Jump to content

Aberrant: The Vatican Incident - TVI Saga OOC


infofiend

Recommended Posts

Welcome one and all to The Vatican Incident (TVI)!

Here begins our Saga, The Vatican Incident. This Out of Character (OOC) thread

replaces the game-prep thread for everyone who has agreed to join the game. Prospective player posts and guest discussion will remain on the original thread.

The TVI Saga IC thread will soon have some background material added in posts by me ... and players are encouraged to write little intros about themselves. Most PCs will erupt during roleplay, but are liely important baselines with noteworthy accomplishments. Players who took the Experienced PC option should write some good IC char. histories - maybe try to wirte it as the results of a net search - or a talkshow excerpt about featuring the Nova - be creative.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im really sorry I havent gotten a char to you yet.  I cant think of a good consept.  Ill buckle down with it tonight and get something together for ya.

No prob - I may sound all demandy at times, but that is really not the case ::blush

Take your time, read through some fo the additions I made to the timeline, and don't worry too much about mechanics - I ususally let people get away with one 'revamp' early in a game as long as there is no story impact.

For the first bit the RP will be as baselines (unless you take the Experienced PC option a la Net Expansion) so background is more imporant. If you do take the Experienced option, talk with Pheonix (he and another player Ben S. are teaming up as two resonant experienced PCs with history in Kenya).

Also, you can decide you want to know some of the setting secrets - like maybe knowing about other time periods of Inspired or Psion activity ... though you will have to figure out a good story and take some merits / backgrounds / flaws to justify this knowledge (which is presented in the Saga supplement more for player interest / setting flavor more than anything else).

Any questions you have, feel free to e-mail me and we might discover a springboard idea for your concept.

EDIT: From now on, please ignore my typos - glad I didn't have a great passion for playing the Piano.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

VIPs at the Vatican

The Annual Feast is more than some church social - it has attracted the rich and powerful for ccenturies. It is an outlet to redeem oneself in some small way if faith is a concern - or to make a show of good moral chacracter despite what the truth may be. Invitations are sent directly to many powerful people, and their attendance is a poorly kept secret. On the 2001 list some notable names are:

King Juan Carlos of Spain (Royal)

Queen Sophia of Spain (Royal)

Nelson Mandela (Nobel Peace Prize)

Randel Portman (Nova, The "Fireman")

F.W. de Klerk (Nobel Peace Prize Winner)

Yamamoto Ichiro (Nova, Toyota President)

Sarah Margaret Ferguson (Dutchess of York)

Pelé (Soccer Legend)

Marika Intombe (aka Desert Wind, Nova Singer)

Count Raoul Orzaiz (Nova, Minor Noble)

Katherine Isabella Steiner (Daughter of Fredric Steiner)

Shakira (Columbian Popstar)

Jocelyn Bell (Astronomer)

Leon Schuster (Artist, Filmaker, Comedian)

Severino Antinori (Nova, Medical Researcher)

Ricky Underwood (American Football Celebrity)

Stephen Bassett (US congressional UFO lobbyist)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you do take the Experienced option, talk with Phoenix (he and another player Ben S. are teaming up as two resonant experienced PCs with history in Kenya).

Actually the Resonance merit doesn't really interest me that much.. If you and Ben both really want me to do it then I will, I guess. ::shrug

glad I didn't have a great passion for playing the Piano.

Gasp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually the Resonance merit doesn't really interest me that much.. If you and Ben both really want me to do it then I will, I guess. ::shrug

Gasp

Please do not take a merit on my account - just thought it might make for a good start. Might not make alot of sense for a T2Mer either come to think of it.

EDIT: Important correction - ex T2Mer - right?

Also - I have few chars, and not all the concepts in (which is fair given some have only had a few days so far to think) ... but if ppl want to post historical bits about their chars from before the Event day that is V cool. ::cool

Might make for a neat collage effect to kick of the IC thread.

Real RP has to wait until I have all chars - but we are in no real rush (rather solid chars than a few days of early game play)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not a merit, it's a really good background.

