Destecado

A delta or a shuttle are rather high-profile, expensive means of delivery. I guess something smaller, like a flitter or even a rocket bike (or however that two-man intra-orbit sled was called in English), or a jumper craft could do just fine for a suicide run like the one you envision.

I talked it over with CyberBear and changed the events leading up to the nuclear detonation. Since it was never stated (previously) in the written material that the nuke was smuggled onto the Ronald Reagan, it will be retconned to an external detonation in close proximity to the ship and space dock facilities.

The device was delivered via rocket bike / intra orbit sled. The plotters would be able to spoof the system or possibly forge transponder codes to allow the sled to approach the space docks. By the time it veered off it's flight path and dove toward the Ronald Reagan it would be too late.

The complexity of planting the device seems to belie the origin of the attack. With a nuclear weapon, do you really need to sneak it on board the ship? A delta shuttle in close proximity (the analog of a terrestrial car bomb) would probably achieve the same effect, with less risk of being caught before detonation.

As the original author of the EU nuclear attack on the United States Space Docks I wasn't specific about the amount of destruction to allow the reader to fill in with their imagination. The ship was vaporized as the weapon went off inside near the main reactors of the ship. The space docks aren't the most rigid constructions in the world. Yes, there would have been lots of wreckage falling into the sea and some on land. There were a few deaths a few fires and the added radiation in the atmosphere, who knows? The effects of this will be felt in the future.

Ok, this was not information I had before, but it adds more confusion than clearing up matters. The device was placed by the ship's main reactors, but the Ronald Reagan was still 3+ months from launch. Was the placement of the device an attempt to make it look like the reactors overloaded during a test or to magnify the size of the explosion? Would the shielding of the reactors have any affect? What form of shielding do these ships use ... physical, energy fields or a combination of the two?

Space docks aren't the most rigid construction, but the facility would have to be substantial to accommodate a staff of 5-6 thousand people, plus the additional 3-4 members of the Aerospace force who also perished. Is that an accurate tally or a number that was inflated for propaganda value? In addition to the docks, you would also need habitation modules and a fare amount of infrastructure to support such a work force. Are these facilities attached to the docks or at a distance in the same or near orbit?

Earlier this year I was reading an article in the New York Times about closed hospitals being repurposed as For-Profit Medical Malls. I began to wonder if a similar model could be applied to vacant retail space … ‘dead’ malls and empty big box stores.

This isn’t a new idea of course. As demographics and shopping habits have shifted, communities have struggled to find new uses for these old facilities. With the prevalence of urban blight and socio-economic and demographic shifts that exist in the Cyberpunk universe, there would a large selection of abandoned properties. Not everyone capital or interest in tearing down and building new. So does anyone have any ideas for how to repurpose one of these old structures?

I’ll start with my idea, turning an old mall into a kinda medical-mecca. Infrastructure that had been built for movement of large numbers of shoppers in and out of a retail environment would also meet the needs of a busy medical facility. Anchor stores would be replaced by the main medical center and perhaps a hotel.

The hotel like the mal itself could be mixed use. Floors could be set aside for extended stay, rather than the typical transient stay. Such rooms might be used by family members of patients in the medical center or even patients who no longer need direct medical supervision, but who are still on premises for medical rehabilitation.

Additional anchor stores might be given over to lab facilities or possibly medical school annex. Students might serve their residency in the attached medical facility.

The retail space between the anchor stores would provide office space for specialist in specific fields of medicine to have their own offices (OB/GYN, Urologists, Dentists, Oncologist, etc.) There would also be room for supporting businesses, such a pharmacy, cleaners, gym / physical rehabilitation center, medical supply store, delivery provider (akin to UPS , FedEx, etc.), Trauma Team office, offices for insurance providers, etc.

On-site food service would be available in the food court or in standalone restaurants within the mall or in the hotel. There would be no need for the medical center to have its own cafeteria.

In order to cut down on wait times and traffic within the medical center ... and service their low end customer base ... self-service body docs … might be set up in a wellness center. Several machines could be grouped together with an attendant … kind of like the automated check outs in a supermarket. These automated stations could in many cases take the place of a consultation with a nurse. Minor maladies may not require meeting with a doctor, which saves both the patient and hospital money. If a doctor is required, the patient would be directed to a satellite clinic set up adjacent to the wellness center.

Well, Episode 21 wraps up my tenure as Game Master. Overall I was please with how the story went. We did have a dud of an episode in Niger, but otherwise I like to think the players had fun. I could have probably continued on for several more episodes, but that ran the risk of the story becoming stale and repetitive.

Since not all of the PC from this story would be carrying over to the next leg of our adventure, I didn't want to blow up the deal the Bast Corporation had with the State of the Fezzan. Owen's 'home video's' became a useful tool to 'cull' Natty and Hanna from the 'herd'.

I also found it to be a very Cyberpunk way to end the story ... the 'faceless' corporation offering up scapegoats / sacrificial lambs in order to save face and hold onto a lucrative contract. The story arc presented the players with a clash of cultures ... not just with Muslim / Islamic culture, but also with the 'volunteer' culture of Global Share. As with any good story, it provided the players with opportunities to learn and grow. The ending also serves as a reminder, to the players, that the opposition has more tools at their disposal than just guns. Killing off the competition doesn't always have to be the first answer ... especially in a high level campaign.

I hope you had as much fun reading it as I had running. Cheers, until next time...

Destecado

Check out this sweat ride from Lotus (actually being built for them by Kodewa). This futuristic beauty was designed by Daniel Simon, the man behind the light cycle and other vehicles from Tron Legacy. Here are the specs.

