Vote up a Space Opera

[combatmedic]

Maybe most of the good worlds near Terra have already been claimed?

Terrans are thus forced to colonize less hospitable worlds(fits with certain splinter races), or to stick to the Solar System.


Terran merchants may be trying to bust into a galactic market with the deck stacked against them. Smugglers? "Tramp steamers?" Pirates?

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

Suggestions:



I think the Oom are not so much recovering from a 'Dark Ag'e as simply stirring from a decadent high-civilized phase. The Oom Sphere is roused by the re-discovery of the anicent homeworld of Terra. More adventuorus Oom are getting out that way to check things out...

Nice set up for adventures.

The Aristoi, given their racial near-insanity, maybe have 'blown it up' a while back and are now crawling out of a Dark Age. That cycle may happen to them on a fairly regular basis.

This is good for some Aristoi groups, others would be stagnant under the rule of the Leader/pedants.

Terro-Humans probably make good up and coming colonizers. They have only been on the scene for a couple of centuries and they stand somewhat apart from the dominant powers, as I read Eric's guidlines, hints, and suggestions.
But that's not the only possibility for Terro-Humanity.

Terro-humanity could be fracturing as the game happened. With much of Earth sinking into a new dark-ages and dragging the rest of the planet down with them, while several colonies were building on their own strengths free from Earth's interference.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Nice set up for adventures.



This is good for some Aristoi groups, others would be stagnant under the rule of the Leader/pedants.



Terro-humanity could be fracturing as the game happened. With much of Earth sinking into a new dark-ages and dragging the rest of the planet down with them, while several colonies were building on their own strengths free from Earth's interference.

That all sounds good.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

As for computers being not weak but rudimentary . . .
Probably either traveller or Lensemen (not sure).

By 2012 standards (or even 1984 standards) Traveller computers come in only one size (Mainframe) and quoted capability numbers are very low.However, those mainframes are univers andal perfom the usual functions of plotting Jumps and targetting enemy ships and so on.

Lensman computers are non-existant in the parts written in the 1930s and 40s and only appear in psudo-Univac form in later works. Even then they are very large machines with mathematical functions only.

Smith is not alone in this. Asimov and Heinlein had spacers using log tables and/or exotic human talents well into the 50s. Even Asimov's "postironic brains" are black boxes that tend to mimic human-like fiunctions more than work as simple utilitarian machines.

Human-like robots (both mentality and dup;licate appeareance) go back into the 30s though.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

By 2012 standards (or even 1984 standards) Traveller computers come in only one size (Mainframe) and quoted capability numbers are very low.However, those mainframes are univers andal perfom the usual functions of plotting Jumps and targetting enemy ships and so on.

Lensman computers are non-existant in the parts written in the 1930s and 40s and only appear in psudo-Univac form in later works. Even then they are very large machines with mathematical functions only.

Smith is not alone in this. Asimov and Heinlein had spacers using log tables and/or exotic human talents well into the 50s. Even Asimov's "postironic brains" are black boxes that tend to mimic human-like fiunctions more than work as simple utilitarian machines.

Human-like robots (both mentality and dup;licate appeareance) go back into the 30s though.

Which makes offering AH alternative backgrounds a good idea. If you offer a choice of say four alternatives; A) Combatmedic's Tsar/Tunguska line, B) My Roswell and Starfleets line, C) contact in 2010 (I'll script it later, or D) my explosive all of the above multiple choice line, then you pick the timeline that fits how you see the setting.

[ericthered]

Results for Final Alien Vote

Yuldji
C(S) W D(P) S C(S)
Strong

Witch Hunter Hounds
R(S) R P R R
Rare

Beseth
C C W C N
Common

Tinkers
R C N R R
Rare

Xeiruut
C(w) C W W R
Widespread, which, considering how well they do with other species, makes a lot of sense.

Digger Dragons
C(R) P P P P
primitive
For the record, I vote to make them strong. it means nothing.

Oku
R(W) P P R R
Rare

Krakswa
W S P W C
Wide spread

Dusters
C D C W
Common, with larger than normal range. (I half vote widespread)

Zumrani
S(D) R D S(D) R
Distant

Shoshfaff
N R C N N
Not in the setting.

Efeta
C(W) D D W R
Distant by my deciding vote.

[ericthered]

Results for Human Splinter Rolls

Terro-humans
C C C C I
Common, sad, wanted independent

Oom
C W C C
Common

Cyber-psychos
E R E R E
Established

Aristoi.
I E R R(I) R
rare

Yanen.
R C R R
rare

Higher Grav mining
R E R C E
I really don't want to see these guys as rare. The vote is stuck.
Faolyn or CombatMedic can make them Established, Vicky can make them rare, or Astromancer can change his vote to rare or established. Or someone else can vote and decide.

Thin Atmosphere
R E R R
rare

Al-Jami’a.
R W I W
WideSpread


Draqtari.
E C R E
Established

‘Machine Lords’.
R C I W
Umm... Thats a nice spread. Independent will boil down to "common" though, and I'm reinforcing the vote. Machine lords tend to stick to their own worlds.
Common

Jikwethi.
W E W E E
Established though they may be found outside of human space, they are most common within it.

Green Spotter
R E R C
rare

Primae
W C R R
rare

[vicky_molokh]

I'd trade my vote to whoever would make Oku non-primitive. ;)

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I'd trade my vote to whoever would make Oku non-primitive. ;)

Or if the Oku have to be primitive, let them be sly primitives playing the system and getting out to the stars in other folks ships. Hitching out to the stars and running "new-agey" scams on spacemen.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Or if the Oku have to be primitive, let them be sly primitives playing the system and getting out to the stars in other folks ships. Hitching out to the stars and running "new-agey" scams on spacemen.

Actually, Efeta are the new-agey ones (though probably most are not scammers). Oku are actually anti-supernatural in some ways.