Editor in Chief Bill | 29 Nov 2011 8:44 p.m. PST |
In the background material for Tomorrow's War, the U.N. is dissolved in 2121 following a dispute between First World and Third World nations. Do you miss it? Or do you like to see U.N. forces in your science-fiction gaming? |
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART | 29 Nov 2011 8:57 p.m. PST |
Nope, sorry. All of that manifest destiny sure puts the Kibosh on co-existence. Unless it was a slow motion thing. In the latter case rules/law could be promulgated but there should be some entity capable of exerting some degree of compliance. The ball is in your court, sir. |
Only Warlock | 29 Nov 2011 9:09 p.m. PST |
Hope the door did not slap it's blue helmeted A@@ on the way out. |
Little Big Wars | 29 Nov 2011 9:17 p.m. PST |
No UN, but I've got the DOOP
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Zephyr1 | 29 Nov 2011 9:21 p.m. PST |
Could always stick the UN force between (and at the mercy of) the opposing forces. But wiping them out every time might get boring
. |
Wolfprophet | 29 Nov 2011 9:53 p.m. PST |
Somehow, I imagine any dispute with the UN wouldn't end with an organizational dissolve
more likely UN aggression forcefully uniting the world so we can have a better chance to make it out among the stars. |
Angel Barracks | 29 Nov 2011 11:43 p.m. PST |
I have a kind of UN in my sci-fi games. It is the Earth Corps Marines. It is essentially the UN but with more countries involved. It evolved as space travel did to go with mankind and look after them. Sort of. |
ScoutII | 29 Nov 2011 11:46 p.m. PST |
Don't use the UN in most my gaming (sci-fi or otherwise), but I do use a dysfunctional group of diplomats and autocrats who accomplish little more than making things worse for those who are unfortunate enough to receive their "aid". I would be amazed though if it managed to make it to 2121. |
Mako11 | 30 Nov 2011 3:55 a.m. PST |
I imagine until then, they'll be just as dysfunctional and ineffective as they are currently. They make rather good targets for the opposition though, which might be the reason for their eventual disbandment, but I'll be a bit surprised if it takes until 2121. |
macconermaoile | 30 Nov 2011 4:20 a.m. PST |
"In the background material for Tomorrow's War" I have both Tomorrow's War and FOF and they are great rules. I have to say, the background for Tomorrow's War is, to put it mildly, highly unlikely. You have only to look one hundred years in the past, and look at who was a world power on this planet. Based on that, why should the present world powers be the same ones in a hundred years time ? |
Lion in the Stars | 30 Nov 2011 5:53 a.m. PST |
I've read a couple pieces of scifi that have UN forces in them. The UN troops are portrayed as technologically-dependent and sticklers for the letter of the law and agreement as opposed to actually standing for and following the spirit of the charter/resolution. I would like to think that the US will survive another two hundred years, but I won't take odds on that. Still, the average empire's lifespan has been 400 years. I fully expect to see China, India, Brazil, and South Africa step up as First-World nations. I'm not sure about Russia. The EU seems to be very fragile right now, and I honestly think it is too big for a single common currency. |
wminsing | 30 Nov 2011 6:28 a.m. PST |
I often include the UN (or something like it) simply to help keep the breaks (via political pressure and sanctions) on how big conflicts can be. In a sci-fi setting you need some reason to help make sure every war doesn't turn into a 'nuke them from orbit' scenario. -Will |
Anerion | 30 Nov 2011 6:58 a.m. PST |
I wouldn't know if it's really possible to have a disolved UN an yet have humankind making an effort amongst the stars.. I think in that situation there, would need an overarching global government. I feel a more feasable option is a post-planetary colonisation period where we colonised a bunch of planets, but a couple of those said planets have now decided to break away from an overarching multi planet 'UN' style organisation.. Or war breaks out between factions on a particular planet or between planets an the UN is needed.. acting like the UN now but on a planetary scale. So I guess in conclusion, I like to see it (or something similar) in my sci-fi gaming. In response to wminsing, I tend to argue that the rareity of planets makes them too valuable to nuke.. i.e. in this solar system, we can reasonable look at colonising Mars and a handful of moons out of the 9 planets there are. |
capncarp | 30 Nov 2011 8:38 a.m. PST |
Uh
That would be Retief's bosses, the Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne, right? "Don't use the UN in most my gaming (sci-fi or otherwise), but I do use a dysfunctional group of diplomats and autocrats who accomplish little more than making things worse for those who are unfortunate enough to receive their "aid". I would be amazed though if it managed to make it to 2121." |
Feet up now | 30 Nov 2011 8:52 a.m. PST |
The closest I have used to UN are Europa troops,a sort of united europe forces. |
Gaz0045 | 30 Nov 2011 9:13 a.m. PST |
I have the UNFed (-eration),bank and corporate funded, a power bloc for 'good' that can rattle a big 'sabre' to stop insurgencies from spreading beyond the 'brush' and going pan-system
.bit like in the background from David Drake
promulgates mercenary settlements of wars and 'smallish' space fleets
.I like to use Star Wars destroyers for the benevolent 'empire' enforcers
