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>>34784675

HOLLOW SUN: 101.6%

http://pastebin.com/yC3Khjt4

RESEARCH:

[X] RESEARCH: ASSAULT HARDSHELL
[X] DIRAC TRANSMITTER I
[X] MASS DRIVER
[X] SCRANDER PROPULSION SYSTEM
[X] ENDOSTEEL INTERNAL STRUCTURE
[X] SOLARIS CHARGING MATRIX

RESEARCH COMPLETE - FALSEHOOD ARRAY
> CHAYOT-CLASS HELLIONS UNLOCKED.

VOID ANCHORS:

ORIGINAL HIVE
THE TRIBUNAL
NARAKA
THE VAULT
TUSITA

HOLDING: 1

RED COMET GUIDE:

http://pastebin.com/LJAfQmXy

UPDATES:

- CHAYOT-class Hellions unlocked.
- Abruption Jets added to the Vault.
- DUAL-PHASE MICROSTRUCTURE, DISTORTION HALO, EROSION FIELD STABILIZERS, WARP CAPACITORS available for research.
- FALSEHOOD GENERATOR available.
- MENTIROSO module and INTERDICTOR BITS unlocked.

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>>34784684
>101.6%
Along with whatever else we get, let's pick up the Abruption Jets.

>>34784684
>Abruption Jets added to the Vault.
ROCKET KNESS
FIRST BUY OF THE SESSION IS ROCKET KNEES

OP, is it intended that Chayot-class Hellions apparently don't have transformation servoes/modular frames/teleport homers?
(...To be fair, I don't see which body parts we could actually add to our armor)

>>34784696

(Yes. They can't actually transform, due to their radical difference from other kinds of Hellions. Given the number you've unlocked, the Hollow Sun is actually moving away from the humanoid basis favored by the initial 'castes' of Hellion Hardshells, and into a design aesthetic that is distinctly inhuman.

The Destroyer-class units and Archangel-class units are similarly alien in design, too.)

So last session we said that we wanted all of the weapon researches.


[ ] INDUCTION BLASTERS
[ ] MASS DRIVER
[ ] DISINTEGRATOR CANNON
[ ] MACHINE CANNON
[ ] MICRO-SCALE SUSPENSORS
[ ] POSITRON LANCE

That would be 60% charge.
Plus the 25% for rocket knees.
That leaves 15% charge for something else.

>>34784732
We could pick up a VA, a Red Comet upgrade, or a Hellion upgrade.
I think we should pick up an upgrade for the Comet. Maybe the matrix?

>>34784761
If we do a tank upgrade, I vote for progenitor engram, the panoptic array, gravimetric nexus, thanatos infuser, nitro booster or chassis reinforcement.
All three add a whole lot to its functionality and extend its lifetime.

I wonder when the other players will arrive to vote.

>>34784813
Probably never, the thread is rather late. I'll switch my vote to reinforcement, as it seems much more useful than the matrix.

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INTERLUDE:

STAGE: DIS

In the enormous darkness beneath the bruised sky, Volt Regios hunts.

The Corrector - Thickly plated with mottled, fibrous grey armor - lurches across the rooftops. It is a warped thing, a thing with clusters of orange eyes on either side of a sharply angular head - crowned with a head crest of chitinous growths, rough, bony and ivory. It is a hyperactive blur, metabolism spiked to a frenzy: Combining the worst parts of locust and spider, it skitters onwards, smoke wisping from scarred carapace, almost too fast for the eye to see...

-But not faster than lightning.

Volt Regios's thorn-blade carves the air before him, and seething orbs of electricity fume into existence. They shudder, as they circle him like will-o'-wisps, each one spitting forth a sizzling bolt of lightning. A crack of thunder, an arc of juddering, twitching lightning, a wail from the target. Stray shots kiss the pitted black iron of the roof, Regios's tireless legs bearing him onwards-

What is Bishamon doing?

That is the question that has plagued him, for long days now. Even this, right now, reminds Volt Regios of how the Black Tri-Stars would stalk Correctors together - One to track the target, one to drive it into the waiting arms of the hunters, and one to deliver the killing blow. Their absence erodes his focus, turns his grim mood to a foul one.

Volt Regios does not smile much.

Volt Regios does not smile, ever.

The Corrector is outpacing him. Regios raises his thorn-blade, and his gauntlet clamps down on the pistol-grip: Cunningly articulated segments unlock, parting, revealing two-tined prongs separated by empty space - Crackling streams of energy zipping back and forth, the low, humming swell of power echoing in his auditory sensors...

-From the corner of his eye, a flicker of motion-

(Continued)

>>34784968

Regios springs back. The roof judders, as great spikes of stone - One after another, chasing him - punch through the dull metal. His cloak flutters, heels skidding against the surface - Wheeling, abruptly, to face-

"Where is the Red Joker?"

Hatred - taut and frustrated - turns CALCITE ARROW'S voice into a bitter crackle. His bow is at the ready, an arrow levelled at Regios. Cables bulge beneath his off-white armor, like hawsers, telling of the immense effort it takes to hold himself in check.

Volt Regios, however, sees only the fanged leer of the Smiler crest that rides high on Calcite's shoulder. Regios sweeps his cloak back - The gesture revealing the throwing spikes that criss-cross his pale blue armor, in overlapping bandoliers. The same motion brings a spike to his hand - An arc of lightning leaping between thorn-blade and spike, rising in a crackling haze of sparks.

In that moment, he thinks -

The Red Joker has the answers.

Of course.

And then the fury of their combat lights up the skyline like a lightning storm.

------------------------

Festival day, at Seisin High. A cacophony, but a happy one - A bewildering blitz of music, and color, and smells and...Well, words fail you. It's as if a miniature city has blossomed, overnight, on the open grounds of the campus - The ordered lines of the boots broken by the uneven shapes of tents and stalls and displays and banners, draped across every conceivable surface. There's confetti strewn underfoot, on the cobbles; The breeze picking up, a cluster of balloons swirling into the air like migratory birds-

...Ten schools, clustered into the same place. The effort it must've taken to plan this - For it to be anything more than disordered - must've been a Herculean one. (The cleanup afterwards is likely to be just as epic.)

(Continued)

>>34785106
Well, fuck

>>34785106
If Regios meets us today, I would like to give him a Terminus unlock.
Even if he is destined to die.

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>>34785106

"Haaaa..." A soft, thready sigh parts Mio's lips - Her face turned upwards, almost glowing, her expression somewhere between awe and delight. "...So many *people*..." she murmurs, almost to herself - Her hands clasped behind her back, as she comes to a stop. "-I never thought..."

Her voice trails off, as she half-turns to face you - That sweet flush to her cheeks, her head canting ever-so-slightly to the side. When she smiles, the effect is arresting; Tracing strands of blonde hair back from her green, green eyes, with a simple, uncomplicated happiness that lights her up from within.

For the past few minutes, she's been walking at your side, in companionable silence - Slim fingers rising, more than once, to brush lightly against her lips; Then a sidelong glance, a little laugh, as she blushes all over again. Technically, you aren't supposed to be walking together - But the Committee Pass pinned to Mio's school uniform is excuse enough.

("A date in plain sight..." she'd said, in the languid silence of the hall's wings. "Anon-kun...Please accompany me.")

"Anon-kun~!" A giggle, a wave - She's slightly ahead, now, waving you forward; Her gaze meeting and holding yours for the space of a breath, before she lowers her eyes. But Mio's voice is a soft, warm murmur - You've never seen her look this happy, even as she pretends to consult the map before her: One hand rising to cup her pointed chin, the other at her side.

"-Ah, there's so much to see...I never thought it'd look like this," Mio muses aloud. Then:

"...Anon-kun - Where should we go first~?"

[ ] "Where would you like?"
[ ] "Hmmm...The Shooting Gallery. I have free passes."
[ ] "A cafe, I think."
[ ] "-The Haunted House."
[ ] "The fortune-teller."
[ ] "How about - My school's stand?"
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>34785228
>"Hmmm...The Shooting Gallery. I have free passes."
Wonder if we're any good at shooting things in the real world

>>34785228

> [X] Free

Hold her hand.

To unlock everything from the Hollow Sun we need at least 2000% Charge....keep this in mind, guys.

>>34785228
>[ ] "Hmmm...The Shooting Gallery. I have free passes."
Let's see if she has talent. Just in case.

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>>34785274
Anyway, isn't basically everyone in favor of the rocket knee upgrade?

>>34785244
Yes, we are. As is Kazuya.
We are both really fucking awesome, in fact.

>>34785301
All three of us, yeah.

>>34785228
>[ ] "Hmmm...The Shooting Gallery. I have free passes."

>>34785337
I think Joker might have a thing for girls with guns.

>>34784693
>>34784696
>>34784732
>>34784834

(I'll wait for a consensus on the rest of the items.)

RELIC UNLOCKED: ABRUPTION JETS

Based off the design of Chayot-class Hellions, the Abruption Jets allow for rapid changes in momentum via banks of reactionless thrusters. While lacking the sustained output of your Tempest Scrander, Abruption Jets allow for incredible, bewildering bursts of speed that defy all conventional physics - However, they overheat quickly, and require some time to recharge.

(tl;dr - Abruption Jets allow for a free movement action that takes place *before* your actual movement for the round, allowing you to move a substantial distance in any linear direction. This can be used as a free dodge, and as an instant 'brake' that leaves you completely unharmed by the rapid change in momentum.)

So what do we want to get next?
This >>34784732 seems like a good idea.

>>34785379
Do we get bonus damage for momentum when we use this in conjunction with the Crisis arm?

As for other researches, I think that going for Mass Driver, Disintegrator cannon and machine cannon makes the most sense, considering that those use atypical damage types (physical) for us.
This would put our current drain at 55%, so we could get another Hellion type, which would still leave us with 25%.
I would like to spend it on Solaris Charging Matrix, which reduces the biggest bottleneck in terms of satellite fire time.

>>34785228
>[ ] "Hmmm...The Shooting Gallery. I have free passes."

>>34785409
>>34785379
I want the Quantum Accelerator Hollow Sun upgrade. It would be nice to force some of the upgrades to finish with leftover energy tidbits.

