History TabletopGame / MERCS

In the year 2121, in a response to the increasing socio-economical instability across the world, the various nations of the EU, Asia and the US place a moratorium on merger and monopoly litigation. This resulted in various companies getting free reign to buy up or merging with their competitors across the world, forming global [[MegaCorp Mega-Conglomerates]] that rapidly grew to usurp many traditional functions of the state. Eventually, these [=MegaCons=] [[OneNationUnderCopyright merged with or replaced the state itself, effectively supplanting the nations of the world altogether]]. By 2145, the world was divided between 16 different, trans-continental corporations, each of which control territories the size of several countries.

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* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The FCC; if you're [=MegaCon=], they're terrorist ([[PragmaticVillainy when they're not working for you to terrorize your competition]]). If you're Lost Margin, or otherwise unaffiliated with the [=MegaCons=], they're either fighting back against the oppressive system, a [[LesserOfTwoEvil lesser evil]], or just a [[EvilVsEvil different type of evil]].

* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The FCC; if you're [=MegaCon=], they're terrorist ([[PragmaticVillainy when they're not working for you to terrorize your competition]]). If you're Lost Margin, or otherwise unaffiliated with the [=MegaCons=], they're either fighting back against the oppressive system, or at the least a [[LesserEvil lesser evil]].

In the year 2121, in a response to the increasing socio-economical instability across the world, the various nations of the EU, Asia and the US place a moratorium on merger and monopoly litigation. This resulted in various companies getting free reign to buy up or merging with their competitors across the world, forming global [[MegaCorp Mega-Conglomerates]] that rapidly grew to usurp many traditional functions of the state. Eventually, these Megacons [[OneNationUnderCopyright merged with or replaced the state itself, effectively supplanting the nations of the world altogether]]. By 2145, the world was divided between 16 different, trans-continental corporations, each of which control territories the size of several countries.

By the year 2183, as a result of the Megacons heavy focus on profit, and the large amount of collateral damage that they cause, wars as fought during the 20th and 21st centuries have effectively seized to exist. Instead, the armies/corporate security of the Megacons, known as [[FunWithAcronyms Military Economic Reconnaissance Counter Security]] [[http://www.mercsminis.com/ (MERCS)]], perform covert (and overt) actions against rival Megacons, ranging from corporate espionage to the capturing and holding of territory.

* AbnormalAmmo: Several Megacons make use of these; CCC uses diamond laced bullets, the FCC have irradiated bullets, Kemvar has magnetic sniper rounds, etc.

* BigDamnHeroes: The Cães de Guerra, Kemvar's most distinguished unit, who managed to see off the combined FCC/Texico/ISS assault on Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro). This effectively made them into national heroes.
* BroughtDownToNormal: The African Megacon, Sefadu, was effectively dissolved in 2184, after coming under repeated assault by the FCC and CCC. This means that, while their MERCS unit still operate as [[PrivateMilitaryContractors PMCs]], they no longer have the funding of a nation-sized corporation backing them.

* FunWithAcronyms: Besides the name of the MERCS forces, many of the Megacons also have these: Chicago-Cincinnati-Cleveland Holdings (CCC), United Social Corporate Republic (USCR), Free Corporate Control (FCC), etc.
* GunsAkimbo: The USCR Commissar, Kemvar Heavy, and CCC Assault Leader all wield their guns like this.
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: What Texico and, to a lesser extent, EU In. are suffering under. EU Inc. still has old money to keep them afloat, but Texico has been reduced to holding so few assets that they're almost broke. The only thing keeping Texico relevant is the Panama Canal which they control... or did until Kemvar occupied it.
** Since the 2184 Paradigm Shift campaign, sefadu has suffered from this more than either of the above, having effectively seized to exist as a Megacon.

* InvisibilityCloak: Kemvar's MERCS make use of stealth suits with Active Camouflage, [[PhlebotinumBreakdown though the stealth function of the previous iterations was notoriously (and sometimes fataly) unreliable]]. The current version, version 2.7, is the most reliable iteration to date, but it should still not be entirely relied on.
* KickedUpstairs: What Kemvar's board of directors are trying to do to Jorge Machado, the leader of their most succesful MERCS unit, the Cães de Guerra, (when they're not trying to get him killed) lest his popularity with the masses makes him a threat to them.
* KillItWithFire: The Megacons are actually trying to [[EveryoneHasStandards litigate against the use of flamethrowers]], [[CruelAndUnusualDeath because there is such a thing as being unnecessarily cruel to your enemy.]]

* LivingWeapon: The Kemvar Worm Grenade. When the grenade is thrown, it agitates the Sugue Worm inside, and when the grenade touches a suit of MERCS armor it magnetically attaches to the armor, allowing the angry worm to [[EatenAlive eat its way out of the grenade and into the MERCS body]].

* PoweredArmor: The USCR make extensive use of these, and their suits of armor are the heaviest wielded by any Megacon. Its Behemoth suit is so large and heavy, it effectively serves as a [[MiniMecha walking tank]].
* TheMole: Most Megacons, including their MERCS units, seem to have at least one FCC sympathiser in their midst. This turned out badly for Sefadu during the 2184 Paradigm Shift campaign.
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: The FCC consists of several different "houses", each of them fighting to bring down the Megacons. Unfortunately, the houses do not always cooperate with each other, and many times actively work against one another. For instance, House 9, in cooperation with Texico and the ISS, could have dissolved Kemvar, if House 6 hadn't tipped off Kemvar's MERCS forces to the attack.
* WithFriendsLikeThese: Sefadu being the CCC's main diamond provider didn't save it from being attacked by its "ally".

* TheMole: Most Megacons, including their MERCS units, seem to have at least one FCC sympathiser in their midst. This turned out badly for Sefadu during the 2184 Dissolution campaign.

* KickedUpstairs: What Kemvar's board of directors are trying to do to Jorge Machado, the leader of their most succesful MERCS unit, the Cães de Guerra, lest his popularity with the masses makes him a threat to them.

Note: Despite the name, most [[NonIndicativeName MERCS are NOT]] [[PrivateMilitaryContractors PMCs]].

Note: Despite the name, most of the MERCS are NOT [[PrivateMilitaryContractors PMCs]].

* OneNationUnderCopyright: What every country in the world has effectively become, with the possible exception of the FCC.

* Nanomachines: What the CCC infuse their armor with, allowing it to self-repair during combat.

* MegaCorp: What the corporations of the world turned into during the first half of the 22nd century, before eventually growing into...

* KillItWithFire: The Megacons are actually trying to litigate against the use of flamethrowers, [[CruelAndUnusualDeath because there is such a thing as being unnecessarily cruel to your enemy.]]

* KickedUpstairs: What Kemvar's board of directors are trying to do to Jorge Machado, the leader of their most succesful MERCS unit, lest his popularity with the masses makes him a threat to them.

* BigDamnHeroes: The Cães de Guerra, Kemvar's most distinguished unit, who managed to see off the combined FCC/Texico/ISS assault on Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro). This effectively mae them into national heroes.

* BroughtDownToNormal: The African Megacon, Sefadu, was effectively dissolved in 2184, after coming under repeated assault by the FCC and CCC.

* TheMole: Most Megacons, incluing their MERCS units, seem to have at least one FCC sympathiser in their midst. This turned out badly for Sefadu during the 2184 Dissolution campaign.