Engine

Construction: 2-cylinder 4-stroke engine, 75° V-style

Capacity: 1,195 cm³

Bore: 105 mm

Stroke: 69 mm

Power Approx: 200 HP

Transmission: 6-gear jaw-type shift transmission

Lubrication: Dry sump lubrication

Main shaft ratio: 40:76

Lay shaft ratio: 15:41

Clutch: Hydraulic anti-hopping clutch

Ignition: Full electronic engine management with digital adjustment of the ignition

Chassis

Frame: Aero tech steel/Titanium/Carbon fibre frame

Fork: Upside down

Suspension strut: Twin suspension strut

Spring travel front: 80 mm

Spring travel rear: 70 mm

Brake system front: Twin brake disc, ø320mm, four piston calipers

Brake system rear: One brake disc, ø220mm, two piston calipers

Chain: X-Ring resp. O-Ring

Head tube ang: 59°

Fork ang: 54°

Ride height: 90 mm

Height of seat: 710 mm

Fuel tank capacity: 10.5 l

Dry weight: approx. 181 kg

More information is available on Lotus' website: Lotus Motorcycles

Mikael van Atta and Stray Catalyst were kind enough to provide feedback on a plot idea for an upcoming adventure. The discussion moved from the initial plot point, to a discussion of what the response and ripple effect would be to terrorists launching a nuclear strike on a country.

The canon timeline touches on this, with the nuclear attack on New York City. In the extended timeline for the gaming group to which CyberBear and I belong, we have had a second nuclear incident; a terrorist attack (by a group claiming to be the Voice of the Wastes) on the United States orbital space dock facilities.

Since we address the detonation of a nuclear bomb in New York City, it might be helpful to have a better understanding of the device used and its effects. The info provided by the source material is sketchy, but thankfully, nuclear historian Alex Wellerstein has created an interactive tool that can help approximate the effects. The tool employs Google maps, which allows users to select a location for their simulated nuclear explosion. You are also able to chose the size of the device and even decide whether it will be an airburst or ground detonation. Ironically, the default map location is Manhattan.

NUKEMAP

Below is Stray Catalyst's post that inspired this thread...

Depending on how deeply you're going into the ripple effect...

 

Every other terrorist organization, nihilist cult, militant religion, and Deathlehem is going to look at this as the new bar to clear - the act of terror that they must match, or better yet top. The instant backlash will be governments and/or corporations rounding up all the suspects they know of for intensive questioning, then trying to figure out their next course of action based on the mismash of misinformation extracted from all of the suspects (who, collectively, know nothing much except misinformation, as this wasn't a terrorist attack!). This is the time when politics triumph over intel, when old grievances are brought back to life as leaders find ways to make the information at hand justify the decisions they'd already made - invade the neighbors, arm those rebels, annex the odd small country with resources but no military strength. Alliances will fracture or realign, old enemies will find new common ground facing a new (fictional) enemy, and the various powers behind the throne will be sharpening their daggers in preparation for the chaos that is certain to follow.

 

I'm assuming the nuke is a tac nuke - still more than sufficient to destroy an LEO space dock. The debris from the explosion - some will re-enter the atmosphere, where it has a 70% chance of hitting water if it's big enough to survive re-entry, and the chances of doing any significant damage to the surface from impact is slight. Most of the debris, radioactive and at least briefly superheated, will remain in orbit, where it has a good chance of randomly destroying satellites, stations, ships, and anything else it encounters - but it's low earth orbit for the main part, so it's not going to touch the geosynchronous stuff, spysats, or anything in the LaGrange points. The radiation - will have a significant environmental effact but it won't do much in the immediate term, and there's no nuclear winter brought on by a low earth orbit detonation.

 

The entire shadowy world of informants and sellable secrets will be reacting like an anthill that's been kicked over. The EU government that perpetrated this, will CERTAINLY have planted enough background red herrings to lead people to believe (after reasonable research and some humans rights violations to confirm it) that Voices of the Wasteland is responsible, but the players have actual trusted contacts within that organization - so they have a step up on the rest of the world, that's already under the impression that they know what's going on.

For clarity, My response to Stray’s post starts below...

Depending on how deeply you're going into the ripple effect...

Our gaming group has tried to stick with the canon Cyberpunk 2020 timeline wherever possible. We do however elaborate on the typical one sentence event summaries to add context. Events do no happen in a vacuum. The nuclear attack on New York may have contributed to the draconian immigration reform in the EU the following year, which culminated in “Fortress Europe”.

1994: A new wave of immigrants hit Europe's shores. EEC uses military to enforce its borders. As a result, many refugees are killed. Numerous new human rights groups begin to form as word leaks out. Some of these groups form terrorist cells to articulate their position.

1995: The EEC decides to implement the "Fortress Europe" system continent-wide. A surveillance-satellite program is initiated. A totalitarian ID card system is also started. These cards are programmed with the individual’s fingerprints, retina scans, DNA prints, profession, health status, and any licenses. Many civil rights groups fear a "1984" scenario and react accordingly.

European countries had experienced waves of terrorist bombings and attacks during the 1980s and early 90s. I see the backlash from the NYC bombing in the canon timeline to be an expanded version of what occurred following the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center (Twin Towers). Instead of wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the US escalates its War on Drugs in Central and South America, going after the cartel and anyone tied to such a devastating attack on American soil.

The European response is to tighten immigration. This move also makes sense from an economic standpoint. Increased domestic spending on military and security needed to enact such a policy could allow them to counteract the impending economic downturn.

The attack on the US led to an economic collapse which would have been a magnified version of the global recession that followed the real world 9-11 attack.

Though we have not examined it specifically, real world events of this time may have also contributed to the severity of the United States economic collapse and the EU’s involvement in Eastern Europe.

Ukrainian Nuclear Weapons Stockpile:

The US made a large financial investment and certain security assurances with the Ukraine as part of the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances signed in Budapest, Hungary on 5 December 1994. As the United States was victim of a nuclear attack the previous year, it stands to reason that they would do everything in their power to ensure the Ukraine’s nuclear arsenal did not fall into the wrong hands. The ECC (EU) also had a vested interest in keeping such weapons out of the hands of fundamentalists and revolutionaries. Given the position of the US at the time of this agreement, it is possible that the EC (EU) or at least members countries who were still at the time members of NATO, would sign on to assure the political independence of the Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant & Nuclear Power Plants of Eastern Europe

Even after the 1986 meltdown of reactor 4, reactors 1-3 remained in use. A fire shut down reactor 2 in 1991. Reactor 1 continued operating until 1996. The final reactor was not shut down until 2000. The plume from the 1986 disaster initially traveled in a northwest direction toward Sweden, Finland and Eastern Europe. The public was exposed to levels up to 100 times the normal background radiation.

