Pick your Apocalypse

[copeab]

Ran this poll on the old site, thought I'd run it again.

Pick as many choices as you like -- this can represent a mixed campaign or multiple campaigns, as you wish.

Categories are from d20 Apocalypse.

[Legbreaker]

Anybody who does not pick Nuclear Armageddon will be taken from this forum, placed against a brick wall and shot!

[Mohoender]

As I like more natural (realistic settings), I picked three: Asteroid strikes, natural cataclysm and nuclear strike.

However, you can count that the three will occur more or less simultaneously. The supervolcano at Yellowstone unexpectedly blow up in an explosion equal to 2000+ time that of Mont St Helens. As two of the US missile base (if not three) are located nearby, the computers or men (communication cut) confuse that event for an attack and several missiles are launched toward Russia and China before this can be cancelled. Both countries also try to cancel their counter attack but they fail to do it before it's already too late and several missiles are launched toward US and Europe (A number of commanders, especially at sea, refuse to cancel the launching sequence and fire their missiles). This remain a limited exchange but a serious one nonetheless.

As a result, most capitals and several large cities in the northern emisphere are blown up, while 70% of the US are covered with ashes. Also when the erruption ends (4 or 5 weeks after it started), a nuclear winter is affecting the northern emisphere. The nuclear exchanges destroyed the various coordination agencies and casualties are high. They are especially dramatic in the US and in Canada. Nevertheless, the world slowly starts to organize and rerscue missions are taking place all over the northern emisphere, including Russian rescue team being deployed to the US. An emergency UN has been created at Geneva (Switzerland) and every country does its best to help. Rogue officers on all sides have been eliminated and surviving government officials are now collaborating to save what can be saved.

A few weeks later, earth is hit by multiple asteroids and this bring all these efforts to an end. Several hit the southern emsiphere, at least two hit the ground and several go deep in the oceans. As a result, a number of natural cataclysm are triggered (earthquakes, Tsunamis...). As the world was already hard hit, the situation goes out of control. Panic spread everywhere, entire countries (such as Japan and Taiwan are almost wiped out). Old vocanoes that were thought to be long extinct such as these in central France become active again, forests are burning worldwide, and the nuclear winter now expend to the entire world... Finally, diseases get into the picture while little can be done.

When everything is over, the casualties are well above 90% and the survivors are facing plausible extinction...

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Anybody who does not pick Nuclear Armageddon will be taken from this forum, placed against a brick wall and shot!

As you seem to be a threat, one of the asteroids hit Tasmania.

[pmulcahy11b]

I'd have to pick both Environmental Cataclysm and Nuclear Armageddon (at the last phase), but I'd also have to add Economic Collapse, Increasingly-Scarce Resources, and Mass Migration.

[TiggerCCW UK]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

As I like more natural (realistic settings), I picked three: Asteroid strikes, natural cataclysm and nuclear strike.

However, you can count that the three will occur more or less simultaneously. The supervolcano at Yellowstone unexpectedly blow up in an explosion equal to 2000+ time that of Mont St Helens. As two of the US missile base (if not three) are located nearby, the computers or men (communication cut) confuse that event for an attack and several missiles are launched toward Russia and China before this can be cancelled. Both countries also try to cancel their counter attack but they fail to do it before it's already too late and several missiles are launched toward US and Europe (A number of commanders, especially at sea, refuse to cancel the launching sequence and fire their missiles). This remain a limited exchange but a serious one nonetheless.

As a result, most capitals and several large cities in the northern emisphere are blown up, while 70% of the US are covered with ashes. Also when the erruption ends (4 or 5 weeks after it started), a nuclear winter is affecting the northern emisphere. The nuclear exchanges destroyed the various coordination agencies and casualties are high. They are especially dramatic in the US and in Canada. Nevertheless, the world slowly starts to organize and rerscue missions are taking place all over the northern emisphere, including Russian rescue team being deployed to the US. An emergency UN has been created at Geneva (Switzerland) and every country does its best to help. Rogue officers on all sides have been eliminated and surviving government officials are now collaborating to save what can be saved.

A few weeks later, earth is hit by multiple asteroids and this bring all these efforts to an end. Several hit the southern emsiphere, at least two hit the ground and several go deep in the oceans. As a result, a number of natural cataclysm are triggered (earthquakes, Tsunamis...). As the world was already hard hit, the situation goes out of control. Panic spread everywhere, entire countries (such as Japan and Taiwan are almost wiped out). Old vocanoes that were thought to be long extinct such as these in central France become active again, forests are burning worldwide, and the nuclear winter now expend to the entire world... Finally, diseases get into the picture while little can be done.

