alt.WAR, Fixing War's problems by writing a new book Options

[Doc Chase]

As far as I recall, anyone who can't tote a weapon and fire back in a combat situation is someone who shouldn't be there in the first place. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

Troops on a patrol should all be equipped to fight, not conk out once the shooting starts. I would actually figure on any VR movement coming from Central, where the matrix operators sit in air-conditioned trailers and provide ranged drone support and monitor communications. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

Might have your comm monkey on the ground with some AR-hacking skillz, but I don't think either side would go full VR unless they were penetrating a base.

Signal ratings give some sort of obscene range now anyway, so I wouldn't put it past the Azzies to have a commsat in sync over the area so they can bounce communications off it back to base. That is, if they're even that far away.

[Arclight]

Do what I always wanted to do: a grenade launcher revolver fed. This way, with smart ammo selection you can choose any shot any time. Increase the drum to 8 shots and now you can have 2 shots of 4 different grenades without having to wait to reload.

My former weapons specialist wanted to design a weapon like this but didn't have the resources (i.e. a weapons' facility). So I settled for a GL-6 grenade launcher with ammo selection, built-in silencer, extra clip and ruthenium coating

Like this?

With this thing, you can even fire sensors above your enemies position today. In 2070, you could very well deploy rounds with smart multi-hit warheads or disposable drones.

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

They stole my idea. I demand compensation. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Kot]

Err... Wait. Is Skyhook going to be a space elevator, or a skyhook? I'm a bit lost, after a quick research.

[Nath]

That is the problem I have with the book, Bogotá looks like the red-headed step child that neither Amazon nor Aztlan wanted, but now, they are fighting for it for no good reason except for the lulz.

I searched a bit, and it seems the ultimate reason I could find in War! for all that is going on in Bogotá is a said in a single sentence, page 24.

This is plan was thought of by many Aztlan officials as the final solution to the instability in Bogotá, one that would have finally taken away Amazonia’s last area where they could effectively fight a proxy war against Aztlan.

An "effective proxy war" would mean Aztlan and Aztechnology already have what they want in Bogotá (access to consumers and natural resources in the area ?), and things they don't want to give up, or just for the loss of face. In turn, it makes Amazonian strategy of fighting a proxy or actual war against them effective, as long as it keeps Aztlan and Aztechnology military and intelligence resources occupied there. Compare this to the (alleged) Iranian strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan to avoid the US going on them.

Otherwise, I rather agree with raben. I devoted too much time to keep the SR universe coherent in the past to stop now.

[Megu]

A question: Should I be writing the in character commentary with Jackpoint runner tags, or make up some and assume it's a different data haven, or what?

[sabs]

No Jackpoint runner tags.
Maybe Shadowland runner tags, but not Jackpoint

[Megu]

Okay, I'll assume this is a separate data haven of some kind, and either make up names, or leave some blank in case someone else has brilliant runner name ideas.

[hermit]

You can make up your own Shadowlanders, but don't do one-shot osters, and write up a roster with their names and a short description, so others know what they are to sound like and can keep their voices coherent if they use them too.

[Megu]

You can make up your own Shadowlanders, but don't do one-shot osters, and write up a roster with their names and a short description, so others know what they are to sound like and can keep their voices coherent if they use them too.

That's exactly what I'm thinking. I'll probably write up the commentary using variables of who's talking, then do another round of filling in names, adding personal characteristics to the commentary if they weren't already used in conversation, and such things.

[hermit]

Great. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

You can also make up a regional Data Haven, since the Morgue seems to be dead. Maybe something in Rangoon, hellhole of SE Asia? Also, if you want to paly with crossover stuff, there's Thais, son of Aina and that Horror lover of hers.

Err... Wait. Is Skyhook going to be a space elevator, or a skyhook? I'm a bit lost, after a quick research.

I'm not sure myself. It seems to oscillate depending on who is writing the coverage. Maybe someone ask our man in space, Tzeentch?

[Kot]

Hermit, keep Yrsgranthe away from the plot. He's a Named Horror, for Passion's sakes, he'll Horror-Mark the whole thing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[hermit]

He also sacrificed himself to open a hellgate in Crater Lake because Aina's one dense elf. But Thais is working with the Naga ... just saying.

[sabs]

Hermit, Did you look at the really /vague/ outline I put forward?

