ARCADE SESSION: REBOOTED

[Guest]

i got nothing for actually getting us out of this horrendous situation, but if we can miraculously manage to take down the enemy tcp, no kill commands, alright? we talk them into going rogue, and then we basically have a sixth tcp on our side. this accomplishes both compassion and being incredibly rude to marmite over there

no i don't think that would work, you can't just instantly talk a tcp over like that and besides its a weapon type it would probably just blast our face off before we even have the time to say "h"

[MattedFont]

Running might be the best option here.

[Guest]

"do you have anything that can help with the bleeding? try pressing your clothes against it
also keep your tazer ready, they can't fire while tazered"

i have a plan that might just work
we already know that the tcp hunting us is a weapon type right?
what we know about them is that they are dangerous but have very low health, this one has been firing for a while already so its hp must be already 0

i say we >KILL them
just the command should already be enough and i don't think we will be getting away from this in any other way

[Dzib 9001]

then we basically have a sixth tcp

it's a lot more complicated than that, it's less "we have 6" more he has 4.

[cosmo]

how far can the stun gun fire from? if we can fire from outside of the darkness bubble, try doing that and then making a break for it. also once we are far enough away that we can do so safely, please quickly >check echo. i think knowing how much health she has left is important. i think kill commands are a bad idea, we can argue about it morally but from a strategic standpoint it feels like it would be a bad idea too. Mainly cause im more worried about making an enemy of 6Q and i feel like using a kill command so early in the game feels like a Really easy way to get on their bad side. and we do Not want that.

i'll probably make another post with a better plan when my eyes are hurting less but here's a starter strategy and a reason NOT to use the kill command.

[King-Clod]

First things first- we aren't using a kill command. That much is certain.

Tell Echo to try to stop the bleeding with her conductors hat, and to have the Guardian Bat swarm and distract the enemy TCP. She has the animal handling skill, she should be able to direct the bat to do that.

After the hat is secured, ask her to use her stealth skills to get behind the biggest crystal in the room- with the fluid trail leading south, and the Guardian Bat buying us time to get there, that should help us get the TCP off of our trail.

When/if the TCP isn't right around the corner, I'd suggest continuing further east. That should be the quickest route back to base.

[1011686]

The tcp is likely around here

I don't think Echo should make a break for the big crystal, the other tcp's too close and would see her. Also given how close it is, I don't think Echo will be able to do more with the hat then just hold it against the wound and catch any fluid, so that's what she'll have to do.
Tell her to run south while covering her wound and that the most important thing is that she find places to move to or hide behind that are out of the other tcp's sight, but before she does that, drop the mothy-talkie on the ground. We can talk through it when the other tcp gets close, which will hopefully distract and delay them a bit, and at best give us a chance to talk to them. If they end up getting too close, we should send the guardian bat to attack them. It's a bat, so it should be able to see through the darkness and tell where the other tcp is just fine.

Meanwhile, we need to tell Pickle to create something that his TCP can remotely control, teach them to use it, and have them direct over to where we are quickly. That's square F6, and I would suggest something like a remote-controlled car that has like, a web or glue shooter. He should be able to make that, he just needs to think of it.

Also I don't think a kill command would work, you still need to land a killing blow no matter how much health the other tcp is on and Echo is in no shape to get close enough to do that. I also don't think MRM is sadistic/cocky enough to intentionally drive their own tcp's health to 0 and just hope they don't get targeted, they sound like they care about winning a lot and that doesn't seem like a strategy that would lead to many victories. Also its immoral.

[King-Clod]

I agree with the asking Pickle for backup thing. I think we should hold off on dropping the mothy-talkie, though, that could be useful for ally TCPs or the Kobolds.

[knux400]

Echo, head south and hide. Take your hat off and put it over the wound, that should make it less drippy.
Right. I th
 

ERROR: LOST CONNECTION. RETURNING TO NEXT AVAILABLE TCP.

"Alright, I made the drone, and Stitch is flying it over there now. You said F6, right?"
"Yeah, F6."
"Right, it's on its way now."

