Needing help with new campaign

[SycophantNagaraja]

Ok I'm back in the saddle as a Rifts GM for my table top group. I have a limited amount of books due to a shifty former roommate who moved and took 80% of them.

The campaign I've started to run centers around the group being normal college students who got lost on their way back to campus. They ended up in a raging storm (temporal/rift storm) and the next day they were on Rifts Earth circa 102-103 PA. Played up on the disparity of the situation for the first game and let them figure out how to barter and sell in their new world.

Took the adventure up to the Manistique Imperium/Escanoba (which seems to be spelled Escanaba in real life?)where they have set themselves up as a mercenary group as a means to try and find money.

We have:
2 Special Forces
1 Rogue Scholar
1 Rogue Scientist
1 Wilderness Scout

So what I'm looking for is feedback and maybe some ideas. I can go the total merc route and just play up on that angle. But what I'm REALLY wanting to do is play up on the post-apocalpytic angle with them. I've cited several movies to them to watch to help with this.

Here's a listing of books I now own. Just listing them there so no one cites a book I don't have and can't afford right now
I haven't run a Rifts game in several years, so any help is appreciated.

Mainbook
Sourcebook 1
Triax & NGR
Rifts Undersea
South America 1 & 2
Conversion book
Mercenaries
Rifts Canada
(and coming via Ebay)
Phase World 1

[SycophantNagaraja]

Then how do I go about picking your brain about that area?

I've already got my first story arc planned out but their base of operations will probably be Escanaba/Manistique Imperium

[Borast]

Ok I'm back in the saddle as a Rifts GM for my table top group. I have a limited amount of books due to a shifty former roommate who moved and took 80% of them.

Press Charges...
If that doesn't work...there's always civil court.

The campaign I've started to run centers around the group being normal college students who got lost on their way back to campus. They ended up in a raging storm (temporal/rift storm) and the next day they were on Rifts Earth circa 102-103 PA. Played up on the disparity of the situation for the first game and let them figure out how to barter and sell in their new world.

Sounds good so far...

Took the adventure up to the Manistique Imperium/Escanoba (which seems to be spelled Escanaba in real life?)where they have set themselves up as a mercenary group as a means to try and find money.

OUCH...I hope atleast one (prefereably most) of the PCs have some serious skills at book keeping, and even more at negotiations.

We have:
2 Special Forces
1 Rogue Scholar
1 Rogue Scientist
1 Wilderness Scout

Ok...I'm assuming the Special Forces guys were at the School to do some upgrading, otherwise, they are highly unlikely to be found with a bunch of young 20 somethings...
I'm also assuming that the Wilderness Scout was a Scout Leader.

Now, you could have slipped it in a bit better, from your start, by having them roll-up college students under your supervision, using the HU/N&SS skill programs method. That way, your gunbunnies could have been ROTC (or equivalent), and you could have actually come up with a "Scout Leader" approximation.

So what I'm looking for is feedback and maybe some ideas. I can go the total merc route and just play up on that angle. But what I'm REALLY wanting to do is play up on the post-apocalpytic angle with them. I've cited several movies to them to watch to help with this.

If you didn't suggest it, shame on you... Mad Max and Road Warrior loom large...
Although it is out of Genre, you might want to suggest "Seven Samurais" (complete with subtitles).

Here's a listing of books I now own. Just listing them there so no one cites a book I don't have and can't afford right now
I haven't run a Rifts game in several years, so any help is appreciated.

The only thing I can suggest if you're going to go "total merc" is to pick-up the old FASA Battletech/Mechwarrior standby "Mercenaries Handbook."

While it is not easily convertable (which is a good thing, since board rules are quite specific about conversions... ), it will give you some idea of the economics involved, how to set-up contract negotiations, improving their rep, keeping them organised, etc.

If it is how you want to do it, no matter what the PLAYERS do, keep account of every single credit and item they have and have lost/expended. It's a lot of paperwork, yes, but it'll give you more ammo to toss at them
"Uh, as you jump into your super-modified and souped-up hyper-Ultimax Planet destroyer, you remember just as you make your first shot, that firing the anti-matter streamer in a planetary atmospher will hurt YOU a lot!"
Or,
"You reach to grab your trusty SUPER-DOOPER ACME Kill Rifle, and take the other guy's first burst in your armour. You swing it around, and notice...you forgot to buy new ammo clips for it just as the other guy scores a lucky hit and does 6 MD to your head after it blows through the armour..."

[SycophantNagaraja]

Actually since most of the players haven't play a Palladium game before, I wanted them to make pure Rifts characters.

The OOCs they chose would be what they learned after about a years time of being there (we did a time lapse). Agreed about the HU books. I have them but didn't think of that. But again I didn't want them turning to those books and getting confused.

So at this point they are on their feet (sort of) and have picked up liscening to become mercenaries. At least in the sense that if someone checks their credentials it will show their occupations on their ID cards.

At any rate, thanks for the feed back guys!

[SycophantNagaraja]

Actually if you read the books, the Coalition actually has registration. Which would indicate that one would have an ID card.

And given that they are not the only nation on the North American continent, it would make sense if the Mansitique Imperium and/or Ishpemeng had them as well.

As for why my references to "post-apocalpytic angles":
1)The characters came from a world identical to the one we live in. Mundane by everyones standards. No magic etc etc. For them, this IS the Apocalypse.
2)The very callendar that Rifts uses is P.A. Which stands for "Post-Apocalypse"