MAKO, king of resting bitch face (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
browbeater) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
havenooc2014-08-16 10:53 am
browbeater) wrote in havenooc2014-08-16 10:53 am
Entry tags:
Player plot chance!
Hey guys. So, Mako had an idea! He wants to get some technologically savvy people and brainstorm how to build a radio tower for UHF/VHF comms. Not that he REALIZES that’s what it is, but that’s what it is. Your basic walkie talkies for adults. Ideally, with the expertise they have, and by pulling for spare parts where they can, they could make something small enough to be mobile and that could do the job in emergencies. However, MAKO IS NOWHERE NEAR SMART ENOUGH TO DO THIS ON HIS OWN, nor to think through all the potential pitfalls.
For instance, I’m very, very aware of how easily hacked your basic UHF/VHF comms are. Based off what we’ve seen, Haven more than has the capabilities, since you’re talking 1950s/1960s technology here. We also would need the two cups and a string (aka the transmitters/walkie talkies), basically. Materials are scarce, so we'd also need either to space out finding things, or to figure out how to make our own parts.
Now, there are some things we can do to make them less easily hacked. We could make frequency agile radios, for instance. Very basic, very effective technology. If used sparingly, and the intervals changed regularly, this could be enough, I'd think. But that still leaves us susceptible to radio jamming. UHF/VHF is extremely easy to defeat, after all. A blanket jam could easily cover everything. However, blanket jamming could work in our favor too, because jamming doesn’t care who owns the frequency, it just cares about drowning it out, and if Yao Corp has any radios, they’d be knocked out too. Jamming also tends to have... really unexpected effects on other technology.
It’s up to mod discretion on that point though, and it’s risky. But any outside, unmonitored communications… well. And keep in mind, these are my suggestions from an OOC standpoint, as I’ve worked with this type of technology daily for a very, very long time! There’s no way Mako is technologically savvy enough to realize these really easy flaws. (The characters were surprised that telegraphs could be easily intercepted, soooo. As it is, this is Mako thinking really outside the box.) And I can think of a few other flaws, but that would be going way over depth and we’re just doing pretendy funtiems here.
If you have your own suggestions and your own modifications, that’s great! Let’s hear it!
Also, for the power source… Mako HAS sort of thought about this. In ATLA-verse, he’s gotten a job in a power plant basically generating electricity for Republic City. Right now, unless something more substantive and permanent comes up, Mako plans to work as the power source. But he’s really, really hoping that people smarter than him will be able to come up with a power source. So that could be another basic way to get involved. And I've heard some people have built a generator, which would be perfect for this.
For now, aside from Mako’s post on the comm., don’t expect to hear much more out of him. He’s trying to keep this on the down low, just because he doesn’t know how sensitive it is/if it’s been tried. So you WILL have to hear about this from him until he finds he can trust people enough to keep a secret. He's pretty new after all.
If your character would be the type to sabotage this, feel free to comment here, too. So I know! This is a common courtesy thing, because the timeline I requested has the radio going active, pending mod approval, in February/March. This is to account for a lack of tools, a lack of supplies, and a lack of know-how (depending). I’m sure, if everyone had everything they needed, we could manage this in a month.
But in Haven? February/March seems like a reasonable time to me. This also allows people to periodically get involved, and should any of us have to leave for any reason, the task to get taken up by other characters.
If you want to be involved, comment here, let’s toss some ideas around, and definitely ICly respond to Mako’s post (located here).
I don’t expect this to be overly intensive as far as player plots go, but who knows, it could explode beautifully early next year.
For instance, I’m very, very aware of how easily hacked your basic UHF/VHF comms are. Based off what we’ve seen, Haven more than has the capabilities, since you’re talking 1950s/1960s technology here. We also would need the two cups and a string (aka the transmitters/walkie talkies), basically. Materials are scarce, so we'd also need either to space out finding things, or to figure out how to make our own parts.
Now, there are some things we can do to make them less easily hacked. We could make frequency agile radios, for instance. Very basic, very effective technology. If used sparingly, and the intervals changed regularly, this could be enough, I'd think. But that still leaves us susceptible to radio jamming. UHF/VHF is extremely easy to defeat, after all. A blanket jam could easily cover everything. However, blanket jamming could work in our favor too, because jamming doesn’t care who owns the frequency, it just cares about drowning it out, and if Yao Corp has any radios, they’d be knocked out too. Jamming also tends to have... really unexpected effects on other technology.
It’s up to mod discretion on that point though, and it’s risky. But any outside, unmonitored communications… well. And keep in mind, these are my suggestions from an OOC standpoint, as I’ve worked with this type of technology daily for a very, very long time! There’s no way Mako is technologically savvy enough to realize these really easy flaws. (The characters were surprised that telegraphs could be easily intercepted, soooo. As it is, this is Mako thinking really outside the box.) And I can think of a few other flaws, but that would be going way over depth and we’re just doing pretendy funtiems here.
