93 Games Studio Developers Blog

This snippet is solely for the enjoyment of our Gunmaster friend, you know who you are.

Morale and Threats

A Hollywood hero never succumbs to fear.  Regardless of the odds arrayed against him, he sets his square jaw and fixes his steely gaze upon the hordes of enemies.  In the Reflex System, however, characters are a bit more human.  The following rules model the conditions under which a character's courage can fail him, reducing his combat effectiveness and ultimately robbing him of his will to fight.

A character's morale condition is determined by two factors: his Coolness Under Fire value and the current threat level arrayed against him.  Various threat conditions represent events or injuries that can negatively affect a combatant's morale.  The character's threat level is equal to the total number of threat conditions that apply to him during the current combat scene.  As long as his threat level is less than or equal to his CUF, he suffers no adverse effects.  He's sufficiently hardened that the bullets, bombs, and blood don't faze him.  However, if his threat level exceeds his CUF, he suffers a penalty on all checks equal to the difference between threat level and CUF.  If the difference is 5 or more, his will to fight is broken and he's unable to take any actions other than fleeing, performing first aid on himself, communicating, and curling into a fetal ball and weeping.  At the end of each exchange of fire, he may not press - he must hold.  Furthermore, a broken character automatically fails all opposed and competing social checks.

Example: Leslie has CUF 8.  As long as her threat level is 8 or less, she suffers no morale-related penalties.  If her threat level increases to 11, she suffers a -3 penalty on all checks.  If her threat level increases to 13 or higher, she becomes broken, unable to carry on the fight due to a total morale failure.

Suppressive Fire

Most attacks are made with a definite target in mind – randomly spraying bullets downrange is unlikely to neutralize any enemies.  However, some situations call for controlled fire into an empty area in order to discourage opponents from moving through it or otherwise doing anything that might make them targets.  This technique is known as suppressive fire.  Any firearm can be used for suppressive fire.

Suppressive fire requires a snap shot Attack action, targeting an area rather than an enemy.  The maximum width of area that can be suppressed is equal to half the number of bullets being fired in meters (e.g. a three-round burst can suppress an area up to one and a half meters wide).  Using a single shot or a short burst (5 rounds or less) gives an area an effective threat rating of 1.  A long burst (5 or more rounds) gives it a threat rating of 2.  Using explosives or tracer ammunition increases the threat rating by 1 (the incoming fire is visible in this case, not just audible).

If a character takes an action that places him within the suppressed area and exposes him to the source of the suppressive fire, his current threat level increases by the suppressed area's threat rating.  This lasts until the end of the current exchange of fire.  If he exposes himself before the attacker's next action, the attacker also gets a "free shot" on him, using the same rate of fire that he used for the suppression.  This action has a tick cost of zero and is resolved before the suppressed character's action is resolved.

Example: Keith is using his Minimi (ROF B5/B9) to suppress two enemies who are behind an armored bunker door.  Keith hoses bullets into the door at his gun's high rate of fire, laying down a 9-round burst.  The Minimi's ammo mix includes tracer rounds, so anyone who sticks his head out of the door before the end of the exchange of fire will suffer a +3 increase to his threat level.

The bunker door is too thick for the Minimi to penetrate, so the enemy troops aren't initially exposed to the fire.  However, before Keith's next action, one of the enemies opens the door to throw a grenade at Keith.  As he exposes himself to the suppressive fire, his threat level immediately increases by 3.  Keith takes his free attack on the exposed enemy, putting down another 9-round burst - and his target.

Keith's next action is to reload.  While Keith is reloading, the second enemy takes the opportunity to run out of the bunker toward Keith's position.  This also exposes him to Keith, raising this enemy's threat level by 3 as well.  However, Keith is no longer engaged in suppressing the same spot, so he doesn't get a free attack on the second target.

Just an FYI, this will probably be the last rules snippet in preparation for the release and pre-orders.

Winchester Model 1894

One of the iconic lever-action rifles, the "Winchester '94" was produced for over a century, with the last gun coming off the assembly line in 2006. In 1894, it was a revolutionary design: a lever-action gun chambered not only for a true rifle caliber rather than a pistol caliber, but designed to use cartridges with the (at the time) new smokeless propellant. Like most lever-action designs, the rifle feeds from an integral tubular magazine under the barrel.

