confused Command
Coolbro is running through the city, explosions all around him. Thank god for commands UAV drone, which has saved them so many times today. Suddenly he gets the report, the bored drone pilot tells him that approximately thirteen plus innie foot mobiles are running through the cover in front of them. The marines realize they probably have an RPG and Coolbro, not one to take chances, has them gunned down.
The marines pass by, happy to have destroyed those dastardly innies. But wait, those aren't weapons! These were civilians!
Madness
The marines have been evacuating civilians left and right, the Covenant have failed to stop them when they see an old woman standing on a platform ahead. The marines quickly run up, trying to tell her that they are here to help when suddenly Pvt. Personman falls, Corporal Guyman looks around confused when he also drops. The marines scatter when they realize the old lady is holding a rifle.
Do they negotiate? Do they fire? She has quite an aim, do they call in a strike? Support? Meanwhile the old lady cries and screams, shouting profanities and prayers, cursing those 'alien bastards' she believes she is shooting.
Difficult orders
Captain Coolbro has received his orders. With that tank platoon he has at his disposal, charge from point A to point C through point B. In the big city, a brigade of marines with their complement of civilians are trapped at C and getting slaughtered. They don't have long and desperately need armored support to kill those tanks and hunters. Simple.
But point B is the section of the city they haven't evacuated yet, it's full of civilians and the only way to get through with the tanks is if they pave the way. Countless civilians will die, but how many more will die at C?
Rebellion
Madness: The Chemical
The UNSC has been ordered to defend Big Mt. research facility. All is going well, the Covenant have fallen back, tank support has come in, longswords fly patriotically overhead. But what exactly was the research facility researching? They find out when a banshee that somehow got through drops its banshee bomb and exposes the chemicals to the air.
Oh boy, the chemical was meant to drug and damage the human mind to the point of temporary insanity. The marines see Covenant, bears and their ex wives swarming them and attacking them, so they bravely gun them down while in reality they are shooting rocks and other people. Some marines have visions or flashbacks and simply break down, the whole situation turns into chaos.
Chemical Weapon
The UNSC is pressing through and into the Covenant lines, the rebels have broken and retreated. The three way battle gets very two sided. But the rebels aren't done yet, they have one more weapon up their sleeve. As the UNSC advances, bombs drop all around, and gas flies out.
Before long, marines and civilians alike are choking and burning, falling over as their lungs are filled with the deadly chemical. Those marines who did survive quickly don their masks before they die and watch in horror as their fellows don't get so lucky. Meanwhile, the Covenant happily plod onward. At least the grunts do.
Accidental Insurgents
Let's go back to Confused Command, the civilians are dead, lots of them. The UNSC realize that they just gunned down around fifty civilians. And those police officers and other armed civilians just saw. Oh good lord, the marines are coming right at us! They quickly open fire on the devilish marines before they can murder their families.
The marines of course are forced to shoot back, within an hour, they are slaughtering the civilians they were meant to save.
Nuclear Threat
The rebels realize how screwed they are, suddenly they release a message telling the big bad UNSC and Covenant to get out or pay the price. Within an hour, highcom is telling the marines to get the hell outta dodge, nuclear threat detected. The bomb is somewhere in the middle of the city, they have an hour to leave the city, commence full evacuation.
Bonus points if it ends ala CoD. "EOD teams are currently disarming the nuc-" pelicans spinning out of control, city explodes, Michael Bay cries tears of joy somewhere.
Other
Hospital Supplies
The marines are wounded, there are six ready and thirty in the beds. The nurses and doctors do their best when the civilians come in, so many dead or dying. But the hospital is under supplied, they only have enough medicine to help around thirty people, but if the marines die, who helps the civies? And if the civies die, why are the marines even there?
God Bless the UNSC
The battles going well, the Covenant have been slaughtered and are putting up their last resistance in main street. They have tons of armor and are well positioned, it will be a UNSC blood bath. They call the airstrike when suddenly they are told no go, Highcom needs a lane to parade down and main street is the perfect place. They do not have permission to damage the street. But they still need to take it.
Brass House
Colonel Broman is off in far off Desertstan II to fight the arch enemy. However, his family is still chilling at their vacation home on Mainmission Prime. The UNSC has made a good position to lock down in, the civilians are coming in steadily, they might just get through this.
Uh oh, code red, Broman's stupid family decided they would wait to run to the evacuation point and now are trapped behind Covenant lines. The grandma, wife and two baby kids are about to get royally blown to bits if they don't get help soon. Highcom quickly orders the marines of first company to run off and save them. But they need first company at the evacuation point, or else things might get bad.
God Bless the UNSC
The battles going well, the Covenant have been slaughtered and are putting up their last resistance in main street. They have tons of armor and are well positioned, it will be a UNSC blood bath. They call the airstrike when suddenly they are told no go, Highcom needs a lane to parade down and main street is the perfect place. They do not have permission to damage the street. But they still need to take it.
Brass House
Colonel Broman is off in far off Desertstan II to fight the arch enemy. However, his family is still chilling at their vacation home on Mainmission Prime. The UNSC has made a good position to lock down in, the civilians are coming in steadily, they might just get through this.
Uh oh, code red, Broman's stupid family decided they would wait to run to the evacuation point and now are trapped behind Covenant lines. The grandma, wife and two baby kids are about to get royally blown to bits if they don't get help soon. Highcom quickly orders the marines of first company to run off and save them. But they need first company at the evacuation point, or else things might get bad.
