FW direction

If we got a chance to 'reboot' FW and pull it into the 21st century, what would you want changed and what would you want carried over untouched?

If I were to drop anything, it would be the Chileans and the ASA. Neither are possible or probable in the current political climate.

The Chile in the game was General Augusto Pinochet's Chile. That's not been a thing since 1990. Chile is now, according to the CIA World Factbook: "Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation." They are more likely to lease Rapa Nui, AKA Easter Island, to the UN for hundreds of billions of dollars. (And a whole passel of strings attached, like nothing on the island itself and no contact with the islanders.)

The ASA is even more unlikely since the death of Qadhafi, and the fact that theres more conflict over old tribal areas and the countries imposed over those old boundaries. Very unlikely they would band together in a big socialist organization.

If you do decide to keep the Chileans and the ASA, you'll have to address how they maintain access to the Fringe Paths. Because all UNIDA has to do is lock their portal from the platform side and they don't have access anymore. And to get a key would be an act of war. How long do you think Chile would survive against the combined forces of the US, Russia, China, and Europe?

The main reason for the Chileans and the ASA was to provide some form of conflict on Earth Prime. But you don't need that, you have the UN. The United Nations is its own worst enemy. We also have the Fringe Pirates for threats on the Fringe paths.

Anyway, that's my soapbox.

I tend to agree with you about ASA, they were pretty much eliminated in the game i was part of, my GM had better enemies for us to deal with.

And bringing it to the 21st century world politics would be adding enough drama that ASA would not need to exist.

I agree that a conflicted UN is plenty of drama for a FW campaign. 

I keep the Chileans and the ASA..... My world view of Earth Prime is that the timeline is not even close to our real world timeline at all.

I don't hamper myself with trying to rewrite the timeline every time there is breaking news on cable tv.

The Communist movements of Central and Southern Africa like Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, etc are still there. These network among themselves and trade surreptitiously the resources of the nations for technology, assistance, and weapons. Exporting diamonds, rare animals, ores, petroleum, even political dissidents to North Korea, China, Iran, Cuba, and through embargoes to Europe and the United States.

The platform is like the DMZ or Checkpoint Charlie. A tense stare down with everyone holding a detente peace. The Europeans don't want Ebola released in Paris or Rome. Amerixa doesn't want a nuclear weapon in Times Square.

The ASA is where nations go for things the U.N. may not want to share or is holding out on for concessions. The ASA and Chile is where North Korea gets a Doc Box for Dear Leader. The ASA and Chile is the brokerage that circumvents the UNs iron grip on distributing pieces of technology brought from other Earths. The irony is that it is the voting body of the UN that is the foremost protector of the ASA and Xhile doing this. The monarchs, dictators, despots, oligarchs, and ruling class of 100+ nations votes for themselves, first, last, and always.

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That post had to have tripped about 20+ intelligenxe agenxies around the world internet searxh bots for key words.

Allahu Akbar!

LOL. Ok that covers it!

There is another reason I like the Chileans and the ASA. They have a Portal and they don't answer to the U.N.

Embargo? Ok, Pax Romana how about 10 T-55 main battle tanks for 500 tons of wheat?

See. Secondly, if another place wants to do business on Earth Prime that the UN is blocking or not cooperating. They just pay the Chileans. Maybe someone wants to cut out all the middlemen and power brokers from the UN a little something for that deal to go through. Maybe, the UN won't work with someone due to Human Rights policies. The UN might not want to sell 5 million AK-47s to the Golden Horde, but the Chileans will. For a price.

Maybe it is the Chileans that pass on fusion or cold fusion technology to the Proletariat of the World as UN Powers try to block this for the oil producing members.

You still have to deal with the fact that they don't have a crystal key. Without one, they will not be able to control their portal. In the early years there's like, three keys. All of which are either at Hatsumi or Alice Springs, well, except for the one they use to find more Fringeworthy.

So, it's either an attack on Hatsumi base and it's defenders. An attack or infiltration into the Alice Springs compound and it's defenders, or you try to snatch the key from Wei Lei, a telepath and empath, and her security detail.

