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Mirikon

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« Reply #255 on: <11-11-14/1940:37> »
They would be fragging morons to do it. Right now they have something the Big A doesn't get much of: public opinion on their side. Sacrificing a bunch of civvies is going to throw all that away in a hurry, and call down more fire on their heads.
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Mystic

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« Reply #256 on: <11-17-14/0144:28> »
They would be fragging morons to do it. Right now they have something the Big A doesn't get much of: public opinion on their side. Sacrificing a bunch of civvies is going to throw all that away in a hurry, and call down more fire on their heads.

Pretty much, yeah. Right now the Azzies are the good guys and they want to keep it that way.
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The Wyrm Ouroboros

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« Reply #257 on: <11-17-14/0149:51> »
Well, they'll screw it up eventually - when your entire board of directors is composed of the most criminal  but the only people with a PR machine that comes close is Horizon, and the former just beat the latter like a red-headed stepchild.  But it won't last forever.
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Sabato Kuroi

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« Reply #258 on: <11-17-14/1739:24> »
Did the fight between Harlequin and Ghostwalker get broadcasted?Does the general public know that there's a metahuman who can confront a great dragon directly  and survive for more than 5 seconds?
I remember a rigger (Turbo Bunny?) flying some drones nearby...

Mirikon

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« Reply #259 on: <11-17-14/2017:35> »
Sunshine had a few drones up (you don't need to be a rigger to have drones, y'know?), and while it was sent to places like Jackpoint, it is unclear whether it made it past the censors to get on the air.
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Michael Chandra

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« Reply #260 on: <11-17-14/2024:05> »
Did the fight between Harlequin and Ghostwalker get broadcasted?Does the general public know that there's a metahuman who can confront a great dragon directly  and survive for more than 5 seconds?
I remember a rigger (Turbo Bunny?) flying some drones nearby...
Unfortunately the Tell It To Them Straight section I got on it is empty, so all I got is the Behind The Scenes part that describes Harlequin challenging Ghostwalker.
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gyrobot

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« Reply #261 on: <11-21-14/2206:13> »
They would be fragging morons to do it. Right now they have something the Big A doesn't get much of: public opinion on their side. Sacrificing a bunch of civvies is going to throw all that away in a hurry, and call down more fire on their heads.

I don't think it is public opinion so much as everyone else is shitting their pants in fear knowing the "good guys" lost.

Mystic

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« Reply #262 on: <11-21-14/2245:09> »
Funny how the heals often become the heroes.

Aztlan defeated a great dragon and not just ANY great, Sirrurg aka "The Destroyer". Remember, he was the one who destroyed an entire city (civilians and all), was known to think of metahumanity as nothing more than snacks, wasnt shy about using powerful dragon magic with complete disregard for anything save his own goals, and a whole lot of other nasty stuff. And the Azzies took him down. I'd say that goes a really long way to garnering some public support.

People aren't afraid of Aztlan, they're CHEERING them! They showed that great dragons can be defeated and that humanity isn't necessaraly the sheep they once were, cowering in fear of the dragon threat (Great propoganda, huh?). Yes it's messed up on many levels, but Aztlan and Aztechnology gave metahumanity something the Sixth World is short on: hope.

In short, they ARE the "good guys" now. Wrap your brain around that one.

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The Wyrm Ouroboros

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« Reply #263 on: <11-22-14/0124:05> »
It all depends on which bad guy you fear more.  Most shadowrunners have it straight - you fear the guy who is in your life all the time, as compared to the guy who you have a one-in-a-million chance of interacting with.  But let's face it, Aztechnology has the best spin doctors in the biz working for them, so ....
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Crimsondude

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« Reply #264 on: <11-22-14/0229:25> »
It all depends on which bad guy you fear more.  Most shadowrunners have it straight - you fear the guy who is in your life all the time, as compared to the guy who you have a one-in-a-million chance of interacting with.  But let's face it, Aztechnology has the best spin doctors in the biz working for them, so ....
Exactly.

