Capellan Holovid show

[Colt Ward]

For a mission in the CapCon against the House, your target is a holovid star named Brock Armstrong- he does all his own stunts- who is the lead in a show called 'Mercenaries.'  I could see that being a show in the Lyran Commonwealth but the Capellan Confederation during Max/Romano?  I would expect something more like a Warrior House epic.

[Mendrugo]

One of the side characters in Vic Milan’s BattleTech work was a Capellan actor who made martial arts epics like “Exit the Dragon.”  He trained at the Capellan Arts Institute.  By that metric, Capellan media, even in 3025, is probably chock full of variants of every Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan movie, as long as the state is properly venerated therein.

While Mercenaries doesn’t seem to fit that mold explicitly, keep in mind that McCarron’s Armored Cavalry just finished its successful anti-Davion “Long March” campaign in 3022.  3025-26 is long enough for an adaptation to be launched, and the “doing own stunts” fits the Capellan Art Institute’s established modus operandi.

[Nav_Alpha]

Tune in next week for another episode of Mercenaries, For the further adventures of BROCK ARMSTRONG!

His father was a loyal Warrior House WARRIOR, who was betrayed by a foul TRAITOR who took filthy DAVION money!
Now, his family name DISGRACED and with nothing to his name but a beat up VINDICATOR, Brock seems justice, with the hope to clear his family name and restore their HONOUR before the Chancellor!


Play recruiting ads during the breaks, portray him as a loyal Cappie forced to clear his name, fighting evil, scheming Davion dogs and you got a show!

[Iracundus]

The Emperor in traditional Imperial Chinese thought was above criticism (unless it had clearly lost the Mandate of Heaven), but officials in the government could be accused of being corrupt.  So it could be in the Confederation as well, with the show serving as a vehicle to criticize local corruption, while keeping the Chancellor above reproach.  Characters can expose the corrupt official, the authorities sweep in and remove him, so the show helps the real population imagine there is a sense of justice within the system. 

Also if the character is a mercenary, he could go on raids into Davion territory and the show could serve to show Davion worlds as neglected backwaters, or their cities as dens of iniquity.

[Ogra_Chief]

Don't forget the intermission safety-advisory, telling the youngsters to brush their teeth, look both ways before boarding the tram, and watch out for those pesky Davion spies. Oh, and also, informing the school counselor or local authorities if their parents say unpatriotic things at home. Those reeducation camps aren't going to fill themselves, it'll be fun for the whole family.

"Remember kids, there is no control, like State Control. But, learning what too forget, is half the battle."

[Cyc]

Point of order - MERCENARIES! and Brock Armstrong is a Davion Holovid! I mean a Taurian Concordat holovid! Seriously though, who produces the show and which factions want to kill Brock Armstrong is variable in the game even ignoring how often he get to kill him.

That said we really need more detail on in-universe holovids, only a few examples get any serious detail :(

[glitterboy2098]

One of the side characters in Vic Milan’s BattleTech work was a Capellan actor who made martial arts epics like “Exit the Dragon.”  He trained at the Capellan Arts Institute.  By that metric, Capellan media, even in 3025, is probably chock full of variants of every Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan movie, as long as the state is properly venerated therein.

While Mercenaries doesn’t seem to fit that mold explicitly, keep in mind that McCarron’s Armored Cavalry just finished its successful anti-Davion “Long March” campaign in 3022.  3025-26 is long enough for an adaptation to be launched, and the “doing own stunts” fits the Capellan Art Institute’s established modus operandi.

Exit the Dragon was a Combine film series though, done by "Voice of the Dragon Studios" (aka the propaganda arm of the ISF), who had somehow managed to lure* Johnny Tchang away from the Capcon. The titles of his earlier films that made him a star are not given.

*which probably proved easier than it seemed to VotD, since Johnny Tchang eventually reveals he is an agent of the maskirovka.. albeit somewhat against his will.

and as far as non-capcon shows go, Larsha on the edge of Capcon space near the periphery was able to show a Fedsuns/fedcom holovid series, a soap opera depicting a fictionalized version of the Steiner and Davion royal families. so presumably as long as the show doesn't overtly undermine faith in the Chancellor and the Capcon government, they'll allow it with some censoring.

that said i have no doubt that most of the successor states have their own equivalents of stuff like the Immortal Warrior series (which appears to be Lyran made but set (nominally) in the fedsuns) and the like.

[Kojak]

One of the side characters in Vic Milan’s BattleTech work was a Capellan actor who made martial arts epics like “Exit the Dragon.”

Personally, I preferred his work in "Standing Tiger, Visible Dragon."

[SCC]

What exactly is the question?

[Nav_Alpha]

Exit the Dragon was a Combine film series though, done by "Voice of the Dragon Studios" (aka the propaganda arm of the ISF), who had somehow managed to lure* Johnny Tchang away from the Capcon. The titles of his earlier films that made him a star are not given.

*which probably proved easier than it seemed to VotD, since Johnny Tchang eventually reveals he is an agent of the maskirovka.. albeit somewhat against his will.

and as far as non-capcon shows go, Larsha on the edge of Capcon space near the periphery was able to show a Fedsuns/fedcom holovid series, a soap opera depicting a fictionalized version of the Steiner and Davion royal families. so presumably as long as the show doesn't overtly undermine faith in the Chancellor and the Capcon government, they'll allow it with some censoring.

that said i have no doubt that most of the successor states have their own equivalents of stuff like the Immortal Warrior series (which appears to be Lyran made but set (nominally) in the fedsuns) and the like.

Actually the same book does mention one of his earlier movies - Police Story: 3054 or something like that.
Cassie mentions she knows Johnie can drive a forklift because she saw it in said movie and knew he did all his own stunts

[Sartris]

Maskirovka agents secretly keeping the IS safe from the tetatae invasion