Community Affairs: Aftermath

[kalos72]

So as the communities start to come together and move towards SOME sence of normalcy, how do you think they will organize?

Will it be just a simple "single elected official" style or dictatorship? Would it be military command staff style where one person is in charge but there are many other people who specialize in various areas. Like farming or craftsmen or what not...

What do YOUR campaigns have?

[Legbreaker]

It will vary WIDELY from place to place, situation to situation. You may only need travel to the next village to see something totally different to the last.

Basically anything is possible (and likely). The stronger organisations will likely expand and swallow up the weaker, just like has happened throughout the past few thousand years of history.

[kalos72]

Well I know there are lots of options, I am asking what you think would be the more likely/common styles or types.

Or even published references would work as well...

[Legbreaker]

If you can imagine it, then it's possible in my opinion.
Likely ones in Poland would be military dictatorships, communist combines, and the occasional small democracy, with most of the land nothing more than empty devastation with the odd small holding of one or two family groups.

[kalos72]

What about the larger groups? Like Orlando in the JMC thread...what type of organization would they have at the top?

[dragoon500ly]

LOL, that would depend on what best fits your campaign, in a rural area (especially in the South), I can see the County Sheriff, assisted by the Emergency Management Operations Center; in a city, Mayor, Chief of Police, whatever is left of the City Council; around a military base or a military retiree community; Senior Military Officer....so you would have a wide selection, right on down to the local KKK, Skinheads, Neo-Nazi Party, drug gangs or even that bully and his loyal follwers down the street!

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Originally Posted by kalos72

What about the larger groups? Like Orlando in the JMC thread...what type of organization would they have at the top?

In my mind's eye I see the JMC at odds with the OPD and the FBI in Orlando (I'll write up the FBI contingent later). As the insurgent Seminoles and New America seem hell-bent on killing everyone in Orlando who won't side with them, the population is crammed mostly into downtown Orlando and relies on the police for "inner" protection, while the JMC defends the "borders".

The JMC relies on what little contact it has with the JCS for direction; promises of reinforcements and more reliable communication with JCS have been made for "the future". The JCS realizes it has a potentially huge asset in reclaiming and rebuilding the South in Central Florida and will do what it can in the future to capitalize on that. For now, all the JMC can do is act for the "common weal" and hope for the best.

As to governmental structure, the Mayor of Orange County (yes, we have a county mayor) has placed the police, county sheriff (including Seminole county sheriffs : that county is almost entirely abandoned and without Orange County and the JMC's help the few people left there would be dead, and the huge amount of avgas at Sanford Int'l Airport in the hands of New America or the Seminoles or bandits) under his direction "for the duration of the emergency". While on paper people can still appeal to local officials, and there are community elections and representatives, the Orange County government is for all intents and purposes a (mostly) benevolent dictatorship.

As pointed out there's still plenty of "local" government: gangbangers have their own fiefdoms in southwest Orlando, White Separatists unwilling or unable to join with New America control northwest Orange County, etc.

[atiff]

Originally Posted by kalos72

What do YOUR campaigns have?

My game is in Poland. To generate basic government and some basic personalities, I have used the v2.2 tables for settlements and NPC motivations to give four or five data points to start from. Then, I work up a story around how that could be the case, considering what else is around it in the area, and adding components along the way to match. It does fit Leg's thoughts that it varies wildly from place to place.

[kalos72]

Where I am going with this my attempt to organize a large civilian/military population working together to restart. Military leadership taking central control over the entire population with a civilian counterpart to ensure their concerns are addressed.

[Abbott Shaull]

A lot of it would depend if or not that there had been or was large military unit in the area or nearby.

In the US there wouldn't be that places where units were left where the local Military unit/Federal Government organization would have much authority. I many cases this would be the exception than the rule. In most cases it would be more localized governments. What was left 1998 was either moved to one of the Fronts, or what left of units that were left in-place to help with disaster relief and have found themselves as the de facto Federal Government by default, which many Commanders weren't ready for. While a few have tried to organized thing to make both their troops lot and the civilian life better, many of these people were Reservist and/or National Guardsmen who had other jobs and no desire to run anything close to City/County/State Government...

In some case where the State are relative small in area, they would have better chance of controlling more of their State. On the other hand, the more area they have to cover, their control will be effective regulated to their 'Capital'.

Most regions if they have anything of government that one could call legitimate it would be at County/City level. In many cases like the above State Government what they actually control will be limited by what they can physically control with the joint remains of LE units and locally raised Militia.

For a large part you have to think of the Tribal areas of many countries. Once you leave the Capital and few larger Cities, their is little government except for the local 'Tribal Leader' and his troops whatever they may be called. Depending on where you are at depends on how much neighboring tribes fight amongst each other. In some places, they have settled in for years of allowing this tribe to control this region while they control their. As long as they can support their tribe with what they produce and grow, maybe have to some trade for what they can't produce themselves with their excess of what they can. Life is good. Again this would rare too.

By 2000 too many small leaders will want to look at something bigger. There is a reason why at one time in Europe and other places, Colonels in most Armies was position you purchased and one of the requirements was that you were able to raise, armed, equip, and fed your troops. It is also why in many cases it was why in many cases, Regiments rarely were led by these Colonels in the field except in times of 'National Emergencies' because in many cases they didn't have the experience to led the troops in the field.

Just some thoughts.