Terrible Gamers is working on a campaign setting for a future game we might run. As such we thought we would share our creative process with you. Somethings you should note about the setting:
- Set in the near future
- Fallout esque post-apocolyptic world will be our end result
- As believable as possible
Here it is in all of its unedited glory! You see it as we work on it! Feel free to share with us your thoughts, even if they are: you guys suck!
2013
September
Conservative members of the United States congress try to defund key Democratic health care legislation in the US–the Affordable Care Act. With the threat of a partial government shutdown looming, the Democratic President and Democratically Controlled US Senate refuse to negotiate with Republicans, stating they “will not allow Republicans to extract a ransom from the American people by threatening government shutdowns.”
October 1st
On the 1st of October the United States government shuts down. Millions of government employees are furloughed. Members of the United States armed forces are ordered to stay at their posts, and last minute legislation ensures that they, at least, will continue to receive paychecks.
October 1st – 15th
Through the first half of October both sides of the political battle over the American Affordable Care Act refuse to negotiate and the government remains in “partial shutdown” mode. The United States department of the treasury informs Congress that if no agreement is reached, and Congress fails to raise the federal debt ceiling by the 17th of October, the United States government will default.
October 14th
Despite warnings from the Treasury Department and Economists, the Tea Party Republicans refuse to budge on their demand that any government funding include a defunding of the Affordable Care Act. on the 14th of October, conservative news organization Fox News begins pushing “The Debt Ceiling Doesn’t Matter!” talking points.
October 16th
Republicans and Democrats in the United States Senate come to a last minute compromise that will reopen government and increase the Federal Debt Ceiling until the middle of February. At first it looks like this will easily pass in the United States House of Representatives, but at the last minute the Tea Party faction of the Republican party blocks the legislation from coming to the floor for a vote.
October 17th
The Treasury Department’s deadline for raising the debt ceiling passes. Markets around the world react strongly to the news that the United States may default. The Tokyo Exchange loses 22% of its value in less than half a day of trading. Regulators in Japan stop trading for the day when multiple pauses fail to arrest the market crash. In Europe the trading is furious, European markets lose in the range of 30% of their total value. When the stock exchange opens in New York, investors are already panicked. Trading is halted multiple times throughout the day before the markets close down 37%.
American President Obama gives his “Black Day” speech. The finger pointing begins, and the two sides are no closer to an agreement.
October 18th
Stock trading is suspended again around the world. Chinese president Xi Jinping calls the American political system “broken” in an interview, and says the “American government is holding the world hostage.”
The Treasury Department announces suspension of Social Security payments. Despite its earlier dire warnings, there has yet to be a default. Fox News claims this is a vindication of Tea Party assertions that the Debt Ceiling “does not matter.”
October 19th
Trading is resumed in Japan, and the Japanese markets see a modest 6% recovery. European regulators reopen trading and, after a seesaw day of trading, close up 3%.
American markets open encouraged, and stock values seem to be going up until just after 9am. At 9:10 the Treasury Department holds a press conference stating that, “at 8:46 this morning, the United States government defaulted on wide variety of bond debt…”
October 31st
By the 31st of October no agreement has been reached in the United States Congress. Worldwide market values have dropped to less than 40% of their pre-Tea”castrophie” levels.
November
By the middle of the month unemployment worldwide is up 10%. Protests pop up in a number of American cities as many Americans begin to feel the weight of federal layoffs and the suspension of SSI payments.
December
Unemployment in the United States is over 25% for the first time since the Great Depression. A number of “Tea Party” Congressmen have their offices attack or vandalized. On the 4th a man is killed by police after firing an assault rifle at the Capitol Building in Washington DC.
On the 6th Capitol Police fire teargas and rubber bullets at a large group of protestors that have gathered illegal on the Washington Mall to protest the suspension of SSI payments. Many of the protestors were elderly and 7 are killed. Protests in a number of American cities turn violent. In Detroit 8 Police Officers and 38 protestors are killed.
On the 15th the first US Service member reports that his pay was not deposited in his account. This is the last straw for the Tea Party Republicans, and a “clean” funding bill and Debt Ceiling Increase passes both houses of Congress on the 16th, but the damage is already done.
