Wiki related questions Options

[Nemanja]

Wait . . . Yelsin dies in 1999 here ?

[MARS]

Wait . . . Yelsin dies in 1999 here ?

Oh, right. Pardon that little error. He obviously resigned in 1999. Kinda slipped me by during proof reading (I've been working on three other parts. Keeping track of all this is bloody hard). No timeline difference intended^^

[SpiralSpectre]

Man that's a LOT. So Abrams existed in ROTR timeline after all? Wonder why US split up it's duty between Crusader and Paladin.

edit - Hm... maybe it's fate those two grandpas were born in the same year. Is Jin even older than them?

This post has been edited by SpiralSpectre: 1 Jun 2013, 19:30

[MARS]

For all we know, Jin might have been just a few months old when he lost his parents and they might either have been involved in the protests or simply caught in the fighting, trampled in a panic or whatever.

[Svea Rike]

That's a real nice timeline. I feel like I am intruding on your story for asking this but, will fan-fiction events be included in the next parts?

[MARS]

I don't know whether I'll canon-check bits of the fan fiction now and post them as part of this incarnation of the timeline or later but you can rest assured that I'll eventually work my way through and make clear statements as to which stuff is compatible.

[SpiralSpectre]

For all we know, Jin might have been just a few months old when he lost his parents and they might either have been involved in the protests or simply caught in the fighting, trampled in a panic or whatever.

Personally I wanna believe Jin was at least five when he lost his parents. Since then this tragedy would most likely have a significant role in shaping his current mentality. Yeah I have a thing for characters (specially villains) with childhood trauma/tragedies, despite how cliche it seems these days.

Will all the generals have their birth year and/or further career details revealed? I am specially curious about how old Bradley is and when he became a general. He was already a general in the war Chen just started his career as cannon fodder.

[Nemanja]

I know that this I will ask don't have too much with wiki,
but how Serbia in ROTRs timeline became almost what Yugoslavia was ?
I know that in one update is stated that irredentists took over,but that explanation was somehow short . . .

[MARS]

Will all the generals have their birth year and/or further career details revealed? I am specially curious about how old Bradley is and when he became a general. He was already a general in the war Chen just started his career as cannon fodder.

Bradley's rank during the Gens/ZH period wasn't stated yet from what I remember. He did already have a commanding role but for all we know, he might have been a Colonel or something. Still didn't stop him from engaging in a rivalry with Kwai, who was presumably higher ranked which only adds to his machismo.

I know that this I will ask don't have too much with wiki,
but how Serbia in ROTRs timeline became almost what Yugoslavia was ?
I know that in one update is stated that irredentists took over,but that explanation was somehow short . . .

A military cadre assumed control, made a strategic alliance with Russia (a likely choice given that the in-universe EU is collapsing and that irredentists would probably capitalise on the special relationship of Serbia and Russia more) and presumably conquered or bullied most of the neighbours into a restored, Serbian-ruled version of Yugoslavia whereas Slovenia and Croatia remained unaffected because they remained partners (although not members) of the ECA.

[SpiralSpectre]

Yeah Bradley's rivalry with Kwai (which was inspired by Patton and Montgomery's reputed rivalry of generals if I remember correctly) made me think he was a general during Global War on Terror. It did sound like he was the man in charge of the final operation. And for someone who wasn't a general, he sure got a lot of attention from and caused a lot of headache for the decision makers.

Bradley is a funny character. His personality seems like the stereotypical Patton-esque macho general type. Yet his settings and faction are what makes him very interesting. He wouldn't be half as interesting if he was a Russian gen since we traditionally see such generals on Russia's side in a typical (Western based) WW3 scenario all the time.

[MARS]

The gung-ho personality that we chose for Bradley was also part of the reason why we decided to give him the USMC background rather than Thorn, who might have been more fitting with regards to his role (elite infantry, lightweight mobility) but comes off as a more calm, methodical planner rather than a swearing macho hardass who hits the beach alongside his men.

[SpiralSpectre]

Do you have plans for eventually naming the generals who lead the other major battles in ZH? Like the assault on Thrax for example.