You know, I wonder what Japanese people would think of Joker Quest.

>>34785490
Ask /int/

>>34785489
Good point.
So...
Mass Driver, Disintegrator Cannon, Quantum Accelerator and Solaris Charging Matrix?

Not quite the original plan, but the accelerator will come in handy at some point. I hope.

>>34785490
They'd try to go for a harem end.

>>34785515
Sounds cool, though personally I'd swap one of the weapon types for Micro-Scale Suspensors. Just a matter of taste.

>>34785432

(Yes, actually.)

>>34785244
>>34785287
>>34785337

> [X] "Hmmm...The Shooting Gallery. I have free passes."

-That's right. The Kaisei High booth isn't far from here - And you still have a (slightly crumpled) golden ticket tucked away somewhere. It's hard to miss, the animatronics of the carnivalesque setup audible even from here: There's a line, but it's moving along at quite a substantial pace.

Getting there is something of an adventure in itself; You cut past the crowds clustering around an impromptu cosplay competition - Mio sneaks a glance, then reddens slightly - the flash and whirr of cameras a constant background accompaniment...Then past a rather unsteady-looking drop tower, the kind which shakes under the strain of it's own operation. It certainly hasn't discouraged people - Even as you watch, a new gondola is rising, rising to the top, in the moments before the plunge...

There's just so much to see, before you finally join the line - The raised canvas walls muting the background chatter, like a cool cocoon of close-to-silence.

"So *this* is the shooting gallery..." Mio echoes - looking slightly dubious as she takes in the rather disturbing decor, all clown masks and animatronic paper-mache jugglers. It's very, very elaborate, you have to admit: You can't help but wonder how they've managed to get it working, and *keep* it working under the constant operation.

"-It's...A little strange, don't you think?" she pauses, and corrects herself a moment later - "Ah, but...Anon-kun, you like this kind of games, right?" A sidelong glance, oddly shy, lowering her voice again: "...Kazuya-kun told me. It's not really my thing, but...I think they have prizes, here...?"

[ ] "Strange? Strange how?"
[ ] "It *is* a little spooky."
[ ] "...The person running it is pretty strange, too."
[ ] "-What else did Kazuya tell you?"
[ ] "...Apparently, everyone hates clowns."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>34785561
I like the suspensors, but they wouldn't likely grant additional tech.
Which weapon type would you replace? Because we already dialed down from six to two.

>>34785597
>[ ] "...Apparently, everyone hates clowns."
>[ ] "-What else did Kazuya tell you?"

>[ ] "...The person running it is pretty strange, too."
"It's no Charmant, though."

>>34785597
>[ ] "Strange? Strange how?"
>[ ] "-What else did Kazuya tell you?"

>>34785597
>"...Apparently, everyone hates clowns."
>"-What else did Kazuya tell you?"

>>34785604
It's not critical if we have the accelerator. Now that I think about it, more weapon types is rad, since if we unlock any cool heavy weapons, we can accelerate the suspensors to carry them.

>>34785662
Okay, so sticking with two weapon types.

Anyone else want to chime in?

>>34785597
"...The person running it is pretty strange, too."
"-What else did Kazuya tell you?"

>>34785678
I don't have much to say, but I'll throw in a vote for whatever you decide on so we can spend the rest of that charge.

>>34785662
>>34785678
>>34785694
Okay, so three votes for:
Mass Driver, Disintegrator Cannon, Quantum Accelerator and Solaris Charging Matrix

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>>34785635
>>34785636
>>34785637

> [X] "Strange? Strange how?"

"Um..." Mio's brow furrows ever-so-slightly, as she considers this...The line shuffling forward, a little at a time. "...It's almost - Well, that is..." she glances to either side, as if for support - Only to be confronted by more rouged and grease-painted masks, enough to bring a shudder to her slim shoulders. Then:

"-Anon-kun, it's...kind of creepy..."

Her admission makes her look momentary downcast. "I'm - I'm not really good with scary things. But-" and there's that soft glance again, the beginnings of a flush in her cheeks - "Since Anon-kun's here, too..."

> "...The person running it is pretty strange, too."

Right. He was quite a character - For some reason, there's something uncomfortable about him.

> "...Apparently, everyone hates clowns."

"Ah-" Mio covers her mouth, to hide her smile. "...Everyone? Really?"

Her expression's momentary thoughtful - "I don't know; It's not the clowns that I mind, but...Don't you think it's kind of sad? They're smiling all the time, but...They're the ones people are laughing at. Even if it's just an act, it feels like..."

"-It feels like having to put up a front, somehow..." Mio's voice lowers - For a moment, it almost seems like she's talking to herself...Before she draws a deep breath, shaking her head lightly to dispel the odd mood. "-But, it can't be *all* people..."

(Continued)

>>34785597
>[ ] "-What else did Kazuya tell you?"

>>34785752
I support those choices as well.

>>34785752
We already are researching Mass Drivers and the Charging Matrix, and our limiting factor for research is ENERGY and not TIME.

Instead, get Induction Blasters, Distintegrator Cannon, Machine Cannon, Positron Lance, Microscale Suspensors and the Distortion Cannon for Leukocyte.

>>34785891
>We already are researching Mass Drivers and the Charging Matrix, and our limiting factor for research is ENERGY and not TIME.
I knew that I was missing something.
Thanks for actually thinking.

However, I'd wager that Synapse Capacitors would be more useful than the Distortion Cannon.
We really need to get that cost down, even if Meter isn't the bottleneck anymore. (due to being able to use Cobalt energy)
IMO we should work on making it more accessible, now that we threatened someone with it.

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>>34785770

> "-What else did Kazuya tell you?"

Mio blinks, a little guiltily - As if she's been caught-out, her face going a little redder; Still, she can't dodge the question when you're looking right at her, lowering her voice so as not to be overheard.

"-Just...*some* things," she says, as if it's nothing at all - Her slim fingers twining together before her. "Stuff like - The time you got lost in the forest, as a kid...The time you really, really wanted to finish a game so much, you stayed up all...The time you scrawled all over the walls with crayo-"

...You're going to have a *good* talk with Kazuya afterwards, that's for sure.

"...I don't mind." Mio's looking down, now, at her feet. "-Hearing things like that...It makes Anon-kun sound like a very warm person. And, ummm, a really cute kid..."

Okay, now that's just rubbing it in.

"Anon-kun...I - never got a chance to do things like that. Having him tell me about it...It's reassuring, somehow." She flashes you a smile, brief but heartfelt - "...Even the embarrassing things about you - I wanted to know all about it." Her voice goes softer, almost a whisper:

"A, and - Kazuya-kun also said..." her voice goes a little huskier, mimicking Kazuya's tone - she's not very good at it, but she gets the essentials down. "'-he's always been an honest person; If you want him to...know, you have to be straigh-'"

"Okay, that's enough - Stop *right* there."

That voice - It couldn't be -

Kazuya's arm coils around your neck, locking hard - He's suddenly, abruptly in your field of vision, as if he's edited himself into existence. Mio flinches back, going red - Redder - a startled "...K-kazuya-kun?" teased from her lips.

"-Seriously, you can't just tell Anon what *I* said. That was *in confidence*, all right?"

[ ] "Kazuya-? *How* are you here?"
[ ] "What are you doing here?"
[ ] "-'in confidence'. Right."
[ ] "Oh, this I *have* to hear."
[ ] "You're here alone? Or-"
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>34785891
Huh, they are in the research tab. I'll second this, but next time we need to finish the base Hellion upgrades.

>>34785752
>>34785891
So just swap the charging matrix for a chassis upgrade, and swap the mass drivers for machine cannon or induction blasters. Three votes is pretty solid considering tonight's population.

>>34785956
>[ ] "Kazuya-? *How* are you here?"
>[ ] "-'in confidence'. Right."
>[ ] "What are you doing here?"

>>34785956
>[ ] "Kazuya-? *How* are you here?"
"When did you learn how to teleport?"

>[ ] "-'in confidence'. Right."
>[ ] "You're here alone? Or-"

"It's fine. I mean, I want to know what people tell about me to my girlfriend behind my back.
Better than one day finding out that someone told her I'm a murderer or something. You know, that cliched old story."

>>34785956
>[ ] "-'in confidence'. Right."
>Ask him about the things he said about anon

>>34785980
I like his proposal, though.
I'm okay with it, aside from the Distortion Cannon. IMO the satellite isn't accessible enough to make an additional fire mode worth it right now.

>>34785994
>>"It's fine. I mean, I want to know what people tell about me to my girlfriend behind my back.
>Better than one day finding out that someone told her I'm a murderer or something. You know, that cliched old story."
Pls no. Veto.

>>34785949
Well, the Distortion Cannon is so that we can always have a firing option (and because then no one can follow the trail back to the satellite). The biggest Leukocyte accessibility upgrade is actually the Designator, because it removes the need for active lockon--Harrow or Argus--and cuts down the time for lockon.

>>34785956
>[X] "Kazuya-? *How* are you here?"
>[X] "Oh, this I *have* to hear."
>[X] "You're here alone? Or-"

As quietly as possible: "Kazuya. She saw you."

>>34786039

> "Kazuya. She saw you."

Who?

>>34786054
Natsumi, remember?

>>34786039
I thought that the designator also requires an active action to create a lock.

>>34786070
Right, but you don't have to pay for Harrow or hold the Argus lock. You end up saving meter/cobalt.

>>34786088
But the designator is hand-held, according to the description.
We'd just be trading for a different price.

>>34786113
Well yeah, but it takes 40 meter less to use the Designator over Harrow, and eliminates the costs of up to six rounds of holding an Argus lock while boosting accuracy and lowering firing time.

>>34786152
Good point.
Though I'd wager that reducing the lock time would be even more effective for that.

>>34785956
OP, while they argue about the Leukocyte upgrade neither of them votee for, I'll also vote for the weapon research here >>34785891, while reminding them that the only thing worse than the satellite costing a lot is the satellite costing a lot and missing when fired.

>>34784684
>HOLLOW SUN: 101.6%

Holy shit, why is this so high.