Over the course of the gun's history, about 7 million were produced in a variety of calibers and configurations. The majority of these were sold on the U.S. market, but enough were exported that the Model 94 was globally available (if not ubiquitous) at the time of the Collapse. Its original .30-30 cartridge quickly attained prominence as one of the most popular rounds in North America for hunting deer and other medium-sized game, and. Like the rifle that spawned it, it is still found throughout the world in 2013.

Type: Hunting Rifle
Caliber: .30-30
Capacity: 6 (in)

Stage I

Damage	6
Penetration	x2
Range	Tight/Open
ROF	S
Speed	3/6/8
Bulk	3
Weight	3.2 kg
Barter Value	GG550
Street Price	$1,100

Stage II

Damage	6
Penetration	x2/x3
Range	Tight/Open
ROF	S
Speed	3/6/8
Recoil	12
Bulk	3
Weight	3.2 kg
Barter Value	GG550
Street Price	$1,100

Stage III

Damage/Penetration
Personal	7/x2
Gunfighting	7/x2
CQB	7/x2
Tight	6/x2
Medium	5/x2
Open	4/x2
Range	Tight/Open
ROF	S
Speed	3/6/8
Recoil	12
Bulk	3
Weight	3.2 kg
Barter Value	GG550
Street Price	$1,100

Quirks:

Image: Like all lever-action rifles, this is an archaic design that offers few quantifiable advantages over more modern weapons. However, choosing to carry it is a statement in and of itself, an evocation of Old West imagery and the associated values. Use of a Model 1894 as a primary weapon grants a +2 bonus to all uses of the character's Luck reputation aspect - if and only if the observer shares the same cultural image of cowboys. This bonus becomes a penalty if the character demonstrates gross incompetence with the weapon. Adopting the Model 1894 as a character's primary weapon may also, at the GM's discretion, be worth a survival point.

Suppression: Although rapid fire with a lever-action gun is wastefully inaccurate, a skilled operator can put a good amount of lead in the air. This is beneficial in situations in which volume of fire is more important than accuracy. When performing suppressive fire, a lever-action weapon like the Model 1894 functions as a semi-automatic firearm.

Sorry it's been a little bit but I think (hope) y'all will like this post. This weeks post is all about guns.

So with no further ado, here's your snippet:

FN Mk 16 (SCAR-L)

The early 2000s saw the emergence of a number of new 5.56mm NATO assault rifles, many of which were promoted as replacements for the decades-old M16 family. The Mk 16 was more successful than many of its rivals, winning the U.S. Special Operation's Command's SCAR (Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle) competition in 2003. US SOCOM issued approximately 100,000 Mk 16s by the outbreak of the Twilight War, resulting in the rifle seeing global, if relatively limited, combat use. As was the case with many new assault rifles of the early 21st century, semi-automatic versions also enjoyed brief popularity on the American civilian and law enforcement markets.

Most of the Mk 16's features are evolutionary rather than revolutionary: four accessory rails, an adjustable stock that folds to the right side of the weapon, compatibility with standard M16-series magazines, extensive use of polymer structural elements, and an ambidextrous selector switch. Like many proposed M16 replacements, the rifle uses a gas piston operating mechanism rather than a direct impingement system, resulting in less heat buildup and fouling. Otherwise-identical models were sold in three barrel lengths: CQC (25cm/10"), Standard (36cm/14"), and LB (46cm/18").

Type: Assault Rifle
Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
Capacity: 30

Stage I

	Mk 16 CQC	Mk 16 Standard	Mk 16 LB
Damage	6	6	6
Penetration	x2	x2	x2
Range	CQB/Open	Tight/Open	Medium/Sniping
ROF	S/B4	S/B4	S/B4
Speed	2/3/5	3/4/6	3/5/7
Bulk	2	3	3
Weight	3 kg	3.3 kg	3.5 kg
Barter Value	GG800	GG800	GG900
Street Price	$1,600	$1,600	$1,800

Stage II

	Mk 16 CQC	Mk 16 Standard	Mk 16 LB
Damage	6	6	6
Penetration	x2/x3	x2/x3	x2/x3
Range	CQB/Open	Tight/Open	Medium/Sniping
ROF	S/B4	S/B4	S/B4
Speed	2/3/5	3/4/6	3/5/7
Speed (folded)	2/3/4	2/3/5	2/4/6
Recoil	7	6	6
Recoil (folded)	11	9	9
Bulk	2	3	3
Weight	3 kg	3.3 kg	3.5 kg
Barter Value	GG800	GG800	GG900
Street Price	$1,600	$1,600	$1,800

