Game design notes for Twilight 2000

Okay, so I just wanted to make a post to try and help players understand Twilight 2000 as I have been able to figure it out so far.

The year Twilight begins in 2000, our newest campaign will begin after the final tactical battle takes place in Europe. The background of Twilight gives us the living conditions, it takes much more reading to actually get the details of what life in the game is actually like for your character, and what they might of seen and done.

Every person in Twilight has been witness to a war. Between 1990 to 2000 Soviet Union engaged in open war with China, a bloody ten year saga that is still happening even after 1997 to present day in the game. Entire Pact divisions were sent and lost in this front, China was winning when Soviet Union brought its Nuclear power to bear, whilst Germany, U.S. and U.K. among some other countries without the support of NATO fight in Poland and the surrounding area - Keep in mind Poland is allied with Russia and of course, has its support in this front as well.

Turkey, Italy and Greece were also fighting, as well as the entire NATO fleet engaging the Goliath of the Soviet Fleet in the final naval action of the war before the nuclear weapons were used in 1997. In U.S. the Milgov and Civgov had a civil war of their own, although not as brutal, it hurt their economy and government structure even before the nuclear weapons blew the leaders and every sense of order out of the countries.

The nuclear war continues for three years, with governments slowly launching a tactical nuclear weapon aimed for one thing at a time, inching bit by bit closer to their own annihilation rather then spike one force into just launching every missile they have and taking the entire world into the oblivion of nuclear winter.

As the governments dissolve or just disappear the countries fighting forces deployed overseas become disoriented and as with a head off a snake, die. Entire units of men are lost in meaningless fighting as some commanders attempt to carry out the last orders of their countries leaders and governments, others decide to go with life as they know it and settle in, taking up a zone of ground their fighting forces can cover and defend including maybe a town or village and making a base to use the civilian population to survive. This has been going on since 1997, military units setting up a permanent home in these types of situations, either enormous camps or settling into towns or villages and either living in peace as a defending force for the populace or more like olden day Japanese warlords.

Some bands of soldiers roam, taking supplies from where ever they travel, or just enforce a tax on the populations like a mafia crime family would. One way or another, the armies break down and fall apart, some turn into squads of men. Some are still loyal to their old belief's in moral duty of soldiers to keep peace and protect lives of the civilian population, perhaps some of the soldiers also cling to the hope that perhaps their loved ones survived and many attempt to make it back to their homes to try and find those they once loved before being drafted into service. Communication has been lost for at least 3 years with home for your standard soldier at least.

Also at this time AIDS, a virus is plaguing the entire world and kills a staggering amount of the human population, I think it might be somewhere near 50% however I am not entirely sure this was the final sum they gave, leaving entire towns and villages nearly deserted or completely empty as all their residents either die, or move on from the tatters of their lives.

Now, the world of Europe is broken into small zones, occupied by different bands with their own military organization which now isn't loyal to anything but the fellow running the show in that zone. These zones range in size incredibly depending on the strength of the military that the leader in that area can muster to defend his or her turf, much like many miniature countries.

Unknown to most of the world, France is the most powerful country left. Uninvolved in the war, with its boarders closed to all it will eventually stabilize the entire world and bring it into Traveller.

What does this mean for those people left alive?
Constant war, perhaps peacekeeping missions, perhaps vital missions, perhaps just survival itself! At this stage of play we are not quite at Merc yet, and the "Team" has been specially assembled due to the skills they possess. Death is so common in Twilight characters should not be thinking that they may die, but more -when- will they die, and every character desires to be able to find somewhere were they may not be killed in their sleep (unless their a little crazy).

Has my character seen fighting?
Yes, everyone has seen the war or been one of the most luckiest people alive. I would say that everyone who is playing this game has shot someone, or even a few hundred someones by now. Players should remember that a war of one type or another has been happening since 1990 and every character in the game, besides on very special branch begins play as a drafted soldier into the war which means they have seen at LEAST up to 4 years of combat.

For now, I think I will leave it here. Hopefully this was helpful!