If you have your own suggestions and your own modifications, that’s great! Let’s hear it!
Also, for the power source… Mako HAS sort of thought about this. In ATLA-verse, he’s gotten a job in a power plant basically generating electricity for Republic City. Right now, unless something more substantive and permanent comes up, Mako plans to work as the power source. But he’s really, really hoping that people smarter than him will be able to come up with a power source. So that could be another basic way to get involved. And I've heard some people have built a generator, which would be perfect for this.
For now, aside from Mako’s post on the comm., don’t expect to hear much more out of him. He’s trying to keep this on the down low, just because he doesn’t know how sensitive it is/if it’s been tried. So you WILL have to hear about this from him until he finds he can trust people enough to keep a secret. He's pretty new after all.
If your character would be the type to sabotage this, feel free to comment here, too. So I know! This is a common courtesy thing, because the timeline I requested has the radio going active, pending mod approval, in February/March. This is to account for a lack of tools, a lack of supplies, and a lack of know-how (depending). I’m sure, if everyone had everything they needed, we could manage this in a month.
But in Haven? February/March seems like a reasonable time to me. This also allows people to periodically get involved, and should any of us have to leave for any reason, the task to get taken up by other characters.
If you want to be involved, comment here, let’s toss some ideas around, and definitely ICly respond to Mako’s post (located here).
I don’t expect this to be overly intensive as far as player plots go, but who knows, it could explode beautifully early next year.
QUESTIONS
I WOULD SABOTAGE THIS
I WOULD HELP WITH THIS
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and helping him spread the word to people who could help, of course!
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did someone say THE RADIO
Cecil wouldn't not be involved in this, if he found out about it. He also has all the crazy radio know-how that you OOCLY have, and I OOCLY do not. In his canon, he's worked for a radio station as the sole broadcaster (+ interns) under minimal management for years, including knowing how to do this stuff:
"I wired my phone into the soundboard, and then wired the soundboard into the radio tower, which is running on auxiliary power. It’s, um, a cool trick my childhood best friend Earl Harlan taught me back when we were in Boy Scouts together, earning our Subversive Radio Host badge."
"I’m gonna grab my mobile setup and head over there. [...] If they do catch me, I’ll tell them that I am... taking the mobile broadcasting equipment for a walk! I would have to do that sometime today anyway."
"Um, I’m trying to disconnect the power, to remove the case from the computer to do anything but... the protections on this are quite secure. Even with all my scouting badges and public school education on armed insurrection, I... don’t think there’s anything I can do."
"I am showing my producer Daniel that I am running the show from my own mixer, as he stares dumbly at the cables he just yanked from the walls."
Which is all pretty meaningless to me, but maybe you can use that to figure out what he's capable, as far as helping Mako. Obviously, he would want to get a rebel radio station going. He has wanted a radio station to broadcast from SINCE coming to Haven sooooo many months ago.
He also has access to Yao's radio, which he broadcasts on monthly or so, via use of a little snail-shaped device. He knows the rebels have hijacked this feed in the past, so that's a possibility, but he's more hesitant to get the Yao side of things involved. ....Since, you know. Employee. He doesn't mind helping to get an auxiliary set up going, but he wouldn't want to hijack or damage Yao's.
I AM ON HIATUS and also the anniversary event is going to be a thing that puts everything else on hold, probably?? But maybe I could help with something in October or November or whenever this is a thing that happens.
Re: did someone say THE RADIO
But yes, I can make out what Cecil is saying! He'd be a good specialist for AM vs. FM. Though Mako would be hesitant to tell him because he's not sure how the Yao employee thing works!
But then again he's thinking of signing a contract himself, so.
As you will.
Re: I WOULD HELP WITH THIS
Re: I WOULD HELP WITH THIS
I wish I could gym emote on DW.
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But, I'm okay with just sitting out too.
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Right now, I'll take any part of that, just know the powering part of the plot would come vvvverrrry close to the end of it, since that's when it would matter.
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he can also help with trying to build it, and thus ruining it, because while he's good with building shit that's mostly for weapons and giant machines not something that works with electricity, not just gears
plus he's from the 16th century, even if it's a skewed version
but he'll still try
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mako is just enough of an asshole to do it
aka i would love to do it. :D
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gosh fine 8((((
can we really make it a thing that happens. Motochika just breaks something because oops outdated knowledge
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But yes, Fujimaru is very technologically-savvy and has been hoarding up spare parts ever since he arrived in Haven!
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ALSO she kind of has a giant lightning sword so there's that.