People keep talking about the "Kenya" incident, what happened there?

See my long bit about Kenya on the other forum page... An eruption of several resonant novas clearly did occur there, as I took resonance 3 for my character and might manage 4, if there's enough interested PCs... At any rate, as it stands, there'll be at least 5 novas in the country, including Firebird and myself.

I am going to leave the details of how that eruption occured until I found those other interested PCs, so that we might discuss background ideas together...

I like the idea of novas erupting and gathering in Kenya because it is in that general area that humanity got it's start in the first place. Appropriate in a game about the next step of evolution no?

Also, Kenya has a long history of fighting against imperialism which thematically fits, given the struggle against the Utopians that may be about to proceed.

Although my character will be doing his own thing and be trying to convince others of the nobility of his purpose, he will be doing his best to make the country into a comfortable place for Novas to live and go about their own business. Within the bounds of common decency and neighbourly respect for baselines, of course. If other PCs wish to set up companies or just live and work, this country may well become the place to do it.

This makes the country a natural advesary to Utopia because it holds to the liberal ideals of self-determination and a minimum of state interference in individual lives, believes that novas have privacy rights and that global improvements are best made through lassie-faire economics and competition rather than a single organization directing improvements through some sort of five year plan...

Send me an email: pbensamson@gmail.com with character ideas etc. and we can develop this Kenya idea together.

Btw for further information on this nation read:

http://www.kenyaweb.com/

and/or look at the CIA world factbook:

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ke.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although PC plans for Kenya are big in after eruption detail, there is almost nothing in how the eruption itself happens.

Let me make a suggestion:

Lex's mentor Dave had his lab in the US shut down by PU's tech police (exotic particles have a lot of potential, they also come with some risk, like what happens when you mix anti-matter with anything else).

Dave decided to set up overseas, i.e. in Kenya. Lex moved over with Dave. Bahamut810, Bookman, and Lex were all present or near by the new lab when BAD things happened (presumably Project Pro decided to blow the place up). Dave (and perhaps others) died. The three of us erupted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(Hit enter too soon).

The PCs didn’t know each other before eruption so, at the time, there didn’t seem to be any reason to hang out afterwards. Later the call of Resonance becomes better understood, and they tend to hook up again.

The world is a small place for novas at this time, eruption would be a common bond enough for them to keep track of each other.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(Hit enter too soon).

The PCs didn’t know each other before eruption so, at the time, there didn’t seem to be any reason to hang out afterwards.  Later the call of Resonance becomes better understood, and they tend to hook up again.

The world is a small place for novas at this time, eruption would be a common bond enough for them to keep track of each other.

Sounds good to me... My charater is smart and has a good grounding in engineering, so there'd be plenty of reasons for him to be in such a lab.

Mind you, because there's that anthropological history of Kenya it'd be nifty if there was something specific to the area that mysteriously spurred on evolution....

I'd quite like to have as much common ground between these characters as possible, though this way does allow us all to develop our own backgrounds.

And resonance provides us with reason enough to gravitate towards helping eachother out...

Note that with you're background description there'd be one other resonate nova in the group.. For resonance 3 means that you share resonance with three others. So it'd be a group of 4... If no other PC comes along then I could just apply some of the many points I spent in backgrounds to having this fellow be an ally...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The more the better.

Sounds good to me... My charater is smart and has a good grounding in engineering, so there'd be plenty of reasons for him to be in such a lab.

Or you could be a local offical type Dave was dealing with (or both). It sounds like a disaster on the "grand" opening (or shortly before that during the set up of the same) would work pretty well. Bahamut was there covering it or getting backstory for the grand opening.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, so at the time or eruption....

Bookman was showing people around some dangerous site

Alex was ??

Bahamut was reporting what was happening.

Aye being a local offical type would make sense. Prior to eruption Arthur Koitalel Samoei is to be a middle-managent politician or civil servant...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And a different question, if we erupt jointly that implies we all have to be able to survive the same mess.

