Aftermath RPG Boards - Now Open! (title edited 2-24-2007)

[Darrin Drader]

It's been a while since I've posted at ENWorld. The reason is that I've been running Nothingland, and engaging in various hijinx with Morrus's off-topic forum. I've caused trouble, usually in good humor, but that isn't what I'm here to do right now. So I'm asking the mods, please ease up your itchy mod fingers and relax, I come in peace.

The thing about most boards dedicated to gaming is that they tend to be pretty focused on D&D, or other similar fantasy games or worlds. Sure, ENWorld covers D&D, D20 Modern, and the whole gamut of D20 games.

I have to say that while I started with D&D, my real love is the post apocalyptic genre. There's just something magical for me about desert nomads living in a world alongside robots, mutated people, mutated animals, and the technological remnants of a society that blew itself to kingom come so long ago.

So since I'm passing Nothingland back to it's original owner, I'm thinking about turning my attention once more towards gaming itself, more specifically the post apocalyptic genre. I mean I do still have a server and a perfectly good copy of VBulletin that won't be in use pretty soon. It would be my goal to really get into the minutia of the genre for gaming purposes, and maybe even come up with some less obvious avenues for adventure.

The board would probably have a forum for general post apocalyptic discussion, post apocalyptic play by post, a section on PA novels, fiction, movies, etc, and a few more categories. I would imagine that since the hottest PA game out today is Darwin's World, there would be a lot of discussion about that particular game, although users would be free to talk about Gamma World (any edition), or even my very own D20 Apocalypse.

My question is this. If I were to create a board dedicated to the post apocalyptic genre, would anyone actually go there and post? Is there enough interest in this genre to merit its own board?

 

[Rothe]

Yes. Love PA RPG and especially would like a discussion of the genre that includes something other than just TSR/d20.

Had a great stint of PA RPGing in the 80's and would like to do some more again. So where is The Evil Empire? I forget, is that the US or USSR?

 

[Shades of Green]

Since I have several ideas in this area I might want to develop into a campaign, I'll gladly join such a board. The three main avenues I'll pursue in such a board would be:

1) Generic (i.e. non-P&P-RPG) post-apocalyptic discussion, especially in regard to things such as the Fallout and Wasteland computer games.

2) I might want to develop a D&D post-apocalyptic setting; I might end up developing it online using Dungeoncraft methods.

3) I might want to develop a near-future post-apocalyptic setting in which civilization fell due to the combination of rapid environmental degredation, economical collapse following the bursting of a "Biotech Bubble", and several plagues (possibly related to the "Biotech Bubble"). Plant and animal life would be damaged far less than the Human race (the virii involved were mostly Human-specific); about 95% of Humanity have died. Opponents would be mostly humans, robotic defensive mechanisms still intact and operating, wildlife, extreme and/or unstable weather and genetically engineered "monsters" (heavily-biomoded animals, plants and even Humans designed for various military and/or economical purposes during the Bubble years).

 

[Rothe]

...3) I might want to develop a near-future post-apocalyptic setting in which civilization fell due to the combination of rapid environmental degredation, economical collapse following the bursting of a "Biotech Bubble", and several plagues (possibly related to the "Biotech Bubble"). Plant and animal life would be damaged far less than the Human race (the virii involved were mostly Human-specific); about 95% of Humanity have died. Opponents would be mostly humans, robotic defensive mechanisms still intact and operating, wildlife, extreme and/or unstable weather and genetically engineered "monsters" (heavily-biomoded animals, plants and even Humans designed for various military and/or economical purposes during the Bubble years).

I like these ideas alot and would love to discuss them as they parallel the "collapse" scenario we used in our PA campaign. Perhaps "The Collapse" could be a sub-forum.

 

[mcrow]

thats a tough one.

I know of a message board dedicated to the entirety of sci-fi and it has all of 17 members in a total of a year.

PA, is a niche, but could work. The hardest part is letting poeple know it is there. Generally if peopl know its there, they will come.

 

[PJ-Mason]

My question is this. If I were to create a board dedicated to the post apocalyptic genre, would anyone actually go there and post? Is there enough interest in this genre to merit its own board?