Ukraine is heavily dependent on nuclear energy. It has 15 reactors generating about half of its electricity. Other former Eastern Block counties have a similar dependence on aging soviet nuclear power plants. The 1994 nuclear accident at the Beaver Valley Power Station, outside of Pittsburgh, (from canon timeline) would be a reminder of the Chernobyl disaster.

Nuclear accident in Pittsburgh kills 257. Cancer deaths soar over the next ten years. The government declares "The Pitt" a superfund site, but no assets are allocated to deal with the problem. After a very public debate it is determined that nomad labor will be used in reclamation. The Aldecaldo Clan is hired to administer the project. The clan must travel almost two thousand miles to Pittsburgh, but accepts the contract.

Given the threat such a disaster might pose to Europe, it would be in the interest of the EU to find ways to have these older plants decommissioned and possibly replaced with ‘safer’ European designed plants. This strategy would also fit in with their overall security policy of securing nuclear weapons. If terrorists could not obtain warheads, nuclear material from a reactor might become their next target (for a dirty bomb). This is of course an oversimplification of the reasons for propping up ‘strong men’ (dictators) in the new Eastern Europe, but stability at their borders and nuclear security provide good pretext.

US Response to New York and Pittsburgh

We have modeled the domination by the ‘Gang of Four’ in the years following the nuclear attack on New York after the growth of America’s security apparatus in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. As for those responsible, I find it highly unlikely that the Drug Lords would have claimed credit. That they are named in the canon timeline is to me more the filter of history assigning blame to the guilty parties. It may have taken several years for the Intelligence community to fully uncover the plotters.

The intelligence apparatus may have known the cartels were somehow involved, but finding a credible link could come later. For now they would have a ‘scapegoat’ at which to direct America’s rage. This would allow them to enact stronger drug policies at home, while scaling up their efforts in Central and South America.

Operation Promote Liberty (the reconstruction of a democratic Panama) was already running into problems before the 1993 attack. The ramp up of activity in the region would actually be a boon to the tiny country, which would grow to be one of the largest staging areas for American forces in the region.

Given the paranoia following the attack on New York, the nuclear incident at the Beaver Valley Power Station (near Pittsburgh), the following year, would have to be investigated as a terrorist attack. Such an investigation might potentially hamper efforts to evacuate the public from the area of contamination if not cause mass hysteria.

Nearly 200,0000 people are believed to have been relocated as a result of the 1986 accident at Chernobyl. The estimated population of Pittsburgh, at the time of the Beaver Valley accident, would have been around 370,000. This estimate does not include the surrounding communities which form the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area (Greater Pittsburgh). The accident would affect most of the Ohio River valley. Pittsburg, coming so soon after New York, was the domino that set the others tumbling.

Attack on the US Space Docks

This is the time when politics triumph over intel, when old grievances are brought back to life as leaders find ways to make the information at hand justify the decisions they'd already made - invade the neighbors, arm those rebels, annex the odd small country with resources but no military strength. Alliances will fracture or realign, old enemies will find new common ground facing a new (fictional) enemy, and the various powers behind the throne will be sharpening their daggers in preparation for the chaos that is certain to follow.

The US response was swift and devastating. President Windham saw this as the perfect opportunity to eliminate enemies both foreign and domestic. The main thrust was of course aimed at the Voice of the Wastes’ terror network. Cruise missiles and kill teams struck with impunity. Aid to US allies in Africa was increased. This was part of the reason that the Voice of the Wastes had moved parts of their organization to the Triple Frontier (tri-border area) of Brazil.

Russian-US relations had already been on the upswing for more than half a decade, spurred in part by the joint construction of the Bering Strait maglev project. The attack only strengthened these ties. Vocal opposition over the funds allocated to building a space fleet, disappeared in the wake of the attack. It would resurface, but for a time, the tragedy trumped claims of fiscal irresponsibility.

Domestic policy focused at ‘shoring up’ the borders and reigning in the remaining Free States. The Cotton Kingdoms became the next target of President Windham’s efforts to ‘restore’ the Union and the power of the federal government. Eliminating the Alabama police state and bringing other ‘lawless’ regions back into the fold would also help to limit the range in which nomads clans could operate.

Windham is even seeking rapprochement with Mexico and other nations of Central America. The aftermath of the Nomad border war helped bring the Texas Free State back into the Union. It also opened a dialogue between the US and Mexico.

TERRORISTS NUKE UNITED STATES ORBITAL SPACE DOCK

 

Wednesday, May 3, 2045

 

 

The night sky over North America lit up last night as an estimated 20 kiloton nuclear weapon exploded aboard the United States Aerospace Forces main construction facility and space dock obliterating the orbiting complex. Between 5 and 6 thousand personnel normally work at the space dock in addition to 3 to 4 thousand Aerospace Forces members. All are believed lost.

 

Also destroyed in the explosion was the new United States Space carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, which was a mere three months from launching. Within an hour of the disaster the Voice of Wastes, the mysterious spokesperson for the Islamic Jihad, took credit for the strike promising that this was just the beginning of final campaign to destroy the “Great Satan” known as the United States of America. All American forces on planet and in space were put on alert.

 

President Whindham announced a full investigation is underway by the Central Intelligence Agency to find the guilty parties.

 

“This administration shall spare no effort to find the people responsible for this atrocity and bring them to justice. The blood of thousands cries out for vengeance and they will be answered!”

 

Around the world governments have pledged their support to find the terrorists. Even the European Union has called on Interpol to work with the United States to bring the perpetrators of this outrage before the world to be judged for their crimes.

