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Post-Apocalypse Interest Check (By a man who's rubbish at titles)

Generalfoley

Generalfoley

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Joined
Jun 6, 2011
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All of Time and Space, All that ever Was or WIll B
Hey Hey Hey, BMRPers!

...

Oh god, anyone else reminded of Fat Albert?

At any rate, the General here, who's looking for a few good RPers to help me out with an idea of mine.

It's a Post-Apoc idea, for starters, taking place in 2032, five to ten years (Or just an X amount of time) after an event which brought the civilized world to it's knees. There are remnants of government out there, somewhere, but it's not really much. The United States is gone. Mexico is gone, though there are rumors that it's ruled by the former Cartels. Canada... is pretty much the same, actually. Just a bit emptier than it was before.

South America's gone. Yep, every government in South America is gone.

Europe, Asia and Africa, no one really knows, they went dark before the Americas did.

Survivors are many, yes, but not as many as before. There are wrecks of aerial transport littered around the world, containing bodies of those who died in the crashes (except for the ones who survived, seeing as a crash landing doesn't mean planes just fall from the sky! ... *Looks around* Phew!)

There are gangs of survivors who relish in anarchy called Marauders who wander around and kill, rape, pillage and then move on to the next town. Then they'll come back to the town they killed, raped, and pillaged to see if anyone occupied it since then. They're smarter than they look.

While I pretty much have all of that for me, there's an issue.

What the event is. That's my problem, muchachos.

Now, characters are welcome to many weapons, since most Marauders use a mixture of fervent Firearms and crude melee instruments of death and killer...y... I ran out of adjectives, so sue me.

Of course, I don't want nuclear armageddon, nor do I want zombies. Sorry Zombie Apoc fans, I like Zombies as much as the next guy (Even got myself a site!), but it's not what I'm looking for here.

And nothing with Hell rising into the Earth either. I'm not fearful of demonic forces, I just think that the Reckoning being at hand is a bit... overused. And stupid.

But other than Hell, Nukes, and Zombies, any other suggestions are good.

...

No 2012 scenarios either. If I hear one lick of Mayans, I'm gonna throttle someone.

Yeah, through your computer screen!

Then I'll burn your house down!

With lemons!

...

Bit mad there, but some of you understand my reasons.

At any rate, plots and events! Launch!

...

Go?

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Activate!

...

Alright, I'm starting to sound a lot more stupid than I really am, so come on guys! Brainstorm! Thinking caps! All that jazz!
 
Hey hey General!

I have a few ideas I thought I might throw out there for you!

My initial thought was a global pandemic that could wipe out a whole hell of a lot of people, but when I read over your bit about plans crashing, etc., that pretty much got nixed >_>

So then I started thinking about EMPs and the like, but then the issue of having it spread worldwide came to mind.

So that brought me to this possibility; a solar flare. Have a MASSIVE one occur and fuck up all the electronics in one big catastrophe. This of course would cause a myriad of other issues; water shortages, pandemics, etc.

What do you think?
 
The pandemic could work, it's an idea that I've probed, but never fully completed, the EMP is a marvelous idea (I worked on a story with that same idea m'self), and the Solar Flare is an idea that I've yet to hear or think of, which is good.

Though I kinda want to see what other people think before I go on with any plans, for both other viewpoints and more interested members.

It can't really be a group RP with only two people, ya know?
 
First of all, I love the Post-apoc ideas, especially the bits of humor there lol anyways moving on to the real beef:

The pandemic idea is doable but it would be difficult given the settings. In order for it to be a pandemic, the disease must be infectious, so our task would be to devise either a new disease or a variation of an existing one, create the rules of that disease and offer a way for the survivors to protect themselves from the infection given scarce resources. I always like a good challenge so I would be interested in seeing how we can make that work.

