CS Propaganda

[Aaryq]

Howdy, folks.
I'm looking to try to throw more background ambiance to my campaign by inserting propaganda into the campaign, both subtle and not-so-subtle. Posters, broadcast transcripts (actual broadcasts as well), slogans, whatever you want to contribute

[Glistam]

Pictures and broadcasts. Remember the average CS citizen is not only illiterate, but encouraged to stay that way. So any such propaganda has to (somehow) pander to that.

[Giant2005]

Replace the word "Federation" in this song with "Coalition" and you have the CS's new number 1 hit!

[Bill]

The cartoon adventures of Commander Prosek and the Deadboys is a huge hit with the kiddies. Each episode teaches the corrupting nature of magic, the evils of d-bees, and the natural goodness of humanity. Commander Prosek action figures have been the most popular holiday gift inside Coalition cities for a decade. The show remains popular even outside of the cities, covertly promoting tensions between humans and their alien neighbors.

...Humanity's Savior! Commander Prosek is here!...

[Aaryq]

I'm kind of looking for existing propaganda to re-purpose. Especially stuff like WWII Propaganda (all parties), Sovietski, Best Korea, and things like that.

[Bill]

Google

[Aaryq]

Google

Good search. How would you make that available for people who don't know how to read?

[Bill]

Google

Good search. How would you make that available for people who don't know how to read?

Most of the results haven't got any text associated with them anyway. Plus you're dealing with super-science, so run them on video screens with narration. For posters and whatnot, your propaganda officers, officially sanctioned education agents, and other loyal members of the Coalition can explain the meaning of to crowds; who can later return to draw inappropriate and treasonous things on them after the authority figures have returned to their safe and comfortable homes behind the city walls.

[taalismn]

Use Weird Al Yankovich's 'Mandatory Fun' CD cover as the CS Ministry of Entertainment's latest 'Get Happy, Humanity!" campaign.

[Tor]

Propoganda recruitment films from the Starship Troopers franchise can provide some good inspiration for the CS.

Also for understanding a high-tech empire and the worship given to its Emperor, I like Legend of Galactic Heroes.

[Alrik Vas]

Starship Troopers is indeed a great source for CS-like propaganda. I like The Imperium of Man from WH40k as well.

[gaby]

All Magic users want to sell,All Humankind to ther Demonic masters,Fight them! join the CS,s army.
D-Bees want our lands and our lives,Fight them! join the CS,s army.

[Alrik Vas]

Become a Loot Pinata! Fight the Unholy of Wormwood! Join the CS Army!

(in before Flatline )

[glitterboy2098]

Starship Troopers is indeed a great source for CS-like propaganda. I like The Imperium of Man from WH40k as well.

the 40K imperium works best if you can remove the more religious elements. the CS doesn't worship "god emperor prosek" or have "machine spirits" in all its units after all. but the stuff focusing more on killing the filthy Xeno's, mutants and traitors would work well. (well, "heretics" instead of traitors, but that's what i mean about removing the religious element..)

[The Ruiner]

I did a search for the StarWars recruitment posters, some of those seem to fir pretty well, especially with some re-tooling by someone much more talented than myself. I would have provided a link, but I don't know how to do that without posting a link that is is loinger than the rest of this post.

[Kargan3033]

You could have the CS propaganda corps showing a video of evil magic using D-bees leading a bunch of human children in chains to an alter with a demon standing there and show a picture an overly cute kid crying as he or she is about to be sacrificed by an evil magic using human or D-bee who is about to plunge an evil looking dagger that is glowing with evil magic then as the dagger is plunging toward the heart of the child, shift the video to an image of or scene of a group of CS troops fighting the evil magic using D-bees with a saying along the lines " The CS armed forces are fighting to protect the future of humanity from the evil magic using traitors and D-bee scum/vermin, your sons and daughters NEED YOU!, enlist today. "

Or you could show an image of a group of scantly clad women/girls of all ages who have been *abused* with looks of horror and terror being menaced by evil magic users and D-bees who leering/drooling at the captive females with the saying " Men don't let your wives, mothers, sisters, daughters fall prey to the evil rapist magic using/D-bee scum, enlist today. "