2014
The new year sees the Global Economic Crisis deepen. Most countries, including the United States, are now dealing with unemployment rates in the low 30s. The developing world, including China, is hit particularly hard.
February:
Dealing with significant issues at home, president Obama begins the military drawback in Afghanistan. He promises all 60,000 US troops will be home by August.
March:
The civil war in Syria continues unabated. At the end of the month, regime forces carry out massive chemical weapons strikes on rebel targets. The United States and European countries respond with sharp rhetoric, but are no longer in a position to act.
Quietly, the first cases of H1N5 appear in Hong Kong.
May:
The Greek government collapses, and Golden Dawn–a fascist party–wins in a landslide. Leftists turn out in the streets and a week of running battles between Greek police, leftist protestors, and right wing paramilitaries consumes Athens.
When the dust settles 1,300 are dead. The new Greek government “suspends” the constitution and unilaterally withdraws from the Euro Zone. They also announce a halt to all immigration and declare their intention to expel all Turks, Eastern Europeans, and Africans from Greece.
Greek Marxists begin a low-grade insurgency against Golden Dawn.
June
Despite German attempts to stave off disaster, the Italian economy collapses completely. The Italian government in chaos, announces its intention to withdraw from the Euro Zone.
On the 7th of September the Greek premiere is assassinated. Red September takes responsibility.
July
Responding to civil unrest in Turkey, the radicalization of the ruling Islamic party, and the state of Greece, the Turkish Military takes control of Turkey.
August
In Argentina the economic crisis has had a profound effect. Half of the population is now out of work. The Government has been paralyzed since President de Kirchner has been in a coma since the end of 2013. The Vice President has been politically powerless to act, since he faces a series of corruption charges.
During the first week of August elements of the Argentinean military attempt to stage a coup. This fails, but a constitution crisis follows. By the end of the month a right wing coalition is in power.
August 16th
In Russia, Vladimir Putin declares martial law. Two weeks later he dies after falling off a horse during a photo shoot. Russia explodes.
August 27th
After an attack on the Greek military is blamed on Turks in Greece, the round up of Turkish citizens and the Turkish minority is intensified. Blurry cell phone videos appear reporting to show Golden Dawn paramilitaries executing over 300 Turks with machine guns.
August 29th
In Turkey General Ilkar Basbug is released from prison. Assumes command of the Turkish armed forces. The Turkish military government issues a warning to Greece: the Turkish people will not tolerate the murder of Turkish citizens in Greece.
September
With the war in Syria worse than ever, the Israeli government takes note that the international community has failed to respond to renewed use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. Convinced that this means the West lacks the political will to challenge Iran on the nuclear issue, the Israeli government acts.
September 17th
For the first time since the end of the Second World War, nuclear weapons are used in anger. Israel stuns the world by launching a nuclear strike on an Iranian nuclear facility deep in the desert. Iran responds immediately by launching ballistic missile strikes at Israel.
September 19th
While the Israeli “Iron Dome” manages to intercept most incoming Iranian missiles, some make it through. Tel Aviv is hit with a radiological weapon and nerve gas. When casualties reach into the thousands, Israel responds by conducting a nuclear strike on Tehran.
Another report of the massacre of ethnic Turks leaves makes it out of Greece. The Turkish army responds by launching air strikes on Greek targets and immediately occupying Cyprus. Fighting begins on the ground in Thrace and quickly escalates. By the end of the month there is a full scale armed conflict between the two NATO allies.
September 21st
In Iraq, the Shiite takes to the streets demanding action against both Israel and the United States. The American Embassy is attacked and the Iraqi armed forces fail to intervene. The entire embassy staff is taken prisoner and executed.
American president Obama condemns the violence against American diplomatic staff. His words vaguely disguise threat of military force against Iran, or any country that fails to live up to its international obligation to protect American citizens in the diplomatic corps.
The governments of Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia withdraw their ambassador to Israel. An emergency meeting of the Arab league is called.
No one knows who is in charge in Iran as news out of Tehran, or the remnants of the city, is limited. It is assumed that the government and military of Iran is in chaos, until Iranian military assets begin targeting oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. A press release is read over Iranian radio, claiming to be from the Iranian president declaring a “State of War” with Israel and a “blockade” of the Persian Gulf.