When everything is over, the casualties are well above 90% and the survivors are facing plausible extinction...

Now thats a cheerful scenario.....

[MajorPo]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

As I like more natural (realistic settings), I picked three: Asteroid strikes, natural cataclysm and nuclear strike.

However, you can count that the three will occur more or less simultaneously. The supervolcano at Yellowstone unexpectedly blow up in an explosion equal to 2000+ time that of Mont St Helens. As two of the US missile base (if not three) are located nearby, the computers or men (communication cut) confuse that event for an attack and several missiles are launched toward Russia and China before this can be cancelled. Both countries also try to cancel their counter attack but they fail to do it before it's already too late and several missiles are launched toward US and Europe (A number of commanders, especially at sea, refuse to cancel the launching sequence and fire their missiles). This remain a limited exchange but a serious one nonetheless.

As a result, most capitals and several large cities in the northern emisphere are blown up, while 70% of the US are covered with ashes. Also when the erruption ends (4 or 5 weeks after it started), a nuclear winter is affecting the northern emisphere. The nuclear exchanges destroyed the various coordination agencies and casualties are high. They are especially dramatic in the US and in Canada. Nevertheless, the world slowly starts to organize and rerscue missions are taking place all over the northern emisphere, including Russian rescue team being deployed to the US. An emergency UN has been created at Geneva (Switzerland) and every country does its best to help. Rogue officers on all sides have been eliminated and surviving government officials are now collaborating to save what can be saved.

You know up to this point I think the long term effect would be extremely good for the worlds overall economic development and general sociopolitical outlook. The asteroids are pretty bad news. Of course I'm safely in the southern hemisphere which may influence my views

[Shottglazz]

Had to go with zombies...my buddies always say if zombies DO happen, I'm the first one they're calling/finding...

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by TiggerCCW UK

Now thats a cheerful scenario.....

I only said plausible extinction but the survivors can count on their intelligence... Gosh, we are doomed.:

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

I only said plausible extinction but the survivors can count on their intelligence... Gosh, we are doomed.:

Human intelligence is what got mankind into our present mess to begin with -- intelligence without wisdom is dangerous.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Human intelligence is what got mankind into our present mess to begin with -- intelligence without wisdom is dangerous.

Paul, at last you uncover yourself: you are an optimistic. You qualify mankind for intelligence, I'm not convinced (not even about my own).

Wisdom?? Vague, really vague concept. Probably a fantasy of our imagination.

[Marc]

A supernatural or alien invasion is always comforting...It's not our fault.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Marc

A supernatural or alien invasion is always comforting...It's not our fault.

Not that sure. If an alien vessel was to show up with real peaceful intentions, our first move will probably be to shoot at it. Else, we might try to take it over and, as a result, they might consider us to be no more than pirates.

[Graebarde]

Well Hell!! I find AFTER I voted I could have selected several scenarios. I chose the Nuclear for the one. Now I am an avid follower of a series by S. M. Stirling called Dies the Fires in which the survivors are thrown a huge curve in that all electrical, internal combustion, steam (at least high pressure), nuclear and explosives are useless. And NOBODY knows who's to blame, but for practical purposes technology, not the knowledge of it, just applications available, are pretty much 13th century pre-gun powder.

Now THAT is a survival crisis... and one hell of a curve ball to throw at a game set up for gun and shoot.. muahahahahahahaaaa

graebarde

[pmulcahy11b]

Would Biological Disaster include a pandemic, or just zombies?

[copeab]

Originally Posted by Graebarde

Well Hell!! I find AFTER I voted I could have selected several scenarios.

Sorry if I wasn't clear enough about that.

In retrospect, I should have folded Rogue Planet into Asteroid Strike and renamed it Death From Space.

[pmulcahy11b]

Here's an interesting Rise of the Machines scenario: Gray Goo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_goo

You'd be some of the last people, or even living things, left on earth (perhaps because of an isolated location or a technological defense).

[copeab]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Would Biological Disaster include a pandemic, or just zombies?

Yes. I just made the zombie notation since there are a lot of zombie fans and most modern zombies have a biological (virus) cause rather than supernatural cause. Frank Herbert's "The White Plague_ would also qualify as a biological apocalypse, I think.