Also you can do the reverse of the above sample show a group of *abused* men and boys of all ages being menaced by a group of clearly evil and perverted she demons, evil female magic users female D-bees with the follwing saying " Ladies don't let the evil rapist magic using/D-bee sluts steal our men folk, enlist today. "

[Rallan]

The cartoon adventures of Commander Prosek and the Deadboys is a huge hit with the kiddies. Each episode teaches the corrupting nature of magic, the evils of d-bees, and the natural goodness of humanity. Commander Prosek action figures have been the most popular holiday gift inside Coalition cities for a decade. The show remains popular even outside of the cities, covertly promoting tensions between humans and their alien neighbors.

...Humanity's Savior! Commander Prosek is here!...

I don't think reducing the emperor to a cartoonish figure of fun would have quite the effect they're after. It might go down well with the kids, but it would also be extremely easy for critics and dissidents to satirise.

If they're using childrens' entertainment as propaganda it'd be better to stick with fictional characters that embody the Coalition's ideals.Sort of a GI Joe for the 24th century.

[Tor]

What if the CS painted Karl Prosek to be similar to Vince McMahon in the WWE?

[Bill]

The cartoon adventures of Commander Prosek and the Deadboys is a huge hit with the kiddies. Each episode teaches the corrupting nature of magic, the evils of d-bees, and the natural goodness of humanity. Commander Prosek action figures have been the most popular holiday gift inside Coalition cities for a decade. The show remains popular even outside of the cities, covertly promoting tensions between humans and their alien neighbors.

...Humanity's Savior! Commander Prosek is here!...

I don't think reducing the emperor to a cartoonish figure of fun would have quite the effect they're after. It might go down well with the kids, but it would also be extremely easy for critics and dissidents to satirise.

If they're using childrens' entertainment as propaganda it'd be better to stick with fictional characters that embody the Coalition's ideals.Sort of a GI Joe for the 24th century.

Don't hit it with the logic stick. It's Rifts and logic doesn't need to apply.

[Killer Cyborg]

The cartoon adventures of Commander Prosek and the Deadboys is a huge hit with the kiddies. Each episode teaches the corrupting nature of magic, the evils of d-bees, and the natural goodness of humanity. Commander Prosek action figures have been the most popular holiday gift inside Coalition cities for a decade. The show remains popular even outside of the cities, covertly promoting tensions between humans and their alien neighbors.

...Humanity's Savior! Commander Prosek is here!...

I don't think reducing the emperor to a cartoonish figure of fun would have quite the effect they're after. It might go down well with the kids, but it would also be extremely easy for critics and dissidents to satirise.

If they're using childrens' entertainment as propaganda it'd be better to stick with fictional characters that embody the Coalition's ideals.Sort of a GI Joe for the 24th century.

Don't hit it with the logic stick. It's Rifts and logic doesn't need to apply.

But it's so much better when logic DOES apply.

[Killer Cyborg]

Starship Troopers is indeed a great source for CS-like propaganda.

Yes, that's a good template.

Also, the movie Brazil has some good stuff in it.

[glitterboy2098]

actually, the idea of a GIJoe type cartoon isn't bad. it just needs a fictional cast. the emperor and various real CS 'heroes' just get Cameos from time to time.

[Killer Cyborg]

actually, the idea of a GIJoe type cartoon isn't bad. it just needs a fictional cast. the emperor and various real CS 'heroes' just get Cameos from time to time.

Agreed.
Just like Sgt. Slaughter and Walter Perry did with GI Joe.

[Zer0 Kay]

I'm kind of looking for existing propaganda to re-purpose. Especially stuff like WWII Propaganda (all parties), Sovietski, Best Korea, and things like that.

Take a page out of the Catholics game book. Statues, reliquary and stained glass windows.
NO they didn't have special powers they were just normal people that did special things.
NO that item doesn't have mystic properties, it was just used to cut off Lord Dunscon's hand showing that he is indeed mortal.
NO that isn't real people captured in glass of tells the story of the Tolkien War.

[Bill]

But it's so much better when logic DOES apply.