Are we saving for something, or have we just not been spending?!

JQOP, with the terminus array, can we get hints as to what thegrinder can make out of things now - a probe, basically, without using it up/committing to making someone into an item?

Anyway.

Lucifer Bits. It is time to pimp out our drones, for reasons i've gone over many, many, many times in the past.

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>>34786199
>Lucifer Bits
Hahahaha no.

>>34786199
>Lucifer Bits. It is time to pimp out our drones, for reasons i've gone over many, many, many times in the past.
Lucifer Bits increase their power while they are active. This means that the meter drain is even more of an issue for them.

Also, we now have gravity bits.

Personally, I would prefer Sword Bits, but who the fuck would back me on that?
Also, wouldn't Signal Booster be more useful? It grants us increased accuracy whenever we go burning Joker.

>>34785989
>>34785994
>>34786002
>>34786039
>>34786054

> [X] "Kazuya-? *How* are you here?"
> [X] "What are you doing here?"

"-Why *wouldn't* I be here?" he counters, relaxing his chokehold slightly. "Oh, all right. I saw the two of you together, and - Hey, I was worried for you! I wanted to see how you'd be...Uh, getting on."

Mio makes a low sound - A sound that's slightly scandalized - and he lowers his voice as the line shuffles onwards. Fortunately, it's not like people are paying too much attention to you: The guy ahead is too busy with his handphone, the one behind making only a cursory grumble.

"Ah, fine. I had a free pass too, remember?" Kazuya produces a - rather crumpled - ticket stub, waving it under your nose. "-Since we're here..."

> [X] "-'in confidence'. Right."

"-Well, it was *supposed* to be..." He glances at Mio, and her smile's faintly embarrassed. "Ah, forget it. It doesn't matter now. I just wanted her to get the full picture, that's all." Kazuya's voice is lofty, as if he's the offended party - All the same, there's that twinkle in his eye...

> Ask him about the things he said about anon.
> "It's fine. I mean, I want to know what people tell about me to my girlfriend behind my back."

"Oh, it's - Uh, it's nothing you need to worry about." He segues from his loose chokehold to a pat on the back. "-You can trust me, right? Have I *ever* done you wrong?" His eyebrows move, significantly, when he looks at Mio again - "...See? No problem."

> [X] "You're here alone? Or-"

"Amane-chan's showing me around the festival - She's really nice. You know-"

Mio stiffens, slightly - Her brow furrowing, as she glances down and to the side. Kazuya's expression is concerned, now - But confused, aware that he's made a mistake...But not sure what.

"-Uh," he finishes, losing the thread of the conversation. "...So - yeah."

(Continued)

>>34786258

> "Kazuya. She saw you."

There's a moment of incomprehension, as Kazuya mentally puts the dots together: then he shrugs, his tone still confused. "Ah, really? I didn't know Natsumi was there, but...We were just talkin-"

It takes a while for Kazuya's train of thought to leave the station, but when it does-

"...Oh, god. She didn't - She's not taking it the wrong way, is she?"

[ ] "...Man, you're pretty dense."
[ ] "-Wait, I thought you and Shino..."
[ ] "I'm not really sure what to say, actually."
[ ] "What do you think?"
[ ] "Where *is* Natsumi, anyway?"
[ ] "Another one, now? You're pretty popular, Kazuya."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>34786199
Not to be a dick, but do you even read what the Terminus Scanner does?

>>34786222
OP, would the Signal Booster's effect be triggered by Carnifex 2?

>>34786272
>[ ] "-Wait, I thought you and Shino..."
>[ ] "Another one, now? You're pretty popular, Kazuya."

"Soon, you will know what it's like to be me."

>>34786272
>[ ] "-Wait, I thought you and Shino..."
>[ ] "Another one, now? You're pretty popular, Kazuya."

>>34786272
>[ ] "...Man, you're pretty dense."
>>34786290
>"Soon, you will know what it's like to be me."
That is one thing we shouldn't say with Mio around.

>>34786272
>"Another one, now? You're pretty popular, Kazuya."
>"Where *is* Natsumi, anyway?"

>>34786222
>>34786220

>>Lucifer Bits increase their power while they are active. This means that the meter drain is even more of an issue for them.

Not quite true; their cost stays the same but their damage output goes up while they stay in use.

I've gone back and done the comprehensive math from things jqop has let slip in the thread - each lucifier bit is about 3x-4x more powerful, individually, than our current bits.

We carry 4 bits instead of 5, due to the size constraints of our interceptor bay. It would also - theoretically - unlock custom bit loadouts for our bay, now that we have options to crossload. This is a possibility JQOP has hinted at before.

Additionally, they are significantly tougher, both due to being larger, and also due to being Relics - alone, they are significantly tougher

on TOP of that, they're relics, and would have relic modules to make them even better.

Remember that time we went burning joker, and our -light drones- got kills by themselves, and we had that holy shit moment where 'shit, if we use these right, and they don't get shot down right away, they're actually good?'

Lucifer bits fix literally ALL our problems with the interceptor system for 25%.

Including the meter cost. We get 1.2x to meter income, and they hit WAY harder than our current bits - which means more income from damage, which is then multiplied.

Basically they're self-sustaining murderbots that can tank, and get meaner the longer they're out.

Why WOULDN'T we get these? Holy shit they're amazing.

>>34786272
>[X] "What do you think?"
>[X] "Where *is* Natsumi, anyway?"
>[X] "Another one, now? You're pretty popular, Kazuya."

>>34786287
>Not to be a dick, but do you even read what the Terminus Scanner does?

Yeah. its a giant fucking scanning array - that doesn't necessarily have to be used to upgrade things - and could instead of being aimed at a player's essence signature, be aimed at a dead player's signature.

It seems pretty straighforward, honestly. Essence is Essence.

>>34786199

> JQOP, with the terminus array, can we get hints as to what thegrinder can make out of things now - a probe, basically, without using it up/committing to making someone into an item?

(Not yet. I'll consider it for a future upgrade, but the issue is that quality of the item produced by the grinder is also reliant on a die-roll.

Gentlemen, there's quite a bit of backreading to do on the research - But I'll remind you that the Solaris Charging Matrix and Mass Drivers are already being researched. I'll wait slightly longer for you to decide on how you want to allocate this episode's research.

HOLLOW SUN: 76.6%)

>>34786287

(Upon consideration - Thinking about it, that wasn't the initial intention of the Carnifex's super mode. But sure, it makes sense for it to trigger, too.)

>>34786311
I'm going to vote for Lucifer Bits right now

>>34786323
>(Not yet. I'll consider it for a future upgrade, but the issue is that quality of the item produced by the grinder is also reliant on a die-roll
.
Ooh! Now that is good to know!

To clarify; I wasn't asking for spoilers on the grinder - but like, a hint of possibilities would be cool ; and improving the die roll with hollow sun energy to nudge it would be a pretty cool upgrade.

>>34786323
We're swinging for the Hollow Sun weapons now, as per >>34785891. There's some talk ongoing about what Leukocyte upgrade to take, but it's either the Distortion Cannon or the Synapse Capacitor.

>>34786358
Sign me up for the Cannon. Big boom anywhere we want.

>>34786358
>Distortion Cannon

I like watashiwa's plan of 'snap fingers and cause untraceable explosions' honestly.

My vote for things:
Lucifer bits: 25% - this is an Immediate Purchase, not research, hold off and see what it unlocks


Then, possibilties:

Distortion cannon - 25% - assuming that it IS a solution to the leukocyte being discovered when it fires (jqop?)
Those induction jets are AMAZING btw.

Iunno. Micro-scale suspensors? Red comet AI upgrades? I'd kind of like to see the hellion transformations.

Give me a moment to pore over the list

>>34786311
>Why WOULDN'T we get these? Holy shit they're amazing.
We aren't sure how they interact with potential EVOL upgrades or if they would utilize a separate relic upgrade.

>>34786323
>HOLLOW SUN: 76.6%)

>>34784732
Remove Micro-scale suspensors - leaving 25% free - and substitue lucifer bits in instead, and i'm sold

>>34786358
Why are we swinging for weapon unlocks, when we never use them in fights?
The arm voids all costs and penalties because its a talon Plus, but.... we still enver use them.

>>34786420
Thats a lame excuse - we never pick either of those upgrades ANYWAY - and can always de-equip relics. Its about the immediate power gain, and being able to throw hollow sun energy at it instead of levels

Lucifer bits all the way.

I still think the Quantum Accelerator is awesome, especially since it's the only thing we have seen that converts energy directly into something tangible. Think of the unlock potential of that.

>>34786403
You're a bit behind, we already got the Abruption Jets here >>34785379. That's why we're at 75 and change. The plan is to get all the weapon researches we can for the sake of unlocking the Hollow Sun's full potential/seeing everything we can make.

This means we're going to be going after the other Hellion upgrades next time if I read the intentions right.

>>34786420
We know for a fact that they're entirely separate.

>>34786438
Because we know the weapon researches also unlock Relics and UPGRADE ALREADY EXISTING RELICS/WEAPONS.

Oh, and because then we can make our weapons even more tempting as bargaining chips.

>>34786358
I'm in agreement with the weapon types.
For the additional upgrade, we've got 30%

Lucifer bits won't happen, because I would vote for sword bits in that situation, as sword bits are imo more flexible in their usage. They can create a defensive screen, for fuck's sake, and dismantle bigger opponents from their blind spots, by e.g. hiding in some hole in their armor.
Plus, they are part of the interceptor system and not a separate relic.
For Leukocyte, I prefer Synapse Capacitor, but I totally get Distortion Cannon and won't have a problem with it.
I do, however, want to mention the booster for our Argus system...

>>34786403
Yeah, I'm in for this.
>Distortion Cannon
>Lucifer Bits
And...uh...hell if I know what else. Can't really decide.

>>34786459
>Because we know the weapon researches also unlock Relics and UPGRADE ALREADY EXISTING RELICS/WEAPONS.
>Oh, and because then we can make our weapons even more tempting as bargaining chips.
Also, they empower our Hellions and we only aren't using them because we don't have any additional slots.
In fact, there is a certain irony in how >>34786438 wants to remove micro-scale suspensors, as those would make heavy Hellion weapons viable again - Currently, we are instead wearing our chaingun.

