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Europareich 2057 - A Cyberpunk CYOA

Major_Blackhart

Codexia Lord Sodom
Patron
Joined
Dec 5, 2002
Messages
18,406
Location
Jersey for now
This is awesome. Go for it man, do whatever. Let's just see those mother fucking results.
 

Erebus

Arcane
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
4,847
Improving the aiming skills of our soldiers is well and good, but less important than improving their discipline, self-control and experience. Being able to shoot a stationary target at 100 feet 9 times out of 10 isn't going to do much good in case of trouble in an urban environment.

Oh well, on the plus side, target practice is probably the safest option.
 

Hellraiser

Arcane
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
11,773
Location
Danzig, Potato-Hitman Commonwealth
The tally is A:3 B:1 C:7 D:8, voting is closed and I'll write you bros an update and post it soon. Until then enjoy this next poorly photoshopped piece of lore/background information on the setting:

brasiliatribune2v1.jpg


You'll get an info-dump on the "current" conflict in Russia sometime between the next two updates.
 

Erebus

Arcane
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
4,847
Having an Indian expert on European politics is an amusing and original shift from today's usual western point of view. :)

Oh, Poland, you never get a break, do you ?
 

Hellraiser

Arcane
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
11,773
Location
Danzig, Potato-Hitman Commonwealth
Chapter II

Everyone gathers at the firing range after the obligatory morning jog. The squad looks tired, but nobody says a word, they know better than to complain. They pick up their assault rifles, imported Brazilian ones unfortunately just like yours, and some of them prepare to start shooting.

“Who wants to remind me what should we do when we encounter the enemy?” You ask them just as two of them were about to pull the trigger. They turn around and listen.

“Fire at them until they drop dead Frau Feldwebel!” Gefreiter Oskaras Laukaitis answers.

“Are you sure Gefreiter Laukaitis?”

“Yes Frau Feldwebel!” He replies with confidence.

“Shoot me.”

“Frau Feldwebel?” He asks confused.

“Aim that damn rifle at me and pull the fucking trigger!” You yell, the rest of the squad is starting to get nervous, only the Unteroffizier remains calm as he appears to know what is going on.

“Frau Feldwebel, I can’t…”

“Do it or I’ll shoot you myself!” You interrupt him.

Hesitantly he aims at your body armor's chest plating, hoping it will stop the projectile. He pulls the trigger, nothing happens.

“Is that how you want to fire at the enemy Gefreiter? With the safety on?”

“No Frau Feldwebel!” The Lithuanian answers embarrassed.

“All of you remember this, you don’t just pick up your rifle and shoot until the enemy is dead. For one as you all just noticed there is this thing called a safety.”

They stand silent, while Paul smirks at the whole situation.

“Unteroffizier Muller,” you turn your head towards him and ask irritated, “did you just get some kind of new joke via your netlink implant or did you simply find the serious issues I am discussing here hilarious?!”

“Frau Feldwebel,” he responds with all seriousness expected from answering a question from his superiors, “I merely found the common rookie’s mistake amusing. I also want to report that I do not possess a netlink or any other implant.”

Odd, he could have gotten one if he wanted to. He is an NCO after all, this is most likely a personal preference. While the army doesn’t force anyone to get implanted due to political reasons most officers choose to get augmented in one way or another at least with a netlink. It is far more practical on the field than a wrist-mounted comm-terminal.

“In that case Herr Muller, if you are so well-versed in common rookie mistakes, list them and explain why every soldier should avoid them.”

“When in a tactical engagement we do not run up and shoot at the first chance we get until they drop dead.” He begins explaining. “You must first find a suitable firing position, preferably one limiting the enemy’s view of you. Higher ground, vegetation, buildings or walls are all good examples of such a position.”

The squad listens carefully, they concentrate on his words as you expect them to.

“Anything else Unteroffizier?”

“Obviously you also have to conserve ammunition, fire in short accurate bursts by switching the mode of fire on the rifle. Every time you reload you open yourself to a counter-attack.”