And are we going to find out who were the US and Chinese gens in the Battle of Kurmuk? Were they someone we know? Or is it better if they remain unnamed since that's not something they can exactly be proud of?

And I am really curious so I'll ask - how difficult was the decision of giving Bradley the USMC background? I mean we know the reasons behind ultimately giving him that background but did you at some point feel that making the tank gen a Marine would seem somewhat superficial and out of place? Specially since he isn't getting Marines as unique infantry and stuff like that?

[MARS]

Do you have plans for eventually naming the generals who lead the other major battles in ZH? Like the assault on Thrax for example.

And are we going to find out who were the US and Chinese gens in the Battle of Kurmuk? Were they someone we know? Or is it better if they remain unnamed since that's not something they can exactly be proud of?

And I am really curious so I'll ask - how difficult was the decision of giving Bradley the USMC background? I mean we know the reasons behind ultimately giving him that background but did you at some point feel that making the tank gen a Marine would seem somewhat superficial and out of place? Specially since he isn't getting Marines as unique infantry and stuff like that?

We might eventually come up with a few one-shot character names for various political and military leaders, but that's another one of those things that we should do later, once the community starts adding lore articles and approved fan-fiction to the Wiki.

As for Bradley, I can see why this whole 'USMC represented as Tank General' thing might be irritating to some people, but it does kinda work in the setting. After the isolation period, the US only deploy their most elite and mobile units outside their home continent. This'd include the Navy and Air Force by default, as well as certain Army units (Rangers) and the entirety of the Marine Corps, but -not- the heavy duty armoured units of the Army. That's where Bradley comes in: The USMC is mostly renowned for its infantry, but it does also have its own armour and air wing. In ROTR, the USMC tank units are the most rapidly deployable tank units the US -have- because the bulk of the Army's mechanised units is now reserved for service on the American continent OR places where the US have a permanent presence, which does not apply to Europe anymore. As such, it is also entirely fair to assume that the Paladin is not exclusive to Bradley in the story, it's just that he (and other Marine genrals) are the only ones who get to deploy Paladins across the globe as rapidly. Back home, the Army would probably use more Paladins than Crusaders. It's still not an ideal depiction because game/faction design always takes precedence over story (hence why Bradley is using the Army's Bradley IFV, although we did acknowledge that the vehicle was forced onto the Corps due to doctrine changes), but at the end of the day, we wanted to have -some- gung-ho Marine representation in the mod and this is the best we could do without any major retcons. Plus, the presence of Rangers in Bradley's arsenal may still be odd, but he - like all US Generals - also gets the Vanguards which are explicitely established as being Marines. They also kick a ton of arse.

[MARS]

Here's part 2. I intentionally included a few semi-notable plot points (GLA possibly receiving covert support by pre-Suvorov Russia) which haven't been officially talked about yet. This might be an interesting hook for fan-fiction which, if compatible, might be elevated to canon.

PART II - THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR

2019
- The first commercial fusion power plant is activated near the Niagara Falls. The energy it produces is fed into the power net of both the United States and Canada, who developed the reactor as a joint project.
- As part of the NATO nuclear sharing program, the United States modernise their stockpiles of B61 thermonuclear bombs in Europe, including those stationed in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey.
- The GLA detonates a 5 kiloton tactical nuclear weapon during the PRC's 70th anniversary parade in Beijing. The later General Xing Chen is part of a rapid response force that is deployed to the scene. As a response to the GLA threat, the Party government re-institutionalizes the Red Guard as an auxiliary military and police force to complement the People's Liberation Army and inspire nationalist fervor.
- The GLA occupies the Hong Kong Convention Center and takes hundreds of civilian hostages. The fighting spreads throughout the entire Wan Chao district as Chinese forces move in to break the stalemate.
- The GLA launches an attack on the Three Gorges Dam. A Chinese Black Lotus operative issues the controversial order to destroy the dam, citing the swift destruction of the GLA as the more immediate concern. Despite a hasty evacuation attempt, thousands die as cities downriver are flooded by the wave. Chinese state propaganda claims that the dam itself was destroyed by the GLA in order to fan the revanchist fury of the population and prepare for a total mobilisation of all military and industrial resources in the struggle ahead.

