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Scoping the Competition
Current Chapter - Prologue
Notes
Episode published on Thursday 17th of January, 2008.
In OC tournaments, everything is very much story-led. Having a strong plot in the rounds is one thing, but with a limited time in which to create the rounds sometimes you need a little breathing room. Or maybe you just want to comment/interact with one or two of the other competitors. Or maybe you didn't even get into the tournament but you'd like to participate somehow.
That's where "spectator entries" come in! These are pages you do between rounds to build up to a round, or to act as an epilogue to a round, or simply for kicks.
This page was simply for kicks. The tournament had 4 divisions - red, green, black and white (I always thought that maybe it was designed around the Partyman theme from Tim Burton's Batman but apparently it's a karma/feng shui thing) and the Docs were in black division. I'd argue that black division had a collection of the best tournament competitors, but then I am biased!
This was just an opportunity to comment on all the competitors at the beginning of the tournament, and set up some foreshadowing that I didn't even know was foreshadowing until much later. This is why it is unshaded - I had a round 1 entry that I would have to start on soon and so I wanted to get this out quickly.
P.S. I didn't intentionally put a black guy on guard outside "Black Division", it was an honest coincidence that I didn't realise until someone pointed it out to me!
Credits:
- Ref Gregory (little tin robot thing) copyright © Electromancer.
- MIRA mech designed by DarknessSealed.
- Steffi (pink-haired girl) and her Kiwibot copyright © ShikakuSuika.
- Jay (white-haired boy) and ATCEV II (spherical mech) copyright © Asgar19.
- Officer Ramirez and the B-bot ("ghetto" mech) copyright © DRa90NBoi.
- Tejon (porcu-mech) copyright © Toresky.
- Gregorovich Tjernikov XV (the familiar chap) copyright © Tenkyougan.
- Sinister Bald Man and Tarasque copyright © ShipMaster (still don't know what that bald guy's name was).
- Clyde Dore (guy who appears briefly in the background) copyright © Serain.
Comments
Transcript
TITLE: Scoping the Competition
Having successfully conned their way into the tournament, the doctors are promptly assigned to the "black" division. Now is the perfect opportunity to see their first opponents. Ralph wants pictures so he has something to reference when scheming, while Gyrode is honestly interested in what the other mechs are like, and how they compare to his beloved Deathbot...
PANEL: A vast hanger. A security checkpoint sits in front of it, manned by a single armoured guard. There are several signs around the checkpoint. One of the MTX MIRA security mechs patrols the area in the background.
Narrator: The day before the tournament. Steel Nation Black Division hangar-
Sign 1: Tournament contestants must present ID
Sign 2: Tresspassers will be stepped on
Sign 3: Authorised personnel only
PANEL: The interior of the hangar. The Docs stand near the Deathbot while people mill around. A kiwi bird-shaped mech stands nearby.
Ralph: I don't like this.
PANEL: Ralph is flustered, pointing at Gyrode, who is calmly checking his nails. A young boy with white hair walks past, followed by a hovering drone camera pet.
Ralph: They've put us in the "black" division. I think they're on to us!
Gyrode: Nonsense. We're just too formidable for the other divisions, I'm sure.
PANEL: Ralph relaxes, cradling his fingers together. He watches the young boy walk past as a young girl with pink hair walks by too. Gyrode points dramatically to the sky.
Ralph: Awful lot of kids around here.
Gyrode: We're a few of the last of a generation of mech builders, my friend, those who are devoted to a traditional creed.
PANEL: Ralph pulls out a small camera with an old-style lens. Gyrode lowers his glasses to look at Ralph over them.
Ralph: Yeah. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Gyrode: Actually, I was thinking more-
Ralph: -I don't care. Let's check out the competition.
PANEL: Stood in the middle of the hanger, the Docs look at three of the mechs around them. The first is a round orb on octopus-like legs. The second is a tall blue mech in a humanoid shape which appears to be wearing headphones. The third is the green kiwi bird mech seen earlier. The camera flashes as Ralph takes pictures.
Gyrode: (Referring to the orb bot) Too round... (Referring to the humanoid robot) ...Too ghetto... (Referring to the kiwi bird) ...Too New Zealandian...
PANEL: One of the other mechs in the hangar is in the shape of a fat hedgehog or porcupine, with spines running down its back. An inset of the two doctors reveals Gyrode pointing at it with a worried expression while Ralph rolls his eyes.
Gyrode: ...And that one looks a little bit like a porcupine!
PANEL: The camera flashes while Ralph continues taking pictures, a smile on his face. Behind him Gyrode crosses his arms, unimpressed.
Ralph: That leaves the sinister bald man with the rocket buggy, the weird lanky thing, and the cool mobile fortress.
Gyrode: You seem impressed with that last one.
Ralph: It's got lots of weapons sticking out of it and it walks. I'm a mad doctor with simple tastes.
PANEL: Near Gyrode, a young gentleman with a mess of hair, sunglasses and a furry jumper with a fluffy trim walks past. Seeing him, Gyrode puts a finger on his chin and narrows his eyes behind his glasses.
Gyrode (thinking): Why does that young man seem so familiar?
PANEL: Gyrode angrily turns and looks behind him as an exasperated Ralph cowers behind him, pointing to someone off panel. The sinister bald man walks past them in the background.
Gyrode: What in the name of Stalin are you doing?
Ralph: Hiding! Look, it's a bloody copper!
PANEL: It is revealed that there is a man stood nearby in a uniform not dissimilar from a SWAT officer or a modern policeman, complete with helmet and flak jacket. An MTX technician with a clipboard asks this "policeman" for ID, and the man obliges. Ralph seethes as he looks from behind Gyrode, who regards the man thoughtfully with two fingers on his chin. In the background is the kiwi bot, and a young man with frizzy black hair walks past.
MTX Technician: I.D. please?
Ralph: See?!
PANEL: Ralph steps aside from Gyrode with cradled fingers.
Gyrode: *Sigh* Ootebya nyet payees...he can't arrest you, he's well out of his jurisdiction.
Ralph: Wha? I mean, I knew that. Yeah.
PANEL: The doctors continue conversing. Referee Gregory, the referee robot who resembles a rubbish bin, slides past in the background.
Gyrode: Have you taken your pictures?
Ralph: Got 'em all. Let's get out of here before someone notices the camera. I'll study them tonight, figure out some "tactics", if you catch my drift.
PANEL: Gyrode scratches his chin thoughtfully. Ralph looks nonchalant.
Gyrode: Hmm, and I have a few tricks of my own up my sleeve. We'd best prepare ourselves, comrade. I have a feeling that this is going to make for one hell of a tournament, and even with our wiles and tricks we may have to consider just a bit of elbow grease and hard work to win us through these formidable foes.
Ralph: God, I hope not.
Narrator: With less than a day before the tournament, doubt has already sewn itself into the mind of Gyrode, and Ralph has wasted no time in preparing to cheat like hell. The first round beckons, Doctors. To be continued...