[OOC] MnM 3e - The First Generation, one-shot

[Flynnarrel]

I'm trying to get the timeline down.

>On Friday, April 13th, 2018 the impenetrable barrier (that had been there 18 years) fell.
Q1: Did it seem like the thinking was that there'd be a push to expand the Blessings of the Imperator outside the barrier? (i.e. talk, or broadcasts of sharing our fortune with the rest of the state or country, specifically building the military with expansionism in mind, etc.)
Q1a: What was the society like? Were there personal vehicles or a very robust public transit system (even like communal bikes or Segues)? Did the City have a hierarchy of people in charge? You mention there was military vs. non-military; How did that work in a utopia with 18 years of peace?
>The fighting lasts 6 months. Imperator and the evil Dr. Impossible disappeared, our forces eventually fell....
Q2: Does that mean it was 6 months of fighting THEN Imperator vanished and our forces slowly fell (Q2a: if so, how long was our military in decline?)
Q2b: If it was 6 months in entirety, when in those 6 months did Imperator disappear?
Q3: When the fighting ended was there an official surrender by someone in charge, publically announced? (Q3a: Did Hadron City HAVE someone 'in charge', maybe a Functionary or High Assistant to the Imperator?) Is there even a Public Address system?
>A couple weeks ago Stronghold came in to impose martial order/oversee the peace of the city/build a functional society, they weren't previously part of the fighting.
Q4: I guess it depends on how much time the transition took, how long the military was an occupying force focused on pacification, etc, but how long has it been since Imperator disappeared? And when does game start in relation to the initial attack.
Q5: What kinds of things have Stronghold done so far? A curfew, I imagine, and set up food/sundries distribution areas for those people who are logged in the system (as non-trouble-makers) with a daily or weekly ration allowance, did they assign people jobs? etc.

Hope this helps in getting up all up to speed on this incredible gaming world you've created. OR if you haven't thought of these before maybe the answers can further enrich the scenario.

[Sakuro]

Q1: Did it seem like the thinking was that there'd be a push to expand the Blessings of the Imperator outside the barrier? (i.e. talk, or broadcasts of sharing our fortune with the rest of the state or country, specifically building the military with expansionism in mind, etc.)

The big message was two fold "the future of mankind is in Hadron City" and that, in time, the Blessings of Imperator would spread beyond. Hadron City was meant to be a foundation, and template, that would be carried outwards. Those who lived there can get the feeling what Imperator was working towards for the city was incomplete by the time they were attacked.

Q1a: What was the society like? Were there personal vehicles or a very robust public transit system (even like communal bikes or Segues)? Did the City have a hierarchy of people in charge? You mention there was military vs. non-military; How did that work in a utopia with 18 years of peace?

There was a very robust, and free, public transportation system with clean fuels/electric vehicle. No personal transports. Living space, jobs, and recreation were all in the same buildings. Everything people needed, would be there, to the degree that they wouldn't need to leave their building unless they wanted to. Those same buildings were modified into solar absorbent batteries and farms that grew the cities food supply.

Drones were common, and used to supplement the city's police and military. Robots were beginning to enter mainstream, augmenting menial labor. These, and many other things, were developed at a combination mega-forge, super-industrial complex, fortress called the Forge.

Augmented Reality was fairly common. The equivalent of a smartphone would allow access to the Library (no longer operational), a massive data store of knowledge, multimedia, and social options. Some element were blocked off from general citizenry, but it was free for everyone. It was basically the internet on steroids, though much better "governed".

The hierarchy had Imperator at the top as a benevolent dictator. Beneath Imperator were the Praetors. Two inside the city: Null, who was in charge of the military, civil security, and intelligence branches. Dr. Zory Sokolov was in charge of scientific, civil, and economic reforms. The other two Praetors are not known to the public, but it is suspected they remained outside Hadron City coordinating affairs in the outside world. Beneath the Praetors it is a bit of an oligarchy with feudal system nuances. People who achieve the pinnacle of ability are given positions equivalent to minor nobility and have limited authority in their fields, under the Praetor they align with. One example is Hitori Zanazo, the world's foremost swordsman, was the chief melee combat instructor for Imperator's forces and played a major role in defining Hadron's City's education model.

Even in peace, there was preparation for eventual expansion. Simulated wars were performed, as war games, on a regular basis. In a sense, Hadron City had been fighting wars constantly for the past eighteen years.

Q2: Does that mean it was 6 months of fighting THEN Imperator vanished and our forces slowly fell (Q2a: if so, how long was our military in decline?)

Q2b: If it was 6 months in entirety, when in those 6 months did Imperator disappear?

The entirety of the conflict was six months. I am not going to give exact time stamps on this. I'll say that Imperator fell close to the end. He was the vast majority of Hadron City's military might, followed by Null and Dr. Sokolov. His followers were far out numbered in the face of the United States armed forces. Though they had excellent training and superior equipment, they crumpled fast. Hadron City has a population of around ten million, and only a fraction of that was in the military (there was no conscription, only volunteers were recruited). The US has millions of troops in individual branches of their armed forces. It was a case of quality getting bested by quantity.

Q3: When the fighting ended was there an official surrender by someone in charge, publicly announced? (Q3a: Did Hadron City HAVE someone 'in charge', maybe a Functionary or High Assistant to the Imperator?) Is there even a Public Address system?

There was no official surrender. It was enforced by definitive victory. At that point all leadership had been killed, captured, or is in hiding.

There is a PA system, yes. Not in the sense that there are speakers everywhere. The Library allowed the government to send out messages to people via their personal communication devices.