September 23rd
As markets open all over the world, the price of oil already elevated since the beginning of hostilities, skyrocket to over $700 a barrel. The already faltering world economy shutters.
Advanced American naval elements protecting the Persian Gulf combined with Nato Air assets in Europe and on the Arabian peninsula begin attacks on Iranian air, sea and land assets. The American president tells the nation that American military intervention is limited to denying the Iranian military the capacity to effect commerce in the Persian Gulf.
October 1st
In response to NATO attack on Iran, the Iranian army crosses the Iraqi frontier. The Iraqi army does not resist. In fact many Iraqi units join with the Iranian army. In response, Saudi and American forces cross into Iraq and race for the Southern Oil Fields and Basra. NATO air power begins wide spread targeting of the Iranian military. The 3rd Iraq War has begun.
Mid-October:
Turkish forces land on the Greek island of Crete and intense fighting continues. In Greece the Marxist insurgency begins coordinated operations with Turkey. In Turkey ethnic Armenians begin to protest the war. The Turkish military cracks down hard and Armenians, once again, take up arms. Armenia, though vastly outgunned, declares war on Turkey.
November:
A story appears buried in the New York Times. H1N5 virus seems to have broken quarantine in Hong Kong. By mid-month the flu virus which kills 50% of those infected has appeared all over China, in London, Paris and Vancouver.
The WHO officially declares a H1N5 uncontrolled and issues a Pandemic Severity Index Rating of 5. Over 6 million people in China are now sick. In the United States many still with jobs start refusing to go to work after the first cases of H1N5 appear in San Francisco and quickly spread. Pharmacies are attacked by people looking for Tamiflu and Relenza. Rioting turns into general looting in a number of cities.
At the end of November the first cases of the illness appear in Argentina. At first the government tries to hide this from the Argentinean populace. When the news finally breaks, the government response is the invasion of the Falklands.
As the worldwide crisis escalates, and as a new war in Europe becomes a reality. European governments are in chaos. Neo-Nazi elements in Germany bomb Turkish restaurants and attack immigrants. The once dead Red Army Faction carries out a series of attacks against American military bases. By the end of the month 600 Germans and 75 Americans are dead.
In France, a general strike leads to the 4th Paris commune and the government collapses. The army takes control of the government and moves against the strikers. 4 days of street fighting lead to the collapse of the 4th Paris commune. The French military announces on November 27th, that: Henri, Comte de Paris, Duc de France has been rightfully restored to his throne. Long Live the King! Long Live Henri VII! Long Live France!
In Italy the power of the central government has broken down completely. While still in existence nominally, in reality political power in Italy has devolved back to almost pre-Italian regional governments.
December:
The UK condemns Argentine aggression and Conservative PM David Cameron announces that the UK will retake the islands. Many experts question the power of UK to manage this, given the cut in the strength of the RN since the first Falkland war in the early 1980s. Secretly, David Cameron approaches the United States for help.
In a secret meeting during a conference of the American states. Argentina, Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador and Bolivia have agreed to come to each other’s aid in case of American aggression.
In mid month the situation, which has been unstable in Russia for months comes to a head. Global oil prices mean many Russians cannot afford to heat their homes. As the death toll climbs, National Bolsheviks seize control of a number of government buildings in Moscow and St. Petersburg. To everyone’s surprise, after 3 days the Russian military backs the National Bolsheviks and the Slavic Nationalist Bolshevik Federation is formed. The effects are immediate as the Russian state begins re-nationalizing key government industries. Including oil and gas production.
2015
January:
By the beginning of the month H1N5 is everywhere. By some estimates nearly 30% of the world’s population is ill and 50% of those are expected to die. In some countries the number of sick is estimated to be closer to 45% of the population. Global healthcare systems are overwhelmed and unable to cope.
The world economy has ground to stand still. The effects of the American default and oil scarcity are now compounded by H1N5. Combat in Iraq continues and by the beginning of the month Iranian forces have been pushed back to the border.
February:
The United States announces that, while not a belligerent in the British and Argentine conflict, US naval forces will accompany a British expedition to retake the island. Venezuela immediately announces an oil embargo against the United States.
(c) Scott Mills & Terrible Gamers 2013