METROWAR OFFICIAL SIGNUP THREAD - Formatting for posts is simple: just duplicate what you've already seen others do. At minimum you will need everything except for the description, which can be as detailed as you wish. - Beware of picking starting locations that other players have already taken! At game start you'll probably want some room to grow, but late-game players can only join in with Neutral or unexplored stations. Those stations currently controlled, along with a list of active players, can be found in the main game thread. - When choosing a flag or symbol, if you used separate parts to create it, please include or send me links (this will make it easier to create icons for the game map). - Players are free to create any faction they wish, so long as it makes some kind of sense in Metro lore. We are creating a new environment, so if you combine things from the novels and the games, or even from other fiction (within reason!) that's fine too. If you don't want to think too hard about it, you can always create a faction based on ones seen in the novels or games. Still, the more creative you get the better: this game is a shell that promotes RP stories, not the other way around. - Politics is not a simple science but it can be... simpler. Here's a short list of government types to choose from. You are not limited to this list, and you can even combine parts if you so desire. All depends on what you want your faction to be. - A note on powergaming: This game, in of itself, has concrete rules that you can't avoid. But saying you have a population of mutated supermen that can leap tall buildings in a single bound simply isn't going to cut it either: you bleed and die like the rest of us, so I'll expect your faction story to cooperate. - Below is a list of template factions which you are free to use so long as they have not already been taken. Also beware of starting locations! --- FACTION TEMPLATES ------ Canon Factions: ------ NOT AVAILABLE Name: "Polis" Gov't Type: Democratic Technocracy Leader: Polis Council Start Position: Biblioteka Imeni Lenina "The last place on Earth where people live as people, where they still remember what the word human means, and how it should sound." - Metro 2033 Novel Spoiler Polis, whose name evokes images of Greek cities of learning and culture like Athens, is perhaps the last bastion of human scientific and social progress left on Earth. While the origins of its governing council are not clear, the abundance of scientists, teachers and politicians is self evident. Graced with the protection of former Russian Army officers, this otherwise "soft" society was given room to maintain, and in some cases advance, the civilization that mankind had almost left behind. This adherence to the old world has come at a price: Polis is very exclusive to the point of being xenophobic. Even the poorest citizen lives in a flat that every tent-dwelling, pig-farming Metro dweller would be jealous of. Compared to its surroundings, Polis boasts fully functional pre-war equipment, from bright electric lights to active subway trains, and is protected by some of the heaviest weaponry dragged down from the surface. Naturally, the resulting immigrants, squatters and other "infiltrators" are a common problem, proving without a doubt that Polis citizens are human after all. Situated in the once-beating heart of Moscow, with easy access to the most important structures on the surface, the technocratic leaders of Polis have little interest in the affairs of Metro dwellers playing at politics. They would much rather continue their work, preserving information and diagnosing their new world. On one hand this has given them even greater power, but their isolationism is bound to backfire eventually. The longer Polis exists, the bigger a target it becomes. --- TAKEN - VSV Name: "Spartan Rangers" Gov't Type: Warrior Commune Leader: Colonel Miller Start Position: Arbatskaya-2 "If it's hostile, you kill it." - Hunter Spoiler The origin of the Rangers is about as mysterious as the organization itself, but it is believed that they may have been soldiers from the Russian Army or Spetsnaz before the apocalypse. Others believe they are just mercenaries, or even government agents in disguise. Whatever the case, they have been active in the Metro since the Great War. Their outspoken leader is Colonel Miller, a man whose bearing is above reproach. Operating alone or in pairs, Rangers have slipped in and out of even the most densely populated stations in the Metro, with or without permission. Equipped with advanced pre-war equipment such as night vision goggles and silenced rifles, their chief advantage lay in skill and cunning rather than numbers. Some claim that the Rangers even control habitable outposts on the surface, but no stalkers sent to investigate ever returned. New recruits are drawn from the population of Polis, the city-state which they have made it their sworn duty to protect. This has not stopped disagreements between the two, however, and some fear that Polis without the Rangers, or Rangers without Polis, could never survive on their own. With one being the protector of knowledge and the other the protector of mankind, the loss of either or both would be a crippling blow to the species... unless other factions picked up the slack, that is. At their core, the Rangers are an elite Order whose only enemies are the mutants and demons that plague the Metro. But history shows that such noble aims have been tarnished before, and it would not be the first time that a warrior clique usurped worldly power. --- AVAILABLE Name: "Fourth Reich" Gov't Type: National Socialist Leader: Reichsführer Arno Niemezov Start Position: Pushkinskaya (Renamed: "Westwall") Background: "We must prepare for a great war, the final war, and it will end with the triumph of our race! The mailed fists of the legions of Reich will challenge our enemies! And if the jackals will not surrender, we will take it by force! Hail Reich!" - The Führer Spoiler The Fourth Reich based their organization on the Third Reich of Nazi Germany. However, unlike it's predecessor, these post-apocalyptic National