Anybody who's read my blog for long knows that I am
a regular reader of Strategic Forecasting, because I like to keep up on what's
going on in the world. But have you considered how you can use real-world
analyses to bring the complexity of geopolitics to your Traveller game?
Each planet/system in a Traveller subsector can be
treated like its own nation; neighbors compete for local and regional
dominance, for access to markets for their exports and for suppliers for the
imports they want. Stratfor looks at these activities in the real world,
but the motivations and decisions and actions they explain can be easily transferred to
Traveller, whichever rules set you are playing with.
To get a sense of the possibilities, visit these
sites and explore the content available.
All of these sites have a mix of free and
subscription content. They're not cheap, so choose wisely how much intel you
want to access. The free stuff should be plenty for a referee who wants new
adventure ideas, particularly for settings where the PCs are involved in
local/interstate politics.
I have described what Stratfor is and does
elsewhere.
The Jane's
Information Group has been a preeminent source of military data and
intelligence since the 1890's. IHS/Jane's 360
is a free information source covering the dreaded "military-industrial
complex". The site covers land, air and naval technology; who's buying or
building or selling what and to whom.
Geopolitical
Monitor is a consultancy firm based in Canada that “offers members
original, timely and comprehensive analysis on events of international
significance to readers in the English speaking world.”
Here are some recent articles that could be the
basis for a Traveller adventure, either in the Official Traveller Universe or
in your (or my) universe, or in another published setting like the Clement
Sector by Gypsy Knight Games.
"China
Builds another island in the South China Sea" - China is creating new
land masses that they can claim as Chinese territory, far from their sovereign
waters. It was reported this week that the Union of Socialist Worlds is
constructing another planetoid habitat in the uninhabited binary system of
Cimarron (Dothan-Talaveran 0400), putting almost the whole of the Dothan
Alliance within Jump-4 striking range, if Union naval assets are to be based
there. The Alliance has lodged formal protests at this intrusion into their
near-space. PCs can be hired to spy
on the installation, to sabotage the work, or attack construction/supply ships
on the way to it. Or they might approach it as free traders, looking for a
chartered cargo run, and get on the wrong side of the Dothans.
There's a rumor floating around the starport that
one of the local defense contractors has concluded a sale with a neighboring system
and there are lots of interested third parties who may for one reason or
another want to see the arms shipment destroyed/diverted/never arrive.
Imperials from
all across the Regina subsector have over the years travelled to Efate to join
with the terrorist & pro-Zhodani group Ine Givar. Now, as Imperial Marines
are finally making significant progress in stamping out the organization, many
of their agents are fleeing Efate and returning to their worlds of origin, to ‘continue
the fight’. Planetary authorities in
Regina, Aramis and Lanth subsectors are stepping up security measures,
increasing scrutiny of travel documents, and tightening up cargo and weapons
inspections for Travellers coming from Efate and the surrounding systems. The
Travellers’ Aid Society has officially protested these measures, stating that
the rights of its members are being infringed.
Every referee can use some assistance in coming up with exciting adventures for their players. What better source than the real world, where all manner of conflicts are actually going on? Nothing like some grounding in reality to keep the sense of Traveller as a science-fiction game.
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