Does everyone/anyone have Adaptability and/or Regeneration and/or INV:Fire or Radiation? I'm thinking Exotic Particles => Radiation/Fire/Building Collasping etc. Even flight might work... but that depends on what everyone has.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And a different question, if we erupt jointly that implies we all have to be able to survive the same mess.

Does everyone/anyone have Adaptability and/or Regeneration and/or INV:Fire or Radiation?  I'm thinking Exotic Particles => Radiation/Fire/Building Collasping etc.  Even flight might work... but that depends on what everyone has.

I don't have this power, nor could I possibly afford it within the context of my character... Nova points are spent and all of the concept power slots are used up...

Mega int is pretty much all I have points for...

Sorry...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[...]This makes the country a natural advesary to Utopia because it holds to the liberal ideals of self-determination and a minimum of state interference in individual lives, believes that novas have privacy rights and that global improvements are best made through lassie-faire economics and competition rather than a single organization directing improvements through some sort of five year plan...[...]

Warning: Possible social science geek intrusion...

If you want any degree of realism on the political situation in Kenya, I think you should rethink your character's economical philosophy. Laisse-faire economics and competition with no central control is exactly what got Kenya - and most other African countries - into the mess they're in today. Free trade works in a perfect world where every nation competes on a level playing field, and nowhere else. We're not even close to that situation, and a few years of nova activity isn't going to change that.

If you want your character to have changed the country's situation you should make him either seriously well connected in global organizations of various kinds, or picture him as laying down a strict economic plan and stepping on quite a few international toes in the process.

Just a few cents from a guy who's doing his master's degree on poverty in Kenya... ::wink

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mega int is pretty much all I have points for...
OK then, you still have those three free Resistance Dots and eruption itself. Those will have to do.

We could just borrow the “accidental melt down” scene from that movie (RL story) about building the first A-bomb. Someone accidentally dropped two pieces of radioactive material together. The guy closest to them reached in with his bare hand and separated them (thus averting a meltdown). Then he has everyone draw their location in chalk on the floor and he does lots and lots of calculations. He decides that the people away from the reaction will be OK, but he is dead.

Something unexpected happens in the reaction room while it is being shown off. Everyone is contaminated with one big burst of exotic particles and radiation. Alarm bells go off, everyone panics, and the relevant ones erupt.

Lex understands just how bad this is, and he erupts and gets immunity to radiation (which ironically he doesn’t need since the act of erupting cured him) and his exotic particle theme (ditto).

B-810 erupts and teleports to safety.

Bookman’s character erupts figures out just how bad it was, and also figures out he is fine.

And any residue radiation is handled easily by the standard nova resistance dots.

So, is it just us three? I need to know for the number of background dots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You might be right about my economic philosophy... I don't know theses things... Please do suggest ideas as I will need help playing my character, for he will be a great deal smarter than I'll ever be. Or, for that matter, anyone who has ever lived. Would you be interested in playing a character in the area Absjorn? You're input would be Greatly Appreciated...

There are plenty of background points so I'm sure some of it could be spent in appropriate organizations to help the country... There will be a certain amount of direction given to the economy, of course. Central management to ensure fair play and what not. And there'll be be subtle and brilliant meddling...

But strict economic management by a government is woefully inefficient. It's a matter of striking a reasonable balance, methinks...

But the rough idea is to make the place comfortable for businesses to be established there, encourage entrepreneurs (micro-loans programs seem to have had quite a bit of sucess), provide clear and well-enforced regulations to prevent corruption and prevent pillaging, solid labour laws, apply nova superscience to facilitate technology companies and nova powers to fix environmental and weather issues. And, of course, the usual good works: Establishment of a good education and training programs, hospitals etc. I can't say I have a detailed knowledge of Kenya or how to go about fixing individual difficulties. Please do tell...

As for stepping on international toes, that's certainly bound to happen to some degree. Otherwise it wouldn't be a roleplaying game...

Utopia being the biggest toe. Especially in regards to its limits on scientific and technical development...

Ooo teleport... Sweet. Such a wonderful thing. So many uses... Great for a space prgram btw...

