XoLeIn GaEpRuXoMyRuEp

jallenecs said:

I wanna write a story about space pirates. something really silly and fun. Anybody got an objection to space pirates?

Click to expand...

I'd read about space pirates any time. Space pirates are cool.

jallenecs said:

I got a pretty good idea of the crew, and a sorta-kinda basic plot. I just can't figure out how space pirates would conduct their piracy.

Instead of shooting their targets until they surrender, I was thinking more along the lines of sabotage. Find a ship on a busy spaceport, slip aboard, do some sabotage of some sort that would incapacitate without killing. Then follow the ship into space, wait for the malfunction, and then do the Good Samaritan routine.

"Oh, yes, we have just that part for you. Let me charge you three times its actual value, because you're stuck for it." They install the part, and while on the ship, steal them blind.

Less swashbuckle-y than I like, but it has the advantage of being quasi feasible.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

If they are lawful or neutral good, then yeah, probably less "blast them until we can board and steal their booty." Then again, if the targets are evil Alliance/Empire types, you might be able to justify it, especially if it's just a cargo transport (i.e. minimal crew on a bridge and not in the hold).

Conceivably, your plucky band of adventurers could perfect incapacitation: cripple the engines, make with the booty-takin', depart. Or they could use intimidation (i.e.: "We could blow you to stardust OR you could just dump your cargo and be on your merry way. Your choice.")

Your sabotage and Good Sammy concepts are also great ideas and could ceratinly be used to build tension (especially if one of the crew is more Jayne-like and wants to blast a target to smitherines).

Honestly, though, anything well-written will be worth reading.

So yeah, me shelves be a-waitin'.

Arrg.

jallenecs said:

I got a pretty good idea of the crew, and a sorta-kinda basic plot. I just can't figure out how space pirates would conduct their piracy.

Instead of shooting their targets until they surrender, I was thinking more along the lines of sabotage. Find a ship on a busy spaceport, slip aboard, do some sabotage of some sort that would incapacitate without killing. Then follow the ship into space, wait for the malfunction, and then do the Good Samaritan routine.

"Oh, yes, we have just that part for you. Let me charge you three times its actual value, because you're stuck for it." They install the part, and while on the ship, steal them blind.

Less swashbuckle-y than I like, but it has the advantage of being quasi feasible.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

OK. I need to stop reading and posting when it's my bedtime. This is the second time I've said something stoopidz in two days. At least this time I caught it in preview.

I like your idea of their MO. It wouldn't be that hard to pull off either. All they'd really need is a corrupt mid-level manager/foreman at the docking/repair/resupply facilities on the station.

If they were careful not to draw attention to themselves, and moved around a bit to different areas of space, they could likely pull this off for a long time.

Bad software, bad fuel, bad parts, bad food, bad air. You could mess up all sorts of systems that would require assistance and a timely rescuer.


I think this is another reason I'm gonna like AW. I love talking about things like this. And when working on my own ideas, this type of conversation really, really helps me organize that amorphous mass of half formed thoughts between my ears into something manageable.

Debio said:

OK. I need to stop reading and posting when it's my bedtime. This is the second time I've said something stoopidz in two days. At least this time I caught it in preview.

Click to expand...

Don't feel bad about the stoopidz thing. I do it at least once a week. It's a gift.

I like your idea of their MO. It wouldn't be that hard to pull off either. All they'd really need is a corrupt mid-level manager/foreman at the docking/repair/resupply facilities on the station.

Click to expand...

exactly what I was thinking

Bad software, bad fuel, bad parts, bad food, bad air. You could mess up all sorts of systems that would require assistance and a timely rescuer.

Click to expand...

Oooh, bad software! I hadn't thought of that! It doesn't even need a middleman! Just a hacker with few scruples. And it allows for greater control of what gets affected. The reason I rejected the "shoot at them until they are crippled or cowed" approach was the idea that blowing up the whole ship is a significant possibility, or at least causing damage that would render the crew dead, the pirates incapable of boarding, or the cargo useless (radiation, compression failure, etc.). Or, you know, all of the above.

I think this is another reason I'm gonna like AW. I love talking about things like this. And when working on my own ideas, this type of conversation really, really helps me organize that amorphous mass of half formed thoughts between my ears into something manageable.

Click to expand...

me, too! I do my best thinking in dialogue, not mere mental masturbation.

Good Morning....

jallenecs said:

me, too! I do my best thinking in dialogue, not mere mental masturbation.

Click to expand...

*yawn* Ok, I'm going back to bed now because my brain is not ready for this yet.



every time i read the word "yawn" i yawn. weird right?

This space pirates thing was a bad bad idea. I'm sitting here picking at the idea, just brainstorming, and I can't stop giggling!