..(an excuse for the Darth Vader March to bve played!) |
stenicplus | 30 Nov 2011 9:14 a.m. PST |
In our current FWC campaign they are reborn as United Federation. They are as useful and as effective as UN. |
Dropzonetoe | 30 Nov 2011 9:27 a.m. PST |
I am specifically painting a UN force for my scifi gaming so I plan to see them in my gaming. |
Ghostrunner | 30 Nov 2011 11:59 a.m. PST |
Hard to believe the UN would become a significant military power anytime in the near (predictable) future. One would wonder why all the nations would want to fund a military force that could potentially rival (and oppose) their own. I wouldn't count that as likely given the current and foreseeable state of politics and human nature. The only scenario that comes to mind that I find remotely plausible is a variation on Pournelle's Co-Dominion, where the US and Soviets set up a world government and told everyone else to fall in line. I could see the UN as a humanitarian / diplomatic force (assuming it doesn't continue its current death spiral into irrelevance), but not as a significant military power. |
SonofThor | 30 Nov 2011 2:23 p.m. PST |
I hope the UN dissolves before 2121. Next year perhaps? |
The G Dog | 30 Nov 2011 9:09 p.m. PST |
Interstellar Wars for Gurps Traveller does a nice summation of the evolution of the UN into the Terran Confederation. Mind you, you can't discount the unifying influence of having to face the big, bad Imperium. |
doug redshirt | 30 Nov 2011 10:11 p.m. PST |
Without the UN were would you get all the corrupt and crooked political hacks to ruin the galaxy. Its bad enough with the flocks of NGOs running around the failed states of the world. I always wonder if I can start a group called "Feed the Children of Bongolese" or "Help the endangered LLamas of Bongolese" or "Landmine Free Bongolese" and make any money off of it. Where's Retief and the CDT when you need him? They did have the best villians didnt they in that series. |
Col Durnford | 01 Dec 2011 7:27 a.m. PST |
I am also in the "Keep the UN" camp. I have French UN troops complete with a power armor Groupe D'Cuirassee supporting my Groupe D'Infantrie Legere Mecanique, and Groupe D'Reconnaisance. Not quite bad guys, but they do take their orders for UN headquarters in Geneva. |
flooglestreet | 01 Dec 2011 7:31 a.m. PST |
Yes, but I'd rather have the League of Nations for old time pulps sake. |
Lion in the Stars | 01 Dec 2011 8:44 a.m. PST |
Well, in my other game I have to deal with O-12 and Aleph
Trust the Computer, citizen. The UN collapsed and was replaced by an organization who's charter included extra-national forces. However, I still need to make some moderns with UN blue Sikh turbans. I've read reports that *nobody* screws with the food convoys those guys guard. |
alien BLOODY HELL surfer | 01 Dec 2011 9:21 a.m. PST |
why does everyone have such a negative vie wof the UN? |
Col Durnford | 01 Dec 2011 9:57 a.m. PST |
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billthecat | 01 Dec 2011 10:58 a.m. PST |
UN forces (with empty guns) led by global-hedgemony sith tax-enforcers! |
Scorpio | 01 Dec 2011 11:02 a.m. PST |
why does everyone have such a negative vie wof the UN? "Criticism of the United Nations has been ideologically diverse, although much of it is focused on the UN's purported inability to handle international conflicts, even on a small scale. Other criticisms tend to focus on the UN's alleged elitism or its presumed support of globalist philosophies." link (In my experience, this is especially prevalent among conservatives. And a fair proportion of historical gamers are conservatives.) |
BlackWidowPilot | 01 Dec 2011 1:38 p.m. PST |
In the classic game Starguard the Terran Federation is essentially the interstellar version of the UN, being hosted on Old Earth by the Terran Empire (who is a major member state within the Federation). The difference between the UN today and the Terran Federation of the 23rd century as envisioned by John McEwan was that the Federation actually was empowered in its charter to enforce mandates against member states that had been voted on by a majority of the members. This empowerment was more than just so much paper generated, as the Federation Senate had the Federation Star Fleet and the marines of the Federation – the Starguard- to back it up if need be. How the Hell they ever managed to get Terran Emperor Roger de San Martin I to sign up for that situation is anybody's guess
Leland R. Erickson
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Cacique Caribe | 01 Dec 2011 1:57 p.m. PST |
"the U.N. is dissolved in 2121 following a dispute between First World and Third World nations." Wow. It's gonna take that long for it to happen? Anyway, what about the Second World nations? :) Dan |
Marauder | 01 Dec 2011 3:43 p.m. PST |
Back when I used to play moderns we would occassionally put a small force of UN troops on the board mainly for decoration. We stopped when one of the guys kept dropping artillery barrages on them every time his opponent got near'ish to the position or driving up to them with a load of Merkavas to chase them off the board. |
Legion 4 | 03 Dec 2011 5:55 p.m. PST |
In the Slammer universe, the Terran Authority Spacemarines (TAS) are kind of, sort of, like the UN
But it's a solid, standing combat unit
Not a mix of various forces from various armies
And the TAS have "teeth" !!!! Don't mess with'm !!!! They bite back hard
really hard !!!! Unlike many of the ill fated UN missions in recent history. |