Stage III

	Mk 16 CQC	Mk 16 Standard	Mk 16 LB
Damage/Penetration
Personal	6/x2	7/x2	7/x2
Gunfighting	6/x2	7/x2	7/x2
CQB	6/x2	7/x2	7/x2
Tight	6/x2	6/x2	7/x2
Medium	5/x2	6/x2	6/x2
Open	4/x2	5/x2	5/x2
Sniping	-	-	3/x3
Range	CQB/Open	Tight/Open	Medium/Sniping
ROF	S/B4	S/B4	S/B4
Speed	2/3/5	3/4/6	3/5/7
Speed (folded)	2/3/4	2/3/5	2/4/6
Recoil	7	6	6
Recoil (folded)	11	9	9
Bulk	2	3	3
Weight	3 kg	3.3 kg	3.5 kg
Barter Value	GG800	GG800	GG900
Street Price	$1,600	$1,600	$1,800

Quirks:

Image: The Mk 16's reputation links it to its largest body of users, the American special operations community. Possession of a mil-spec Mk 16 (but not a semi-auto civilian version) grants a +1 bonus to all uses of the character's Force reputation aspect. This bonus becomes a penalty if the character demonstrates gross incompetence with the weapon.

Reliability: For the purposes of triggering breakdowns, the Mk 16's Durability is considered to be 1 higher than its actual value.

Scarcity: The Mk 16 was never produced as widely as other weapons, resulting in supply chain issues for some users. Spare parts cost 3x normal.

Twilight: 2013 is a roleplaying game of post-apocalyptic survival and renewal.

Twilight: 2013 is the official 3rd edition of Twilight: 2000. I began this path in early 2005, by chance I ran across an email address which led me to the license holder of Twilight: 2000. After sending out an inquiry he responded and we soon began negotiating for the license. In Jan. 2006 we signed the deal. I immediately officially brought Clayton on board (although technically he'd been on board since the beginning). And the rest is history.

93 Games Studio has been working hard to create a new edition to this strong and exciting series. This year we WILL be releasing the core rules for the new edition. A lot of work has gone into creating a system that continues where the previous ones left off and detailing a exciting and varied timeline.

I am very excited and can not wait to announce the expected release date. Unfortunately there are some things out of my control right now regarding that, but as soon as they are handled, I'll be making that historic announcment. Until then enjoy the following:

Snippet:
The snipped today is the release of the cover design:

As a cheat sheet to see what the morse code is saying: http://www.93gamesstudio.com/twilight2013/downloads/qst_de_yi9-k4it.txt

Just a minor blog update today. I've created a couple of desktop wallpapers for Twilight: 2013, using art from the core book. I've posted them on my website (http://www.93gamesstudio.com/twilight2013/). On my website there are 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960 and 1600x1200 sizes of each.

So I was handed today the last two chapters of the rules sections by the game developer. As it stands now 8 out of 9 chapters are 100% complete with the last one due shortly. That means that this thing is soon out the door. I am getting really excited now (and extremely nervous).

Things are definitely falling into place. As soon as this is out the door to the printer, I will be posting our future plans. With that because this will have heavy PDF support, that side of development will be real fluid. I am open to suggestions and desires. By the end of the month I will be creating a public thread in our forums asking for suggestions and input about that. I should also be posting the print schedule by then as well.

Snippet time:

No Hell Without Hope

The world of Twilight: 2013 is a pretty grim place, as it should be. Life for the PCs should never be a picnic – but neither should it be so unrelentingly FUBAR that you wind up playing The Road Warrior rather than Twilight: 2013. As the GM, one of your goals is to convey the chaos and darkness of the setting to your players, but this needs to be balanced out by the understanding that non-stop darkness is not fun for most groups.

It is something of a fuzzy target, but an ideal session of Twilight: 2013 should be unnerving, tense and exciting (like a good thriller), not gruesome, brutal and frightening (like a good horror movie) – although moments of brutality are fair game. At the end of the day, role-playing is a leisure activity. Everyone in your group probably works or goes to school, and spending every Friday night mired in a world that crosses that fine line between "grim but exciting" and "everything sucks and I want to die" is the last thing they want to do.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's minor, I know. But I didn't want to put too much out there. I am hoping though that in just a few weeks will be posting pre-orders and possibly a preview edition (tied into the pre-orders possibly). But I will know more within a week. So check back soon.

