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Old 01-25-2021, 02:16 PM   #11
Michael Thayne
 
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Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Running a Taft-1 natives campaign

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Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1 View Post
Caliph is a Class Z2 world, and it's "a top internal secret of the Patrol and UNIC". You always have to keep in mind that even though we know all of this stuff, that doesn't mean people in-universe will have the same knowledge. If a criminal with a stolen conveyor had knowledge of Caliph, they'd either end up dead or imprisoned (if they were discovered) or in possession of unimaginable wealth (if they actually were able to steal advanced tech and get away with it). In either case, they're not going to end up on a backwater (as far as they know) like Taft-1.
This is a good point. Maybe once the campaign has been running for awhile, Caliph having its Last War and finally getting looted could be a plot point.
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Old 01-25-2021, 06:00 PM   #12
fchase8
 
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Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Running a Taft-1 natives campaign

Quote:
Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1 View Post
Caliph is a Class Z2 world, and it's "a top internal secret of the Patrol and UNIC". You always have to keep in mind that even though we know all of this stuff, that doesn't mean people in-universe will have the same knowledge. If a criminal with a stolen conveyor had knowledge of Caliph, they'd either end up dead or imprisoned (if they were discovered) or in possession of unimaginable wealth (if they actually were able to steal advanced tech and get away with it). In either case, they're not going to end up on a backwater (as far as they know) like Taft-1.
True, but if it's a stolen conveyor, it can only go to Quantum 6 worlds. Of course, there are a lot of Quantum 6 worlds, including ones nicer, or at least less dangerous, than Taft-1 (I'd take a lower-tech world for one without a powerful Stalin...).

But what if the thief is from Taft-1? They might want to live rich there even if they could access other Q6 worlds, impress their family & all those people back home who said they'd never make it.

And having the conveyor being stolen could limit what parachronic coordinates are available. Admittedly, Caliph and Orichalcum would be low on the likelihood of listed coordinates on a Q6 conveyor, but maybe they're found accidentally.

Or maybe the conveyor was from a swagman who had planned on theft from either world, only to end up on Taft-1 instead (failed Parachronic Operations roll...). Then the local PCs get a hold of the conveyor, and there's only a few coordinates listed. The conveyor can't go to this "Homeline", but can the Q6 worlds.

Of course, a Taft-1 local going to Caliph would almost certainly be caught/killed (unless had some mythos magic backing he or she up), even if they had access to the swagman's plan.

Caliph and/or Orichalcum could be a later destination, after learning the ropes with easier Q6 worlds (going to echos would be like going back in time).
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Old 01-25-2021, 06:41 PM   #13
AlexanderHowl
 
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Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Running a Taft-1 natives campaign

A criminal organization with an illegal conveyor is going to exploit it as much as possible. They are also likely to have people in Infinity to give them potentially lucrative top secret information. Smuggling military surplus from a TL11 timeline like Caliph to sell in TL7 timelines like Taft-1 would be perfect, as Infinity limits its activities on any timeline with reasonable technology to prevent them from finding out the Secret.

What would they want in exchange? Gold would work well, as it could be mixed with gold from other timelines, making it untraceable, though they could also do a triangle trade with other stable TL7 timelines in Q6. If they wanted, they could even sell TL11 military surplus to the British and USA in Reich-2 to make life uncomfortable for the fascists.
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Old 01-25-2021, 07:34 PM   #14
awesomenessofme1
 
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Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Running a Taft-1 natives campaign

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A criminal organization with an illegal conveyor is going to exploit it as much as possible. They are also likely to have people in Infinity to give them potentially lucrative top secret information. Smuggling military surplus from a TL11 timeline like Caliph to sell in TL7 timelines like Taft-1 would be perfect, as Infinity limits its activities on any timeline with reasonable technology to prevent them from finding out the Secret.

