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Old 09-07-2014, 04:22 PM   #1
combatmedic
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Default Cyberworld changes and additions

What have you/would you change or add to Cyberworld?


For me, the politics in the States don't quite work. Evil conservatives and dastardly libertarians? Naw, I'm not buying it. ;)

I'm looking at changing three of the Pro-Gov factions:


• Archconservatives replaced by Archonists. Archonism calls for a strong centralized executive authority that will maintain public order through forceful measures. Current leadership has tried hard to cover up the early party’s occult ties.
• God’s Own Party replaced by Zionist-American Party. Despite the name, this party is not an ardent supporter of the Israeli Empire. Party ideology maintains that North America is the true land of Canaan and that the United States gov’t has a special destiny to reunite the Lost Tribes of Israel and establish the Renewed Zion. Ostensibly Christian, the Zaps hold a number of heretical beliefs, such as Neo-Arianism. The party supports legalization of polygamy.
• True Americans become Verdaderos Americanos. Quasi-fascist party that espouses the dream of a unified North America as a “bronze continent.” Strong advocate for the annexation of the Low Six and Cuba, now working to improve citizenship status for its supporters.
(Note that many Mexicans and Cubans view this party as a pack of traitors. The Echervistas have gone out of their way to assassinate Verd politicians)


The other Pro-Gov parties remain the same.

Last edited by combatmedic; 09-07-2014 at 04:36 PM.
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Old 09-07-2014, 05:16 PM   #2
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Default Re: Cyberworld changes and additions

We'll just take it as granted that you and I are unlikely to have a constructive conversation about U.S. politics. :) The only part of ProGov that seems silly to me is the Light of Wisdom party - people like that do exist, but they are unlikely to participate in a political process, nor are they localized enough to form a plurality in any Congressional district, even given the fragmentation and voter suppression depicted in Cyberworld I would think. Depending on the sensibilities of your players you might tone them down two notches and rename them Liberal Democrats, but I'd simply remove them altogether.

MafInc strikes me as silly. Part of the point of Cyberworld is that the kinds of things they engage in are now done by "ordinary" corporations and local governments too; they have no place or purpose or competitive edge. I'd probably just use newer ethnic mobs. Consider consulting the FBI's website on organized crime if you need inspiration.

The Russia-Japan economic union is a little silly too; let's take the two bugaboos a certain sort of American was scared of when the book was published and combine them into one megavillain! The economic problems of the two nations are not going to be solved that way and it's hard to imagine anyone on either side thinking they could.
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Old 09-07-2014, 07:08 PM   #3
combatmedic
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Default Re: Cyberworld changes and additions

Further notes on the three reworked parties:

P. 32 text includes some oddball stuff about race and citizenship classes.
I get that bucking trends can be part of sci fi world building as much as extrapolating on trends, but why did 19th style racism make a big comeback? I imagine one could construct a plausible scenario in which that happens, but I’m not turned on by the notion.

On the other hand, completely excising any form of extremist identity politics from America in the setting seems much too optimistic for a dark future setting like Cyberworld. Thus I have the Verds. But although they often use old-fashioned Aztlan type talk about “bronze continent’’ they are much more concerned with their ideological fusion of Pan-Americanism and a “La Raza” cultural identity than with skin color.

The Zaps think the children of Israel were scattered over the world; they accept members of all ethnic backgrounds and don’t discriminate based on color.

The Archonists advocate the war on drugs, gun control, militarized police forces, surveillance of subversives, and so on. They aren’t conservatives by late 20th Century standards; their core ideas are authority and unity, not justice and freedom.
As far as race goes, Patterson was black (IMC). It's not an issue for the Archonists; theirs is a colorblind ideology.
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Old 09-07-2014, 07:23 PM   #4
combatmedic
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Default Re: Cyberworld changes and additions

TECH, converting 3E to 4E


I could just bump all the TLs up by one.
That would place the TL 6 regions in TL 7. To maintain the lower tech feel of such places, I'd say that's an effective early TL7.
TL 8 regions become early TL 9.

But maybe split TLs and/or tech paths would handle it better?

TL 8+ with Cyberpunk Tech path for the "firstworld" nations? TL 7 (pre-1980) for the "last world''?
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Old 09-07-2014, 10:43 PM   #5
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Default Re: Cyberworld changes and additions

Well, what sort of stories are you planning to tell in this Cyberworld? Yes, TL8 power, transport and weapons but TL10 computers and biotech is the most common "cyberpunk" convention and would work well for the First World. Lends itself to stories about the nature of human identity, since there are now technologies that put humans at or over the boundaries of what the word "human" used to mean. TL7 for the "last world" seems equally appropriate - as older technologies become less commercially competitive and thus less secure and thus more readily appropriated (stolen if you prefer).
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