Now the EMP idea seems to work pretty well for this scenario. It explains why all of the eastern hemisphere went dark and given that most if not all electronics are destroyed, it would make for an interesting environment for the survivors who pretty much have to start from scratch. (And I get a little enjoyment from seeing how humanity fares without the electronics most of us desperately "need.") However, the trouble would be explaining how the EMP came about and there are a few ways we can go: e-bombs and fluctuating magnetic fields. If we go with the former though, then we would have to figure out whether it was a war between nations, or something involving terrorists or some conspiracy plot by a secret society, or something else. If we go with the latter idea, well I was thinking of attributing it to the reversal of Earth's magnetic poles but that would take place gradually which would not likely cause EMP (although I'm not well-versed in this matter). (Also, an EMP can very well make a plane fall right out of the sky!)

The solar flare idea would be quite similar to EMP but with an added radiation risk. There might be a spike in temperature accompanying the flare that may lasts for a while, depending on the magnitude of the eruption and how directly is Earth hit. I'm no expert with this but I wonder if the whole world would be directly impacted by the solar flare or just the part facing the sun during the occurrence.

If you're just looking for a cause that simply fills the part in the scenario and focus more on the aftermath, then solar flare would probably be the best idea. It's simple and doesn't require additional background. However, if you'd like the cause to add to the scenario then I would go for the EMP, especially entertaining the idea that it was a result of e-bombs, so you'd have some conflicts built into the scene. Anyways, it just depends on where you'd like to take this scene.
 
I, as stated before, like the solar flare best for it's simplicity. It can occur with not too much warning and even if we had it we would not be able to do anything about it. Also the effects would likely be world wide.

Also keep in mind the point that, if it's either e-bombs or a solar flare, other disasters will follow. Massive food shortages and lack of meds would lead to rampant starvation and disease.

So we could even do something where out characters do not know the initial cause of the disaster, if it is far enough of the future. They might be descendants of survivors of a plan crash or something and just knew that the plane went down and when they found other towns, tribes, or what have you, they learned of the fate of the wider world.

Just throwing some ideas out there :)
 
Aliens-meme.jpg

Haven't had an excuse to use that in weeks. Anyway, I agree that there should be something that fries electronics, and a fuck huge solar flare would probably do that. But the problem with that is that it would, well, burn the fuck out of the atmosphere as well.
 
You could go with the old theory of the massive fault line that runs under the east coast and sets off a series of earthquakes that changes our whole hemisphere, across all nations.

Also it could be an economical collapse that results in the government being deemed useless and people riot and destroy. Breaking up into small factions that are malitia based to defend themselves against the marauders. THe infrastructure would collapse and thus flooding would occur causing changes in the land, and the other natuaral disasters that follow as well as buried gas lines all over the country breaking way causing further explosions and damage. Not that I've thought of this much. Lol. I would love to play something along those lines. Searching out a group for protection.
 
The solar flare doesn't have to be ultra huge to fuck our electronics over. The largest recorded solar storm was the Carrington Event. It occurred over a century and a half ago, just when some very basic electronics were in operation, but it fucked them to hell. It would not have to be all too much stronger then that to bone us, or not any stronger at all. Just enough to take down some electronics and all of the satellites would be sufficient I imagine. But just putting this out there :) Again, this could tie into the pandemic as well as the economic collapse. With the loss of power our society would be pretty much fucked...
 
Wow, I'm gone at Comic-Con for a day and the ideas are already flying.

The most beautiful thing I've ever seen, hands down.

Now, the EMP idea, I have given thought to it because I've gone through quite a few iterations of such an idea, with a conspiratorial background somewhere in there. Still, it's awesome to see you guys throw a lot of effort into it, despite my saying that Europe went dark. I meant that in a "we've had no communications with them since the Event" kind of thing, but hey, your explanations and thoughts are awesome!

The Solar Flare idea is a bit iffy with me, personally. The Sun and I have never been on very good terms anyway, but I really don't want Skin Cancer to be the way to go in the apocalypse, however tragically funny that might be. I'd have to do more research on it to be sure of my position.

The Pandemic idea, I've done it on here a while back, where I made up a disease which was only referred to as The Plague, which was a disease that thrived in cold climates, and degenerated the body on a molecular level slowly over the course of the infection, the degeneration lasting either from days to weeks to even months. In that idea, though, the survivors had to deal with the U.S. Military and PMC lethal quarantine procedures in order to contain the plague.

