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dark_conspiracy:setting [2019/03/27 17:38] – [The Rural Condition] mike_holmesdark_conspiracy:setting [2021/09/06 08:28] (current) – [Attitudes] mike_holmes
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 They said they could fix things. This has not turned out well.  They said they could fix things. This has not turned out well. 
  
-The many who have sold their votes, are referred to as Ballotmen, and often their recompense is a lifetime of "free" corporate housing, food (reports of quality that leak from inside are not appealing), paper clothing, and television. These unfortunates have lost any semblance of a political will. The rest may speak, but are easily outvoted. +The many who have sold their votes are referred to as Ballotmen, and often their recompense is a lifetime of "free" corporate housing, food (reports of quality that leak from inside are not appealing), paper clothing, and television. These unfortunates have lost any semblance of a political will. The rest may speak, but are easily outvoted. 
  
-The corporations, having nothing to hold them in check, are close to waging open warfare between each other, all while advertising that nothing is amiss.+The corporations, having nothing to hold them in check, are close to waging open warfare between each other, all while advertising that nothing is amiss, the world is a paradise according to them.
  
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 {{https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/31/10/53/3110533818973833ebb6290d7e783a6a.jpg | Inside the Dreamlands}}  {{https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/31/10/53/3110533818973833ebb6290d7e783a6a.jpg | Inside the Dreamlands}} 
  
-That said, while those who find themselves fortunate enough to be employed by a corporation or subsidiary that results in them having a job inside the walls, the vast majority of these have to struggle to remain. Resulting in a level of services and lifestyle no better than the middle class had at the beginning of the century. Only the rich are really well-off, even here. +That said, while those who find themselves fortunate enough to be employed by a corporation or subsidiary that results in them having a job inside the walls, the vast majority of these have to struggle to remain. Resulting in a level of services and lifestyle no better than the middle class had at the beginning of the century, if even that. Only the rich are really well-off, even here. 
  
 === Example: Chicago Dreamland === === Example: Chicago Dreamland ===
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 ==== Outside the Walls ==== ==== Outside the Walls ====
 +
 Outside of the dreamland walls, in the rest of the urban areas, the competition to get inside the walls is even higher than the competition among those already inside to remain. This is one of the only drivers that keep things from devolving into pure chaos; people know that they never let in anybody with a record as a miscreant.  Outside of the dreamland walls, in the rest of the urban areas, the competition to get inside the walls is even higher than the competition among those already inside to remain. This is one of the only drivers that keep things from devolving into pure chaos; people know that they never let in anybody with a record as a miscreant. 
  
-Populations have been drawn to the dreamlands like butterflies to flame, creating intense population pressures around the dreamlands. Corporate arcologies of dubious construction house masses of white collar folks striving to look like they belong inside the walls. Few make it.+Populations have been drawn to the dreamlands like butterflies to flame, creating intense population pressures around the dreamlands. Corporate arcologies of dubious construction house masses of white collar folks striving to look like they belong inside the walls. Few make it. The less fortunate often find ways to eke out a living, residing in shanty-towns or wherever they can... though when the going gets tough, many simply become ballotmen. Homeless populations seem to be declining, and the corporations tout this as one of their successes. But where are these people really going? 
 + 
 +//Clinging to the Urban Infrastructure// 
 + 
 +{{https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/f8/c0/f8/f8c0f849e8a487f75ce22fb1429b940f.jpg}}
  
 Adding to the pull of the dreamlands, lack of services (see below) including transportation (cars are a difficult thing to manage to own) and people flocking to city centers have resulted in the suburbs being largely abandoned. Shells of what were formerly the nicest parts of the cities, these zones still have scavengable material. As a result, crazed hermits and gangs of every stripe are a constant threat in these areas. Enter at your own risk! Adding to the pull of the dreamlands, lack of services (see below) including transportation (cars are a difficult thing to manage to own) and people flocking to city centers have resulted in the suburbs being largely abandoned. Shells of what were formerly the nicest parts of the cities, these zones still have scavengable material. As a result, crazed hermits and gangs of every stripe are a constant threat in these areas. Enter at your own risk!
 +
 +//Abandoned Suburb//
 +
 +{{https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/d9/43/28/d94328d5d767e4af59a14dae7ce64a93.jpg}}
 +
  
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 ===== Technology and Services ===== ===== Technology and Services =====
  
-Broadly speaking, technology available to humanity has advanced tremendously... but most folks don't even have the resources to get an internet connection any more (the infrastruction is attrocious). Where "internet" is available, it is a pale parody of what it once was, instead having all traffic go through, and be censored by, the local corporate-run ISPs. Where cell service exists, users assume that everything they say is monitored and subject to getting you in trouble if you kvetch.+Broadly speaking, technology available to humanity has advanced tremendously... but most folks don't even have the resources to get an internet connection any more (the infrastructure is attrocious). Where "internet" is available, it is a pale parody of what it once was, instead having all traffic go through, and be censored by, the local corporate-run ISPs. Where cell service exists, users assume that everything they say is monitored and subject to getting you in trouble if you kvetch.
  
 Other basic infrastructure services have degraded to varying degrees dependent on the area. Outside of the dreamlands it's rare to find a place where every service is working fine. Some urban places no longer have garbage removal, and people make dumps out of parks. Other places may have really bad roads. Streetlights or the sewer system may not work, and electricity may be in supply only intermittently. In some suburbs there has been no maintenance done in 30 years and things are completely in ruins.  Other basic infrastructure services have degraded to varying degrees dependent on the area. Outside of the dreamlands it's rare to find a place where every service is working fine. Some urban places no longer have garbage removal, and people make dumps out of parks. Other places may have really bad roads. Streetlights or the sewer system may not work, and electricity may be in supply only intermittently. In some suburbs there has been no maintenance done in 30 years and things are completely in ruins. 
  
