Does anyone else here prefer playing agents of the authorities instead of ragtag misfits and rebels?
I just really enjoy trained specialists, soldiers of armies or task forces, members of large organizations, servants of empires, government/corporate agents etc. The usual underdog heroes bore me to tears.
>>44466561
My dream campaign is merciless Technocracy game of Mage.
Fuck reality deviants, fuck superstition, fuck special snowflakes.
>>44466561
You're right. We live in a world where authority and power are in control. it is only right that ALL forms of entertainment support this mindset. otherwise the rabble might begin to have untoward ideals and purging is expensive.
>>44466561
I like both, but I prefer engineering it to be underdoggish either way. Your villains, be they the Man or a bunch of dirty terrorists need to have you by the balls to create tension. Even when playing as the law, I like to feel like there's a struggle and a challenge.
>>44466561
I like playing Imperial in star wars games. The fact that I'm a soldier and the majority of the group is either military or cops helps, too. We can have our revenge on poorly represented institutions in movies (those rebels are less of a threat when you use actual engagement procedures instead of charging head-on), and be badass heroes instead of mediocre cogs irl.
Plus being part of the system actually helps in making things go your way, since you're not constantly in an antagonistic position with the authorities. And it allows for inner politics, which are always fun.
Nonetheless, while I admit that the resistance fighter heroes coupled with the usual hollywood black and white morality can get annoying, both sides of the law can provide interesting stories ; and that's all that matters for me. After all, everyone in those universes has motivations to act the way they do.
>>44466802
Reminder that the Empire was pro human, every human should have supported them, and Alderaan only got blown up because the retards were poking the sleeping giant for nearly two decades.
Delta Green is the best because you get to be federal agents but also be part of an outgunned illegal conspiracy.
>>44466692
>We live in a world where authority and power are in control.
That's some reversal of causality if I've ever seen it.
When were authority and control not in power in the history of man ? That's in their definition.
Also, notice that OP didn't call for censoring rebels, just playing public servants.
>>44466802
>tfw can't get into the FFG Star Wars games because I don't want to be a criminal, a Rebel, or a rogue Jedi
>no Imperial options
>no historical setting where the Jedi have political power
>>44466692
>OP likes playing something you don't
>"WOW STEP ON ME HARDER WITH YOUR JACKBOOTS MISTER FASCIST STOP CENSORING #OCCUPY"
>>44466847
Going with that logic, no white person would ever have supported the abolition of slavery.
Plus the empire shifted the balance of power away from the traditional oligarchy and nobles to the moffs, which could have made the formers quite angry at those pesky arrivists.
>>44466878
It's pretty easy to play imperial.
The rules aren't particularly tied to a faction, and AoR can be shifted to a remote imperial outpost in the fringe without sweat. Books provides npcs profiles for almost everyone, too, so you won't run out of enemies.
Or you can play undercover ISB agents in the rebellion (and have fun when the alliance win and you can't have your former life back)
And check the ffg forums of the swg on /tg/, they have homebrews for most periods and cultures in the extended universe. There is also a duty chart for imperial agents somewhere.
>>44466802
>The fact that I'm a soldier and the majority of the group is either military or cops helps, too.
B...but all players are dirty smelly neckbeards r...right?
Dude i don't know how many times i had this conversation in this place and i mean serious accusation and not just balant trolling because i can catch that.
My group looks like a pre-bank robbery meeting.
Its hilarious and people still fucking stereotyping.
>>44467108
Most stereotypical I've got where two standard neckbeards and a handful of female larpers (and one goth guy in highschool). The fact that we aren't in the US may play a role.
On the other hand, I've played with groups of teenagers on probation, 40 years old corporate executives, medical students, punks, and officers and NCOs on a Navy boat. Rpgs are one of the most socially diverse activity I've seen, and a vast majority of the people I've introduced to it enjoyed it a lot (like shooting, in fact). I guess it's the obscure hobby + supposed social stigma that makes people reluctant from trying it.
