NPlot

Opening Plot (working)

WASTELAND ][ : Serpioid Menace

Over 20 years have passed since the heroes of humanity, the Desert Rangers, wiped the machine menace off the face of the earth. The aftermath was a heady time for the rangers, as the access to high level technology, and the mythical status of the Rangers led to massive expansion at a rapid pace.

The ranger High Command swiftly annexed the nearby areas. Highpool, the Ag Center, and the Guardian Citadel were placed under firm control to solidify the ranger's grasp on the most valuable commodity in the wasteland, life. Highpool provided basic agricultural and housing facilities. The Rangers convert the Ag Center to a semi-fortified outpost, which is responsible both for keeping the HQ supplied with food and water, and serving as a relay station for the HQ Satellite linkup.

When the Rangers came back from Base Cochise, they brought with them an advanced AI life form named VAX. VAX was able to help the Rangers back at the HQ reestablish dormant fiber optic links to the outlying military and scientific bases. VAX was also able to restore functionality to a number of the satellites that had been disabled by the Cochise AI to instigate WWIII. The rangers were also able to repair the satellite facilities of the Ag Center, giving them effective communications links across the dessert expanse.

These advances allowed the Ranger High Command to create a benevolent rule over the surrounding area. Sleeper Base was setup as a research center, and is the manufacturing base for the rangers advanced weaponry. Darwin however was deemed too dangerous. There was a split between the High Command as to the possible danger of Finster's consciousness biding it's time in the data banks. The base was bombed, effect sealing it from any future use. The land lines to it were cut to prevent any malicious AI from infiltrating the Ranger network. Darwin city remained, populated mainly by rugged survivalists from the outlying mountains. It served as a support city for the rangers stationed at Sleeper Base.

These were good times, and prosperity grew in all the surrounding areas. However, the hearts of men stray towards darkness. With Fat Freddy and Faran Brygo dead, and the machine menace eliminated, there was no one to reign in the influence of the Temple of the Mushroom Cloud. The destruction of Base Cochise, visible from Vegas itself was proclaimed to be a divine miracle of the holy cloud, and with the absorption of the now headless criminal enterprises, their leader Charmaine was able to extend her grasp south to needles, where the local bishop was anointed 'Divine Commander' of the city. With the temple of blood in tatters, consolidation went smoothly for the Temple.
Quartz stayed a middle ground, both the river and it's proximity to the Guardian Citadel helped to keep it free of the Temple's growing influence.

During this period, rifts in the Ranger Command began to grow. Several of the older leaders began to feel that with the growing influence of the Temple, their control over the outlying areas should be tightened, to prevent the Temple from making inroads across the river. Many Rangers, including those who originally halted the Base Cochise AI felt that this was taking the Rangers in the wrong direction.

Everything changed with Quartz. Unbeknownst to the rangers, the Temple has progressed beyond worship of the bomb, to knowledge of the bomb. Under the guise of a trade delegation agents of the Temple were able to plant a high yield device in Quartz. The subsequent explosion was hailed as proof that the holy cloud would smite the unbelievers. At ranger HQ it was viewed as an act of war.

Within hours forces were sent from Guardian Citadel on a reconnaissance patrol. They reported that Quartz was gone, nothing but glass. The temple also had destroyed the bridges, effectively blocking themselves off from the Rangers. There were however survivors in the outlying area. These people were taken back to the Ag Center, where they were given jobs in the food manufacturing areas. Those who had been part of the 'unsavory' element were sent to work in the silver mines.

Disturbed at the recent changes in attitude by the Ranger Command, but unable to convince a majority given the fearsome display by the Temple, the original four Rangers and several other decided to head north. They were given command of Darwin City as placation, but Sleeper base remained in the control of Ranger HQ.

During this time Ranger HQ attempted to bring the Rail Nomads into their fold, but met strong resistance. The slaughter of an entire clan by the Rangers had left a simmering blood fued, and HQ met with strong resistance. Despite the efforts of the nomads however, the superior tactics and technology of the Rangers proved to overwhelming, and the majority of the nomads were taken into custody and pressed into service in the silver mines and at the Ag Center. A few noamds were able to escape on their train, but remain a pitiful remnant of their former strength.

