93 Games Studio Developers Blog

[Official] Firearms list

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:48:03 GMT

I wanted to post something so I thought why not the firearms list since I'm sure people are wanting to know whats included. Here is the list followed by their caliber (and yes, you'll notice alot of "generic" weapons).

Autoloaders
.22 target pistol
.22 LR

.32 holdout pistol
.32 ACP

.380 service pistol
.380 ACP

9mm service pistol
9mm P

.357 SIG service pistol
.357 SIG

.40 S&W service pistol
.40 S&W

Beretta Model 92
9mm Parabellum

Colt Model 1911A1
.45 ACP

FN Five-seveN
5.7mm FN

Glock 17
9mm P

H&K Mk. 23
.45 ACP

Makarov PM
9mm Makarov

Yarygin Pya
9mm Parabellum

Revolvers
.38 Special holdout
.38 Special

.38 Special service
.38 Special

.357 Magnum holdout
.357 Magnum

.357 Magnum service
.357 Magnum

.44 Magnum
.44 Magnum

.454 Casull
.454 Casull

SMG
9mm SMG
9mm Parabellum

CZ v.61 Skorpion
.32 ACP

CZ v.83 Skorpion
.380 ACP

CZ v.82 Skorpion
9mm Makarov

FN P90
5.7mm FN

H&K MP5K
9mm Parabellum

H&K UMP
9mm Parabellum

H&K UMP
.40 S&W

H&K UMP
.45 ACP

Izmash PP-19 Bizon
9mm Makarov

Assualt Rifles
Assault rifle
5.56x45mm

Bullup assault rifle
5.56x45mm

Carbine
5.56x45mm

Battle rifle
7.62x51mm

AK-47
7.62x39mm

AK-74
5.45x39mm

AKS-74U
5.45x39mm

M16A4
5.56x45mm

M4A1
5.56x45mm

QBZ-95
5.8x42mm

Steyr AUG
5.56x45mm

Steyr AUG (carbine)
5.56x45mm

Target and Hunting Rifles
Target rifle, bolt action
.22 LR

Target rifle, semi-auto
.22 LR

Small game rifle, bolt action
5.56x45mm

Hunting rifle, bolt action
6.5x55mm

Hunting rifle, bolt action
7.62x51mm

Hunting rifle, bolt action
.30-06

Hunting rifle, bolt action
.300 Winchester Magnum

Big game rifle, bolt-action
.460 Weatherby Magnum

Bolt Action Service Rifles
Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk. 1
.303 British

Mauser Kar98k
8mm Mauser

Mosin-Nagant
7.62x54mm

Semi-Automatic Service Rifles
M1 Carbine
.30 Carbine

M1 Garand
.30-06

SKS
7.62x39mm

Bolt Action Sniper Rifles
Sniper rifle
7.62x51mm

Anti-material rifle
.50 BMG

AI AW
7.62x51mm

AI AWM
7mm Remington Magnum

AI AWM
.300 Winchester Magnum

AI AWM
.338 Lapua

Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifles
Sniper rifle
7.62x51mm

Barrett Model 82
.50 BMG

Dragunov SVD
7.62x54mm

M14
7.62x51mm

M16 DMR
5.56x45mm

M16 DMR
7.62x51mm

Break Action Shotguns
20 gauge Shotgun
20 gauge

12 gauge Shotgun
12 gauge

Pump Action Shotguns
.410 bore Shotgun
.410

20 gauge Shotgun
20 gauge

12 gauge Shotgun
12 gauge

10 gauge Shotgun
10 gauge

Semi-Automatic Shotguns
20 gauge Shotgun
20 gauge

12 gauge Shotgun
12 gauge

Saiga 12 Shotgun
12 gauge

Saiga 20 Shotgun
20 gauge

Saiga 410 Shotgun
.410

Squad Automatic Weapons (SAW)
FN Minimi
5.56x45mm

RPK
7.62x39mm

RPK-74
5.45x39mm

General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG)
FN MAG
7.62x51mm

PKM
7.62x54mm

Heavy Machine Guns (HMG)
Browning M2HB
.50 BMG

KPV
14.5x114mm

NSV
12.7x108mm

Update - Suppressive Fire

Sun, 04 May 2008 19:42:15 GMT

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.

