You've taken over the world. Now what?

[Alverant]

I saw the post about taking over Canada and my first thought was "why". Nothing against Canada, but it's a large country with a large population with lots of places to hide. Even if someone was to take over the country, keeping it would be impractical even without the US and other nations coming in to help. Maintaining control over a large group of people has problems. You have to insure loyalty, if not loyalty then you have to supress rebellion. Unless you have vast mind control powers to keep free will from being a problem, you have to have some way to keep control.

 

In the real world, we have police and military to keep order. Even they have their own internal division to keep them in line. Our government has checks and balances. A villain who takes over a nation would require something similar and a lot stronger. That requires upkeep that the conquerer would have to do by themselves. Do they realize this or are most wannabe rulers short-sighted?

 

So what do you GMs do? Do your world conquerers have the stradgey and resources to keep control once their master plan succeeds? What do you do if your players ask this to the villain?

[assault]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

To quote from Star Wars:

---

Governor Tarkin: The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I have just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.

 

General Tagge: But that's impossible. How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?

 

Governor Tarkin: The regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.

---

 

That and a whole bunch of hired gunmen will buy you quite a bit of security.

[Robyn]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

I take myself and all the money to a big hole in the ground, have my minions build a big dungeon around us, and then take up guardian positions.

 

We wait for the heroes to come to us.

[Black Omega]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

Depends on the ruler and the method of taking over.

 

A evil conquerer who uses his army of androids to take over Canada might find the wardroids are great for battle but incapable of policing the nation. More than likely such a poor planned takeover will be reversed before he really has a chance to settle in as a ruler. If his power is so overwhelming that it doesn't matter how poor his planning and tactics are, then he can rule through fear and by keeping the local bureaucracy in line.

 

A efficient conquered will probably have plans in place to enforce local control by replacing the local government with his minions. While Menton could probably take over and no one would even notice.

[Marcus Impudite]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

Concubines in gold bikinis.

[Hermit]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

"I'm going to Disneyland...

and destroying it!"

[Roter Baron]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

Concubines in gold bikinis.

 

I'd go for that, too - but I would relieve my newly subjugated subjects of the enormous tax-burden to by my chix golden bikinis.

 

Hey, they are fine without them!

 

That should put me into their dearest heart ... WHAT A LEADER Der Rote Baron IS! they'll say. And from then on my dictatorship is fine.

[BigJackBrass]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

There is a way to find out for yourself: http://www.nationstates.net lets you create a country and then have a go at running it, deciding policy and security issues, based on Max Barry's excellent novel Jennifer Government. I can't say that you'll get the most realistic simulation around, but it's free and fun.

 

Tragically there appears to be no option for the bikini-clad concubines, which has suddenly put a damper on my view of the game

 

Big Jack Brass, Heavy-handed Leader of the Grand Duchy of Wackfondler.

[Chimpira]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

Ah, yes. I played around with Nation states a couple of years back. I was pretty much a benevolent dictatorship.

 

None of my friends were surprised.

 

Well, maybe a little bit about the benevolent part.

[Alverant]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

To quote from Star Wars:

---

Governor Tarkin: The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I have just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.

 

General Tagge: But that's impossible. How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?

 

Governor Tarkin: The regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.

---

 

That and a whole bunch of hired gunmen will buy you quite a bit of security.

 

And we all know what happened next, which was part of my point. The empire itself lasted little more than a generation which is a sliver compared to the thousands of years the Republic stood.

 

We don't really see much of the Star Wars culture apart from the Empire and Rebelion. We know corruption was so common place smuglers and crime lords were pretty much free to do what they wanted (provided it wasn't too much of a thorn in the Empire's side). Descension was strong enough to fund the Rebelion to mass produce and maintain their fighters, cruisers, network of spies, weapons, resources, recruits. The Rebelion itself was able to organize itself to have ranks and medals. Even then what really destroyed the Empire was one father protecting his son.

 

How would you keep the "whole lot of hired gunmen" from deciding to take over? You can't use cash from the nation you conquered. It's virtually useless. So you'd have to keep a steady stream of outside resources to keep them happy. Even that causes a problem since these mercenaries might decide they can get it all now, instead of later, by going after you.

 

What you would need is to be vastly superior in power to the people you're taking over so that any rebelion is ineffective, and even that isn't a guarantee. (Remember how effective the Ewoks were in taking out the Empire's technologically advanced soldiers?) Whatever you do, if people still think for themselves, you're going to have to put up with those who would unseat you. So how do you deal with them? How do you plan for them?

