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Post by oversoul on Sept 4, 2006 11:39:52 GMT -5
All the stuff Shaun has been posting about his DC/Mythic game has gotten my wheels turning on my sci-fi idea,Starduster.
Quick(or Quique...) Premise.
In the 2270s humans have terraformed and colonized nearby Alpha Centuari. But Earth has suffered an economic collapse and is verging on ruin. To try and save themselves, the home governments sold off colonies to several corporations.
The colonists were not consulted, add to this the long list of grievances they already had with the corporations for unethical and in some cases downright inhuman practices involving the colonists so far from Earth's prying eyes. Needless to say they are not happy.
The corporations now free of ALL Earth rule have begun the process of establishing their law and governence of their new aquisitions.
Trouble was bound to happen. Isolated inncidents against both sides are becoming more common as the last of Earth governments withdraw from the system. Unorganized efforts by the colonists are becoming more unified. The corporations shut down all but offical information and travel both to and from the system. Now a corporate jump gate has been destroyed and many corporations begin to takes steps for full occupation of their colonies.
Starduster is world verging on war, in the wake of abandonment.
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Post by shaungamer on Sept 4, 2006 16:41:43 GMT -5
Sounds Cool! Plenty of opportunity for roleplay in this setting! What sort of character party are you looking at?
Colonists? Corporation? Ex-Government? Mixture?
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Post by oversoul on Sept 4, 2006 17:38:56 GMT -5
Whatever someone can come up with. Mainly colonial though. When I dreamed this up I had just watched Serenity for the 1st time. I love Firefly and this game was in homage to that. So the colonist are mostly "folk": farmers, smiths, etc. The tech level of the game range from late victorian(most of the colonists) to super tech(corporations.) I drew alot upon AWI and ACW form my readings of life just prior to the real fighting. I can see some ex-governmentals, disgussed with how Earth handled the situation. Corporate agents helping colonists of other corporations, to sabotage a competitor. So the possabilities are endless.
Duh! I have a slightly better write up I can post so I will. I still have lots of work to be done. But please feel free to join in I love getting input from others and their aid ya got an idea post it!
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Post by oversoul on Sept 4, 2006 17:41:49 GMT -5
Repost from the Dice Chucker Yahoo Group
My Thoughts: I watched Serenity last week and became inspired, I loved the movie the show, Firefly was excellent as well (I won't even go into what I think of Fox.) Actually I love anything by Joss Whedon, he is a god. Anyway the idea of a "near" future sci-fi has intrigued me for a while. I say near because I mean it in the sense that the tech, society, and mentality of it is not that far of a stretch from present day, even if it is set 200 years in the future. I also wanted it to be somewhat gritty and the western-ish feel supplies that. How is this different from Red Frontiers? Well it is not steampunk, it is not a world powered by mechanics, they have quite a bit of electronics. Now what works, works and ther is no need to replace some of the stanard mechanical things with new-fangled electronic ones, such as guns and automobiles. I have also wanted to do a mecha themed game as well but I wanted something fresher than super powered shiny robots and limitless amounts of cash to build'em. So since I am already going to write a storyline for a gritty, not so clean, near future scifi game, hey why not chuck some mechas in as well. So I am.
The Place: Near future to me also means not so far away. So no galaxies far, far away. But I did not want it to be so close as to make it feel too common. So setting it on Earth was not possible, I gave thought to out in out own solar system, but that still felt to close. It is much harder to work within established parameters. I mean I cannot change Mars' position in the system if I wanted to. Or increase the number of planets. So I decided on the next best thing, Alpha Centauri. A trinary stary system close to hime with no known planets. Much looser parameters so I am free to play and frolic!
Another thing is I had to keep society and morals low, in order to get that western feel. The reason the west was that way, annd in fact most colonies were, is because of isolation. So I needed to really limit space travel. This is tricky, I want them to get from world to world fairly easily but system to system need to be harder. So Mankind has come up with fusion, which allows them to power engines capable of speeds allowing them to travel from planet to planet. Say from earth to mars a couple of days, while to Pluto about 3 weeks. Travelling from system to system requires way more power to do it. So earth has built a VERY large device capable of sending a one way warp wave. Anything on that wave can ride it. The wave has to be aimed at a start in order to break the wave and letting the vessel get off. As big and as powerful as this device is it still takes 6 months to cross the distance from Sol to Alpha Centauri.
Next Time: Alpha Centauri: Places and Players
End of Repost
Between Centauri A and Centauri B there are 11 inhabitable planets out of a total of 26 and another 16 inhabitable moons out of 34, Not to mention lots of various self contained orbital and surface stations.
The Timeline
2046- The first probes reached Alpha Centauri from Earth and after 2 years of scans discovered 2 of it's planets naturally inhabitable. The first steps were taken towards colonization.
2061- Using convnetional technology, Earth is able to build several large vessels capable of half light speed. These vessels carry colonists and equipment to the two inhabitable worlds. Within in a few years, as more and more colonist travel to Alpha Centauri, Earth begins seeking an alternative faster method to the star system. Earth also begins terraforming operations on several potential planets.
2108- The first three attempts at terraforming other alpha centauri planets is successful and they begin colonization. Earth moves to a full scale terraforming project that leads to 11 of Alpha centauri's 26 planets being earthlike as well as 16 of 34 moons. Earth enters an economic golden age.
2189- Earth completes the first Faster than Light Wave Generator. The device is able to create a wave that VERY large ships are able to "ride" on and then use Alpha Centauri stars to "get off" the wave. Ships are now able to make the trip in 6 months. Several Corporation begin construction of their own.
