Is there a basis in canon for the militaries being like this? I imagined AZT having some pretty substantial magical support. Maybe not as much as Amazonia, but a not insignificant amount.

AZT and MAZ yes (SoLA, various other populations for AMZ; AZT has the Aztlan book and numerous novels). AZT has substantial magical support. AMZ is driven by magic and is in large parts made up of critters.

Think of AMZ as the Na'vi, SK/Ares/UCAS/CAS as Colonial Marines, and AZT more of a hybrid with magic use but conventional looks and equipment.

Sources:
Night's Pawn (Aztlan), Aztlan (AZT, AMZ), SoLA (AMZ, AZT), Neo-Anarchist's Guide To North America (UCAS/CAS), Fields of Fire (all), SOTA 2063 (all), YotC (AZT), SR1 Basic Book (AMZ), Blood Sport (AZT), Corp Shadowfiles (SK, Ares), Corp Download (SK, Ares, AZT) ...

So, Grinder will take 2.1 and 2.2, even being a whole new country, somethings do take time to change (culture, etc.) if you need any help on how the metahuman mentality of Brazil would be under the rule of a Great Dragon I would gladly help.

So, I volunteer to work on 3.2 and 3.3 (Maracaibo and Caracas) I have a Venezuelan friend at work who used to live in Caracas and I'm all for stealing his brains for info on the country (people, geography, etc.). I'll try to write something this weekend and let you know.

Caracas will probably be done by Abschalten and Doc (but ask them if they'd midn a< third writer collaborating anyway). Maracaibo is yours.

Really, we could use this sub-forum now ...

Hermit, i was thinking of something like that:
One of the ShadowSea veterans asks a friend/contact in Poland to post some info. And he asks someone in the Spichlerz Data Haven to help. That's how the material comes together (i'm halfway through Pomeria already, with tie-ins into Shadows of Europe and System Shutdown), and the 'shadowtalkers' i want to have in it will be Spichlerz regulars. I know that's even more shadowtalkers, but maybe we could add something like Frank did on TGD forums - a short roster of shadowtalkers. We're making an e-fan-book, so there is enough space.

So, if you guys are still looking for helpers, I'm very excited to contribute. I'd be happy to try and detail a feasible '64 War (during which time Israel apparently annexes Lebanon, which is going to be kinda annoying). I'm thinking...Aden vs Lofwyr being partially involved, as well as try my hand at a good "This is how militaries of various modern-nesses work", and tackling part of the AZT/AMZ conflict.

I'll attack the UCAS/SK side of things. Who needs magic when he can get a SP howitzer

Depends, do your opponents know the Slow spell?

Touché!

Feel free to PM me on that.

That's 2.3 and 2.4, correct? Would you like to write the introduction of the chapter as well? Setting the tone, who's the author and who's the target audience of the file etc.

So, how exactly is the structure of an Argus Report?
I just write something similar to wikipedia entries, following a scientific approach?

It seems to me that the style should be descriptive and neutral. I wouldn't necessarily call Wikipedia scientific, but in that vein. Content-wise I'm not sure, an intelligence report obviously has very different target audience from an encyclopedia. Much of the stuff Wikipedia writes about would be omitted and assumed to be known or better covered by other sources especially in a world with a global information network. They might add some reference documents to a report, though. Further an assessment whether an information is solid or just a rumor, some comments on what Argus knows or not, in short some uncertainties regarding the information could be interspersed in the document. One of the questions that should be answered before you start writing is whom the report addresses, if it isn't an internal report. Argus might want to hold some stuff back depending on the client. A shadowtalker could point that out in one instance or in an introduction. For a bit of flavour you could have a look at declassified (or leaked) documents for example from this collection:

http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/us/declassified.htm

Blocked out text would be a nice touch by the way.

Got it. Thanks!

The Argus-report should point out the primary, secondary and tertiary motivations of each nation when it comes to a war (may not be the best choice of word, but I hope you know what I mean).

I remember someone posted a link with a list of shadowtalkers but I can't find it. Someone could point me out?
Also, I finished a first draft on Maracaibo with 1230 words. PM me with your e-mails so I can add you to google docs.