-Only the very rich have access to any sort of technology that's beyond what's available in 2018. Most have technology more like the 1980s. In many places roads, streetlights, sewers, and other such infrastructre have had no maintenance for as much as three decades, leading to them being completely broken and unusable in many cases.+Only the very rich have access to any sort of technology that's beyond what's available in 2020. Most have technology more like the 1980s. In many places roads, streetlights, sewers, and other such infrastructre have had no maintenance for as much as three decades, leading to them being completely broken and unusable in many cases.
  
 //Railway Platform in Ruins// //Railway Platform in Ruins//
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 {{https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/d8/1e/ca/d81eca25c6630630761a3451bd5fe43f.jpg | The Moonbase}} {{https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/d8/1e/ca/d81eca25c6630630761a3451bd5fe43f.jpg | The Moonbase}}
  
- \\ 
  
- \\+==== The Rural Condition ====
  
-  \\+Many rural places, like the suburbs, are almost or entirely abandoned. Often their population was at some point "saved" by removal to Farm Family Relocation centers, or simply forced to migrate to the cities by various forces. Or perhaps something else removed the former residents. 
  
-==== The Rural Condition ====+Rural places that manage somehow to survive, often existing in isolation entirely forgotten by the corporations who have no use for their distant and relatively tiny markets, have in some cases been thrown back to the 19th century or further. Few or no services we take for granted in 2020 are available here. Outhouses, and hunting for game as a profession are both commonplace.
  
-Many rural places are, like the suburbs, are almost or entirely abandoned. Often their population was at some point "saved" by removal to Farm Family Relocation centers, or simply forced to migrate to the cities by various forces. Or perhaps something else removed the former residents. +Here law-enforcement is almost entirely ad hoc, where it exists at all. Warlord gangs of bandits are common, roaming between these towns, the corporations not at all caring, unless they encroach on the corporate farms.
  
-Rural places that manage somehow to survive, often existing in isolation entirely forgotten by the corporations who have no use for their distant and relatively tony markets, have in some cases been thrown back to the 19th century or further. Few or no services we take for granted in 2019 are available here. Outhouses, and hunting for game as a profession are both commonplace.+//Rare Clear Skies Over a Forgotten Town//
  
-Here law-enforcement is entirely ad hoc, where it exists at all. Warlord gangs of bandits are common, roaming between these towns, the corporations not at all caring, unless they encroach on the corporate farms.+{{https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/56/45/26/5645262f16599adc845403c720f6cbb1.jpg}}
  
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 Mother nature, at least the version we like, seems to be on the ropes.  Mother nature, at least the version we like, seems to be on the ropes. 
 +
 +//Automated Corporate Factories Making a Better World//
 +
 +{{https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/e0/49/81/e049810ef3f0ed13bb29ba1750899f65.jpg}}
  
 ---- ----
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 ===== Attitudes ===== ===== Attitudes =====
  
-Everyone complains about the corporations, the lack of services or even products, and the crappy ecology...but few actually do anything about any of it. Many who do take action disappear. Those who look into disappearances are met with gutted law enforcement, the remainder of which either directly or indirectly work for the corporations. Some who ask also disappear. Few ask.+Everyone privately complains about the corporations, the lack of services or even products, and the crappy ecology...but few actually do anything about any of it. Many who do take action disappear. Those who look into disappearances are met with gutted law enforcement, the remainder of which either directly or indirectly work for the corporations. Some who ask also disappear. Few ask.
  
 Most people just keep their heads down and try not to get noticed. Most people just keep their heads down and try not to get noticed.
  
-The cultural malaise that this all generates is in part due to the fact that the average person is inundated with messages fromt the corporations that things are fine, and if you just work a bit harder, you too can have the things that the rich folks in the Dreamlands have; not that anybody buys this, but everybody does buy that this is just the result of human nature and greed. Wouldn't you do the same if you had the chance? This attitude is what most folks think created the problem.+The cultural malaise that this all generates is in part due to the fact that the average person is inundated with messages from the corporations that things are fine, and if you just work a bit harder, you too can have the things that the rich folks in the Dreamlands have; not that anybody buys this, but everybody does buy that this is just the result of human nature and greed. Wouldn't you do the same if you had the chance? This attitude is what most folks think created the problem. 
 + 
 +//All Too Easy to Simply Despair// 
 + 
 +{{https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/e8/1c/64/e81c643fd34775a85f4b951548d600e1.jpg}} 
  
 They're not entirely wrong, of course. But they're not entirely right either. They forget that things have at times been better. And they fail to question why things are so determinedly on the way down the tubes. And there seem to be things going on... They're not entirely wrong, of course. But they're not entirely right either. They forget that things have at times been better. And they fail to question why things are so determinedly on the way down the tubes. And there seem to be things going on...
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 Your character should have some sort of background that makes them competent or useful in dealing with this new reality... unless you want to REALLY challenge yourself and make somebody relatively mundane. Most of the mundane who encounter these things, just keep it to themselves and try to pretend for the rest of their lives that it never happened. Your character should have some sort of background that makes them competent or useful in dealing with this new reality... unless you want to REALLY challenge yourself and make somebody relatively mundane. Most of the mundane who encounter these things, just keep it to themselves and try to pretend for the rest of their lives that it never happened.
 +
 +{{https://i-h1.pinimg.com/564x/1f/c6/4f/1fc64f8d85c8debebd8a237a191f7290.jpg}}
 +
 +//Kicking Ass in the Name of Humanity//
dark_conspiracy/setting.1553733501.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/03/27 17:38 by mike_holmes

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