FrankTrollman wrote: The original 1989 timeline called for Eurowars between NATO and the Soviet Union in the 2030s. Obviously that's been backpedaled
Nope, it hasn't, really. The First Euro War, the Russo-European one, still happened in the new sources. And it doesn't in any way contradict the established following fluff, as far as I am aware (though frankly, the whole plot hardly makes any sense to me. Watch it (or see the timeline in my draft or
here, where sources are noted): as Russia conquers Belarus and Ukraine, Poland moves its forces to occupy Grodno and other regions, claiming to "help refugees". Then, when the Border Wars are over for a time, with Russian victory, after an alleged false-flag provocation, Russia invades Poland (which makes sense, totally), crushes its army and installs its own government. Fine so far. Then, it immediately moves to attack... everyone. And that kinda leaves me puzzled - the only believable explanation was suggested by one of my players, being that the 200k troops Russia sent to Poland as per SoA couldn't physically fit in the country, and just had to surge westward still).
FrankTrollman wrote: it has been variously presented as there being Neo-Soviets and an aggressively imperialistic regime of Russian kleptocrats like Putin and co.. Obviously those ideas are not completely incompatible
See, after the First Euro War democrats came to power in Russia (DRA party). They lasted about seven years, with results catastrophic. So yeah, National Soviet Reconstructionists took over from then on. Now, there's a non-obvious thing here, - National Supreme Soviet is the name of the Russian supreme governmental body. "Soviet" is used as a noun, not an adjective, and means "council". That is - while the Reconstructionists have neo-soviet leanings, they are not renaming Russia into the Soviet Union, not restoring USSR as it was politically or economically or anything. They are just ultra-nationalists playing on "it was so much better back then" vibe.
FrankTrollman wrote: It literally calls for the existence of a fucking Soviet Empire shooting people in the Eurozone and then takes that back and then reinstates it and takes it back again.
I see it less controversial than first appears. Trying to pull an Iron Curtain was not really a viable policy even for the Soviet Union, even with half the Europe at its heel; it's much less a viable strategy in the Sixth World, especially with Siberian resources lost. Yeah, sure, Russia hasn't been properly balkanized, but playing the world's only superpower isn't working for it any better than it does for US in RL.
So the way I picture it is yes, the fucking evil Soviet Empire shooting people in the Eurozone exists; it's not that powerful, not that totalitarian (cause seriously, WMA, Sixth World, come on) (that is, not that Soviet politically and economically), and not as important as it wants everyone to believe (that is, not that Empire).
FrankTrollman wrote: [Tuva is its own country] Since I decided to do that. Although Ruthenia is actually modern day Ukraine. The capital of Ruthenia has always been Kiev. Belorussian nationalists I've talked to would rename their country "Lithuania" if those damned Lithuanians hadn't stolen the name (seriously).
I believe the Trans-Siberian railroad is going through Tuva. Besides, the whole Transsib line would be swarming with Russian troops, so it's kinda hard to claim independence with that kind of military presence.
Uh, the ominous Ukrainian corp is called "
Ukraina Bioenergetika". 6WA lists Belarus and Ukraine among Russian neighbors. Or are you not supporting continuity with SR4E materials?
FrankTrollman wrote: The Russian Federation gains and loses pieces constantly in the Shadowrun timeline.
Russia is called "Russian Federation" maybe once in the books I've read (and it was in some 4E book, too, if I recall). So in my draft, I just cal it "Russia", as it was called in every other solid source on it I've found.
Makes sense for an ultranationalist state, since the whole federative structure is supposed to help represent the interests of the national minorities.
FrankTrollman wrote:Belarus, Ukraine, Chechnya, and even Poland have all been called out as being in or out of the Russian Federation at one time or another.
Uh, what? Arguably, Belarus and Ukraine (as well as the Baltic states) were conquered for a time as a result of the first round of the Border Wars, but I haven't seen that explicitly stated, much less anything about them being made a part of Russia itself.
Similarly, I don't recall anything on Chechnya getting independence, even limited one, like it did in RL - there were mentions of trouble on the Caucasus, but as per SoA, it was just brutally repressed. Where in the books have you seen the info on it being independent?
Again, Poland was about as much a part of Russia in SR timeline as Eastern Germany or other Warsaw Pact states were a part of Soviet Union in RL. As in - it wasn't, really, although it wasn't politically independent, either.
FrankTrollman wrote: So Poland, Ukraine (now Ruthenia, presumably to make historical claims on sections of Belarus, Poland, and Slovakia), and Tuva all exist as independent states. But Chechnya, Estonia, Belarus, and Latvia all don't.
Uh, why don't the Baltic states? They got their independence after the Nightwraith strike, at the end of the first Euro War.
FrankTrollman wrote: As far as I know, they [the Yakuts] don't have any draconic-style super magic anywhere and just have a lot of magic using owls and stuff. That might be a high C, but it's still a C unless and until you can threaten someone with the Wild Hunt or something similar.
Well, in Target: Smuggler Havens the shadowtalkers posted about how the only reason Yakut got its independence was Ghost Dance(-level) magic. But then other shadowtalkers argue that point.
Take that as you will, but I can't see any way for that to work out, though, just like the earlier deal with the NAN and the Chukchi Peninsula.
Oh, also, added a bunch more stuff into the Game Info chapter.