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

[Fatum]

...I have most of the assistance/influence in Serbia coming from the New Soviet side. Yamatetsu is the major mega involved there.

You must surely mean Russia and EVO.

[Arclight]

it's both extra slots, and interchangeable slots.

That's pretty huge.

It's a weapon that can have a gasvent 3 AND a silencer, and a heavy barrel, depending on your needs.

1000 might be too much, but +100 is too low.

As gas vents and silencers/suppressors are barrel-mounted, I have just no idea how you came up with this.

It's simply an in-game version of a sopmod kit. It's not redundant, because it makes weapon accessoires modular, which they are not at the moment.

[Kyoto Kid]

You must surely mean Russia and EVO.

...apologies, still thinking in 3rd ed. which is what this was originally written for.

[sabs]

I'm not sure i buy a Soviet Union in a world where Megacorps rule.
The Oligarchy we have now in Russia makes much more sense.

[hermit]

...I have most of the assistance/influence in Serbia coming from the New Soviet side. Yamatetsu is the major mega involved there.

While it might be an interesting plot device for Lofwyr and S-K to attempt bringing about some form of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire again, there are other power players now in the mix, most notably the New Soviet and Serbia, who's Secretariat General has her own political agenda and a mega to back her up. I could see S-K and Austria possibly courting both Slovenia and Hungary as buffer states between them and the Serbo-Croatian conflict.

If anything, Austria and the German States would be more likely to side with their former ally from the last great war of the past century, Kroatien.

Basically war can either be a good business or bad for it.

True. Well, there are some coprs from German canon you could use there - and MCT is heavily invested in Austria, as is Spinrad and Shiawase (and, via Disney, Horizon). They could influence the situation via Austria and Hungaria

I look at Lofwyr being patient for now and letting the situation play itself out. After all Secretariat-General Kovec is only a metahuman. If she gets too big for her jackboots, it wouldn't take much "convincing" to put her in her place.

According to German metaplot, Lofwyr is focusing on consolidating in Germany (and, according to War!, in Poland), trying to get the country to transform into a corp-run state like PCC. The major players there - on the political scnee - are Ares, SK, Frankfurter Bankenverein and fledgeling Ruhrmetall who will likely face the fate of now-shattered IFMU.

Furthermore, I would think there are still more immediate internal issues, such as the restoration of the once highly profitable tourism industry in the Tyrol. Prior to the Manastorm of 2062 it was Austria's cash cow. Afterward, negative media spin caused the region to become a literal ghostland.

Sure, but Austria's industry is mainly oriented towards ressource exploitation, tourism and export of manufactured goods, and they have great historical interest in the Balcans. And the more pressing and insurmountable internal matters become, the more likely it is to rally the people behind a national cause (like Argentina did with the Falklands war, for instance).

[Kyoto Kid]

...thanks for the additional info. So, in a sense, they really are interested in reviving the old Austro-Hungarian empire, 6th world corporate style. That changes things then. I was hoping most of the focus would have been on the NEEC proper and the Balkans still remained an after thought.

It still seems that politically, the setting I envisioned still works better prior to the crash. Lofwyr was still in the TT (until 2062). the NEEC was still a proposal, and the New Supreme Soviet (Red Storm Rising in SoA) was the party in power and Russian troops in Divided Poland were seen as a serious threat.

As to the"New Soviet, true, they were not communist, but did have a lot of the trappings of the old pre-awakning Soviet structure.

Gotta go (have a campaign session to run today) will be back later.

[sabs]

I just re read fields of fire last night. And I am seriously saddened by how much better than War! it is in every way.

Matadors "Code" stuff was awesome.

[Fatum]

...apologies, still thinking in 3rd ed. which is what this was originally written for.

Haven't seen Russia called anything but "Russia" since second edition.

It still seems that politically, the setting I envisioned still works better prior to the crash. Lofwyr was still in the TT (until 2062). the NEEC was still a proposal, and the New Supreme Soviet (Red Storm Rising in SoA) was the party in power and Russian troops in Divided Poland were seen as a serious threat.

