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A suggestion.

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Thu, 2011-01-06 21:44

It that must no... It that must not be named's picture

A suggestion.

Ok, we've had at least 2 released adventures featuring a nasty outbreak of the exsurgent virus. COuld the next adventure for EP maybe not focus on the EV and maybe instead deal with a jovie plot? The jovies seem to be a popular term for discussion here, and I think a jovie adventure could be fun. it cold alse be a chance to portray the junta and it's people in a bit more detail, and even run either way with the players either being sentinels trying to stop the jovies or being jovie angents trying to pull some nasty stun..er I mean protect humanity from the frankenfreak scum!

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"I learned the hard way that if you take a stand on any issue, no matter how insignificant, people will line up around the block to kick your ass over it." -Jesse "the mind" Ventura.

Fri, 2011-01-07 12:29

Jürgen Hubert Jürgen Hubert's picture

Re: A suggestion.

I foresee a problem here. I mean, many, if not most members of Firewall will be opposed to the Jovian Republic for political reasons. However, Firewall as an organization actually has little reason to move against the Jovian Republic - remember, these are the folks who are [i]extremely[/i] conservative about radical new technologies, and thus probably the [i]least[/i] likely of all major factions to generate new x-risks. Thus, the main reasons why Firewall would set sentinels against the Jovial Republic would be (a) spy stuff to find out if they have some super-secret research programs involving x-risks after all (b) if they have something that Firewall want (such as an infugee with useful knowledge about x-risks) or (c) if Firewall and the Jovians are after the same thing (information).

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Fri, 2011-01-07 13:21

Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture

Re: A suggestion.

I would probably set up the story as an uneasy alliance between Firewall and Jovian agents - they are both after the same thing, but are also very different organisations that have a hard time trusting each other. I would not be surprised if there were more Firewall-aligned people per capita in the Republic than anywhere else. These are the people who take xrisks seriously and think humanity is still under serious threat. It is just that the Junta doesn't like competing intelligence agencies and organisations (just like real intelligence agencies take exception to foreign agencies being active in their domains). A classic trope is to have the team cross path with interfering outside agents, eventually realizing they both are after the same thing and might need to work together. Then they end up being paired with counterparts from the other side, having serious trust issues but gradually coming to rely on each other - until the inevitable mole or betrayal. A typical twist is of course to have some fraction of the Jovians brass wanting to sabotage the mission or catch the Firewall agents. A more unexpected twist is that some Firewall fraction is out to sabotage things - maybe the AGI anarchists are so angry at the Jovians that they are willing to mess things up, or there is a secret deal between some Firewall cells and an anti-Jovian counterintelligence unit.

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Fri, 2011-01-07 18:34

It that must no... It that must not be named's picture

Re: A suggestion.

Jürgen Hubert wrote:
I foresee a problem here. I mean, many, if not most members of Firewall will be opposed to the Jovian Republic for political reasons. However, Firewall as an organization actually has little reason to move against the Jovian Republic - remember, these are the folks who are [i]extremely[/i] conservative about radical new technologies, and thus probably the [i]least[/i] likely of all major factions to generate new x-risks. Thus, the main reasons why Firewall would set sentinels against the Jovial Republic would be (a) spy stuff to find out if they have some super-secret research programs involving x-risks after all (b) if they have something that Firewall want (such as an infugee with useful knowledge about x-risks) or (c) if Firewall and the Jovians are after the same thing (information).