Ranger HQ was expanded and highpool grew as well. The Ag Center slowly became a semi-prison for minor offenders in the New Ranger Republic, while the more serious offenders were sent to the mines, where fatality rates were much higher. Forays were made into occupied needles to gauge the threat posed by the Temple, but to all observations, the Temple was content with ruling their half of the region. Small bases were setup along the river to patrol against possible infiltrators, as the nuclear threat was taken seriously. However, the High Command decided to covertly build up their forces, as any attack would have to be swift and decisive against a foe with the power of the atom.

## A variation on the above

Unbeknownst to the Rangers, VAX was not just one of the robots, but in fact the dangerous AI of Cochise had migrated itself into the ordinary-looking machine.
VAX helped the Rangers repair old fiber-optic links to universities and government labs, and all the Rangers were too pleased with their new power to notice the nature of the new connections.

All the labs had some involvement in the 20th century's greatest project: The creation of Artificial Intelligence. VAX let the Rangers see just enough information about his nemesis, Finster, that Darwin was doomed.

The destruction of Darwin triggered a schism in the Rangers' hierarchy. Many who had been politically powerful left, including the four original Rangers, to rebuild in the Savage Village.

The remaining Rangers strengthened their grip on the region; the Templars did the same. The exiled Ranger group in Savage Village were satisfied to remain in their enclave until Quartz was destroyed.

At this point, the exiled Rangers - who called themselves "the something I can't think of" - chose to expand their own influence to the South.
This is where you come in. You are a young (man/woman) from a town far to the south named Niland. The Ranger recruiter came to Niland a few weeks ago, and with the local lake running dry, you decided that your future lay to the North.

Tasks at the beginning, of course, can be fairly simple: clean desert dogs from the valley to the west (eg return 10 dog ears), guard a trail (walk back and forth, hit random encounters, return 10 bandit scarves), etc.

Then, once you are able to leave with a party of three others on a training mission, you do. Then the templars destroy the Ranger center and you decide to stay and fight (perhaps they have done so with a nuke, same as Quartz? That might prevent you from going South to home. Perhaps your home had been hit by some bad thing or other if you return?).

You join with the Rangers, but they are interested more in revenge than in peace. After you are ordered to destroy an entire Templar settlement - soldiers and civilians, adults and children - you:

- Decide to join the Templars, or

- Join the revenge, or

- Make your own way.
If you take sides, you can do some tasks revolving around doing bad things to the other side. If you go on your own, you can go to some of the towns in the area.
Either way, the Serpioids were behind the creation of the AI. VAX will destroy the planet rather than be taken by them, and the Templars want to destroy them because they aren't Templars. So when the Serpioid ship lands to take VAX back, he pushes the Rangers to fight. Which they do, and quite successfully. If you're with the Rangers, you take part in the fight.

Here's where the story links back with itself.

The Serpioids came back, with a vengeance, leveling most of the region and taking many captives. You find one ship preparing to leave... and board it with guns blazing!
You can wander around the ship for, say, 10 days of game time before it lands on Mars. The old human colony has been converted to a labour camp (like the Rangers had) for those who oppose the mastery of the Serpioids (kinda like the Templars). You have luckily found enough decent equipment on the ship (looting and killing by the score) that you can fight your way clear of the small prison dock. Passing spare weapons to those prisoners who can make it (i.e. hiring NPCs) you escape the prison and
and what? I dunno, it's late.

Plot thoughts from Freddie :

regarding the Serpioid plot line, here are some random thoughts...