So, as many of you can tell there will not be a 2007 release. We've had a few set backs as try as I might I haven't been able to pull things together as fast as I would like.

I am ok with the delay though. This project has turned out some awesome material. I am very proud to have worked with Clayton and am equally proud of the rules he has developed. All along I've told him I would rather delay and have quality than rush it and put out something that is no different than that which is already out there. I can tell you that the rules we're putting out are going to take the game to a new level.

I do have some good news though, writing is almost complete, maybe a week or two left and its done. Except for a few special peices, art is already collected. Cover and layout images are in as well. All I am mostly waiting on is a final edit and then it out the door. So I would look for pre-orders taking place in January.

And now for another snippet:

2009

The Libyan leader dies in September. Because he actually had no official state title and Libya being "a state of the masses", no person replaces him. Instead the Prime Minister steps up and assumes all of the formers duties and responsibilities. The death of the Libyan leader causes great unrest throughout the west as they prepare for all possibilities, but by the end of the year most fears are subdued.

One of the Prime Ministers first acts as de facto head of state is to continue and expand the Great Manmade River project. Libya contracts with several additional large European companies to expand the project. In exchange for their assistance Libya grants them all large swathes of land (about 10 sq. km. each) near Banghazi along the Mediterranean coast. The companies quickly setup their own company towns, construct ports, and begin importing in thousands of workers (both labor and security).

In additional to public works, the Prime Minister goes on a European and North American tour to repair political ties and Libya's national image amongst the west. The new democratic president of the U.S. welcomes the offer and holds a North American summit with Libya, Canada and Mexico. Officially not much is accomplished at this meeting, however, the groundwork is laid which will see benefits next year as the river project is expanded and offered to American companies.

Manmade River Project

The Manmade River Project is one of the largest engineering feats undertaken in the modern era. Connecting over 1300 wells, a network of pipes supplies water from the Sahara Desert in Libya from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System. Work began on the project in 1984 and progress was slow until 2007 when an explosion of growth began to see tangible results.


2010

Libya's Great Manmade River project enjoys huge milestones. The program is expanded beyond what most thought it could. By the end of the year hundreds of small villages and towns are reached and included in the system. Large areas of the once desert area are even turned into lush, fertile valleys. Encouraged by this success, several U.S. companies are granted company towns in order to further speed expansion. With the profits these companies start seeing, the financial markets joke that soon there'll be more money in water than in oil.

After seeing the success of Libya's company towns, many other African nations openingly adopt the same practice. Most of them are set up for legitimate ventures, such as port operations or diamond mining (as many of them try to turn away from the blood diamond image). However, a few of them are allowed to operate without oversight and begin to create walled citadels where all manner of rumored activities exist.

The most famous of these new company towns is located in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) about 15 miles up river from Grand Bassam near Amia, named Utopia. Utopia's secret will remain intact even past 2013, however, many rumors will travel the world about what happens there.

2011

Seeing the explosive growth of rich farm land in Libya, Egypt embraces its neighbor and in the fall, signs multiple treaties of mutual support. The treaties include provisions for the sharing of the Great Manmade River system, providing cheap Egyptian labor for the projects use, mutual defense and the sharing of technology. Egypt opens its first company town along the Libyan-Egypt border. These treaties will prove to be very beneficial to both countries in the coming years.

This year Egypt has experienced a huge boom in oil and gas transport coming thru the Suez Canal heading to Europe. The increase has been largely due to the fact that Russia has ceased all oil exports to Europe. The embargo includes any nation which publicly issued statements of support for France over the Belarus attack. This embargo is absolute and includes all means of transport (trucks, ships and pipe). The increased revenue allows Egypt to provide increased financial support for the Manmade River Project as well as increasing its military might.


[This is uneditted and subject to change, but should be pretty concrete]

2010

In 2001 the Americans suffered their day; on July 30, 2010 the French suffers theirs. During the Coupe de France in the Stade de France, a group of "terrorists" release a highly toxic Novichok agent (a broad classification for a series of Russian next generation nerve agents) into the crowd. During the panic and confusion they also detonate a van full of an approximately 1000 kilos of ANFO (ammonium nitrate/fuel oil high explosive) near the triage area. The resulting blast causes the collapse of the entire southern goals section. Over 10,000 casualties are estimated because of the agent, stadium collapse and the chaos that follows.

