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| 22 years after the end; Help wanted in shaping various nations through the fallout | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 26 2012, 10:19 PM (1,295 Views) | |
| Gasmasked Mook | Jan 26 2012, 10:19 PM Post #1 |
Vault Dweller
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I have decided to move out of my old Kindly One thread as I hope this will be a slightly more discussion based exercise than my throwing huge walls of text at you. This is the same universe in case you were wondering and you might want to pop over there to understand the context. Long story short, America falls apart on the inside during the 2040s and nukes Russia and China at the end of the decade. The game takes place in the 2070s just after the newly militarised UN has managed to restore some semblance of order to the world. I have almost finished with the fluff for the NEU, Russia and China with the others close on their heels as well as tentative army lists for some of the main factions. Rather than try and put up HUGE posts and leave you poor people to pick through them, I have decided to put my fluff into small booklets like GW codexes (but I won't be charging outlandish prices for them  ). I have nine "primary factions" lined up and most of them have large reams of fluff written about them. It will just be a matter of editing them and putting them into a coherent enough story.Major Factions - Continental Great Britain - Sixth French Republic - New European Union - Russian Federation - People's Republic of China - Japan - The United Nations - The Geneva Group (a well equipped merc outfit with ties to the Swiss Government, heavily based on the concept of the French Foreign Legion) - Zone Born Minor Factions (I may develop these further if I find time) - Free Quebec (a terrorist organisation, not an actually nation) - Canadian Loyalists - Fifth French Republic - Phoenix United Enterprises (British based megacorp which used to "own" large parts of the US Government) - Vatican (mainly serve as professional diplomats and deal brokers) - United Indian Reclamation Colonies - Task Force 5708 (Mossad remnant set on avenging the destruction of Israel) - Maoist Rebels (Chinese neo-commies) If you have any questions about any faction or want me to add one of your own choosing, feel free to mention it and I will respond ASAP. Questions are good as they help me flesh out the world. In fact, I am literally begging you to interrogate me on anything at all. I am slightly lonely. |
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| mattblackgod | Jan 26 2012, 10:50 PM Post #2 |
Big boss warlord dude!
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Sounds good! |
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| odin0214 | Mar 15 2012, 02:47 AM Post #3 |
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am really liking what i'm seeing, very believable and well thought out. so how goes the development of your fluff? your settings have giving me loads of ideas for future game play. although i can see the UN and the rest of the world treating the former USA as a third world county and keeping them quarantined from the rest of the world and former allies giving very little aid in the form of technology or food. I've been tempted to purchase Ambush Allies tomorrows War and Cold War gone hot but your fluff has combined both and i would love to see this play out and see where it leads. Anyways good luck with your project and post some updates for the rest of us so we can drool some more over your game fluff *g* |
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| Gasmasked Mook | Mar 15 2012, 10:15 PM Post #4 |
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Vault Dweller
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@odin Hey, its good to hear that. Your assumptions about the former US are dead on, perhaps more so than you think. The fate of the Americas and those unfortunate enough to sill be living there are the focus of my current project (provisional title is "Tourist Trap"). I will try and find time this weekend to put up a taster. Any faction in particular you are interested in BTW? I find it easier to come up with this sort of stuff when someone grills me over it. ; ) Gasmasked Mook |
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| odin0214 | Mar 15 2012, 10:43 PM Post #5 |
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dude you just opened up a fluff floodgate! i would love to see more on Task force 5708. also i can see them hiding out and/or combining with whats left of the old US intelligence networks and covertly supplying the up and coming US government in hiding with intel and any old technology they can find, (ei.. stolen plans for the British B11 PA Bulldog and other underhanded dealings. also world maps i just love fluff that shows current world maps and political divisions. another point of interest is japan and Australia and what they have been up to...phew see told you i'm a fluff magnet! |
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| Gasmasked Mook | Mar 15 2012, 11:26 PM Post #6 |