Socialists seek Genetic Purity, cleansing the remaining human population of its mutations and other deformities. They are one people, one nation, led by one man, the Führer. And his word is law. Civilians who live in the Reich are not exposed to the atrocities carried out by Nazi soldiers in their name, but this does not protect them from state violence. Many civilians have fled the Reich for having failed to meet the (sometimes arbitrary) genetic and moral standards of the Führer. If these standards are not met, the penalty is death, regardless of position or prestige. Yet despite this overbearing scrutiny the stations under the Reich are orderly, efficient and, in a strange twist, "safe." The soldiers of the Fourth Reich, while usually outnumbered by their opponents, make up for it with fanatic zeal and the occasional piece of superior technology. Their training is brutal, but thorough; it is said that they are trained from birth simply by living in such a militaristic society. Regardless of their origins, their objective is clear: Complete dominance of the Metro, the elimination of all "sub-humans," and the rebirth of a pure (and totalitarian) Motherland. But will the rest of the Metro yield? --- AVAILABLE! Name: "Red Line" Gov't Type: Socialist Kratocracy Leader: Chief Secretary of the Politburo Andrey Moskvin Start Position: Lubyanka "Look... Look at the far stations! They freaking eat each other, sell their kids as slaves... it's like a Stone Age! Left to his own devices, a man becomes a beast. You know? Order... Order is all that matters. That's... that's our salvation! So, you can believe whatever, but I am Red - I'm Red until the day I die! I drink to order! Blin!" - Major Pavel Morozov Spoiler The Red Line took their namesake seriously: They endorse the complete restoration of the USSR in the traditional Soviet model. Naturally they have availed themselves of the Soviet-era aesthetics and memorabilia that withstood the bombs, and their propaganda mill is one of the most effective in the Metro. Originally the Red Line came about as a desperate attempt to finally create a Communist utopia. Several stations revolted against their nominal leaders and joined hands to create this post-capitalist, post-apocalyptic union. Unfortunately for them, their fruits were rapidly stolen by the more clever among them. Rebel leaders were put against the wall and shot. A series of military strongmen touted the virtues of communal resources while they hoarded all they could. All the while the "Interstational" propaganda machine continued to draw in more unwitting stations. Eventually the leadership struggle ended with the rise of a former Red Army commander named Andrey Moskvin, and the new state clamped down on its people with a vengeance. Red culture is a curious mirror of Stalinist times. A mostly decorative "Politburo" exists to give legitimacy to the strongman of the moment, with the military held under careful control by the strongman's secret services. The citizens, while imbued with Communist spirit, are often a depressive lot. Sometimes it seems as if the one and only escape is through the Red Army, which has no lack of recruits. Regardless, the Red Line is a stable and predictable place to live, perhaps the only real compensation for the low standard of living. Reactionary in practice but "progressive" on paper, the Red Line has conjured up the ghosts of the past to assist with the present. But is that ever a wise decision? --- AVAILABLE! Name: "Hanza" Gov't Type: Corporate Aristocracy Leader: President Pyotr Kirillovich Rusakov Start Position: Mira Prospekt-A "The citizens of Hansa, their wealth ensured through trade with other "states" and free stations, understandably value profit above anything..." - Artyom Spoiler Officially, the Commonwealth of the Stations of the Ring Line is a loose collection of settlements along the vital trade spine of the Ring. With access to virtually every major human settlement in the Metro, these merchants-turned-aristocrats have turned their economic power into political leverage. Often referred to by the slang term "Hanza," in reference to some trading league of the old world, the Ring Line is sometimes referred to as the most civilized place in the Metro, but in reality the same rules apply: Survival of the fittest. Whether fitness is determined with muscle or with money is irrelevant. Much like Polis, the leaders of Hanza (really a procession of the richest businessmen taking on mantles such as "President") are xenophobic, and open their stations only to the highest bidder. As such, the most exposure Metro dwellers have to Hanza is in the form of an open market and a sentry standing post in front of imposing airlock doors. And while the merchants of the Ring can sell you anything the heart desires, experienced travelers caution that it is "better to be in debt to the Devil than to Hanza." With nominal freedom and considerable wealth, the people of Hanza are as fat and happy as anyone can be in post-apocalyptic Moscow. Whether everyone else sees fit to leave them that way is another matter. ------ Original Factions: ------ AVAILABLE! Name: "New Brotherhood (Novyy Bratstvo)" Gov't Type: Gangland Kingdom Leader: Boss Vlad “The Baker” Mikhailov Start Position: Kitay-Gorod-B "Listen here: You pay your dues to the Brotherhood. You pay them in full, and you'll have solutions to your problems for as long as you live. You don't pay up, and being the bastard of a Nosalis in a Nazi Prison Camp will be preferable to what's coming your way." - Odessa Mirzoyev Spoiler The Russian Mafia was shattered by the falling of the bombs, but that didn't stop the stubborn survivors from quickly reviving it. Vlad “The Baker” Mikhailov's heritage and charisma made him a clear standout, and once he'd gained enough followers he ruthlessly began to destroy or assimilate any posers he ran across. With lax laws and ever-increasing demands for goods of all kinds, the Brotherhood established a network of black market contacts throughout the Metro and rapidly infested whatever station they could sink their claws into. But at "home" (a nice term for stations that