2020
- Chinese forces narrowly prevent the GLA from pumping toxic chemicals into the Yangtze River.
- Chinese forces liberate the GLA-controlled city of Balykchy, Aldastan. The US Air Force launches strategic bombing raids to support the ground assault, destroying large parts of the city in the process.
- Chinese special forces led by a Black Lotus operative destroy a major railway bridge in Bishkek, Aldastan, crippling GLA logistics in the region in preparation for a decisive attack on the capital.
- Chinese forces assault Dushanbe, the capital of Aldastan. The GLA's Central Asian branch suffers a heavy blow after General Tsing Shi Tao receives the clearance to deploy tactical nuclear weapons.
- The aftershocks of the ongoing conflict result in a global economic downturn. The European Union is hit hard with France and the Balkan countries, which had only recently joined the Union, at the verge of bankruptcy.
- An American consumer electronics corporation introduces iSaac, a domestic robot with an abstractly humanoid appearance that is capable of performing a variety of household chores.

2021
- GLA forces rally over the destruction of a vital dam in Chinese-controlled Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
- GLA raiders intercept UN aid deliveries near Almaty, Kazakhstan to fund their operations and incite public unrest.
- Violent protests against the Chinese and American operations in Kazakhstan escalate into a city-wide insurrection in Astana.
- The top-secret FB-40 Aurora aircraft is pushed into service by US Air Force as a fast strike bomber and suffers several catastrophic losses against GLA forces.
- With much of Europe destabilised after the economic collapse of Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Cyprus in the previous decade, euroskepticism and anti-capitalism are on the rise across the entire continent. Protests and violent clashes become a common reality, with the Paris Riots standing out as the bloodiest example by far. Most prominently, a left-wing extremist by the name of Tahar Ibrahiim becomes the target of a major manhunt after he sent poisened letters to several politicians and financial executives.

2022
- The first commercial vacuum tube train is activated between Miami and Ottawa.
- GLA forces mount a devastating attack against the US Incirlik Air Force Base in Turkey.
- US special forces launch an attack against the GLA-controlled ex-Soviet bio-chemical laboratories on Vozrozhdeniya, Kazakhstan.
- Bao Jin of the Chinese Ministry of State Security manipulates a Kazakh GLA leader to change sides, triggering a brief internal purge among GLA forces.

2023
- The populist Hope and Glory Party wins the British general election by a landslide. The party rejects further concessions to the European Union and enacts a policy of increased cooperation with Ireland and other Commonwealth nations.
- Despite the troubled polical situation and calls for a public referendum, the EU governments sign the Vienna Treaty which turns the European Union into a de jure federation. Civil rights activists express scathing criticism at the lack of fair democratic representation and dismiss the treaty as a last ditch effort at forcing all of Europe under a single authority. Over the following years, many EU regions in Spain, France and Italy break away in violent secession.
- Hundreds of thousands of refugees swarm into Europe due to the ongoing violence across Central Asia and the Middle East. Many of them end up in a socio-economic dead-end and develop pro-GLA sentiments.

2024
- Anwar Sulaymaan gains the respect of Deathstrike by providing the GLA with a steady flow of income and weapons through international arms deals even in times of great hardships. Western intelligence agencies manage to trace some of the materiel back to Russia, whose government denies any involvement.
- Angered by the EU central government, the Free Republic of Bavaria breaks away from the Union Republic of Germany and survives thanks to a military mutiny involving Wolfgang von Kuerten, who refuses to mobilise against his own people.
- The first module of the Pennsylvania Space Station, then still operated by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, is successfully suspended in orbit.