Update - Skills

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:21:51 GMT

So it's been awhile since the last update. First off, I know things are a little behind but it is progressing nicely. I wish I can give a firmer release date but some things are out of my hands with regards to that. Hopefully I'll have proof copies in my hand toward the middle of May so things are on for at least a summer release. But please be kind. :)

I thought I would give you guys some insight into skills for this installment. Below is the skill list and two skills described.

Snippet:

Skill List

Agriculture
Animal Husbandry
Aquatics (Qualification: SCUBA)
Archery
Artillery (Qualification: Guided)
Artisan (Cascade)
Aviation (Qualifications: Heavy, Performance, Rotary, Remote)
Climbing
Command
Computing (Qualification: Programming)
Construction (Qualification: Demolition)
Deception
Driving (Qualifications: Heavy, Motorcycle, Remote, Tracked)
Electronics
Fieldcraft
Forensics (Qualification: Forgery)
Freefall (Qualification: Tactical)
Gunnery (Qualification: Guided)
Hand-to-Hand (Qualification: Grappling)
Hand Weapons (Qualification: Grappling)
Instruction
Intimidation
Language (Cascade)
Longarm
Mechanics (Qualifications: Aviation, Industrial, Machinist, Nautical)
Medicine (Qualifications: Surgery, Veterinary)
Mounts (Qualification: Teamster)
Performance (Cascade)
Persuasion (Qualification: Psychiatry)
Seamanship (Qualifications: Remote, Sailing, Submersible)
Security
Sidearm
Special Equipment (Cascade)
Special Vehicle (Cascade; Qualification: Remote)
Streetcraft
Support Weapons (Qualification: Guided)
Tactics

Artisan (Cascade)
Artisan covers a wide variety of skill sets related to the creation of works of physical or literary beauty and of simple functional objects. Many Artisan cascades are archaic and were largely replaced by mass production in the pre-Last War world, but their remaining practitioners are now in high demand after centuries of decline. At the GM's discretion, a Artisan cascade may cover a specific sub-set of the Mechanics skill, such as gunsmithing or machining.

Typical Actions: Creating a functional object or work of art is either an instant or incremental action, depending on the item's complexity (variable attributes, depending on the nature of the act of creation). Appraising an item is a simple action (EDU), as is critiquing a work of art (COG).

Sample Cascades: Basketry, Blacksmithing, Bowyery, Brewing, Carpentry, Cinematography, Fiction Writing, Gem Cutting, Glassblowing, Glasscutting, Gunsmithing, Knitting, Leatherworking, Locksmithing, Machining, Painting, Photography, Poetry, Sculpture, Silversmithing, Tailoring, Videography, Watchsmithing, Welding, Woodcarving.

Mechanics
The Mechanics skill covers the maintenance and repair of all mechanical equipment. The basic skill covers all commonly-available items that can be maintained with normal hand tools and have a level of complexity equal to or less than that of an internal combustion engine. Qualifications expand this expertise to other specialized types of mechanical equipment.

Typical Actions: Evaluating damage or diagnosing a malfunction is a simple action (AWA). Repairing damage or a malfunction is an incremental action (CDN for small items, MUS for large equipment).

Aviation Qualification: This qualification represents additional training in aircraft engines, airframes, and associated mechanisms.

Industrial Qualification: This qualification represents additional training in large-scale fixed installations, such as climate control systems, elevators, and other "physical plant" equipment, as well as heavy factory or cargo-handling machinery.

Machinist Qualification: This qualification enables the character to create new mechanical parts, given appropriate tools and raw materials.

Nautical Qualification: This qualification represents additional training in ship propulsion and steering systems and other technologies unique to naval architecture.

