We created the Tyrell Corporation
as a living, breathing scenario character in itself. Tyrell will appear in
different scenario games at different times throughout history with the same
basic philosophy: make money. It is the ultimate caricature of all that is
modern corporate practice. Tyrell is driven only by the bottom line and will
use any means to increase profit. Think of evil Dilbert characters with
semi-automatic weapons and tanks.
But why is it in the Invasion of Normandy?
Two reasons:
1) To increase the role-playing opportunities for players and
liven up the game.
2) To deliver props and keep
them in circulation.
(That is a polite way of saying we hump the Game Director's crap all over the
field so you only have to drag it back to Central Command.) Tyrell's job
is to sell props to anyone with the cash..
What about historical accuracy? Tyrell is from the future.
I saw it in Blade Runner.
Yeah, about that. The Tyrell Corporation, LLC is our team
name. It's a little complicated and has to do with how we all got together
in the first place. Our full background story can be found by clicking on
Tyrell Background. It
explains why we are Tyrell. Forget the name. This ain't Blade
Runner.
Historical accuracy is an easier question to answer.
In World War II, and every other war for that matter, no single country has
possessed all the raw materials or manufactured goods needed to sustain
hostilities. Germany was particularly short on petroleum and raw rubber.
British and American companies largely controlled the production of these
materials. British Colonial India had most of world's raw rubber
supply. American and British companies held most of the world's known
petroleum reserves either through domestic production (Texas and Oklahoma) or by
contract with the producer countries (North Africa and Arabia). If Germany
was the enemy, how did they get rubber to seal the fuel tanks and petroleum to
fill them? They bought it of course. Not directly from America or
Britain, but through a "neutral" country or third party, corporate entity.
Why would you sell to your enemies?
Because war is damn expensive. The country providing the
material gets the hard currency needed to buy or produce other items of war.
The buying country gets the raw materials it needs to produce more weapons.
It becomes kind of a symbiotic relationship in which both parties still try to
actively kill each other, but they try not to let it affect business. No,
it does not necessarily make sense, but that is the way of the world. The
Romans continued trading with Persia through semi-condoned "smuggling" even
while Crassus marched Rome to defeat in the Persian desert. There is a
good chance the saddle leather of the Persians came from Rome. I'm not
sure Crassus' soldiers appreciated the irony as Parthian arrows darkened the
sky. The basic point is that war is always good business for someone.
Even when companies remain "loyal" to their home country, there
is an almost overwhelming urge to make as much money as quickly as possible.
I mean, God forbid, peace might break out anytime! Senator Harry Truman
made his reputation with the "Truman Commission" going after war profiteers.
Mostly, Harry went after defense contractors who were being paid regardless of
what kind of crap they delivered. By some estimates, his efforts saved $15
billion. Those are 1940s dollars by the way.
Tyrell is an amalgam composed of those same war profiteering
companies as well as their modern equivalents. Think of every dishonest,
shady corporate weasel you ever heard of and then picture us! Our
inspiration includes Enron, Haliburton, Worldcom, Adelphia Corporation, and a
few less savory characters. Special thanks to Nicholas Cage in Lord of
War.
So why would you want to be such scum?
Well, it's always more fun to play the bad guy. You get
better lines and cooler theme music (cue Vader's theme).
On a semi-serious note: because we need to make fun of the
things we fear. We also need to understand that no matter how much you
fear or hate corporations, you need them. All of us work for a
corporation, with a corporation, or depend on their taxes for our livelihood.
Everyone. Either you sell to them, buy from them, or someone who pays you
does. Remember the Romans and the Persians?
So what is a person of good conscience to do?
Make a joke. Laugh. Point out the absurdity of the
situation. We have people protesting against globalization carrying
bullhorns made in China, wearing American Levis stitched in Third World
sweatshops, running from the cops breaking up the demonstration in Nike sneakers
made next to the Levi factory. By the way, the police typically carry
Glock or Sig pistols made in Europe and chase protesters in tactical boots made
in Taiwan or China. You absolutely cannot take this seriously.
I still don't get it.
Don't worry about. Just shoot the guy with the wrong color
tape on his hopper and try to complete your assigned missions. We would
also appreciate it if you don't shoot us until after we complete the sale.
We need to book some serious revenue this quarter so my stock options will shoot
up. Have fun and keep playing.
Remember, it's just business...
See you at ION 2007!