 

 

(GM Note: The world is careening wildly towards war. It seems no crime is too outrageous. The Voice of the Wastes explains that the United States could not be trusted with such a powerful vessel that could be used for planetary bombardment so it had to go. Of course, The EU space fleet has several vessels capable of doing just that, but perhaps their security was a little tighter.)

 

 

UNITED STATES DECLARES WAR ON THE ISLAMIC JIHAD

 

Friday, May 12, 2045

 

 

In a speech before the United States Senate President Whindham ‘declared war’ on the Islamic Jihad and called for the hunting down and execution of the Voice of the Wastes and its affiliated organizations. The President’s speech was interrupted almost a dozen times by cheering and applause from the assembled Senators. Evidence has been collected proving that the device was a Pakistani Chagai-II warhead that disappeared during the Mid-East Meltdown almost fifty years ago. Although the passing years should have left the warhead inoperable, scientists believe that it could have been easily reconditioned and made active again. Indeed, intelligence suggests that this is exactly what happened.

 

The EU, Russian Federation, the Commonwealth and the People’s Republic of China among other nations have pledged their support to help hunt down the perpetrators of this ‘heinous’ act. Responses from the Islamic Jihad have been mixed. While the Voice of the Wastes continues to trumpet this “victory” over the Great Satan, others claiming to be the terrorist leader have condemned the attack. Many groups supporting the Islamic Jihad have also condemned the use of nuclear weapons as “un-Islamic” and an affront to Allah. Western intelligence experts dismiss these claims as a realization by some of the terrorist’s supporters that they have “crossed the line”. The overwhelming response by the world Muslim community to the nuclear strike has been negative.

Cyberbear did not provide an exact orbital location, Low Earth-Orbit (125-1,250 miles / 200-2000 km) might be too close given such a facilities mass. Semi-synchronous orbit (6,000 - 12,000 miles / 10,000 - 20,000 km) seems more likely.

The chances of such a device ‘vaporizing’ both the orbital space docks and USS Ronald Regan seem remote. It would however cause extensive damage, causing one or both to break up. As you have indicated, the remaining debris would be irradiated and spread across a large area, making it a hazard to both those ion the ground and other facilities in orbit.

There is precedent in our gaming universe for efforts to clean up space junk in orbit. The last time it had occurred was in the aftermath of the Fourth Corporate War. The orbital exchange which targeted work shacks, satellites and other orbital assets of Arasaka and Militech had left LEO littered with debris. Last time, a collaborative effort between nations addressed the problem, because it posed a navigational danger to everyone.

As for the personnel on board the ship and station, those not killed outright would have been exposed to high levels of radiation. Rad weave as well as radiation shield of the facility and vessel would help a little, but the chances are that most received a lethal dose, well beyond the means of existing therapies. Being a military facility, the actual number of dead cannot be confirmed by outside sources. The number killed in the initial attack may have been inflated to spare their families … dying from radiation poisoning is a brutal way to go. The incident may also have been used (after the fact) to disappear certain assets for clandestine work.

Regarding environmental effects, the ozone layer is between roughly 15 - 35 km / 9 - 22 miles above the Earth’s surface. I was trying to figure out what effect, if any, a 20 kiloton device detonated in Semi-synchronous orbit would have on ozone depletion. An interesting note on ozone depletion and nuclear weapons … it has been estimated that as much as 5,000 tons of nitric oxide is produced for each megaton of nuclear explosive power. Industrial pollution is normally blamed for the depletion of the ozone layer in Cyberpunk 2020, but the Middle East Meltdown may have played an important factor in the thinning of the ozone layer.

Any thoughts on how the detonation might affect global communication?

Happy Birthday. Late to the bandwagon I know, but I have always been fashionably late.

GM Note:

I had originally estimated that this mission would take two game sessions, but I decided to wrap it up in one session. This scenario turned out to be a dud. Niger just didn’t engage the team. I think that part of the reason was that the threats they were investigating didn’t really affect them personally. I had spent a good amount of time in the early adventures setting up NPCs that I was hoping they would come to care about or at least have a vested interest in keeping alive. The death of two characters (Owen & Mason) had derailed some of the adventure threads on Cyprus. It also meant that the new PCs these players brought in really had no connection to the NPCs stationed in Niger.

The goal I set for them (Threat Assessment) may have also been too ambiguous. There was some misunderstanding about what I meant by locating threats. I know that at least one player heard it as neutralize threats. I think he expected to walk into a fire fight the minute he stepped off of the plane.

Some players also do not take setbacks well. After being arrested in Dirkou, Brandon and Bishop’s players stopped caring about what was going on. They felt I was being unfair and that the police had completely overreacted. This was unfortunately a point of not paying attention to the intel provided about Niger, but I had lost them for the rest of the night. The only time they showed any interest after this was when it looked like the team would be infiltrating (or storming) the test well in the desert.

This session was meant to provide foreshadowing for the later adventures. China National Petroleum Corporation really was ‘up to something’ in the desert. It wasn’t really a nefarious scheme. They are planning to build a pipeline that stretches north, from their Soraz refinery (near Zinder) up through Algeria, to the coast of the Mediterranean. The company does have test wells in the area, but there are also taking core samples to assess soil compaction along the planned route.

The ‘ambush’ of the Nigerien patrol was more a case of the Niger Troop being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The proposed pipeline would be cutting straight through the Tenere. Before construction could be started, CNPC need to secure the cooperation of local tribal leaders. The Tuareg that the Nigerien patrol had been tracking were on the way to a meet with a CNPC negotiator.

Blackridge was providing security. They had fired upon the patrol when they had come too close to the meeting site. The CNPC negotiator didn’t want the Tuareg and Toubo to think they had called the meeting only to ambush them. It was the negotiator that the Blackridge team picked up at Chirfa. He had traveled with the tribesmen to Djado to meet with the tribal leaders.

