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Brainstorming a New Setting

Started by Book of Dooms, September 23, 2011, 08:47:28 AM

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Book of Dooms

So, apologies if this is basically just an internet-based version of the spaghetti test, but I've got a very rough description of a conspiracy setting I've been working on and I was hoping I could get some opinions on what sounds good and what doesn't as I go to flesh it out. Don't be surprised if I add to it later, and thank you in advance;

Small Mediterranean island nation.

Originally settled by the Greeks, then the Romans, Moors, Spanish, French, British, and finally a unified (and fascist) Italy before gaining their independence in the 1940s.

Cultural identity can best be described as schizophrenic, an eclectic melting pot of cultures from all around the region and, to a slightly-lesser extent, the world.

Radical self-expression is the order of the day.

English is the official language, but all the locals speak an insane patois of various tongues where choice of vocabulary often changes depending on the emotions the speaker wants to convey.

Leisure-loving populace views hard work as a necessary evil to be avoided whenever possible.

Culture of inhospitality where it's proper etiquette to assume that anyone you don't know will try to murder you at some point.

Only a slight breach of etiquette to actually try and murder someone you don't know.

Food and drinks are traditionally serves unopened and never let out of sight once they are.

Absolutely everyone carries a knife of some sort and plenty of them show a disturbing enthusiasm in using it.

Locals are extremely superstitious and typically dabble in religions ranging from the mainstream to the fringe: Roman Catholicism and voodoo are about equal in terms of popularity.

Drugs, prostitution, and gambling are all entirely legal.

Wealthy nation that gets most of its money from foreign investors, decadent tourists, and a number of illicit enterprises.

Majority of that money goes straight into the hands of a privileged few.

"Constitutional" monarchy that in reality more closely resembles an authoritarian dictatorship.

The reigning Queen just happens to win every single election by an enormous margin, making her the de facto president-for-life.

Secret police are everywhere.

Secret police are watching you.

Being under daily surveillance is pretty much an accepted fact of life for locals.

Citizens have virtually no rights against harassment, spontaneous searches, and other invasions of privacy.

Gun ownership is heavily-regulated and buying or attempting to buy one is guaranteed to put your name on even more government watch lists.

Body armor-clad, machinegun-toting Peace Officers maintain order between the haves and the far more numerous have-nots and have about the same relationship to peace that firemen have with fire.

Fucking. Attack. Baboons.

Seriously. They're like attack dogs, only they're smarter, they can climb walls, and they have the jaw strength to bite through a human forearm.

Secret police are still watching you.

Thanks its colorful history, central location, and general corruptness, the island plays host to virtually every secret organization and conspiracy worth not knowing about.

Ghostman

Seems exaggerated almost to the level of (black) comedy, but falling just short of it. Whether that is a good thing or not is a matter of taste and depends on what exactly you're aiming for. The monarchy thing looks a bit out of place, assuming this is supposed to be set in 21st century. I think the queen would work better as a powerless figurehead being controlled by an oligarchy/military junta.
¡ɟlǝs ǝnɹʇ ǝɥʇ ´ʍopɐɥS ɯɐ I

Paragon * (Paragon Rules) * Savage Age (Wiki) * Argyrian Empire [spoiler=Mother 2]

* You meet the New Age Retro Hippie
* The New Age Retro Hippie lost his temper!
* The New Age Retro Hippie's offense went up by 1!
* Ness attacks!
SMAAAASH!!
* 87 HP of damage to the New Age Retro Hippie!
* The New Age Retro Hippie turned back to normal!
YOU WON!
* Ness gained 160 xp.
[/spoiler]

Steerpike

I can see doing a monarchy, but one where the monarch is elected seems weird.  Maybe a puppet prime minister or puppet monarch as Ghostman suggests.

Attack baboons and the general air of paranoia and sadism are awesome.

How do they stand on the geopolitical landscape?  What were they doing during the Cold War?

Also wondering about how urbanized the island is.

I take it supernatural elements will be absent, right?

I'd imagine whacky ruins/tunnels and the like (relics of Roman occupation) could make for interesting features.  Good for cult murder scenes, secret society meeting places, smuggling.

Roughly what population are you envisioning?  Ethnic demographics?

beejazz

Quote from: Book of Dooms
Culture of inhospitality where it's proper etiquette to assume that anyone you don't know will try to murder you at some point.

Only a slight breach of etiquette to actually try and murder someone you don't know.

Fucking. Attack. Baboons.

Seriously. They're like attack dogs, only they're smarter, they can climb walls, and they have the jaw strength to bite through a human forearm.

Loving the description so far. Especially these points. I am actually surprised attack baboons haven't been done.

