Wanted: New Ideas on the end of the world.
- Thread starter plop101
- Start date
Come the next ice age...
These are words I grew up with, and more than one sci-fi story was based on the fact that there was going to be another ice age. Why not? There had been several ice ages all ready, why shouldn't there be another one. In fact, many scientist noted signs of an aproaching ice age (just as many to day can show you signs of global warming).
Now imagen what happens when the artic circle extends down to about New York City? The bulk of the grain producing areas of the world will now never see summer, the weather in south Texas is more like southern Canada. World famine and more displaced people than you know what to do with! I could even see an Quebec enclave demanding an antonyms region in "the warm lands."
Things could really get ugly when world powers with nuclera weapons start pushing their way south (or north) to warmer climates.
War over the livable areas of the world could rival anything out of the orginal TW2K story.
These are words I grew up with, and more than one sci-fi story was based on the fact that there was going to be another ice age. Why not? There had been several ice ages all ready, why shouldn't there be another one. In fact, many scientist noted signs of an aproaching ice age (just as many to day can show you signs of global warming).
Now imagen what happens when the artic circle extends down to about New York City? The bulk of the grain producing areas of the world will now never see summer, the weather in south Texas is more like southern Canada. World famine and more displaced people than you know what to do with! I could even see an Quebec enclave demanding an antonyms region in "the warm lands."
Things could really get ugly when world powers with nuclera weapons start pushing their way south (or north) to warmer climates.
War over the livable areas of the world could rival anything out of the orginal TW2K story.
Uncle Bob gives us this offering:
In Janes Fighter Anthology, published in 1997, one of the campaign scenarios envisions a Central European Treaty Organization, with France and Germany at its core. Belguim is tied in with the US and UK, but gets quickly overrun in the first few weeks of the war. The Netherlands also falls to CETO, IIRC. The climactic battle involes a epic air defense of the UK, ala the Battle of Britain.
Ok, how about this one. More in line with the original T2K concept but playing off of more recent developments in global politics:
T to T+14
A major terrorist attack in India (perhaps using a small nuke) sets off the long anticipated Indian invasion of Pakistani controlled Kashmir. Pakistan responds with a nuke strike (for several reasons: It knows it can't win a conventional war without radically altering the balance of forces, so it uses several nukes to hit key transportation hubs in northwest India so as to cripple Indian Army logistics. Pakistan also knows that if it does not use its nukes right away there is the potential for a US special ops mission to take control of them before they can be used. There are more, but I digress.)
India retaliates with its own nuke arsenal, but escalates as well, hitting all of Pakistan. In addition, the Indians have always blamed China for giving Pakistan the missile technology, so they lob a couple of missiles at China as well.
China is blindsided by the attack and thrown into chaos. The US and Russia both rush to assure China they did not launch and to offer assistance with recovery operations. China views this as an effort to recolonize her in her weakened state. Radical elements within the Chinese government believe that the entire series of events was a deliberate plot by a Russo-American alliance to cripple China before it can challenge them on the world stage. In the chaos after the attack, these elements quickly gain control of the government.
After a short time period (a couple of days at most) China retaliates against all the 'members of the plot' and launches its missiles against each, India, Russia, and the US.
The India and Russia get the worst of this, but serious damage is done to the US west coast as well. The US retaliates in coordination of what is left of the Russian government (thus making the US and Russia de facto allies). China also uses conventional forces to attack Russia in the Far East. France and Germany withdraw from NATO fearing that the US will activate the alliance to pursue the war against China.
France, seeing that the US is seriously weakened by the current situation (recovering from a significant nuke strike and getting sucked into a war with China), begins to assemble a coalition to challenge the US for leadership of Europe. The US, Britain, and Russia, along with several other nations demand that France turn over its nukes to international control (Joint NATO/Russian). France refuses, thus setting up a potential confrontation in the heart of 'old Europe'.
Ok, that's the basic idea. It could all play out in a matter of a few days or a few weeks. As you can see, there are a lot of possible branches and sequals from this core chain of events, and lots of other potential nastyness could emerge (I didn't go into how the European war plays out or even touch the Midle East and how it would react to these events), but it could be a start to a new Twilight War.