Well, first it might not be firewall moving against the junts as it might be the junts trying to pull some shit that firewall is looking to stop. Say the junts are having an economic problem. Why, just blame it all on "the trannies and their conspiracies" and send some agents on a "reprisal: mission. If it comes off and the "trannies" don't respond, it makes the junt leaders look like they've done something and are just som awesomely badass the freaks don't dare reply. If there is a reprisal, the head junts scream about the threat level being updated to crimson and use it as a cover for the economic problems and as an excuse to squash dissent. Meanwhile some transhuman factions may decide they're not going to wait for the junts to decide to come out and exterminate/enslave everyone who isn't "pure" and prepare a preemptive strike, possibly leading to a war. The junts may not use new tech a lot, but that doesn't mean they don't pose an X risk to transhumanity. Firewall may be concerned with preventing the junts from starting a war either by actively attacking or provoking transhumans into attacking in preemptive self defense, either way starting a disastrous war. So I could see firewall carefully watching the junts and trying to prevent them from provoking shit and to stop others from provoking shit with them as a war with the junts vs. everyone else could be a huge x threat. A scenario could just involve some firewallers looking to covertly sabotage a junt op that was designed to be a provocation by one junt faction to serve as a power play.

—

"I learned the hard way that if you take a stand on any issue, no matter how insignificant, people will line up around the block to kick your ass over it." -Jesse "the mind" Ventura.

Fri, 2011-01-07 18:37

It that must no... It that must not be named's picture

Re: A suggestion.

Arenamontanus wrote:
I would probably set up the story as an uneasy alliance between Firewall and Jovian agents - they are both after the same thing, but are also very different organisations that have a hard time trusting each other. I would not be surprised if there were more Firewall-aligned people per capita in the Republic than anywhere else. These are the people who take xrisks seriously and think humanity is still under serious threat. It is just that the Junta doesn't like competing intelligence agencies and organisations (just like real intelligence agencies take exception to foreign agencies being active in their domains). A classic trope is to have the team cross path with interfering outside agents, eventually realizing they both are after the same thing and might need to work together. Then they end up being paired with counterparts from the other side, having serious trust issues but gradually coming to rely on each other - until the inevitable mole or betrayal. A typical twist is of course to have some fraction of the Jovians brass wanting to sabotage the mission or catch the Firewall agents. A more unexpected twist is that some Firewall fraction is out to sabotage things - maybe the AGI anarchists are so angry at the Jovians that they are willing to mess things up, or there is a secret deal between some Firewall cells and an anti-Jovian counterintelligence unit.

Another plot might be with the junts as victims. Some trasnhuman faction doesn't want to wait for them to launch a crusade to exterminate transhumanity and is trying some sort of preemptive strike on them that could ironically lead to the same result. Firewall and junts must work together to prevent it, but some junt brass wants the attack to come off as a provocation to launch their holy crusade to eliminate the teraNSHUMAN threat once and for all.

—

"I learned the hard way that if you take a stand on any issue, no matter how insignificant, people will line up around the block to kick your ass over it." -Jesse "the mind" Ventura.

Sat, 2011-01-08 10:40

Extrasolar Angel Extrasolar Angel's picture

Re: A suggestion.

Quote:
Another plot might be with the junts as victims. Some trasnhuman faction doesn't want to wait for them to launch a crusade to exterminate transhumanity and is trying some sort of preemptive strike on them that could ironically lead to the same result. Firewall and junts must work together to prevent it, but some junt brass wants the attack to come off as a provocation to launch their holy crusade to eliminate the teraNSHUMAN threat once and for all.

I don't think its indicated anywhare in the book that Jovian Republic has such goals. It certainly doesn't have any such capability-its only the fourth largest organised quasi-state power in the Sol System-after Planetary Consortium, Titan Commonwealth and LLA... But yes the Exsurgent virus has been used in two adventures so far, so it would good to see some other plot hook. Sunward page 156 mentions "On the diplomatic front, overtures toward the Jovians are in part intended to pave the way for future joint military action against Titan". So yes some sort of diplomacy/spying adventure with a bit of action could be interesting. Perhaps on Selene Station which houses severa; embassies including Jovian one? The LLA could be interested in entering into a military treaty with Jovians against Planetary Consortium, and to protect joint interest in Reclamation of Earth, while the PC might try to blame Titanian Commonwealth for some sort of attack or sabotage.

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[I]Raise your hands to the sky and break the chains. With transhumanism we can smash the matriarchy together.[/i]