Based on the former, is this one of those situations where crimes are sort of ignored unless the victims are wealthy/powerful/foreign?
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QuoteI don't believe in it anyway.
What?
England.
Just a conspiracy of cartographers, then?

Magnus Pym

#4
Hey there, interesting ideas you have, here are some comments/opinios/questions;

QuoteEnglish is the official language, but all the locals speak an insane patois of various tongues where choice of vocabulary often changes depending on the emotions the speaker wants to convey.

Since its got it independance with the facist italians, is italian becoming more and more popular? I'm thinking about the Canada-Quebec phenomena here.

QuoteLeisure-loving populace views hard work as a necessary evil to be avoided whenever possible.

Culture of inhospitality where it's proper etiquette to assume that anyone you don't know will try to murder you at some point.

Only a slight breach of etiquette to actually try and murder someone you don't know.

Food and drinks are traditionally serves unopened and never let out of sight once they are.

Absolutely everyone carries a knife of some sort and plenty of them show a disturbing enthusiasm in using it.

Locals are extremely superstitious and typically dabble in religions ranging from the mainstream to the fringe: Roman Catholicism and voodoo are about equal in terms of popularity.

Drugs, prostitution, and gambling are all entirely legal.

Ok so this all brings up the next question.

QuoteWealthy nation that gets most of its money from foreign investors

Foreign Investors? As in... someone is dumb enough to invest in a suicidal place? Does not seem likely in this day and age. At least, that is if the business is legal and international. Shady dealings today are not seen well by most, it will definitely ruin a company's name.

QuoteThe reigning Queen just happens to win every single election by an enormous margin

It's not a Queen if there's elections... right? Or it's an idealist title... at best.

I'd definitely go with the militia junta idea, like in Myanmar (Birmania or Burma)

QuoteSecret police are everywhere.

Secret police are watching you.

Being under daily surveillance is pretty much an accepted fact of life for locals.

Citizens have virtually no rights against harassment, spontaneous searches, and other invasions of privacy.

So, is it because their numbers are very few, or even dwindling, that crime seems to infest the place? Or they heavily support it? If the later is true, why? Because it is my thought that third parties that hold too much power undermine the authority of the supposed and official ruler, in this case, the "queen".

QuoteI am actually surprised attack baboons haven't been done.

They have been done; One Piece my friend. And that is what I am aware of. I find it highly unlikely that it has never been thought of in the past.

All in all, I like what you've come up with and realise (and fully agree) that it's not even fleshed out yet. It's only ideas.

Good luck!

Mason

Small Mediterranean island nation.
Shape? Size? Natural resources? Which part of the Med? How's the weather? How far is it from the mainland?

Originally settled by the Greeks, then the Romans, Moors, Spanish, French, British, and finally a unified (and fascist) Italy before gaining their independence in the 1940s.
Interesting cultural background. Is it the 1940s in this setting? What tech level do we have? How do these historical cultures influence architecture,customs,cuisine,festivals,political motivations etc.?

Radical self-expression is the order of the day.
Interesting in a fascist society. How does the govt feel about this?

English is the official language, but all the locals speak an insane patois of various tongues where choice of vocabulary often changes depending on the emotions the speaker wants to convey.
So I can cuss in one language and stupefy in another?!

Leisure-loving populace views hard work as a necessary evil to be avoided whenever possible.
Again strange in a fascist country. Hard work is usually the backbone of authoritarian govts (at least for the plebians)

Culture of inhospitality where it's proper etiquette to assume that anyone you don't know will try to murder you at some point.
OK. Fits with the paranoia in a fascist regime. How does this affect business/world relations?

Food and drinks are traditionally serves unopened and never let out of sight once they are.
Where do they get their major food stuffs? Where do they get their poisons for that matter?

Locals are extremely superstitious and typically dabble in religions ranging from the mainstream to the fringe: Roman Catholicism and voodoo are about equal in terms of popularity.
This is a little strange for fascism-most religions are downright persecuted in real world fascist govts. Hitler killed jews and Catholics alike. God knows what he would have done to voodoo/witchcraft type folks. Not sure how this sits in the setting-would make for interesting conflict.

Drugs, prostitution, and gambling are all entirely legal.
Again, kind of strange with fascism. Legal is the word that caught me up-I can't see a fascist govt that condones these types of activities in the masses. Behind doors and with the upper ruling class tho...

Wealthy nation that gets most of its money from foreign investors, decadent tourists, and a number of illicit enterprises.
What are they investing in? Where do the tourists come from and what do they come to see? How hard is it to get in/out of the country? Does the country belong to any national organizations/alliances?