“Good, all of you remember that! The enemy wants nothing more than to see you lot standing like idiots out in the open and changing a magazine! Is that clear?”

“Yes Frau Feldwebel!” They answer like a choir.

You carefully observe as each and every one of them takes his turn to fire in three-shot bursts. The Unteroffizier makes the best shots, he could even be better at this than you. However you focus your attention on the rookies. As Gefreiter Beauvais fires you notice his firing position is a bit off. Quickly you correct him and his aim improves as the recoil’s impact on his accuracy is reduced.

Then you look at Gefreiter Anna Mazowiecka, she’s quite good, better than most of the rest at least, but she’s not using the sights the way she should.

“Gefreiter Mazowiecka, who taught you to shoot like that?”

“My instructor in basic training Frau Feldwebel!” She answers just like you expected she would.

“Every instructor in the Europareich Bundeswehr teaches every recruit to fire in the same damn way Gefreiter! Why are you not setting the sights according to the distance to your target?”

“It is a bad habit Frau Feldwebel!”

“A bad habit? Bad habits get you killed! You’re no good to the army when you’re dead! Here, this is how aim with the IA-7.”

You carefully instruct her how to aim. She seems to have remembered it as even a few hours later she’s aiming just like she should. Only Gefreiter Sven Borg is a better shooter than her, out of the rookies at least. The rest is average at best, but they are not making any technical mistakes, it is merely a matter of practice.

Well apart from Gefreiter Otto Richter, he is terrible, too terrible in fact. He shouldn’t have gotten out of basic, hell you guess he shouldn’t have passed the eye-sight test before he even got to basic. Something is very odd about this.

*

You are working on your computer terminal, checking the usual news and reports, writing notes on your squad. It is dark outside, the horizon shines with hundreds of lights, the refinery ones being the brightest as the window in your quarters faces the north-east.

The orange glow of the Optical Implant’s HUD informs you it is 20:14 GMT+1. Suddenly a red priority message indicator appears in the upper-left corner of your field of vision. The combat alert status indicator changes color from blue to orange, blinking mercilessly so that you notice it no matter how hard you would try not to. The base’s klaxons wail.

You concentrate focusing your mind on the concept of a priority message, the netlink’s neural interface picks up your thought pattern and displays the message blocking your view of the real world.

POSSIBLE TERRORIST ATTACK IN OLIVA, EXPLOSION AT THE FUCHS IMPLANT SALOON AND CLINIC, ELEVATED THREAT LEVEL, BASE IS ON ALERT, ALL OFFICERS REPORT TO THE BRIEFING ROOM.

*

In the morning you went to yet another briefing regarding yesterday’s attack. It was a major fuck up, nobody got caught despite Gotenhafen’s squad being on patrol there. They are now all under arrest, apparently they decided to get drunk and hit on university students at one of the local bars because Gotenhafen was celebrating a birthday or something, no wonder he was so eager to have you do the patrol work for him. Or could he be involved in the attack somehow? You do not know, but it is a possibility.

Skorzeny dragged some sorry ass human piece of shit to base, apparently he tried to rape some refugee. The bastard stabbed and killed the Russian girl when the squad discovered him in some dark alley in Heibuden. A local and still no better than a mujahedin, this doesn’t bode well for the future.

Oberfeldwebel Thomerson reported nothing out of the ordinary, just some drunks making a lot of noise. Her squad helped secure the clinic after the attack.

With the situation escalating Major Edmund Schobel, the commander of the 32nd mechanized infantry company, wants every squad including yours ready for more attacks. Your orders for the moment are to ensure the situation does not escalate, under the current military doctrine you are free to do this in any way you wish within the resources at your disposal. Obviously you have some ideas and may need permission to do a few things, but you believe you can convince your superiors to let you do them.