Ideally you should put in the three points in Resonance, methinks, a PC is bound to come along sooner or later. And, if not, it'll be a v. useful thing to have an NPC helper, no? Either the DM could create him or we could all put in ideas to come up with a fellow, or something in between....

I have many good ideas for people that could help us out... A superspy would be really handy... Or a superscientist with a medical, physics, and/or space slant to him/her... Ideas?

One key part of the plan is to set up a medical research institute to study Taint. It'd be a great thing to have a megaintelligent fellow running it...

I have to focus on economics, politics and computer science and have not the points or the appropriate character concept for somone with the necessary skills to run this... Though I can help a bit...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Um... oddly enough I'm also building a scientist type character, and as I was planning on having a high resonance background anyhow, it'd work for him to erupt in the same place/incident that caused you folks to erupt... Um.. As for studying Taint, my character's going to need all the help it/they can get... ::biggrin ::rolleyes ::wacko ::innocent

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You might be right about my economic philosophy...  I don't know theses things...  Please do suggest ideas as I will need help playing my character, for he will be a great deal smarter than I'll ever be.  Or, for that matter, anyone who has ever lived. 
My two bits on this subject.

Africa's assorted problems range from no rule of law, to corruption, to no recorded deeds, etc. The end result is it’s impossible to function unless you have lots of money (i.e. you have to be a big company) and the rest of the economy goes underground or just dies. No recorded deeds is pretty huge by the way, the poor can’t take loans based on the capital they possess since they don’t have official title to their lands, they also have difficulty buying or selling land, or even accessing the legal system.

The solutions are to implement the things that make a capitalistic system work.

A) Officially Deed the country (i.e. record who owns what).

B) Pay government officials and prevent bribes.

C) Codify the law.

D) Make sure the legal system works so people can make deals with people they don’t know and expect those deals to be enforced.

E) And yes, get rid of most of the central planning apparatus which is used to strangle the economy.

From the sound of it you will be basically making yourself a dictator (i.e. King). This isn't bad everything considered. Better a functional dictatorship than a failed state. You are still going to need social megas to push people around and/or someone around to bust heads. You will be stepping on toes, and the toes you will be stepping on will be local strong men.

Um... oddly enough I'm also building a scientist type character, and as I was planning on having a high resonance background anyhow, it'd work for him to erupt in the same place/incident that caused you folks to erupt... Um.. As for studying Taint, my character's going to need all the help it/they can get... ::biggrin  ::rolleyes  ::wacko  ::innocent
Do I hear a 4th person at the Kenya incident?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My two bits on this subject.

Africa's assorted problems range from no rule of law, to corruption, to no recorded deeds, etc.  The end result is it’s impossible to function unless you have lots of money (i.e. you have to be a big company) and the rest of the economy goes underground or just dies.  No recorded deeds is pretty huge by the way, the poor can’t take loans based on the capital they possess since they don’t have official title to their lands, they also have difficulty buying or selling land, or even accessing the legal system.

The solutions are to implement the things that make a capitalistic system work.

A) Officially Deed the country (i.e. record who owns what).

B) Pay government officials and prevent bribes.

C) Codify the law.

D) Make sure the legal system works so people can make deals with people they don’t know and expect those deals to be enforced.

E) And yes, get rid of most of the central planning apparatus which is used to strangle the economy.

Cool, thanks for you're input. This will go along way towards developing my plans...

Some of these things I had some, vague, knowledge of, but others I had no clue. Especially about the land deed shananigin...

From the sound of it you will be basically making yourself a dictator (i.e. King).  This isn't bad everything considered.  Better a functional dictatorship than a failed state.  You are still going to need social megas to push people around and/or someone around to bust heads.  You will be stepping on toes, and the toes you will be stepping on will be local strong men.

