Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 hinthas May 13, 2008 13:06:17	Rough outline. Space Aliens show up and commence to put a Whoopin' on everyone and thier military. Major metropolis' all over the world are wiped out and refugees are running scared waiting to be Eaten. Some eggheads at Area51 get the bright idea to resurrect some old Cloaking project with the USS Eldridge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Experiment) and still arrive with the same result. The exception is the test matter not only just "disappears" but leaves in its spot some bushes and dirt. Soil and flora samples indicate biological strains that haven't existed in nature for some 1000 years. Before further testing can occur, the space aliens notice the temporal signature and RAZE the facility and substructures. Hastily reconstructing the device, the new project managers assemble a ragtag force in the San Diego bay area and frantically gather resources and people. Splinter elements of: 1st Marine Div., 1st MEF, Seal Team One, 2 Sqdn/11ACR (OPFOR)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Horse_Regiment), 7th PSYOP reserve, class 23-09 Intel school, 1/4 of the SDSU student body, and about 1000 migrant workers gaggle into the decks of the decomissioned Constellation and other conscripted cargo ships in the San Diego bay area. This assembly of peoples being renamed Joint Task Force Allende are now the first intentional force being sent somewhere in time with the alternative of staying and becoming a morsel for some creature with an unending hunger. It seemed with REAL Aliens having arrived and causing horrible amounts of carnage, the ILLEGAL Aliens stopped being such a problem. And having a skilled agrarian labor force at the final destination might prove Incredibly valuable. The Temporal Device relays positioned encompassed an area that included the USS Constellation, an assortment of various cargo ships, utility vessels, some small watercraft, and a few other vehicles. Whose to say that the Conscripted civilians won't already have ideas about splitting up into factions? This is California were talking about and my experience is them folks resent having being told to do anything by anyone. Remember the migrant workers? Gives them the chance to practice thier hobby nation of Aslan. This is a hispanic version of Deseret but three times larger or so the theory goes. And the SDSU students might (haha, who are we kidding?) have a few different ideas about regional balance as well. If they’re not out cultivating “Herbal Remedies”. And what about the civilian cargo vessels pressed into service? What about the payloads they were carrying? I didn't mention the other nations because they weren't part of the original Philadelphia Experiment to begin with. I also wanted to imply that this Alien Invasion happened in the Here and Now and the US isn't on that good of terms (EU excluded) with those other nations. I wanted to suggest that this Invasion happened in a disturbingly rapid fashion and the Space Aliens would have made sure to kill any satellites in the atmosphere. There goes your global communication. Again, this campaign might be more fulfilling if the hometeam didn't have all the amenities that their previous timeline did. That and JTF Allende has a clean slate and can essentially set up shop wherever they please. Why bother with the Romans or any established culture?
#2 lonewolf_the_hunter May 13, 2008 20:43:13	So what's the long term plan? Project Meredith I mean, I'm sure at first just getting somewhere that they can start over is fine but, eventually they are going to need a goal. Are they going to come back are they planning to eventually depart there past Earth base to settle somewhere else, and send there descendants in our present to drive the aliens with hopefully significantly more advanced technology? So far it seems pretty cool but, I just thought I'd ask.
#3 hinthas May 13, 2008 23:16:15	I suppose the immediate goal is just to live. Reconstitute the resources and assign duties that forward the well being and survival of all. Eventually the Project Managers might get the idea that" if they were capable of going backwards in time..." possibly a world-wide rescue attempt is worth considering. The frontline guys that survived fighting the Aliens would get together for an After Action Review and compare notes on what did and didn't work. Whenever the GM or characters feels that this part may feasible is when an attempt should be considered. Allow me to reach back into the "Wayback Machine" for a vague reference on rules of handling this. Granted this was for a Back to the Future game but it applies here. And my views are still the same regarding the matter. http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=988883 I should hope that the campaign has progressed to such an enjoyable level that such a trip would be only mildly considered. But, "you're the doc, Doc." Doug
#4 hinthas May 14, 2008 14:19:36	Immediate goals might resemble something like this: Water Purification and Petroleum Specialists (fuelers) could keep the Units moving long enough to start converting over to still based ethanols. The diesel stuff and JP series fuels would be saved for Tracks (tanks, apc, self propelled arty) and Helos respectively. Humvees and some generators can be converted and some trucks were made for multiple fuel type use. In the meantime our fuelers also get busy grading various types of petroleum and other local oils.Steam power is both a primitive tech and advanced tech, the common blood between a nuke sub and a railroad locomotive: Primitive boilers for advanced efficiency steam trubines. Just filter the crude thru a pair of socks & run it thru a vaporizor/preheater on the way to the burner manifold in the boiler. Highly efficient? No. Highly easy & usable? Yup. The power output doesnt have to be density rated, that is to say we have plenty of space for huge boilers to make masive amounts of steam to replace the Nuke on the carrier. If we are pumping it from the ground straight into a boiler, conservation dont really apply for the fist several decades. LandTrains of Crudefired steamengines on longnose-sleeper frame trucks with Cooper CC's on them will be just fine when the alternative is to use ox-wagon like the rest of that time period. Sure it cant do 90mph like a good deisel cummings could, but when there is no road you spend a lot more time at 20-35 than at 90. The Water Purification guys get together with Army Watercraft Operators (was MOS 88K) and fish like insane monsters while pumping out potable water for the masses. Engineering types get out the Gamma Goat vehicles and clear acres of land to get ready for potatoes and other fast growing grains. This is a good probable campaign direction to go.