after the destruction of base Cochise, the rangers were naturally
ecstatic. not only had their main threat been destroyed, but the acquisition of
sleeper base and guardian citadel provided the rangers with quite a lot
of technology and loot. the rangers, being now the most powerful force in
the area by far, grew in size very quickly. these factors, and the lack of
a "common enemy", led to internal disputes over what direction the
rangers should take, and what to do with their new power. the agricultural
center was taken under ranger "protection" as the main food source of the
area, with prisoners as labor. sleeper base and guardian citadel are kept
under lock and key as research facilities and strongholds. some smaller
groups have splintered off of the original rangers, and settled in nearby
towns/forts (old and new). this is not to say the rangers have gone bad
just become bureaucratic, less democratic and driven by their own
interests. most of the other towns have been left to their own devices and the
rangers see them as little more than sources of labor. this has led to the
servants of the mushroom cloud gaining more power and the birth of some slightly
less than friendly gangs. but the rangers still hold control over the
entire area, and thus bandits and outlaw gangs are somewhat rare and forced to
live a nomadic existence, popping up occasionally for raids here and
there but not being able to establish a real base.

at the start of the game the player is still a member of the rangers
and is given some quests to deal with, for example tracking down a band of
outlaws in the area, a menial delivery job, going to recruit new rangers from
some town, bringing back a scientist who decided to quit the rangers, etc.
as for mars... mars was a rather large research and mining colony since before the
war. the war cut off all communication with mars for a while and also left
the Martians without valuable supplies needed from earth. millions died
from famine and disease before they were able to develop self-sufficiency
through help from an alien race. as a result they are somewhat dislike
earthlings and are in a more or less unwilling forced alliance with
this alien race - they simply didn't have a choice. eventually radio contact
with earth was re-established, and the rangers learn from the humans on mars
that they do not wish any contact with earth - partly out of dislike,
but also partly to try and protect them from the Serpioids.

at some point the player gets a quest to investigate a meteor crash. as
it turns out this was a Serpioid delegation coming to visit the rangers,
but it crash-landed. if the player is thorough and skilled he can uncover
various clues and equipment from the wreckage - such as a radio with
which to contact mars and learn more info. IF the player warns the rangers,
they will be prepared for the second delegation, which follows shortly
after. this time they land successfully at the ranger HQ only to demand the
full and complete surrender of all humans. the rangers refuse and blast the
Serpioids to bits. if the rangers weren't warned, the Serpioids are able
to destroy ranger HQ completely in the process, leaving the player without
some of its valuable equipment and services. if they were prepared,
they are able to take the Serpioids by surprise.

your mission then is to head to mars to convince the Martians (i.e. the
humans on mars) to start an uprising against the Serpioids - one way or
another. first the player has to gather some key scientists and/or equipment so
that the old nuke in the mushroom cloud temple can be converted into a
one-way rocket ship to mars. so begins the second half of the game, on mars,
which would have at least a Martian city and the mines as mentioned in the
paragraphs. there could be several alternative ways to proceed:
The Martians refuse to fight mainly because the Serpioids have taken
many Martians as hostage/labor, and would be slaughtered if there was any
resistance. therefore the player must free (or, sadly, kill - and frame
the Serpioids) the hostages in order to bring about the war. game ends with
the human somehow managing to return home, and the outro features our
dubious heroes admiring the fierce fighting and nuclear explosions occurring on
mars through a telescope ;)

-the Martians wont be convinced, therefore the player must plant a bomb
in a Serpioid building and:

---frame the Martians, in which case the Serpioids are provoked into
attacking the Martians. our hero again escapes and admires the above
outro, but with different end text - this time the Martians are totally
massacred by the Serpioids, and its only a matter of time before the Serpioids
gather their strength and attack to earth, but at least the rangers have
bought earth some time....

---frame no one. in which case the Serpioids figure out the earthlings
are behind it and attack earth - in which case our hero is looking through
a telescope on MARS watching EARTH be bombarded.

---the planted bomb is a NUKE, which knocks out a huge part of their
facilities. the Martians are unable to resist the temptation to take up
arms while the Serpioids are weakened, and a war starts. the Martians
win. getting your hands on the nuke requires of course some extra figuring
out and task completing, otherwise the player doesn't have this ending
available to him.

notice how most of these endings use the same outro ;) just with
different text.

other various subplot ideas might include rescuing an innocent man from
the Ag Center, breaking into Sleeper Base, discovering a vault in the
desert (i.e. homage to Fallout), finding VAX living the hermits life in ruins of
base Cochise, being attacked by the kids (now grown up) in Highpool out
to avenge their childhood friend...

anyway, enough rambling for now...

Urgrue