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Zeroth
A leader or a man of action in a crisis
almost always acts subconsciously
and then thinks of the reasons for his action.
Jawaharlal Nehru



A limitless new frontier, where anyone can be anything.
Built on the wastes of an ancient land, where forgotten wounds fester.
Wealth, fame, power, thrill, memes.
Hidden 7 yrs ago 3 yrs ago Post by ButtsnBalls
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43 years into the future, the only constant we have is change. For far too long, humanity sacked the treasures of nature with no regards, all in the name of progress. We saw valuable fuel and food depleting, bountiful lands turned to waste. Extreme weather spiked in every region; the dry lands got drier and the flooded plains drowned deeper. In response, treaties and breakthrough technologies came one after another. The oil age neared its end, but many alternative energy poised to dethrone the black gold. We could travel faster than ever, at great convenience and little ecological footprint compared to decades ago. We could produce more efficiently than ever, realizing complex designs with the push of a 3D printer button, then breaking it back down and starting over with the help of recycling robots. But even as technology stimulated change, our society frequently lags behind. The internet of 2060 disseminates information at a blistering speed. xG networks, quantum computers and virtual reality seeped into mainstream markets, their introduction made accessing information easier than ever. However, not everyone relents on free rein. In the past, horrendous crimes have been aided with the latest tech. Petty criminals could find thousands of oblivious targets with the touch of a screen, and scheming extremists turn ambitious youths with vast arrays of internet propaganda. It only makes sense for law enforcement to counter with their own. Bio-metric records, call monitoring and surveillance drones are just few of the tools. Some governments went one step further, sealing off outside networks entirely. People were unimpressed with restrictions. See, the prime generation of 2060 grew up taking internet for granted. To them, being connected is not a privilege, it's a right. So what happens when the governments push? People push back. The world would see increasing amounts of hacking, protesting and rioting.

"How would that all affect me?" You ask. To start, you are living on the forefront of change. Sopahn is an Indian city on the edge of the Bay of Bengal, it was the fastest growing city last decade in India, if not the world. When much of the globe turns increasingly inwards in fear of radical change, Sopahn welcomes the new with open arms. Forty years ago, this place was just one of hundreds of medium-sized cities in south-east Asia, barely worth a pixel on Google Maps. In those dry, bland places, all that would take to ignite a revolutionary fire is a tiny inspirational spark. Soon, the original sparks faded in a vast ocean of flames. In Sopahn, what started its growth mattered to nobody. Some time during the third decade of the 21st century, pieces simply fell in place. First came the money, the capital serving as foundation blocks. Then the brave entrepreneurs, the blooming enterprises and cutting-edge innovations. Finally, millions would flock in in search of a better life. Poor rural dwellers transformed to skilled workers, sweatshops and call centers gave way to efficient manufacturing and R&D, local fisher markets bulldozed to seat skyscrapers and their multi-billion dollar international companies.

In a rush of fortune, the downtrodden were swept under; forgotten but not gone. Just because downtown streets displayed glimmering holograms of the perfect future, it doesn't mean every single person lived in paradise. Sure, one can say the overall standard of living improved. That is, if you're in the right place at the right time. For many, circumstance dealt a cruel hand. Every successful "Indian Dream" spawned another dozen "Indian Nightmares". Unemployment fluctuates on the market's whim, one week someone sipped expensive European wine, the next week they would be choking on the poisonous slum creeks. Getting out of poverty is tough, and let's face it, taking shortcuts is just way too tempting. Many turned to crime, to the darkest activities festering in Sopahn's underbelly. Gangs, syndicates and cartels run the poorer neighborhoods. The city tried to put an end to crime, but the officials handling such matters always value their bank accounts over their citizens. A little gratitude in exchange for a blind eye seems innocent enough, that is, until truly sinister plots unraveled. Some doomsday cult calling itself Hamza predicted the end of humanity on September, 2060. A flood would wash over the unfaithful, and those embracing the divine purge will find shelter in heaven, their leader said. Now, less than three months away from judgment, Hamza cultists escalate preaching to murder.

Welcome to Sopahn, 2060; your dreaded playground.