What would they want in exchange? Gold would work well, as it could be mixed with gold from other timelines, making it untraceable, though they could also do a triangle trade with other stable TL7 timelines in Q6. If they wanted, they could even sell TL11 military surplus to the British and USA in Reich-2 to make life uncomfortable for the fascists.
I feel like you're speaking of things too casually. Just getting the information that Caliph exists would be incredibly difficult and unlikely, actually successfully funneling out advanced tech from Caliph without getting caught would be nearly impossible, and even if they managed it, selling military surplus to TL7 societies is such a strange idea for what to do with it. The most lucrative and (relatively) safe ideas I can think of is either pulling out a few old-fashioned (for Caliph) innovations and becoming a billioanire on Homeline by patenting it, or smuggling out weapons and using it to subjugate medium-tech worlds so you can drain their resources.
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Old 01-25-2021, 09:43 PM   #15
AlexanderHowl
 
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Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Running a Taft-1 natives campaign

Either if those scenarios would likely get to Coventry (or worse), especially since most Q6 timelines are closely monitored echoes.
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Old 01-25-2021, 10:41 PM   #16
awesomenessofme1
 
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Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Running a Taft-1 natives campaign

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Either if those scenarios would likely get to Coventry (or worse), especially since most Q6 timelines are closely monitored echoes.
Based on their track record, if somehow an independent group of criminals managed to successfully smuggle advanced tech to Homeline, even if they were planning to profit from it, Infinity would probably be willing to just quietly accept it and benefit from it. If they armed themselves with TL11 weapons and set themselves up as planetary conquerors, I think they'd be far past the point that Infinity could easily deal with them unless they wanted to start a war.

I don't understand how this hypothetical group you're positing can somehow be large and competent enough to infilitrate the most advanced known worldline in existence (and a paranoid one) and smuggle off technology, but also small and incompetent enough to easily be rolled up by Infinity and taken away.
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Old 01-25-2021, 10:51 PM   #17
tshiggins
 
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Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Running a Taft-1 natives campaign

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Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1 View Post
I feel like you're speaking of things too casually. Just getting the information that Caliph exists would be incredibly difficult and unlikely, actually successfully funneling out advanced tech from Caliph without getting caught would be nearly impossible, and even if they managed it, selling military surplus to TL7 societies is such a strange idea for what to do with it. The most lucrative and (relatively) safe ideas I can think of is either pulling out a few old-fashioned (for Caliph) innovations and becoming a billioanire on Homeline by patenting it, or smuggling out weapons and using it to subjugate medium-tech worlds so you can drain their resources.
Okay, introduction of anything one TL higher than currently available on a world might be doable, as long as the swagman does enough groundwork and/or can work with a local firm as camouflage.

But four tech levels? Of military hardware?
That's about as subtle and unnoticeable as showing up in the War of 1812 with a Challenger 2, the UK's main battle tank currently in service.

The locals are gonna have no idea what to do with it, and the people who do recognize it will be lethally unamused.

So, even if some putz managed to make it back with a TL 11 plasma rifle with smart micro-missile launcher, all it would get them is a bullet in the brain-pan from a much more subtle, but still effective, M2010 sniper rifle fired from half a km away.

No, the best way to make money as a swagman is to either steal cultural artifacts, or set up a company making slightly more advanced consumer goods that don't exist in the world.

Pulling a William Walker with advanced weaponry just gets you targeted by an ISWAT team.
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Old 01-25-2021, 11:39 PM   #18
awesomenessofme1
 
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Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Running a Taft-1 natives campaign

An interesting concept for a campaign centered around Taft-1 natives could be a group somehow learning of the existence of parachronics and having to keep the secret out of Stalin's hands while also keeping out of the eyes of Homeline or Centrum.
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Old 01-26-2021, 01:29 AM   #19
johndallman
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Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Running a Taft-1 natives campaign

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No, the best way to make money as a swagman is to either steal cultural artifacts, or set up a company making slightly more advanced consumer goods that don't exist in the world.
I had one moving fine porcelain from a world where it was in production to one where it was valuable antiques. Quite profitable, and likely to stay below most people's radar.
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Old 01-26-2021, 01:57 AM   #20
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Running a Taft-1 natives campaign

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I had one moving fine porcelain from a world where it was in production to one where it was valuable antiques. Quite profitable, and likely to stay below most people's radar.
Of course the only thing wrong with that is the unlicensed conveyor. Otherwise it's just Homeline's business model in operation.

Last edited by David Johnston2; 01-29-2021 at 12:21 PM.
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