I swear, my alt timeline will have something about Florida

I have said it here before, but I will say it again because it is so weird. Urban Guerrillas has a group called the Dunedin Rangers, a bunch of ragtag, well armed individuals in the Dunedin area. I was part of a group of reenactors that all lived in and around Dunedin, and we were part of a military museum called NASLEMM that is commonly called the "two of every gun museum" operated by long time gun collector Bill Douglas. It is very weird how similar we are to the story in the game.

[helbent4]

Originally Posted by bigehauser

I have said it here before, but I will say it again because it is so weird. Urban Guerrillas has a group called the Dunedin Rangers, a bunch of ragtag, well armed individuals in the Dunedin area. I was part of a group of reenactors that all lived in and around Dunedin, and we were part of a military museum called NASLEMM that is commonly called the "two of every gun museum" operated by long time gun collector Bill Douglas. It is very weird how similar we are to the story in the game.

Eric,

Could be a coincidence, most likely. Maybe the author was from Florida and incorporated some local characteristics and groups?

Tony

[simonmark6]

I would have thought that the writer couldn't resist the temptation of dropping in an easter egg, Dunedin Rangers is just to close to Dunedain Rangers to resist.

[helbent4]

Originally Posted by simonmark6

I would have thought that the writer couldn't resist the temptation of dropping in an easter egg, Dunedin Rangers is just to close to Dunedain Rangers to resist.

Simon,

Sure, that sounds logical, I never even made the connection. It could certainly have been in homage or a nod to the Dúnedain Rangers in Lord of the Rings.

Tony

[Adm.Lee]

I never noticed that until you posted it above.

Probably noticed it now, since we are showing my sons "Lord of the Rings" this week, 1 hour at a time.

[HorseSoldier]

I really never understood why Florida gets dissed my everyone. I have lived there my my whole life, and it is one of the easiest states to survive in. Lots of food if you know what you are looking for, and with all the growth, there is a ton of stuff out there to keep you going. Look at how Florida was basically the breadbasket of the CSA during the Civil war, when only a few interior counties were being farmed. Its easy to live here, as long as you can fish, ID some wild edibles, and build basic snares. Thats all from me.

Florida without air conditioning is an apocalypse in and of itself . . .

More seriously, I agree that Florida is an easier place than many to make a go of things with a significantly reduced technology base. That's a plus.

Being full of people who mostly have no clue whatsoever about how to make that work, though, is a death knell in an apocalypse scenario. Starvation and the social disruption and violence it would fuel would tend to reduce Florida to a working definition for "Howling Wilderness" after the nukes fall. Some rural populations might manage to hang on in the face of urban/suburban surge, but they'd be few and far between.

Those who did manage to hang on, as well as those who come into the state from elsewhere in the post-2000 era would probably be able to more rapidly redevelop the state than a lot of places (provided the politics don't interfere), but circa 1999-2000, Florida would be one of the more terrifying places to find yourself in North America. New America's set up in the state, as nasty as it appears to be, is probably a big step up from roving bands of marauders with a penchant for casual cannibalism and xenophobic surviving farmers and such who'd have survived by being even harder and colder than the roving gangs of man eaters.

[helbent4]

Originally Posted by HorseSoldier

Some rural populations might manage to hang on in the face of urban/suburban surge, but they'd be few and far between.

New America's set up in the state, as nasty as it appears to be, is probably a big step up from roving bands of marauders with a penchant for casual cannibalism and xenophobic surviving farmers and such who'd have survived by being even harder and colder than the roving gangs of man eaters.

HS,

Thankfully, casual cannibalism simply doesn't happen in the real world, even in the face of famine. This is a very well-loved (perhaps a little too well-loved) post-apoc theme and a handy way to demarcate the "orcs". Likewise the mythical "urban/suburban surge" where the city folk descend on the countryside and warfare to the death ensues. These are taken as articles of absolute faith by survivalists and the post-apoc genre in general, but I have my doubts it would go down much like that.

Tony

[sglancy12]

Originally Posted by helbent4

Eric,

Could be a coincidence, most likely. Maybe the author was from Florida and incorporated some local characteristics and groups?

Tony

Tom Mulkey wasn't just a Floridian and Vietnam Vet, he living in St. Petersburg at the time he was writing for GDW. I suspect he might have been aware of the existence of any groups of re-enactors in the area and could very well have included them as a tip-of-the-hat to a real group. GDW often discouraged referencing real life people or groups for legal reasons, but I doubt if the editors at GDW (up in Normal IL) would have gotten that particular in-joke.

I myself always felt that the Broken Joes of the Bay Pines VA Hospital in Urban Guerilla were inspired by his own struggles with PTSD.

I had the pleasure of playing Twilight 2000 with him a couple of times and quizzed him pretty relentlessly about many of his writing projects for GDW, particularly about stuff that may have ended up on the cutting room floor.

A. Scott Glancy, President TCCorp, dba Pagan Publishing

[helbent4]

Originally Posted by sglancy12

I myself always felt that the Broken Joes of the Bay Pines VA Hospital in Urban Guerilla were inspired by his own struggles with PTSD.

I had the pleasure of playing Twilight 2000 with him a couple of times and quizzed him pretty relentlessly about many of his writing projects for GDW, particularly about stuff that may have ended up on the cutting room floor.

Scott,

Amen to that, and I think it would be cool and appropriate if the Broken Joes had some kind of deeper connection to his own life and struggles.

Tony