[Littlearmies]

"Judgement Day" - what is that? Am I right in thinking some kind of religious thing?

I'm presuming "Rise of the Machines" is a Terminator / Reign of Steel type of thing. I got the GURPS Reign of Steel but it didn't strike me as one of David Pulver's best efforts, and I never read the original.

I'm inclined to go with good old fashioned Nuclear Armageddon - it's hard to beat!

Malcolm

[copeab]

Originally Posted by Littlearmies

"Judgement Day" - what is that? Am I right in thinking some kind of religious thing?

I'm presuming "Rise of the Machines" is a Terminator / Reign of Steel type of thing. I got the GURPS Reign of Steel but it didn't strike me as one of David Pulver's best efforts, and I never read the original.

Yes to both.

[mikeo80]

I know this is a T2K forum. But the best Morrow Game I was ever in was a nightmare that we played on a PBEM.

BASIS: The U.S.A. collapses in an economic freefall due to wild overspending by the government. (It made the chaos in Zimbabwe look like a pillow fight.)

With the economic collapse, the govt. "invited" the UN to intervene to help "stabilize the situation".

Our bolthole was in Florida. We were tasked with the recovery of the library at the U. of Fla. The bolt hole was powered by the local power grid with a massive battery backup. The idea was that after the power quit in a war scenario, the battery would keep the bolt hole functioining for 30 days. At that point we would be awakened and our mission was to begin.

Well, of course, Murphy HAD to step in. The power grid survived...sort of. It would rotate power outages. That kept us in deep sleep for five years...

We woke to a Florida that was reduced to abject poverty with any survivors trying their best to live as subsistance farmers. Also, the UN had managed to amend the Constitution so that ALL of the first ten amendments were null and void.

All I will tell you is that our mission went up in FLAMES!!!

We died defending several small towns from a massive UN military intervention. It seems that the UN had a SERIOUS case of the a** about ANYONE who owned and used firearms.

[pmulcahy11b]

I'm thinking that scenario would go under Rogue Planet...except it's more like Rogue Government...

[mikeo80]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

I'm thinking that scenario would go under Rogue Planet...except it's more like Rogue Government...

You better believe it. Would you believe that it was against the law to build new housing for people? How about improving water sources? Improving power supply?

All of those actions were illegal.

Fun??!!

[Targan]

Originally Posted by mikeo80

It seems that the UN had a SERIOUS case of the a** about ANYONE who owned and used firearms.

Isn't that a pretty widespread conspiracy theory in the US? That there is a plot by the UN to step in and take away Americans' freedoms by taking away their guns? I have to tell you, as a non-American whenever I hear those sorts of conspiracy theories I feel simultaneously amused at the ridiculousness of it and horrified at how worked up some people seem to get when they believe it. I get visions of Charlton Heston in my head - "...from my cold, dead HANDS!".

[pmulcahy11b]

OK, Targan, I'm about to make you go stark, raving mad:

While the absolutely worst idea that mankind has ever come up with was religion, the second-worst idea we've ever come up with is the whole idea of countries and nation-states. Between those two, you can account for virtually every war in history, plus a lot of murders by nut-cases and fruitcakes.

A good, workable world government would one of the best ideas mankind could ever come up with. I'm not talking about the nutty UN/black helicopters/conspiracy theory government that various screwy folks believe is happening, but one, well-functioning, democratic government with a UN-type body to form a sort of Congress. Eventually, a whole lot of the crap in this world resulting from national competition would be exposed for what it truly is -- a massive collection of bullshit. And the human species could get on with trying to become better than what we are. As long as there are individual countries on this planet, we will remain bound to the Earth, and, like 99% of all the species that have ever existed on the Earth, become extinct.

[Targan]

I hear you Paul and I have a lot of sympathy for your view but do you honestly think the world's most powerful nation-states (especially your own) would ever willingly allow their vast wealth and power to be more equally shared? It isn't going to happen any time soon.

Edit: I know Kato has been trying to keep a lid on more political discussions so I want to add that these are just my opinions, I'm not attempting to persuade anyone else to adopt them, I'm not criticising the USA and as an Australian I value very much the steadfast friendship between our countries.

