Merc 2000 and Other Alternate Settings

[Adm.Lee]

I've been musing for a few years about a double campaign, half spy and half merc/commando.

The GM would run a session (or two, or whatever) with a spy character (or two? no more than three) who are tasked with gathering information on a site or subject, until they can get away.

Then, the GM and spy player(s) recruit a few more friends to play commandos/mercs/whatever. The next game session or three is a strike on the target(s). The spy players can either play their spies, acting as briefers/guides/interpreters to the strikers, or take new characters among the strikers.

[Sanjuro]

A long time ago, I thought about an rpg I would call "Europe Ablaze"; the players would be SOE agents during WW2. Unlike almost any conventional war scenario, a small group would be normal- running into ANY large opposing force would be suicidal, so concealment, evasion and subterfuge skills would be just as important as combat skills.
An extreme variation would be the small "stay behind" units, trained and prepared for a potential Nazi invasion of Britain. Some of these were relatively well equipped, with underground caches and hideouts. None were expected to survive longer than a few weeks, so they had limited aims. Interestingly enough, most had target lists including the local Chief Constable (the only local official who would know their identities).

[jester]

About 12 years ago we ran a campaign where we were part of the French Resistance during WWII. I had a character who was a former naval officer severely wounded when the French Fleet was destroyed....who turned to civil service.

Very few of the characters were the normal combat types.