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Iran (sponsored rather unwillingly by the Chinese) declared war on Israel shortly after the Second American Civil War. Despite heroic Israeli resistance, the Jewish nation was eventually overwhelmed by the combined weight of thousands of Islamic radicals and Arab nationalists. The near east was turned into a horrific warzone and unspeakable atrocities were committed by both sides. Eventually, even the Chinese could not stomach the brutality and allowed Iran access to a handful of nuclear warheads in the hope that it would end the war quickly. The net result was the annhilation of the Israeli state as well as hundreds of thousands of Arab soldiers and refugees who were unable to escape in time. Between 2049 and 2055, almost all of the Jewish people in the near east who had survived the war and the bombs were systematically hunted down and killed in a drunken haze of violence inspired by a century of mutual hate and anger. Task Force 5708 was originally set up by the men and women of the Israeli Foreign Ministry as a way of smuggling Jewish refugees out of the danger zone and into the relative safety of Europe. Their efforts were swiftly supplement by many Mossad cells which had been absent during the Israeli's state's final few months and had collected together to atone for their failure to protect their people and to do what they could to avenge the millions who died in this second holocaust. Since their old objective of smuggling out refugees has since dried up, TF5703 has increasingly turned its attention to vengeance. They target high profile Arab or Islamic leaders, frequently paying special attention to those they believe responsible for the Israel-Iran War. Some elements are even more violent, organising widespread attacks against ordinary civilians in their blind hatred. TF5708 operators are masters of black ops, well trained and experienced in things like kidnappings, assassinations and other dirty work. It is a well kept secret that various organisations (and several governments) provide money to TF5708 in exchange for their agreement not to target certain people and TF5708 has even been known to accept contracts in order to pay for their ongoing campaign against Islam and the Arab world. More details on the weekend. Gasmasked Mook Ps I would love to do some maps but I have no idea how to go about making one. If you have any clue, I would gladly indulge your request |
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| odin0214 | Mar 16 2012, 12:18 AM Post #7 |
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wow loving the fluff now i am HOOKED!  don't know if this will help with map making, ran across this on the web http://www.mapmaker.org/software.php hope it helps *g*
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| Gasmasked Mook | Mar 18 2012, 02:19 AM Post #8 |
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Vault Dweller
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Here's something I put together with paint and a topography map on the side. It shows Europe post-floods with most of the major players coloured in. Notable features include the regional cluster-f**k, the Balkans DMZ, the newly formed "Settentrione" (Northern Italian State) and the new Russian capital at "Novagrad". 
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| odin0214 | Mar 18 2012, 06:01 AM Post #9 |
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sweet  so how far along are you from a finalized version? i'm liking this more and more. as i said before, the way you have taken alot of different elements and meshed them together is top notched. the post apoc/sci fi elements are there and there's plenty of room to expand the game world with bio warefare/nuc dead zones and the like. keep up the good work it's starting to pay off. just alittle suggestion, head over to ambush alleys game forum and hit the tomorrows war section, i bet you will get lots of good feedback and a ton of suggestions again keep the good stuff coming
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| mattblackgod | Mar 18 2012, 09:54 AM Post #10 |
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Big boss warlord dude!
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Sweet stuff. What did you use to make the map? |
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| Gasmasked Mook | Mar 18 2012, 10:12 AM Post #11 |
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@Matt I just did it in Paint using a blank political map and used a topography map to estimate the new coastlines. Not perfect but I am pretty proud of the results. On the subject of Zones... |
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| mattblackgod | Mar 18 2012, 10:33 AM Post #12 |
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Big boss warlord dude!
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It came out well. That is how I made the Vali's campaign maps. Do you plan similar maps for the rest of the world? Edited by mattblackgod, Mar 18 2012, 10:38 AM.
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| mattblackgod | Mar 18 2012, 10:38 AM Post #13 |
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Big boss warlord dude!