It started out as a joke, I swear! I didn't mean for the thing to take off! Then the "how do they do it" answer came, and the stupid thing took off and won't leave me alone!

JC:

You could also have them use either some sort of tractor beam, or a fired EMP, or something else to take out engines and incapacitate.

Or, like the Reavers, use good old fashioned harpoons, depending on whether these are sublight ships.

Also, you should probably watch Ice Pirates again.

Purely for research purposes.

Space cowboys always shoot first...

Zonk said:

Space cowboys always shoot first...

Click to expand...

Damn skippy!

zanzjan said:

In other-internet news, I have now been friended by two people with the same first name and very similar last names on FB that, for the last 20 years, I thought was the exact same person. It's making my head hurt trying to figure out how to subdivide everything I know about that person into the correct two halves, especially since neither has posted very many photos, and even looking at what photos there are it's still almost impossible to tell them apart.

Click to expand...

It could be worse. For a time there was another young lady in the town I live in who had the same exact name! Now you might expect this in a larger city or if I had a very common last name. While Sarah is very common, why I often go by Shadow on the internet, Hendrix is not. We even had the same middle initial, and are about the same age. For a time, I was getting her medical bills, as there was a bit of confusion over the two of us.
Strangely, I've never met her.

amergina said:

As for space pirates, I'll point out that I'm currently wearing this t-shirt:

http://www.printfection.com/retro-future/Space-Piracy-T-Shirt/_p_3938502

Click to expand...

Oh man.

Ep. Ic.

Ok, let's try this again

Good Morning Friends!

I'm more awake now and not so confused by y'all's antics.

I hate it when a book you were warned wouldn't be very good is even worse than you expect. I'm going to have to re-read one of my favorites to purge my mind of this soon.

Anyway, Happy Leap Day! <----yes, I just did that Does the fact that Leap Day also landed on a Hump Day mean anything to anyone? <----Yep, I went there too.

jallenecs said:

I got a pretty good idea of the crew, and a sorta-kinda basic plot. I just can't figure out how space pirates would conduct their piracy.

Instead of shooting their targets until they surrender, I was thinking more along the lines of sabotage. Find a ship on a busy spaceport, slip aboard, do some sabotage of some sort that would incapacitate without killing. Then follow the ship into space, wait for the malfunction, and then do the Good Samaritan routine.

"Oh, yes, we have just that part for you. Let me charge you three times its actual value, because you're stuck for it." They install the part, and while on the ship, steal them blind.

Less swashbuckle-y than I like, but it has the advantage of being quasi feasible.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

oooh! And they could pull the jig one too many times! Say, a captain they pulled this crap on before gets a new ship. They pull the in-dock procedure off, not knowing who the captain is. They pull their good samaritan routine, the captain lets them get on board and then BAZOW!!! Who's gonna shoot first?!?

and good morning, Cantina.

bettielee said:

oooh! And they could pull the jig one too many times! Say, a captain they pulled this crap on before gets a new ship. They pull the in-dock procedure off, not knowing who the captain is. They pull their good samaritan routine, the captain lets them get on board and then BAZOW!!! Who's gonna shoot first?!?

Click to expand...

Yepper! I remember my dad trying to teach me how to understand American rules football. He said they'd run the same play over and over until the other side figured it out and countered. Crap strategy, but my guys are going to do the same thing. Only after they're busted a few times do they switch plans.

I'm trying to avoid obvious Firefly parallels, but there is one that just can't be avoided, at least by my brain. Not a single one of their heists goes off quite the way they expected/planned. I have various ideas for how it goes wrong, but it always goes wrong somehow.



BTW: Daddy's football education didn't stick. That game is stupid.

And I will admit it publically.

I know nothing of Firefly. Never seen it.

Now that I've shocked and horrified you all - today is the last day to vote in the AW Poetry contest.

Here is the info you need.

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234761

Good morning!

bettielee said:

And I will admit it publically.

I know nothing of Firefly. Never seen it.

Click to expand...

bettielee said:

And I will admit it publically.

I know nothing of Firefly. Never seen it.

Click to expand...

I... I am

bettielee said:

Now that I've shocked and horrified you all - today is the last day to vote in the AW Poetry contest.

Here is the info you need.

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234761

Click to expand...

Yes, that.

bettielee said:

And I will admit it publically.

I know nothing of Firefly. Never seen it.

Click to expand...

Kinda says it all right there.

I know. I know.

10trackers said:

Hi Hillz! What are you doing here-- No, I was just... checking up on them. I swear. Cleaning the cryo chamber. Yes. That.

Click to expand...

The fact that you are wearing a maid outfit backs up your statement. The fact that that is not a feather duster in your hand does not.

amergina said:

Good morning! Happy Leap Day!

I lose my job today!

Click to expand...

Happy Leap Day!

yay??