[Zeropoint]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

What do I do when I take over the world?

 

I give it back.

 

Conquering the world is fun. Governing the entire planet is a royal PITA.

 

Besides, after I give it back, I can conquer it again!

[McCoy]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

What do I do when I take over the world?

 

I give it back.

 

Conquering the world is fun. Governing the entire planet is a royal PITA.

 

Besides, after I give it back, I can conquer it again!

I think Dr. Doom has done that. A couple of times.

[Alverant]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

I think Dr. Doom has done that. A couple of times.

He did it in the Marvel 2099 universe. As I remember, he was doing a pretty good job of running it too. The world must be pretty messed up when Dr.Doom does a better job of governing it than the current leaders.

[Zeropoint]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

From what I understand, Dr. Doom has ALWAYS done a better job of governing than pretty much any other government.

 

As long as you don't consider freedom a criterion for good government.

[Korvar]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

There is a way to find out for yourself: http://www.nationstates.net lets you create a country and then have a go at running it' date=' deciding policy and security issues, based on Max Barry's excellent novel [i']Jennifer Government.[/i] I can't say that you'll get the most realistic simulation around, but it's free and fun.

 

Tragically there appears to be no option for the bikini-clad concubines, which has suddenly put a damper on my view of the game

 

You can have them as your unit of currency, as I recall...

[David Johnston]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

No, the question never arose in my campaigns because I didn't have any earth based supervillains who wanted to conquer the world...as such.

I had alien invaders who wanted to conquer the world, but even the most powerful Earth-based villains were willing to settle for conquering Cuba, or Uganda, or their neighbour. None of them tried to conquer the entire world all at once.

[assault]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

How would you keep the "whole lot of hired gunmen" from deciding to take over?

 

You let them know that you will vapourise them if they try.

 

Are you a supervillain or a mouse?

 

 

 

Besides, you will be appealing to their patriotism. After all, nobody really likes (insert list of people "nobody really likes").

 

And your rule is good for business, too. There's none of that tedious mucking about with unions. Workers know their place. Business is booming...

 

The Churches are on your side. Some of them will support you voluntarily. A few may need to be purged somewhat, but a brief chat with their leadership should take care of that.

 

Really, you are the saviour of the nation. If a few criminals and degenerates need to be locked up in camps, who cares?

 

EDIT/PS: I've just noticed that David mentioned villains trying to take over Cuba. That's been a common theme in my past campaigns. A lot of supervillains have wound up rather dead trying. As a tribute to that, the version of Assault I am currently playing in a PBEM has a contact with the Cuban government...

[alexraccoon]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

http://www.humorix.org/articles/2005/12/domination/

 

 

Survey: Evil Geniuses Less Interested In World Domination

Fake News written by James Baughn on December 16, 2005

from the do-henchmen-get-health-insurance? dept.

Facing growing expenses and a lack of motivation, many of the world's leading evil geniuses and conspirators are no longer plotting world domination, according to a new survey conducted by the US Census Bureau.

 

"World domination has always been the holy grail of organized crime, but it's becoming harder and harder to achieve domination over even a single county or region," said Kahn Speerator, founder of the Criminal Mastermind Shopping Club. "And with rising expenses -- hired goons and henchmen are commanding the highest wages in history -- the entire industry is really feeling the pinch."

 

In 1980, when the Census Bureau first started to study evil masterminds, over 1,400 people indicated on their census forms that they held an occupation of "full-time evil genius, criminal mastermind, global conspirator, and/or world domination seeker."

 

A follow-up survey revealed that nearly 500 different world domination plots were in various stages of development, including 52 weather control schemes, 38 asteroid diversion plans, 19 financial market manipulation plots, and even 2 joke warfare strategems (presumably inspired by a Monty Python sketch).

 

"Most of these plots were probably hoaxes," said a Census Bureau statistician. "But I suspect a few were legitimate. At any rate, these people are clearly a dying breed: by 1990 the number of US citizens claiming an occupation of 'evil genius' dropped by nearly 75%, and in 2000 the number was in the single digits. It might even be zero now."

 

Mennon Black, chief conspiriologist for Humorix, argues that the Census numbers are probably wrong. "Only an idiot evil genius reports their activities to the Census Bureau! There's got to be more schemes out there -- with a population of six billion and growing, the world becomes a better target every day. And let's not forget about our world domination comrades in other countries. World domination is... well, a worldwide occupation."