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Knowing what the Brits are like I thought they may have tried to take Ireland back. Or is Ireland too much well defended by independent factions? |
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| Gasmasked Mook | Mar 18 2012, 11:31 AM Post #14 |
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I do, one for the world showing the Restricted Zones and then some of specific Zones which would be useful for campaigns set in them. Ireland is a mess and not worth owning. The Brits claim to have control but that is just posturing. They barely have control of the actual British Isles any more. Main focus is the London Excavation Project, maintaining the peace in Canada (the breadbasket of Europe) and keeping those damn Frogs from pushing them back into the sea. And now onto the main event: Restricted Zones and their Hazards Contents: 1 - A list of major Restricted Zones 2 - Some major hazards of a basic Restricted Zone 3 - Anomalies and other unusual phenomena 4 - The UN Special Quarantine Division and the UN Abnormal Weapons Proliferation Division A brief introduction The term “Restricted Zone” is a shortening of the official term “UN Specially Administrated Zone of Restricted Access”. According to the UN, they contain components and/or information required to recreate certain non-conventional weapons and other dangerous material. However, many people believe that the UN is simply saying that as an excuse to maintain its iron grip on pre-war technology and weapons. The majority are cities but some are seemingly normal stretches of countryside, perhaps containing old military bunkers or anomalies which have spread into the wider world. Those foolish souls who make a living by going into these Zones are affectionately referred to as “tourists” by UN troops (or “thieving, murdering criminals” by the UN upper echelons) and a tour of a Restricted Zone is commonly known as a “sightseeing trip”. (1) Restricted Zones of the World by Continent A partially complete list of the world’s Restricted Zones along with the reason for their cloisterment is as follows: North America: - The Hudson Basin Restricted Zone (flooded) - The DC Restricted Zone (nuclear) - The Pittsburgh Restricted Zone (unknown weapon - referred to by USAF as the MEDUSA System) - The Chicago Restricted Zone (nuclear) - The Charlotte Restricted Zone (nuclear) - The Sierra Nevada UN Special Mandate (not a true Restricted Zone but shares many features - believed to contain the bulk of UN manufacturing facilities) Europe: - The Greater London Restricted Zone (flooded) - The Copenhagen Restricted Zone (unknown weapon - possibly chemical but with bizarre effects on human brain chemistry. See: “Copenhagen Syndrome” under “New European Union”) - The Moscow Restricted Zone (nuclear) - The St Petersburg Restricted Zone (nuclear) - The Khariv Restricted Zone (leaked fusion material?) Asia: - The Beijing Restricted Zone (leaked fusion material?) - The Shanghai Restricted Zone (nuclear) - The Mumbai Restricted Zone (nuclear) - The Islamabad Restricted Zone (nuclear) - The Greater Israeli Restricted Zone (nuclear and unknown weapon - possibly chemical) - The Ridyah Restricted Zone (unknown weapon - possibly chemical) Generally speaking, the Asian Restricted Zones are medium risk - low reward areas while the European and American ones are high risk - medium reward. The ones hit by more exotic weapons like Pittsburgh and Copenhagen are very high risk - very high reward as they are home to so-called anomalies. It is important to note that this list is neither exhaustive nor a perfect cross-section. Many Restricted Zones haven’t even been made public knowledge. (2) Main Hazards of a basic Restricted Zone Restricted Zones tend to be classified by the weapon which necessitated their creation. The vast majority of Restricted Zones were created by nuclear weapons, either American launched or during any number of smaller scale conflicts, mainly the Kashmir and Israel-Iran Wars. As the science fiction of the twentieth century suggested, this caused massive mutation in many organisms within the Zones. Contrary to their predictions however, most of this mutation simply ended up killing the host or rendering it infertile. The only organisms which actually benefited from the spike in mutation where the simplest: viruses. Already one of the fastest mutators of all known life forms, these microscopic monsters rapidly evolved into pathogens with the potential to wipe out almost all mammal life. Thus, the first thing to be done when dealing with anyone who has spent time in a Restricted Zone or has come into contact with a Trog (the derogatory term for people who were, in effect, trapped by the UN Quarantine and have therefore been forced to eke out an existence in the irradiated ruins) is always to search for signs of illness. While rare, these viruses are without a doubt the most pressing concern of any people or organisations even remotely linked to these Zones. The second most significant worry is that of radiation. Modern medicine, spurred by several