Bring it!

 

[Shades of Green]

I like these ideas alot and would love to discuss them as they parallel the "collapse" scenario we used in our PA campaign. Perhaps "The Collapse" could be a sub-forum.

Thanks for the kind words!

My idea was to create a more "organic" PA setting rather than the typical desert-heavy ones (Mad Max, Wasteland, Fallout, Bad Blood etc); I like the desert-PA settings, but I've wanted a change - I want Mother Nature to be alive, wild, and biting. Strange forests and polluted marsh-forests creeping into abandoned cities; twisted plants growing amidst dormant, rusting machinery; wild animals nesting between Human bones. Humanity is dead (almost) - Nature moves on, as she always did. Ofcourse, Mother Nature still has to cope with the legacy of Humanity - unstable climate (due to global warming), widespread pollution, genetically-modified beasts, urban wastelands and unstable ecosystems (due to the extinction of many links in the food-chain in many places).

Humanity still lives, but is a mere shadow of its past glory - only 150 millions living worldwide, 1.5% of the pre-Death 10 billions. The previous technological society is dead - not as much due to the widespread destruction of the technological items and means of production (which has occured on a relatively small scale by riots, small wars and environmental instability), but far more due to the death of the billions of Humans who make up the social infrastructure of such a society.

Another reason for developing this idea is to have something different from the typical (usually radiation-induced) mutants as the opposition. Sure, there will be things similar to "mutants" in that setting, but these would be the offsprings of tailor-made gengineered organisms, not random results of an A-Bomb (most post-nuke PAs) and/or mutagen virii (System Shock and Fallout).

I am still thinking about which game system to use. My current idea is to use FUDGE (which is OGL), but I might be convinced to use other SRD/OGL systems.

 

[Brutorz Bill]

Kewel!

Sign me up! I'm there!
As if you couldn't tell from my handle.

 

[Rothe]

Thanks for the kind words!

My idea was to create a more "organic" PA setting rather than the typical desert-heavy ones (Mad Max, Wasteland, Fallout, Bad Blood etc); I like the desert-PA settings, but I've wanted a change - I want Mother Nature to be alive, wild, and biting. Strange forests and polluted marsh-forests creeping into abandoned cities; twisted plants growing amidst dormant, rusting machinery; wild animals nesting between Human bones. Humanity is dead (almost) - Nature moves on, as she always did. Of course, Mother Nature still has to cope with the legacy of Humanity - unstable climate (due to global warming), widespread pollution, genetically-modified beasts, urban wastelands and unstable ecosystems (due to the extinction of many links in the food-chain in many places).

Yes, yes and yes. I too imagine nature run amok, a little fallout goes a long way to making a wasteland or a place unihabitable by humans, but quite OK for plants, insects and lower animals. I like the idea of including global warming, if nothing else for rising coastlines and the image of ruined skyscrapers poking out of a shallow "sea."

.....
Another reason for developing this idea is to have something different from the typical (usually radiation-induced) mutants as the opposition. Sure, there will be things similar to "mutants" in that setting, but these would be the offsprings of tailor-made gengineered organisms, not random results of an A-Bomb (most post-nuke PAs) and/or mutagen virii (System Shock and Fallout).

I've avoided too much radiation for scientific reasons, radiation induced mutation is random. That is not good, most such mutations are very, very, bad. I like viral mutation, or bioengineering going wrong as, for example, a virus engineered to splice in DNA or to turn on or off genes could lead to viable mutants. We all carry genes for things like scales, feathers, gills, tails, etc. they just never seem to turn on, or more precisely some of them tunr on as wel develop in the womb but then turn off.

But I do need me some radioactive zombies, , in very limited areas. Are they just very unfortunate mutants that have an incredible tolerance to radiation? Maybe their cells do not undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death) so they need something to keep 'em in check so to speak. Nothing like an unhealty does of ionizing radiation to kill some cells.

In the end I prefer a "mutant light" PA RPG, with it being more about humans vs. humans. Not that I'm adverse to mutant rats rising to intelligence in the sewers of the old cities.