[hermit]

Yes, issue 1 will be War! reloaded, but since megu wants to write up war in SE Asia, that can well go into the Asia Land war issue?

[sabs]

Yes, issue 1 will be War! reloaded, but since megu wants to write up war in SE Asia, that can well go into the Asia Land war issue?

well yes

but I ment the outline for Issue 1

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?s=&a...t&p=1022055

[hermit]

Yes, I read that. It looks good, I'll work some more stuff that has been discussed in and post a more detailed outline soon.

Edit: Here it is.

[ Spoiler ]

Alt.War Issue 1

0) [our data haven – shadowland?] login screen. This is one of the touches that will make this document feel like an SR4 publication.

1) Introduction: The Real Story Of The War
- An introduction to the war as we see it, and a short out-of-world writeup what this adds to War!, why it makes sense to own both War! And this and what our mission writing this is.

2) God’s Eye Perspective: An overview of the conflict
2.1 Aztlan: The only thing better than power is more power
2.2 Amazonia: Over our cold, dead bodies
2.3 UCAS/Ares: The enemy of my enemy still is my enemy (but seeing them kill each other is priceless)
2.4 Saeder-Krupp: War is business. More war is more business.
- Horizon: Food for the World, and pleased love us!
- Colombian freedom fighters: Viva Colombia!

3) The Front Lines! (What happened in the war, and who did what where. All the stuff we miss. This is where a timeline goes!)
3.1) Timeline of the war
3.2) Maracaibo (urban warfare in all it’s gory glory)
3.3) Caracas (If this isn’t the biggest mess in South America, it’ll do till the real biggest mess arrives)
3.4) Bogota (venture point, occupied city, dense atmosphere, but no massive battles)

4) Military Organizations involved
4.1) AZT - War on 5,000 Nuyen a soldier or less
4.2) AMZ - Magical guerillas
4.3) UCAS/CAS - High Tech, Low Numbers
4.4) Ares/S&K - Who do you think /makes/ the High tech toys
4.5) Mercs - A range of Merc units. From those barely better than a shadowrun team, to highly trained, highly equiped special forces mercs.

5) Modern Warfare 2073
5.1) Different Strategies for different people (an introductionary essay on different types of armies in the 6th world and what that means)
5.1.1 The 6 Million Nuyen Soldier (High Tech, Low Numbers: Examples UCAS, CAS, Ares, SK, MCT; essay by one of these or maybe an analyst of another corp)
5.1.2 Do you want to live forever? (Quantity over quality. Examples: AZT, Russia; an essay by a former Russian or Aztlaner soldier)
5.1.3 The new ways of War (magic-heavy armies. examples: AMZ, TT, Yakut. An essay on fighting those from the perspective of a CalFree soldier?)
5.1.4 Down and dirty (Asymmetrical Warfare. Examples: African Armies, Terrorists and Insurgents. An essay by a veteran of the Polish freedom fighters)
5.1.5: Oh My God Is That A Dragon? An essay on what combat does look like when your air force faces Wyverns and Dragons. Probably an in-game
5.2 The Matrix on the Battlefield
5.2.1: The combat hacker. What does Hacking for the military look like and how does it differ from hacking for corps?
5.2.2 Digital Frontlines: What is fought in the Matrix in War and why. Securing commsats, encryption/decryption, infiltration/guarding of tacnets, recon, disinformation. How do Hackers work in the Combat Zone The HQ Hacker, the OpCom haker, the descendants of the comms guy, Rigger platoons and Cyberwar Brigades
5.2.3 The Resonant Side Of War: Combat Technomancers, AI and Sprites versus Tactical Hackers and Agents. Also an essay on The Military fighting AI and Sprites, possibly written up as a report from UN forces fighting to take back Geneva.
5.3 Magic on the battlefield (an Intro by a hardened Merc about Magic on the Battlefield and how it changed everything, a brief outline of magic in wars from the Ghost dance War to the Euro Wars to the Az/Yuc-War.)
5.3.1 to 5.3.3 Three essays on magic on the battlefield, each in-character: one by a member of the Tir Tairngire armed forces (magical combined troops), one by a Yakut shapeshifter (magical guerilla) and one by an UCAS combat mage (Magic in a technicised army). Each with it’s own flavor and varied use of magic)

6) Faces of War: Sample Units
Aztlan Brigada de Fusileros Paracaidistas (Aztlan’s parachutist regiment)
La Legion Étrangère, 1er Régiment étranger de cavalerie, 1er REC (mobile light armored cavalry)
The King’s Own Royal Gurkha Rifles (formerly Royal Gurkha Rifles, British Gurkha regiment)
Henan People’s Liberation Army 19th Infantry Division (organised much like a Chinese PLA regiment from the Korean war)
MET 2000 Einsatzgruppe 3 (A heavily cybered combined arms troop)
The units should feature fully statted example NPCs as well as unit organization and rank charts.

