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danrakh

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Posts posted by danrakh

  1. Mike, Poland 2020 it's Your (great) job, so it's up to You how it should look like. Licentia poetica it's a sacred thing.

     

    I've added my 5 cents becouse I thought that You desire to make it as close to canon as it possible, and it doesn't look close enough to me.

     

    Cyberpunk is what we think of it. My way it's just my way - it doesn't have to be one and only ;)

     

    As for couterculture ("close-to-canon" mode off :rolleyes: ) - maybe try law vs crime? In one corner nationalist goverment, supported by society, in other - criminals (playing in CP from Sopranos point of view in Poland You've described may be very interesting).

     

    Cheers (from some time I find 15 years old brandy excellent pair for late-night forum debates ^_^ )!

  2. I was busy for a while, but now I'm back B)

     

    That 4th army strenght is by numbers of troops (there is no other point of reference in book such as army equipment etc):

    Poland - 280 000, while rest is generally from 20 000 to 200 000 (except for these I've listed before, ah yes - I forgot about Ukraine - 410 000 - this makes us 5th).

     

    "Shadow economy" and "underground culture" are taken directly from the book. First one is IMHO another name for "twilight zone bussiness" (or pol. "szara strefa"). What exactly mean "underground culture"? Cpunks, I belive, but not for sure... :huh:

     

    As for comparing book and Yours Poland 2020 - I think that they are very different.

    Poland from the book doesn't seem like "self-police state" as You stated before.

    1) President and/or goverment don't have public support.

    2) Linked to 1): 25% of population make money on illegal transactions. Why should they support consolidation of country and constant growth of law-abiding citizens? It's bad for bussiness ;)

    3) Religion - force that unite and integrate almost whole polish nation now divide it to orthodox catholics and Church of Poland. Single political option do not satisfy both (making them an obligatory religions satisfy none) thus never gain support from whole nation. Besides cardinal Lewandowski's growth of power make him opponent for president - what probably make their allience hard to create.

     

    Now something about cpunks.

     

    I agree that it's tough to make from Katowice a Night City. Different culture, environment etc. However cyberpunk isn't just Night City. It's rather style of play, that feel from Casablanka/BladeRunner/GitS (my way of thinking about CP). Noir movies in world of 2020' - it need specific behaviour/attitude - call it as You like. In that case - cpunks from NC and Katowice are (or maybe should be) the same. With different toys and in different place but with same manners.

     

    Thus, my idea of counter-culture is to turn for something just opposite, instead of fighting fire with fire. We need a counter-culture to present it against patriotic / nationalistic militarism backed with the full force of conservatism and religion, that is facing a major war.

    My choice? Liberalism & globalism plus lack of interest. Sex, drugs and rock&roll. Lack of interest in politics. Declarations of "being citizens of the world". Negating or at least disrespecting the authorities, especially the moral ones. Pamphlets? Sure - to advertise your next rave party... However, the counter-culture I suggest cannot pretend there's no danger of war looming, so, as a whole culture, they have to have an answer for that. And the answer is - let's put our guns down, and talk. Let's reduce the tension - guys, you don't want to die in that war either, right?

    This seem to me more like hippie ideology. Part of it can be found in cpunks ideology though (like lack o interest in politics) alas it's doesn't fit to my personal idea of cyberpunk culture.

     

    According to what I wrote before (and to Eurosource+ I belive), Poland of 2020' is IMHO closing more to Hong Kong than "self-police state country" You've mentioned, thus gunplay is acceptable.

     

    Cheers

  3. I've dig up my Eurosource+ and check out "Poland" section.

    According to this book:

    - 25% of polish population are involved with shadow economy (becouse of lack of regular jobs).

     

    - 40% of criminal activities are covered by various syndicates (riddled with undercover agents of Harbringers and Interpol - redy to bolw up most of them at any time).

     

    - 67% of polish catholics declare their loyality to new Church of Poland (lead by rebel catholic bishop).

     

    - We've got second military force in continental Europe (right after Italy) and fourth in this part of the world (after Russia, UK, and Italy).

     

    - New polish president isn't populist showman so he isn't liked, alas people are rather quiet under his ruleship (seen as a Macchiavelli's style).

     

    - Polish cities (or more precisely - polish slums) are centres of uderground culture.

    Now my question is - do You want to change it or leave it?
  4. COD-3 = cod (pol. dorsz) = "the Fish". See Status 7: Overload album. As for me, they were definitley a branch of ABW.
    Well it was my poor english - didn't know before what tha frag "cod" means :P Thanks.

     

    As for politics - I'm not talking about Ghandi-like opposition, just guys more pro-European than the right-wing "pro-culture". I got worried when the things I wrote a few years ago havd turned oh so close in the last elections.

