Choice of the Mobster- CYOA in: NOLA Is Burning

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Oblivion4568238: Oct 10, 2012; The Inquisition.
What a show.
The Inquisition.
Here. We. Go.; College Slice

What is this?
NOLA Is Burning is a Choose Your Own Adventure game from Choice of Games, who specialize in CYOA games. Specifically, this game is about being a mobster in New Orleans, on a night where you get stuck with a suicide mission... but certain death might not be the end.

To talk directly about it, it seems to be fairly linear until the very end, where all of the things you chose until then crash down on you and perhaps take the story in an unexpected direction. It's a bit dramatic at times, and silly at others, but it knows it and just runs with it instead of trying to be high art like Heroes Rise and missing. It's short, but I found it fairly enjoyable.

Spoilers?
None, for our first run at least. Once we've seen the whole journey, talking about what could have been ought to be fine.

Are we starting now?
Yeah, let's go cut off some heads.

Chapter One: The Phone Call posted:

It's the most magical place on earth, and you've had it all there�the drugs, the drama, the unabashed violence, and the harm it's done to you and everyone you've ever loved.

This mysterious, exotic city lured you in a long time ago and numbed you with a fix for your every desire. Against this landscape, you've carved out a prosperous career. Through the sheer force of your will, the city has molded and bent before your very eyes, covering your every potential insecurity with false confidence and gaudy excess.

quote:

In return, the city has jaded you, stripped you of your humanity, and warped you into an unrecognizable shell of noir-esque dysphoria, washed up on the filthy banks of the city's famous canals. It has brought you to this very moment, waking in the early evening from a haunting dream to find a crinkled brown paper bag clutched in your soiled hand.

The cries of oil-slicked seagulls slowly awaken you from your temporary escape. You look down to find an empty bottle peeking out of the paper bag in your hands. Once your eyes can focus, you see what it is.

Whiskey.
Gin & Juice, yo!
Pepto-Bismol.
Milk.

Stats posted:

Name: J

Clips: 0
How many kills you've gotten in�tonight, anyway.

Contracts: 0
Deals secured.

Juice: 100
Cash money.

How are you feeling, headcrusher? You're in tip-top shape? Good to know.

Heat: 50%
The cops on your tail.

Jumpin' the Gun: 50%
Jumping in without thinking things through.

Respect: 50%
Honor and devotion to the mob. Also, your reputation�how much people fear you.

Savvy: 50%
Thinking with your head, not with your fists.

Take it to the Mattresses!: 50%
Brawling, fighting, and getting violent.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 03:13

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# ? Apr 26, 2024 18:49

RedMagus: Nov 16, 2005; Male....Female...what does it matter? Power is beautiful, and I've got the power!; Grimey Drawer

Let's go with a bit of a contrary here: bottle of Milk

# ? Apr 10, 2015 03:20

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

Gin & juice.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 03:24

Amidiri: Apr 26, 2010

Pepto-Bismol.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 03:24

Noper Q: Nov 7, 2012

Norlins food gets spicy, and our delicate mobster stomach can't handle it. Pepto-Bismol.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 03:26

CommissarMega: Nov 18, 2008; THUNDERDOME LOSER

We may be a mobster, but we ain't no bad guys! We drink milk like momma said we should!

# ? Apr 10, 2015 03:28

Bobbin Threadbare: Jan 2, 2009; I'm looking for a flock of urbanmechs.

We planned ahead before our blackout and got plenty of Pepto-Bismol ready.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 03:34

idonotlikepeas: May 29, 2010; This reasoning is possible for forums user idonotlikepeas!

Come on, let's do like a proper noir and go with whiskey.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 03:36

Gridlocked: Aug 2, 2014; MR. STUPID MORON
WITH AN UGLY FACE
AND A BIG BUTT
AND HIS BUTT SMELLS
AND HE LIKES TO KISS
HIS OWN BUTT
by Roger Hargreaves

Milk!

Good fo' the bones.
Good fo' the kids.

Drink yo' milk every day to grow up big and strong.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 03:38

Anchors: Nov 27, 2007

Whiskey, proper drink for a proper mobster.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 04:08

Crepuscule Adepte: Feb 21, 2008; Why is my hair purple? It's from the blood of everyone that lost a bet against me.

Milk is the drink of the hard-boiled, so clearly it is the best choice for a gangster.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 06:01

devildragon777: May 17, 2014; They'd be a lot more scary if they were more than an inch tall each.

Voting Milk. Can't be a proper mobster without strong bones!

# ? Apr 10, 2015 06:17

Shei-kun: Dec 2, 2011; Screw you, physics!

