Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Gamemasters' Lounge => Topic started by: PiXeL01 on <11-11-14/2323:37>

Title: Another name for UB?
Post by: PiXeL01 on <11-11-14/2323:37>
I'm thinking of running Missing Blood with my group but since everyone basically knows the secret of UB because of Shadowrun Returns, so I was thinking to rename them to preserve the shock and horror of the organization.

So any good ideas for a fitting name?

So far I have:

Unity
Kindred of All
Amalgam of Humanity
New Salvation (Army)

As you can see not very good ^^
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: MijRai on <11-12-14/0121:06>
So, you're looking for a name of a group that is secretly controlled by insect spirits?  Maybe use the words collective or alliance; they have some good connotations to them.  Regardless, try to play up the 'Samaritan' aspect, while still leaving an undertone of cult.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Namikaze on <11-12-14/0147:14>
I've always liked the idea of an insect spirit organization based on the rehab clinic in A Scanner Darkly.  Thus, New Path works really well for that interpretation.  I've also liked things like New Horizons, Pathways, Better Way, Journeys, Keystones, The Lodge, New Dawn, The Residence, Sundown Ranch, Synergy Treatment Center, etc.

Obviously the one that most denotes the insect vibe is Synergy, but if you want to make it more subtle just go with a name that implies unity, progressiveness, and family.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Michael Chandra on <11-12-14/0522:56>
Mothers Of Metahumanity? ;)
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: PiXeL01 on <11-12-14/0628:54>
Well it would fit my storyline, Michael, but I'm not ready to go down that road just yet :p
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: toad on <11-12-14/1207:57>
Did exactly that for some new players a couple years ago Pixel, it was fun. I believe the name I used was the Prometheus Foundation (or Society? I forget). "Bringing light to mankind", Enlightenment, etc.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Walks Through Walls on <11-14-14/2048:30>
The church de Unidad y Hermandad which is Spanish for church of unity and brotherhood.

I use this group in my monthly game and some of the players are openly calling them the Universal Brotherhood which isn't what they are in my game, but it would work for yours.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: JBRocky on <11-14-14/2342:00>
Borrow a name from Heavy Gear "Humanist Alliance"
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: PiXeL01 on <11-15-14/0101:51>
Sadly I can't use Spanish at my table since one of my players speak it fluently:/ though diving into my native language could be an idea ... Thanks for all the ideas though! Keep them coming.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Namikaze on <11-15-14/0203:39>
Tōitsu to tsuyo-sa? (Unity and Strength)
Danketsu no shakai? (Society of Unity)

Those would be more than sufficiently confusing to non-Japanese players.  :)
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: PiXeL01 on <11-15-14/1021:01>
Except that I live in Japan. ^^ shouldn't take them love to figure it out.

Boundless community? Although that might make references to Soviet Union but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: 8-bit on <11-15-14/1104:38>
Όληαγκαλιάζει Συμμαχία - translation to English alphabet - Óli̱ankaliázei Symmachía

Stands for All-Embracing Alliance. Sounds pretty bad in English. Greek sounds good though.

Παγκόσμια Αδελφότητα - translation to English alphabet - Pankósmia Adelfóti̱ta

Stands for Global Brotherhood.

Παγκόσμια Στοά - translation to English alphabet - Pankósmia Stoá

Stands for Global Lodge.

Αγγελικό Σωτήρες - translation to English alphabet - Angelikó So̱tí̱res

Stands for Angelic Saviors.

Απέραντο Κοινότητα - translation to English alphabet - Apéranto Koinóti̱ta

Stands for Boundless Community (your idea).