I am still thinking about which game system to use. My current idea is to use FUDGE (which is OGL), but I might be convinced to use other SRD/OGL systems.

I would suggest almost any system that has combat, gun and vehicle rules you like. I've a cobbeled together rules set we used, I'd be happy to post on a PA site.

I saw your location and another e-mail about where you live in Israel; Employee?

 

[Shades of Green]

Yes, yes and yes. I too imagine nature run amok, a little fallout goes a long way to making a wasteland or a place unihabitable by humans, but quite OK for plants, insects and lower animals.

Yes, most such radiation would be from nuclear reactos (powerplants for the most part) failing and leaking after their operators die in the Plague. Sure, there are probably some failsafes, but were these engineered to work for deacades without human supervision?

Also, don't forget chemical pollution - which is probably going to be far more common. Just think about all these waste dumps being washed and spread by the rishing tides, all the chemical factories faltering in the absence of supervision, and, ofcourse, all the environmental contamination already in place.

I like the idea of including global warming, if nothing else for rising coastlines and the image of ruined skyscrapers poking out of a shallow "sea."

... With survivors living in the (above-water) upper stories and using improvised rafts to travel - I like that

I've avoided too much radiation for scientific reasons, radiation induced mutation is random. That is not good, most such mutations are very, very, bad.

Yep; serious radiation exposure will usually cause cancer (i.e. mutations in genes that regulate cell growth) and/or deformities in offsprings (usually caused by mutations in the gametes - sperm cells or ovae - that regulate the development of the embryo); even more radiation will cause radiation sickness (i.e. system failure due to too many genes in too many cells malfunctioning due to mutations and other bad things such as strand breaks and massive amounts of damaged proteins that can't be efficiently replaced). Scientifically speaking, most surviving Human radiation-induced mutants would be sorry cases of deformity and disability, not superheroes. Radiation produces "superpowers" (usually resistance to certain toxins) only in single-cell organisms, as they don't need a careful coordination between cells (and thus can't have cancer), have short generation spans (20 minutes in some bacteria) that allow for ultra-rapid evolution, and have massive populations (so even if 99.99999% of the bacterial or fungal colony dies, the remaining 0.00001 will still be millions, billions or more).

I like viral mutation, or bioengineering going wrong as, for example, a virus engineered to splice in DNA or to turn on or off genes could lead to viable mutants.

This is the avenue Fallout followed - and System Shock as well. I might include such things, but most strange creatures would be the offsprings of tailored organisms - especially things such as souped-up guard dogs (if you'd want to go over-the-top, make them rabid as well), or rats genetically-engineered to be used as a tool of sabotage (sneak into the enemy's bunkers and chew on the power and comm cables).

But I do need me some radioactive zombies, , in very limited areas. Are they just very unfortunate mutants that have an incredible tolerance to radiation? Maybe their cells do not undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death) so they need something to keep 'em in check so to speak. Nothing like an unhealty does of ionizing radiation to kill some cells.

You could have bio-zombies as well - maybe a modified strain of rabies that takes far less time to get from the wound to the brain, but far more time to kill the subject once making him crazy. Sure, these won't be undead in the D&D meaning of the word, but shamble and bite they will!

In the end I prefer a "mutant light" PA RPG, with it being more about humans vs. humans. Not that I'm adverse to mutant rats rising to intelligence in the sewers of the old cities.

I prefer it mutant-light but Nature-heavy; humans vs. humans vs. the elements with several surprises thrown in. Rats won't rise to intelligence by mere evolution or mutation over just a few decades, though, but they could always be purposefully upgraded in that direction during the Biotech Bubble. Make the rat smarter, make it trainable, then attach a camera to its back and let it spy on enemy (or rival corp) installations... And chew on their wires as well

I saw your location and another e-mail about where you live in Israel; Employee?

I live in Kiryat Shmona, that's up north near the Lebanon border, though soon I'll be moving to Rehovot (somewhat to the south of Tel Aviv) to live with my girlfriend.

And Employee #2-4601 is my Traveller messageboard handle, borrowed from the main character's handle in System Shock.