"...Oh."
"Oh what?"
"...Uh..."
"What is it?"
"I'm there. I mean, the drone is there. Stitch can see the enemy TCP. It, uh... I mean, I'm just interpreting what Stitch is saying, but- well maybe? No, I don't know. Um... What kind of TCP did you have again?"
"...A bat type."
"Oh, gods. Okay. Um, so like I said, I don't know this for sure, I'm just going off of what Stitch is saying, and I haven't taught her about bats or anything like that, so I could be wrong, but-"
"WHAT?!?"
"D- uh, it... it looks like it's standing over a dead bat. Is what Stitch said. Now, the camera isn't very good on the drone, and like I said, I'm just going off the description Stitch gave me, and it could be a different bat for all I know? I mean, this is a cave, someone could've spawned in, like, NPC bats. For atmosphere. Or it could be something else entirely, like a bird or something? Stitch just said it was a small thing with floppy blankets on its sides, so I kind of took that to mean it had wings, but thinking about it now, it could've been something else. It's definitely dead, though. She said it's not moving and it's bleeding fluid everywhere. Um, can you still hear me? Hello?" [Congrats! You found the secret Easter Egg dialogue I put way too much work into!]
You can't even hear Pickle anymore. Your blood is boiling. You're going to find MRM and rip their fucking head-

CONNECTION RESTORED.
 

hear me? Hello? I think I got away from the TCP, but it killed the guardian bat. Where should I go now?

[victorianflorist]

You've gotta get back to the base Echo. We can't yet you patched up all the way up here.

Good job getting away. That TCP of MRM's is real nasty.

[Guest]

tell pickle to not worry, our tcp is fine also tell him to send the drone to our current location and protect us on echo's way back
we have to scurry back to base, patch echo up somehow and make bullet proof vests asap

[MattedFont]

OH, THANK THE GODS!
Echo, come home! Now!
We need to regroup and figure out how we're going to deal with MRM and their bullshit!

[1011686]

Ask Echo what the other tcp looked like and what it had with it. Then we should zoom out and see where they are on the map. These are my current thoughts:

It would be very strange if MRM's tcp had just randomly wandered away from Pickle's base and encountered Echo by chance. It's possible they had some way of tracking (though being able to find tcps without having to interact with them first seems like it would have an immensely high cost to me), but it seems more likely to me that it was returning to MRM's base and Echo was near that area. We first found Clemont south of our base, and they were traveling upwards when we did, so it seems likely their base is further south. We know where Pickle is, so that leaves one player left. With the other four players spread out in the corners, it seems likely to me that the 5th player will be in the center and Echo might encounter them, but hopefully that won't be too bad. So basically, tell her to head east and to be alert for encountering anyone else along the way.

I think Pickle should keep tailing the other tcp with the drone and try not to lose sight of it. That aura of darkness is not something either us want to be caught off guard about again.

[Guest]

way to waste a drone, it would get shot first thing after it gets close

[1011686]

Well it's not like the drone is particularly valuable, Pickle can just make another. Also, MRM's tcp might still be chasing us, which means that the drone would have to travel past them to get to us anyway. They'd probably shoot it, and if they didn't the drone would lead them to Echo's position. And it doesn't need to get particularly close, it just needs to keep the tcp in sight.

[Guest]

Well it's not like the drone is particularly valuable, Pickle can just make another. Also, MRM's tcp might still be chasing us, which means that the drone would have to travel past them to get to us anyway. They'd probably shoot it, and if they didn't the drone would lead them to Echo's position. And it doesn't need to get particularly close, it just needs to keep the tcp in sight.

good strategy seconding

[King-Clod]

Once you get out of that tunnel head to your left, and keep going that direction. We'll tell you if you need to hide behind anything along the way.

[knux400]

You have to stop and catch your breath for a moment- that was close. Way too close.

"Oh thank fuck."
"That wasn't my TCP, that was just a guardian bat I made for her."
"OH! I'm sorry, like I said, it's hard to make out what's happening just based on a desc-"
"Pickle. Focus. I need to get my TCP out of here, and I need your help."
"...Right! Sorry! Sorry."
"Tell Stitch to keep tailing the enemy TCP with the drone. Have her keep an eye on it and let us know what's happening. If it gets shot down, no big deal. You can just create another one."
"G-got it."
"I think it's still chasing my TCP, so I'm going to try to guide her back to my base."
 

Once you get out of that tunnel, turn left and keep going that direction. I'll let you know if you need to hide behind anything along the way.
...There is no left in this room. The only exits are forward or back the way I came.
Alright, forward then. Head left as soon as you can.
...
Okay, there's a left turn coming up. I think I can lose them if-

what

is that
 

...Okay, no problem, I see another left after that one, I can head there and-

oh
 

"...Seriously? There hasn't been a drop of water in this cave for the entire fucking game!"
"-Oh, uh, well, there's a pool of water just outside my base. I guess there wasn't any over by where you were?"

All you can manage is an annoyed grunt. You check your map to see what Echo's options are- she doesn't seem to know what water even is, much less how to swim in it.
 

[Lilium Mortem]

Well, seems like a thin enough stream, just jump it

[King-Clod]

Oh gosh we really don't want to risk getting water in her open wound, but it doesn't look like we have much of a choice. She'll have to hop where it's thinnest.
Tell her to get a running start and jump like she's about to take off.