Majority of that money goes straight into the hands of a privileged few.
How do they maintain power? What prevents the masses from rising up in popular rebellion? Have they before? How was it put down?

"Constitutional" monarchy that in reality more closely resembles an authoritarian dictatorship.
Is this the only type of govt the country has ever seen? Why Constitutional? Was the constitution based on say...English rights? French? Swiss? i.e. Where do they get the ideas put in the document that makes it constitutional (assuming they actually wrote one up)

The reigning Queen just happens to win every single election by an enormous margin, making her the de facto president-for-life.

That bitch.

Secret police are everywhere.
How many? What weapons do they have? Who is in charge of them? How do they get along with the other members of the govt?

Secret police are watching you.
:cry:
Being under daily surveillance is pretty much an accepted fact of life for locals.
What kind of surveillance? Where do they keep all this info? Why is it important?

Citizens have virtually no rights against harassment, spontaneous searches, and other invasions of privacy.
Seriously. Why don't they rebel? Don't other countries intervene? Humanitarian missions etc?

Gun ownership is heavily-regulated and buying or attempting to buy one is guaranteed to put your name on even more government watch lists.
I'm surprised they even allow guns to be sold. Are we talking old double barrel shotguns that grandpa keeps in the cabin for fighting bears or AK-47's?

Body armor-clad, machinegun-toting Peace Officers maintain order between the haves and the far more numerous have-nots and have about the same relationship to peace that firemen have with fire.

Why are they so loyal to the govt? Where do they get their weapons/equipment/vehicles etc? What kinds of weapons/equipment/vehicles do they have? Is the police force the only para-military force in the country or is their a standing army?  Who trains them?

Fucking. Attack. Baboons.
Do they know kung-fu?

Seriously. They're like attack dogs, only they're smarter, they can climb walls, and they have the jaw strength to bite through a human forearm.
Are they indigenous to the island? If not where do they get them? Can I play one in your game?



LordVreeg

Am on the iPad....not as able to C&P...
Makes no senSe that this is a wealthy nation, or would feel like one, if money is all concentrated. 

How long has the current government been in charge?  This needs to be better understood...
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Ghostman

Quote from: LordVreeg
Makes no senSe that this is a wealthy nation, or would feel like one, if money is all concentrated.

It could simply mean a set of lavish, state-of-the-art tourist resorts, hotels, casinos, theme parks, golf courses, pleasure villas etc for the upper-class. These can very easily exist a rock's throw from the shantytowns of the underclasses. The wealth of a nation can also be measured by it's ability to conduct business with the rest of the world, and using it's resources for political leverage.
¡ɟlǝs ǝnɹʇ ǝɥʇ ´ʍopɐɥS ɯɐ I

Paragon * (Paragon Rules) * Savage Age (Wiki) * Argyrian Empire [spoiler=Mother 2]

* You meet the New Age Retro Hippie
* The New Age Retro Hippie lost his temper!
* The New Age Retro Hippie's offense went up by 1!
* Ness attacks!
SMAAAASH!!
* 87 HP of damage to the New Age Retro Hippie!
* The New Age Retro Hippie turned back to normal!
YOU WON!
* Ness gained 160 xp.
[/spoiler]

Steerpike

[ic=Sarisa]Seriously. Why don't they rebel? [/ic]
[ic=Book of Dooms]Gun ownership is heavily-regulated and buying or attempting to buy one is guaranteed to put your name on even more government watch lists.[/ic]
[ic=Book of Dooms]Body armor-clad, machinegun-toting Peace Officers maintain order between the haves and the far more numerous have-nots and have about the same relationship to peace that firemen have with fire.[/ic]
:D

Ghostman

...Not to mention the attack baboons! :muffy:
¡ɟlǝs ǝnɹʇ ǝɥʇ ´ʍopɐɥS ɯɐ I

Paragon * (Paragon Rules) * Savage Age (Wiki) * Argyrian Empire [spoiler=Mother 2]

* You meet the New Age Retro Hippie
* The New Age Retro Hippie lost his temper!
* The New Age Retro Hippie's offense went up by 1!
* Ness attacks!
SMAAAASH!!
* 87 HP of damage to the New Age Retro Hippie!
* The New Age Retro Hippie turned back to normal!
YOU WON!
* Ness gained 160 xp.
[/spoiler]

Kindling

Yeah, just to chip in on the whole "Queens aren't elected" thing, a constitutional monarchy (even if you're saying it's only that in name) doesn't mean that the monarch is elected, it means that the monarch as head of state is regulated/limited by a constitution. Depending on what that constitution is, I don't think there necessarily needs to be any elections at all, or a parliament, or anything like that, just as long as there is something-or-other keeping the monarch from doing exactly whatever they want, as in an absolute monarchy.

