Brofort (Campaign)

One of my good friends Rob has invested a huge amount of energy in generating a campaign setting we're calling "Brofort". Our thinking is a non-grimdark sci-fi setting could make for some fun gaming. This post presents his work to date - enjoy! 

"But what system will you be using??" Yes. All of them. The idea being the setting is relatively flexible and can accommodate almost any game we'd want to play. Any scale. Any rules. Rob will provide the colour and we (including Rob) will play the games.

Also Rob's keen to run it like a Play By Mail (or Play By eMail, PBM/PBeM) game. So rather than being constrained by playing each and every walk down the street and flat tyre, we (there's a few of us) can communicate ideas, plans, and commands to Rob and he'll turn it into a story. When and where opportunities or inspiration strikes, two or more of us will get together and play a dedicated game to enrich the experience. One week it might be W40K (unlikely as that may be), then next Full Thrust, maybe followed by Battletech, Monopoly, and Twister. Seriously, we're only limited by our imagination and ability to see though our 1001 projects!

What's this all about then?

Genesis Abyss is a multiplayer sci-fi wargame campaign setting depicting insurgent and counterinsurgent (COIN) conflict on a distant planet (Brofort) known for its natural sources of Zuchai crystals. These crystals form the raw material for the extreme energy capacitors (used in jump drives). This material is both naturally occurring and manufactured, but the natural type has longer operational performance and is of extreme value as an export. Brofort is largely covered by water with its few equatorial continents dominated by humid jungles and rugged alpine ranges.

On the most populated continent, several regions are still rebuilding after periods of open warfare against the Governing Regent and each other. These hostilities can be traced back to the collapse of order after an inexplicable annihilation operation by the Imperial Navy. This obliterated a city and millions were vaporised or perished in the decades of hostilities and strife.

Each player takes the role of a commander within a Faction and using military, political, and economic actions and exploiting various events, building and manoeuvring Units to influence the population, extract resources, or otherwise achieve their Faction’s aims.

The four major factions are coalitions with broadly similar interests. Each of these factions consists of a diverse range of organisations ranging from ethnic groups, companies, religions, institutions, criminal gangs and squabbling clans. Factions are not harmonious with widely varying personalities, strategies and a healthy mix of treachery and naïve idealism.

Players’ forces belong to one of the four major factions. These are as follows.

The Aristocracy

The Aristocracy (lead by the Planetary Regent). This faction seeks to maintain Imperial order and support. It tries to ensure the smooth operation of the existing Government’s word order and Crystals exports. While well-resourced Aristocracy has endless issues on and off-planet, so it finds it almost impossible to focus and ERADICATE insurgents and smugglers. It must be “seen” to be fair and just to win hearts and minds and prevent FARC influence and a return to the days of the troubles. 

FARC

FARC. The Freeperson’s Armed Revolutionary Collective is a multitude of insurgent parties that seek to destroy the Corporate Aristocracy and replace it with some new form of worker utopia. FARC leaders generally have a strong popular base amongst local rural communities and have numerous willing volunteers and friends  (and spies).

BRA

BRA. The rise of the FARC has triggered a growth in the number of reactionary forces with their own interest. The BRA likes to be seen as “Honest and hardworking” normal people, small business owners, miners and farmers who only seek to reduce the Aristocracy's high taxing and regulatory interference in their lives. However, the increasing rumours of support by other regions and off-world corporate interests may be driving different objectives for these “conservative paramilitaries”.

The Syndicates

The Syndicates. Villains, anti-heroes, bounty hunters, smugglers and eccentric characters provide shady or illegal products and services from all manner of vice and black markets including casinos, nightclubs, weapons, drugs and moonshine. However, the Syndicates are primarily built and funded on large-scale Cysto-trafficking of priceless Zuchai crystals. They have no moral limits but must operate within limits to avoid off-world imperial attention. 

Goals and Tools in the Campaign

Aristocracy 

Goal. Expand the Government’s legitimacy throughout the region.  The more population that supports you, the greater your chance to win. 

Tools. You can train forces to outnumber and assault the enemy with fearsome firepower. But guerrillas must first be flushed out from underground by sweeping cities or rural provinces where they hide. Your troops are highly mobile by ground or airlift but must often return to bases or city garrisons. Police—once a base is established in a province —can stay. Police and troops together can conduct civic action to build your popular support. But COIN requires resources—be sure to control the cities, road and rail lines, powerlines, and other lines of communications and cultivate Imperial support to ensure your war chest remains full.

Bases are crucial to Government success in that they provide the only means by which the Government player can maintain a constant presence in a rebellious Province (outside Urban Areas). 

FARC

Goal. Build opposition to oppressive Government rule and build momentum for its (inevitable!!!) collapse. The more of the country’s population you can swing from support to opposition while sustaining your logistics, the better chance you’ll win. 

Tools. That probably will mean infiltrating cities with your guerrillas to agitate the bourgeoisie into an uprising. Wherever you control the population by outnumbering all enemy forces with your fighters and logistical bases. Even where you can’t control territory, you could shock or even terrorize the populace into resenting the Government's spinelessness. To operate, you’ll need resources: influence or extort controlled areas or kidnap and ransom resources away from Government collaborators or wealthy crime lords. If the Government or the reactionary paramilitaries come after you, ambush them before they pin you down and bring their troop to bear on you.

BRA

Goal. Eliminate FARC logistical bases while building your own. The more disparity in BRA’s favour, the closer you are to winning. 

Tools. Your guerrillas are every bit as effective as the FARC’s, though often less numerous, and can ambush to guarantee a successful attack. Your terror operations enable you to eliminate even protected FARC logistical bases through assassination, neutralize local opposition to the Government to allow you to rally forces, and even run false flag operations to reduce Imperial Assistance for the Government when it’s getting too strong. You can rally your forces in relatively safe Government areas and extort there for resources, then march a guerrilla army into a FARC stronghold to attack or infiltrate individual units to terrorize.

Syndicates

Goal. Make money!! Grow your infrastructure and bases to make sure that you can keep making money. The more resources and bases you accumulate, the more likely you are to win. 

Tools. You are a commercial insurgency and can attack and terrorize your enemies like the rest. But your gunmen are less numerous and can’t protect everything you own. Your strength is that you are the fastest growing enterprise in the region: extract and process mineral wealth until you’re rich. Then bribe to neutralize whatever enemy guerrillas, police, or bases stand in your way. Process crystals and use profits from the shipments to grease your operational skids and grow even faster.

You got the resources and the money, so you can get the deals. Resources are transferable, and—sooner or later—you should have garnered more than you need. Use them to buy from friends. Or offer to process shipments for other Insurgents—or even for a staged Government Crystal bust! Or agree to bribe away whatever threatens your enemy—anything to keep the heat off your money-making ventures.