The fault line... I'm not really sure about that. I've my own theories about those, and Earthquakes are a great Apoc starter, but... I dunno, it doesn't seem to fit. Sorry, but such an earthquake would probably rip the world apart piece by piece. I think we'd want our survivors to survive the apocalypse, not an omnicidal argument between two stone plates.

Economic collapse is reason enough to start riots and destabilization, but I don't think it'd be enough to topple the entire world. Yes, economics are strong, but governments have contingencies in case of such a situation. It's more of a follow-up event to a much bigger disaster.

Unbeknownst, while that picture is epic and I might use it for my background, you also gave us another option. Alien invasion. It could be for colonization, it could be purely for resources, either the planet's or humans as slave labor, it could be, to them, a retaliation to the government's keeping and experimenting on their people, or it could be purely genocidal coincidence. I think we'd have to discuss that a bit more, since it's an interesting concept.

Of course, we could always go with War. What is it good for? People say absolutely nothing. Good god, y'all. But it's a good plot device, and it's something that I myself have worked on with a friend, where two separate sides split the United States apart in a Civil War, the Coalition (the Former Government) and the Federation (I'll just label these guys as "bad"). Other nations could throw their weight with certain sides, but everyone loses in the end, apparently, as governments cease to be, anarchy reigns, and the Coals and Feds are just as dangerous as the Marauders.

Then there's a concept that I think could merit discussion: Terraforming Gone Wrong. An experiment in a desolate part of the world dealing with terraforming (which, if successful, would be introduced into the Mars Colonization Project), but it goes terribly wrong. It changes the way the atmosphere contains heat, and soon the entire world starts to kind of freeze over. Not like The Day After Tomorrow, but it starts to snow a lot more in Phoenix and Dubai.

Of course, it could go the other way around and make the world more arid, turning Earth into a kind of desert world.

And then we could always try different combinations of these, see how they work out.

After this, I might be starting a discussion board on how an apocalypse could happen and what would happen afterwards. This is good to see brainstorming, but it'd be just as fun to discuss it, right?
 
Actually the terra forming idea gone wrong would be a great idea. Leaving the world a desert type environment where water is the new gold, and people have to survive in a harsh environment. I like that idea, of course, war and higher caliber weapons used would cause damage to certain areas causing the boundries of livable areas to be altered. If it were a world war and came down to collapse of governements and breaking into malitia type colonies would survive and manufacturing would only be done by captured POW labled persons.
 
Cartels. Running parts of Mexico. Despite their warehouses of twenty dollar bills being worthless, as well as having no place to sell their wares. How would the Canadians survive without beign able to transport food from the American and Canadian Breadbaskets? Actually, there is a book series involving electricity and gunpowder ceasing to work, as with the internal combustion engine. They do it to make Mary Sues out of neopagans, but if you had it only be temporary it might cause enough havoc.
 
I think war and the terraforming project gone wrong would be rather amusing. Not too big on a giant hot desert world, but a freezing one would be interesting.
 
Unbeknownst said:
I think war and the terraforming project gone wrong would be rather amusing. Not too big on a giant hot desert world, but a freezing one would be interesting.
Click to expand...

Perhaps in some failed effort to make more fresh water with some massive desaliniation project they instead create enough glaciers to lower the world's sea ocen level by a dozen feet, wrecking canals and ports everywhere while upsetting ocean currents, screwing over the rainy season, and eventually causing nuclear winter and people attempt speed up global warming to reverse the mistake they made?
 
At least the hippies would shut up. Hah! *Duh Duh, Tish*

At any rate, your theory and set up is scientifically sound, Kadavro.

Though I have to say, I think we can make some more suggestions.

For this board, we're looking for something fun to play, something that, for some, may have scientific significance. For others... well, they might just blame space magic and different colored explosions.

Still, this is good, I love seeing these ideas appear while I'm out at Comic-Con, it's really inspiring.

Oh, Comic-Con, how you make me wish to have bought IcyHot in bulk beforehand.

M'legs are killin' me!
 
Hah!

Though, while funny, I don't think we're supposed to delve into space magic that much...