Kind of scary when you think about it,
Rob
T to T+14
A major terrorist attack in India (perhaps using a small nuke) sets off the long anticipated Indian invasion of Pakistani controlled Kashmir. Pakistan responds with a nuke strike (for several reasons: It knows it can't win a conventional war without radically altering the balance of forces, so it uses several nukes to hit key transportation hubs in northwest India so as to cripple Indian Army logistics. Pakistan also knows that if it does not use its nukes right away there is the potential for a US special ops mission to take control of them before they can be used. There are more, but I digress.)
India retaliates with its own nuke arsenal, but escalates as well, hitting all of Pakistan. In addition, the Indians have always blamed China for giving Pakistan the missile technology, so they lob a couple of missiles at China as well.
China is blindsided by the attack and thrown into chaos. The US and Russia both rush to assure China they did not launch and to offer assistance with recovery operations. China views this as an effort to recolonize her in her weakened state. Radical elements within the Chinese government believe that the entire series of events was a deliberate plot by a Russo-American alliance to cripple China before it can challenge them on the world stage. In the chaos after the attack, these elements quickly gain control of the government.
After a short time period (a couple of days at most) China retaliates against all the 'members of the plot' and launches its missiles against each, India, Russia, and the US.
The India and Russia get the worst of this, but serious damage is done to the US west coast as well. The US retaliates in coordination of what is left of the Russian government (thus making the US and Russia de facto allies). China also uses conventional forces to attack Russia in the Far East. France and Germany withdraw from NATO fearing that the US will activate the alliance to pursue the war against China.
France, seeing that the US is seriously weakened by the current situation (recovering from a significant nuke strike and getting sucked into a war with China), begins to assemble a coalition to challenge the US for leadership of Europe. The US, Britain, and Russia, along with several other nations demand that France turn over its nukes to international control (Joint NATO/Russian). France refuses, thus setting up a potential confrontation in the heart of 'old Europe'.
Ok, that's the basic idea. It could all play out in a matter of a few days or a few weeks. As you can see, there are a lot of possible branches and sequals from this core chain of events, and lots of other potential nastyness could emerge (I didn't go into how the European war plays out or even touch the Midle East and how it would react to these events), but it could be a start to a new Twilight War.
Kind of scary when you think about it,
Rob
I remember the games that I and my group of friends used to play when both T2000 version 1 and 2 were released. I bought all the modules, all the guides. Sold 'em all years back, something I regret.
I will be buying the re released version one when it is released in Australia. And I personally couldn't imagine changing the history at all. I'm looking forward to running Escape from Kalisz one more time.
I'm not knocking the ideas I have seen on this topic, and I think there are some very good ones indeed. But I'll be buying the game for some good 'old' memories to play again.
I will be buying the re released version one when it is released in Australia. And I personally couldn't imagine changing the history at all. I'm looking forward to running Escape from Kalisz one more time.
I'm not knocking the ideas I have seen on this topic, and I think there are some very good ones indeed. But I'll be buying the game for some good 'old' memories to play again.
I would recommend though, if people are interested in find a new storyline to start WWIII for their new T2000 campaign, Tom Clancy novels. I am currently in the middle of Debt of Honor, and have read the rest of the series up to that book. There are certainly some great ideas for the start of the 'final' war between the covers.
More snow job.
I just finished watching a show on the science channel. It was about the posibility of global warming bringing on the next ice age. It seems all the previous ice ages where preceded by a period of warming. In the last ice age, the ice sheet came as far south as Chicago. Also an ice age could take as little as ten years to be in full swing. Time enough for people to see it coming and for fighting to break out for the warm lands. In the last ice age most of Europe and Russia was unihabitable and Scotland was under a mile of ice!
I just finished watching a show on the science channel. It was about the posibility of global warming bringing on the next ice age. It seems all the previous ice ages where preceded by a period of warming. In the last ice age, the ice sheet came as far south as Chicago. Also an ice age could take as little as ten years to be in full swing. Time enough for people to see it coming and for fighting to break out for the warm lands. In the last ice age most of Europe and Russia was unihabitable and Scotland was under a mile of ice!
Ever notice how communism just won't die, no matter how "outdated" or "illfated" it has 'proven to be'?
