ZEITGEIST Help Making Gears of Revolution AP More Leftist?

[arkwright]

So, if I like the idea of fighting a hivemind but don't love the idea of fighting the concept of fervent communism, any recommendations for how to adapt this encounter?

I mean, the fight is in book 10, I don't think you need to bother about it for another six months at minimum.

Hiveminds can be a good concept to explore. My game did a lot looking into how to use them in positive and productive ways.

Honestly, I think Stanfield's speech is quite weak, especially given his actions. He does nothing to help the poor and arranges for the death of thousands of Risuri sailors. I take it more as showing how he thinks he he is acting for a good cause, though I'm truth he is as corrupt as Nic.

 

[ratzofftoya]

Honestly, I think Stanfield's speech is quite weak, especially given his actions. He does nothing to help the poor and arranges for the death of thousands of Risuri sailors. I take it more as showing how he thinks he he is acting for a good cause, though I'm truth he is as corrupt as Nic.

I think that's a good way of showing it. Lip service but a failure to actually change the structure of society when the time comes.

 

[Lylandra]

Yep, that was also our turn on Stanfield. He's all talk, no action. We thought that it was simply because of realpolitics and because he wanted to keep his seat, but in reality he just threw everyone underneath the bus for the OB. And we threw that back at him with force when the time came to face him.

"Yep, we DO have power, but at least we USE it to support those who are powerless!"

 

[Gort]

So, if I like the idea of fighting a hivemind but don't love the idea of fighting the concept of fervent communism, any recommendations for how to adapt this encounter?

I kinda flipped it on its head. The scene was a worker's revolt, trying to rescue fellow workers from one of the factory lock-ins that happened in an earlier adventure. The workers were opposed by a Pinkerton-like strikebreaker force, and it was this force that became the hivemind. Picture a line of riot cops chanting "Right to work" over and over.

 

[Andrew Moreton]

Realised this was not helpful and removed it

 

[ratzofftoya]

I kinda flipped it on its head. The scene was a worker's revolt, trying to rescue fellow workers from one of the factory lock-ins that happened in an earlier adventure. The workers were opposed by a Pinkerton-like strikebreaker force, and it was this force that became the hivemind. Picture a line of riot cops chanting "Right to work" over and over.

Awesome, will definitely incorporate this if we head in that direction!

 

[gideonpepys]

Yeah, I always thought of Nic’s ultimate plan - or at least his original concept - as a democratic socialist one. It is his means (and his hypocrisy) which make him a villain who needs to be stopped. The more sympathetic the better.

 

[tragicThaumaturge]

I actually think the most interesting thing about the campaign is the opportunities it presents to challenge the players' ideologies. Particularly in the end, despite everything the Ob do, players have either the choice to return the world to normal (doing evil by omitting to do good) or try and make the world a better place (by doing exactly what the Ob were trying to do, which was changing the arrangement of the planes).
I found the weakest part of the AP to be how good the good guys are and how evil the bad guys are. It presents too little room for moral conflict in my opinion.