Commander Mossi and the delays at the Dirkou airport were another subplot that was not really investigated. The commander has his own deal with CNPC as does the hotel owner. There were no vacancies, because the energy conglomerate had bought out the rooms at the hotel (for six months) for use by Blackridge and CNPC personnel.

I never played paranoia. For me, games with great risk, are the funnest.

 

Re: D&D: D&D is one of the best RPG / roll-playing games out there. Just that the hit-point system is kind of lame.

 

I have converted CP2020 rules to a fantasy setting, but it just loses it.

I’ve translated Cyberpunk into a fantasy setting, but I haven’t been able to convince the other’s players in our group to try it. It’s called Pantheon. There are of course guilds, which take the place of some corporation, but the really big megacorps are the religions tied to the various pantheons of gods.

Religion is big business. High priests and clerics are the ‘corporate’ executives. The gods themselves are ‘board of directors’. Religious wars are really fought for ‘market share.’ Religious adherence equals brand loyalty. The gods need believers to exist.

In this world, it is even possible for humans to attain godhood. It’s a matter of earning prestige (reputation) and followers. One of the issues of this world is that several of the gods are serial inseminators. There are demi-gods all over the place.

Some are nurtured by their divine parent, given gifts, so that one day they might take their place among the other divinities in the pantheon. Great deeds not only enhance the prestige of the demi-god but of the divine parent. Others are, shall we say, one night stands.

The pantheons fight amongst themselves and against each other. They are also up against a wave of humanists and unbelievers, who threaten their dominion.

There are many places for edgerunners / sell swords to eke out a living. Working for one of the religions, even if you are not a believer, can be very lucrative. Demi-gods generally don’t work alone either. Not everyone can be the hero, but being a trusted companion (one their entourage) has its perks.

And to keep this sort of on topic, there is revivification in this world … but it’s not as simple a wheeling your dead buddy down to the temple for a quick resurrection by a cleric. The tasks one would have to undertake to bring a friend or loved one back from the dead are the stuff of legend and great fodder for further adventures.

There is no denying that such technologies could exist, the problem is reducing the cost per unit and operation expenses to the point where producing them becomes economically viable. I dislike handwavium, with the practical application of new technologies such craft need not seem so outlandish or unbelievable. If the canon images are not to your liking (and why would they be), use a different design that isn’t so impractical; they are out there.

One of the main issues for any vehicle of this type is weight. Reducing the overall weight of the vehicle will help to increase efficiency and possibly carrying capacity. The incorporation of Carbon-fiber alloys and Aerogels in the construction have benefits beyond weight reduction.

Aerogels are the world's lightest solid materials, composed of up to 99.98% air by volume. They represent a diverse class of materials with a range of useful properties. The physical properties of an aerogel are highly dependent on its density and chemical composition. By varying the compounds it is possible to create aerogels with greater transparency, ferro-magnetic properties, structural flexibility, etc.

Aerogel insulation is not only lighter than conventional alternatives, it is also more efficient. Less material is needed, which potentially reduces the amount of space required. Other applications include the production of light weight ballistic protection.

Wired Magazine Article

Crosslinked Aerogel Armor

Mazda has an nice info-graphic presentation on their site for their new rotary engine.

Mazada: 16X

Sadly it's still in development. Mazda has a long history of building Wankel engines. They even won the Le Mans (24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race) with a 4-rotor (the R26B) engine in 1991.

Full Story Behind the Mazda 787bs Victory at Le Mans

In our groups gaming universe, there are AVs, but we've also incorporated spinners from CyberGeneration. These are crafts with ducted fans, ranging in size from spinner bikes to large ACPA (PA suit) carriers. Avatar popularized the idea, but designs for such craft have been around for decades.

Autogyros (gyroplanes, gyrocopters) may not be as sexy, but they are a proven technology that's been around since the 1920s.

A CP2020 game in which no one dies is a rather boring game.

It might as well be Paranoia. I actually think that this is one of the reasons I could never get into MMORPs. There really isn't any risk. Oh my character died, I'll just resurrect and go pick up my equipment from my dead corpse and continue on like nothing happened. Death is reduced to a minor inconvenience.

Its been a long time, but I kinda remember reading somewhere that the Buyadeen was supposedly in North Africa. If you are including it, place it where ever you need for your purposes. It is also important to mention, that Effinger's books take place in the future (near the end of the 22nd Century). This is at lover a 100 years beyond the canon Cyberpunk timeline. The geopolitical makeup could shift drastically in that timeframe.

Are you coming up with your own timeline or trying to incorporate both the canon cyberpunk and WGF timelines?

When I wrote this topic two years ago, I could not have predicted the Russian Federation's annexation of Crimea or the current civil unrest and secession movements in the Ukraine and Moldova. What about Estonia, Latvia, and/or Belarus and the ethnic Russian population?

 

A new Russian Empire in Cyberpunk?

 

Though Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, and Poland are members of NATO in the real world. I am not so sure about the alternative history that is Cyberpunk 2020.

If you wish to establish your own timeline, then all of these are great ideas. The canon timeline is another matter. Real world events have to be filtered through the emergence of multinational corporations such as SovOil. Geopolitics is not as important as market share. The Oligarchs of SovOil have their own standing armies. Why fight a war to conquer territory when you can convince countries to sell it to you willingly? SovOil owns large swaths of land throughout what use to be The Eastern Bloc.

The Petrochem & SovOil Corpbook provides background information that you may find useful. I can't remember if it gives a total, but a lot of the land owned by SovOil is under cultivation, to produce biofuel (CHOOH2). And, what SovOil does not own directly it controls or at least has a hand in through its subsidiaries and business partners.

I'm going to be the first person here honest enough to admit to causing one of these moments myself

I once put a player against a wall and executed him.

The player's PC was already living on borrowed time. Instead of laying low or running, he decided to go out in a blaze of glory. The way I saw it, his attitude was pretty much, "If I'm going down, I'm gonna take the whole campaign down with me." What do you do when a kamikaze tries to sink your ship? You shoot it down.