Q4: I guess it depends on how much time the transition took, how long the military was an occupying force focused on pacification, etc, but how long has it been since Imperator disappeared? And when does game start in relation to the initial attack.

I am not giving exact dates for things revolving around Imperator's disappearance or events during the war. When the game starts, a date will be given in my initial post.

Q5: What kinds of things have Stronghold done so far? A curfew, I imagine, and set up food/sundries distribution areas for those people who are logged in the system (as non-trouble-makers) with a daily or weekly ration allowance, did they assign people jobs?

I am not going to get into the minutia of what they've done, as I have no personal experience in occupying a city or administrating over a city. Some things I will mention, to help paint a picture of the setting, however.

- There is an 8 PM curfew.
- Stronghold has taken control of the Forge and drone system.
- There are strategically placed check points throughout the city that restrict and help control movement.
- Stronghold patrols, throughout the city (topside) are regular and common sights.
- They've started a perimeter around the city, using the city's own infrastructure and vehicles or quickly erected barriers to force people to enter or leave the city through checkpoints. This is presently in progress.
- People aren't being assigned jobs. They have to find those themselves, however civil services are brought in to help manage this as you would find in a city in the USA. This is the case with a lot of civic matters. The services are being handled by civil servants brought in from outside, not Stronghold themselves.
- Likewise, Stronghold isn't distributing food. People need to find jobs, earn a living, and pay for food and goods at stores. Yes, money is a thing again. There are a lot of people finding themselves homeless and destitute.
- Speaking of which, they're throwing out the "everything a person needs is in the building they live in" system and have begun pushing it back towards the structure we see in real life USA. It is a difficult process and people are suffering culture shock.

[Sakuro]

I am closing recruitment. The only other person who had expressed interest has made mention elsewhere that they do not have much free time right now.

Fortunately we have just enough people to fit the roster size I was aiming for. Thank you everyone for taking an interest. I'll work on getting the IC thread, and initial post, up either later today or tomorrow.

CaptainChaos, no rush on polishing up Jamie. If you aren't done sorting him out by the time I get an IC post up you may still keep working. Though if we get to a point where you need to make rolls, and the sheet isn't finished, I may make you wait or we will use what is currently on his sheet for the scene.

[Flynnarrel]

Thank you for those answers.

What do they look for at those checkpoints? Are the Personal Communicators still a thing? I may need to modify Russel's equipment.

Would Russel having the Vehicles skill be too unusual? I could see how the OSDP, and any branch of the DIA really, might need/want a conveyance method distinct from the public transportation. I saw the DIA more as a part military intelligence, part civil police force that would need to get around the city.

[Sakuro]

What do they look for at checkpoints? Whatever they want, whenever they want. Stronghold doesn't have to answer to anyone that you can complain to. You can assume they look for "contraband", weapons, or any suspicious items or people. They'll also be looking over IDs and scanning your face to compare to their database.

The Library, it's datastores and telecommunication infrastructure, are in ruin. Any hardware related to it, such as the personal communicators, are being confiscated.

People working in an official governmental capacity, or providing services such as firefighting, would have dedicated vehicles for their occupation for use while on the job. Russel having the Vehicle Skill would be fine.

[CaptainChaos]

I did a little more tweaking of Jamie for the build and background. I may play around with the background a bit more. Based on a suggestion from Flynnarrel, I added Interpose and dropped the Expertise: Military.

[Sakuro]

CaptainChaos, the tweaks look to have make the background and mechanics for Jamie more cohesive.

I'll allow some tweaking to characters after the game has started. No major revisions, but I am aware how mechanics don't always fit the vision a person may have of their character, and some play time can reveal what is off.

[mrdent12]

Somehow I get a Rogue One suicide mission feeling for some reason. A group of people(teens in this case), all with their own skill set, fighting a force more powerful than themselves.

[Sakuro]

In the premise I did mention this story was not likely to end well for your characters.

Suicide missions and teen tragedy aside … the IC thread is up: here is the link. You may post when you are ready.

[mrdent12]

Yup, saw that in the OP. So not expecting bottles of scotch(or whatever teens can drink in Hadron City) and steaks at the end of the one shot for the PC's.

[melonLord]

Putting the Insight roll here:
EDIT: Moved to IC post

Also, Sakuro: is there anything Maryanne can determine about Rodney and the girl's relationship from body language alone? (Friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, family, something else?) Will make another Insight check if necessary, though she's not planning on observing them for more than the few seconds it'll take to respond to Ms. Foster and leave.

[Sakuro]

Please do not post rolls in the OOC thread. Keep that in the IC thread, along with your post. It's is easier for me to reference if I don't have to bounce between threads.

As for gauging Rodney's relationship to the girl … a few seconds is not going to be enough to ascertain something as complex as interpersonal relationships. If Maryanne wants to stick around to observe them, and risk getting noticed watching, you may make another Insight check to try to reason out what is going on between Rodney and the Asian teen.

[melonLord]

Ah, sorry. I wanted to have it here for reference so I could have her reactions in the next IC post. Won't do it again, then.

[Sakuro]

Though Mel and Jamie might have heard the name "Jacob Fitzgerald", neither of them would know anything about him. Maryanne and Russel know what they do about because of their respective ability to gather information or network with people.

[melonLord]

Sakuro: should I edit my last IC post with that information on the others you provided? (Wouldn't be changing her subsequent actions, just bringing her internal thoughts in line with the info she actually got from that roll.)

If not, I suppose I'll just say that she was distracted by Rodney's absence and didn't properly process those details until seeing them for the second time.