>>34786459
>Because we know the weapon researches also unlock Relics and UPGRADE ALREADY EXISTING RELICS/WEAPONS.

that's actually a point in the lucifer bits favor, because we HAVE relevant research.
>Now further enhanced by the integration of Cobalt Laser technology, the Lucifer Bits have enhanced cutting power and cycle rates, allowing for a constant web of fire.

Its got permafire! There is now NO reason to use our basic bits

Lucifer bits
Distortion cannon
Whatever awesome weapon research we can get our hands on.


I think thats a tossup between
Positron and Disintegrator
I wasn't all that impressed by induction blasters on the red comet, but

>>34786485
>In fact, there is a certain irony in how >>34786438 (You) wants to remove micro-scale suspensors, as those would make heavy Hellion weapons viable again - Currently, we are instead wearing our chaingun.

Actually, this is false for two reasons

1)iii) The MIDAS GAUNTLET 'counts as' having a TALON with two charging elements, minus the drawbacks.
JQop clarified this includes the attachment time! We can LITERALLY plug and play with heavy weapons now.

And... we have an Arsenal Beacon.

Additionally, not being able to use weapons on the talon arm.... is also a drawback, which is ignored.

In short, we already HAVE a micro-scale suspensor built into our megaman arm.

We don't need a third.

>>34786485
>- Currently, we are instead wearing our chaingun.

Uh.

Well crap , JQOP, hook that shit up to the midas arm already. One hand able, gyrostabilized, two elements included? Fuck yeah.

>>34786517
>JQop clarified this includes the attachment time! We can LITERALLY plug and play with heavy weapons now.
Are you retarded?
Carrying a weapon like that, with a swap slot on our back, will permanently disable the arm for anything else, unless we eject the carried gun.

>>34786485
Yeah, plus the suspensors are a weapon research, so like Watashi said it might upgrade everyone's ability to carry more heavy weapons.

>>34786517
Uh... that's not the point he was making. The suspensor lets you equip an extra heavy weapon, while the Talon lets you use a heavy weapon in one hand (with bonuses).

>>34786539
>, will permanently disable the arm for anything else, unless we eject the carried gun.

Oh no, we sure can afford to lose one plasma vulcan. /sarcasm.

But seriously, thats a downside the midas arm doesn't have.

We have a megaman arm.

>>34786553
I still don't see why we need suspensors when we have an arsenal beacon. Its 10% cost to summon a heavy weapon of our choice, slap it into the midas gauntlet, which can then fire it for free. 0% cobalt booster.

If we're using hellion weaponry, it would be in the midas arm anyway.

But since you guys want it so much, I'm willing to be flexible.

Lucifer Bits
Distortion Cannon
Two weapon researches - Microscale Suspensors, and ???? Positron weaponry?

>>34786581
>arsenal beacon.

Also keep in mind that we can leave a weapon inside the arsenal beacon's storage compartment.

So our true carrying capacity for hellion weaponry is actually a lot more than you guys think it is

Hip Holster
Hip Holster
Anchor
Back Heavy or Anchor
Beacon Storage Compartment
Midas Internal Hardpoint

We just need to arrange our inventory more efficiently. We have plenty of storage space already.

>>34786581
>But seriously, thats a downside the midas arm doesn't have.
Dude, seriously.
Stop speaking incoherently.
Carrying a gun in the Midas arm will occupy that arm because it changes its shape into the Talon configuration.
If we use it as an additional heavy weapon slot (Note: For the purpose of CARRYING), we will lose access to Tau gun, Vulcan, Consume and a few other abilities on the right arm.

>>34786581
>I still don't see why we need suspensors when we have an arsenal beacon.
For the same reason why we have our Chaingun and our Immolator in our weapon slots. It takes TIME to swap out weapons if they aren't already on our body.
Plus, the arsenal beacon also costs Cobalt charge.

I would suggest you go out and take a breath of fresh air. You seem extremely confused right now.

>>34786581
Doesn't look like we're doing the Lucifer Bits this session. There's not enough support. Iirc next thread is supposed to be the "vote for whatever you want" session we've been talking about, so make your case then.

And we want the suspensors because then we don't HAVE to spend 10% on a summoned weapon. Yes, the beacon is always available, but there's a time delay on top of the cost, and sometimes you want a bazooka right this second.

>>34786611
OP, would you clarify?
I actually do wonder how we carry our VAs and if that same could be done to guns.

File: jokerstage.jpg (83 KB, 1280x720)

83 KB JPG

>>34786290
>>34786292

> [X] "-Wait, I thought you and Shino..."
> [X] "Another one, now? You're pretty popular, Kazuya."

"Hey - I suppose I a...Damnit, this is not the time."

Kazuya massages his brow with the palm of his head - His expression's priceless, entirely mortified. "Aw, man..." he mutters, a low, dire groan; "-I should tell her..." he begins, then catches himself. "No, that's not going to work..."

Mio's watching him with equal parts curiosity and wariness - "...is he all right?" she says, clearly missing the thread of the conversation.

>>34786302

> [X] "...Man, you're pretty dense."

"Yeah, yeah," Kazuya says, unhappily. "-Man."

> [X] "Where *is* Natsumi, anyway?"

"Ah, she's with Yui - Apparently, our play still needs some promotion or something, I don't know." He stops, winces. "...She's probably pretty mad at me, I think. You know how Natsumi doesn't...*tell*...you these things-?"

> [X] "What do you think?"

"I think-"

"Hey, you're holding up the line!" comes a voice from behind you - At some point, you've been shuffled forward to the velvet curtains draped over the final barrier to the Gallery; Well, since you're already here...

You step through. Kazuya gives you a rather trapped look, and follows.

-----------------------

"Roll up, roll up, excelle-" In his ratty ringmaster's jacket - No top-hat to complete the image, though - the perpetually smiling Renji's just as cheery as ever: He looks fresh as a daisy, never mind that he's spent hours ushering people into the booth, giving them the same spiel as before. The thick stack of golden tickets stubs to one side tells of the success they've been having.

"-The two from yesterday. Welcome, gentlemen...And lady," he adds, belatedly, with a brief glance in Mio's direction. Renji's smile never wavers, but it becomes slightly more plastic.

(Continued)

I'll vote for Lucifer Bits if the bitfans join me on Micro-Scale Suspensors.

Okay, so how many people are actually AGAINST the proposed weapons research?
Let's ignore the talk about satellites and bits. Focus on the weapons mentioned in >>34785891.

>>34786653
Yeah, let's just get as many weapons as possible, plus one comet or leukocyte upgrade, like we originally had in mind at the beginning of the entire thread.

Research aside, didn't we want to warn Mio about the autopilot?

>>34786622
just because you don't like what i'm saying doesn't mean you need to insult me.

First, the tau gun is left-handable, it just takes up two charging elements.

We actually have four on the armor right now; since the midas talon is seperate and counts for two.

This means we can tau gun AND hailfire at the same time. Think about that.

There's no way a bazooka is better than that. We've literally never used it, even when we brought one into a corrector hive.

>>34786650
You have a deal!

>>34786653
Nobody's talking about which weapons they actually want, just suspensors. There's been no response on Positron vs Disintegrator - which makes me think people don't actually care about prioritizing weapon research, and just want to block out other options.

>>34786645
Aww, poor Utopia Ruler. Don't like feeling the mind of a girl completely in love? I wish Watashiwa were here, he'd laugh himself sick.

>>34786653
All for the shootbangs and the Leukocyte upgrade there. But I would be, that's my post.

>>34786667

By we, I think you mean you.

Lucifer bits are actually gaining support
>>34786650 >>34786467 are definitely not me, so that's 3 at least who have been persuaded to swap votes.

HOLLOW SUN: 1.6%

WEAPON RESEARCH:

[X] INDUCTION BLASTERS
[X] DISINTEGRATOR CANNON
[X] MACHINE CANNON
[X] MICRO-SCALE SUSPENSORS
[X] POSITRON LANCE

LEUKOCYTE UPGRADE:

[X] DISTORTION CANNON

>>34786633

(Specifically, you have:

- One Heavy Weapon Slot. (HAILFIRE CHAINGUN)
- Two Light Weapon Holsters. (IMMOLATOR and ION BLASTER)
- One Void Anchor Slot. (Void Anchor)

You could carry an additional Void Anchor at the cost of your Heavy Weapon.

When you activate a Heavy Weapon, you use your right arm - The MIDAS GAUNTLET - and the integrated TALON/charging elements to fire it.)

>>34786679

That we did, anon, that we did.

>>34786683
Yes, I know that we've got four charging elements.
We still can't use the Midas arm while it's in Talon configuration.
This includes picking up things and punching people.

OP, does Joker have a dominant hand?

>>34786712
Well, that clears it up.
Thanks for ending the discussion.

>>34786703
Sorry, not interested.

>>34786679
Not the time or the place.

>>34786703
There's at least three against.

>>34786733
>There's at least three against.
And one who wants sword bits.

>>34786712

>>34786703
Man, at least take a vote after all the discussion.

by my tally
>>34786498
Bits, cannon, Weapons
>>34786467
Bits, cannon, Weapons

>>34786459
Weapons

>>34786439
Accelerator

>>34786344
Bits

Personally I think there's merit to everything, but I think weapons are getting enough love, and its a recent fad vs long-running plans from threads ago.

>>34786712
Good.

So what's the plan with the satellite cannon? We seem to be doing one upgrade a thread. What do we want next for it? I think either the Sensor Array or the Synapse Capacitor.

>>34786742
And one who wants sword bits. But unless we can swap out bit types at will without going to the Sun, we should only take one kind.

>>34786776
>But unless we can swap out bit types at will without going to the Sun, we should only take one kind.
It depends.
One Lucifer bit with four Sword bits or 2/3 would be an interesting combo.

>>34786712

Uh. Seriously, jqop? Did you post without refreshing?

>>34786795
He might have been tired of the discussion derailing the entire thread.

>>34786793
Only one kind at a time without another Evol upgrade, and good luck passing that.