I admit, I may have overreacted.

CyberpunK canon touches upon aquatic technologies (underwater habitats, hard suits, etc.) in the Shockwave Sourcebook. The book is primarily set up for the beginning of the Forth Corporate War (between CINO and OTECH). There is however no reason that it could not be used as the starting point for the technologies that eventually develop into what is seen on Poseidon.

Jumping to the future and another world is interesting, but not really the cyberpunk genre. A much more compelling story might be to examine how these technologies develop and grow in the face of catastrophe and collapse here on earth. With rising sea levels hear on earth, you don’t need to go thousands of light years away to find a Blue Planet. The inundation of waters could force mass migrations. Dealing with the effects of sea level rise could bankrupt the economies of countries that are already teetering on the edge of economic recession.

Changing weather patterns may make once marginal lands verdant, touching off land grabs and conflict. Cyberpunk at its root is about operating in the margins; outside societal norms. Emerging technologies that are not yet fully regulated or controlled provide advantages to those who operate in these gray areas. Climate change and any ensuing events it brings about will change how we live. It will affect the technologies and social systems we develop to cope. Social upheaval in a rapidly changing world brings its own brand of future shock. It also brings opportunity for those willing to seize it.

I was planning to go wildly in the opposite direction, following through on all the news items over the last few years about downtown Luanda becoming the most expensive city in the world and the Angolan government basically trying to turn it into a new Dubai based on the oil money. Combine that with biofuels, the next big cheap labor zone for manufacturing, and various energy and feedstock production, it's all going to be booming African Lion economies and all the political chaos that usually comes with rising middle classes (because I'm bored of the "Africa is an irredeemable shithole" narrative ).

Many of the problems of Africa (and also Eastern Europe) can be attributed to the imperialism of nations and corporations. This premise is one of the underlying themes explored in our Prelude to War campaign. As to Angola trying to turn Luanda into a new Dubai, the loss of Cabinda might put a crimp in their plans, but it’s still on course to be a power player in Africa.

Before I give an overview of the situation and events that led up to Cabindan independence in our game universe, I just wanted to give a citation to the Washington Post’s International Spotlight. It has a wealth of information which made it a perfect jumping off point for my research into Cabinda and Angola,

International Spotlight: Angola

The information below deviates from that presented in Wisdom000’s - Conflict I: The African Sourcebook. Certain subjects, like the country’s oil reserves and the existence of Arasaka and Petrochem are not taken into account. China has become a major player in Angola, but this did not occur till after the end of the Fourth Corporate War in our game universe.

Importance of Cabindan Oil

Excerpt from Cabinda Oil – Block Buster

Angola's Oil Minister Jose Botelho Vasconcelos stresses how essential Cabinda is for the country's overall economy, pointing out that the province contributes the majority of the oil revenues that currently make up 42 percent of the gross national product, and 90 percent of the state budget.

Cabinda at one time generated 60% of Angola’s oil. These numbers shifted with the discovery of deep sea oil off the coast of Zaire and Luanda. Cabinda’s significance as Angola'’s ‘golden goose’ therefore diminished.

Petrochem in Cabinda

Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Limited (CABGOC) was founded in 1958, based out of Luanda, Angola. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chevron. In the cyberpunk universe, Chevron is part of what becomes Petrochem. Except for the oil storage depots and refinery operations most of the operations associated with Petrochem’s business in Cabinda happens out at sea. Petrochem (Chevron) is not popular with the locals, so the workforce, made up mainly of foreign oil workers rarely ventures outside the fenced in compound of Malongo.

Malongo, in Cabinda is the only part of Angola most ChevronTexaco workers ever see. Although some stay at Malongo, others are ferried by helicopter out to massive steel oil platforms in the ocean, where they spend twenty-eight days before being shuttled back home. Built in the 1960s, Malongo is a campus of ranch houses, manicured green lawns and smooth paved roads. ChevronTexaco's own well and private filtration system supplies drinkable tap water-a rare luxury in Africa. Spacious dining halls offer a stunning array of fresh seafood, imported meats, salad and dessert bars.

 

The vegetables are all grown in an organic greenhouse on the compound, set up by Norwegians, and bright green Granny Smith apples are flown in from South Africa. For entertainment, there's baseball, basketball, volleyball and tennis, a cricket pitch, horseshoes and a rolling green golf course. Unlike the rest of Angola, where the official language is Portuguese, the language of Malongo is English. If workers still get homesick, they can dial direct from their rooms to the United States-no need for international dialing codes. Indeed, except for the extraordinary bats that hang in ominous clusters from the branches of the compound's mango trees, you'd never know you were in Africa.

 

ChevronTexaco does everything it can to keep it that way. No one enters or leaves the compound without special permission. And there's no way to avoid the tightly guarded security gates, because the entire compound is surrounded by a double fence of barbed wire that encloses a ring of anti-personnel land mines.

Doesn'’t it sound like a model for the Dharma Initiative’s island compound from LOST?

Related Links:

Have gun will travel, a low life paid mercenary

Malongo Journal

Big Black: Arasaka’s Shadow Extends over Angola

The other major corporate player in Angola was Arasaka. The corporation established a foothold by securing contracts to protect the facilities and personnel of local and foreign mining interests within the country. In order to hide its saturation of the market, Arasaka bid on contracts through subsidiaries (like Amazonian Securities). It also provided investment capital for local security startups, which prove to be little more than extensions of the corporation.

Through such tactics, Arasaka was able to take over security operations at the Catoca diamond mine and dominate protective services for foreign exploratory missions, searching for untapped resources (iron, copper, uranium, diamonds, etc.) within the country. The corporation eventually diversified its operations to bring extraction of these resources in house. This was accomplished by buying out of struggling businesses and directly funding new exploration.