Guns, Guns, Guns Part II

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:38:46 GMT

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.

Guns, Guns, Guns Part I

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:32:42 GMT

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.

COVER ART Revealed

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:15:49 GMT

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:

Podcast #2

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:52:28 GMT

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

Wallpapers Available

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:20:04 GMT

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.

End of January Update

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 15:36:34 GMT

Things are progressing nicely and I am very excited about the future. I've had my head buried in words for the last few weeks, so I've not much to update except we are moving fast and steady. We've also added some new areas to our forums specifically tailored to gameplay (such as a Players, a GM, Q&A, and other sections).

And now for your snippet:

2010

As many countries are still reeling from the devastating heat of 2009, South American countries are experiencing an economic boom due to agricultural exports. Due to the mild summer and good harvests in the southern hemisphere many countries experience rich harvests. This produces an abundance of food, enough to provide for their people cutting their imports and increasing their exports, creating economic benefits as well.

The exception to the rule was Bolivia. Since the culture clashes between the campesino (farmers) and urban Bolivians began (in early 2007), the government has been unable to take advantage of the explosion in worldwide demand. Watching their neighbors get richer and richer while they dipped deeper and deeper into poverty the campesino double their efforts against the government.

The campesino attempt to paralyze cities by blockading highways, bridges, and main roads (a tactic they have tried before to try and bring the government down). This time the government mobilizes the military against in hopes of squashing the conflict once and for all. The military easily quails the uprising through the use of force. Several hundred people are killed during the summer from military actions against the blockades.

This causes an unforeseen backlash of support among the rural populace, with more and more of them pouring in from the countryside. After trying several non-violent means to change, the campesino change their own tactics and begin an armed revolt against the government. By September fears of an all out Bolivian civil war spread throughout the region. Many countries begin to wonder what effect this will have on the blooming trade situation and being to move troops to their borders to keep the conflict from spilling over.

To respond to the growing crisis, Brazil hosts a South American Summit (only the fourth of its kind) at the end of September. The sole topic of this summit was the crisis in Bolivia. In attendance are all South American countries but Bolivia. After three days of intense meetings and deliberations the summit is adjourned without any real solution to the conflict. By the end of the year, Bolivia will be embroiled in a full scale civil war split along class lines.

Update Time

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 03:31:18 GMT

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.

End of the Year Update

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:08:00 GMT

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]

And now for something completely different...

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:38:28 GMT

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]

Update

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:41:35 GMT

So I guess its time for an update. We've been extremely busy tieing up loose ends and finishing sections. I am real excited as things start to draw down and fall into place. We've hit some snags along the way but I am confident it has helped us put together a better system in the long run. I've also got the oppertunity to work with some incredibly talented people along the way. Most importantly is Clayton Oliver. This is a man of incredible vision and understanding. I am nothing short of amazed and awed at the work he has put forward and I can't wait to share that with the world.

Some technical notes - several completed chapters have been delivered to the editor and we've received about 130 peices of art. I'll post a few more when I get a get some spare time ;). As had been noted before the cover art is done and the layout is almost there. We are mostly waiting a writing on a few sections. Everything still looks good for a 2007 release, just in time for the holidays.

I am looking to post a few more promotional items at Cafepress in the next week or so, so if you're interested head over there and help feed the coffers.

No on to the main attraction...

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:

Big Business
Civil Aviation
Diplomacy
Emergency Services
Engineering
Entertainment
Farming
Industrial Labor
Information Technology
Journalism
Legal Practice
Medical Practice
Nursing
Office Work
Outdoorsmanship
Politics
Religion
Service Industry
Sports
Teaching
Technical Trade
Transportation
Exile
High Life
Homemaking
Slacking
Petty Crime
Organized Crime
Prison
Violent Crime
White-Collar Crime
Intelligence Analysis
Intelligence Support
Tradecraft
Criminal Investigation
Local Police
National Police
Executive Protection
Insurgency
PMC
Survivalist

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