Coupe de France

"Coupe de France" soon becomes a rallying cry for French nationalists looking to avenge the Stade de France attack. Numerous atrocities are committed in the days and weeks after the Coupe de France attack in the name of justice. It will be a year before anyone takes responsibility for the Coupe de France attack, but this is ultimately immaterial as the French public look for someone/anyone to extract revenge upon. While no official count exists (or at least none publicly acknowledged), estimates are that there were more than 10,000 victims during this time of chaos.

....

2011

After almost a year of investigating, the Renseignement Generaux (French intelligence) is able to identify the group responsible for the Coupe de France bombing. The attack is believed to have been perpetrated by an extremist group operating out of eastern Belarus, in retaliation for the treatment of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the crisis in the Ukraine. The group has ties to several other terrorist organizations and is rumored to be run by a former high ranking KBG officer. The French president immediately demands that the Belarus government track down and turn over those involved in the Coupe de France attack. Partially due to corruption and partially due to an inability to carry it out, the Belarus government refuses to comply with the French ultimatum.

Promising swift and decisive action, the French Parliament authorizes the Prime Minister to take any and all necessary actions to deal with these terrorists. France declares Belarus a terrorist safe have. This is especially poignant given last years Ukrainian incident. In 2006, the French president announced that France would be ready to use nuclear weapons against any state which launched a terrorist attack against it.

Such action is finally exercised on the anniversary of the Coupe de France attack as France launches a single nuclear SLBM with six independently targetable nuclear warheads, from a submarine located in the Black Sea. Five of the nukes target several suspected terrorist strongholds in an area north of Cherikov in Belarus. The last warhead strikes the Belarusian military's Western Operational Command at Grodno.

The French believe the strikes to have successfully decimated the terrorist group, their infrastructure and Belarus' capability to retaliate. Public outcry is high especially when the dust settles and it is determined that all of the approximately 17,000 civilians in Cherikov are also killed in one of the strikes (not to mention the deaths from the surrounding towns).

The submarine responsible for the launch is believed to have been hunted down and destroyed by Russian naval forces before it is able to make its way back into the Mediterranean.

The nuclear attack is soon dubbed the "Shots Felt 'Round the World" by the press as word of the attack spreads faster its blast wave. At 9pm that night, the French president takes to the air waves explaining to the world what the French people had just done. It is believed for a brief moment the whole world was silent in shock and awe.

Many nations around the world are shocked at the actions of the French and demand action, fearing the genie is now out of the bottle. Panic grips most large cities as week long riots rage. Martial law is declared in nations including the U.S. to deal with the chaos and fear.

In an odd twist, publicly the French action is condemned by most of the civilized world, while privately France is offered support and assurances of inaction from the UN and EU from many of those same nations that publicly call for action against France.

[This is uneditted and subject to change, but should be pretty concrete]

Life Paths

No character springs fully-formed into being in mid-2013.  A lifetime of experiences combines to make him what he is.  Twilight: 2013 models this through a life path character creation system that walks you through your character's life a few years at a time, gradually improving his capabilities at the same time that you act as his biographer.

The character's life path after his 18th birthday is divided into phases.  Each phase describes a particular activity to which he dedicates one or more years of his life.  From the character's perspective, the act of entering a life path phase represents career change or other major turning point in his life.  Accordingly, some sort of logical progression between phases may help you in describing your character's history.

It's perfectly acceptable for a character to pass through the same life path phase multiple times.  In the real world, many people stay in the same career (though not necessarily with the same employer) for decades.  Unless otherwise stated in an individual life path phase's description, a character may repeat any phase indefinitely, so long as he continues to satisfy its prerequisites.  Your character continues to gain the benefits of a phase in each pass through it.

Here is the list of just the 41 civilian life paths to choose from that we are including in the core release:


There is also an equally long list of military life paths to choose from as well.

The Arithmetic of Extinction

On first glance, a 90% estimated casualty rate over the course of one year seems unimaginable.  Short of a pandemic, which we ruled out as not in keeping with the post-nuclear feel of previous editions, nothing should be able to kill six billion people so quickly.

From a setting perspective, a more survivable Last Year wouldn't have generated an optimal atmosphere.  We wanted a setting in which familiar urban landscapes had become hostile frontiers and small communities of survivors huddled together in the darkness.  The world of Twilight: 2013 is a hollow and empty one for characters who remember what life was like only a year or two before.