had been used up and were nothing but hangouts for bruisers), the average dweller was free to live as they saw fit. Even some independent businesses managed to spring up in the absence of illicit trade, and the domains of the Bratva slowly grew prosperous on their own account. But wrong the Brotherhood and you disappeared. Rumors had it that these victims found themselves cooked into the meals served to new recruits, though that didn't stop those desperate enough from partaking of the unholy communion. "Better to be a thug than a corpse," as the saying went. Those not experienced with the Brotherhood have heard tales of a “Capitol of Sin”, prominently known for its casinos and an abundance of prostitutes, alcohol and drugs. Whether or not this is true, the story has been compelling enough for Metro dwellers to seek it out like some kind of unholy Promised Land underground. Only time would tell how far such influence would spread. --- AVAILABLE! Name: "Blessed Followers" Gov't Type: Cult Theocracy Leader: Chosen Father Bogdan Petrov Start Position: Mayakovskaya "While many are blind to the gift we have been given, our eyes have been opened to the infinite possibilities awaiting us. Our world will never be the same, and neither will we. While the rest of mankind cowers in these tunnels, we will climb to the top and walk the Earth again as its new stewards." - From a common Followers sermon Spoiler The world that emerged from Armageddon shocked and horrified the survivors of the Metro. Wild, ravenous beasts scoured every last inch of tortured earth, enveloped in toxic gasses and radioactive snowdrifts. Everyone had dreaded nuclear war, but nobody anticipated the Hell that was the result. The world outside was a place to be feared, as if it was no longer of the same Mother Nature, but a wicked witch. Humanity has a habit of trying to conquer its fears by claiming they do not exist, and the cult of the Blessed Followers was no different. For them, the bombs were not a catastrophe, but a blessing, a metamorphosis. The Earth was changing, and its children would change too. But if the first half of this puzzle was a pagan fervor, the other half could only be described as mad science. Knowing full well the dangers of radiation and whatever agents interacted with it to bring about this new world, they made it their duty to contain, measure, and administer it to themselves. Only the most dedicated of devotees were chosen to be test subjects, but there were plenty of opportunities to go around. Those left deranged, crippled, or worse wore their scars with pride: Only through trial and error would they unlock the secrets to forced evolution. It also helped to boost their social status... provided they survived. The Metro is an unforgiving place, which means any group claiming to offer redemption has plenty of souls to choose from. In this case, there was room for everybody, including an armed group known as the Followers Militant. And while there are those who cling to the Followers for reasons other than their fanatical cult, every new member makes the leadership bolder... and what if they run out of volunteers? --- TAKEN - Warhawk Name: "The Church" Gov't Type: Feudal Theocracy Leader: Father Superior Pyotr Makarovich Kornilov Start Position: Park Kul'tury-A (Renamed: "The Ark") Background: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare…” - 2 Peter 3:10 Spoiler It was a warm day in Moscow. Spring was giving way to summer, and the streets of the city were alive with fresh activity. True, there had been rumors. Stories. Things to keep people up at night. Whispers of war on the wind. Few took it to heart as they went about their lives. On that day there had been a processional of sorts. It was in memoriam of a certain national tragedy that had occurred right there in Moscow not too long ago. A group of priests and nuns left the Novodevichy Convent and slowly wound their way to the nearest station of the Metro, Sportivnaya. From there they were to travel to Park Kultury, and then on to Lubyanka, in the footsteps of victims. Some said martyrs. It doesn’t matter now, in any case. The train had barely left its station when the city mounted its cross and was purged with nuclear fire. In the darkness and chaos that resulted from the wailing and gnashing of trains, the only authority in sight was a processional of the Orthodox faith. The procession became a pilgrimage, and before long the black tunnels were alight with candles and hymns as refugees made their way north on foot. Park Kultury, their first destination, became their last: The devastation only increased the closer they came to the city center. The new arrivals thinned out, and before long the survivors were alone. This deeper section became their refuge, but for how long none of them could have known. That was ages ago. Or at least it seems that way. Since then the community that clung so fearfully to their holy books and icons has survived where it seems the rest of the world had not. Political authorities had long since gone silent, and what law enforcers were present had given up their badges and ranks for sentry posts, always on the lookout for the foul beasts that now roamed the wastes above. This congregation of the underground, this new Church, took on a character of its own. A manifestation of the grim yet brave determination of the Slavic people, the survivors have created a simplistic feudal system of governance divided into classical estates. But where the days of old had a Tsar or a Duma, here there is only a Father Superior. A class of warriors, gradually resembling knights of a holy order, is responsible for safeguarding the population, while the majority works as simple laborers and scavengers, eking out a living in the decaying Metro. Life here is hard, but it is not yet valueless despite the clear separations of rights and responsibilities. No one knows what happened to the rest of the Orthodox hierarchy such as the Patriarch of Moscow, but there has been no time to consider it. For all intents and purposes, this Church is all that is left of Orthodox Russia, and its leaders treat it that way.