#5 backstabbist May 15, 2008 12:26:34	Get the engineers together with the 88K Surfers and Purification boys to make this happen soon: Wood --> Steam --> Electric/Kinetic power for Purifiers --> PotableWater which can meet priority of water sustainability, secondary procedures are needed for longterm (ex: chlorine supply), assuming the 11B's & Agro's can learn ShortBow for DeerSeason and mill/crack wild Rye Barley & other forrage grass grains for porridge & veggies next to the meats to meet 1st month sustanability then Wood --> Steam --> Electricity as a small scale 1st week goal, allowing sustainable machineshop opperation as well as leter expandable to civil use like supporting Comms, medics, cooks, & short term infrastructure (lights) allowing mid term sustainability goals like -- Developement of local resources as Electric Lumbermill, advancment of rough timbers to technical material specs... such as using spec woods as truck chassis & generator/altenator hull/parts. Conservation of the existing metals is a short & midterm priority. But you can mill hickory or maple for use where many plastic & metal "parts" are used now. Also adobe/ceramic shops. -- Raw resource exploitation infrastructure (coal/oil/lumber) -- Canibalism -- Agrarian Advancement for Hearding & Domestication (buffalo/horse) -- Biodeoisel/Bio-ahol developemnet stage. Civil use portable power. -- Infrastucture for military fuel (local blend) & conversion anyhoo, Gaming might not be fun too soon. But in MidTerm the mission possibilities open up. Security for the infrastructure, exploration/recon, prospecting(smart/ded mission), Advance Team for outpost creation, HotExtract of labor in trouble, and "pacification" of forward areas.
#6 hinthas May 15, 2008 15:25:57	CHARLIE DON'T SURF!!!! I mean....yeah, them WaterBoyz need to get hot on producing potable water for the masses. That and scout out locations for Deep Harbor ops but that part can probably wait with the amount of civilian conscripted shallow watercraft. Worked the story a little more in my head and decided the Intel class guys were a bit of a stretch to show up. Although there IS a Naval Construction Battalion outside of LA (Port Hueneme?) that would fit better in the story line. Also the amount of half-baked Marine recruits from Camp Pendelton would be a plus as well. I'm still OK with the 2/11ACR OPFOR guys coming in from NTC and figgered they'd probably be "riding horses when they come". Seeings how they're training the joes going over to the Sandbox now on How the bad guys fights, "organic" transportation would certainly be in their repetoire. That and the ARE the Black Horse unit. By Cannibalism, I'm assuming that you're meaning the existing motors and gears and all the other mechanical goodness. Which would definantly be needed to make the Electric Saw Mill happen. Although there was a show on the History channel about water saw mills and and water drop hammers and the like last year. We should also find out what kind of products get routed through the San Diego bay that way there is more of a "likely" product base that comes outta the containers for the survivors. Also I'm certain some our student body might have "bad seeds" and was actually sold Hemp instead of the intended. In this instance, thats a GOOD thing. Any literate fool can pick up a history book and see how much of an impact that had on our Original fledgling country. More on this later... Doug
#7 backstabbist May 15, 2008 18:27:17	Actually, by Canibalism I meant folks eating people... Isnt that why you brought the college kids? Domesticated herd that you can give compex grazing instructions to or keep in a high density feed lot (we call them The Projects) ... but your way is good too I guess. Sawmill is part of stage1 wood use. Precision Milling machines like CNC is what I was talking about as midterm goal. Forget creating a chemical industry to produce raw styrenes & resins, or a decent foundery, that comes later. If a low effort usable material can be had, use that first. Sawmills can pass billet maple to the CNC woodmill to make things we used to make from plastic. Back to the PC's- This campaign could very easily lend itself to all kinds of non-combat tasks, as well as independant ops, and Phoenix Cell type ops in latter phases: Go forth & establish camps on your own, we'll see you in a year or two (or write your cell off) It is a reversal of ecconomy. Now, plastic lawn furniture is cheaper than wood, but we could make wood lawn furniture instead. Look at all the plastic in you house, and consider that most of that could just as well be made of shaped wood.... or ceramics