Chopper Bikes

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Chopper Bikes
« on: January 13, 2017, 05:23:45 AM »
So I'm looking at playing a chopper and I have no clue what some of these terms mean or refer to. I'm hoping you can all shed some light on them for me.

Strengths (choose 1 or 2): fast, rugged, aggressive, tight, huge, responsive.
What does being aggressive or tight do as a strength?

Looks (choose 1 or 2): sleek, vintage, massively chopped, roaring, fat-ass, muscular, fashy, luxe.
Is roaring even a look? I could see that being a weakness (they can hear you coming from 3 miles away).

Weakness (choose 1): slow, sloppy, guzzler, skinny, bucking, lazy, unreliable.
What does it mean to be sloppy, skinny, bucking, or lazy?

How do any of these things matter, other than in descriptive terms? Choosing to have a fast bike doesn't actually help its speed at all (taking the +1 speed battle bonus does that). I can see some of the weaknesses coming up, such as guzzler or unreliable (because running out of gas and not starting when you need to go are two bad things). What about the rest of it? I'm most interested in knowing what all the weaknesses are and what (if anything) the strengths actually do.

Thank in advance!

P.S. If you are interested in joining the group (I am not the MC), this is the link to our Roll20 LFG listing: https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/66328/apocalypse-world-2e
We play @5PM PST on Mondays, weekly.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2017, 06:52:53 AM by ZombieAcePilot »

Re: Chopper Bikes
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2017, 08:08:58 AM »
Tight will let you describe you turning around corners and rocks and barbed cactii with wild abandon. Should help in chases, and in situation were tight manouvering is vital.

An aggressive bike seems like it's got great acceleration, can be loud (help with Go Aggro?) and I would even let someone Go aggro (or maybe even Do battle with it.)

I let my hog roar visciously and lift the front wheel up from the ground. Is the guard really going to deny me entrance?

Roll+HARD to Go aggro, if they suck it up it will hurt as 400 ponds trounce you from above and the back wheel spins on top-of you. At the very least they should run.


Helping with description is a huge thing - and it's also helpful for the MC, maybe especially for finding threath moves and the like. Descriptions help the MC make your life not boring.

Your Chopper just robbed a hardholder. They and a few from the gang run towards their bikes while under fire. A 7-9 result could result in everyone taking damage, but that might be boring (it often get's repetetive) so while the bullets are blazin' the MC says: "As you get to the bikes, you here Kickback taking a bullet. Maybe the armor stopped, maybe not. As you see Pinky and Skull pick him up you kickstart your hog and ear the familiar hk-k-k-kk-k-k-k-k-k-kh and you recognize the sparkplug and/or fuel-distribution issue you've been hoping to understand... what do you do?"

Re: Chopper Bikes
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2017, 02:59:33 PM »

Tags are tags, whether for guns or vehicles or other stuff. They have no strict mechanical effect, but they expand (or contract) the fictional capabilities of the object, or the character using the object. An 'area' weapon lets you apply battle moves (or harm) to more than one person, a 'fast' bike lets you close down on an NPC fleeing in their shitty jalopy without even needing a roll, etc.

Tags can make things possible that weren't possible, or easy that would be hard, etc. Maybe the MC describes your gang coming across some brutal terrain, covered in sharp rocks and rusted metal -- no way that you're going to get your bikes across this, at least not without slowing down and taking some risks. But then you point out that your bikes are 'rugged', and suddenly it makes sense that you can get through with only some minor rips and tears and easily-patched tires -- or maybe now you can get through at all, where before you would have had to go around.

Re: Chopper Bikes
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2017, 06:20:58 AM »
What do you guys think about replacing the adjectives with ones that better fit vision (and we know what they do)? I'm looking at doing a design based around a Christini AWD 450 Military Edition. It's an all shell drive dirt bike covered in camp and molle webbing for attaching gear. It's setup would be something like:

Strengths:
Rugged (It's a dirt bike with a foot of travel on the suspension. It can handle flying through the air, bumpy terrain, etc)
AWD (All Wheel Drive. Not a common feature on a motorcycle. Helps maintain traction and keeps the front tire from sliding out. A base performance boost in any kind of adverse condition where keeping control is key)

Looks:
Tactical/Military (The bike is set up with camo and molle webbing)

Weakness:
Limited Range/Small Tank (it may get 45 mpg, but it only has a 2.3 gallon tank. So without a refuel you are looking at ~100 mile range, round trip. That's only 50 miles there and back)

Battle Option: Handling +1 (It's meant for bad terrain and can take a spill and keep running, but it isn't a road bike built for top speed)


What do you all think?

*

lumpley

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Re: Chopper Bikes
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2017, 08:50:36 AM »
I think that's great!

-Vincent