The Effects of War on Technology

[kato13]

ChalkLine 12-01-2005, 06:58 PM It's a given that major conflict increases technology on a scale unheard of in peacetime, we even classify techological scales usually using terms like'pre war' and so on.


Given that the Germans could fight a losing battle in '43 to '45 and still field new technology such as recoiless rifles, jet aircraft, night vision gear and assault rifles, while advancing existing tech substantially, the modern world with it's entrenched R&D mentality should be able to match this example.

Added that the Germans were being strangled for resources at the same time, it's plain to see that some of the best thinking gets done when your back is against the wall!


I think this is a good model to adopt when considering post millenium real life equipment, just because the whiz-bang weapon wasn't invented until six months ago means it probably would have been designed and shipped to the troops in '98, T2K time.

So we should see units equipped with the OICW and so on, even if it's in the 7,000 to 10,000 unit production runs like the Fw41 was in WW2.

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kcdusk 12-02-2005, 01:53 AM OICW ?


I like your thinking, would a nuclear war though be different to a conventional war? With a conventional war as you stated, technology accelerates with new ideas ect rushed to the front ...


Nuclear war though, doesnt occur over a 7 year period ... buttens are pressed, nukes unloaded and presto - your in the land that time forgot.


I havent read the v1.0 timeline for over a decade, and while i now have v2.2 i havnt read that timeline at all, so i cant say how quickly the nuke war was. Was it still over many years or once it started (ballons going up) it was over quickly?


Even if it was over quickly, i think the buildup to war took place over many years, so during that time period pre-nuke-war there would have been time for technology acceleration and a chance to see some weapons etc rushed into service.

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Targan 12-02-2005, 01:57 AM I agree that over the duration of the war more and more weapon systems still being trialled would be pressed into service, but once the powers that be started to see where things were heading, more of those new systems would tend to be low tech and easily manufacturable systems rather than high tech devices. And as the proportion of experienced and well-trained personnel in each army started to fall, systems requiring less training to use and less technical proficiency to maintain would become more popular.

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DeaconR 12-02-2005, 08:50 AM Forgive me if I'm misreading you Chalkline but what I understand you to be saying is that if you are running the canon timeline then certain modern developments could still be added without wrecking the game. I think this was a question brought up in a peripheral manner when I asked a while ago about the new NATO structure, if gms used that or the Cold War era one.

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ChalkLine 12-02-2005, 03:48 PM Kind of.


What I'm wondering is just how much we should advance the technology?


As well, how widespread does NuTek become? Do we start saying 'Thermal Sights are far more common due to the extreme situation'?


We tend to assume a degradation of technology that is even, but it should go up and then down rather than just down, and that tech should at some stages be widespread.

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Badbru 12-03-2005, 01:27 AM When I see news footage from Iraq I hardly ever see US troops with an unmodified M16/M4. They've nearly all got flat-tops with aimpoints or ACOG's or some other type of optic sight assist system up there. Allmost all the new weapons seem to come with picitiny rails built in to the foregrips and reciever tops for all manner of attachments. Now many of these hadn't shown up by 2000 in our world but considering the need/demand in the T2K world maybe it's not so unfeasible that, atleast with NATO forces, 1 in 3 weapons would have some of this "Fruit" added.

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Abbott Shaull 12-03-2005, 04:53 AM I don't see the entire OICW unit being fielded, but I do see the M8 which is the 5.56N part of the weapon being fielded in the limited numbers. I usually allow newer M16s and M4 in my games as a general rule due to the fact that indeed these version would be rushed into production to an extent.


One also has to remember that the Germans too would be in the process of changing it basic rifle too. Then add into the fact that they have large number of troops using AKs that they would have to convert to something of NATO standard too. It would be very interesting to say the least.



Abbott

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DeaconR 12-03-2005, 08:47 AM I think a good example would be certain vehicle technologies. Up to date fire control systems, radio and countermeasures and security tech, stuff like that. On the other hand GPS would obviously have some problems. But then again...


Here's something I am thinking of for my own campaign. I recently read a novel called "Lifeline" which is about a few diverse space stations and a lunar station following a nuclear war, and how they try to survive without resupply from Earth. (interesting read, and I do recommend it for those who like me prefer 'hard' science fiction) Anyway it occured to me that there might be an interesting adventure or sub-campaign in it, and that perhaps some GPS systems could keep working on such a basis.


However, it is not unreasonable to expect that many systems will fail. Lack of infrastructure to maintain them, lack of sources of manufacture and so on. Consider this: there are many areas in the world today where you have a weird contrast between very high tech and low tech. Some African and Asian nations are perfect examples of this. You can have people herding goats in a manner not much changed from the middle ages and over the hill someone selling cellphone cards.

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Twilight2000V3 12-03-2005, 10:20 AM What Ive done in teh past is to allow any weapons system that had been produced in 1999 or earlier.


What im toying with now is just changing the years/timeline fo the system. So its actually 2010 when the game starts. (1996=2006, 1997=2007, ect.)


I do not allow the OICW just because its not really in production. ANd the M-8 is in VERY limited numbers in teh US (Europe would be the G-36 series which is rare because of currrent German military thought).


That way the PCs can have newer tech. GPS is still out but I have a campaign idea for that based on one of the Star Trek movies.


Basically using the scenerio from "Satelite DOwn" and one of the Last star Trek movies. Ofcourse mine involves a new generation submarine (totally fictitious).


PLOT:

Part 1 -

Secure missile launch site with unfired missile from cult in Maine.


Part 2:

Get the sub ala "Last Submarine" from Canadian Forces in Maine.


Part 3-

Get the Satelite which re-entried in the south pole from Argentine Forces.


Some of the tech is thin (bordering on anerecsic) but hey... it is a fantasy game!!



Max

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