I will have at least some of ze mega socials. And methinks we can, together, manage those local strongmen... My character thinking has some leanings towards Terragen philosophy. Novas are better than regular people and, as such, better equiped to guide humanity. Especially those, like my character, who have such vastly superior cognitive abilities. However, unlike Terragen beliefs, they are not morally superior, are still part of humanity and have a certain responsibility towards their inferiors. A humanistic godhood, kind of like Prometheus or one of the other, nicer greek deities... A little paternalistic, this line of thought. But oh well... So yes, I'll be a dictator. But a very benevolent one.

However, there is that problem that all novas must either be aware of or will soon be. That of Taint. We clearly have our foibles that still give us a very human vulnerability. The distinct possibility of going mad. And if we do, it'd be aaaalll bad. For every person living. And the danger is very distinct, for it isn't a very healthy thing to suddenly find yourself so vastly superior to all of those around you...

So that Taint research project will be one, amongst many, cunning plans to carry forward.

Do I hear a 4th person at the Kenya incident?

It seems so. Whohoo. Or, possibly, alternatively, 'my god, what is that thing...;

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello everyone,

Sorry on not responding to e-mails, posts, and whatnot in the last few days. I have been feeling quite ill ... but better now.

Today I have to handle some back-to-school stuff, but tomorrow I will respond to everyone and put up some new material that should help to solidfy some background (now that I have some V cool info / ideas from you all).

Cheers,

Chris

PS: Having looked over of char hisotries and builds I am happy to say that things should work out very well ... taint babies included. I think it's almost time to get this game on the road ::biggrin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

BACK IN ACTION!

Ok - sorry about the being out of touch - I was actually offline. No internet at home for a while, and my shiny new laptop wouldn't let me interact with many web sites (that was strange).

But Now, things can get rolling. I will use this weekend to message / e-mail everyone. I will also try to figure out when I can be online (as now I have to be at school).

Cheers,

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If there was a single, easy way to fight poverty we probably would have done it by now. So in a fictious environment like this you can get away with a lot, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

1. Trust.

No legal reforms, deed registry programs, anti-corruption plans, law enforcement revamps or any other strategy you can think of will work without the people's cooperation, and you won't have that easily in a poor country where everybody's heard all your promises before. They won't let you register their property for fear you might take it away, they won't stop taking bribes before they see you actually increasing wages, they won't stop supporting local organized crime if they don't see the police taking care of them, and so on... Luckily, Mega-Socials go a long way to solve this particular problem.

2. Foreign investments.

You need money from abroad, but the last thing you want is a bunch of TransNational Corporations moving in and taking over your economy. Granted, it means a lot of work for your people, but it also means that most or all of the profits disappear out of your country. Through taxes, deals and regulations you need to make sure they don't rob you, while at the same time encourage local entrepreneurs. Novas can help here too. A strong scientific community led by a couple of nova geniuses would go a long way to lure foreign investments to your economy, even if they have to pay taxes...

3. Global Institutions.

Today - in nova-free 2005 - the IMF calls the tune when it comes to how to fight global poverty. Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) - which doesn't technically include Kenya at present, but they look like they're going that way - have to adopt neo-liberal strategies like increasing democracy, reducing government control and opening up borders, or they don't get the loans they need to get back on their feet. Many HIPC governments have been skeptic to the IMF's meddling both before and after the case. If the IMF still is a factor, your character needs to be the head of a democratic government - at least on paper - or you're on your own.

4. Old debts.

Kenya ows a lot of money, a lot of it loans granted under Daniel Arap Moi, and many feel that asking a formerly oppressed people to pay the bills for its earlier dictator is a bit over the top. If you could pull off giving IMF the finger and stop paying these unfair debts, you'd be a pretty popular leader - at least with your own people. Of course, a Mega-Social nova might be able to talk to the right people and get some of it cancelled completely...

As for strategies...

Property formalization, legal reform - based on the people's sense of justice, democratization, increasing and encouraging local organizations and initiative, taking a strong and active part in global politics - which should be easy for a nova, strengthening the African union to ensure a stronger trading bloc and position for negotiation, and so on...