  • Starting time is June 15, 2060. The place is Sopahn and the surrounding Taray district; both are fictional.
  • The megalopolis is approximately 200 km2, while the metro is 2000 km2. Four and a half million live there.
  • Official languages are English, Hindi and Odia.
  • Technology, manufacturing, service and real estate development are the main industries within city limits. The Taray district outside mines thorium and bauxite, in addition to cutting timber and growing jute. Fishers compete with shipping firms for sea access.
  • Monsoon season is imminent, pressure build up in the Himalayas and southeast Asia suggest high storm frequency.
  • Common Development Asia is the largest private corporation, it is the second largest employer in Sopahn, behind the government.
  • Coal mining had been phased out for at least a decade, due to a combination of legislation, depleting reserves and eco-terrorist sabotage.
  • Maglev trains run within the city, and outside to other parts of India.
  • Several waterways have been polluted to the point of toxicity.
  • The Kashmir Agreement was signed in 2056. India gained territory over Pakistan. Many Kashmiris have been forcibly resettled in cities such as Sopahn, where they often clash with the locals.
  • Many refugees come from Bengladesh, where much of its coasts, valleys and river basins have been ravaged by flooding.
  • The government suffered multiple hacking attacks, prompting stricter cyber security law and the temporary deactivation of its policy/archive AIs.
  • Mayor Vivek Yudhvankavi resigned because of personal and corruption scandals. Deputy Mayor Alma Laxmi and Counselor Soth Sila are running the city until an election in August.
  • Due to rising water levels, older beaches are completely submerged. A barrier protects harbor side properties. Doomsday cults were responsible for destroying parts of this barrier.
  • More and more tech companies and think tanks have been settling down, several conferences and exhibitions are scheduled this year.
  • Corporate regulations remain loose to attract investors.
  • Corruption, police brutality and bureaucratic incompetence are widespread. Trust in the city council is at a all-time low. Protests, riots and occasional looting frequent the streets.
  • Crime rates spiking, gang clashes on the rise. Drug trade, arms trafficking and prostitution run rampant.
  • Wealth gap greatly widened. Sopahn hosts record amounts of millionaires and homeless simultaneously.
  • India is the most populous country with 1.7 billion people; surpassing China since the 2030s.







This roleplay is a hybrid of nations game and traditional character-focused RP. We will be following an episodic schedule, with each IC month (excluding the prologue of June) forming its own episode and a separate thread. Playing a character is mandatory, but creating and leading an organization is optional. In terms of plot, it will be relatively free-form. There are several storylines to pursue, which do not have predetermined outcomes. Players may cooperate or compete against each other in IC, however, competition should be agreed upon by all involved parties. Remember, no one "wins" in this RP, but if winning is your goal, you will definitely lose.

The in-character world is a realistic one. The plot is inspired by real events or plausible future scenarios. Some research may be helpful in the topics you wish to cover, but with that said, we're looking for reasonable creativity over strictly scientific analysis. The genre spans thriller, drama, slice of life, satire and more. Combat is present but will not be the only activity. Please ensure your character has potential outside of action.

There is no limit on playable characters, as long as they are approved. To keep things manageable, I recommend starting with no more than three major characters. You may introduce new characters at any time; all major characters are subject to GM approval. Minor characters in the form of NPCs can be brought in freely; they are useful for bridging your main character(s) into relevant events. NPCs unrelated to your main character(s) is a faster alternative to get in on the action without lengthy explanations.

As an advanced RP, your application is the proof of your writing skills. Bring your A-game on grammar, spelling and creative writing, and you'll have no problem being accepted. If certain parts of your character require editing, please do so appropriately or provide valid reasons otherwise.

Character sheet is available in the characters tab. You may reformat the sheet or add in additional categories as long as you answer all existing fields.









§ Player participation can be terminated at any given time, at the GM's discretion.

§ The following offenses will result in the player's removal

  • Starting arguments
  • Circlekjerking
  • Harassment
  • Spamming and excessive shitposting
  • Advertising without GM permission
  • Breaking forum rules

§ The following offenses will result in the character's removal

  • Metagaming
  • Flawless characters
  • Controlling other players
  • Writing strictly for winning
  • Low effort IC content
  • Inactivity

§ In-character posting guidelines

  • Max 5000 words per post; split anything longer
  • No exotic glyphs or H1/H2 headers
  • Color coding optional; medium contrast colors only
  • Clearly indicate the IC time and location
  • Collab outside of IC


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Hidden 7 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by ButtsnBalls
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Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by ButtsnBalls
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The first round of applications will run to 11:59 pm PST, July 14 17. Up to eight players (beside my co-GM and myself) will be accepted through competitive character submission.
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by BingTheWing
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@Gcold Would it be okay for Common Development Asia to have an agricultural engineering department that my character can work for?
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Hank
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Hank Dionysian Mystery

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Subscribed, though I'm not sure I'll manage to complete an application before the deadline. We'll see.
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Kingfisher
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Here is my CS. Hope its acceptable!


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Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Ashgan
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Yo, some questions on the state of everyday technology if you'll indulge me. It's quite a few years into the future so I feel these are conceivable possibilities. I understand you haven't written the part on technology yet, but I'm asking anyway; maybe there are some ideas in here that you'll find interesting.

