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Old 10-14-2018, 11:49 AM   #1
Luke Bunyip
 
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Default [AtE] Academia, and it's potential legacies

I must admit that I like the idea of an academic faculty surviving the End, similar to the Oregon State University in Corvallis, in S M Stirling's Emberverse setting.

What could the educational foci of a bunch of academics in a post apocalyptic world? My initial thoughts are engineering, medicine, and horticulture/agriculture/veterinary sciences.
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Old 10-14-2018, 03:29 PM   #2
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Default Re: [AtE] Academia, and it's potential legacies

While not exactly academia, I've used a sports science / Olympic training camp as a foundation for an AtE group before. While all the skills are focused on athletic competition there are many skills that suit. Medical, psychological, engineering, archery, guns, nutrition etc.

They also have a large group of young and fit people as well as possibly a secure compound with multiple facilities. It's also feasible that a sports science complex is part of a larger academic institution.
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Last edited by (E); 10-14-2018 at 03:47 PM.
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Old 10-14-2018, 03:52 PM   #3
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Default Re: [AtE] Academia, and it's potential legacies

The Essayee were a bunch of potential allies/potential enemies in one of my AtE games. They were, of course, the survivors/descendants of the local university's Society of Automotive Engineers and were notable for having large numbers of working vehicles.

I'd expect the A&M colleges to do relatively well, AtE. In addition to academic focus you mentioned, a lot of them have strong ROTC programs, which means they'll have access to some people with some military training.

Reed College in Oregon has a working nuclear reactor on-campus. It's tiny (250 kW), but it's still enough to run the lights for a while. That might make a good hook for a campaign set in the Pacific NW.

An alternate take would be the Last Conservatory: lacking immediately practical skills, the music professors managed to convince the local communities that preserving the musical tradition of the past was important enough to feed the professors. That would be an interesting concept for a social/politics focused AtE game: the Conservatory is constantly having to justify its existence, cutting deals and working behind the scenes to remove local leaders that are hostile the Conservatory's existence.
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Old 10-14-2018, 08:51 PM   #4
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Default Re: [AtE] Academia, and it's potential legacies

The history department and associated areas of study like anthropology may have individuals with anachronistic skills that may come in useful.

Also the library is an asset.
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Old 10-14-2018, 09:16 PM   #5
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Default Re: [AtE] Academia, and it's potential legacies

There's a 50-page supplement for the old post-apoc game system, Aftermath!, set in Sydney Uni, with extensive maps of a number of the faculty buildings. See if you can track down "Operation Morpheus".
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Old 10-14-2018, 10:03 PM   #6
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Default Re: [AtE] Academia, and it's potential legacies

Quote:
Originally Posted by (E) View Post
...Also the library is an asset.
Oh yeah. And librarians would make great patrons, setting PCs to scavenge for stuff in the nearby Ruined CityTM.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daigoro View Post
There's a 50-page supplement for the old post-apoc game system, Aftermath!, set in Sydney Uni, with extensive maps of a number of the faculty buildings. See if you can track down "Operation Morpheus".
Aftermath!! Now, that takes me back. If I remember correctly, Mosman got taken over by the PLA. Think a mate of mine might still have a copy of Morpheus.
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Old 10-14-2018, 11:40 PM   #7
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Default Re: [AtE] Academia, and it's potential legacies

Just some random thoughts. I would imagine that each class would be paid up front and last no more than a month. Since wasterlanders are drifters or semi-successful scavenger squatter. Both don't have much security. I can guess that there isn't any tests to pass, but if you want to sign up for the next level up you have to pay for a entrance test and the class. Also, if an academia has lasted this long, I can see them creating a technocracy by now.
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Old 10-15-2018, 10:40 PM   #8
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Default Re: [AtE] Academia, and it's potential legacies

Quote:
Originally Posted by mlangsdorf View Post

(SNIP)

I'd expect the A&M colleges to do relatively well, AtE. In addition to academic focus you mentioned, a lot of them have strong ROTC programs, which means they'll have access to some people with some military training.

(SNIP)
Some of the Agricultural & Mechanical colleges in the United States also act as seed banks. One of the largest is right here in Colorado, up in Fort Collins, at Colorado State University (CSU).

It's the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, which has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/National-Ce...3947/timeline/.

The regular Web site isn't working, but NPR did a good story about it:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...e-worlds-seeds .
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Old 10-16-2018, 03:35 AM   #9
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Default Re: [AtE] Academia, and it's potential legacies

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Some of the Agricultural & Mechanical colleges in the United States also act as seed banks.
<facepalm>
I used to teach at an ag college down here.

<finds ag college in proposed AtE setting>

Ta muchly...
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