[mikeo80]

Originally Posted by Targan

Isn't that a pretty widespread conspiracy theory in the US? That there is a plot by the UN to step in and take away Americans' freedoms by taking away their guns? I have to tell you, as a non-American whenever I hear those sorts of conspiracy theories I feel simultaneously amused at the ridiculousness of it and horrified at how worked up some people seem to get when they believe it. I get visions of Charlton Heston in my head - "...from my cold, dead HANDS!".

IMHO there are enough people in the US who want to take our guns away. We do not need the UN to cause any problem. I am NOT a member of the NRA. But I do believe in my right to own a gun for my self defense. I do not believe that the Second Amendment to the US Constitution says that I am guaranteed a fully automatic weapon. I do, however believe that my rifles and shotgun are MINE.

I know how to use a weapon. I believe I know WHEN to use a weapon. Thank God I have never been put into a situation where I needed to use a weapon. I did come close one night because of the sickening NOISE in my house. It turned out to be nothing, but I was prepared and willing to use my gun to defend my wife from whatever was on the other side of that NOISE.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Targan

I hear you Paul and I have a lot of sympathy for your view but do you honestly think the world's most powerful nation-states (especially your own) would ever willingly allow their vast wealth and power to be more equally shared? It isn't going to happen any time soon.

Oh, I harbor no illusions; I'm quite certain most nations would not want to give up their sovereignty to a world government. But it would be the best thing for the world.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Oh, I harbor no illusions; I'm quite certain most nations would not want to give up their sovereignty to a world government. But it would be the best thing for the world.

I agree on both things. However, founding a world government is not a problem of having nation-states wanting it or not (IMO).

If someone designs the proper propaganda and can convinced people (anywhere in the world) that they are part of the same community it will be done and achieved in no time. Nation states being the best proof that all this lay on nothing serious outside faith (back on what Paul said in the first place).

I still wander how someone could convinced people in France or US that they belong to a same nation.

When a frenchmen refers to a stranger, he is not talking of someone from outside the country but simply of someone from outside his village (or community). For exemple, where I live you find nine villages in the county (I use county to make this more understandable to all). Seen from my village (and the elders would tell you exactly that), 3 are allied, 3 are ennemy villages and 2 can be considered neutral (in fact located too far to be either ennemies or allies). And I'm not even talking of regional particularism.

Nevertheless, in France as in US when you start to touch to the nation people become nationalistic.

Of course, for France it's normal as its history goes back for more than 2000 years. What a joke!.
- It's still well known that the "Gaulois" are our ancesters. it may be true for a few people in Britany but that's all. Hopefully it became so obviously false that we stop teaching that about 30 years ago. Any Algerian who had been in school before 1962 also learned the same thing.
- Then our first well known leader was Clovis, a guy who drove the Roman outside of France. Great but he was frankish (Germanic tribes). He was also a roman leader and administrator engaged in a civil war.
- After, we had a great emperor named Charlemagne (Carlus Magnus). The only problems come from the fact that he was born near Liege (Belgium), that his capital was Aachen (Germany), that he ruled over half of Europe and that he was Emperor of the Western Roman Empire (soon to become the Holy Roman Empire).
- Then the first time a slight idea of France came to existence was in 1181AD when the king ruling Westfranken dropped the title "King of Francs" (Rex Francorum) for that of "King of France". (Rex Franciæ).
- Finally, the country as it still is today starts to appear only after the hundred years war (1453AD). Only about 70 years before the first settlers in what is to become the USA and 150 years before the establishment of the 13 colonies.

The last amusing thing is the name "France" which is dirived from the "Francs" (a germanic tribe). Of course, for many frenchmen, Germans are still very foreign to them, so foreign that they remain the Teutons or the Schleus, but that is explained by the 1870 war and by 1914-1918.

If you dig a little more you'll find out that all this is probably also false but that is of course directed toward all Americans on this forum. Can you stop repeating that European countries have a long history (strange how Australians don't seem to be feeling that way). Yours is as long as ours and often longer than that of many European countries inlcuding Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland...

Sorry for that small digression. Nothing about Politics, it's only about History and Philosophy.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

- Finally, the country as it still is today starts to appear only after the hundred years war (1453AD). Only about 70 years before the first settlers in what is to become the USA and 150 years before the establishment of the 13 colonies.

Unlike most of my fellow Americans, I am quite grateful to the French -- without their aid, we probably would have lost to the British. And we thanked the French at the time by defaulting on the massive debt we had run up to France, which was one of the factors leading to the French Revolution.

But so far, it seems to have worked out okay...