Once we decided how bad we wanted things to be, mechanisms for killing nine in ten people were easier than we expected.  As we examined recent history, it became clear that most large-scale disasters don't have higher casualty rates because they're local or regional.  An earthquake, hurricane, or tsunami can devastate thousands of square kilometers, but the rest of the country – or, if need be, the rest of the world – can send help, receive refugees, and fund relief and reconstruction efforts.  In Twilight: 2013, the infrastructure and C3I disruption from nuclear attacks and EMP meant that virtually every corner of the globe was thrust into crisis at once.  Quite simply, there was no place from which sufficient help could come.  Subsequent problems, which would have been manageable under normal circumstances, spiraled out of control into a proverbial "perfect storm" of humanitarian crises.  Given time and leadership, even an isolated community might be able to recover from a nuclear strike.  The same community isn't likely to withstand subsequent food shortages, cholera, and descent into mass panic and paranoid fratricide.

Hurricane Katrina was still fresh in our minds when we began writing Twilight: 2013, and its lessons deserve careful study.  First and foremost, it told us that human nature is to deny impending danger until the last moment.  The vast majority of people will not make sufficient preparations for any sort of crisis.  Most citizens of developed countries will choose conformity and polite silence over making any sort of public spectacle, and will rely on their governments to provide for them rather than taking responsibility for their own safety.  For their part, governments tend to discourage a large degree of self-sufficiency for a myriad of reasons.  These mindsets are not conducive to crisis survival, be it on an individual or a societal level.

In addition, the last two generations have seen a movement away from rural life in virtually every industrialized nation.  Thanks to the development of refrigeration, food production has become a centralized industry in which the vast majority of people no longer participate.  Personal hygiene without indoor plumbing, trauma medicine, off-road navigation, and most primary production crafts are likewise skills that are as foreign as hunting and farming to most city-dwellers.  Without public utilities and readily-available food, most of us simply don't know what to do to keep ourselves alive for a year.

So, by the numbers, what killed the world?  Here are our estimates, assuming a global population of 7 billion at the beginning of 2012.  GMs should feel free to adjust these numbers based on their own views of Armageddon.

Starvation, dehydration, and exposure: 2.4 billion (34% of prewar population).  The single greatest killer during the Last Year was not bullet, blade, fire, or atom, but the breakdown of the world's ability to provide sustenance and shelter for its inhabitants.  Over a third of humanity died from shortages of the most basic survival necessities.

Public health failure: 2.1 billion (30%).  The widespread destruction of public utilities by both conventional warfare and EMP effects led to a global breakdown in public health and sanitation systems.  Cholera, typhoid, and other diseases ran rampant in both surviving communities and refugee settlements. 

Civil disorder: 310 million (4.4%).  Panicked desperation resulted in temporary but intense civil unrest in most heavily-populated areas.  Across the globe, citizens cast off the mantle of civilization in favor of whatever actions they felt they needed to take to preserve their own lives.  Repressed population groups also seized the opportunity to settle old scores, and violent crime flourished to levels unseen in centuries.

Secondary nuclear strike effects: 250 million (3.8%).  Secondary casualties from the nuclear exchanges broke down into two groups.  The first includes victims of radiation poisoning or related complications such as compromised immune systems.  The second is comprised of individuals who received physical injuries that were immediately survivable but ultimately (after weeks or months) fatal.  This total does not include the vastly-increased cancer rate that current survivors will experience over the coming decades.

Self-inflicted: 240 million (3.4%).  An astonishing number of people died by their own hands, either to avoid a worse fate or because they weren't psychologically capable of accepting continued existence after the Last Year.  Precise causes of death were split evenly among action (deliberate suicide or requests for euthanasia) and inaction (simply lying down and waiting to die).  Self-inflicted deaths with religious motivations comprise a significant minority of these totals.

Existing medical conditions: 230 million (3.3%).  Modern medicine extended the life spans of millions of people around the globe.  In the absence of functioning hospitals and pharmaceutical production, conditions that were otherwise minor annoyances with regular maintenance became terminal in a matter of months.  Specific ailments responsible for these deaths ranged from AIDS and kidney failure to diabetes and asthma.  This total also includes age-related deaths at both ends of the spectrum (infant and elderly).