>>34786806
yeah that's fair, but thats also a reason to do it at the end of this thread, or the beginning of next one, not put your foot down and cut it off.

>inb4 Watashiwa shows up wailing about 'muh void anchors'

>>34786776
I think Synapse Capacitors are our best bet, unless the research finishes.
Then we instead get another Charging upgrade.

>>34786808
>>34786793

Not quite true. We're actually on the cusp of an interceptor revolution - we just haven't dared to get a second time to unlock crossloading.

>>29127989

(The Interceptor System is limited by:
a) The number of Interceptors you can control at once.
b) The point value of Interceptors you can control.

Presently, you can control up to five Interceptors at once: However, the different varieties of Interceptor have different costs.

For instance, your current 'cap' is 10 -

Rifle Bits cost 1.5 point each.
Sword and Corsair Bits are 2 points each.
Lucifer Bits are 2.5.
Exitus Bits are 3.0.

Effectively, the system is adaptable enough to host different 'calibres' of Interceptors.)

This is why lucifer bits own.

We just straight up get 5 better-in-every-way- bits that don't die if sneezed on.

>>34786845
>we just haven't dared to get a second time to unlock crossloading.
We already planned to get Limiter next.
And then Booster.

>>34786765
>recent fad vs long-running plans from threads ago.
Completely irrelevant. What matters is what gets voted on in each individual thread; we settled that with the interceptor shitstorm years ago.

>>34786795
It's the right call. Almost everyone expressed interest in the weapons and the leukocyte upgrades, but the bits had only about half of us in favor with others actually opposed.

>>34786845
Four, not five.

>>34786816
...Do people even bother to read what he writes or do they just shitpost?

>>34786874
>others actually opposed.

Counting opposition votes is dumb, because that turns things into a total shitfest.

I'm opposed to weapons because we have enough already, we're spread thing, and we never use them.

>>34786863
We don't need Evol to unlock custom loadouts. We just need a second bit option.
That's the reason the option's never unlocked - Evol changes the base nature of the bit, there's never a second model in play.

In order to get custom drone loadout functionality; we need to introduce a second bit and let the armor go 'oh hey! configuring new hardware'.

Its not worth spending a level on, but it IS worth 25% hollow sun .

Sword bits sound neat, until you realize that all bits are priced the same, and Artifacts will ~always~ beat the Fake Item Hollow Sun armory items.

>>34786950
>Sword bits sound neat, until you realize that all bits are priced the same, and Artifacts will ~always~ beat the Fake Item Hollow Sun armory items.
You are forgetting that those are modifications.
As in, they are our normal bits. Just with swords and Hellion AI instead of rifles.
They aren't Hellion weapons.

>>34786645

Mio can't help but shuffle closer - Her voice lowered to a half-whisper:

> "Anon-kun, you were right-"

...as she gives him a dubious look - There's something quite uncanny about him, never mind that he's unfailingly polite. Maybe it's the way he just keeps smiling all the time, until the smile has no meaning...

Renji draws a deep breath; He gets as far as "Gaze upon the-" before Kazuya interrupts him, holding up a hand. "Can we just...skip the spiel? Please?" he says - Your friend's in a grumpy mood.

"Right now, I just..." Kazuya's voice catches. "...I *really* need to shoot something."

There's a long, damned pause - The kind of pause which can go either way - before Renji harrumphs, smoothening down his jacket. "Very well - As we say, the customer is always right, haha." He gestures at the second set of curtains, and they part - Someone's hauling at the cords at either side - to reveal the eerie carousel of lurching animatronics, locked onto the singleminded motion of their tracks.

"-As you can see, there are four kinds of targets; The ones at the very front-" brightly-colored bull's-eye symbols, rising and falling in a steady rhythm - "...are the easiest, and worth ten points each. The second row-" moving animal figures on a track "-are worth twenty each. For the discerning gentlemen, the calvacade-" Clowns rocking back-and-forth on their nearly skeletal mounts, an exceedingly difficult target given their distance and their relatively small size - "...is worth thirty."

(Continued)

>>34786979

At the far, far end, there's a creaking lurch - A vague but familiar figure descends, scooting across the stage. It resembles a metal mask, with a single, glowing red eye...

A nice touch, that.

"And what's *that* one?" Kazuya asks.

"-That, my dear boy-" And Renji's smile seems to wide a little more - "...is the Joker. A rough but elusive beast - Worth no less than fifty points."

He settles a gloved hand on the air-guns before you - Each one thoughtfully linked to the stall by a length of chain. "Revolver or rifle - Twelve shots each. The targets will come in two cycles, before we shut them down. Prizes are awarded at the one-hundred point mark...I'm sure you'll find them - adequate."

"A rather better quality of award is at two hundred points. And, of course - For those who wish to try their hand at the ultimate challenge - our mystery prize is the princely sum of three hundred and fifty points."

"-What's the mystery prize...?" Mio can't help but ask. She seems a little perturbed by the whole setup of the place, eyeing the guns uneasily. Renji turns his pale gaze to her, his painstaking smile lingering: "My dear lady, I couldn't possibly ruin the surprise."

Kazuya lifts a revolver in either hand - He's already jammed in the bullets, and you're fairly certain he's just going to blaze away, like a gunslinger. Renji arches an eyebrow, but his mild gaze never wavers:

"Now, what would be the gentleman's pleasure?"

[ ] "Revolver."
[ ] "*Two* revolvers."
[ ] "Rifle."
[ ] "Actually, I'll have the lady take a turn."
[ ] "...On second thought, perhaps another time."
[ ] Free

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>34786950
Psst. The Sword bits are a direct modification of the interceptor system.

Think of it this way: MOST people expressed interest in some parts of the proposed expenses (weapons and Leukocyte) while only SOME people were interested in bits of any kind. The direct opposition of a handful to the bits need not come into this at all, either way the bits fail to pass.

>>34786974
Its a mini-hellion in a drone instead of a robot. Same fake-laser weaponry, et all. Its not that great. and.... I think you're wrong, its an entirely new drone model that's unlocked and manufactured for us, like the guns. see >>34786845

If it was our bits, but modified, they wouldn't be seperately sized.

And you're forgetting that artifacts get custom artifact modules - we can put a hellion AI in the lucifer bits (if it doesn't have one already)

>>34786997
>[ ] "Rifle."

>>34786997

(To clarify, Kazuya's splitting his twelve shots between two guns each. He doesn't get twenty-four shots.)

>>34786997
Two revolvers.

>>34786997
We failed with the rifle last time. Time to go with our heart:
>[X] "*Two* revolvers."

"Hey Kazu, it's that jerk from the Manor."

>>34786997
You know, it'd be hilarious to see how Mio fares.

>[ ] "Actually, I'll have the lady take a turn."

Even if I have a feeling that those prizes might be of interest for us, considering that we are the biggest target...

>>34786997
>[ ] "*Two* revolvers."

>>34786997
>Joker-kun, why does your daddy let you have *two* revolvers?

>>34787025
>And you're forgetting that artifacts get custom artifact modules - we can put a hellion AI in the lucifer bits (if it doesn't have one already)
Lucifer Sword bits?
NOW you have my interest.

>>34786997
>[ ] Free

"Well, mio, do you want to find out? I'll take a revolve - TWO revolvers. One for me, and.... one for her. " Turn to mio "If you want to try. You don't have to, if you want to just watch "

>>34787076
Best option.

>>34787076
She doesn't want to do it. Don't force her to.

>>34787076
>>34787088
Not if you want to win the prize. Besides, she doesn't like this place much.

>>34787025
>>34787069
>And you're forgetting that artifacts get custom artifact modules - we can put a hellion AI in the lucifer bits (if it doesn't have one already)
The upgrade system doesn't work like that at all. The interceptor system as a whole is what is altered by the Foundry options. The Lucifer Bits are a separate upgrade that the options currently there would not affect.

If it CAN be upgraded, it'll have its own list that may or may not cross over with the regular interceptor upgrades.

>>34787069

yeah. All the shit about unlocking research pays double for lucifer bits.

THey get custom Artifact Modules, AND benefit from research.

>>34787069
Well, fucking vote for them next time! They're amazing!

>>34787100
>>34787105
If she doesn't want to, guys, we take both revolvers, and shot one at a time - or let her have one shot, go 'eh, i did it once, here boyfriend!' and... still outshoot kazuya with 11 rounds.

Giving her a choice, and engaging her - making her know we're shooting the teddy bear for HER - is the right move in this date-like sitaution

(Gentlemen, a quick question:

So you're selecting two revolvers, and asking if Mio wants one?)

>>34787125
>>34787125
Its been I while since I have been on the thread but I will vote for lucifer bits. If I see the thread in time.
Glad to see you guys have started researching hellions more though. Did you get the thing that lets you summon them yet?

>>34786712
Wasn't the vote swayed in favor of Lucifer Bits?

>>34787163
...How confident are we about our ability to handle two revolvers?
I mean, it's no issue in the Red, but IRL it might be too hard.

If we are only confident in handling one, we ask Mio first. If she wants to take a shot, we take two revolvers.
Otherwise we take two and then ask Mio.

>>34787180
Ah well. They can always be gotten next time

>>34787163
Personally not inclined, though making the offer would be nice. I think winning the mystery prize outright is a better idea.

>>34787172
It's 40 Hollow Sun charge to unlock the ability to summon one type. We've got slightly less expensive things to unlock first.

>>34787180
Not at all.

>>34787114

Look again. Its in the Relic Module section.

Relics only get a single alteration - so no corsair AND sword bits at a single time, for example.

Its more of a sidegrade , that we get one of at a time, and can maybe turn off/swap - than an upgrade.

Which is, again, a point in favor of the lucifer bits - Its both a straight upgrade, comes with the equivalent of a Mimetic Adaptor, and might actually benefit from interceptor system modules too, because Relics are always awesome.

>>34787163
Yes.
And if she doesn't, we use one, then swap - unless we're badass enough to use two.

There's no reason to gunslinger like an idiot, when we can just change to a fully loaded one isntead of reloading.
>>34787172
No sir. We got pigeonholed into voting for weapons instead :(

>>34787163
I think we generally go for the gallant protector appearance rather than egalitarian with Mio. Let's just get down and dirty with the guns ourself.