As to the"New Soviet, true, they were not communist, but did have a lot of the trappings of the old pre-awakning Soviet structure.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/twirl.gif)
NSS is National Supreme Soviet, Russian supreme body of power roughly equivalent to a parliament ("soviet" is used as a noun here, meaning "council", not as an adjective).
National Soviet Reconstructionists are the party at power, but they are neither communists nor The Party (like, say, RL EdRo is trying to be). Rather, they are authoritarian nationalists and militarists. However, unlike KPSS and Soviet Union, neither are state and party ruling bodies intertwined, nor do you need to be a member of The Party to achieve anything in life (well, at least there isn't a word about that in the books).
As a matter of fact, nationalists have ruled SR Russia since at least 2005, when they initiated the Border Wars. The only time when non-nationalists got to try themselves was around 2035-2037 (dates differ between source books), when Democratic Recovery Alliance came to power in the wake of the Euro Wars. However, their reforms were so unsuccessful that NRA replaced them, and haven't lost the reins of government ever since. And yeah, they seem to have nothing against interventionism.

[Fatum]

I'm not sure i buy a Soviet Union in a world where Megacorps rule.
The Oligarchy we have now in Russia makes much more sense.

The way I understand, it's more of a bureaucratic authoritarian state. The real shakers are the heads of the various governmental institutions, like Red Army and UGB, not nouveau riche oligarchs we have now.

I just re read fields of fire last night. And I am seriously saddened by how much better than War! it is in every way.
Matadors "Code" stuff was awesome.

Well, FoF mostly centers around what it's like to be a mercenary. While War! is more about what's it's like to write a book without an editor.

[hermit]

So, in a sense, they really are interested in reviving the old Austro-Hungarian empire, 6th world corporate style.

They tried politically during the Eurowars, but that failed. The Austrian Heritage Party who is dedicated to reunite the k&k monarchy still runs the country as of SoE, though. They'Re also listed in Loose Alliances under Fascists, IIRC.

That changes things then. I was hoping most of the focus would have been on the NEEC proper and the Balkans still remained an after thought.

The crash might have changed that. What I described is pre-Crash, 2055 to 2062.

I'm not sure i buy a Soviet Union in a world where Megacorps rule.

As to the"New Soviet, true, they were not communist, but did have a lot of the trappings of the old pre-awakning Soviet structure.

Well, take today's China. Maoist trappings and decor, run by a communist party in one-party rule, and the last place on earth where you can find genuine Manchester style early capitalism that exploits workers in the way Marx described. It's perfectly possible.

As a matter of fact, nationalists have ruled SR Russia since at least 2005, when they initiated the Border Wars.

Target: Wastelands linked that with the Yakut uprising and the loss of most of Siberia's wealth in ressources, which made them try and grab Poland, Belarus and Ukraina (though those aren't exactly ressource rich; they should have gone for Scandinavia instead, or undersea mining in the arctic ocean).

Well, FoF mostly centers around what it's like to be a mercenary. While War! is more about what's it's like to write a book without an editor.

This. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Fatum]

Target: Wastelands linked that with the Yakut uprising and the loss of most of Siberia's wealth in ressources, which made them try and grab Poland, Belarus and Ukraina (though those aren't exactly ressource rich; they should have gone for Scandinavia instead, or undersea mining in the arctic ocean).

That was the second time, in 2030. First time was 2005, and nowhere does it say when they left, but T:SH states that 2030 saw "uprisings" in Belarus, Ukraine and in the Baltic States. So I presumed that Russia occupied them from 2005 to 2030, and lost them in the wake of the first Euro War.

[hermit]

Could happen, yes. Since SoE is excessively vague there, we should just go with that, I guess ...

[Fatum]

Actually, I'd be grateful if you browsed through my current draft.
First, to determine if my timeline makes sense.
Second, to say if anyone has any other plans for Novichok.
Third, to tell if I'm being tщo wordy with my unit structure descriptions, and what can be done about that.

[Kyoto Kid]

That changes things then. I was hoping most of the focus would have been on the NEEC proper and the Balkans still remained an after thought.

The crash might have changed that. What I described is pre-Crash, 2055 to 2062.