Order needs to be maintained, you will…
A)…investigate the bombing site, question the employees and eyewitnesses.
B)…deal with the rape and murder case in Heibuden, news of it could cause an uproar in the refugee camp.
C)…interrogate Gotenhafen, find out if he is hiding something.
D)…drill your squad until they march like clockwork.
E)…convince the Major to let you take a Neinmask Sieben Transportpanzer out for a spin, see how the squad handles off-road driving and shooting from a vehicle.

Regarding your squad, maybe one of them needs to be talk to in private.
1) Inquire into Gefreiter Richter’s accuracy and how he got out of basic training despite it.
2) Don’t talk to Gefreiter Richter, try to dig up something regarding his training in his files.
3) Ignore Gefreiter Richter, scold Unteroffizier Muller for his smug attitude which potentially disrespectful to your authority as the leader of this squad.
4) None of the above is worth your time.

Choices A-C allow you to take half of the squad with you, so that they may support you and learn. Apart from the Unteroffizier who will have the rest jog or exercise in another way. Pick 4 people out of the following:

Beauvis, Mazowiecka, Osterhagen, Smith, Borg, Laukaitis, Bosch, Richter.
 

Erebus

Arcane
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
4,847
C - Gotenhafen is suspicious as fuck.
Since he's under arrest, taking half of the squad with us is probably unnecessary (no need to show the rookies that you believe another officer might be a traitor)

2 - Let's see what the file says before questioning him.
 

Cassidy

Arcane
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
7,922
Location
Vault City
B2

Mazowiecka, Laukaitis, Borg and Richter.

Can we later decide to train Laukaitis to specialize as a hitman sniper or scout?
 

Esquilax

Arcane
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
4,833
The important part here is that we look at this in terms of goals. Our orders are to make sure that things don't escalate, so our choice should be based on that. E is right out. We already picked a skill increase option and now that we have a good idea of where our squad's skill set is at, we should move toward action.

As for C, I don't think Gotenfahen is a terrorist or a terrorist sympathizer, he's just a fuck-up:

They are now all under arrest, apparently they decided to get drunk and hit on university students at one of the local bars because Gotenhafen was celebrating a birthday or something, no wonder he was so eager to have you do the patrol work for him. Or could he be involved in the attack somehow? You do not know, but it is a possibility.

Don't ascribe to malice what can be blamed on stupidity. He wanted to pawn guard duty off on Ida so that he could get drunk and score some pussy while she did all the work, there isn't much more to this. Don't fall victim to the paranoia, interrogating him will be a waste of time.

I'm a little uneasy about investigating the rape case. We've just taught our squad to shoot, and there are going to be a lot of hostile and justifiably outraged refugees in the area of Heibuden. I can't be the only one who sees the potential for problems here with regards to our squad, especially Laukaitis. Remember that when we taught them to shoot just now, we also taught them not to hesitate; if they get spooked by a refugee coming at them, they might open fire under the impression that he's armed. Cue massive riots in Heibuden.

Based on that, we should go investigate the recent attack. It's in an area that is otherwise safe, but it provides the squad with a lot of potential opportunities to get blooded as we discover what's really behind this. Investigating and hunting down fanatics is our specialty.

Unless someone sways me, I'm going for 2 with regards to Richter. I want to see who fucked up and let him through basic without tipping our hand. On the other hand, he may have a lot of other skills (i.e. diplomacy) if he was able to fool people in basic training. Hellraiser, do we know anything else about Richter? Does Ida have any impression of him?

Here are my squad picks:

Beauvais: Loyal and dedicated to the cause. He was the first soldier we saw in the first update, this guy will have our back.
Borg: Best shot in our squad.
Mazowiecka: Second best shot in our squad.
Ostertag: Random red shirt.
Laukaitis: Learned his lesson, eager to prove himself.

The first three are solid picks, the fourth one could be switched around depending on their skills. If Richter has other skills to compensate for his shitty aim, I'm willing to take him along.