We drink Milk because we listen to our mom.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 10:49

December Octopodes: Dec 25, 2008; Christmas is coming
the squid is getting fat!

Milk, cause tough guys need strong bones.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 12:10

Darth TNT: Sep 20, 2013

One milk, shaken not stirred.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 12:36

Oblivion4568238: Oct 10, 2012; The Inquisition.
What a show.
The Inquisition.
Here. We. Go.; College Slice

quote:

Straight from the Korova Milk Bar, this cocktail sharpens you up and makes you ready for a bit of the ol' ultraviolence�.

This night�the night that will give you a chance at everything you want�begins when you rise, downing the dregs of the milk at sunset. Looking down, you discover a single $100 bill in your money clip.

poo poo.

quote:

This can only mean one thing�a phone call from your boss, The Bull, the most dangerous gangster in the city. Amid historic buildings that have long since fallen into disrepair, the air hangs thick with the scent of roasting coffee and chicory, oysters and spice, whiskey and cigars�and the mafia.

Criminals infest the dank cellars and broken streets here�penny-ante con men and pickpockets, second storey artists and headcrushers, gunmen and their molls, whores and their pimps�all scratching and clawing for a leg up, for any advantage, and The Bull had scratched and clawed all the way to the top.

There is only one place in the entire world that provides this exquisite clash of culture and flavor, a city that was built on an ongoing battle for territory: New Orleans.

And The Bull? The Bull is the top dog.

quote:

Because the majority of Creoles are so kind, The Bull's totalitarian rule over New Orleans�which some call NOLA�has met with little resistance�except from the Irish, anyway. The Bull runs a tight ship, in the classic Italian style.

Code names reflect an era long past, double-breasted suits adorn even the lowest-level button man, and snap brim hats and polished alligator shoes are the order of the day. Gangsters look the part, because The Bull demands it.

quote:

Even the most notorious gangsters have said that when The Bull gets angry, New Orleans drowns in waves of fear. And this, you can certainly attest to.

The Bull is a cigar-smoking, hard-as-nails, bald, mountain of a man who grinds his teeth when he's about to explode.
The Bull is a sturdy, strong-willed woman. She wears her hair in a tight ponytail and unabashedly refuses to wear makeup.

No change in stats.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 16:11

Angrymog: Jan 30, 2012; Really Madcats

The bull is a lady crimelord.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 16:57

now entering North Dakota: Feb 22, 2013; Fun Shoe

With a name like "The Bull", it's obvious that this is a Michael Clarke Duncan-esque beast of a man

# ? Apr 10, 2015 17:28

Corzanth: Apr 8, 2011; Rawr!

This looks interesting.

The Bull is indeed a crimelady.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 17:29

Xander77: Apr 6, 2009; Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.

Dunatis Ishmael posted:

With a name like "The Bull", it's obvious that this is a Michael Clarke Duncan-esque beast of a man

# ? Apr 10, 2015 18:00

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

Woman.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 19:06

Anchors: Nov 27, 2007

Male, our boss is basically Kingpin.

# ? Apr 10, 2015 20:51

Oblivion4568238: Oct 10, 2012; The Inquisition.
What a show.
The Inquisition.
Here. We. Go.; College Slice

To settle this and future ties between two options, I will be using the coin flipper from random.org with whatever coin sounds fun at the moment.

Male Bull = Heads
Female Bull = Tails

(Heads)

quote:

His hands are the biggest you've ever seen, and he can hurl any cugine, fella, or made man across the room with barely a flick of his wrist. He comes by his name honestly�his anger is a raging, unstoppable thing, trampling all in its path. He's a loose cannon who will be your best friend one moment and will order your bloody death without care or remorse the next. His violent acts of persuasion have the entire city in terror.

You have his respect�for now. That could change at a moment's notice.

quote:

The Bull's influence has helped you rise to dizzying heights of power, but dragged you back through the gutter to do it. Your life is a roller coaster, but no matter what terrifying traits The Bull possesses, he is the lesser of two evils, and he made you into who you are today.

A headcrusher.

quote:

The Bull became your guardian, protector, and teacher after you fled Nonna, your Catholic grandmother. Nonna raised you by herself in New York City, using the large crucifix that normally hung above the dinner table to discipline you for your perceived infractions.

When you were really bad, she forced you to pray in a small closet for hours on end. Memories of the boiling hot "sinner's room" can still make you sweat, even today.

You learned really quickly not to cry, at least in public, because Nonna had big dreams for you.

To be a nun in a convent in Italy, the motherland. She would dress me in a nun's habit and make me scrub her floors on my hands and knees.
To be a priest of surpassing holiness, even a saint. She was worried about her own sins and sought forgiveness riding on my coattails.