>>34787194
Err, sorry, meant "winning the mystery prize outright and ricocheting the extra shots into the back of Ruler's head" is a better idea.

>>34787163

How about no. We want to win.

>>34787210
>:(
Please get a trip so that we can all filter you.

>>34786323
>(Not yet. I'll consider it for a future upgrade, but the issue is that quality of the item produced by the grinder is also reliant on a die-roll.

Hey, can we use the terminus scanner to upgrade relics to level 2?

Now that argent isn't taking our calls, and getting ready to die, we don't really have a relic upgrade service anymore. Seems like the kinda thing it would be good at

>>34787210
> :(
Stop that.

And no, you weren't pidgeonholed, you were outvoted outright.

>>34787163
Just start gunning. Don't use both revolvers at once if it's difficult.

>>34787194
>>34787210
Well at least the charge seems to be building faster these days and I cant find it in my heart to be mad or disappointed at more guns.

>>34787244
There was no vote, anon. It was a bunch of people shitposting.

>>34787250

At least fucking commit to using them in battle.

We've used literally two of them ever.

>>34787253
We don't do final destination style voting on upgrades. Or talking. Or on combat decisions. Instead we vote with our discussion, and the discussion was in favor of weapons and upgrading the satellite and much less in favor of bits.

I'm sorry that you didn't get what you wanted. Please get over it.

>>34787263
Don't worry. We'll be using a heavy weapon after the research.
Also, the Hellion weapons aren't the only ones that we barely use.
Just look at our Vulcans. They've been completely overshadowed.

We really need more level-ups...

>>34787263
We can always give them to the hellions. Plus it gives us the opportunity to do an even longer Russian joker vendor joke. What thread was that again? That was roughly where I last participated.

>>34787326
Episode guide's still in the OP.

>>34787326
>That was roughly where I last participated
Holy shit, you missed shittons of stuff.
Have you been reading the threads?

>>34787237

Filter is a cancer. Entitled assholes who are too babied to grow a thick skin.

>>34787308
We need less levelups, really. the problem is we're so totally spread thing.

What we really need is to do Kamen Rider style weapon swapping, and use the best one for any given target.

That being said, I'm okay with the vulcans being overshadowed. they're pretty good, and they're better when boosted; but we have other options that don't take meter, or booster to be good.

Double Tau Gun with Emulation is currently a favorite.

Being able to one-hand heavy weapons now is going to be a game-changer though.

I think the gravity cannon's going to make a resurgence, because lets face it, its hard to dodge when you're fighting gravity - and it makes other weapons better.

>>34787381
Wait, you LIKE obsolete weapons?

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>>34787034
>>34787046
>>34787065
>>34787066

> "*Two* revolvers."

"-It's all the rage, I suppose," Renji murmurs, as an aside. "Very well! Gentlemen, *prepare!"

...He's kind of got that master-of-ceremonies voice going on again. Your hands curl around the grips of the weapons - They're surprisingly heavy pieces, pieces that look disturbingly real: You're not sure if this is entirely legal, to tell the truth. Still, they're not that poorly balanced - Though you won't have any idea how well they work, until you're actually firing.

"Anon-kun, good luck~" Mio says - She's taking an interest, now, though there's vaguely bemused 'Boys will be boys' expression to her...As if she'll never understand the universal male fascination with weapons.

"Good luck, she says," Kazuya sighs - He shoots you a sidelong glance. "...That makes me kind of jealous, actually." Still, he's smiling again - His fingers twitching hungrily on the triggers. "-I'll go easy on you, Anon. Don't want to embarass you in front of Mio, and all..."

...Yep, he's just going to blaze away.

ROUND 1:

SHOTS - 6

[ ] Targets - 10 points. (Difficulty: Easy)
[ ] Animatronics - 20 points. (Difficulty: Normal)
[ ] Clowns - 30 points. (Difficulty: Hard)
[ ] Joker - 50 points. (Difficulty: Very Hard.)

(Gentlemen - The following is a minigame. Please allocate your first six shots accordingly.)

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>34787376
Nope. But I am assuming that things got worse, we got dismembered several more times and there were many silly decisions regarding pretty lady's which may or may not have come back to kick us in the teeth yet.

I'm going to get around to it eventually.

>>34787392

Re-read that.

>>34787381
Boosting doesn't increase vulcan damage, it increases their armor penetration.

>>34787415
One Joker 5 Animatronics

>>34787415
Okay, just reading up the explanation again.

>>34787419

haha holy shit, someone catch this guy up

(Gentlemen - The following is a minigame. Please allocate your first six shots accordingly.)
> Though you won't have any idea how well they work, until you're actually firing.

Ranging Shot time - the first bullet to get a sense for the gun. YOu fire it, and after that have a *sense* for it. Its a real thing, and prevalent for snipers - and that's the joker's modus.

1: Animatronics. ranging shot - targets are too easy, and we like a challenge.
2: Clowns. Walk the fire.
3: targets. easy shot, waiting to draw a bead...
4: Bag that joker when it pops up. Right in the head.
5: Clowns
6: Clowns or animatroncs, depending on how many are still up

>>34787415
Shoot the Joker twice and go for the clowns four times.

Remember to breathe out and hold when you shoot, and aim for where they're going to be.

>>34787415
Let's see.
There are two passes.
There is one Joker in each pass.
300 is the biggest price. We have twelve shots in total, six per pass.
We would need six Jokers to get to 300.
Or ten Clowns. If we miss two clowns, we are fucked. If we miss one, we can compensate with two Animatronics.

So, aim all six shots at clowns.

>>34787419
Just note that we are now eating for two.

>>34787477
This guy used logic. I'm >>34787472 and suggest following his advice with the ranging shot mixed in.

>>34787424
Yes, and?

Reducing armor mitigation increases damage that otherwise would be there?
Also higher velocity means more trauma, and force impacted to target.

Don't just spout pasta, think about how it works.

The end result is that boosted vulcans DO do more damage.

>>34787461
Ranging shot at an easy target is a good idea.
Let's aim for 300 points, though.
If we get one or two Jokers, we'll have a good edge.
So, seconding your suggestions.

>>34787477
>our mystery prize is the princely sum of three hundred and fifty points.
We're going to need to do a little better than that.

>>34787415
1 Anamatronic to get a sense for how it fires, then the next 5 at Clowns, switching as many shots as possible over to Jokers if they pop up near where our gun is already sighted. Having to whip our aim around to re-focus on a Joker is going to throw us off our game, so make the Jokers targets of opportunity.

>>34787510
>the point

>your post

Congratulations, you confirm the worst stereotypes about Joker Quest players.

>>34787477
>>34787514

I feel like these guys have a plans - clowns are a right move, but there's just a satisfaction in nailing a joker - and... we have two spare bullets. If we miss a clown, well, we can always nail a joker, right?

Its kinda like.... fate, for the joker to be bagging himself :0

>>34787535
>We're going to need to do a little better than that.
Shit.
I really want that price.

>inb4 "Now I will save you TWICE, Joker!"

>>34787461
Ill read over it on my own. I only came to look at the upgrades right now, I'm not even reading the story.
>>34787486
There are a lot of things that could mean, so I am going to assume the worst and guess that some horrible monster impregnated Joker.

>>34787544
>:0
We told you to cut that out.

>>34787553
>There are a lot of things that could mean, so I am going to assume the worst and guess that some horrible monster impregnated Joker.
To be fair, it's only our soul that got impregnated.
We are now incubating a golden pimp hand.

>>34787561
There are worse things to be incubating.

>>34787553
Remember the ultimate armor in the Hollow Sun? It's replaced the Helix Gauntlet with the Gauntlet of Midas, and it's going to get stronger as Joker does.

>>34787542

What, that they play dota?

DPS through armor-reduction is, like, the most common video game thing.

>>34787461

Go with this one, actually.

>>34787575
>DPS through armor-reduction is, like, the most common video game thing.
It really depends on the specific armor system.
Not all armor systems work as damage reduction. Some flat-out ignore damage.
In those systems, there are plenty of unarmored targets. Against those targets, there is no point in using armor penetrating weapons.
Worst case, armor types are used, which have rock-paper-scissors interactions. In those systems, armor-penetrating weapons over-penetrate when attacking an unarmored target. This means that they actually do less damage.

>>34787561
Could you stop with the meme spouting? Even if it's internal and most of us get you it still sounds retarded, like the hat thing. It's dumb as fuck.

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>>34787542

Uh, hate to break it to you, but that's actually not arguing over which anime chick is best girl or not

>>34787461
>>34787477

Alright. Fusion plan go.

Clown (ranging)
Clown
Joker
Clown
Clown
Clown?

+/- some leeway to JQOP's rule of cool, the situation, and the plans that went itno this?

>>34787614
The worst stereotype is that they don't read.

>>34787632
Actually, I think the system might grant us modifiers depending on how hard the chosen progression is.
This means that we have to keep up a flow. Using a simple target before firing at the Joker sounds like a good idea, because it's easier than doing two hard shots after another.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH6b_lSQst0
Clowny clown clown!

>>34787593
Switching quickly from the closest range target to the farthest between 3-4 is an absolutely terrible plan.

It'd end up getting us 50% of the way to our point total if we aced it, but from an actual shooting standpoint it's impractical.

>>34787632
We'd be fine starting out with a couple automata and scaling up to Clowns/Jokers once we have a feel for it, but any changes in range should be done gradually.

>>34787633
Excuse me, but I'm illiterate. Could you make a vocal recording of your post so I can listen to it?

>>34787650

(Gentlemen, my sincerest apologies. There's a substantial backlog of posts - I lost the connection for a moment - and there are many, many permutations of shots.

Would you mind if, alternatively - Each of you voted for one bullet, and I took the first six posts?)

>>34787664
and put on a trip so I can filter it, too?

>>34787682
I guess we can do that.

First needs to be the ranging shot, though.

And everyone remember the 350 goal. We need at least one Joker to make this doable.

>>34787664
At least we can usually be counted on to have a sense of humor.