And having a 16yo wanabee gangsta beg you all day long to play DnD is priceless.
>>44466561
For me it's not a matter of the PCs working for the authorities. It's a matter of the PCs working for someone else.
There are two questions I like to have answered regarding any campaign before character creation:
> What reason do the PCs have for sticking together ?
> What reason do they have to progress the plot ?
I've found that campaigns where the players are working for someone else from the start are more likely to have those questions answered than campaigns where the players aren't working for anyone but themselves.
When I think of campaigns where the PCs are working for someone else from the beginning, those campaigns are more likely to have players working for the authorities than having them working for anyone else.
Without those questions answered I've found that campaigns go one of three ways:
- The GM manages to answer those questions after the campaign has begun.
- The group has trouble staying together because one or more PCs have in-character reasons to oppose the goals of everyone else. Leading to conflict where at least one PC is removed from play.
- Players keep progressing the plot and avoiding conflict with the rest of the party, even when they have to ignore large parts of their characters personality to do so. This is bad for roleplay.
>>44466701
True. I find that the best way to do it is that whoever they are working for is spread so thin that the PCs are basically on their own. That gives players freedom in how they attempt their goal and lets the enemies be a serious enough threat.
The PCs being part of some deniable operation is another option that could work.
>>44466561
I'm just in it for the fashion (Or should I sayFacisthion(??))
>>44467352
Long off-duty hours are perfect for role-playing games had a ton of people converted after being at first very reluctant. Funny thing about that i also had one wannabe gangster, in my situation it was old warhammer fantasy but you are dead-on on non-US thing. It might be a huge one...
...but i will not digress any further, this post makes me happy my friend so here have a pretty lady and old bike as a token of my gratitude.
>>44466561
I actually wrote an Age of Rebellion game where all the players start of as a fresh batch of Stormtroopers taking place 1 year after Revenge of the Sith.
It's all good.
>tfw nobody ever wants to play as anything but street trash in a cyberpunk game
>tfw you never get to pic related
>>44467646
Be a double-agent.
Fashion clothing and moral high-ground in one package !
>>44467755
Thanks, I like bikesand peugeot
>>44467108
>mfw I used to play with some MI guys
>mfw COIN and insurgency was a huge part of our AoR campaign
>mfw one mission ended with us walking in a bombardment on an enemy position
>>44466561
Same. I like operating with authority at my back rather than against it.
>>44467108
And no, we're not all 'neckbeards', I have to shave everyday in fact.
It honestly depends on which side is full of less faggotry.
When the GM introduces his custom dragonoid race of noble magic scientist wizards, of course I'm immediately going to set about destroying their civilization.
>>44466701
Agreed. There's nothing quite as satisfying as bringing THE LAW to a lawless region when undergunned and cut off from resupply.
>>44467108
My favorite PLAYERS:
>A RCMP investigator
>A guy who work for a physical security software/hardware
>A sociopath
All three were so glorious...
I really want to play a campaign as Imperials; maybe even starting out as low ranking and/or conscripted soldiers in the army during Star Wars: A new hope. Being a storm trooper doesn't sound too bad.
Or maybe a shadow run campaign as a group of deckers on a corporations pay roll. I wonder how that would work though. Has anyone ever tried running an SR campaign where you directly for a corp (as oppose to a Mr.Johnson.)
>>44470206
I've never got why Shadowrunners are so afraid of selling out and accepting a corp payroll.
>>44469349
The military is full of players and I usually love the kinds of themes and plans they come up with.
>>44470423
Funnily enough, it actually makes their job security go right down the toilet.
As soon as anyone else in the shadows learns about their new corporate branding, the runners lose the ability to ever get hired by anyone else, and automatically become enemies with everyone who hates that particular corp. And if (When) that corp ever decides that it's done with them or they're too big of a liability, they're completely fucked. Nobody else will touch them.
>>44470460
I think its fun when you use your own job skills to take something WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY beyond what it was intended to be.