2025
- After a vicious battle against Chinese and American defenders, GLA forces occupy the Baikonur Cosmodrome and proceed to launch a series of toxin-tipped Soyuz rockets. The first missile hits the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, killing thousands and prompting the Israeli leadership to enact authoritarian policies for the protection of the state. As the country severs all contact with its neighbours, tensions in the Middle East reach an unprecedented peak.
- GLA forces topple the pro-American regime in Baghdad, prompting the US to commence their third attack on Iraq in order to restore strategic control around the Persian Gulf. Iran and Saudi Arabia are heavily involved in the fight via proxies.
- A US-led manhunt for GLA leaders in Al Hanad, Yemen goes awry. American special forces enter the city to rescue three pilots that had been shot down by the GLA.
- General Malcolm 'Ace' Granger provides aerial security for an American casualty evacuation in northern Kazakhstan.
- Jeremiah Bradley takes part in the USMC coastal assault on a GLA training camp at the Caspian Sea coast.
- GLA hardliners ambush and kill the entire UN delegation during a peace summit in Kazakhstan and destroy a nearby dam to cover their retreat.
- Ismail Khan, a Chinese brigadier general from Xinjiang, defects to the GLA out of solidarity for the oppressed Uyghur people and is subsequently eliminated by the US military.
- Chinese General Ta Hun Kwai and Jeremiah Bradley mount a joint offensive on Akmola, the GLA-controlled capitol of Kazakhstan, dealing a heavy blow to the organisation's Middle Eastern branch.

2026
- The US Navy introduces its own jet-powered, carrier-capable gunship, the Spectre II, in order to provide a more immediate fire support solution than the aging AC-130.
- General Gregory 'Pinpoint' Townes presents the M1097 Avenger-L which replaces the aging anti-air missile system of the original vehicle with a state-of-the-art laser turret.
- With Russian forces unable to coordinate the operation in time, the American specialist Colonel Burton links up with a Chinese Black Lotus operative to destroy one of Dr. Thrax' toxin laboratories near Mount Elbrus, Russia. The US government speculates that the Russian government might be secretly aiding the GLA to further Russian interests in the Middle East.
- The GLA launches a Soyuz rocket at a US naval base in Narvik, Norway. After a failed counter-attack on the Baikonour Cosmodrome by the Russian Army, a task force of American and Norwegian forces puts an end to the GLA occupation by dropping a GBU-43/B directly onto the launch pad.
- US forces deliver a decisive blow against a GLA cell in Mogadishu, Somalia, revealing disturbing intel about the elusive Dr. Thrax, who supplies the organisation with advanced bio-chemical weapons, including a modified strain of the Anthrax virus.
- The violent crisis in the Persian Gulf escalates after the United States accuse the Iranian government of collaborating with Dr. Thrax in an attempt to manufacture bio-chemical weapons for use against the West. US and Saudi forces invade Iran which retaliates by launching coordinated attacks against the desalination facilities that supply the Arabian Peninsula with drinkable water. The result is an unprecedented humanitarian disaster which plunges the entire Middle East into total anarchy.
- The US have tracked Dr. Thrax to a still classified location in the Middle East and initiate a kill-or-capture operation which eventually results in the death of the GLA's top-ranking bio-chemical scientist.
- Despite economic troubles and growing civil discontent at the Kremlin's possible backing of the GLA, the Russian military introduces the first production model of the Sentinel tank. The new super-heavy tank will not see combat until the adoption of its second, more refined version a decade later.
- At this year's Eurosatory exposition, the German defense company KMW unveils an entirely new main battle tank, the Leopard 3. Despite its cutting edge technology, the new tank remains a non-seller for several years with even Germany itself being unable to procure large numbers of it due to the desolate financial situation in Europe.

2027
- Deathstrike avoids capture by US forces and rallies his supporters in the aftermath of the GLA's apparent defeat after eight years of fighting.
- GLA loyalists under the command of Anwar Sulaymaan violently persuade Prince Kassad, leader of the break-away Cobra Cell, to renew his allegiance to Deathstrike by decimating his ranks in Egypt.
- GLA operatives hijack an American Particle Cannon Uplink and destroy the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier off the coast of Crete, Greece. Almost 5.000 US Navy crew members die within minutes, dealing a fatal morale blow to the American home front.
- GLA sleeper cells stage a daring raid on the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, recovering confiscated samples of the Anthrax Gamma virus developed by Dr. Thrax.
- The GLA attacks the USEUCOM headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, prompting the American Paulson administration to cave in to its war-weary and crisis-stricken population and hurriedly withdraw most of the overseas forces back to the American homeland. High-ranking dignitaries and nuclear weapons are hastily evacuated from Europe within days. Even though Canada and Turkey remain diplomatically close to the United States, the European component of NATO is factually abolished, putting a severe strain on the US/EU relations.