Misadventure and accidents: 210 million (3%).  Failures of overstressed technology, errors in judgement, and simple human stupidity contributed to a significant number of fatalities.  Many of these would have been survivable had a prewar level of trauma care been available.  An even greater number were the direct result of individuals lacking the basic crisis management skills to get themselves and others through life-threatening situations.

Influenza: 180 million (2.8%).  The H5N1 ("bird flu") pandemic that caused such concern in the early 2000s never materialized on a global scale, though it was responsible for an undetermined number of deaths in Southeast Asia.  Instead, the influenza strain that swept the globe over the winter of 2012-13 was a mutation of H3N2 ("swine flu"), a relative of the virus that caused the 20th century's Spanish Flu pandemic.  Had international transportation not already curtailed by that time, outbreaks likely would have been much more widespread and severe.

Conventional warfare: 170 million (2.4%).  The Last War erupted with such speed that the world's militaries had little opportunity to build their forces up to Cold War levels.  At the beginning of 2012, 0.4% of the world's population – some 28 million people – was engaged in some form of military service, including millions of irregular insurgents.  As always, the vast majority of war-related casualties were civilians rather than soldiers.

Nuclear strikes: 75 million (1.1%).  This figure includes primary casualties: people who were critically injured or instantly killed by the direct blast, thermal, or radiation effects of nuclear detonations.  A small amount of this total includes victims who were not exposed to blast effects but were killed by the EMP-induced failure of technology; most such casualties died in mass transportation accidents or were reliant on medical life support equipment.

Natural disasters: 2 million (0.3%).  Earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis didn't stop for the Last Year.  However, even without relief efforts that mitigated the death tolls of previous natural disasters, the tolls exacted by these events paled in comparison to the damage humanity did to itself.

I know its been awhile but I thought I would pass along some development information. We are currently locking down chapters as "COMPLETE." We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel finally. This week I hope to start sending them off to the editor. I am also receiving art, cover is done and layout is almost finished.

As part of the preview process I am posting a few of the images.

The final installment in listing and describing attributes - combat attributes.

Coolness Under Fire (CUF)

Coolness Under Fire represents a character's capacity to override his basic mammalian survival instincts.  This comes from a combination of trained reflex, self-control, and willingness to accept injury as a consequence of action.  To a certain extent, Coolness Under Fire can be considered a "courage attribute," though it only addresses the limited subset of courage in the face of immediate physical danger (moral rectitude and similar forms of courage are roleplaying decisions or functions of Resolve).  A character with a high CUF can unflinchingly face threats that freeze comrades with lower CUF in their tracks or send them scurrying for cover.

CUF in Skill Checks: CUF is never applied to skill checks.

CUF Attribute Checks: A CUF check determines the character's ability to resist fear of death or injury.  Accordingly, CUF checks occur only in specific circumstances determined by combat events – see Chapter Five.

Observe-Orient-Decide-Act (OODA)

Observe-Orient-Decide-Act determines how quickly a character can react to sudden, unexpected events, usually violent ones.  This primarily stems from mental flexibility, but physical reflex speed is also a consideration.  A character with a high OODA can respond to a threat at the drop of a proverbial hat while counterparts with lower OODA are still standing slack-jawed.

OODA in Skill Checks: OODA is never applied to skill checks.

OODA Attribute Checks: As with CUF, OODA checks occur only in specific circumstances determined by combat conditions, as described in Chapter Five.  The most common use of OODA is to determine the speed with which a character acts in combat.

Here are the 4 mental attributes.

Cognition (COG)

Cognition describes the character's capacity for logical reasoning, abstract thought, and creativity.  A character's Cognition roughly relates to his I.Q., though this is not always a direct equivalence, particularly in a case where the character's natural thought processes strongly match or differ from those which are most advantageous in standardized testing.  Typically, though, a character's Cognition value directly translates to what most people consider his level of intelligence.

Cognition in Skill Checks: Any task that requires intensive analysis or creative inspiration is an appropriate one to which to apply Cognition.  This includes intellectual tasks like computer hacking, mechanical malfunction diagnosis, and extemporaneous poetry composition.

Cognition Attribute Checks: Cognition represents creativity and analytical capability.  Accordingly, any attempt to figure something out without benefit of any special training is a good candidate for a Cognition check.