HA! When has it ever? Giant robot warmachines, magic, and scifi mutants are not the stuff of rational, logical, storytelling. No personal attack intended, but a lot of your complaints about the game that I've read seem to emerge from your desire for it to make sense in way that it never has and never will.

[eliakon]

I always like the Babylon 5 shows PSA's for the Psi Corps. They seemed a good way to simulate CS propaganda about psis.....The registered psi is a good hero to be cheered. The unregistered one is a criminal traitor to be turned in.

[Killer Cyborg]

I always like the Babylon 5 shows PSA's for the Psi Corps. They seemed a good way to simulate CS propaganda about psis.....The registered psi is a good hero to be cheered. The unregistered one is a criminal traitor to be turned in.

Good call!

[Killer Cyborg]

But it's so much better when logic DOES apply.

HA! When has it ever? Giant robot warmachines, magic, and scifi mutants are not the stuff of rational, logical, storytelling. No personal attack intended, but a lot of your complaints about the game that I've read seem to emerge from your desire for it to make sense in way that it never has and never will.

Not really.
Being consistent with its own premises is all I really want.
The first few books worked quite well that way.
As well as some of the later books.

[Zer0 Kay]

I always like the Babylon 5 shows PSA's for the Psi Corps. They seemed a good way to simulate CS propaganda about psis.....The registered psi is a good hero to be cheered. The unregistered one is a criminal traitor to be turned in.

Good call!

Like those, starship troopers

[Zer0 Kay]

But it's so much better when logic DOES apply.

HA! When has it ever? Giant robot warmachines, magic, and scifi mutants are not the stuff of rational, logical, storytelling. No personal attack intended, but a lot of your complaints about the game that I've read seem to emerge from your desire for it to make sense in way that it never has and never will.

That isn't a very ambassadorial stance.

[Bill]

But it's so much better when logic DOES apply.

HA! When has it ever? Giant robot warmachines, magic, and scifi mutants are not the stuff of rational, logical, storytelling. No personal attack intended, but a lot of your complaints about the game that I've read seem to emerge from your desire for it to make sense in way that it never has and never will.

That isn't a very ambassadorial stance.

I'll have to take your word for it. We don't have meetings.

[Zer0 Kay]

But it's so much better when logic DOES apply.

HA! When has it ever? Giant robot warmachines, magic, and scifi mutants are not the stuff of rational, logical, storytelling. No personal attack intended, but a lot of your complaints about the game that I've read seem to emerge from your desire for it to make sense in way that it never has and never will.

That isn't a very ambassadorial stance.

I'll have to take your word for it. We don't have meetings.

Lol. What no seconding motions no minutes from previous meetings no old and new business? Wait that isn't what an ambassador does. Your supposed to present the good face of PB and be overly courteous. Sumtin like day, or ya may be that ambassador who argues and gets wars started.

[sHaka]

Also bear in mind that the CS citizen population has a very high level of cybernetic augmentation. You can image cits getting bombarded through their headjacks (wirelessly connected to the CS-Net) by propaganda and mis-information to instil fear and enforce conformity.

RIFTS was written in a time before social media and wearable tech - it's no great leap to assume that cybernetic enhancement, certainly under a regime like Prosek's, is going to be far more intrusive into people's lives.

[Zer0 Kay]

Also bear in mind that the CS citizen population has a very high level of cybernetic augmentation. You can image cits getting bombarded through their headjacks (wirelessly connected to the CS-Net) by propaganda and mis-information to instil fear and enforce conformity.

RIFTS was written in a time before social media and wearable tech - it's no great leap to assume that cybernetic enhancement, certainly under a regime like Prosek's, is going to be far more intrusive into people's lives.

mandatory cyber eye

[Bill]

But it's so much better when logic DOES apply.

HA! When has it ever? Giant robot warmachines, magic, and scifi mutants are not the stuff of rational, logical, storytelling. No personal attack intended, but a lot of your complaints about the game that I've read seem to emerge from your desire for it to make sense in way that it never has and never will.

That isn't a very ambassadorial stance.

I'll have to take your word for it. We don't have meetings.

Lol. What no seconding motions no minutes from previous meetings no old and new business? Wait that isn't what an ambassador does. Your supposed to present the good face of PB and be overly courteous. Sumtin like day, or ya may be that ambassador who argues and gets wars started.