We've picked for The Bull, now we pick for our character. If romance prospects would influence your vote here, The Bull is not a character you can romance. No stat change.

# ? Apr 11, 2015 05:17

CommissarMega: Nov 18, 2008; THUNDERDOME LOSER

We're a lady mobster.

# ? Apr 11, 2015 05:45

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

To be a nun in a convent in Italy, the motherland. She would dress me in a nun's habit and make me scrub her floors on my hands and knees and probably give us some weird kinky ideas of what men want.

# ? Apr 11, 2015 05:57

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

We're the Judas Priest.

# ? Apr 11, 2015 06:08

IrvingWashington: Dec 9, 2007; Shabbat Shalom; Clapping Larry

If we'd listened to Nonna, we'd be unemployed (occupation: nun)

# ? Apr 11, 2015 09:30

Darth TNT: Sep 20, 2013

To be nun

# ? Apr 11, 2015 09:40

Oblivion4568238: Oct 10, 2012; The Inquisition.
What a show.
The Inquisition.
Here. We. Go.; College Slice

quote:

Escaping to the streets of Manhattan brought its own tribulations. It was wintertime when you ran away, and the city offered no relief. You spent your nights wishing for a miracle.

I prayed that Nonna might take me back.
I hoped a nice family would come along and adopt me, complete with a puppy and a turkey at Christmas.
I wanted to be part of one of the street gangs run by the older kids, because they were hard, just like me.
I needed to keep fending for myself, because nothing would make me go back to Nonna.

Now we get into stat-affecting choices.

# ? Apr 11, 2015 19:25

Slaan: Mar 16, 2009; ASHERAH DEMANDS I FEAST, I VOTE FOR A FEAST OF FLESH

Nothing would make me go back, nothing. :mad:

# ? Apr 11, 2015 19:29

nweismuller: Oct 11, 2012; They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.

Oblivion4568238 posted:

Now we get into stat-affecting choices.

Fend for ourselves.

# ? Apr 11, 2015 19:29

Xander77: Apr 6, 2009; Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.

All by myself.

# ? Apr 11, 2015 19:48

Amidiri: Apr 26, 2010

All we really wanted was a nice family to adopt us.

# ? Apr 11, 2015 19:50

idonotlikepeas: May 29, 2010; This reasoning is possible for forums user idonotlikepeas!

We wanted a nice family that was less likely to beat us with a crucifix.

# ? Apr 11, 2015 22:40

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

I wanted to be part of one of the street gangs run by the older kids, because they were hard, just like me.

# ? Apr 12, 2015 03:29

Oblivion4568238: Oct 10, 2012; The Inquisition.
What a show.
The Inquisition.
Here. We. Go.; College Slice

quote:

You fought tooth and nail to get a little territory of your own on the streets. You grew up fast, because you had to.

You made a home for yourself inside an overturned dumpster. There you were protected from the snow and the rain. And though it stank to high heaven, it was home�for a while, at least.

Longing for something better, you eventually decided to split like a banana. You hopped trains all the way to New Orleans, Louisiana, otherwise known as down-and-dirty NOLA. Warmer pastures were what you were going for, but you had no idea how hot things would get down here.

quote:

Shortly after arriving, you found a jagged blade trapped in the gutter, on its way to the Mississippi. You didn't know it at the time, but this small piece of metal would become the notorious "sawtooth." An integral part of your persona, the sawtooth�your precious sawtooth�fits in the palm of your hand and has kept every gangster in NOLA shaking in fear since your induction.

On the momentous day you met The Bull�who was about thirty at the time�you were in the middle of something earth-shakingly important.

I was gutting and eating raw, oil-soaked fish on the curb, covered in filth.
I was chasing a seagull for my next dinner.
I was swiping the sawtooth through the air as the street kids demanded what was in my pockets.
I was giving the ol' softshoe to the tourists in the French Quarter.
I was mugging some unsuspecting tourists.

Stats posted:

Name: J

Clips: 0
How many kills you've gotten in�tonight, anyway.

Contracts: 0
Deals secured.

Juice: 100
Cash money.

How are you feeling, headcrusher? You're in tip-top shape? Good to know.

Heat: 50%
The cops on your tail.

Jumpin' the Gun: 50%
Jumping in without thinking things through.

Respect: 50%
Honor and devotion to the mob. Also, your reputation�how much people fear you.

Savvy: 52% (+2)
Thinking with your head, not with your fists.

Take it to the Mattresses!: 52% (+2)
Brawling, fighting, and getting violent.