Don't think I have the time to be part of yet another game on these boards - especially with the return of four games I'm in - but I'll be watching with interest. ::smile

Except when I'm going to Kenya to do some research next month...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wish to sincerely and wholeheartedly thank you for this advice. Quite a bit of my thinking was along these lines but this is an excellent summary of the task at hand. I have cunning plans and look forward to getting things going.

If there was a single, easy way to fight poverty we probably would have done it by now. So in a fictious environment like this you can get away with a lot, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

1. Trust.

No legal reforms, deed registry programs, anti-corruption plans, law enforcement revamps or any other strategy you can think of will work without the people's cooperation, and you won't have that easily in a poor country where everybody's heard all your promises before. They won't let you register their property for fear you might take it away, they won't stop taking bribes before they see you actually increasing wages, they won't stop supporting local organized crime if they don't see the police taking care of them, and so on... Luckily, Mega-Socials go a long way to solve this particular problem.

2. Foreign investments.

You need money from abroad, but the last thing you want is a bunch of TransNational Corporations moving in and taking over your economy. Granted, it means a lot of work for your people, but it also means that most or all of the profits disappear out of your country. Through taxes, deals and regulations you need to make sure they don't rob you, while at the same time encourage local entrepreneurs. Novas can help here too. A strong scientific community led by a couple of nova geniuses would go a long way to lure foreign investments to your economy, even if they have to pay taxes...

3. Global Institutions.

Today - in nova-free 2005 - the IMF calls the tune when it comes to how to fight global poverty. Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) - which doesn't technically include Kenya at present, but they look like they're going that way - have to adopt neo-liberal strategies like increasing democracy, reducing government control and opening up borders, or they don't get the loans they need to get back on their feet. Many HIPC governments have been skeptic to the IMF's meddling both before and after the case. If the IMF still is a factor, your character needs to be the head of a democratic government - at least on paper - or you're on your own.

4. Old debts.

Kenya ows a lot of money, a lot of it loans granted under Daniel Arap Moi, and many feel that asking a formerly oppressed people to pay the bills for its earlier dictator is a bit over the top. If you could pull off giving IMF the finger and stop paying these unfair debts, you'd be a pretty popular leader - at least with your own people. Of course, a Mega-Social nova might be able to talk to the right people and get some of it cancelled completely...

As for strategies...

Property formalization, legal reform - based on the people's sense of justice, democratization, increasing and encouraging local organizations and initiative, taking a strong and active part in global politics - which should be easy for a nova, strengthening the African union to ensure a stronger trading bloc and position for negotiation, and so on...

Don't think I have the time to be part of yet another game on these boards - especially with the return of four games I'm in - but I'll be watching with interest.  ::smile

Except when I'm going to Kenya to do some research next month...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Saga Progress Report:

Ok - it has taken me quite a while, but I have review all the characters that were sent to me, and looked at how the game is taking shape. Over the next few days I will be contacting players individually - but before that, there is one issue we all need to adress: PROJECT UTOPIA.

Part of each PC's makeup has to include some degree of antipathy for PU. It doesn't have to be big, but it needs to be there as a unifying story element. I realized that you all might need more to go on that that, so I created a list to help players shape a background that fits the subtle anti-utpoia feeling:

1 - Utopia is very 1984 on the inside. They are ruthless, cold, and calculating. People on the inside are paid very well indeed, thus tending not to notice how the ‘warm and fuzzy’ feeling the Project has on the outside is elusive unless the media are around. This kind of corporate culture is not ‘poison’ per se, but it tends to make project employees cynical and callous at the upper levels.

2 - They have secret agendas (they will not release certain documents to anyone – claiming protection from various political allies in most major countries that allow them to effectively stall any such request indefinitely). Records from the World War II area and the 1970’s are particularly spartan. Someone really likes those black magic marker lines.

3 - They have shut down many research programs in the name of Science and Technology control “for the security of the world” and yet rumors-not-quite-verifiable abound of Utopia using this research to further its agendas (whatever they are)

4 - Though there has been a major purge resulting from corruption scandals the organization could still be corrupt. It doesn't look like things are amiss, but fall-guys aren't too hard to arrange.