Good luck.

Or buy one.

Want access to Earth Prime. ONE crystal key.

Besides, they have people on the Paths too. Why are they unable to find a key or take one?

The Chileans could get one from Fringe Pirates just for 100 Ak-47s or a old all manual WW2 Soviet armored vehicle like a T-34, SU-100, SU-152.

They are just as capable of trade, as discovery, without being fettered by UN rules and bylaws.

How are they buying a key? If the Rapa Nui ring station is locked by UNIDA, they are not getting out. Borodin would bar them from using the Hatsumi ring station, so the only choice is to steal one. No one is selling them, they are far too rare, and Chile and the ASA would find themselves on the wrong side.

Besides, Chile could make more money leasing their portal to the UN for hundreds of billions of dollars. Or more correctly, as the UN ain't got that much cash, from a coalition of Russia, China, USA, and the EU. That makes more sense than alienating the rest of the world.

Then force a resolution on the UN to unlock the portal. That is an illegal blockade and a Act of War.

The Chileans and the ASA meet with representatives from off world and have them unlock the Portal with a higher clearance key. 

Have China and Russia call Borodin onto the carpet for creating an international incident and diplomatic crisis. UNIDA is not a government. Hatsumi base is not on sovereign soil. Borodin is not a Head of State. Borodin would be unlocking that Portal or recalled to Russia. Borodin would find himself in hot water with the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Chile and the ASA would make far, far more money running that Portal for themselves than leasing it to anyone, especially corrupt and inefficient United Nations bureaucrats.

In year 0, Borodin is the head of UNIDA and answerable to only one group: The UN Security Council. Two, the order to lock the Rapa Nuil portal would come from Russia, China, USA, England, France, and the rest. So there's no calling on the carpet. It's doubtful that Borodin would do it on his own. Gordon Conrad... Yeah, he'd do it in a heartbeat. And then go on the Internet as to why he did it.

First off, Chile and the ASA countries leave the UN as per the game's story. So they are no longer part of the UN. A lot of ill will there. Second, once they realize that Chile and the ASA are trying to get a key, Borodin will order them on to the platform. Good luck getting them there with no Fringeworthy of your own. And that would result in a permanent presence on the platform.

So, when they finally find a Fringeworthy by the laborious method of marching them through the portal. (Years before you find enough to form a team) they will be met with hot coffee, friendship, and offers of asylum from the other Fringeworthy on the platform.

Finally, no. Chile is a modern democracy. They are more likely to lease out the portal for Billions of dollars than to take it for themselves. The ASA, without Libya, has as much chance of forming as I do of flying unaided by flapping my arms really hard. Neither have a place in the 21st century. We don't need them. We have the UN! It can shoot itself in the foot as well as anyone else can.

The book calls them communists... they stopped being communists in 1990. They are cartoon villains in what is an otherwise serious game. Every attempt harkens back to the Cold War and the 1980's under Pinochet. None of that exists today. The Socialist creed has really be discredited in Africa, so no ASA. I rather have real world consequences instead of fantasy.

So the UN runs the portal through the USA and shuts down another run by someone communist?

Alright, John.

We are 180 on this one. I disagree with you on all points.

The Earth Prime timeline in NOT our timeline. What happens in ours is about as relevant as Victorian weird science.

Real world, if a General does something like that, his career is over in hours. That is an Act of War.

the UN is in charge of the portals regardless of our timeline or any imaginary timeline because Richard said so. any changes or updates we do will never alter his basic canon.

It's equally important to realize that the United Nations is not a government, it's the largest NGO ever created. It's main purpose is to allow the various nations of the world to work together and work out their differences. The UN Security Council has all the teeth of the UN and they would be the ones that would deal with any security issues faced by UNIDA.

Yes, the Great Debate Society.

They have no teeth. Their "Resolutions" are suggestions. If some Nations choose to enforce them, great. If not, nothing that the UN would be able to do about it.

Let alone all the competing direction within.