>that time we armed a mod with napalm filled self lighting molotov's
>>44470423
NEVER DEAL WITH A DRAGON.
>everyone wants to be Imperial
>nobody wants to be First Order
The best way is to be part of a crusading organization with a surety of moral right, but still have other big governments as your enemies.
Even if they're governments that your superweapon can take out in one shot.
>>44470460
I DM'd a Pathfinder group for about and year and a half while i was stationed in Germany and hand down it was one of the best group I ever had. There was infighting and conflict but it was only ever IC and the shit these guys came up it.. glorious. I miss that group..
>>44466848
The best games of DG involve copious quantities of "Because Patriot Act, that's why"
>>44467017
>Going with that logic, no white person would ever have supported the abolition of slavery.
Going with the reality of the world, no white person should ever have supported the abolition of slavery.
You fucking cuck.
>>44470423
Because then they're not Shadowrunners anymore, they're the bitches of the corp whose dick they decided to suck. And they're not like, high class bitches like the Red Samurai, or something. They're a one nuyen pump and dump.
>>44473536
The First order is like the Empire, but EVILER™.
>let's steal children and brainwash them
>let's use an even bigger superweapon (because it worked so well the first two times)
>let's double the 3rd reich imagery
>let's kill people and destroy whole buildings instead of interrogating/searching them for the infos we desesperately need.
But at least they got a bunch of female stormtroopers, so you can operate with your waifu.
Empire remnants all the way. Pellaeon & Thrawn 4 life. My honor is called loyalty.
>>44466561
Assassin's Creed Rogue gave me a feeling so complicated
>>44466878
>tfw you're lazy pro-Rebel scum
>tfw you don't realize that the propaganda put out by the Alderaanian Exiles FFG is just stolen material for playing as proud members of the galactic machine known as COMPNOR
>>44466561
Reminds me of a star wars rpg years ago. Friend of our suggested playing as a group of Imperial's, survivors of the second Death Star destruction working our way to joining up with Thrawn. The DM made it sound fun, having to dodge through hostile territory, dodge the Rebel scum, tactical stuff later on and even the promise of an AT-AT,
Alas the game never got off the ground, friend moved away before we could start and the group kinda fell apart without him as he was a good forever GM.
>>44466561
Imperials on Ryloth: internal politics, external politics, greed, sex and terrorism.
Shame the game never got passed session 2.
>>44466642
I've done it, and it rocks.
Honestly, in the first two editions of MtA, the technocracy WERE the good guys, by any definition of the word. White Wolf even recognized the problem, hence the need to stick kick the dog moments into every supplement on the conventions.
Originally, the WW people felt that people would all read Technopoly and agree that Science is a Social Construct and evil. They resisted for a long time. I feel like Sorcerer's Crusade is an admission that they were wrong even within the subjective reality setting of Mage.
>>44466848
Post 2001 DG goes legit. They turn one of the leaders of Majestic 12 and use who to appoint a bunch of DG operatives to positions of power within M12. Eventually they make a move. Anyone who wouldn't side with them was eliminated.
With their new control they eventually reinstated the Delta Green security clearance and filed M12 and a number of other secret programs under it.
A bunch of DG operatives from the cowboy era don't trust the new official DG and never "came in out of the cold" so you can still do illegal conspiracy DG too.
>>44468018
GitS is post-cuberpunk. It shares a lot of themes with normal cyberpunk and you can argue for hours on the exactly differences but it does have a distinctively different feel to it. Namely that the authorities aren't always super evil and may even be the good guys.
>>44472032
>I think its fun when you use your own job skills to take something WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY beyond what it was intended to be.
I'm not allowed to be the group's hacker anymore...
>>44466561
It's part of being a post-Romantic society, man - we enjoy the person who is going against conventions far more than the person mindlessly upholding them. The loose cannon cop, the purposeful rebel, ect ect.