     

    Under current political situation in Poland, the pro-culture would be along PiS / LPR line, whereas what I suggest as counter-culture would be more along PO line.

    Mike, how exactly You see polish cyberpunks? As a politicians? Young and idealistic freaks that fight against goverment with piquets and flyers? It's kinda though role to play if You ask me ;)

    I'm not saying that all polish cpunks (or maybe correctly - agents of counterculture) should be left wing. Only polish rebelliants should deal anything they fight with, in CP way (which means guns, attitude and style). Not in the way that present parties (like PO) do it.

    It doesn't matter if cpunks will shoot to PiS members becouse they are against nationalist or hunt for peaceful PO members just becouse they don't like pacifists (it's only an example). It matter that they use guns/independent media/or other method that picturesquely screw the diplomatic protocol. No compromise at all.

    Limiting cyberpunks only to one political option is cutting the wings both players and GM's.

    At least thats the way I see it.

     

    As for the current political situation in Poland - it could be worse than that. It could rain :lol:

    Cheers

  5. (have you noticed the Status 7 referece in the ABW and "the Fish" descriptions, cal?)
    It may be my poor english, but I'm not sure what are You talking about here. What the hell is ABW - Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego? Where it appears in STATUS 7? What fraggin "Fish" descriptions? :huh: Explanation please?

     

    Besides, I doubt whether such a communist extreme group could gather significant popular support in Poland, 2020. I think they couldn't get as much popularity to become a cultural counterweight to the right-wing.
    I disagree.

    First of all I wasn't mean of one big leftsided group - rather it would be many small fractions.

    Poland is land of paradox - almost whole nation (oficially) were fighting against comunism (pardon - real socialism :rolleyes: ), and few years later people, who were Party loyalist becomes majority in democraticaly chosen goverment. So why exactly left wing shouldn't exist as a fighting opposition in Poland 2020?. Poland as a buffor between Russia/Belarus way of "democracy" ;) and rest of the Europe is some kinde of natural playground for left(comunism) and right(nationalism) forces. Remember about CP manner of increasing violence on the streets.

     

    Hmmm... maybe we're looking in the wrong direction? Maybe we shouldn't seek for opposite to right-wing, but for the oppostie to confrontationsts?

     

    I mean, the pro-culture is right-wing and more than a bit nationalistic, but they are building their popularity on a war psychosis, German (and European) menace, and sheer traditionalism, backed up by the hurch.

     

    So, the opposite movement, the counter-culture, could be buit on the ideology of peace, European cooperation and prosperity. Sure, there are likely to be "leftist" elements in that, since they are naturally exluded from the pro-culture, but they aren't going to be the line-setters.

    Again disagree. I don't see Poles as a peaceful nation. Idea of Ghandi style opposition in Poland? :blink: We, Poles, can squabble in queue for fresh bread!
  6. As for counterculture... two things cross my mind.

     

    First - CP preassume some kind of Wild West thinking in the case of violence on the streets. Everybody got a gun. Dangerous times. Hooligans with baseball bats are one thing, armed fighting groups of opposite parties (like left wing guerilla fighters in STATUS 7) is something else. Puissance as a base of political conflict isn't new idea in our country.

     

    Second - linked to the first - small bussiness :D As someone explain this as "Import-Export-Small Theft". Twilight zone of bussiness - something between black market and super market :P (it's some kind of pun - super market in Poland means self-service store).

    It's common opinion in Poland, that bureaucracy and clerks do not support honest craftsmen but the smart one (which mean that You can craft something with best quality, but if You don't know how to deal with tax office - You're lost). So people try to evade bureaucracy traps by avoiding law, or breaking it - whatever is necessary. Add here some guns (becouse everybody got a gun) as just another (not main - it's not a mafia) argument in day-after-day fight for life.

    Compare this to polish situation in XVI age - everybody (nobility - rest hadn't all rights) had a sabre and often used it in his own interest, and they still were loyal to the king.

     

    Though i'm not sure if this could really happen, but hey - CP is some kind of SF monster. Besides it's very suggestive vision in STATUS 7.

  7. " - To all patrols, neurotransmiter signal lost in Bujaka street near Wolnosci platz. Profile: Marcin Asitowski, convinced for rape and drug posession, released on probation on 6 July, code no. 74-65-89-89. Street surveillance registers gunfire in the area, stay alerted..."
    I thought when STATUS 7* appear :D

    Great job Mr. van Atta, though reading all 14 :blink: pages one after one probably couse some serious damage to my Kiroshi B)

     

    *For all of You that don't know what tha frag STATUS 7 is - it's cyberpunk comic serie placed in Poland. Here's few example pages:

    one

    two

    three

    four

    It's of course in polish, but images are very suggestive IMHO

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