Wow, you really went all out. Guess I should try not to disappoint then. Name: Iron Foxes Gov't Type: Federalism, Loose Oligarchy Perhaps? (Not terrible familiar with the particular nuances of most forms of government) Leader: Commander Khvostov Location: Mendeleevskaya Background: "We are children of circumstance. Never forget that. Make sure that when they come knocking on our doors, that we are prepared make them the victims of their own circumstance." -Mikhael Sokolov, a major proponent for expansionist policies It should come as no surprise that the unnaturally prepared would be the ones most ready for the apocalypse. Those who kept a well-oiled handgun (and spare mag) under their pillow in spite of local ordinances. Those who knew how to turn standing water into something potable, even though they lived in the city. Those who could hit a tin can at two hundred meters with their eyes closed. Those who collected working military surplus, without really much of a reason to explain why. You generally weren't much of a people person if you had a room in your house dedicated to storing survival supplies you never used, but when the bombs fell and the eternal night began, these wary survivors found a sense of community. Being a social outcast mattered little when the barriers had been blown to bits. What mattered was that these people were more than ready to leave their old lives behind and adapt to the new threat. To embrace a future of simpler times, worrying less about ideology and finances and more about where their next meal was coming from. While many people struggled at the loss of the comfort of the lives they had known, the Iron Foxes forged a path towards survival with newfound purpose. Perhaps they had been called to this life after all. While not the most inclusive of groups, they took in those who were willing to dedicate themselves to learning their techniques and had applicable skills to further their collective goals of ensuring their long-term survival. Many are naturally distrustful of the Foxes and their preference for seclusion, but none can deny the benefits of trading both goods and knowledge with them. Though few in numbers, and supposedly rich with pre-war stockpiles, no major factions care enough to bother clearing them out from the (home station) ruins. There's no cost-efficient way to fight them on their home turf, and most of them are already too preocupied with closer, more pressing matters than a few proud, rowdy scavengers, perhaps even bandits.
Name: Red Aces (Bandits) Government: Soft totalitarianism (I'm the same as Potarto; I'm not that familiar with forms of governments) Leader: Spartak Veselovsky Location Tretyakovskaya-A Background: I really don't have much thought out for the background. A band of brothers, from the Butyrka prison in Moscow, united, altogether, in the heap of the raging sirens that warned an entire nation of the end. Most of the inmates were taken, into the underground network of tunnels that connected each of cell blocks together, moments before the blast. No prison guards followed in with them as they had their own separate shelter or other necessities to tend to -such as being with their family. The inmates were handed nothing by the prison guards and were left alone to die in a concrete casket. Though, there were some boxes of aged canned food, some glass containers that held potable water, and some electricity that would sustain the men for a few days; but that was sure to run out quickly. The majority fought each other for rations -often killing one another. A few realized that this battle for food would go on until they eventually turned to cannibalism. Those few sought to find a way out from the labyrinth of passage ways and possibly go to a better shelter. They managed to flee from the others when they found a crammed sewer run-off system that led off into the unknown darkness. After trekking the still murky waters for what seemed for ever, the prisoners emerged parallel to a metro train track. The followed the railing until they reached their destination: Tretyakovskaya-A
Sounds good. You can change any aspect, like the starting position, if you like, but that's all up to you.
