What flavor is your post-apocalypse?

[Rali]

After watching Arthur C. Clark talking about "The World of Tomorrow" I started wondering what the world was like before the crash. Was it a world like we know today, but with better gadgets, or was it a world of tomorrow; alien to what we know today.

What do you think? Is it easier to run the post-apocalyptic wasteland using today's world as a template or would it be better to try running it in a World of Tomorrow where the ruins of the pre-Death world are alien to the players as well as the characters?

[Pepsi Jedi]

I usually do mine as our world +20 years, then crash. Sure they'd moved forward in genetics a leap, maybe two. They had house hold genetic engineering kits and kids did it for school projects, but there wasn't like flying cars and space elevators and such. No light sabers or photon torpeedos. I think the Empire of humanity have some laser weapons but they're first or second gen at best. They're not super super advanced. They clearly didn't have the 'next step' in computing over what we have now.

So the ruins and stuff you come across or inhabit is roughly 2030 lvl stuff.

[gordyzx9r]

I tend to keep it around the late '80s, to early '90s.

[glitterboy2098]

I usually do mine as our world +20 years, then crash. Sure they'd moved forward in genetics a leap, maybe two. They had house hold genetic engineering kits and kids did it for school projects, but there wasn't like flying cars and space elevators and such. No light sabers or photon torpeedos. I think the Empire of humanity have some laser weapons but they're first or second gen at best. They're not super super advanced. They clearly didn't have the 'next step' in computing over what we have now.

So the ruins and stuff you come across or inhabit is roughly 2030 lvl stuff.

i like to assume similar, but use the kind of worlds seen in comic books (the Gold Digger series is my favorite), where the world is prettym uch the real world, but comic book super science exists too, albiet in usually limited number production. i use this to explain why ATB seems so "mundane" in it's background and pre-crash relics..but has space colonies and shapeshifting memory material aircraft and advanced AI, and so on. literally you had a handful of "mad scientist types" building ultra-tech items, but most of it hadn't hit the common market.

[Nowhere65]

I like to play it as fairly modern but with government and private biz doing the flashy super science. Look at the 80's vs. today, the only real difference is computing power and what that allows. Most private homes and public places are pretty much built the same as they were twenty years ago....though you could have the green tech played to the hilt and biodegrade whole neighborhoods to nothing but roads.


BTW, gordyzx9r, your sig is fraking hilarious.

[Mechanurgist]

I prefer it to be modern-day, with modern-day gadgets and places whose ruins the players could encounter God-knows how many centuries in the future.

But I suppose a Fallout-style retro-future would be cool too. I always did like the Fallout Boy and nuclear-powered Chrysalis Motors Vega.

[The Galactus Kid]

I've talked about an AtB game that is set in Europe in the 1940's as though World War One never ended and there are a number of nation states. The feel would be very Pulp/sky captain and the world of tomorrow/Tale Spin.

[Shawn Merrow]

I've talked about an AtB game that is set in Europe in the 1940's as though World War One never ended and there are a number of nation states. The feel would be very Pulp/sky captain and the world of tomorrow/Tale Spin.

That sounds like a fun game.

[The Galactus Kid]

Yeah, whenever we get around to it, it should be a blast.

[tamorrison]

I like to have the pre-Crash Earth at about 2050 - not too much different from now physically, but technologically more advanced as far as biotechnology and computers/robotics/artificial intelligence.

I also like to have the current year be 2170, with the Crash beginning at 2050, peaking during 2052-2055, then sputtering along until the last weapon of mass destruction was used in 2070. That leaves 100 years for the animals to populate the devastated lands and establish their new city-states and countries. It also means that any pre-Crash items the players find are at least 120 years old - exposed metal rusted beyond recognition, internal machinery gummed up with muck/dirt/dust, wood/leather rotted out, plastic/rubber brittle from age, etc. Every now and then, they may find something that someone actually put properly in long-term storage, but that's no guarantee that it's of use to anyone - like the 2,000 silicone breast implants they found in a medical warehouse, still sealed in their original shipping containers.

The most advanced mutant animals I like to keep at about 1950 technology. They can scavenge more advanced stuff and even sometimes get it to work, but they can't replicate any of it.

The Empire of Humanity is the only group holding onto the pre-Crash technology. Unfortunately for them, they're sitting on a resource-poor part of the former United States: no iron ore deposits, no nickel, no chromium, no bauxite, no uranium. They have to scavenge for steel for their weapons and vehicles and aluminum for their aircraft, but can make no nuclear weapons. They have to rely heavily on slave labor for their plantations growing not only food but hydrocarbon fuel for vehicles, polymers for plastics and synthetic fibers, cotton for clothing, ersatz rubber for tires and treads and gaskets, timber for construction, medicinal plants, etc. Even lead for bullets is in short supply. The Empire's critical lack of metals explains its heavy reliance on plastic energy weapons that often do slighty less damage than steel firearms.

For flavor, I have all Empire of Humanity gasoline vines produce aviation gasoline - all their aircraft and ground vehicles run off it to simplify their logistics. Meanwhile, I have all mutant animal groups cultivate vegetable oil-producing plants, for processing into bio-Diesel. Empire of Humanity jets routinely napalm any mutant animals who try to grow gasoline vines, while mutant animals seek every opportunity to send commandoes to burn the highly-volatile Empire of Humanity aviation gas crops.

