The fine line between a happy GM and insanity, round 2!

[Anastasia]

Okay.

As we know, I'm aiming for a reasonably powered game here using my own judgment. Now, while not knocking my own judgment, I realise it's not entirely perfect. *Gasp* So, a question out to all of you: Reading the sheets, do you see anything that strikes you as too much, too weak, or just off?

Be honest, we've been through this system enough that I know whitewash when I see it.

In other words, peer review. After all, I do like to give you avenues for you imput into the game, as much as possible.

[Bean Bandit]

I'd say it's really hard to tell. I keep wanting to point things out as just plain wrong, but then I realize that I'm looking at them through the prism of the first game, and that things are obviously gonna be different.

Plus, I'm just plain jealous of Merc for beefing Ami up so much. >_>;

[Ebiris]

It's hard to really judge, with things as they are now - except from Makoto, we all have the same ACV, and that's about the only thing of powergaming import with regards to our civvy forms. Things'll be clearer when we get senshi powers.

I will note one thing - Agility and Fast Reflexes seem fairly overpowered to say Acrobatics. Is Acrobatics really good for anything besides just taking it to justify roofhopping? And the bonuses to running checks with Agility far outstrip the situational bonus of Acrobatics, even leaving aside the DCV boost.

[Bean Bandit]

That IS a good point. Even in the last game, Acrobatics were next to worthless, which is why I didn't take any.

[Ebiris]

As an aside, shouldn't this be in the OOC forum? <_<

I thought the point of this was so we'd have the biographies all neat in one place with no extraneous clutter.

[Anastasia]

Yeah, that one was my fault.

Meant to move it after making it and forgot. I'll get to the rest later, I'm dashing back out to ship out the printer.

[Anastasia]

Acrobatics is going to be used as a bellweather of the exact stunts you can do with leaping, skill with that sort of thing, etc. After all, I'm sure there will be cases where you will want to leap or backflip over the masses. Or something.

It'll be accounted for, and it will affect a certain something, yes. More details once it's revealed in game.

[Liddo-kun]

Okay, as far as character sheets go....  I'm not getting good vibes when I take a look at Hotaru's character sheet.

It's like I'm watching someone named "Hotaru Tomoe" who isn't said character.  She is nowhere near the boundaries of canon and while justification could be made, it's just too... off.

Sorry.  I just can't quite endorse the character as is.

[Anastasia]

Okay, as far as character sheets go....  I'm not getting good vibes when I take a look at Hotaru's character sheet.

It's like I'm watching someone named "Hotaru Tomoe" who isn't said character.  She is nowhere near the boundaries of canon and while justification could be made, it's just too... off.

Sorry.  I just can't quite endorse the character as is.

Okay.

Girls, what does everyone think here? Since it's come up, go ahead and talk. Do you agree, disagree, or what?

Also, Hotaru, your thoughts?

EDIT - Be polite and mature, people. No dramabombs, and we can work with each other candidly.

[Bean Bandit]

I disagree, respectfully.

I told Liddo something to this effect earlier, but....Hotaru in canon is underdeveloped in the extreme. I have no problem with this, as all it is Is added dimension to the character. It's not like she's added anything directly contradictory to Hotaru's base nature.

What exactly IS bothering you about it, Plushie? Specifics would be more helpful.

[Ebiris]

I'm inclined to agree. Her dream is to be a military consultant? That sets off all kinds of warning bells when matched to a girl with potentially earth-shattering power.

It's part of what makes Hotaru so interesting in canon that she abhors violence or pain in any fashion, but must reconcile it with her powers. In canon her ambition is to be a nurse, after all.

The bits about her being extremely goal oriented I can let slide - this is a Hotaru with none of that Mistress 9 baggage, after all. But the military otaku aspect is just far too wrong for her.

[Bean Bandit]

Hotaru can't be imported directly from canon, like the others can, though. Too much depended on her introductory storyline.

It's part of what makes Hotaru so interesting in canon that she abhors violence or pain in any fashion, but must reconcile it with her powers. In canon her ambition is to be a nurse, after all.

Can't really hold her to cookie cutter canon when Minako, Setsuna and I have taken liberties, right? I can see wanting to soften the eventual goal perhaps, but I still don't see why it's wrong.

[Anastasia]

My thoughts?

The driven thing doesn't bother me - a touch of difference is inevitable with a normal family for her. The military stuff? Do you girls agree or disagree on this one? Elaborate.

If possible, could you do so as well, Liddo? What exactly bothers you? Any one thing in particular? The general feel? Something else?

[Bean Bandit]

Also...note that she doesn't want to become a soldier. It's the intellecual aspects that she's interested in, Eb.

Being a Military consultant doesn't make you warlike any more than a degree in polisci makes you a dictator. >_>

[Merc]

Okay, before going into the Hotaru issue, just wanted to mention to Bean that I noticed you also rounded ACV up like May did before Hal corrected her, so you're at a 6 ACV like the rest of the senshi. <== Edit: Nevermind, I forgot to take Combat Mastery into account >_>;;;;

Now, back to the subject at hand: I also agree with the plushie and Eb that the feel of May's Hotaru worries me. It doesn't feel particularly like Hotaru.

Heck, I actually had copied and pasted the goal line to the plushie when he asked for my thoughts on the matter, since just likr Eb, that's the heart of what feels wrong.

Even considering what little information there is about Hotaru compared to the other senshi, we still know enough to know something about her character: She likes to help people, not hurt them.

The 'military otaku' as Eb puts it, feels almost like something that has been added more for a power-gaming advantage (battle tactics and what not) than actual character enrichment.

To put it simply, it feels like this Hotaru would be more likely to be collecting GI Joe action figures and tank models than cute and cudly comforting plushies.