Why not have good old communist hardliners take back control of the government, and regather the old USSR? They could be spurred on a new sense of nationalism based on the attempt of the US to try to co-opt the 'Stan' countries, thus "invading mother russia thru colonization and political brainwashing" (funny to hear a soviet say that!). They could basically reform the country, reactivate old antagonisms, and thus you have the stage re-set for a good old US-Russo slugfest.
Why not have good old communist hardliners take back control of the government, and regather the old USSR? They could be spurred on a new sense of nationalism based on the attempt of the US to try to co-opt the 'Stan' countries, thus "invading mother russia thru colonization and political brainwashing" (funny to hear a soviet say that!). They could basically reform the country, reactivate old antagonisms, and thus you have the stage re-set for a good old US-Russo slugfest.
...or it could be something inocuouse that starts it, like in the video gaem Operation:Flashpoint.
Soviet special forces make a strike on some small island in the adriatic or northern pacific, snagging some good old Chechnian rebels/terrorists, and one of them is a former CIA guy gone rogue/CIA operative. SOmeone sees this as an invasion of their soverignty/wants their guy back, and an escalation ensues, with everyone and their dog getting their licks in on their favorite punching bag.
Heck, what if a chechnian terroridst could somehow activate on of the old "decomissioned" nukes and set it into flight? Would all our old defenses react? Scary thought, especially considering the state of russian security.
Or, one of their old nuclear submarines that is sitting in dock, slowly rotting, has a core meltdown due to lack of maintanance. They think a bomb did it and raise their hackles.
Soviet special forces make a strike on some small island in the adriatic or northern pacific, snagging some good old Chechnian rebels/terrorists, and one of them is a former CIA guy gone rogue/CIA operative. SOmeone sees this as an invasion of their soverignty/wants their guy back, and an escalation ensues, with everyone and their dog getting their licks in on their favorite punching bag.
Heck, what if a chechnian terroridst could somehow activate on of the old "decomissioned" nukes and set it into flight? Would all our old defenses react? Scary thought, especially considering the state of russian security.
Or, one of their old nuclear submarines that is sitting in dock, slowly rotting, has a core meltdown due to lack of maintanance. They think a bomb did it and raise their hackles.
I study a lot of European history, and just love the thought of playing a campaign there. As a result, the Russians (I apologise to any Ruskies on this site) make a great opponent for the traditional NATO countries. I think the idea of having radicals take control of the Russian government, backed by the military, and attempting to claim old Warsaw Pact countries is a good idea if referees want to get a story line happening with an 'accurate' history.
I also see that we are playing a role playing game, where elements of the truth are, and should be bent, and do not think it would be to much of a stretch to tell the players that the Berlin Wall didn't come down. This is what really happened. That's just a personal view, more that I don't really want to go into creating a completely new history of world events, as I would rather spend the time actually working on the campaign and adventures.
BUT......if someone else was to come up with a good European version of events leading up to WWIII, I would probably use it in a flash.
I also see that we are playing a role playing game, where elements of the truth are, and should be bent, and do not think it would be to much of a stretch to tell the players that the Berlin Wall didn't come down. This is what really happened. That's just a personal view, more that I don't really want to go into creating a completely new history of world events, as I would rather spend the time actually working on the campaign and adventures.
BUT......if someone else was to come up with a good European version of events leading up to WWIII, I would probably use it in a flash.
Also, I guess, there is a wide range of European modules available for T2000, which I would want to utilise, where as not as much was ever produced for the Middle East or Asia.
Not being an American, I probably wouldn't get the satisfaction that a lot of U.S players would get in gaming in the States. I could imagine how much fun referees would have setting a game in the states, in a war torn version of their own state. Somehow, running in war torn Australia doesn't quite do it for me.
So Europe is my continent of choice, though I have noticed some good storylines involving Asia and the Middle East in this topic.
Not being an American, I probably wouldn't get the satisfaction that a lot of U.S players would get in gaming in the States. I could imagine how much fun referees would have setting a game in the states, in a war torn version of their own state. Somehow, running in war torn Australia doesn't quite do it for me.
So Europe is my continent of choice, though I have noticed some good storylines involving Asia and the Middle East in this topic.
Well, I am still working on my timeline that I started above. If there is interest I will post the rest here. At present I have written up the second two weeks of the Twilight War (which covers mostly the Far East and the political maneuvering after France and Germany pull out of NATO). The third and fourth installments cover the war in Europe and North and Central America.