 

Nevertheless, many former criminal masterminds have stepped forward to discuss their transition back into more acceptable trades, such as used car salesmen or software patent attorneys.

 

"A smart lawyer can make more money and control more people than a guy with a weather machine could ever hope to achieve!" exclaimed Brain, a world domination expert who previously disguised himself as a lab rat on a popular animated TV show to avoid detection, but is actually a real-life evil genius. "I once tried over 700 different schemes to achieve global control, all of which went horribly wrong. Now I'm focusing on something just as rewarding, but much more realistic: I'm becoming an IP lawyer."

 

Dr. XYZ, who once tried to start World War III with his patented Death Laser until he accidentally put out his remaining eye, was nostalgic about his days as the CEO (Chief Evil Officer) for a major multinational world domination company, but is much happier in his current life.

 

"I once had over 1,000 henchmen working under me, but it was a management nightmare. They had to have gourmet food, free health care, and their own Olympic-sized swimming pool right there in my secret underground lair. And now that most mercenaries are unionized, they wouldn't even let me put implants in their necks to make sure they didn't run away or snitch. And then my [expletive] chief scientist installed the laser backward, causing me to go blind! If this is the only kind of help available, then nobody will ever achieve world domination!"

 

After spending a couple years in rehab, Mr. XYZ -- now known as John Smith -- has entered the business world with the hopes of achieving another kind of world domination: cornering the entire market for classroom spinning globes. "It may not be quite the same, but at least I can walk around in public without worrying about that James Bond party-pooper sneaking up on me."

[wagnern]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

It is not the rulling the world that is important, it is the taking over of the world that is imporant.

 

If the Hero did not rebell aganst you and overthrow your regieme, you would not be able to try out all your other cool world domination ideas.

 

 

 

"Well, Mr Evil, 'Mutant Rodent Minions', top that."

 

"Very well Dr Bad, I will see your 'Mutant Rodent Minions' and rase you by a 'overly complex doomes day device'."

[austenandrews]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

What to do after taking over the world?

 

Why, give it to your worst enemy, of course!

 

But seriously, if aliens or someone took over the world, the next step would be colonization or enslavement or one of the usuals - which means destroying/controlling military forces, consolidating power logistically, etc. If it was a Master Villain, he'd more need to manipulate existing political structures to maintain control. Lots of turning conquered/assimilated forces against potential troublemakers, forcing surrendering governments into draconian peace treaties, etc.

 

In the end, of course, an evil world tyrant exists to be overthrown. So, as a GM I'd develop weak points in the strategy while offering the PCs an opportunity to ally with another would-be world conquerer to throw off the shackles.

[Starlord]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

Do your world conquerers have the stradgey and resources to keep control once their master plan succeeds? What do you do if your players ask this to the villain?

 

Taking over the world is the hard part, maintaining control is easy. Three words - "PIE FOR EVERYONE!"

[Blue]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

Has never, ever come up.

 

The only villains who've ever managed to "rule" are those in alternate worlds, where you can give them any means of recruiting you want (From incentives to brainwashing).

 

Fear is usually the big means of control. A despot with control of your food and other resources or, more ominously, with a biological organism that can decimate everyone if an insurrection happens, can manage to keep control for a considerable amount of time... until the heroes show up of course.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

My favorite take on the question of world dominance, from the Venture Brothers:

 

Monarch: Pleeaasse. Do I look stupid to you? World domination – I'll leave that to the religious nuts and the Republicans, thank you.

[Alverant]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

In the end' date=' of course, an evil world tyrant exists to be overthrown. So, as a GM I'd develop weak points in the strategy while offering the PCs an opportunity to ally with [i']another[/i] would-be world conquerer to throw off the shackles.

Now do the supervillians realize this or not? Part of the reason why my character is a hero is that he realized if he turned evil he'd get the stuffing beat out of him and thrown in jail, unless he got his soul devowered by a demon or worse. Supervillians with an eye on world domination should have "overconfident" or "arrogant" psych lims if they think the can easily rule the world. Evil characters with realistic expectations are dangerous in a whole different ways.

[Ragdoll]

Re: You've taken over the world. Now what?

 

What do you do if your players ask this to the villain?

 

My villains would generally realize the headache of national administation, and the politics it entails, turn the country back over to the government, then fly, teleport, tunnel, swim, whatever off, and write their memoirs.