First, are we still using a lot of paper stuff in our lives? I'm talking passports, cash, that sort of thing. Personally, I find it plausible that, within over 40 years from now, that we might be equipped with subdermal RFID chips that can take care of identification, digital payments and so on. Maybe it's something that the middle class and above have adopted only. I'm asking this now because it probably has impact on everybody.

Secondly, and less ubiquitously relevant, what's the state of augmented reality? I think I saw mention of smartglasses somewhere. Am I to imagine that this is basically what the hype wants us to believe it's like? That we can, say, display information about landmarks or directions on the go, super-imposed over our vision? Digital conferences with virtual avatars? Including business-related meetings involving multiple parties all over the world, yet with no need to convene in one physical location? Games that more or less seamlessly meld with the real world? Could a law enforcer have an enhanced version that gives them access to a summary of people's personal information (particularly if RFID is a thing and they are within scanning range)?

And lastly, I'm guessing fossil fuels have largely run out and/or electric cars have definitely replaced petrol-based vehicles?
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Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Shienvien
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Subdermal chips is a notoriously double-edged blade. On one hand, they can be convenient and useful, on the other, we already have heart stimulants that a person with sufficient knowledge of the hardware can crack into and do whatever with, an increase of minor frauds and privacy violations due to distance read chips, and some very real cases where children with anti-kidnapping tracking chips in a SA country were severely mutilated by kidnappers to get said chips out. Just imagine a world where muggers, instead of taking your wallet, will just force you to ground and gouge into your arm with pocket knives instead, another subset of petty thieves would just nick a couple of readers, modify them, and steal from you by walking past you at arm's lenght, and anyone with the slightest issue with you will know precisely where you are.

...I'm now semi-inclined to play a proper criminal, or a few of them, but I probably shouldn't given my current load (as in, I'm inching upwards of three weeks between posts).
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Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Ashgan
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Sounds like beautiful fodder for a dystopia to me ;D But you make a good case against their widespread use. Still, I imagine some sort of middle-ground might be reached, as we already see a strong trend to move away from cash money in the real world (what with banks, at least where I live, closing counters at the bank and imposing extra fees on non-online transfers etc to discourage the use of non-digital payments) and stuff like amazon's physical shop aiming for a system where you don't need cashiers anymore, where you simply take the stuff you want, walk out, and all the goods you took are scanned and billed as you leave. Maybe the chips (or cards) require borderline physical contact to be read.

Edit: Your load might be tough, but you also write pretty long posts Shien. Maybe you could reach a compromise and cut down on size to accomodate for your available time?
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Shienvien
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I don't think I know how to be non-verbose and still say what I intended unless I initially write a longpost, and then methodically trim it down (which is essentially what I do with my production-writing; I actually trim them to keep them more compact). :-P
In practice, though, the posts themselves don't take that long to write (I don't think I've ever spent as much as an hour on a single character's piece, though I often take breaks before switching to the character). Such as my post yesterday was written in probably half n hour total. It's more about finding a time when I'm not either too tired or too distracted or both.

And oh, I could tell you about a couple of RL incidents I were personally there for even from only the past month... It's a mess. Trust me, it's a mess and sometimes you don't even need to try. (There is a joke about us Estonians not knowing what physical money looks like that's over half a dozen years old, too, so your place's not an exception by any means... I certainly use digital signing far more than an actual pen signatures, too. Pen signatures are definitely easier to forge - among other things, I realized one of my current boss's looks almost identical to mine as is...)
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Peik
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Yo, some questions on the state of everyday technology if you'll indulge me. It's quite a few years into the future so I feel these are conceivable possibilities. I understand you haven't written the part on technology yet, but I'm asking anyway; maybe there are some ideas in here that you'll find interesting.

First, are we still using a lot of paper stuff in our lives? I'm talking passports, cash, that sort of thing. Personally, I find it plausible that, within over 40 years from now, that we might be equipped with subdermal RFID chips that can take care of identification, digital payments and so on. Maybe it's something that the middle class and above have adopted only. I'm asking this now because it probably has impact on everybody.

Secondly, and less ubiquitously relevant, what's the state of augmented reality? I think I saw mention of smartglasses somewhere. Am I to imagine that this is basically what the hype wants us to believe it's like? That we can, say, display information about landmarks or directions on the go, super-imposed over our vision? Digital conferences with virtual avatars? Including business-related meetings involving multiple parties all over the world, yet with no need to convene in one physical location? Games that more or less seamlessly meld with the real world? Could a law enforcer have an enhanced version that gives them access to a summary of people's personal information (particularly if RFID is a thing and they are within scanning range)?

And lastly, I'm guessing fossil fuels have largely run out and/or electric cars have definitely replaced petrol-based vehicles?


Sopahn practically being a 'sci-fi frontier meets non-developed world' city, it still has huge gaps in technology, and with the amount of population (especially amongst the lower classes), it's safe to assume that physical, paper documents still have some important place, even if to simply make things easier for lesser supplied government employees.