2028
- After the US retreat, the GLA expends all manpower and resources to trigger an insurrection in Germany, the economic heart of the troubled European Union. The helpless EU central government calls upon China to intervene.
- In an attempt to deliver a hard blow against the Chinese homeland, GLA forces launch an attack on a new nuclear power plant that was built after the destruction of the Three Gorges Dam but fail to cause any serious damage.
- China deploys large contingents of troops to free several German cities from the brutal but unsustainable grip of the GLA, causing drastic damage to the vital infrastructure through the indiscriminate use of incendiary weapons.
- Tahar Ibrahiim joins the GLA and makes a dramatic entrance by dumping several tons of hazardous chemicals into the Rhine river system, rendering large swathes of western Germany uninhabitable until 2060.
- The 18-year-old Frank Jaeger loses his parents as a result of the GLA chemical attack and forms the 'Wolfsrudel', an urban guerilla group of students who fight against the GLA.
- GLA forces fall back towards their main base of operations in Hamburg, Germany while the Chinese Air Force performs relentless attacks on the retreating enemies, turning the famous Autobahn into a highway of death.
- After half a year of fighting, Chinese forces under General 'Anvil' Shin Fai converge on Hamburg. Prior to his departure, Deathstrike orders Rodall Juhziz' Scorpion Cell to obliterate the city with a 10 megaton strategic nuclear warhead. Both Juhziz and Fai die in the explosion, along with thousands of civilians.

[Svea Rike]

Comes to wonder, MARS, would you grab a rifle and fight the GLA?

[MARS]

If we're literally talking about an enemy as wretched as the GLA openly ravaging a European country, yes, most certainly.

[__CrUsHeR]

I would add another important hook in this 'timeline' - a modernization in 2019 of the B-61 nuclear bombs in Europe.

John Kerry Comes to Russia: US Tactical Nukes Stay in Europe

And on the subject what to say about hundreds of nuclear bombs on European soil during periods of turbulence and crisis? The USA repatriated their bombs?

This post has been edited by __CrUsHeR: 2 Jun 2013, 15:22

[MARS]

Since those 'shared' NATO bombs are still technically owned by the US, yes, they most likely did their darn best to get them the hell out of Europe as fast as possible.

Going to add that 2019 date as well as a few more references to NATO history.

[__CrUsHeR]

I think it's important to note that these bombs are today ensure the security of Europe as a deterrent effect against Russia and are guaranteed existence of NATO and the commitment of the USA to Europe. Russia will not invade the continent knowing that these bombs were at the disposal of the ECA. I believe that for this reason the Pandora had to be used as an alternative nuclear, probably the B-61 are no longer in Europe.

This post has been edited by __CrUsHeR: 2 Jun 2013, 16:07

[MARS]

Right. With NATO out of the picture and the US out of Europe, the ECA obviously wouldn't have access to the American bombs but despite all that, France and the UK still have nuclear arsenals of their own which would then be used for the Pandora protocol.

[__CrUsHeR]

Exactly.

[Cobretti]

One error I noted back in the 2003 OIF reference; Lt. Granger didn't take out enemy SAM sites then, it was during the 1991 Gulf War that he did so.

[MARS]

Thanks for clearing that up. Fixed.

[__CrUsHeR]

Another important thing to mention in the timeline is when starting the main military projects of drones in the USA - in 1995 RQ-1/MQ-1 Predator UAV and in 2005 through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) - a consortium between several companies and NASA - being the drones BigDog, 2005 and Petman, 2013 the main projects.

RQ-1 / MQ-1 Predator
DARPA
BigDog
Petman

This post has been edited by __CrUsHeR: 2 Jun 2013, 18:59

[Svea Rike]

- The GLA launches a Soyuz rocket at a US naval base in Narvik, Norway. After a failed counter-attack on the Baikonour Cosmodrome by the Russian Army, a task force of American and Norwegian forces puts an end to the GLA occupation by dropping a GBU-43/B directly onto the launch pad.

Wasn't it the Chinese that attacked it but failed?