>>34787691
Though there are always exceptions.

>>34787682
I'd ask that you go with >>34787477 if you don't mind.

>>34787709
>I'd ask that you go with >>34787477 (You) if you don't mind.
Eh, that's based on a 300 goal.
Turns out that 350 is our goal. So we need a different plan.

>>34787682
Just run with >>34787477. No point in doing another vote, there's broad agreement.

(Gentlemen, to clarify, there isn't a limit to the number of times that the Joker shows up. It is simply an extremely difficult target to hit.

This may have been a mistake, and I apologize for slowing things down.)

>>34787682

I think there's pretty substantial agreement - do a ranging shot at an easy target - but try to play to WIN.

Whether that comes from going for clowns, and making up misses with easier targets, or getting ahead with a shot at the joker.... really, its just a matter of how risky we're feeling, and I trust JQOP to understand the vibe and minigame better than us.

no need to target bullets individually. Just go for a theme instead?

>>34787726
as he says, 350 - to win the ultimate prize - needs two jokers, one in each pass, and some other stuff.

Upvote and quote if you're down

>>34787701
Theoretically we could get it with one anamatronic and 11 clowns, but the minimum-risk plan isn't really a Joker-y way of going about things.

Except for the part where we shoot a lot of clowns, I guess.

>>34787682
I think there's a pretty clear consensus that we start out by establishing how the gun fires with something mid-range and then slowly go for longer-range targets, sticking mostly to Clowns and occasional Jokers once sighted.

>>34787743
>(Gentlemen, to clarify, there isn't a limit to the number of times that the Joker shows up. It is simply an extremely difficult target to hit.

I don't see how that changes our plan

>>34787477
except with going for Jokers when we have a good opportunity instead of Animatronics;

to get 350 we'd need to land all 12 shots on clowns (360 total), and that means going for clowns exclusively, and nothing else - or bagging a joker just cuz and making up the difference

>>34787726
Ah, true, misread the line about six Jokers. We're going to need to hit several.

>>34787744
>Upvote and quote
Jesus just stop.

>>34787763
>Except for the part where we shoot a lot of clowns, I guess.

alright, i laughed

fucking joker quest, turning canival games into an intense strategic planning session.

>>34787477

(All right, I'll go with this one. Locking in, gentlemen: Give me a moment to make the rolls.)

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>>34787802
good luck and good shooting, tex! I'm on the edge of my seat here. Just think of all that booty awaiting us!

>>34787780
Going for ten clowns and two Jokers is safer than twelve clowns. With twelve clowns we're SOL if we miss even one, but with ten clowns and two Jokers we can miss one.

>>34787800
Anything in this quest might influence the end of the world.
Girls, graffiti, carneval games...

>>34787843
Yeah, true. Bring out your best booty gifs to sway the dice gods and appease the questmaster, then!

>>34787860
It once worked in Fate/Stay Again, but I'm not eager to try it here.

>>34787926
We fucking told you the Whores of Babylon thing was coincidence the first time. Remind me how many failures it took before you admitted it?

>>34787802
I will say, I like the message that staring straight at Renji and shooting six clowns in a row sends.

>>34787959

Wait, what?

I remember that phrase from another quest, but i'm not the guy behind it.

It had something to do with the tgdice, though, which i'm fairly certain JQop doesn't use himself, so .... not actually relevant?

just because someone posted butts doesn't mean its a whore, anon

>>34787996
He was referring to me.
I made a joke about summoning the dice gods with "whores of babylon" in Fate/Stay Again.
Funnily enough, it worked the first few times. So I suspected that the system might be influenced by images.
Further testing proved that it wasn't true.

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>>34787802

You level the revolver, drawing a bead on the target - It's strange how different it is from the Red World. Players don't need to breathe, and the awareness of your form is a distant, icy thing...

CRACK.

Your first shot goes wide - The revolver pulls a bit to the left.

CRACK. CRACK. CRACK

You compensate. Your next two shots - In rapid succession - riochet off the clowns, making them articulate rigidly; their arms spreading in ghastly death-convulsions, made all the more so by their stiffness. It's distracting, and your third shot goes wide - The revolver, you realize, isn't quite as good at long range.

CRACK.

A glancing hit, but it still counts. The round skips off the bars, cracks against a grinning clown, and pinballs merrily into the depths of the gallery.

CRACK.

Your last shot is perfectly placed - It riochets off a clown's lurid skull, and sets the carousel ringing.

(4 hits - 120 points.)

The revolver clicks empty - It doesn't actually have a hammer, but the sound is a close approximation. The world seems to blur before your field of vision - Kazuya's alternating shots, both guns raised...He's probably doing it more for the novelty than anything else, to be honest, though you hear the brassy crash of a direct hit on the Joker.

Reality shimmers at the edges-

-Not *now*-

But the call is inexorable, and the Red comes surging in like a tide. The Shroud is thin, here; The bleedthrough comes in the space between one breath and the next - The spires of Arcadia shimmering into existence around you, a brief, confused sensation of falling-

Then the grand CRASH of demenses colliding, like God playing dice with the world. All else vanishes in a haze of emerald light, before your HUD can do more than register the high-energy buildup-

(Continued)

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>>34788045
>like God playing dice with the world

>>34788045
See?
We should have told Mio.
Well, we can still tell her afterwards.

Fuck, this is the Bishamon fight, isn't it?

>>34788078
He totally does--they're just loaded.

>>34788045
WE'RE ZONING OUT

I FUCKING TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

>>34788045
That's pretty rough; we'd need to hit at least 3 Jokers next round to even have a chance at the grand prize, and a 4th Joker to not have to go 6/6.

...Unless it doesn't matter and we wake up from this fight having already finished our shooting gallery. If Zoned-out Kouichi is a calm and collected Kendo god, maybe Zoned-out Anon will pick up the slack.

>>34785106
Who the fuck is Calcite Arrow?

>>34788273
IIRC He's the guy who shot a pillar at us during the Smiler raid.

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>>34788273

STAGE: TIR NA NÓG

Beneath your feet - White tile. On all sides - Raised walls of white marble, several meters thick, ringed by curving spikes so barbed and rethwart that the resemble the inside of a bear-trap.

In your ears - Cheers. No, more than cheers - Chanting. They're chanting a name-

"-GIS, AE-GIS, AE-GIS-"

The stands are filled with spectators - Vague humanforms, genderless, faceless, very much like the simulation bodies. They're half-cohered, like overlapping shadows given form but not feature - But they cheer all the same, a great roar coming up as a shadow spreads across the ground...

Adamant Aegis lands, retro-thrusters flaring, the backwash of his descent sweeping the proud crimson of his cape around him, like the great flag of himself. He is regal in silver and red and gold, optic sensors glowing behind the raised grille of his helmet - His lance in one hand...

-But it's his shield that captures your eye, first. It is almost as large as himself, bearing the grand shape of his Hyades Emblem: You can hear the slight hum of suspensors when he hefts it, which tells of the sheer strength it takes to lift. The symbol is repeated on the unbroken ground below, ebony against white - A rather grandiose gesture, you can't help but think.

"Joker." His voice is brassy - Unseen speakers capture his words, and blast them at you from all directions in a wave of sound.

JOKER

THERE IS A TIME

FOR ALL THINGS

The sound is too vast to be called speech: It is as if the entire arena itself is roaring at you.

A TIME FOR PEACE

A TIME FOR WAR

A TIME TO LOVE

AND A TIME TO KILL

(Continued)

>>34788300
>silver and red and gold
Hey, he has almost all of our colors!

>>34788300
My god, imagine if we had the Distortion Cannon already.

>>34788300
But Aegis... love IS war.

>>34788300

Fire crawls along the outer rim of the Colosseum - Climbing, converging into a giant burning arrow: An arrow that points exactly at where he stands, as Adamant Aegis's helmet locks in place. As the crowd dies down to a mutter, so does his voice - Which sounds oddly embryonic without the boost.

"Joker - None have breached this shield."

"-Will you be the one?"

HP: 259.2%
COBALT BOOSTER: 150%
ASSAULT SHROUD: 150%
METER: 15%

TIER ONE WEAPONRY UNLOCKED

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>34788381
Argus scan him first. What are his energy readings? I have two ideas, both nasty. If we get high energy readings from the shield, then activate Sotto Voca and blow it up.

If not, then "Adamant Aegis, Exec_Dictum: Pirouette." And activate the Axel Grips to cut off his legs while his back is turned.

>>34788381
This guy is completely bonkers.

"So, you stand still while I try to break your shield? Is that the deal?"

If not, boost back with our new thrusters. Then start shooting with dual Taus.
Though Vulcans are more likely to get an incidental hit. We need something that goes around the shield...
Interceptors could come in handy later on.

>>34788426
I believe we have our first target for the AEW.

Better test the waters first, so pull out Double Tau and shoot.

>>34788462
>AEW
?

>>34788490
He wants to use Leukocyte.

>>34788426
>"Joker - None have breached this shield."
>
>"-Will you be the one?"
It's not a super-light, super-strong alloy; it's a big, strong, heavy bulwark, and he's relying on the strength of his frame to use it properly. Disabling his ability to maneuver with his shield is as good as eliminating the shield. We don't need to breach it if we can make it a liability.

Deploy Bits, have them circle around and focus fire on the joints of the limb holding up his shield. Make him turn to deal with them, or get eaten up from afar.

Blasting through isn't going to be doable head-on.

>>34788426
Yell out, "Dammit, people! I'm on a fucking date here!"
>Engage Leukocyte

>>34788455
Fuck that noise. Let's, just once, for fucks sake NOT play the other guys game?

>And Brave Sir Joker RAN AWAY!

Make him come to us.

>>34788516
I wonder if we could remove his head with EXEC_SMITE...

Though I'd wager that indirect attacks are better than hitscan here.

AEW makes sense if the dude barely moves.

>>34788552
Yes, let's use our super-weapon and give away information about ourselves.

Or, maybe not? Perhaps we should gauge the situation first?

>>34788552
Absolutely not, to both.

>>34788552
You know, that would be fucking hilarious.
But first we need to know more about his style.