near-misses concerning the highly radioactive fusion breeder facilities that began popping up to feed the voracious appetites of the fusion process, has been able to treat radioactive poisoning far more effectively but the best cure is, as always, prevention. A decent gasmask and a waterproof anorak (rain containing radioactive particles can be a huge problem for the unprepared) is usually enough to survive in a nuclear restricted zone with a few exceptions (Mumbai for example was hit by an extraordinarily dirty suitcase bomb that has rendered several thousand square miles of the Indian subcontinent completely uninhabitable. Regardless of protection, it is common practice to rotate people stationed in Zones once every eight weeks. Chemical Restricted Zones are rarer than nuclear ones and the dangerous are subtly different. As most of the gases have safely dispersed or become inert, they can be traversed without the need for a gasmask and you do not need to enter a pressurised tent in order to eat. They therefore tend to have more people hanging around, small time merc outfits and bandits who don’t have the resources to maintain a presence in nuclear Zones. Here, the biggest danger will almost always be from other humans. The rewards also tend to be smaller as most of these zones have already been picked clean. Flooded Restricted Zones are unusual places. Most of the underwater excavation is handled by specialist powered armour and what they find is transferred onto huge barges with labs, living quarters and armour-recharge stations. In the Hudson Bay Restricted Zone, most of this excavation is handled by the UN while in London, it is the British who provide the manpower and the NEU is fiercely protective of its rights over Copenhagen. In order to profit from such places, mercenaries will often try and steal artefacts while they are being transported back to the mainland. It is a very dangerous business as it usually involves attacking an armoured boat or even a proper warship filled with well armed regular troops on full alert. Despite the risks, the money which could be earned in grabbing just one such transport ship is enough to set most teams up for life (especially if not very many of them survive the attack). (3) Anomalies and other unusual phenomena While it would be incorrect to say that science has degenerated since the war, it has been consolidated. Avenues of inquiry have been abandoned in order to preserve resources for more vital projects like the creation of high yield crops or the restarting of old power stations. “Pure science” is all but a dead subject, even in the pristine universities of Berlin and Krakow. As such, there are certain technologies that modern science cannot fully explain. Take for example, the orbital weapon commonly known only by its government codename: the MEDUSA System. The MEDUSA System was one of the many strategic weapons that Rhodes launched on PIA targets at the end of his “presidency”. It was highly experimental, top secret EMP based weapon whose firing caused the weapons satellite to fall out of orbit and burn up before it could be recovered. Upon firing, every single piece of electronic equipment in the Pittsburgh area went dead. But the weapon worked too well. Powerlines melted and started fires. Electronic equipment exploded violently and across the city, lightening rods began to glow as if with St Elmo’s fire. Those few survivors of the incident remember a growing shriek like an electric hum and a blinding flash of white light before they lost consciousness. In the inner city, no bodies were found. Only black scorch marks where one could only assume a person had stood. Pittsburgh is now famous for its “sprites”, un-explained flashes of light and spikes of lightening that seem terrifyingly attracted to living bodies. Electrical equipment is also very patchy in the region and frequently breaks down or works in really peculiar ways. Much like Copenhagen, people who linger too long in the Zone start displaying a variety of mental disorders (although the effects are far less dramatic than the infamous Copenhagen Syndrome), mainly anxiety based ones. A recurring delusion is that of “shadow people” following the sufferer, probably derived from the human shaped scorchmarks which can be found throughout the city. Readings concerning “sprites” are very valuable as most governments wonder at the potential of something like the MEDUSA system. Most anomalies are very valuable in this way but few “tourists” can stomach staying in the places such things are created long enough to reap the rewards. (4) The UN Special Quarantine Division and the UN Abnormal Weapons Proliferation Division The UN Special Quarantine Division (UNSQD) and Abnormal Weapons Proliferation Division (UNAWPD) are the two UN agencies which maintain a presence in and around the Restricted Zones. It is the responsibility of the UNSQD to prevent anyone moving in or out of Restricted Zones without authorisation under the understandable pretext of preventing any of the super-viruses within the Zone from escaping into the wider world. They