5 - No one really controls this ‘charity’ that has more military force (Novas) than most of the western world. Yet, the average person has faith that ‘those folks at Project Utopia are saving the world’.

6 - They have convinced many nations to rely upon Novas for military operations, which has resulted in worldwide disarmament on many levels … yet they continue to gain strength. Though still considered a conspiracy theory – the idea that Utopia is building an army is something floating around think tanks.

7 - Utopia has been very successful in fighting organized crime – but has been unable to seize many of the resources these syndicates should have. Vast sums of blood money, tons of drugs, weapons caches, and even important hostages are unaccounted for. Utopia claims these as ‘lost in action’ and society has turned a blind eye … people on all levels are willing to trade their suspicions in for a lower crime rate.

8 - Utopia is cleaning up the environment and is tremendously popular for ‘saving the planet’ but is also securing important mineral rights, driving out corporate competition, and possibly controlling national economies as a result of this ‘cleanup’. People are looking the other way – people like having a clean planet.

9 - Utopia has deposed Russia on the UN Security Council. It is not a country, yet has a seat – not to mention tremendous influence across most of international politics.

10 - Utopia helped to define Novas as people under the law in order to ‘bring humanity together’ and ‘protect’ Novas … and its legal teams are not stopping there. Behind the scenes Utopia is working toward mandatory Rashoud facility registration in all UN and UN affiliated countries.

11 - Utopia employs a very competent PR department, with enough marketing spin to make the average person dizzy. Activist and socially aware subcultures note that Utopia is blatantly manipulating society with tactics worthy of the tobacco industry. People who think about the messages Utopia broadcasts note and uncomfortably large number of contradictory statements, omissions, and emotional appeals.

12 - Utopia is beginning to curtail personal privacy – especially on the internet. It’s involvement in the new op-net projects have resulted in software protocols and hardware standards that make it very difficult to remain anonymous … unless you know their backdoors (all of which are speculative chatter amongst hackers at this point).

13 - “Mishandled funds” and “poorly organized” aid programs to African and South American nations have sparked a new series of brushfire wars on both continents. Though programs have always been remedied by concerned Utopian and UN officials who ‘just want to help’ it always seems that enough money and material slips into the hands of a petty warlord to cause a situation. It is important to note that none of this makes it on to CNN, BBC etc. and that even the IMF (irony of ironies) has begun to condemn Utopia for interference and mismanagement.

14 - Novas with the ability to perceive possible futures can’t pin down exactly what the problem with Utopia is. The world of the ‘Nova Age’ is so dynamic that looking ahead too far is very unreliable – almost anything is possible on that scale. The rare Novas with this capability tend to feel uneasy about Utopia – as if threatened. This is more of a subconscious insight, however, and should not be taken as gospel that Utopia will ‘kill all Novas’ or some such. Players will have to decide on some subtle way that this manifests should they use Pretercognition to delve into the future of Project Utopia.

Alrighty - that should help all of you put that finsihing touch on things.

Everyone has done a great job with charachter ideas and such so far BTW. Especially the Kenyan characters - you have a goodly amount of back-story setup. If any player wants to a home (fitting their resource level or alternitively a middle class family residence) I would recommend it be in one of three areas: Kenya, on the mediteranean (Italy is nice), in the Tokyo area, or in California (LA or cities nearby). That will not cost you anything ... and ties into some of the story arc I have going.

In general, I am now ready to get going with the web saga. The tabletop group has folded - too bad, but thats the way RP groups go sometimes.

In about twelve hours (after I sleep and do some homework) I will put up the IC post to 'open the party'. I realize not all characters are truely finished at this point, but this first scene is a meet and greet morning thing (see the Event timetable). AT that time I will start contacting people and tieing up loose char. back-story isses to start things rolling over the next week.

If you have already sent me a character draft or talked to me about being in the game feel free to make an introduction when the event 'opens' IC. I need to contact some players who want to join up and see who is still in, but that can happen as things get social IC for characters already generated.