Do we have to come up with new ones or might we use old-timers too? Thinking of Argent mainly. And Hecate for the mystic stuff.

Sorry, christmas business, am absent because of that. Nice to see the project get going, though.


Old Timers as well as new ones, a mix kind of like in Jackpoint, but with different people.

I was considering Arctic White, a veteran (and aging) mercenary with a has seen it all vibe to him. Maybe also a few of the trollier/loonier ones - Panik!, Bung - and also some development should have happened with them.

Hecate is Alachia, a power crazed maniac, bear that in mind (it has been ruled she is, so duh. Personally, I'm still more sure it's been supposed to be Aina). She might also troll as Miss Tick, her sock and trolling account.

Grinder, what's the word on the subforum? I'd really like a larger section to organise. If Dumpshock won't donate so much space to a fan project, that's okay, I'll set up a new forum (a stickied link would be nice then though).

I did some shadow talkers of my own (basically, picked up some of the more interesting characters our campaign had and gave put them on paper).
Also, I put the Admin of the community called Grinder . Hope you don't mind.

Waiting for the feedback/ opinions of some of the mods. Giving that it's christmas and not all of them have to work over the holidays (as I have), it may take a day or two until all of them got back on this one.

Damnit, thought that would have been Hestaby. What's her nickname then?



Totally love that!

Orange Queen. She owns a plantation, too. In Orange country. And is, well, orange. It's almost as subtle as Masaru's SL handle. Hesty isn't the most subtle dragon.

Putting in some 'talkers myself. We might want to open two more tables, where we detail physical basics (metatype, sex, oddities) and whether this character is an old shadowttalker or a new one.

Glad you liked it. Send me a PM with you e-mail and you can fill the rest of his entry.
hermit, fine by me with another table. I saw you were editing the file right now.
Also, I think we better decide a limit on the number of talkers we will have, like Frank said, 30 being the top.

Okay, I'll cut down on mine.

Bold are official characters (Chalen is VERY, VERY obscure)

Wait, Hecate aka Miss Tick is Sheila Blatavska, the head of the Atlantean Foundation, that has been established in Threats and Loose Alliances. The theory that she is Alachia has been bandied around, but as far as I can tell has never been confirmed. To me the key quote regarding this question is in Aztlan where she seems to defend the intent and use of the Loci, the Loci always struck me as being the work of the Therans, which is why I always assumed Blatavska to be one of the Heavenherds of Thera and not Alachia.

This of course shows one of the pitfalls of using these reallyoldtimers. At the very least I would not have Hecate/Miss Tick reflecting on the good old times when the whole of elvenkind looked up to her as the shining symbol and true heart of their species.

IIRC, the Hecate/Alachia connection came from old FASA notes when they closed down, notating behind the scenes that they were supposed to be one and the same. That was never put out in any official books because it was always kept secret, behind the scenes. So confirmed froma source, but not technically canon that I'm aware of.

I think Lou Prosperi was one of the people who talked about this. But my impression is that FASA had already started to diverge from what may have been the original intent. Alachia herself has more or less vanished with the rest of the Council of Princes. The Hecate-Blatavska connection is solid though, I simply would not go beyond it, if the handle or alternatively Miss Tick is to be used. But honestly maybe it should not be used at all. Because given all the artifacts business that is also going on, Blatavskas priorities probably are different right now.

You're saying that Atzlan rush into Amazonia to get control of a locus is not of interest to Mrs. Blatavskas? Hwar, hear.

I don't know. I'll start writing on Tuesday and we'll see if it's quality and entertaining enough for higher merits (=introduction and stuff)

Well, the rush might be of interest to her, commenting about it on a shadowboard less so.

I have ruled for myself that Alachia, having been booted from TT, returned to the Seelie Court where Rhiann Brane Deigh offered her refuge, where she spends her days sulking, playing Civilisation- and Total War-like matrix games, trying to take over the court again and trolling matrix boards (she's banned from MagickNet).