A2 (Beauvais, Borg, Mazowiecka, Ostertag Laukaitis)
 

oscar

Arcane
Joined
Aug 30, 2008
Messages
8,058
Location
NZ
I imagine the marching option, while sounding ridiculous, could actually be useful in that it improves discipline while providing a show of force to the locals. Sort of depends on whether we would be marching around the barracks or through the streets.
 

laclongquan

Arcane
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,870,184
Location
Searching for my kidnapped sister
The important part here is that we look at this in terms of goals. Our orders are to make sure that things don't escalate, so our choice should be based on that. E is right out. We already picked a skill increase option and now that we have a good idea of where our squad's skill set is at, we should move toward action.

I'm a little uneasy about investigating the rape case. We've just taught our squad to shoot, and there are going to be a lot of hostile and justifiably outraged refugees in the area of Heibuden. I can't be the only one who sees the potential for problems here with regards to our squad, especially Laukaitis. Remember that when we taught them to shoot just now, we also taught them not to hesitate; if they get spooked by a refugee coming at them, they might open fire under the impression that he's armed. Cue massive riots in Heibuden.

Based on that, we should go investigate the recent attack. It's in an area that is otherwise safe, but it provides the squad with a lot of potential opportunities to get blooded as we discover what's really behind this. Investigating and hunting down fanatics is our specialty.

Unless someone sways me, I'm going for 2 with regards to Richter. I want to see who fucked up and let him through basic without tipping our hand. On the other hand, he may have a lot of other skills (i.e. diplomacy) if he was able to fool people in basic training. Hellraiser, do we know anything else about Richter? Does Ida have any impression of him?

Here are my squad picks:

Beauvais: Loyal and dedicated to the cause. He was the first soldier we saw in the first update, this guy will have our back.
Borg: Best shot in our squad.
Mazowiecka: Second best shot in our squad.
Ostertag: Random red shirt.

The first three are solid picks, the fourth one could be switched around depending on their skills. If Richter has other skills to compensate for his shitty aim, I'm willing to take him along.

A2 (Beauvais, Borg, Mazowiecka, Ostertag)

Sold! Man speak all the lines I want to say. And I dont care that much about personel pick for this investigation option.
 

Smashing Axe

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
2,835
Divinity: Original Sin
A2 (Beauvais, Borg, Mazowiecka, Ostertag)

The guy with crappy shooting skills is probably a spy or anarchist. Best watch him. Recommend summary execution on the battlefield to improve morale.

lady_commissar_by_sirbronson-d4osesv.png
 

oscar

Arcane
Joined
Aug 30, 2008
Messages
8,058
Location
NZ
A2 (Beauvais, Borg, Mazowiecka, Osterhagen) . Richter may be some political/corporate bigwig's son who we don't want to piss off.
 

Esquilax

Arcane
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
4,833
Smashing Axe, I'm not so sure. Things are still really murky here and we shouldn't be worrying about Shulgi spies around every corner. Personally, I think that the most likely culprit here is good old-fashioned corruption. I believe that one of our fellow officers might see Ida as competition, so they took a guy clearly unfit for service and put him in our squad. Political bullshit, basically.

oscar's theory is also plausible, but I'm not sure if the children of corporate bigwigs serve in the military in the first place - they might have enough clout to avoid having to serve. Hellraiser, I'm assuming military service is mandatory in the Europareich, correct? Are rich, corporate types able to draft-dodge with relative ease?

No matter what we do, we must always keep our orders in mind:

Your orders for the moment are to ensure the situation does not escalate, under the current military doctrine you are free to do this in any way you wish within the resources at your disposal.

This means no EXTREME Shepard bullshit unless it's absolutely necessary - our job is to maintain law and order in the region. Both missions are non-violent for now, but with the potential to escalate dangerously if we're not careful.

I'm against B because a rookie squad trying to maintain order in a hostile ghetto sounds like a ticking time bomb. It's only a matter of time before someone like Laukaitis gets nervous and opens fire on an angry mob. And then it's off to the Eastern Front for Ida.

Actually, now that I think about it, Laukaitis might be a pretty good pick with A. He might be nervous, but here he won't be dealing with a civilian population in which it's difficult to tell apart civilians from hostiles.