IMPORTANT:

It would be great to get everything running through my yahoo e-mail account, so if everyone could send an e-mail to Kentbonisagus@yahoo.com that would be great. The e-mail you use to end that to me will be put on a contact list (players wil be CC'ed stuff en mass). I will get in the habit of using the EON message function, but the e-mail allows me to send documents easily.

Cheers,

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow - you guys have been busy while I was away - good stuff.

KENYA

Let's start to formalize some things on Kenya. First off, many of the ideas tossed around here work very well ... here are some modifications to Kenya for the timeline:

Daniel Arap Moi started Kenya on an upswing by instituting several programs inspired by the Japanses Saisho (one of which was setting Bookman up in a key position) and by making a quick economic Alliance with Russia. Kenya was, at one point, in better shape than Russia and (with Bookman's help) the aid Kenya provided was rewarded with a manifold gain.

Also, through some agency, Kenya managed to sweet tak the IMF. This is a matter of public record of course, but how it was done ... well maybe people can dig for it.

A resonant team - even of only 4 characters - puts Kenya on the map Nova wise. Add to the fact that it has the umbrella goodwill of Strike Team Samba (simply because it is a non-Utopia african nation) and it has Nova power to spare.

Kenya is doing science ... and really opening up to the international community on a number of recent dig sites, being hospitable to foreign research interests, and some major Japanese funding really built Kenya a science friendly rep in the last few years.

Dr. 'Issac' Yamamoto Ichiro has selected Kenya for building one of his 'big 3 world universites'. Being rich (not the richest, but up there) and possessed of some very nifty uber-tech he has begun to erect what could be termed as a new city. Think 'Tomorrow Land' and 'pissing contest with PU in Addis Abbaba'. The gains in employment and the training he provides for those employees are changin the face of Kenya. The city is not only a university, but all of the secondary inductries required to build and run that amazing complex. It is already an economic engine, and will be a seat of higher learning in decaded to come.

Utopia gives money to Kenya. They have blanket African Aid policies, and Kenya toakes the free cash and aid when and where it pops up. The difference here is that Kenya has a new anti-corruption force and is being organized about allocating the resources. Utopia is making noises about reducing aid given Kenya's newfound prosperity - but not everything is roses (see below) so keeps giving.

All of the points brought up by our friendly neigbourhood researcher on real world Kenya are absolutely correct - bearing in mind the incredible good fortune and newfound prosperity brought on by the Nova age developments.

That siad, the country is still one of extremes.

RURAL AREAS ARE STILL POOR: Everyone does eat and has shelter - but it is no first world nation. Shelters tend to be nifty little polymer huts with everything molded/installed in (even a very cheap wireless cell phone). Larger families build more traditional extensions onto these huts - or just live in a conventional dwelling of larger size. Most people have enough to eat - and that is saying something given the rest of Africa. Education and Literay are on the rise, but in many areas there is work to be done.

CITIES: Are modernising. Things are shinier and people have new stuff, but alot of families are in debt (from buying all the new stuff). Employment is not too hard to find, and if you are lucky you can get into working on the Yamamoto University. One of the big new problem for Urban people is commuting - many good jobs, especially the University ones - are beyond the range of an electric bicycle trip. Dr. Yamamoto does his best to provide dormatories in the new city-campus area but cannot put up entire families (just workers). This means divorce is also on the rise (though that trend should quiet down).

In short Kenya is in a form of controlled CHAOS - good chaos though.

Mind you, because there's that anthropological history of Kenya it'd be nifty if there was something specific to the area that mysteriously spurred on evolution....

I'd quite like to have as much common ground between these characters as possible, though this way does allow us all to develop our own backgrounds. 

And resonance provides us with reason enough to gravitate towards helping eachother out...

Yes indeed - Resonance is (in part) intended to help party cohesion. Resonant people are well disposed toward each other, can communicate better, often becoming very good friends and well coordinated teams. There are less than two dozen resonant Nova groups known - the number being inexact because Chinese officials refuse to disclose anything about Novas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...