From wikipedia:
Most constitutional monarchies employ a parliamentary system in which the monarch may have strictly ceremonial duties or may have reserve powers, depending on the constitution. Under most modern constitutional monarchies there is also a prime minister who is the head of government and exercises effective political power.

Note "most," so you can do it differently, obviously, but that's kind of the standard template, if you will, for a constitutional monarchy in the modern world.
all hail the reapers of hope

Book of Dooms

#11
Alright, I'll touch on a few of the issues raised now and hopefully be able to elaborate more thoroughly tomorrow. Apologies if I don't quote you directly, but I hope you'll be able to figure it out:

It's set in a modern-ish time period, but it's a little anachronistic. Adds to the surrealism.

The government isn't fascist. The Queen doesn't really care what you do so long as you don't threaten her position.

Openly supporting fascism is actually pretty likely to get you disappeared.

The monarchy is a traditional position on the island. The current Queen helped to oust the Italians and then leveraged her popularity to become President of the newly-independent nation.

In short, probably the only reason there still is a Queen at all is that she was savvy enough to seize power immediately.

People don't actively rebel because of the longstanding culture of not trusting anyone but yourself. Few are willing to risk being sold out by their allies, so its hard to organize large-scale movements.

In the same way, the Peace Guard and secret police are very effective at self-policing. Treason is not taken lightly.

There's also a bit of a checkist mindset among people, to where they don't really consider not having the government breathing down their neck.

The place has an attitude towards international regulations and tax laws that would make the Cayman Islands blush, so it's a great place for wealthy individuals and corporations to put their money.

Money is one of the major forces on the island, so if you can kick a little the Queen's way, you can get a way with a lot.

Hence, organized crime can flourish despite the overwhelming police presence.

By "insane patois", I mean it's common to use English, German, and Arabic words in the same sentence.

Fucking with rich foreigners will get you disappeared. Nobody cares about poor ones.


Book of Dooms

#12
Alright so, some unexpected surgery kinda sidelined me for awhile, but I'm still making progress. Here's some more concrete facts about the island, as opposed to just general thematic concepts;

The island itself is located in the Mediterranean south. It is a rough oval 50 miles long by 37 miles wide. It's fairly fate, with a low mountain rising from the center.

The climate is a typical Mediterranean one, with warm, dry summers and cooler, sometimes rainy winters. The sun shines every day.

There are two major cities located at either end of the island. The center of the island remains more undeveloped, with the highlands reserved for the villas of the wealthy and the favela-style shantytowns of the poorest of the poor.

The west city is by far the larger of the two and the center of culture and economics. The east is the capitol city and the location of the Queen's palace, which is almost as much a fortress as it is a mansion.

The populace is an incredibly colorful one. Locals are a mix of cultures from around the Mediterranean: Greeks, Libyans,  Moroccans, Spaniards, Italians, Catalans, Algerians, etc. After the liberation in the 40s, the Queen encouraged more wealthy immigrants from northern Europe, the United States, and Canada. Recently, waves of immigrants from Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have begun to trickle in.

By law, all citizens must have an English name, but the government isn't particularly concerned with how accurately is qualifies as a "name". As a result, a lot of locals go by names that seem like they were picked at random from the Oxford English Dictionary.

A handful of major power groups that decide how things are run on the island: the government, the businessmen, and the criminals.

As should already be obvious, the Queen and her inner circle do what the fuck they want.

Businessmen, free of the regulations and laws protecting copyrights and trademarks found in every other developed country, are allowed to virtually anything to stay profitable, so long as they kick a generous portion the Queen's way.

It would be impossible to count all of the gangs, families, and criminal syndicates that operate on the island. In addition to a number of home-grown ones, foreign groups like the Mafia, the vory v zarkone, the yakuza, and the triads have set up shop there as well. Like any other group, the police leave them alone as long as their payoffs are sizable and regular.

As you may have noticed, nothing has a name yet. I'm honestly crap at coming up with believable names, so any assistance it that department would be extra-appreciated.

Superfluous Crow

This still sounds good!
According to wikipedia, my country is partially a constitutional monarcy and we do not elect our Queen. In fact she doesn't really have any power.
But for an interesting royal character, take a look at King Sihanouk of Cambodia. He abdicated twice (!), once to take control of his own political party.
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Book of Dooms

Quote from: Superfluous Crow
...we do not elect our Queen. In fact she doesn't really have any power.

She is both the (officially) powerless monarch and the elected head of government. If she were to lose an election, she would still be the Queen, though her usurper would hopefully be smart enough to have her and everyone she's on a first name basis with immediately executed...