From: oakes@jupiter.nmt.edu (David Oakes)
Subject: cosm placement (hindsight) (was Re: GENcon)
X-Gated-By: The Black Marble Wombat@morticia.cnns.unt.edu
X-Gated-From: torg mailing list
Organization: University of North Texas
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Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 20:23:07 GMT


Rick Jones(albert@bcm.tmc.edu) offers:
 ! 	Well, consider that they've taken a _lot_ of abuse (somewhat
 ! deserved IMHO) for dropping the Living Land in the US.  Most gamers
 ! for good or bad, do not like the LL.  It makes adventuring in the USA 
 ! more difficult, as PC's don't want to slog through the jungles.

you know, the LL-Viet Nam analogy just struck me:
unwinnable war, against primative opponents, dense jungle,
soldiers (PCs) dont want to be there, public (gamers) doesnt want it, care

hell, just that miniscule thread saves the LL.
to bad WEG didnt think of it before
(of course, the SB is still a load of Bor Aka droppings)

 ! 	Off the top of my head, were I in WEG's shoes (and with 20/20 
 ! hindsight), here's how I would have done it.
 ! 
 ! 	America is invaded by Marketplace.  The Japanese element is 
 ! toned down, and watch as America is bought out.  The Delphi Council
 ! becomes _much_ more insidious.

i dont know, just doesnt "do it" for me
(and i like the thought of the DC trying to out intrigue Marketplace. HAH!)

to be truly cinematic (read: ameri-centric, this is hollywood)
America itself would not be invaded at all (canada, mexico fair game though)
since of course we are the good guys, and we would have to help...
(WEG is being as sanctimonious with Chicago/Nile as the Victorians in Borneo)

 ! 	Aysle, Nile Empire and Cyberpapacy remain where they are.  They are
 ! tied to the region, so should be left as is.  The Cyberpapacy would
 ! have been much more agressive, and expanded into Eastern Europe.  Aysle 
 ! remains stable.  There's no reason for Malreaux to be so pokey, though.

hear, hear!
jean isnt such a stud that he could sit on his ass so long
without the DD begining to get edgy, even if the DD IS the cautious one
(unless of course there is some P-potential in the GN nobody has mentioned...)

 ! 	The Living Land invades Brazil.  It also has the "Lost Civilizations"
 ! aspect of the Land Below.  It's more like the Tarzan pulps than like the 
 ! Land of the Lost.

no, no contrast - large inhospitible jungle becomes larger inhospitible jungle.
TORGs strength relies on the odd combinations it produces:
egyptian gangsters, church cyber, urban jungles, etc
IMNSHO, the weakest cosms are Aysle and Nippon Tech, because they are typical
(of course, NT requires stealth, and every game needs its D&D rip-off...)

as far as the "Lost Civilizations," i think LB already does that,
and a "hollow earth" will always do it better
LL is a land of primative spirituality, and it is viable -
LL should have been on the eco-bandwagon before the SGs ever came!

 ! 	Orrorsh lands in Japan.  Watch the highly structured society 
 ! break down as a scientific land is confronted with the occult.  It also
 ! expands into the USSR, which repelled Tharkhold.

now this could work really well
of course, Orrorsh in Russia scares me even more than it does now
(ill take Rakshassaa over Baba Yaga any day!)

 ! 	Thakhold returns later in LA to bollux the Marketplace goons
 ! same as before.

probably the only thing to do with them
(their entrance into germany scares me,
 mostly because our resident munchkin smooge has started it already.)

 ! 	The Space Gods arrive in Mexico.  The tree hugging aliens are
 ! confronted with the cold and methodical Marketplace Corporate Raiders.

nice potential for conflict with the Aztecs,
but again, the SG are as area specific as the Nile and Papacy
(of course, if they would get off their butts, they could have a tree in
 every realm, and a monitor on every street corner!  Go Spaaaace Goooooods!)

dave "and i didnt even mention Toons.  oops." oakes
Newsgroups: alt.games.torg