Fourth Corporate War

The operation to separate Cabinda from Angola had been in the planning stages prior to the Fourth Corporate War. It was part of Arasaka’s overall strategy to dominate the region (divide and conquer). Part of the inspiration for this plan was the U.S. backed revolution, which led to the establishment of the Republic of Panama. The main obstacle to the operation’s execution was Petrochem. Arasaka coveted the oil, but the Second Corporate war illustrated, Petrochem was willing to fight in order to protect its corporate holdings.

Arasaka turned to funding the Cabindan Independence movement through third parties and cutouts. The hope was to weaken Petrochem’s position; make it untenable for them to remain. By the time of the Fourth Corporate War, concerns over the clean execution of the plan took a back seat to Arasaka’s need for the oil, to prosecute a war which was spiraling out of control.

Petrochem had obliged them by consolidating all of its assets in and around Malongo. By taking the base and the storage facilities, Arasaka solved their short termed fuel needs and gained hostages to use as leverage. The Cabindan workers didn’t care who was in charge, so long as they were still being paid. FLEC forces moved in to reinforce Arasaka.

Angola moved to stop the corporation, but Arasaka had been training the country’s military for years. Units defected to the corporation. Angola was thrown into disarray. Cabinda declared its independence. Saburo Arasaka pressured the Japanese government to recognize the fledgling nation. The corporation fortified its position.

Aftermath of the Fourth Corporate War

The full timeline for the aftermath of the Fourth Corporate War (in our gaming universe) is available here, but here is how it affects Angola.

Saburo lost his bid for world domination, Arasaka’s worldwide holdings fragment. Arasaka’s African operations declare their corporate independence under the name of the Orochi Resource Group (ORG). Many of their leadership were close personal associates of Kei Arasaka and refuse to deal with Yorinobu Arasaka. Arasaka Japan allows the division to be spun-off to prevent a corporate civil war, but cuts off the Orochi Resource Group from all replacement parts and ammunition.

Petrochem is still angry over the loss of Malongo and access to the oil fields. It also still has substantial operations in Angola. Cabinda has no interest in giving up its new found freedom or inviting back the energy conglomerate after finally being rid of them. ORG doesn’t want to give up access to the oil either, but the new corporation can’t flex its muscles the way Arasaka once did.

Continuing a war in Angola (fighting against government’s forces and Petrochem mercenaries) is unwinnable and a drain on corporate resources. A backroom deal is struck that satisfies both Petrochem and Angola (for the moment). Those units of the Angolan Armed Forces that defected to Arasaka during the Fourth Corporate War face execution. Those that are forced to leave the country are welcomed to remain in the employ of ORG. Some stay with the company. Others join the newly formed Cabindan army or seek their fortune as mercenaries.

As time progresses, the corporate culture of ORG begins to change. It tries to throw its weight around like Big Black, but after several disastrous setbacks such as in Zimbabwe there is internal reform. Senior level management is no longer restricted to those of Japanese descent. It becomes decidedly African. The company even stops using Orochi Resource Group on its NET site and literature and simply goes by the acronym ORG.

The good will generated by helping Cabinda win its independence allows ORG to secure drilling rights to the off shore reserves. Outside workers are initially brought in to bring the rigs back on line, but the corporation and government of Cabinda invest in a program to train local workers. ORG becomes one of the largest employers in the country.

My apologies to Cyberbear. The temptation has been too great to throw out suggestions based on developments in our timeline instead of treating Cyberpunk as an alternate history. The Cyberpunk timeline deviating from our own timeline around 1988-1990 with the publication of the original Cyberpunk set in 2013.

That’s quite alright Triton. We welcome input and suggestions. If our stories foster discussion, then all the better. CyberBear is kind enough to post the episodes, but writing them is a collaborative effort as is the game mastering duties for our gaming group. While we try to incorporate newer technologies into our game universe, it has, as you have pointed out, advanced differently from the real world.

One major difference that has a wide reaching impact is the difference between the NET and the internet. Net Neutrality is a foreign concept in cyberpunk. He who controls the flow of information has the power. A free and open internet empowers your average person to speak, create, learn, and share. There would be no incentive for the corporations that are the power brokers to allow this to happen. We used that as a starting point when judging how world events might be changed without a free and open internet. We also projected how long such a system could last and what factors might bring it down.

With the campaign occurring in 2051, the Short C-23 Sherpa operated by Bast Corporation must be pretty long in the tooth. Hopefully, Bast Corporation operates the newer Alenia C-27J Spartan as well.

The C-23 that we are referring to is not your granddaddy’s Sherpa. I believe we have posted it elsewhere on the site, but here is an overview. Short Brother, who produced the C-23 and Short 360, on which it was based, was bought by Bombardier in 1989 (like in the real world).

First South Am War: The C-23 Sherpa survives the U.s. Army’s Aviation Restructuring Initiative due to this conflict. The airplane meets the Army Short Take-off & Landing guidelines (STOL) and can operate from unpaved runways and dirt airstrips hacked out of the jungle. It is used for small unit insertion, re-supply as well as search and rescue missions. The airframes simple robust construction makes it durable and inexpensive to maintain.

A US manufacturer begins to construct C-23s, through its Canadian subsidiary, under a licensing agreement with Bombardier. The newly built C-23C has upgraded avionics. The incorporation of winglets increases the aircrafts efficiency and improves stability in bad weather. The design would see one more upgrade.

Global warming opens helps to open up Alaska and Northern Canada. The US manufacturer produces an updated civilian version which proves a sturdy bush plane.

The Bast Corporation uses them for the say reasons that the army did. They are inexpensive, cheap to operate and durable as hell. The company's lift capability is built around C-23s and updated C-130s. I believe there are also a couple of Wyverns or Osprey's, but CyberBear can answer that better.

The PBR-79 looks like a Chinese copy of the ONUK MRTP 33 Fast Patrol / Attack Craft. MRTP stands for Multi Role Tactical Platform.

CyberBear would have to answer that one, but it wouldn’t the first time a design has been copied.

Attractiveness may not be as important if you are playing a solo or a tech, but for Rockers or Media, looking good, can be a valuable asset. This attributes significance may vary depending on the type of campaign you are playing and how you choose to define attractiveness. Equating attractiveness with beauty is too simple an answer.

