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ZION DEFENCE GRID
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BASICS 01 - Premise 02 - Rules 03 - FAQ 04 - Taken List 05 - Applications 06 - Reserves OOC 07 - Calendar 08 - Mission Control 09 - CR Meme 10 - Test Drive Meme 11 - Hiatus/Drops 12 - Player Contact 13 - Mod Contact WORLD 14 - History 15 - The Matrix 16 - Reality 17 - Zion Defence Grid 18 - ZDG Fleet 19 - Uploads 20 - Recruitment 21 - NPCs COMMS 22 - Info 23 - Network 24 - Logs 25 - Memes 26 - OOC |
▶ OVERVIEW The Zion Defence Grid is the collective structure of all real world defenses against the machines, with a military hierarchy and multiple branches of combat expertise. Its central goal is the protection of Zion, but in the last few decades, extends to other human settlements within their scope and settles territorial skirmishes as necessary. The Grid commands teams of infantry as well as the Armored Personnel Unit corps, a division of soldiers trained for combat by using robotic battle-suits. But it is their hovercraft fleet that is the most wide ranging defensive presence that humankind has to offer. Hovercrafts and their crews have several responsibilities. They keep Zion's borders safe, investigate activity both underground and on the surface, and act as reinforcement during machine attacks. But perhaps most critically, they hack into the Matrix and perform team operations within it, whether to help unplug captive humans or any range of missions dealing with programs. ▶ HOVERCRAFTS Broad and clunky, hovercraft are diverse in size and appearance which reflects the fact that they are built from a mixture of old scrap and modern equipment. Whole sections of chassis might have been scavenged from the remains of pre-war human society, but the guns are wont to be more recently fabricated, so that the ammunition will match. Hovercraft move through use of magnetic technology which allows them to levitate and move with as much speed and finesse as the bulk and the pilot’s skill will allow. Although hovercraft movement is not constrained by altitude, most operations and missions are conducted underground, as with almost all human life. In general, hovercraft crews utilize systems of sewers and tunnels that date back to pre-war human cities, since developed further by generations of Zionites. Through this warren of subterranean passageways, the crews avoid the attention of Sentinels and the largely surface-dwelling Machines. Hovercraft run on electricity and even the smallest specimens are extremely heavily armored, so that they can withstand assault from multiple Sentinels for at least several minutes. All hovercraft are also armed minimally with some ranged weaponry and EMPs, but the power of the artillery is proportionate to the size of the craft. The largest ships are equipped with guns that can fight off Sentinels. However, smaller craft (e.g., the Nebuchadnezzar of canon) are not so armed, and must rely on stealth, sacrifice, and use of EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) devices to disable any Machine attacks, in hope that they will subsequently be able to take their crippled ship home. Notably, EMP will destroy any active electrical circuits. Therefore, the entire ship including Matrix interfaces must be powered down during the EMP. Destruction of Matrix technology will lead to the death of any jacked in operatives. Within the hovercraft, operatives also have handheld weapons such as submachine guns. 
▶ WORK/LIFE SHIPBOARD As noted above, missions are varied in nature and particulars. The most prominent duty of hovercraft crews is to extract individuals from the Matrix. However, other work may include: patrolling the areas around and beyond Zion for security breaches, surface missions to perform reconnaissance on enemy Machine activity in the Real as well as reconnaissance within the Matrix, rescue and retrieval, and exploration for technological advances, fuel discovery, and other potential assets. In practice, missions may cover just about any type of order-- or request-- issued by the Council… or the Oracle herself. (Note: plot is expected to be both mod-generated and player-generated.) For these purposes, communication with Zion, other ships, and to the Matrix itself requires the use of a transceiver device, equipped by all hovercrafts. For example, entry into Zion requires the exchange of security codes at the docking bay. Additionally, Matrix missions cannot be completed without the continuous broadcast of a pirate carrier signal to the Machine-operated simulation network. However, use of the transceiver has its own risks. The outgoing signal can be triangulated by Sentinels and other enemy Machines, allowing them to find the ship’s location. As a result, hovercraft generally minimize or altogether cut off contact with Zion and the rest of the fleet during patrols. Even on the heaviest-armed and most Sentinel-ready of hovercraft, captains prefer tactics of stealth and avoidance. The interior of these craft are invariably spartan, cold, cramped, and functional, sorely lacking in comforts or real privacy. Though the walls are not thin, their scrap composition tends to channel a great deal of noise. All meals consist of protein soup, which contains all necessary amino acids and fats for healthy human functioning, but is infamously bland-tasting. Though no policies explicitly ban the use of alcohol or recreational substances on the hovercraft, it is generally understood that 'moonshine' brews are frowned upon, and used both judiciously and discreetly. ▶ CREW STRUCTURE Standard operating hovercraft crews range from 8 to 12 members in size, where the larger and better-armored craft inevitably hold larger crews. Four roles are required for a ship crew to be established, although it will need more crewmembers to be fully operational. These positions and recommended skills are as follows: ▼ CAPTAIN
▼ FIRST OFFICER
▼ PILOT
▼ OPERATOR
In addition to these four positions, a ship can hold up to 8 more crewmembers, and many of them will be Matrix operatives -- unplugged individuals who can jack into the Matrix and perform tasks. While you can get in the air and hack into the Matrix with the above roles, you cannot perform missions without a team of people willing to carry them out. These crewmembers may also be proficient in piloting, weapons, Real and Matrix combat, computer hacking, or being able to substitute in for an operator, or have no training in any of these things but may upskill during their time onboard. While operatives may remain entirely loyal to one ship, or individual captains have policies to maintain a stable crew, flexibility is possible. Turnaround and rotations or transfers between ships are between the crewmembers and the captains involved. Captains answer to the Zion Defence Grid and the Council, but ships themselves are largely autonomous in nature. If a player of one of the four major roles drops and none of a ship's current crew can replace them, a ship can substitute in an NPC for one cycle while they find a replacement. Optionally, crews may also include:
▶ JOINING A CREW There are two ways to join a crew, both represented by our sign up forms on our Recruitment page. You may have already decided which ship you wish to board, and have spoken to its captain, or perhaps you're putting in application when it's made known what roles a given ship is recruiting for. Please reply to their ship listing with the applicable form, and the ship's captain or first officer will review. The second way applies to prospective captains as well as other crew members. This form will represent applying to command for a position, and you will be assigned to a ship. Please note that all prospective ship captains must have the names of their first officer, one pilot, and one operator ready -- without these roles filled, you will not be granted access to a ship. Captains will only be chosen for as many ships are available at the time, but you can leave a comment until such a time when a ship is made available. You will receive further instruction as to what to do next when approved. If you are applying as a crewmember, you will be recommended to a ship based on your skills, or as a trainee. Please also note: we strongly encourage cross-canon CR and discourage more than 3 crewmembers to be from the same cast at the same time. We understand there must be some wiggle room allowed for rotating crews and special circumstances. ICly, this is a general disposition to psychologically cultivate the Matrix-Real separation. |