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Old 10-24-2016, 09:01 PM   #1
lachimba
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Default Open sandbox improvisational campaign based on Jagged Alliance

Im thinking of an open sandbox improvisational campaign based on Jagged alliance that I can have as a pick up game if players turn up.


Basically every session would end with the PCs at home base and then the game world and real world would both sync in real time until we played again.

It would be an action series with the PCs the mercs available for the mission each game.


I really want to avoid anything to do with the middle East US or Chinese politics.

I'm looking at a Pacific island as a Google map. I've found one that fits geographically if not politically.

I just want to maintain my and potential players suspension of disbelief by having a zone full of mercs without world power intervention.

Maybe setting it in the 90s (or earlier) or an alternate history might help me explain away some things.


Advice and thoughts?
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Old 10-24-2016, 10:14 PM   #2
Gigermann
 
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Default Re: Open sandbox improvisational campaign based on Jagged Alliance

I did something similar before; worked out well enough, but I didn't get to use it very much. Conceptually based on The Expendables.

Take a cue from video games: made-up country; made-up factions; made-up causes. I'd be tempted to use something like Just Cause 2's Panau, map and all—it has a little bit of everything.
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Old 10-24-2016, 10:36 PM   #3
lachimba
 
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Default Re: Open sandbox improvisational campaign based on Jagged Alliance

I went with Google earth and map of a very famous island. I get a plausibly laid out city and countryside for free.

Probably some other places would have more appropriate layouts though
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Old 10-24-2016, 10:46 PM   #4
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Default Re: Open sandbox improvisational campaign based on Jagged Alliance

90's would Bougainville be appropriate? A later time line would make paupau new guinea an option, the Solomons maybe. East Timor, tonga, Fiji are all possibilities.
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Old 10-24-2016, 11:21 PM   #5
lachimba
 
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Default Re: Open sandbox improvisational campaign based on Jagged Alliance

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Originally Posted by (E) View Post
90's would Bougainville be appropriate? A later time line would make paupau new guinea an option, the Solomons maybe. East Timor, tonga, Fiji are all possibilities.
Yes, I'll check maps. I suppose there are many plausible situations there where foreign troops wouldn't deploy. Plus the internet provides details on military equipment and the like.


I think I need to come up with a list of NPCs. Then some generic scenario building blocks.


EDIT ADDITION: With full sympathy to the people of Bouganville, there is so much there for a game from the private military contractors right up until the Hind they tried to get in.


I did want to stay away from realworld politics though.

Last edited by lachimba; 10-25-2016 at 03:54 AM.
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Old 10-25-2016, 03:54 PM   #6
Warlockco
 
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Default Re: Open sandbox improvisational campaign based on Jagged Alliance

Africa, pick pretty much anywhere.
South America, again pick pretty much anywhere.

Those two areas run rampant with mercs in general.
Vast parts of Africa has this warlord or that warlord trying to establish himself.
South/Central America you can always default to the drug cartels, or anti-government rebels.

I think the United Nations or some other entity has a special organization just to keep track of the creation and destruction of small nations on an almost daily basis in Africa, unless things have stabilized in some fashion.
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Old 10-25-2016, 04:29 PM   #7
lachimba
 
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Default Re: Open sandbox improvisational campaign based on Jagged Alliance

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Originally Posted by Warlockco View Post
South America, again pick pretty much anywhere.

Those two areas run rampant with mercs in general.
Vast parts of Africa has this warlord or that warlord trying to establish himself.
South/Central America you can always default to the drug cartels, or anti-government rebels.

I'm sorry but that's just not true. Leaving aside your political analysis and just focussing on my suspension of disbelief.

Argentina? Chile? Brazil? Perhaps some mining or resource companies could be doing something with private security companies. I can't think of any country in South America with plausible mercenary companies in the last ten years. Not in cities at the very least. Brazil led a mission to Haiti for F sake. They would try the same thing if there was a similar situation on the continent.

Anyway I ran a serious Nicaragua campaign which is why I was after a more generic Pacific less realistic less political campaign. Also was after an island

Last edited by lachimba; 10-25-2016 at 04:43 PM.
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Old 10-26-2016, 03:14 AM   #8
vicky_molokh
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Default Re: Open sandbox improvisational campaign based on Jagged Alliance

You mentioned alternate timelines. How far away are you willing/intending to move from the real world?
How many factions do you need, and how big a region?

I'm thinking of ways in which the current local conflict can be reimaged into something playable, by playing up the disagreements between allied factions to make it more multi-sided.
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Old 10-26-2016, 04:24 AM   #9
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Default Re: Open sandbox improvisational campaign based on Jagged Alliance

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Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
You mentioned alternate timelines. How far away are you willing/intending to move from the real world?
How many factions do you need, and how big a region?

I'm thinking of ways in which the current local conflict can be reimaged into something playable, by playing up the disagreements between allied factions to make it more multi-sided.
A little from our time line. Mostly I was thinking of equipment availability and less war of terror.

Not so many factions. Two major, local gangs and the initial employers of the PCs.

A large Pacific island is about right.
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Old 10-26-2016, 03:30 PM   #10
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Default Re: Open sandbox improvisational campaign based on Jagged Alliance

Well... you could send them to the Metavira Island, or Arulco in South America.

You can also make one shot missions based on original games, but without a sequence of travels. Like, taking one SAM site, or freeing the Drassen airport, or an assassination mission in Meduna.

You want to make the original mercs for your players to choose or they will have custom mercs? I ask because some time ago I was thinking about it, and I want to use the original Mercs.
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