The world loves the Azzies. Shadowrunners, though, will always see them as The Devil.

gyrobot

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« Reply #265 on: <11-23-14/1417:52> »
Make sense in context. Still sending a blood ritual snuff tape of their fallen enemies to enemies of the war (especially Shadowrunners like Picador) would be a nice middle finger and reminder of "DONT FUCK WITH US!"

Of course they may also send a snuff tape of a technomancer to clockwork to beat off on as well.
« Last Edit: <11-23-14/2301:13> by gyrobot »

Sichr

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« Reply #266 on: <11-24-14/1243:26> »
Blood rituals? What blood rituals. There are no nussian soldiers in Barsaive. Any evidence is faked by our oponents/competitors  :o

Mystic

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« Reply #267 on: <11-25-14/1701:55> »
Blood rituals? What blood rituals. There are no nussian soldiers in Barsaive. Any evidence is faked by our oponents/competitors  :o

Bingo.  8)

Make sense in context. Still sending a blood ritual snuff tape of their fallen enemies to enemies of the war (especially Shadowrunners like Picador) would be a nice middle finger and reminder of "DONT FUCK WITH US!"

Of course they may also send a snuff tape of a technomancer to clockwork to beat off on as well.

Or it could backfire. Like all other megas, they also need to employ runners from time to time and while the sacrifices are something of an open secret, most runners know about it but still work for them anyway. It's no more a risk than say being eaten by a dragon if you work for SK or having a group of spec-op badasses from Ares pay you a visit. Still, threatening the runner population like that would ultimately counterproductive and bad for business. Aztechnology is already powerful enough that they don't HAVE to give anyone the "middle finger"; everyone already knows the score. Taking down a great dragon was pretty much all that needed to be said.
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gyrobot

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« Reply #268 on: <11-28-14/0051:16> »
Technically Picador is an "enemy combatant", so she is very much fair game for Azzie to use as an "example" for demoralization. True enemies of Azzie so to speak. She is already on the edge after they lost the war, imagine having to watch a video of her surviving comrades or those she had failed to save in Bogota as they are offered in a blood ritual.

Mystic

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« Reply #269 on: <12-03-14/1843:31> »
Picador is on the edge? Huh, I didn't know. I know she was hurt, but her unit got out relatively unscathed. But they didn't lose the war, thier "client" lost the war. I would think that as long as they got paid, mercs don't care. But I didn't hear anything about Picador being "on the edge". *shrugs*

Also, that does bring me to a few points. I still think it's a boneheaded thing for Aztlan to relase a snuff-vid. First, yeah Picador and the 77th were enemies during the war, but she was a lawful enemy combatant. And while it's never really been spelled out, it's been hinted at there is a code of conduct/rules of engagement/whatever for military contractors to abide by; I see it as a updated Geneva Convention. So, as long as Picador or any lawfull combatant doesnt commit a "warcrime" or something, they technically have protections under international and I would guess corporate law. And the corps love their rules, if for no other reason to exploit them. 

Conversely, doing a snuff-vid on a captured legal combatant would be a violation of said rules/laws and lead to a lot of other corps and or governments taking advantage to knock Aztlan down a few pegs. Why would Aztlan give them the ammo and risk what they've gained? Not to mention...

It would backfire with mercs. To use a real life example, it wouldn't "demoralize" anyone, it would piss them off and galvanise them. I've known a few vets who saw similar things happen to their buddies. Do you know what they do? They don't cower, they go harder if given the chance. That and it's a great way to create martyrs. 

And, like it or not, Aztlan NEEDS mercs (now more than ever). You don't alienate your potential hiring pool by being all evil-mustache twirling or blood thirsty. What self-respecting, top-tier unit would want to work WITH Aztlan/Aztechnology if they knew this was being pulled? SImplty put, the mercenary biz is still a business and sacrificing mercs just to look like a bad-ass is bad for business. Hell, just becsue they worked against you one time, doesnt mean they my not work for you in the future.

But hey, that's just one person's opinion. If in your game you need Aztlan to make a snuff-vid as part of your plot, who am I to argue?
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"Just because it's easy for you doesn't mean it can't be hard on your clients"-Rule 38, The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries, Schlock Mercenary.