Right now I have the sides broken down as (roughly):
France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Belarus and Ukraine
Vs.
US, UK, Russia, Holland, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Serbia
Other countries are involved but spit or engaged in their own side show wars.
Any interest?
Rob
Right now I have the sides broken down as (roughly):
France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Belarus and Ukraine
Vs.
US, UK, Russia, Holland, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Serbia
Other countries are involved but spit or engaged in their own side show wars.
Any interest?
Rob
During the last T2k campaign I ran (in the good old Poland setting), I had a French Expeditionary Force travel through. They had arranged a meet with some Soviet Generals for an exchange of some items of technological nature. Needless to say, the party members were not too keen on letting those items get taken away. So a furious conflict with the French force developed over the course of the next few game weeks.
Very simple. Change events earlier than 1990.
A Carter win in 1980 (No, I have no idea why) would leave America in the doldrums. Also Carter wanted to take the Euro idea of learning to live with the Soviets and encouraging the IMF to give them loans. This forestalls the collapse by about five years.
The Soviets elected a reformer (Gorby) because they could no longer afford the race against Ronnie Reagan. No Reagan, no pressure.
Another five years. There is your ten years. Carter did not support Solidarity as it caused instability (which apparently was bad) and same for the Euros. No US support (mostly moral) means Solidarity sputters out.
The French treacherously betraying the West and stabbing America in the back we can leave in, that is as realistic now as it was then
If you aren't heavily tied to Europe (I'm not) then there is no reason not to use Eco Disaster as your "trigger" point. Food Riots leads to Imperialism (ie may as well have a war, if you are going to starve anyway).
In America I would have the bosses of the food producing states gradually hike the "export tax" on food goods until eventually the "united" bit of the united states brakes down. Then a grinding civil war - no lightning strikes, brother vs brother, very limited nukes. The "actual" army trying to stay out of it while homegaurd and plice skirmish trying to break the will of the opposition without actually hurting anyone.
Lots of fun.
If you want to have the "heros journey" that was so much a part of t2K then make the players Canadians working their way up from Mexico!
Just a thought
Out of interest, if the carry capacity of America did drop blow the current ppulation(not hard to do) I wonder what would happen?
In America I would have the bosses of the food producing states gradually hike the "export tax" on food goods until eventually the "united" bit of the united states brakes down. Then a grinding civil war - no lightning strikes, brother vs brother, very limited nukes. The "actual" army trying to stay out of it while homegaurd and plice skirmish trying to break the will of the opposition without actually hurting anyone.
Lots of fun.
If you want to have the "heros journey" that was so much a part of t2K then make the players Canadians working their way up from Mexico!
Just a thought
Out of interest, if the carry capacity of America did drop blow the current ppulation(not hard to do) I wonder what would happen?
I'm sorry, there's just no replacement for the old Soviets. the other countries just don't meet the criterion for starting World War III. The Chinese are more interested in trade and growing their economy than in world conquest. A nuclear war between the US and some other country would lead to a clear cut victory for the United States although it would take some damage, Civilization would not fall apart. The countries capable of inflicting tremendous damage on the US are not ideologically committed, and those that are aren't capable. I think Twilight 2000 ought to be continued under a "what if" alternate history. It could of happened but it didn't, but suppose it did? An Asteroid strike just isn't a war and wouldn't be the same. Twilight 2000 is not so much about a global nuclear catastrophe but about a war that destroys civilization and the continued fighting that occurs in its aftermath. I think an interesting senario would be a group of soldiers setting up base in Poland and suddenly being transported to this alternate timeline from our own, where history took a different course in 1990. 2003 Soldiers from our timeline would have slightly different equipment that the Twilight 2000 soldiers of that same year. Much technological progress would have stopped at the year 1997. I a soldier were to find a Twilight 2000 PC and a power source to plug it into, he would find that its operating system would be Windows 95 or 3.1. DVD players would be hard to find and the only late model cars would come from France or Japan.
Well you could have the Soviet Union suddenly rise from the ashes and then launch a nuclear strike on the United States while carefully avoiding France, but how likely is that? An asteroid could hit the Earth quite unexpectantly. Another possibility is that part of the world could be transposed in time to another era. What if a dimensional rift where to replace the Eastern Hemisphere with that of Ice Age Europe and Asia?
