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From: Pete <Pete@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: NAGTW Iceland part
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 1996 23:46:48 +0000
In article <199611062023.VAA13396@**********.xs4all.nl>, Gurth
<gurth@******.NL> writes
>Paolo Falco, FoxMaster said on 19:15/ 6 Nov 96...
>
>> > 2013.Rebuilding of the capital Reykjavik begin with parts of the
>> > old city being repaired and flood walls being set into place hopes
>> > are that much of the city can be reclaimed using technology
>> > perfected by Holland.
>
>PLEASE replace that H-word by something else...

How about T --- Tulipland <grin>

>[rest of Iceland timeline snipped]

>I started re-working my original Netherlands article (from about 2 years
>ago) today, and I must say I noticed much the same thing about my own text
>(actually, I noticed it when I read this message). It's too bright, too
>nice, and too unaffected by the general misery of the world...

The general problem is that people will favour their own country in the
better light, the problem I have with this, is that it is American
companies who write these games, it is America that is seen through
tinted glasses if not rose coloured, I object strongly to Britain being
reduced to a Fascist regime, very strongly, and I believe the majority
of the British public would as well, possibly to the point of rebellion,
the rest of Europe may be happy, but Brits have *long* memories
(sometimes to the point of ridiculous).

>What I'm trying to say is, Paolo has a point. Most of the world is pretty
>fragged up in the 2050s, even though just about everyone will tell you
>that the country they themselves live in, will not be affected in the way
>FASA says it is. (For two good examples, look at the British response to
>the London Sourcebook, and the Germans' tales about the Germany SB.)

Paolo *does* have a point, but looking at the way FASA deal with any
country outside of the US, is IMHO disgusting... they write off huge
tracts of land with barely thought out descriptions that are designed to
prevent them having to write any follow up sourcebooks, just take a look
at how many sourcebooks are aimed purely at the US continent, and how
many *aren't* aimed at the next most important part of the world Europe.

OK, we *should* consider the dark future of our own countries, I'm in
full agreement with this, and my Britain of 2057-62 is a blackly
terrifying place, but it is an active place, not a stagnating fascist
regime due to self destruct and take the country down with it.

FASA cleverly designed the British regime to make it almost impossible
to use Shadowrunners int he country...

Now be honest... how many of you run or have run in 205* England (beyond
Imago and the other sad module), how many of you have visited Europe and
run there????

I much prefer the cyberpunk sourcebooks for the Pacific Rim, Europe and
the UK, they offer a brighter future, but also leave huge amounts of
room for intrigue, all FASA have done with the UK and Europe is lock it
down so tight it no longer can breathe. Does anyone here seriously
believe that the US will be the only power left in the world after all
the SR events ....

I for one do not want to go out and buy an American flag to wave, for
all it's problems and foibles, for all the stupid things that happen
here, and the wierd ideas the government and socially conscious have
about what they think we should do in our lives.... I happen to *like*
the country I live in. And I happen to like much of Europe.

So, excuse me for re-writing much of the source material, and not using
the "nightmare future" that is Cyberpunk.... (erm... FASA future is not
dark Cyberpunk anyway... it's kinda medium gray)

Look at the Europe/UK sourcebooks for Cyberpunk and although the books
are again written by Americans, with little concept of the countries
they are describing, they give a different view of future Europe and UK,
one which fits *my* vision better than the "Right we've done it. The
future of that other part of the world is locked down, we don't have to
bother with it anymore.." attitude that FASA showed towards what is
today a major world power, and will retain much of that strength in the
future.

Although much of Europe may fragment, as the USSR has today... but not
in the way FASA has written off the oldest civilisation in the history
of this planet. Europe and the UK, has centuries of culture and history
to fall back on, and the people themselves have a desire to do things
that will help their own countries... Why should the US be the only
nation, with their short history, to survive into the next century as
the bastion of freedom, when Europe et al is left to fester and decay.

Sorry, but I disagree with FASA.

I do however, agree with Paolo and Gurth. Don't favour your own country
in a glorious light showing how they have survived into the future
intact and perfect, a glowing representation to the rest of the "dark"
world. The future should be dark and depressing in keeping with the
"Cyberpunk" theme, but not locked down so tight that it is a case of "no
further options".

>I agree that a too optimistic view of a country isn't what fits in with
>the rest of the SR game world, so it would be a good idea for everyone to
>keep in mind that this isn't a competition to see who can make a country
>that's better off than all the others. However, I also don't think this
>should turn into a race to make your country/area the worst off in the
>world :)

On this point Gurth, you will have no argument from me.

Just my two penneth worth.

--
Pete Sims
Civilisation advances by extending the number of important operations which we
can perform without thinking about them.

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