What is Simulacrum and Operation: Necromancer? by Callsign: Reach

Operation: Necromancer is the final episode in the Simulacrum airsoft gameplay series. Set in the near future where corporate greed funds an endless war, a cyborg mercenary finds himself entangled in a conspiracy that could change the balance of global power forever…

Months ago, the cyborg mercenary Reach found himself the only survivor of a deadly computer virus that can seize control of cyborgs’ brains and turn them into mindless zombies. Now, Reach has been plunged to the bottom of a vast corporate conspiracy alongside the mysterious Cosmid, a hacker suspected of being an AI. Cosmid wants to stop the Rainbow Corporation’s mad grab for power at all costs, and while his motives are unclear, Reach has no choice but to help him. If not, he and his employers could find themselves toppled by the rising strength of RNBW and their army of brain-dead mercenaries.

With scandalous blackmail on RNBW’s software development director in hand, Reach and Cosmid execute one last mission to put a stop to the virus once and for all… but as the truth comes into focus, was the trust built between them just a means to an end?

Simulacrum 8 // Operation: Necromancer goes live on Friday, April 30, 2021.

What is Simulacrum?
Simulacrum is an immersive, narrative-driven airsoft gameplay series. The original idea was to combine my passion for storytelling with my passion for airsoft. Airsoft gameplay videos were what inspired me to start playing back in 2011, but as I grew into the sport, I found that they lacked a certain “substance” without huge killstreaks or crazy event scenarios — they all kind of blended together at a certain point. I wanted to change that. The idea was simple: record gameplay, bring it home, write a story to go along with how I felt during the day, and edit it to mimic a mission in a first-person video game. As time went on and more people got invested in the characters and the story, I started trying to make each episode more exciting. That all built up to a head with Episode 7, and now it’s time to finish the story with a bang.

I was heavily inspired by projects like “Hardcore Henry” and Jet the Desert Fox’s “Revelations” gameplay series at Ballahack. Projects like that proved that Simulacrum was possible.

The Project
I wanted to do a short film for a long time. At the end of Episode 7, as Reach is running away from the cyber-samurai Shogun (designed by my best friend and professional artist Kevin Krznar), I knew I needed to follow through on my dream. I had to send all of these characters off in style… and so I began writing the script for Operation: Necromancer.

It was a feat. When I finished the script, I thought that it would be no different than editing any of the other videos I’d made on YouTube. Oh, how wrong I was. There was so much I didn’t know how to do! I needed to find locations and recruit actors, source costumes, find enough airsoft guns, and make sure that it was safe to film with them. Even after we shot the thing, I had to learn the ins-and-outs of basic VFX: muzzle flashes, smoke, motion tracking, and matte painting are just a few of the things I had to learn how to do. (Yes, the giant megacity is fake. We don’t have those in rural Ohio.)

Operation: Necromancer has been the most challenging and humbling creative project I’ve ever undertaken. It was something I had to do to prove to myself that I can handle a project like this, and to prove to my fans that I’m capable of producing a quality product. I would love to crowdfund for a larger scope project, and when I do that, I want my most passionate fans to look at Op: Necromancer and trust that me and my team can make something great… After all, look at what we did with the budget of a used sofa and a couple of Subway sandwiches. It’s the end of a series, and it’s a proof of concept for things to come in Critical Mass, my next large-scope project.

What’s the Point?
Let’s be honest: when we’re out there on the field with our buddies, pretending to be a soldier, hitman, or yes, even a cyborg mercenary, is a ton of fun. You get to live out those grandiose Hollywood fantasies for a couple of hours while you’re running around in the woods. A huge part of the airsoft community is the “rule of cool” – so many of us use the guns that we like in video games or movies and our gear is inspired by our favorite characters. My goal with Simulacrum is to encourage people to chase that fun that initially pushed so many of us into the sport when we were kids. The sport is a lot different than when I started almost a decade ago; it’s taken more seriously than it used to be. If Simulacrum has any impact on the sport (or the Youtube airsoft scene) I want people to be inspired to get creative and tap into those heroes that inspire us. It’s cool to be the hero (or the villain) of your own story… After all, we all go home at the end of the day!

In the Future
I know that some people will be sad to see Simulacrum go, but I’ve got big plans for Reach and the other characters of New Tanegashima. I want to do more fan meetups at airsoft fields, and maybe even host a milsim set in the Simulacrum universe. (Or at least be a guest at Desert Fox Events. Come on, Jet. I’m literally an evil corporate cyborg. I’d be a perfect fit.)

I can’t thank everyone who has participated in the series over the years enough, be that online, on the field, or in spirit. I’ll see you out there, mercenaries. Stay Corporate Approved.

Contact Info
Email: Callsignreach@gmail.com
Website: https://www.callsignreach.com/
Instagram: @callsignreach
YouTube: Callsign: Reach