Education (EDU)

Education measures the extent of the character's learning as defined by modern education standards of the early 21st century.  A character's Education value indirectly relates to a specific amount of completed study – a character can be assumed to benefit from a number of years of formal schooling equal to twice his Education. 

Education in Skill Checks: Education affects any skill check that requires the character to remember factual information or to put learned theory into practice.  Most intensive medical and technical tasks fall under this classification, as do large-scale administrative efforts.

Education Attribute Checks: An Education attribute check is called for when a character attempts pure theoretical or laboratory work.  Designing a skyscraper, drafting a constitution, and researching historical events are all tasks appropriate for Education checks.  In addition, any recall of general knowledge that doesn't fall under the domain of a skill is a function of an Education check.

Personality (PER)

Personality encompasses a character's capacity for social interaction and empathy.  A character with high Personality is magnetic, charismatic, and conscious of the feelings of others, whereas one with low Personality is uninteresting, rude, or terse.  Personality is a two-way street, measuring not only the character's ability to affect others but also his sensitivity to subtle social cues.

Personality in Skill Checks: As the attribute that governs a character's socialization, most attempts at interpersonal relations rely on Personality.

Personality Attribute Checks: The social skills (see p. XX) encompass most human interactions.  Personality itself comes into play when the character is simply "being himself" and socializing without a specific agenda.  It also serves as the social counterpart to Awareness, and is used when a character may be able to pick up cues from another individual's demeanor, turns of phrase, or unconscious behavior.  This same function of interpersonal dynamics makes Personality the attribute that opposes all social attempts at deception.

Resolve (RES)

Resolve defines a character's psychological stability and mental endurance.  A character with high Resolve is driven, focused, and self-confident, but one with low Resolve is unmotivated and easily swayed or distracted.  In play, Resolve determines a character's resistance to psychological trauma and ability to cling to life when critically injured.

Resolve in Skill Checks: Resolve applies to actions that require protracted attention in the face of sheer boredom.  It's also relevant to social interaction that involves displays of dedication or aggression, such as intimidation or persuasive speaking.

Resolve Attribute Checks: Resolve is used when the character's willpower is the dominant determining factor in a situation.  This includes resistance to social interaction designed to change the character's behavior, as well as recovery from major injuries.

Coordination (CDN)

As its name suggests, Coordination measures a character's hand-eye coordination and kinesthetic sense.  It also represents his fine motor skills and his innate understanding of two- and three-dimensional movement.  A character with high Coordination is light-fingered and precise, while a character with low Coordination tends to drop things and inflicts a lot of  superficial damage on his car.

Coordination in Skill Checks: Most tasks relying on the character's capacity for precise physical action will apply his Coordination modifier.  This includes virtually all attacks in combat, as well as delicate repair work and vehicular operation.

Coordination Attribute Checks: Coordination checks are appropriate for actions that involve movement and physical activity not directly connected to any skill, such as catching and throwing objects.

Fitness (FIT)

Fitness measures the character's endurance and the strength of his immune system.  A character with high Fitness is energetic and in good health, while one with low Fitness tires and falls ill easily.  In play, Fitness determines a character's resistance to physical injury, carrying capacity, resistance to disease and radiation, healing rate, and sustained overland movement speed.

Fitness in Skill Checks: Fitness is an appropriate attribute to apply to any task that involves the sustained use of a physically demanding skill over an extended period of time.  Manual labor is a prime example, as is energy-intensive movement such as climbing or swimming.

Fitness Attribute Checks: Fitness rarely comes into play for direct use.  It's hard to take an action by being fit – this is more of a passive quality in most circumstances.  Pure physical endurance and resistance to infections are both examples of appropriate Fitness checks.

Muscle (MUS)

Muscle defines the aspects of a character's musculoskeletal system including physical strength, muscle tone, and flexibility.  In play, Muscle affects a character's resistance to physical injury, carrying capacity, throwing range, and combat movement speed.

Muscle in Skill Checks: Muscle comes into play for all actions that require overall short-term physical exertion.  Most full-body motion relies on Muscle, including personal movement in all dimensions and both armed and unarmed close combat.

Muscle Attribute Checks: A Muscle check is appropriate when the task at hand relies solely on peak strength or full-body motion unrelated to a skill.  Breaking open a padlock, wriggling through a narrow drainpipe, and lifting a car off an accident victim all call for Muscle checks.  In addition, avoidance of many sources of passive damage calls for Muscle checks.