@Maracaibo draft: Jonas Fischer! ^_^ Is that pun intended?

Also, looks good, but could use more hints it's in a warzone. What about some Aztlaner sympathisers, toxic shamans leading eco radicals? I doubt Amazonia has all those guys under control. I'd expect terrorism from such groups deep in Aztlan-controlled territory, maybe even up to Tenochtitlan. And they'd sure go for the oil rigs. Maybe put ina few comments hinting to this?

Point for you then.

Yeah, I thought about toxic shamans, but I don't know, I feel they are like blood mages and bugs, if you start putting them everywhere they lose their "charm".

Also, Jonas Fischer was just me choosing a random german name and a random german surname. If it was a pun, I guarantee you it was unintentional.

Anyway, I'll wait feedback from the rest of the people (you might even write it on the file, on a different color) and I'll make a second draft.

Well, I guess I have seen one too many sermons these days. I begin to see biblical references everywhere. At least it's not Claire Grube or Christian Steiffen.


Absolutly, but effectively breeding them is Amazonia's trademark. If they ever act to support anyone in war, it would be Amazonia.

Axel Schweiss.
Rosa Schlüpfa.
Rainer Zufall.
I do techsupport, i have heard ALL of these and more <.<

Depends on the kind of Toxic Magician anyway. Havoc and Reapers, perhaps. but poisoners would definitely be targeted by Amazonia too. I'll wait for the rest of people's feedback before writing a second draft.

As a small thought, Wasn't the Aztlan CAS border supposed to be heating up, because they had a near kick off to war according to Intel from the Carrib League. Plus isn't Saeder-Krupp worming it's way into the CAS and SK and Aztech do NOT get along at all. Perhaps a mention of the CAS-AZT border situation might be in order

Do we have a title yet? How about "Mercs!"?

No, not yet.

"Target: AzAm"?
"Global Hotspots 2073: Amazonia/Aztzlan"?

Lame, both of 'em. And no, I can't offer an alternative right now.

"Shooting people in the Face for Fun and Profit"

How about; "For Fun and Profit: South America"
We can then extend it to further issues.

Gameshows
Rumbles in the Jungle
Bright Lights in the Big Cities

And so on.

Well it depends if we're focusing on War/Military/Merc, or on South America.

It's too bad Fields of Fire is taken.

Mercs Black Book - South America
War And Profit - South American Style.

Battlefields of 2073, Issue 1

Well, no - What I mean is, we use "For Fun and Profit" as the name of the overarching project, and we tack on the issue name afterwards. Let's face it, this entire project is to let characters shoot people in the face for fun and profit.

Oh
I like that "For Fun and Profit": Issue Name

I think it gets our idea across, and lets us get creative with issue names while sticking to the main point.

Good thing I got Abs on AIM now - we'll have to get colluding on Caracas, and I'll have to see what I can do about getting an Argus sample up so we can dicker with its 'voice'.

We also need to dicker over the Ares Intel voice.

Going with the Seraphim angle, I'd like to have someone with a better grasp of French than I (so, like, anybody) to handle a few greetings and idioms to give it that former CATCo flavor. Argus can be cold and unfeeling, the Ares doc I feel it should be along the same voices as the leaked US diplomatic cables - frank assertions, personal details on notables in the units, anything that can be confirmed and stuff that can't be but seems true anyway.

But in a French sort of way?

I can help with that (being a French native)

Although I might need a bit of help getting the right Formality tone.

Yes. I get this sense that the Seraphim network still maintains a Francophone atmosphere in their communications - like the network itself still stays together and answers to the same people, just the final email address is damien.knight@ares.com and not lucien.cross@catco.ca. I get the feeling the communication is a bit more informal to start, a bit of 'how's your father' that doubles as the non-standard verification that the agent is who they say they are, and it dives on into the meat of the document focusing on the situation with X, notable people with X, personal details gleaned and assumed, and a personal summary of the situation as they see it. Allude to their cover position but we don't outright name it, leaving our shadowtalkers to comment on the stuff with their own details, and also run theories as to who the cover identity might be.