are the men who guard the entry points and patrol the exterior, instantly recognisable in their bright blue armour and white fatigues. It makes for very poor camouflage but when one is wearing thirty kilos (thank god for micro-servo assisted joints) of polyarmour composites and armed with an electrokinetic linear accelerator rifle with the firepower of a .50cal, it is less of an issue. The other notable feature of the UNSQD is that it is hopelessly corrupt on just about every level. A very prominent minority within the UNSQS is more than happy to allow people through the quarantine in exchange for a very healthy nest egg being assembled for them in Zurich. The UNAWPD is a very different kettle of fish. While the UNSQD is the very antithesis of subtlety with their huge guns and garish colour scheme, the UNAWPD is an organisation which exists in the shadows. Their spies infiltrate “sightseeing trips” and carefully neuter any attempts at removing dangerous material from the confines of the Restricted Zone. They pose as buyers to remove such items from the market and in the worst case scenario, they attack and destroy any labs they can find working on making weapons from them. The UNAWPD is the closest the UN has to an intelligence wing. They have informers across the globe and represent a constant thorn in the side of internal security organisations like EUROSEC or the Russian Military Police. To date, they have largely succeeded in preventing some of the dreadful weapons of last resort created by various nations from being reproduced but it is only a matter of time before something slips through their fragile net of spies. Unlike the UNSQD, the UNAWPD has an excellent track record for its officer’s integrity. It does however have a much lower life expectancy and considering it is the job of the UNSQD to stand in an irradiated ruin being shot at by Trogs or wandering across minefields in the dark, joining the UNAWPD is tantamount to playing Russian Roulette with five bullets loaded. -0- There is a shout-out to my favourite PA novel of all time (Mortal Engines) in there somewhere. Those who know the novel shouldn't have any difficulty finding it. |
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| mattblackgod | Mar 18 2012, 11:52 AM Post #15 |
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Big boss warlord dude!
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Not read that but I will add it to my reading list. Great fluff and amazing potential for conflicts. What do you plan to use for the Trogs? How do they differ from normal humanity? I love the sprites idea. There is not a mention of S.America, Australia, New Zealand and Africa. What plans do you have for these areas? |
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| Gasmasked Mook | Mar 18 2012, 12:01 PM Post #16 |
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The question as to how far Trogs (Trog being a deragatory term, they prefer to call themselves "Zone Born") differ from the rest of humanity is a point of contention. They are not mutants in the traditional sense but are quite distinctive in their own right. I will try and dig up my notes about them later. I have less knowledge of the Southern hemisphere so details about the region are still sketchy. Australia will be a dessicated shell since before the war, a dire example of what happens when Mining Mega Corporations get too much power. Now, it is mainly a collection of fission material mines run by Japanese, French and British governments. |
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| odin0214 | Mar 18 2012, 05:06 PM Post #17 |
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loving the restricted zones and (special) pre war projects of the US government, almost puts you in the mind of the Philadelphia experiment. question: it seems like the new UN is forming a power base in the old US ala new world order? especially with the pacification of south america and the escorting of world wide trade shipping. question: is there any type of government in the old USA? any resistance cells/former military. does the US have any friends left in the world? is there any "doomsday" devices left behind by the old US? Question: now that the polar ice caps have melted and exposed whats underneath has the UN or any government explored that region yet? has the ozone started to repair itself. question: the zone born whats there secret, able to live in irradiated hot zones AND still being able to breed? slight mutation making them immune to high doses of radiation? maybe a government sponsored "super soldier" program run amok? tons of gaming material in just the few examples of your fluff, you could go just about any direction (sci fi/ultra modern/post apoc/supernatural) alittle something for everyone. i'm practically drooling to see more maps of the world. sorry to pester you but once my 'fluffness' is activated it's hard to turn off *g* it's just i see so much opportunity and potential with this that when you do decide if you decide to bring this project out in it's fullness your gonna have a instant hit.