[tamorrison]

MILITARY-ECONOMIC SITUATION/DECISION BRIEF, EMPIRE OF HUMANITY.

1. Stockpiles of strategic metals are critically low.

- Rodent Cartel cut off trade to New Kennel after rodent plague
- No deposits of bauxite, iron, nickel, or chromium in EoH territory
- Traditional sources of recycled material are severely depleted

2. Slave labor growing more restless

- Currently 250,000 of all types: predators, carnivores, herbivores, oversized, undersized, etc.
- Sabotage, escapes, work slowdowns increasing
- Coordinated arson on all three major fuel plantations
- Work slowdown at automotive factory reduced output
- No revolt in last three months, but signs are that a major uprising is being planned, to be coordinated with external attack from Plains of Free Cattle and/or Wolf Barbarians
- Agricultural output threatened if slaves not pacified by harvest time
- Industrial output threatened as well

3. Need more reliable source of slave labor

- Docile/domesticated
- Full hands and bipedal stance
- Approximately human size
- Edible: meat and milk
- Usable hide and/or fur
- No psionics or natural weapons (fangs, claws, horns)
- Wolf Barbarians use approximately 7,500-10,000 mutant Purebred Wensleydale sheep as slaves – no problems reported
- Recommend pre-emptive strike against Wolf Barbarians with goal of seizing Wensleydales. For every sheep captured, recommend termination of one less-desirable slave.

4. One potential source of strategic metals: New York City

- Good: Large amount of steel, aluminum, other critical materials
- Good: Large amount of pre-Crash items (obtain for selves, deny to mutants)
- Good: Inhabitants are fractious
- Good: Nearby
- Bad: Radioactive, partially flooded, extensive sub-surface level
- Bad: Large amounts of pre-Crash items (some in mutant hands)
- Bad: Inhabitants are numerous, heterogenous, and well-armed
- Bad: Mutants can easily reinforce if not sealed off
- Assessment: Although a resource-rich target, it is probably beyond our near-term capabilities to seize and hold it.

5. Another potential source of strategic metals: Buffalo

- Good: Large amounts of steel, aluminum, other critical materials
- Good: Fair amount of pre-Crash items
- Good: Human inhabitants, some trade
- Bad: Distant; roads are heavily targeted by mutants (attacks spiked after rodent plague)
- Bad: Local leadership strongly independent
- Bad: Fair amount of pre-Crash items and resources in their hands
- Assessment: Although useful as a minor trading partner, the inhabitants’ desire to rebuild Buffalo limit their scrap metal exports to levels that do not justify the military resources required to clear and hold a major trade route.

6. Another potential source of strategic metals: Manhattan

- Good: Large amounts of steel; fair amounts of aluminum, other critical materials
- Good: Inhabitants are homogenous and poorly armed
- Good: Limited quantities of pre-Crash items
- Good: Geographically isolated; mutant reinforcements unlikely
- Good: Nearby
- Bad: Inhabitants are numerous, united, and air-mobile
- Bad: Limited quantities of pre-Crash items
- Assessment: This target’s all-avian population is the most susceptible to biological warfare (bird flu) and chemical attacks. Its natural isolation makes it the easiest to hold with limited forces. Its proximity to the homeland minimizes the military and economic costs of extracting its resources.

7. Overall recommended course of action: SEIZE MANHATTAN.

A. Vaccinate friendly forces against avian flu.
B. Conduct biological attack (avian flu) on Manhattan; estimate three weeks for the disease to run its course.
C. While the avian flu is softening up Manhattan, pre-emptively strike the Wolf Barbarians, targeting population centers and pastoral masses.
D. Seize the sheep slaves and bring them safely to the homeland.
E. Integrate the sheep slaves into our labor pool.
F. Pacify our labor assets by eliminating an equal number of less-desirable or troublesome slaves.
G. Seize Manhattan with an air-mobile force operating in an active, non-persistent chemical environment.
H. Decontaminate and hold Manhattan; off-load salvage crews.

8. Prerequisites for action:

A. Adequate stockpile of weaponized avian flu.
B. Adequate stockpile of avian flu vaccine for friendly forces.
C. Adequate stockpile of non-persistent chemical weapons.
D. Targetable intelligence regarding Wolf Barbarians’ sheep slave population.
E. Actionable intelligence regarding timing, axes, and leadership of upcoming mutant offensive.

[Zamion138]

When I run aftb games players never see human citys its assumed that if you get close enough but you had better been sneeking the whole time to get there. With rader jet recon and listening stations/outposts, roving "rangers/guards" you are not like to get close. I make humans bad at birth rate to keep numbers down and for a reason their tech has not conquared the wilds. Most animal citys are really villages and outpost and the rare large ones are pretty fortified or underground to prevent carpet fire bombings. Villages aren't worth the bombs and citys have to much AA gear to make it worth targeting. Id say its a mix of pre apocalyptic tech from contemporary to slightly futristic or next gen but a pair of night vision goggles of any class or gen would be enough to not work for a good year at a low standard of living. When my part finds an m60 rarely do they keep it and not just hawk the dang thing forgas loose women (think every one buys a bunny now and then) and ammo. If they find more than 100anything rounds of working ammo its probaly all the wrong calibers and /or poor quality. The gasoline plants end up being in fortified green houses with round the clock protection. ATB is a broke mans world in our games.

[bigwhitehound]

I usually use a Mad Max with more high tech stuff and or a Max Headrooom type world