The rebel is fun if you want a lot of personality - the dominant power usually is given a feeling of being mass-produced, replaceable. Rebels are often scraped together and no two use the same equipment. It's great for giving you the feeling that you're actually going against something more powerful and better equipped than you.
>>44470423
It takes away independence - I don't like getting too chummy with any organization, legitimate or not, because I don't want to get tied into shifting rivalries or used as someone elses' pawn. If I keep to myself aside from jobs I do for all sides, then I'm not going to end up on the blacklist of anyone specific.
>>44472032
We had our navigator unwarp at a Lagrange point between twin suns. Our pursuers weren't that accurate and couldn't maneuver in such high gravity.
Fucking astronomers, man.
Or you can go best of both worlds and have a rogue but professional band of mercenaries Outer Heaven / Black Company style. Depending on their current client and agenda.
>>44487045
>mercenaries
In my experience, that puts politics and ideology away from your games.
No goal besides money, weaker long-term plot.
>>44480896
Wasn't there a similar chart for COMPNOR hidden agenda ?
>>44466561
That's part of the fun of Dark Heresy for me.
BTW, for those that haven't seen it yet :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN_CP4SuoTU
fan animated short about imperial pilots blasting rebel scum
>>44492465
Sometimes it's a little too smooth, but I like it.
>>44492465
And this is why I fly for the Empire.
>me and fellow players want to play Star Wars campaign
>DM wants to run Star Wars campaign
>me and fellow players want to play as stormtroopers and/or bounty hunters hunting down rebel scum
>DM only wants us to play rebels.
>"Empire can't be heroes" he says
>"you can't play storm troopers" he says
guess we're never playing Star Wars
![ade8a174638e02fba08325d7ce76e004[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/RvHCAnq.jpg "ade8a174638e02fba08325d7ce76e004[1].jpg")
>>44499102
Maybe try to present it to your GM as a redemption arc, where the characters realize how bad and corrupted the empire is and possibly join the rebellion afterwards. (or refuse to kill their former comrades and decide to chance the system from the inside)
Or convince him that not everyone in the empire is evil/compnor, and that you just want to be like most members of the german red cross during ww2, trying to do good despite being under the heavy propaganda of a tyranny.
>>44479377
>>44479377
>reality
>"should"
>>44499102
Empire vs Rebels is more Order vs Chaos than Good vs Evil; as such a cast of characters could be Lawful Neutral (or even lawful good as long as they were naive enough) and still be able to fight for the Empire without being "villains". For that matter, there are assuredly evil motherfuckers fighting for the Rebellion, sick fuckers who get their jollies blowing things up and joined the "good guys" just for opportunities to do so.
>>44466561
They tend to be my favorite, too. For instance, whenever I find myself in Star Wars, I tend to prefer playing Imperial officer or secret police-style characters. My RP character inSWTOR, for instance, is/was an Agent that I roleplayed as a commissar that stressed loyalty to the Sith and Our Most Glorious Empire.
It's just really fun.
>>44500764
>For that matter, there are assuredly evil motherfuckers fighting for the Rebellion, sick fuckers who get their jollies blowing things up and joined the "good guys" just for opportunities to do so.
don't forget the space jews and corrupt aristocrats
>>44466561
while i don't really get to do it in tabletop games i do enjoy playing that sort of faction in videogames and i usually go with that side if given the choice
mainly because i like the faceless gasmask solider look
![AAAGAS-85-2[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/29aDogj.jpg "AAAGAS-85-2[1].jpg")
>>44504756
>faceless gasmask soldier look
I tried that one with a female character once. I wandered the net for a portrait.
I did not find one single image of a female mook with a gas mask that wasn't post-apoc. punk or latex/bdsm fetishism.
I ended off with something looking like pic. Not very descriptive, but at least it fits the theme.
Now that you mention it, all my characters are either particularly inexpressive, have no face, or wear facial hair, masks, glasses or similar items hiding their traits. I'm sure a psychatrist would have a blast with me.