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| Gasmasked Mook | Mar 18 2012, 09:09 PM Post #18 |
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I am glad you like it! I do like to mix my genres around a bit and this is far too fun for me to stop now so don't worry about that. All of my favourite settings leave plenty of room for the GM to screw around and create his/her own slant on the thing. I will try with the maps but doing it through Paint is fairly labour intensive and it gets rather dull reorganising the coastline of Norway considering a) no-one lives there b) it bears no relevance to... anything really and c) its just SO BLOODY LONG. Might throw up a world political map but frankly I am rather tired right now and I have things I should have done earlier... Still, I procrastinated enough to answer your questions (I hope!). Tell me what you think, OK? Answer 1: the UN is a very powerful, very terrifying organisation but it is not one without problems. While it does maintain a veritable stranglehold on most advanced technology (particularly military tech) and possesses the single largest fleet on the planet, it has serious manpower issues. Lacking a proper population base, it instead appeals to the people of other countries to renounce their old nationality and become "a citizen of the world". This attracts three types of people: the greedy type who want their paws on nice shiny Linear Accelerator Rifles and are willing to sell out their old fatherland to get it, the hopelessly idealistic type who genuinely believe that the UN is all rainbows and sunshine and the shady on-the-run-from-the-law type who wouldn't think twice about enriching themselves once they got the chance. See the problem? I am sure the UN would like to take over the world but their biggest problem is not the Russians or the NEU but the incompetence, low morale fibre and general uselessness of their rank and file. Answer 2: Shhh! I want to keep people guessing on that one for the time being. ; ) Answer 3: Remember that only the North Pole is melted. Antarctica is still the frozen hell that is was fifty years ago. A few abandoned mining posts but it is far too much bother for far too little gain considering how far it is from anything. The Arctic Circle to the North is a very different story and part of the reason why the Russians were able to bounce back after being nuked: more of Russia is now habitable. More than a few people are eyeing Greenland as well but the logistics of moving people all the way across the Atlantic is quite daunting. It is also important to remember that the region has become very unpredictable in terms of currents due to the changing water temperatures, resulting in a lot of ships getting lost (no GPS anymore!) or even disappearing entirely. Canada is doing quite well (I have mentioned it a few times as a major agricultural base). Answer 4: The Zone Born... They are an eclectic bunch. Humans who survived the war by crawling into the sewers and metro systems, scratching out a troglodyte existence (hence their nickname: Trog) in the ruins of the old world. Genetically, they are human. Physically they are quite distinctive with traits like albinism are uncommonly high and warped bone structure caused by Vitamin A deficiencies. Since they are constantly exposed to relatively high levels of radiation, cancers and other radiation based illnesses are very common. Life expectancies range from the early teens to the late twenties although it is not unheard of for a Trog to live up to sixty. They possess uncommonly good hearing and lowlight vision making them deadly opponents at night or in the subterranean confines of their eerie townships. Population wise, they maintain relatively high birth rates by carefully secluding their fertile women deep enough in the sewers or train tunnels that they can incubate and raise their children with relatively low exposure to radiation. Younger males and sterile females make up the scavenging teams while older males keep watch over the women and fulfil the roles of craftsmen. Trogs do not interface well with outsiders and are generally very hostile to people who force their way into their secluded enclaves. They are however largely passive and rarely attempt to attack "tourists" unless deliberately provoked. Some rather sadistic "tourists" make a point of "Trog Hunting" and they are largely looked down upon by the rest of the world. The UN is afraid of the diseases they might be carrying and other nations are far too concerned looking after their own citizens than accepting such mangy strays. A few brave tourists have been able to make tentative friendships with Trogs, generally exchanging information for medical supplies or ammunition, but this is exceptionally rare and greatly discouraged. I will flesh them out a bit more when I finish up with the NEU (so watch this space). |
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| odin0214 | Mar 18 2012, 11:31 PM Post #19 |
