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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aloïsius" data-source="post: 401816" data-attributes="member: 1191">Let's try...Why did the USSR not collapse ?Some possible explanations :* They did not waste their ressource in Afghanistan, so no afghan war, and far less formerly CIA sponsored islamic terrorism during the 80' and 90'*They did not waste their ressources trying to counter the IDS* They reformed their economical system before trying to reform their political system (like China did), so a lot of special economic zone (example Kaliningrad, in the Baltic sea), whith non regulated capitalism + KGB politic control (paradisiac places) * Success is a relative thing. Imagine a krach in the west side (by example, due to a war in the middle east and a 100 $ oil barrel...). Like in 30', it would have been a sort of boon for the east block.*They found new ressources (warning, Sci-Fi). USSR science was sometimes more advanced than its western counterpart. What if they found a way to produce incredible amount of cheap energy via nuclear fusion ? Or imagine a global warming that would waste most of europe and america soil into desertic area, and transform siberia in a verdant garden ?*Extraordinary event (more Sci-Fi, and worst) : E.T. intervention leading to a global alliance or the contrary (two E.T. faction giving support to the two side ?). You can replace the E.T. by demon/angel/ghost/wizard. Think Shadowrun + In Nomine. (I personaly don't like this kind of setting but YMMV...)Now what about the consequences ?I'm assuming your player will be westerner, not Reds, so I will speak more of what could have happen in the west side.* invasion, occupation, resistance, in a post nuclear apocalypse setting (note that the reverse is possible too and perhaps more realistic, the USSR never had the logistic means of an invasion in the enemy continent. The USA did.)* militarization (sp ?) : imagine a return of McCarthysm (sp, bis), with an heightened governemental paranoïa + modern technology (watch drone everywhere, every mail/phone watched by the NSA...) You can even imagine a totally reversed situation, whith an oppressive system in the west side, and a relatively free one in the east. Or for an even darker setting, two dictatorial blocks, one ruled by a consortium  led by immortal (genetically enhanced) elite CEO, the other being a restalinized USSR, controlled by a fanatic IA.* business as usual : the antagonism between the two is lessened by their interdependance. So a lot of inflamatory speech ("Empire of Evil", "Imperialist State") but not a lot of action.  * for even more fun, add a third player. The EU is not qualified for this (unless some demographic twist, maybe) but China or India may be.</blockquote>

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