2211- Earth's government suffer economic collapse leading to near destruction. The governments are forced to demand high compensation from its citizens and to try and horde its resources to survive.
2260- Earth votes on laws requiring recompensation from the colonies of Alpha Centauri for everything Earth has done for them. The colonies object while some try to pay others refuse. Several large corporations begin aiding Earth to stabalize itself. Several begin negotiations with Earth govenrments to relieve them of the burden of the colonies.
2265- Several Corporations buy colonies from Earth. The transaction is done with complete disregard for the colonial citizens. Many reject the so called authority of these Corporations and take to terrorism. Many Corporations meet these threats with force.
2271- Present Day. The last colony is sold. The Corporations charge a high few for colonists trying to return to Earth. Some Corporations completely shut them down to citizen travel. A Corporate Transit Tunnel is blown up. Corporations take steps to implement peace with martial law, and are readying a full occupation of the colonies. Colonists begin to arm and form weak and scattered groups for resistance, many just try to survive. Unorganized Open War looms on the horizon.
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Post by ccreel67 on Sept 5, 2006 10:17:15 GMT -5
I wonder why I didn't get that yahoo group post? I'll check into my yahoo group setting. These ideas are great. If I would spend ten to thirty minutes on my sci-fi idea it would be ready to roll. So far I just call my homeworld alternative X, for alternative earth. Let me get back to the drawing board and "I'll be back."
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Post by oversoul on Oct 15, 2006 5:53:38 GMT -5
I have been back to work on Quique and Starduster. I want to keep the supplement as light as possible and give just enough info to make the game fun. I have already defined how many moons and planets are colonized so I feel obligated to give at least a quick sentence about each in the game. I am having trouble coming up with some roman god names for them. Since this is somewhat near future and all human game I thought I would stick with the common practice of naming planets after roman gods. However some of the uninhabited planets will be given more scientific names to show the difference.
I am trying to decide what else I should highlight, maybe a few of the more important colonist factions and corporations. Maybe some weapon and starship examples?
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Post by mahotsukai on Oct 15, 2006 7:35:43 GMT -5
I am having trouble coming up with some roman god names for them. Since this is somewhat near future and all human game I thought I would stick with the common practice of naming planets after roman gods. However some of the uninhabited planets will be given more scientific names to show the difference. I think that this would be the actual case for planet namers in the future, as there are only a finite number of Roman gods, and infinite numbers of planets out there. So maybe it was decided to confine Roman gods names to the Solar system, and use a new system for the wider Galaxy. It might be decided to use the names of eminent physicists and or astronomers. This would mean that a wider choice of names would be available, and it would bring astronomers and physicists great kudos.
For example:
Weizsacker known to 'witty' colonists as Wiseacre Karl F. von Weizsäcker 1912-2005 German contributed to the development of the model nebular theory for the formation of the solar system; proposed (with Hans Bethe) the proton-proton reaction as the thermonuclear energy source for the sun
Henderson Thomas Henderson 1798-1844 Scottish first to measure distance to a star (Alpha Centauri)
Payne-Gaposchkin Cecelia Payne-Gaposchkin 1900-1979 English discovered that stars are composed primarily of hydrogren, with helium the second-most abundant element
Here are two lists that may be of interest to you
phys.kent.edu/~manley/physicists.html
phys.kent.edu/~manley/astronomers.html
Larry
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Post by shaungamer on Oct 15, 2006 18:33:47 GMT -5
Cool! Thanks Larry. That is very interesting.
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Post by oversoul on Oct 17, 2006 14:03:51 GMT -5
I will incorporate that but I still think human fasination with god names will presist if the general public has a say in it. Look at the naming of the new dwarf planet Xena. It could be a point of tension in the future as is with star names now. Th scientific community calls a planet this and the public at large calls it something else.
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Post by oversoul on Oct 17, 2006 14:10:58 GMT -5
Some Planets I have devised:
Minerva- One of the two original colonies. It is also the wealthiest and most sophisticated. Juno- Only colony owned by colonists Janus- One of two original colonies, by far the strongest and most populated Cupid- Small mining colony, its settlers are the most adamant in acting to free Alpha Centauri Vesta- Small agrian colony owned by a small corporation. Bacchus- Despite being named after a god of merriment, this world has some of the worst living conditions Vulcan- A volatile world but rich in ores with only scattered settlers but hottly sought after by many corporations
...7 down, 4 planets, 16 moons, and an undetermined number of stations to go...
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Post by mahotsukai on Oct 17, 2006 17:15:58 GMT -5
Then the next question is who will we be worshipping in the future will we see planets named Ruth, Namath, Montana, Earnardt, or Clooney, Pitt, Travolta, Reeves.
To be honest I see all naming conventions used in all kinds of situations so as far as I am concerned anything goes so long aas it feels right.
Larry
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Post by oversoul on Oct 17, 2006 19:36:57 GMT -5
hehe clever... It reminds me of Deadlands: Hell On Earth. The templars in there have "saints" that are more well individuals....at least to americans. Starduster is suppose to be more about common folk in extrodinary positions, so I can definately see names like that playing into settlement names. Earnhardtville, Pittsburg....er well that one is taken b
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Post by oversoul on Oct 17, 2006 19:37:37 GMT -5
hehe clever... It reminds me of Deadlands: Hell On Earth. The templars in there have "saints" that are more well individuals....at least to americans. Starduster is suppose to be more about common folk in extrodinary positions, so I can definately see names like that playing into settlement names. Earnhardtville, Pittsburg....er well that one is taken but ya know what I mean
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