I think Ida's little demonstration taught him well, and if we bring him along to fight terrorists, his newly found lack of hesitation is going to be an asset instead of a liability like it would be in Heibuden. Also, I think that he's really embarrassed and a bit desperate to prove himself to Ida, which means he's more likely to follow orders. Consider Ostertag switched out for Laukaidis in my picks, unless someone has better ideas.
 

Hellraiser

Arcane
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
11,773
Location
Danzig, Potato-Hitman Commonwealth
oscar's theory is also plausible, but I'm not sure if the children of corporate bigwigs serve in the military in the first place - they might have enough clout to avoid having to serve. Hellraiser, I'm assuming military service is mandatory in the Europareich, correct? Are rich, corporate types able to draft-dodge with relative ease?


No, service is not mandatory. Instead there are huge incentives to serve, increased petroleum rations (or permits to own a vehicle running on petroleum), state-funded implants, a free firearms ownership permit or public transit/hydrogen discounts for selected family members among other thing. That is apart from any political and "patriotic" motivation one might have to join the army, as was in Ida's case.
 

Hellraiser

Arcane
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
11,773
Location
Danzig, Potato-Hitman Commonwealth
B2

Mazowiecka, Laukaitis, Borg and Richter.

Can we later decide to train Laukaitis to specialize as a hitman sniper or scout?

You can, as you can with every other member of your squad for that matter, now whether they will be a proper scout/sniper depends whether they have the necessary aptitude for the job. Just FYI I know exactly who has that, although this is not set in stone as some recruits may gain the necessary traits over time due to your choices, provided you do not fuck up. The option to specialize the rookies in something other than being organic bi-pedal automated firearms platforms will open up in the future as the squad proves its useful to the Army.

As it stands right now Laukaitis is what I like to call a Shroedinger's Hitman, he may be a good alive hitman or he may be a poor and dead hitman, he exists in a state of quantum alive/dead hitman flux until you send him off to a hitjob. Only then will you learn what kind of hitman he is.

:troll:

Alternatively you could talk to any of the recruits to learn more about their non-army life which is not listed in their files. The database you have access to contains their education, professional and military career information. It does not give you access to an Echelon-like 1984-esque database of everything on everyone, although everything unless properly secured can be found on the Net if you are willing to dig around for it. I'll give you the option to have a non-threatening chat with any of them in the next chapter.
 

Hellraiser

Arcane
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
Messages
11,773
Location
Danzig, Potato-Hitman Commonwealth
I imagine the marching option, while sounding ridiculous, could actually be useful in that it improves discipline while providing a show of force to the locals. Sort of depends on whether we would be marching around the barracks or through the streets.

No, you will just have them march around for hours in the 100 meter wide "safe zone" in Vistula delta polders* surrounding the base, just outside the concrete perimeter wall. Odds are the lot can't even march representatively enough to make the locals fear you, the effect could be the exact opposite in fact.

*before you ask, the base is elevated to be slightly above sea level so that access from the east could be cut-off by blowing up a dike in case of an attack. Basically that entire area is a bunch of polders criss-crossed by canals built for agriculture, some of them dating back centuries into the past when dutch settlers drained the Vistula delta swamplands which used to be there.
 

oscar

Arcane
Joined
Aug 30, 2008
Messages
8,058
Location
NZ
I can see marching either being an entirely useless waste of a choice (perhaps beyond some meagre discipline increase) or not doing it coming to bite us in the ass when our unit is disgraceful at a military parade :lol:
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
I can see marching either being an entirely useless waste of a choice (perhaps beyond some meagre discipline increase) or not doing it coming to bite us in the ass when our unit is disgraceful at a military parade :lol:

"No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection." Murphy's Law.
Let them have their parades for now, we'll just have to settle for surviving.
 

Destroid

Arcane
Joined
May 9, 2007
Messages
16,628
Location
Australia
Fiennes cuts a fine military figure.
bdc4ac31e1caff7f5afaf5ad84cce8f26f9952805a31b898384b93b8.jpg
 

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