>>34788490
Kinetic Anti-Emplacement Weapon. I'm not saying we should, but it would be interesting to mark his shield, stop him with Exec_Dictum and see if he can block an orbital strike.

>>34788554
This. We've got range, he doesn't. Lets bring all guns to bear and just move backwards. Play this smart.

Only go in when we have the annihilator ready to roll out.

>>34788560
Let's save the AEW for when it can't be tracked. Not on some gimmick ass mid-level schmuck.

Out-defend him, see what he has when people aren't trying to break his shield. Maybe an opening appears when he attacks.

Taking a shower now.
Please don't die and don't waste the essence that we could be earning.

>>34788560
No it doesn't. The AEW will blow away the entire stage, us included. It even says in the description that using it at close range is a dumb move.

>>34788589
Well, we don't know WHAT he has. But take the hit and counter-attack is his obvious go-to.

But we're the Joker, we dick around. At the least, we can build up charge while we do it. If we draw it out a bit and play it conservatively, we can nuke him with our regular shit. Singularity, much?

>Build up infinite charge by attacking the shield from range!

>>34788621
Singularity would take away all the delicious essence and I think we're just about to get a level-up.

>>34788440
Seconding these. Do not be baited. Do not use Leukocyte in close quarters.

>>34788621
>Draw it out
>not realizing we're losing points with Mio as we zone out

>>34788621

Yeah. Crowd Control.

Pin him down, but don't press him. The only strike that matters is the one that knocks him out. Also, keep in mind Sybil powers. Fucking haxxxxx.

Remember that time we fought a city full of guys because we were morons?

>>34788643
We haven't lost Mio points before. If anything, we're LESS of a fuck-up when we're absent from ourselves.

>In b4 how we do here, determines how we do on our date.

>>34788643
Time doesn't flow in a linear way within the Red. This fight could last hours and we'd be back in the Real within seconds or spend 3 minutes nuking the guy and return an hour later. There is no way to control it.

>>34788621
>But we're the Joker, we dick around.
No we don't. That gets us killed in stupid ways and makes us look dumb.

>>34788672
Yes, but our actions in the red have an effect on our "luck" IRL.

Like I said, let's play this smart and WIN THE SECRET PRIIIIIIIZE!

Hey, uh... why is no one suggesting we scan the guy? See what his strengths are? >>34788440 is the only person thinking about it.

>>34788673
Dick around = Do unpredictable shit that makes people scream "Hax!"

Sometimes, it's stupid it turns out. So far, though, it's mostly been awesome.

>>34788673
Not really. Joker has always been an entertainer that snarked his way through battles. It's not dicking around that fucks us over, but making bad decisions. The two are not one and the same.

>>34788722
Scan, evade, and harass at range. No reason we can't do all three at once.

>>34788723
You... haven't actually been paying attention have you.

So, why are we not starting things off by scorching our Joker symbol onto his shield?

>>34788736
It's when we don't dick around we get our asses handed to us. I repeat, remember the time we tried to fight an entire city?

>>34788739 adding vote to this.

>>34788741
Don't shit up the thread, tinydick. We got a battle to fight. Do you have any suggestions, or . . . .?

>>34788749 I like it. Lets see what happens!

>>34788693
It's not our actions that affect "luck", but how much essence we lose and gain in battle. In that case, staying at safe range to take less damage while dealing more is beneficial.

>>34788788
I've made two suggestions. >>34788440

Fuck this guy, we don't have time for this. Burning Joker, emulate Immolator, and pound him into the ground with boosted ap rounds.

>>34788440

Your Argus Sensor sweeps across him, for an initial reading - To the system, Adamant Aegis is lit up from within. There is an absurdly high-energy reading in his lance; It appears to have it's own internal reactor, something battleship-class. His cloak, too, holds a significant charge...Or perhaps it's just the reason why his cape billows dramatically around him as he turns.

His shield is a black hole. Nothing gets through - It is made of some superdense material, a material that actually warps the fabric of time and space around him...It might be solid adamantite, as befits his name. You can't read anything about it - Though the primary reactor in his torso, the secondary reactor next to his spine, both have the high output you'd expect from an advanced Player.

>>34788455
>>34788462
>>34788550

The Emulator module pulses - The blunt, brutal ingot of your Tau Gun sketching itself into existence, the solid weight settling into your grasp. The Tempest Scrander at your back ignites, as your fists close around the grips of original and copy alike - Levelling them squarely at Adamant Aegis...

You fire. The air blurs, as twin antimatter projectiles cross the distance - A distorted ripple, a half-seen blast that makes reality scream in opposition-

Adamant Aegis heaves his shield into position. He's not making any attempt to evade: He's taking the attack head-on. With a stationary target, you can't miss - You can actually *see* them converge in the split-second before impact, the sheathing of the twin blasts gouging deep furrows into the tiles underfoot...

-Then nothing.

Nothing.

You *hit* him, but - No explosion. Your shots are just *gone.*

>>34788554
>>34788589

"Very well, Joker - I come for you!"

(Continued)

>>34788758
We misdirected his attention to a warehouse we vacated while we infiltrated his underground base.

Remember what happens when we DO dick around? Kraken, both times and Ixion. We only won all of those fights because OP softballed it.

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>>34788865
Hmm...ya know, this might be interesting.

Let's build up charge and see what happens when the Singularity Cannon hits his shield.

>>34788921
Only the fact you posted that picture convinces me you're not actually that dumb.

>>34788939
Oh no, I am. I'm just that weird type of dumb that is fully aware the idea is stupid.

I'm genuinely curious. Like a cat or some shit.

>>34788960
>>34788939
Can we come up with a good plan now? Maximum Joker seems like a good idea.

>>34788960
That's the best kind of dumb. Like wondering what happens if we accidentally get caught in the Tachyon Disintegrator beam, thereby removing ourselves from the timestream and unfiring the Tachyon Disintegrator.

>>34788865

Thrusters at Aegis's back ignite - His cloak scattering apart in a swirl of motes, a crimson cloud that spreads out before him. Even individual particle registers on your Argus system, like a haze of chaff: Keeping coherence until they drift out of range, like petals born on the breeze.

Adamant Aegis accelerates. His speed is shocking: There's a clap as he breaks the sound barrier. But his linear charge makes him predictable - He's going to come at you like a charging bull, and you know it. Your Abruption Jets fling you to the side, as your Tau Guns cycle - The charging coils already building the next shot. The tracking lasers sear across the distance, before he can recover; They slash lines into his armor, as he rockets past - But when you fire again, he swings his shield into place-

BRAKK

Nothing - Again! Your shots simply vanish in the instant before contact - Aegis's lance stabbing out in your direction, the span of the arena away. The hideous high-energy hum builds, builds...

"SING, GARUDA!"

You're already moving, as - From far, far away - there is a small, bright *flash*. A tiny dot of the purest light, incandescently bright: Growing bigger, bigger, brighter and longer and closer, until you can see that it's the flaming edge of huge expanding blast, a pillar of hungry sunfire-

Your Interceptors flit into the air like knives, spiralling towards Adamant Aegis - Tempest Scrander burning with momentary blue flame, afterburners hurling you away, ahead of the death-blast...

And then there's the electronic squeal of feedback, as your Interceptors - All of them - are engulfed. A deep, hideous gouge appears in the ground, and the far wall explodes: A hail of marble chunks riocheting out in every direction at once, rebounding from the crackling wedge of your Sinistral, slowed by your inertia field - One of them clangs hollowly from your helmet, another off your pauldron, your limbs stinging with strength as you surge to safety-

(Continued)

>>34788987
Maximum Joker is only useful if we're forced into close Combat. As of now we should use our new knee thrusters to maneuver around the field while testing his abilities and defenses.

>>34788987
It's an even worse idea. If we close and he can do to us what he can do to the shots, he wins.

The high energy readings all over him convinces me that both parts of >>34788440 are good ideas.

>>34788993
We'd be removed from the timestream and the Tachyon Disintegrator would have been fired. We simply would have ceased to exist before the beam struck.

>>34789030
Banning Tau Gun for the rest of the fight. Not working.

>>34789041
>Close combat

Guys, the best thing we can do right now is get inside of his guard. Get between him and his shield, and he won't be able to do a damn thing.

>>34789078
Except use the shield to erase Joker if he touches us with it.

We're fast, but not THAT fast.

>>34789030

He was aiming at your Interceptors. More, he was *deliberately* aiming at your Interceptors - Ensuring he got them all - instead of sweeping the blast across to engulf you. The beam dies away, as Aegis growls beneath his breath - His silver armor gleaming in the light, as he turns to face you through a haze of vaporized stone.

"Come, Joker!" The rim of his shield grinds against the ground. His lance fizzles, smoking as the fusion cartridge discharges - It continues to glow red-hot, as he lowers it. A one-shot weapon? A hold-out? Either way, he's not going to be doing that again.

Heat-warnings flicker on your HUD - You've evaded most of it, his great blast falling short-

"-Come, and kill me if you can!"

HP: 242.6%
COBALT BOOSTER: 127%
ASSAULT SHROUD: 126%
METER: 18%

INTERCEPTORS DESTROYED

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>34789095
He's obviously protected from that effect on his side of it, else it'd be impossible to use the damn thing. Besides, he risks himself just as much as us with that maneuvar.

As for fast...well, we got some upgrades for that, I think.

>>34789078
Joker is not a good CQC fighter, genius. The best we can hope to do is DOUBLE HAMMER him with the Midas Gauntlet and a Crisis Arm. And he may be though enough to get up after that. We need to check if his shield works against Kinetic weapons first.

>>34789112
Hmm...throw a Swarm at him. It'll blind him, and then we can use our new boosters to get between him and his shield. His things will be useless then.

>>34788664
>We haven't lost Mio points before. If anything, we're LESS of a fuck-up when we're absent from ourselves.

Actually, whenever we're around mio, the correctors show up to team-battle with us.

So.... combined with our glimpse of the red, she may actually be spectating.

>>34789112

(Gentlemen, my apologies. I forgot the image.)

>>34789123

(You can actually use the Emulator module to clone the Crisis Arm - So you can punch someone with two Crisis Arms at once.)