7) Gear and coolshit
- Revisions of the gear in War!.

8) RTFM! Errata’d rules from War! That are not totally batshit.

This is not in any way finalised. Especially sample units are up for discussion.

[Doc Chase]

I've been kicking around the thought of doing the Am/Az conflict as an Argus document that got leaked onto the shadow boards. They got hired to give a comprehensive overview of the war (probably by UCAS or CAS) - that'll let us give an objective view on everything without having to rely on making 'runners to tell the stories.

Of course, we'll still have the shadowboard posters commenting - but my concern is the meat of the document itself.

[hermit]

That sounds like a good idea, for 2 through 4. 1 could be a classic Shadowland writeup, maybe with some references (we should bite our fingers and avoid snide remarks - okay, at least I should;) ), and 5's meat could be a document compiled by the CAS armed forces for CAS Marine officer trainees at West Point, all commented by shadowtalkers and beefed up with sidebars and everything by other shadow figures.

6 could be a collection of documents accumulated by the Dawkins Group, who want to study how these militaries work - or maybe another corp big in marketing or analysis.

7's meat could be an expose of the 2073 arms fair at Dubai by Jane's or maybe the good, old Ares catalogue. Oh, and pics, we need pics.

8 needs to be game info.

[sabs]

Point of ORder (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) West Point is in NY state, in UCAS, and it's an ARMY College, marines need not apply.

A Marine Officer Training would perhaps be done in Annapolis (not sure if that's UCAS or CAS), but more likely Paris Island.

6 Could be an Ares Document, that someone did a paydata run on for S&K and posted a copy up?

[Doc Chase]

I like that - Argus for the overview of the conflict, A CAS Marine Lt. Col writing a dissertation on differing strategies for the Joint Chiefs(or CAS equivalent), Dawkins Group intelligence on sample units around the world, and then, say, the Lagos Arms Bazaar?

Annapolis is Maryland, so it's still in UCAS territory.

[sabs]

I'm with Doc.. Argus, CAS Marine, Dawkins Group Intelligence (or Ares), Lagos Arms Bazaar

[Doc Chase]

It also gives us a version of consistency for future releases - Argus is the most effective, largest private intelligence service in the world. They're going to be collecting information on all the hotspots where their main combat arm is going to possibly see action.

[sabs]

Hey, Doc, can you write up a little synopsis on who Argus is. I admit, I don't think I've read the supplements where they are mentioned.

Same with the Dawkins group? so we can build a voice for them.

[Doc Chase]

Hey, Doc, can you write up a little synopsis on who Argus is. I admit, I don't think I've read the supplements where they are mentioned.

Same with the Dawkins group? so we can build a voice for them.

Based off plague-soaked memory, so I'll revise as I go through my books later.

Argus is the intelligence arm of MET2000. Owned by it, yet operating separate, Argus provides intelligence services on contract for private and public enterprises across the globe. They have HUMINT resources rivalling that of well-known intelligence agencies such as UCAS' CIA.

I recall first hearing about MET2000 and Argus in Cannon Companion(SR3), if memory serves - that or Sprawl Survival Guide. It's a bit nebulous, but it's one of the two.

The Dawkins Group is a skosh more mysterious. On the books, they're a market research firm under Horizon. Off the books, they have a lot more power under their skirts than people realize - if Dawkins is in the area, Horizon has a vested interest in the outcome of whataver situation they're involved in.

These are the types of guys who specialize in regime change without a shot being fired. They work to shift public opinion in a manner that befits them and their clients. If you take over a war-torn African kingdom and want to stay in power, then the Dawkins Group can run a marketing campaign to show you as the second coming of Nelson Mandela.

On the flip side, they could turn Nelson Mandela into Hermann Goering.