Sounds like you've got it all figured out. Volunteer to write the handbook!

[Alrik Vas]

Starship Troopers is indeed a great source for CS-like propaganda.

Yes, that's a good template.

Also, the movie Brazil has some good stuff in it.

Ah, Brazil. V for Vendetta want bad either.

[Zer0 Kay]

Starship Troopers is indeed a great source for CS-like propaganda.

Yes, that's a good template.

Also, the movie Brazil has some good stuff in it.

Ah, Brazil. V for Vendetta want bad either.

so is being Deleted in Brazil a spell or psychic power?

[Rallan]

But it's so much better when logic DOES apply.

HA! When has it ever? Giant robot warmachines, magic, and scifi mutants are not the stuff of rational, logical, storytelling. No personal attack intended, but a lot of your complaints about the game that I've read seem to emerge from your desire for it to make sense in way that it never has and never will.

That isn't a very ambassadorial stance.

I'd say it's a very ambassadorial stance. Rifts does not work if you sit down and think about it. It's ridiculous. It's illogical. A lot of the time it's even downright stupid. And you can make up apologetics for the ridiculous illogical stupidity of it all day long, but at the end of the day all you've got is a whole bunch of fanon that isn't supported by the books, and which isn't going to convince critical audiences.

If you've got a critical audience (and any audience of non-teenagers is probably going to be critical) then you need to move past the game's weakness and sell it on its strong point: this is not a game with a logical setting that makes sense, this is a game where giant robots wrassle dragons. **** logic. **** the half-assed attempts by some books to make it sound logical (and especially **** the bad attempts by some books to make it sound logical). Sell it on its explosions-and-demons-and-cyborgs strength.

[Zer0 Kay]

But it's so much better when logic DOES apply.

HA! When has it ever? Giant robot warmachines, magic, and scifi mutants are not the stuff of rational, logical, storytelling. No personal attack intended, but a lot of your complaints about the game that I've read seem to emerge from your desire for it to make sense in way that it never has and never will.

That isn't a very ambassadorial stance.

I'd say it's a very ambassadorial stance. Rifts does not work if you sit down and think about it. It's ridiculous. It's illogical. A lot of the time it's even downright stupid. And you can make up apologetics for the ridiculous illogical stupidity of it all day long, but at the end of the day all you've got is a whole bunch of fanon that isn't supported by the books, and which isn't going to convince critical audiences.

If you've got a critical audience (and any audience of non-teenagers is probably going to be critical) then you need to move past the game's weakness and sell it on its strong point: this is not a game with a logical setting that makes sense, this is a game where giant robots wrassle dragons. **** logic. **** the half-assed attempts by some books to make it sound logical (and especially **** the bad attempts by some books to make it sound logical). Sell it on its explosions-and-demons-and-cyborgs strength.

MICHAEL BAY!! If he played role playing games this would be it. BOOM!!

[Killer Cyborg]

Rifts does not work if you sit down and think about it.

I sit down and think about Rifts all the time, and it still works for me.
The trick is to not over-think it, just like the trick is also not to under-think it.
Any storytelling medium breaks down under close enough scrutiny, but that doesn't mean that fiction needs to be an anything-goes free-for-all for absurdity.

[Killer Cyborg]

Starship Troopers is indeed a great source for CS-like propaganda.

Yes, that's a good template.

Also, the movie Brazil has some good stuff in it.

Ah, Brazil. V for Vendetta want bad either.

so is being Deleted in Brazil a spell or psychic power?

Bureaucratic Ability.

[Zer0 Kay]

Aw how many SGP (soilent green points) does it take? And what's its range in mass graves?

[Bood Samel]

The CS giving out basic tools to people in the wilderness that have overt CS symbols, logos etc on them. So that they associate their survival with the CS through logo branding. The CS world view as a corporate product.

[Killer Cyborg]

In my games, the only portable language translators that are legal in the CS are ones that only translate one way: into American.
This promotes the dominance of the CS's primary language, which means that they have an advantage in any kind of negotiations or discussions, as well as providing a useful psychological advantage by establishing their superiority.

Naturally, they trade these devices to outlying regions/nations.