Augmented reality is very much a thing, although it's mostly an entertainment for the higher classes. There should be more information coming up on Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality quite soon.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Shienvien
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...I reckon it means crappy old cars that are liable to fall apart at any moment are still a thing, then?

Might have also figured out what a potential character's backstory/fronting post would be. Completely inadvertently.
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by ButtsnBalls
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@Ashgan, adding on to what @Peik said.


Subdermal RFID and digital payment

Computer chips under the skin is entirely possible, but like any tech, it will supplement instead of completely replacing tried and true traditional tools. In this case, a chip, not matter how small it is, can be intrusive in someone's body. Unlike a credit card, people can't simply take it out of their skin (safely) like they can with the card/wallet. Hacking and cutting it out of the skin can be concerns, but then again, similar issues already exist with tap to pay credit cards today. Before traveling to risky areas, the chip owner may disable their device to prevent hacking. They may also add in an additional layer of security like traditional passwords, fingerprints, eye recognition or something else. There will be an ever evolving arms race between hackers and security, and these kind of dangers won't likely turn people off from convenience.

So yes, subdermal RFID will be present. In terms of widespread adoption, I'd say it's on the same scale as today's phone based credit cards (like Google Pay); popular but not ubiquitous.

In addition, two more methods of payment are bound to rise in popularity. Cryptocurrency loaded onto portable smart devices, which allows bitcoin to be used in certain physical stores. And purely biometric credentials; pay with a scan of your fingerprint.

Using flashy futuristic pay may be the right thing in downtown Sopahn, but outside in rural Taray, be prepared to spend paper rupees.


Virtual and augmented reality

Smart glasses are gonna be the next big thing. Google Glass can already be used with prescriptions glasses, ski goggles in the arctics and scuba goggles underwater. With the miniaturization of microchips and advancements in quantum computing, augmented reality (AR) is only gonna get better. So yes, all of these things you said will exist in 2060.

Info superimposed on glasses already exists on fighter pilot huds, and we will definetely see it in everyday use in the future. Just keep in mind that some sort of connection may be required to use live navigation. However, some landmarks and tourist sites can have bar codes or recognizable patterns thag when scanned, trigger AR info flyout. Same thing can also be applied to roads and buildings.

Using holograms in conferences like the Jedi council is forseeable, as Star Wars type holograms are already in development. It's probably going to be the next step up from Skype teleconferencing. The catch here is that transportation also got better, meaning those vital meetings can be done easier face-to-face.

Augmented reality games (like Pokemon Go) are different than virtual reality games (like House of the Dying Sun). Both of these are going to be huge, with the former being prevelant in mobile gaming and the latter requiring a solid goggle, rig and possibly wide room. I can imagine AR and VR being combined in some form, like "walking out" of your room while sitting with a VR set on and explore a zombie appocalypse version of Sopahn in the comfort of your sofa.


Future cars

Oil is going to be scarce in 2060. The big oil nations in the Middle East would have ran out of their reserves by then. However, a few countries like Canada and Venezuela actually have more than 100 years of reserves remaining, so you can still top up those vintage cars if you really want to. At the end of the day, electric cars are going to dominate, with solar panels on their roofs, hydrogen fuel cells under their hoods and plenty of plugs around parking lots. The side effect of electric cars is an increase in eletrcity demand, so prepare for a bigger eletric bill.

That brings me to @Shienvien. Yup, what we take for granted today, the pretrol car that you actually have to steer, is going to be crappy and old. With a lot of revolutionary tech coming, finding parts for 2017 cars in 2060 may be more challenging than 1974 parts in 2017. In fact, the average "driver" won't even be driving; a lot of cars are going to be autonomous.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by ButtsnBalls
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@Gcold Would it be okay for Common Development Asia to have an agricultural engineering department that my character can work for?


Totally fine.

CD Asia is focused more on tech and services, so they will have serious local competitions. You can name a subsidary, or we can make it the rural division of Lue Consulting.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by ButtsnBalls
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@Heat, saw you visiting the interest check yesterday; would you like to join?
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Heat
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Heat Hey, nice marmot

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@Gcold I'm not sure yet, it is interesting but I can't say for sure if I'm joining.
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by TrippyNightmare
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TrippyNightmare You're right, I'm the bad guy

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Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Hank
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Hank Dionysian Mystery

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I've concluded that I don't have the time to properly dedicate to this RP, at least for now. Good luck!
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Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by ButtsnBalls
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@Virgil @Mercenary Lord @Atrophy, how are you guys doing?
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by ML
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Probably sitting this one out, unfortunately: I fell in with a shadowrun campaign and I'm stretched thin as it is
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