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very well done and thought out, you have indeed answered some of my questions (can't wait for more info on the US government). i can feel your pain on those maps must take a gods age to do and i will definitely be watching this spot for more developments. i've already started looking around for different minis i could use (in 15mm) to do a game. all in all you've done a hell of a job my hats off to you 
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| Gasmasked Mook | Apr 1 2012, 01:55 AM Post #20 |
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Sorry for the long pause. I have been very busy recently. To apologise, I have whipped up a section on one of the main factions which hasn't been getting a whole lot of screen time so far: Japan. Any similarities to certain anime shows are purely coincidental  Japan also scratches another genre itch of mine: cyberpunk. Japan You might have expected that, in a world plagued by flood and fire, a nation that has always found itself prey to such elemental forces would find itself overwhelmed. This was not to be. At the height of the Fusion Age, Japan had ranked the fourth most powerful economy in the world (China, the US and Germany filled the top three with Russia rapidly closing fifth). In terms of advanced electronics and industrial systems, she was peerless. The stagnant economy and ageing population were given new life by the economic boom and Japanese corporations dominated the markets. Yet people remained wary of a nineties style bust. This sombre conservatism manifested itself in a variety of different ways, most significantly a large increase in donations for "disaster relief funds". These state-organised charities used their newfound wealth to prepare for potential disasters. As the donations swelled, so too did the number of scenarios which the Relief Funds prepared themselves for. Shelters high in the mountains were dug and filled with dried foods and materials for prefabricated housing in case of tsunami or earth quake. Radiation medicines and breathing masks were stockpiled in case of a breakdown at one of Japan's numerous fission plants. Industrial accidents, terrorist attacks, economic collapse... some even joked that they had contingencies in case of alien invasion or zombie outbreaks. Little did the jokers realise how vital these supplies would become in the months after Rhodes' missile strike. When the fusion plant at Beijing sent choking clouds of radioactive dust across East Asia, it was the carefully preparations that protected those in the worst danger from the poisonous dust. When the seas rose, it was their protocols which allowed Japan's industrial infrastructure to be rescued from the encroaching water. It was a truly astonishing effort that allowed a nation which dwelt mainly on the coast to escape into the highlands with surprisingly little damage to their economic capacity. That is not to say they escaped unscathed however. Having lost a great deal of its land, Japan has been forced to drop most of its stringent environmental legislation. The once pristine mountain streams are now clogged with industrial residue and ugly cities of uniform prefab housing sprawl where once there were forests that had not seen human presence for centuries. The famous sakura cherry trees now exist only in specially created greenhouses and ancient rice paddies have given way to great expanses of plastic and rubber where genetically modified algae are produced en-masse to meet the nutrition needs of the cities. Real food, imported in from Canada, it a staple of the rich. Militarily, Japan is protected by the JSSDF (the Japanese Strategic Self Defence Force). The "Strategic" part was added in 2041 to justify the purchase of purely offensive hardware. Afterall, Japan has long held true to the mantra that attack is the best form of defence. Currently, the Japanese rival the NEU and the UN in terms of technology. However, their technology tends to be predominantly support based. Info-warfare is a common theme with Government Hackers (or State Dogs if one wants to use the derogatory term that is afforded by Japan's rich internet culture to those of their number who turned traitor and were persuaded to serve the State) integrated at company and even platoon level. Robotic auxiliaries are also very common, ranging from simple patrol drones to remotely operated suits of powered armour. The Japanese favour a rigid but elegant doctrine that makes great use specialist tech like High Energy Lasers and Walkers. Their technology tends to be well made and surprisingly simple albeit somewhat fragile rather than brutish and rugged like the UN or very clever but hopelessly overengineered like the NEU. I will try and fill out the cyber punk elements later. I have begun to plan a gamebook set in Tokyo-3 with the provisional title of "Empires of Glass" which will contain a lot of cyberpunk elements as well as the obligatory corporate intrigue, mercenary protagonists and government coverups. Still, I should probably finish writing up Tourist Trap before I start a new one. |
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1:34 AM Jul 14