-------------------------------

So, they are all pretty bad, in English, but that's all I got. Hopefully no one at your table knows, or can recognize, Greek. (How many languages do your players know? Seems like a lot.)
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Tremodian on <11-16-14/0013:37>
I think the only way to really throw them off would be to use a well-known, real-world charity's name. Bonus, you could use their logos on the handouts. Everything else in the thread sounds sort of like synonyms for "Universal Brotherhood."
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: 8-bit on <11-16-14/0019:46>
Well, I considered suggesting "Make a Wish", but thought that might not be appropriate ...
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: PiXeL01 on <11-16-14/0117:05>
My group consists of expatriates living here in Japan from mostly the British isles and the North America. However, ancestry is very global meaning that we can fluently speak the following languages between us: Greek, French, Spanish, Danish, German and Japanese.
...
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. My latest idea would be "the polygon foundation - be a facet of the greater whole" but again that smells a little. Still UB is a cult so why not have a cultist name ^^
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Namikaze on <11-16-14/0356:11>
Is this actually a cult?  Or can you make it into something else that tends to develop a cult-like following?  Rehabilitation clinics works, unaffiliated fringe churches would work too.  Or perhaps a book club?  Actually a book club might work really well!  Ever notice that a book instantly makes the #1 bestseller list when it becomes an Oprah's Book Club selection?  I mean she commands an army of millions of people worth of buying power.  If she's not a Mantis spirit....
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Herr Brackhaus on <11-16-14/1153:12>
Isn't Universal Omnitech supposed to be an insect spirit front?
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Namikaze on <11-16-14/1230:00>
Not sure where you heard that, Herr Brackhaus.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Spooky on <11-26-14/0113:42>
How about "church of the universal way"? Implies religious cult, make meetings look like a non-denominational church with some slight (weird/unusual) changes, have a definite inner circle, etc.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: The Wyrm Ouroboros on <11-27-14/0116:50>
Or just 'The Way'.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Superman on <11-27-14/0850:18>
New borns foundation
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Alpha Blue on <11-28-14/1702:58>
New church of scientology?
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: McGuffin on <12-02-14/0818:38>
How about "Eternal Friendship Collective" or "Fellowship Foundation"?
Both terms try to reflect the original message of family, universal validity and equality.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: PiXeL01 on <12-02-14/0859:41>
Yeah, Friendship or Fellowship Foundation has a nice ring to it.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: PittsburghRPGA on <12-02-14/1000:42>
You could steal a fake cultish church from The Mentalist. The Visualize Self-Realization Center run by Brett Stiles (played by Malcolm McDowell). And there is a logo of the "church" on the Mentalist Wikia. http://thementalist.wikia.com/wiki/Visualize

Eric
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: Kincaid on <12-02-14/1054:43>
Wouldn't players be automatically suspicious of anything in the game that's selling friendship or otherwise "feel good" vibes?  The various self-improvement pyramid schemes out there seem like a better model--they're attractive to weak-willed middling white collar folks in 2014 and I imagine that same would be true in 2075.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: McGuffin on <12-02-14/1410:18>
In my game, players are automatically suspicious about everything. The nicer the appearance the more paranoid they react.
Sometimes I just throw in useless side-information about NPCs, like that dude is known for donating money to homeless shelters, because I know they immediately see him as some kind of villain with sinister motives and freak out.
As a matter of fact, at one point they sided with a mobster, well known for brutality, instead of the elegant Johnson (who hired them in the first place), just because the Johnson was constantly smiling for no obvious reason.  :o
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: The Wyrm Ouroboros on <12-02-14/1511:15>
Actually, you SHOULD be automatically suspicious of anyone selling you 'feel-good vibes' - the UB's techniques are, by Waverly/Davitt's investigation, based on such fun organizations as the Moonies (such as so-called 'love bombing').  It is, on the other hand, also touted as a 'be the best you you can be' self-help organization, yeah.

Of note, though, is that a lot of significant individuals (the CEO of Sony, for example) are a part of it - at least as basic members.  Remember, not everyone makes it to bugdom.  A GM planning on using them really, really needs to read the download cover-to-cover and do detail work with it for in-depth understanding and plotting.  The UB was the UNICEF / Christian Save The Children / Super Feel-Good Charity of its time.
Title: Re: Another name for UB?
Post by: McGuffin on <12-02-14/1616:38>
The UB was the UNICEF / Christian Save The Children / Super Feel-Good Charity of its time.

They did change a lot of lifes. Nobody can argue that  :P