Humans are visual animals. We judge things by how they look, every day. A Chef spends time on presentation, rather than just slopping food on a plate because we eat with our eyes. If something looks good, our subconscious tells us, it will probably taste good as well. Advertising is a multi-billion dollar business built around identifying and influencing our conscious and unconscious decision making process.

We can debate the question of nature over nurture, but humans are predisposed to choose things that look good. Those objects that adhere to the standards we have learned or been taught are deemed acceptable, while those that deviate are found less desirable. Such deviations may be an indication of sickness or a visible cue to less apparent aberrations.

Creamy white complexions that were all the rage in the 18th century were achieved through use of heavy makeup. It became fashionable in order for women (and men) to cover up the scare (pock marks) left by the small pox pustules. The cyberpunk era is a very unhealthy place. Disease and birth defects would probably be endemic. Looking good is as much about projecting a healthy exterior as it is about being beautiful.

First Impressions:

Our gaming group’s stories focus heavily on the interpersonal relationships between the PC and with the NPCs that they meet. When the players meet a new NPC for the first time, I as a GM tend to roll percentile dice to determine the mood of an NPC towards a PC or group. A character’s base attractiveness, wardrobe and style rolls (and other factors) can give bonuses or add a penalty to this roll.

Negotiations

ATTR can provide a bonus to persuasion fast talk and streetwise / street deal rolls. It may not apply in every situation, but being cute or handsome has helped to close more than one deal … alcohol helps too.

Side Note

Personal Grooming & Wardrobe and Style is more than dressing fashionably. It is also about dressing properly for a given situation; wardrobe selection. That’s one of the reasons there are so many different styles of clothing in Cyberpunk. Of course all those clothes cost a lot of money. It takes skill to look good on a budget or create ensembles that shouldn’t really go together, but for some reason look good on the PC.

Brandon, one of the PC’s in our group’s current campaign insists on wearing a suit almost everywhere he goes. He has several expense suits, which a great for some occasions, but not others, like going to meet with a biker gang or hang out at a music festival.

The Down Side

Attractiveness, like wardrobe can be a double edged sword. Being too beautiful can make you a target or even intimidate the very people you are trying to attract. Some of the most beautiful people complain of loneliness. Other people find them unapproachable, because of the beauty.

Very attractive people can also be quite memorable, which can be a problem for edgerunners involved in less than legal pursuits.

Beauty is also subjective and can be culturally specific. What is appealing and desirable in one culture may be viewed differently in another.

COSMETIC SURGERY / BIO-SCULPTING

One thing that I would like to see in the redesign of any rule set for increasing a player’s attractiveness in game play, is a reworking of the difficulties and time involved with such procedures. There are of course out-patient procedures that are not too invasive, which will have minimal difficulty. If however, a player is undergoing a process that will boost their appearance by several levels; we are talking some major reconstructive surgery.

In the real world, such cases usually require several separate surgeries over a period of time. The body has to be given time to heal between each procedure. Trying to do it all at once may be too time consuming. Keeping a patient anesthetized for long period of time is dangerous. Invasive procedures may also put a strain on the patient’s system.

What about treating each level of attractiveness that a player wants to add like going up a level in a skill?

Adding a single point of attractiveness, i.e. going from ATTR 4 to an ATTR 5 adds +5 to the difficulty (take into account any additional bonuses or penalties for the surgery).

If the player was to going to try to add 2 points of attractiveness (ATT 4 to ATT6) in a single surgery, the difficulty would increase to +10.

Opting for the safer route of incremental improvement 92 separate surgeries to go up two points of ATTR), would help to keep the difficulty low, thus improving the odds of a successful operation.

Recovery times for cosmetic surgery should also depend on how many points of ATTR a player is trying to add at one time.

It's also about having a bit of fun isn't it ?

Yes, but what are you suppose to do when a PC is hell bent on re-enacting the final scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?

Killing him outright isn't feasible and it's suspect that if he's terminated he'll abscond with a new set of client lists and intellectual properties.

 

Have your man go in on contract as an analyst and get to the bottom of this guys scam, anything illegal that he's up to that can see him gone would goo

Corporate counter-espionage would definitely make for an interesting campaign. Who knows what other little secrets might be uncovered while the fixer (and his team) try to gather evidence against the target of their investigation. Such an adventure may not have a lot of gun play, but if done right, it might not need it. Unless he changes his face before the job (which could be cost prohibitive), the fixer ma also run the risk of bumping into someone who recognizes him...maybe an associate of their target.

Building a New Business Model

Another possible scenario might be to have the fixer and other players either start or partner with an entrepreneur that is trying to expand upon the idea of micro-enterprise. One of the largest expenses for new businesses is infrastructure. Finding ways to minimize these costs can mean the difference between success and failure. There are already companies in real life that provide shared office rentals. These fully serviced and furnished facilities offer receptionists, conference rooms, IT support, copy centers, kitchens, and mailrooms -- all with immediate move-in and no upfront investment.

Such a business model provides an alternative to selling out to a mega corp. Though having the flesh of a corporate adventure, it's bones are still very much cyberpunk. Another advantage to this business model, is all of the unique small businesses that you could introduce that share the office space in the building. The players could either be one of the businesses sharing space or possibly part of the permanent staff, that interacts with the various businesses.

Like renting an apartment to a prospective tenant, the entrepreneur would likely want to know more about his prospective business clients. Background checks or surveillance of suspicious 'companies' would provide adventure fodder for your players. The Fixer may even be the face of the company. It might be that the investor(s) backing this enterprise want to disguise their involvement (for whatever reason). Looking into the motivation of the entrepreneur and his investors could provide more plot hooks.

Welcome aboard HJ.

This sounds so much like the 80's manga Area 88. As for the rules system, have you considered adapting the rules form crimson Skies? They have a nice areal combat system, that is also highly modified by the skills of the pilot.