...that is kind of what I was afraid of (wish we could do fully nested quotes like on other forums).

I was looking at the Balkans as a place of intrigue. A region at war where ethnic hatred crosses metahuman lines and goes back centuries. A land which was heavily scarred both physically and culturally from having been the battlefield between the European forces and the Holy Jihad. A fertile ground for terrorists, self proclaimed warlords, and tin pot dictators. Resources-wise, it is not all that vital to the whole of Europe. Strategically, it may be a good buffer against any future adventurism by Muslim interests.

...and if a future conflict occurs, better it is fought out there than on home soil.

I feel it would be difficult to justify the Balkan setting as I have written it if Austria and the German States already have designs on the region. Even with Evo's backing, Kovec's regime would not last several months against an S-K/Ares backed Austro-Germanic juggernaut. This is again why I feel it worked better in the pre-crash era as the for major European and corporate powers, there were other and more important distractions to deal with. In the post Euro War era, the Balkans were pretty much written off after having suffered so much collateral and political damage during the war. As long as no one in the region (read Muslim) posed a serious threat to the rest of the continent, the Balkans were pretty much left to their own devices. Deep seeded ethnic and religious infighting would keep the various factions busy amongst themselves

The way it,developed in my scenario, the Balkan situation eventually became a more sinister version of the Desert Wars where the "contestants" played for keeps. War games may be good for showcasing the newest "toys", but nothing replaces the "real thing" when it comes to proving just how well they work (or don't).

[Kyoto Kid]

...hmm... we just became a splinter cell. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

Sweet!

[sabs]

Woot
We just need the other threads moved.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Well Bogota being the center of the Amz/ATZ war just doesn't make any sense.

It's like having a War Between Germany and France, and having all the fighting in Switzerland.
Except worse, because the Andes make the Alps looks like foot hills.

And we're not rewriting everything. I mean, the war is still going to happen.
We're not changing the What or the Who
Just the Why and the Where.
And maybe tweaking the "When" just a hair.

I would say that it does not have to be the Center of the conflict though, just the area that War! happened to concentrate upon. The question that you could answer, and have apparently been brainstorming some very awesome ideas about, is exactly WHY it was concentrated upon... Wars have an ebb and flow to them, and what is focused upon (in the media, or whatever) may not be the real areas or reasons that the war is being prosecuted for. Expand upon what its lacking and it will be much more useful in the long run, and will not contradict (at least too much) what is current, and likely what is to come. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

[sabs]

I don't really care personally about contradicting the crap that CGL is putting out.

That being said, We have been brain storming on what the War looks like, and what it's really being fought over.

The problem with Bogota is that, you can't GET a decent army from either side anywhere where they can have a war in the first place.

Mountain Fighting is hell.. just ask the US, Russians, Vietnamese (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Mountain Cloud Forest Fighting? that's a logistical nightmare for a conventional army.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I don't really care personally about contradicting the crap that CGL is putting out.

That being said, We have been brain storming on what the War looks like, and what it's really being fought over.

The problem with Bogota is that, you can't GET a decent army from either side anywhere where they can have a war in the first place.

Mountain Fighting is hell.. just ask the US, Russians, Vietnamese (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Mountain Cloud Forest Fighting? that's a logistical nightmare for a conventional army.

Mountain Fighting DOES suck, as does Jungle and Desert Fighting... been there, done that, hated it, never want to go back...
Anyways... I like what I have been seeing, but it is definitely a lot of stuff to digest in a short reading... will have to go back when I have a significant amount of time to digest all of the drafts... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smokin.gif)

[sabs]

Check out the Amazonia and For Fun and Profit threads too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Fatum]

Updated my draft - added army structure discussion bits, VDV description, and descriptions for Army and several minor Spetsnaz teams.

[hermit]

Sorry for my lower frequency of posting/checking up, it's exams time.

[Kyoto Kid]

...for me it is End of Month billing cycle at the day job, trying to get a 64 bit graphics workstation put together and GMing a revised version of my RiS campaign [SR3].

[Fatum]

For me, it's a two week vacation both at work and in the university.
I feast on your suffering.