cyst13

Re: Gaming advice for 24/CTU? Actually, that's a pretty good idea. Then I could have the players controlling two characters a piece (field agent & techie), which would eliminate the downtime prob of switching tween player groups. Thanx. Sometimes solutions are so obvious you have to ask some one else to joggle your brain in order to see them.

Is anyone gaming the TV show 24? I have a specific question in regards to a counter-terrorism campaign. As a GM, how should I deal with the tech support at CTU headquarters? Here's the conundrum that I see: If I run the tech guys as NPCs, it would be nearly impossible to include any of the interpersonal rivalries, betrayals and double-crosses that are rife within the headquarters on the show. I'd be reduced to periodically informing the field agents that someone's been replaced or a double-agent has just been exposed -- borrring! Other hand, if I make the techies PCs, I'd essentially be running two separate games simultaneously throughout the entire campaign -- Aaagh! Does anyone have a viable solution to this quandry?

Re: How long does tech last after The End? Toadmaster, I buy everything in your last post. Even if more advanced communities absorb the less advanced, though, there will still be a window of time before the absorption takes place. I think that window will provide an ideal space for drama. I hadn't earlier considered this, but the time of King Arthur was a small window between the retreat of Rome and the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons. Socio-political transition points make for excellent story opportunities.

Re: How long does tech last after The End? I think Ian raises an extremely cogent point about transmitting info to the next generation. Consider the psychology of the people who survive a cataclysmic virus. They would have watched most/all of their loved ones die. Indeed, this virus is of the encephalitic variety, so it causes violent rages in its victims. Having gone through a major trauma like that, how sociable would they be feeling? Would they have they requisite patience and empathy necessary to be good teachers? Also, their own children would likely be dead, so they'd be passing their skills onto strangers for little/no pay. Education would suffer.

Re: How long does tech last after The End? My thinking on humanity's ability to produce technology is that it requires a critical mass of population. If human population is reduced to a few million worldwide, there simply won't be enough people left to operate and manage all the extraction, production, distribution, and retail organizations necessary to maintain a high level of tech in society. Could be wrong about this, tho. Any thoughts?

This may be a stupid question, but I honestly do not know the answer. Will the municipal water reservoir continue to be replenished by rain and run through the city's pipes after govt. stops functioning. My game is set in Portland, OR, 40 yrs PA. The apoc was a virus which, of course, did no physical damage to the infrastructure. The water mains would have received no maintenance for 4 decades. Would water still flow through the taps?

Re: How many crops to support one adult? Wyrm, Thanx for the tip. I've never heard of this guy. I chose Portland cuz I live here. Before I ever considered a PA game, I used to walk around my neighborhood (downtown) and wonder, "what if I were the only one left? What would I do?" It definitely makes you pay closer attention to your surroundings when you are considering how to convert everything to PA utility. I'll definitely check-out this trilogy. Closely researched "realism" is exactly what I'm looking for. Thanx again.

Re: STRONGHOLD -- What Do You Want To See? I'd like to see a section on the social life of the inmates. The U.S. Constitution's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment does not allow prisons to hold all prisoners in permanent isolation because social contact is a basic human need. Given that, if the prisoners are allowed some time during the day to mingle, what do they do? Do they form gangs or cliques? Do they make contacts and hatch plots for when they return to the outside? How do their superpowers affect their social interactions? If there is some sort of superpower suppressor device in operation, how does the loss of superpowers affect the psychology/morale of former demi-gods?

This question is specific to my campaign but should be of interest to most GMs of PA games. My setting is Portland, OR, 40 years post-apocalypse (PA). The apoc came in the form of a virus that killed off 99.9% of the human population over the course of the year 2015 AD. My primary concern is whether any wind turbines or solar panels would still be functional. Assume it is at least possible that some one could have been doing the sort of regular maintenance spelled out in the owner's manual, but nothing more. Spare parts would be unavailable. Would any of these devices be capable of producing electricity in the year 2055? Corrolary: would it be possible for fully electric cars (like the ones currently in production) to survive 40 yrs, assuming some electricity generation is still available. How long can an electric car's battery last if it is used everyday? How long would it last if were sitting unused in a protected garage? How long can an electric car in operation be used before it begins to require parts replacement? Third: Some mention of how long contemporary firearms would survive in usuable condition would also help.

Re: How many crops to support one adult? Thanx all for replying so quickly to this thread. Much appreciated. Unfortunately, you've given me an overabundance of information. The most useful inormation was in the form of a rule of thumb (3 acres/person). However, this is only truly useful if it is accurate. I wish I had thought to include a polling option for this thread. In lieu of that, I ask you to indulge me once more. Would everyone who considers themselves to be knowledgeable on this subject please leave a brief reply to the following question: Is 3 acres to feed one person per year an accurate rule of thumb? If so, answer yes. If not, answer either "too high" or "too low". I thank you for your help. And for the record, I was assuming the climate to be the same as present day Portland, OR and the farming method to be the three field rotation system possibly with oxen-drawn plows.

I'm asking this in relation to a post-apocalypse campaign, but it could be relevant for fantasy campaigns as well. How many crops (in acres) have to be harvested to support one adult human for a year? My campaign is going to take place in downtown Portland, OR post-apocalypse. No radiation will be involved. Portland has a number of city blocks given over to grass. I'm assuming survivors convert this area to farming and live in the neighboring apartment buildings. I need to know how many survivors this land will support. Any help will be much appreciated.

Re: Any advice for a CSI-style campaign? Lotsa good pointers. Thanx, gamers.

Re: Any advice for a CSI-style campaign? Many good suggestions, thanx. I don't believe anyone has yet addressed the question of how to describe the crime scene to the players, though. Let's say the crime scene is a family murdered in a home. How should I describe this to my players?

Re: Any advice for a CSI-style campaign? Yes, I do. Second question?

As per Steven Long's suggestion, I am re-posting this advice request on this board. It was originally on the Other Genres board. I'd like advice from anyone with experience at running a campaign in the style of the TV show, CSI: crime scene investigations. How do you design the adventures? How do you keep the players on track without railroading them or resorting to deus ex machinas? Also, I'd like to know how to verbally describe crime scenes in order to give the players all the necessary info and clues without creating an infodump which gives away the game at the start. How much detail should I offer when the PCs arrive on the scene? How much should I make them work for? How should perception rolls be used? How should PS: CSI skill be used? When would it be necessary to make rolls? The show relies heavily on indirection; the CSI guys often misinterpret the facts early in the investigation and have to reformulate their ideas as they proceed. Any advice on how to achieve this effect with players?