Quote:
Originally Posted by Darkwing
Both. As soon as I get some players, I intend to run the Thundarr game, but I'd also be building notes for a later straight MP game. Down the road, I'm thinking of applying the MP idea to Traveller.
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Well, you may want to start by watching a few shows of a series called "After Humans", you see it on the Discovery Channel every so often. Its a useful look at what the world would look like 150+ years down the road. Useful for getting an idea of what may last...and what it would look like.
Next, pick an area that you would like to place a team. I like to start with a state and research it, where are the people, the cities and towns; how are the roads, highways, railroads laid out; what about lakes, rivers, streams and creeks; natural resources such as oil, natural gas, minerals; what types of industry; military bases to include the national guard, any ammo plants or depots. Once you have a good overview, now comes the hard part...
Look over the TM1-1 target list, take the time to check the various FEMA, Civil Defense, nuclear warfare websites and develop a good feel for what and why a location may be nuked, as well as possible fallout patterns.
Decide how large a Project you will run. Do you follow the old Timelines method and through a dart at a map and there your team will start? Do you have Regions and Regional Command Bases? Just how many teams will be in your operating area? Sizes? Roles?
Maps. I say it again, maps; road maps, topographical maps are especially useful, get a decent highway atlas and then pick out likely locations to bury teams and their supply caches. Place any supply depots, command bases, etc. Where will the MARS teams go?
Now you are ready to organize a team...so what kind of team are you looking to run? A MARS Team would expect lots of action, guns blazing sorta thing, a Science Team would be better suited for players more into the nuts and bolts approach, a Recon Team would be the first ones out, with the job of exploring the area and determining where the Project can be of use. For a first time PD, a Recon Team may be the better choice, it allows for a more free-wheeling approach.
Size of the team will be important. In TM1-1, it is suggested that teams can be as few as 2-3 people. In a real life situation, this would be very unlikely. I perfer a team of twelve in 2-3 vehicles. This allows for enough people to cover those dull but necessary jobs. SO yes you most likely need to develop a few NPCs.
Hope this helps!