Though inter-dimensional invaders sounds like a good idea, kind of. Like Half-Life, only less being able to win a war in seven days and more like trying to survive the war that's been going on for years. With modern weaponry and technology, of course. Then it just arrives in the Americas after they take down Eurasia and Africa. Of course, preemptive strikes against America would be fruitful for the coming invasion, so that would (somewhat) explain governmental collapse.

Though maybe we should discuss what kind of weapons were to be found and used by the survivors in the plot as well? Give it some more depth? I dunno...

Oh, and guys, if you want to do more discussing than plotting while we plot this baby, I set up a thread here: Discussion: Apocalypse: How, And What Happens After?

And hey, for this plot, I'm not really above using current fiction to help us out.

We'd just have to tweak it a bit.

Alright, a lot, but that's why we're here, right?
 
I'm up for plotting, though I have to question how much roleplaying we could squeeze out of fighting off those who already trounced the NATO, China, Russia, India, and another two billion people not counting the previous ones.
 
If we're all willing, I'm good with thinning out the global population a bit so that our characters have breathing room. And even without the thinning, it's not like the world's cramped to capacity, there's still plenty of room to explore and develop our characters.

But yeah, having this plot take place a number of years after the event might make that easier, seeing as how the world's been fighting itself for a while now and there are less and less people appearing. Not to mention living conditions and medical problems.

But I think we'd all need to decide on what our setting is, then we plot some more, see if we can put something in there that'll drive our characters to a goal of which needs to be accomplished.

And since it'd be after 2032, I think there could be some leeway with the stuff that we might have. Especially technology, if we decide to not fry all electronics.
 
Generalfoley said:
If we're all willing, I'm good with thinning out the global population a bit so that our characters have breathing room. And even without the thinning, it's not like the world's cramped to capacity, there's still plenty of room to explore and develop our characters.

But yeah, having this plot take place a number of years after the event might make that easier, seeing as how the world's been fighting itself for a while now and there are less and less people appearing. Not to mention living conditions and medical problems.

But I think we'd all need to decide on what our setting is, then we plot some more, see if we can put something in there that'll drive our characters to a goal of which needs to be accomplished.

And since it'd be after 2032, I think there could be some leeway with the stuff that we might have. Especially technology, if we decide to not fry all electronics.
Click to expand...

The stuff wouldn't work anyways, without anyone to repair sattelites, radio towers, power plants, the like, or to produce new material or parts.
 
Well if something has been settled upon for our event, I am ready to get things going! Perhaps put up a poll or something so we know where everyone stands?

I know I'll be sticking around no matter what. I have been craving post apocalypse! I've watched every movie about it in my DVDs at least twice over the past week :p Not to mention to many hours playing Fallout...
 
Ravine's right, we have to settle on something. Something fun for everyone.

So let's narrow it down. What do we want the event to be, how do we want it to go down, and how do we want the aftermath setting to be like?

And the plot. The plot's probably important too.

Also, on the issue of technology, it might make sense for some things to work. Like short wave radios, some electronics, maybe a computer or two, etc. If there's settlements in this RP, then maybe they made a settlement around a power plant or are making their own energy in some way or another. Nuclear Power Plants, let's say, were taken care of before or after the Event, most likely shut down to prevent a radiation leak.

And if pressed, someone can make something last for a long, long time if need be.

So, let's decide on an event, and then we can discuss plotting and character development, then we can get on with the RP.
 
Well the easiest kinds of power to sustain after an event would be wind, solar and hydro I imagine.

In terms of technology, it would all depend on how long after the even occurred we are and, obviously, what the event is. But I don't see guns magically not working or have EVERY electronic going down.

In terms of plot I am fairly open. We could be a settlement or a group of nomads who travel together to provide mutual protection.

And in terms of which event I favor, I think that's been pretty clear... but that's why democracy exists, eh? :p
 
Democracy... We probably will want to decide on location and system of government right after this, ehh?
 
Well location would be important. Depending on which catastrophe occurs it would change the locations I would forward, but, in general, islands are usually a pretty good bet, but those also have the downside of having finite resources. In terms of government, I think a form of autocracy or democracy might work best.
 
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