02-19-2016, 09:03 PM | #11 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
|
Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
To be honest, I was just expecting "one is a space whale, one is a burrowing siliconoid similar to a Trek Horta, two are reptilians - one theropod, one serpentine - etc.", but I like your breakdown for the space whales. :)
__________________
"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991 "But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!" The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation. Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting |
02-20-2016, 02:11 AM | #12 | |
Join Date: Jan 2014
|
Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
Quote:
For a chip-in for the 8 leftover species: The Chetai are species of molluscs, generally likened to snails. The average Chetyn is about a foot tall and half a foot wide at the shell. Unlike Earth snails, Chetai have 3 pairs of tentacles; from top to bottom, eye stalks, manipulators, and olfactory (smell). Like snails, Chetai move extremely slowly by foot, no more than 4 miles in their entire lives, and thus have ridden around on something for most of their history. In early history it was a draft animal, but later on they were replaced with motorized vehicles. Despite their low speed of movement, Chetai have extremely fast reflexes. Because of this Chetai are known throughout the galaxy as talented pilots. Chetai can communicate through either scent or sign language. Due to integration into galactic society, many are equipped with vocalizers. So now there are 7 left. Question: Are there any interstellar organizations? |
|
02-20-2016, 05:08 AM | #13 |
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Zealand.
|
Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
There are several interstellar organisations. The one that travels the furthest is known as the librarians
The Librarians of the ashes is an organization devoted to the recovery and preservation of knowledge that would otherwise be lost due to wars and catastrophic events. They share their knowledge relatively freely and send agents to every interstellar war and disaster they hear about. Many of the agents also help when they can to maintain the librarian's positive reputation. They are based in one of the biggest starships ever to have existed with a hull made of organic metal more than 400 meters thick. Their leader is a shadowy robed scholar never seen away from an ancient lecturn. Race The Rhii are a race of amphibious carnivores who are fiercely independant by nature. Their highest political office is ships captain. They are physically flattened bipeds that can be likened to human stingray hybrids. They vary in size from 1 to 5 meters tall/long. Question Are there precursor artifacts? If so what are some examples.
__________________
Waiting for inspiration to strike...... And spending too much time thinking about farming for RPGs Contributor to Citadel at Nordvörn Last edited by (E); 02-20-2016 at 07:36 PM. |
02-20-2016, 07:58 AM | #14 |
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Shropshire, uk
|
Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
Yes, the galaxy has been able to host sentient life for a long time at least on a civilizational scale.
Prominent examples include: The 'Useless', an apparently solid hemisphere of granite about 1.5 meters in diameter marked with complex deeply incised patterns. When activated by a hidden control on its surface the object emits a steady hum at the lower end of human hearing and apparently achieves nothing else. While this device of unknown origin and questionable provenance probably should have been written off as a hoax long ago it remains notable for the number of anecdotal reports of often disturbing religious visions amongst people repeatedly exposed to it. 'Rhine-Abas' Jars, named for the xenoarcheologists who first described them these are simple, apparently ornamental, vessels produced by a now long extinct non-space fairing society on a world subsequently colonised by humans. At the end of the day they are just small oddly shaped metal jars fashioned from a variety of otherwise industrial metals, primarily titanium, using a number of non-standard but not particularly advanced metalworking techniques. They are sought after by art human collectors because they are comparatively rare and fairly attractive in a bulbous sort of fashion. Question Are there significant multi-species communities? If so how common are they? |
02-20-2016, 08:27 AM | #15 | |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
|
Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
Quote:
The first type is polyglot cities where just about every species can be found and are welcome. These cities are generally quite proud of their diversity. The second type consists of only two or three species living together. These groups tend to be tight-knit have species relations well-integrated into their society. These are more common than the polyglot cities. Of course, single species communities outnumber both of the other types by about two to one. Race: The Akriti look a great deal like squids or octopi, though they have tentacles with forked ends. question: How do people get their goods out of gravity wells?
__________________
Be helpful, not pedantic Worlds Beyond Earth -- my blog Check out the PbP forum! If you don't see a game you'd like, ask me about making one! |
|
02-20-2016, 08:48 AM | #16 | |
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Chagrin Falls
|
Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
Quote:
Also know to exist are prominent monoculture examples, often considered backwaters, where a community is almost entirely of one species and any 'outsiders' are obviously distrusted. Question: We know that there is a 'primo' hyper drive, but is what kinds of 'secret' navigational or rutter programs and databases exist to take advantage of improvements in distance and accuracy?
__________________
Benundefined Life has a funny way of making sure you decide to leave the party just a few minutes too late to avoid trouble. |
|
02-20-2016, 09:12 AM | #17 | |
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Shropshire, uk
|
Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
Quote:
Race: Mar Kan. Partially upright, hexapedal, omnivores from a cool high gravity world resembling to human eyes nothing so much as a giant furry pear set on four stubby and rather stiff legs. The eyes and mouth are set at the top of the highly flexible 'neck', the final pair of double jointed manipulating limbs sit on opposite sides of the body just below the neck where they fold against the body when at rest. Question: What is the typical range of settlement for a species, ie how far from a homeworld are you likely to find settlements? Does human settlement follow this pattern? Last edited by Frost; 02-21-2016 at 06:30 PM. |
|
02-20-2016, 09:23 AM | #18 | ||||||
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
|
Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
Quote:
Here's a races recap: 1/9- 2/9- 3/9- 4/9- Quote:
(BTW- Whales, stingrays, squids & snails- I'm detecting a distinctly marine bent here...) And we seem to have a double answer- Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
ETA: Ninja'd with another race. 5/9- 4 & 3 to go.
__________________
Collaborative Settings: Cyberpunk: Duopoly Nation Space Opera: Behind the King's Eclipse And heaps of forum collabs, 30+ and counting! |
||||||
02-20-2016, 11:37 AM | #19 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
|
Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
Quote:
So, to be clear, you're saying that a jump of say 20,000 ly (1/5th of the way across the galaxy) might have a "deviation bubble" of being maybe 40% off course, then closing in on your destination involves some 1,000 ly jumps which are off by 30%, 100 ly jumps off by 20%, then 10 ly jumps off by 10%? Hopefully you can see I'm using the exponent as the lead digit in the percentage, to get a narrowing-in effect.
I'm asking ericthered because it was his idea, but anyone can answer.
__________________
Collaborative Settings: Cyberpunk: Duopoly Nation Space Opera: Behind the King's Eclipse And heaps of forum collabs, 30+ and counting! |
|
02-20-2016, 09:22 PM | #20 |
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Zealand.
|
Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
First off in response to frosts question.
In some species the range of colonization is essentially limitless. However most species (including humans) initially followed a colonize and terraform the nearby systems stratagem, usually about 40 light years deep. But the reality that it is cheaper to go further for better usually puts this stratagem to rest a few generations after the introduction of ftl travel. This has resulted in a situation where most species home world is surrounded by the least hospitable colonies and outposts and the more attractive colonies are huge distances away. These core worlds while usually economically behind the further colonies are attractive to free traders as they are frequently mono industrial, slightly ignored politically and close together. Jumping in to answer the drive questions. (Completely willing do drop this section from my post if anyone has better ideas.) 1) Numbers might be a bit harsh but there is enough detail left to be revealed to fine tune the system. Assuming a generate, calculate, charge, jump, locate sequence. Speed and efficiency can be improved at each stage. For instance Many militaries have ships (carriers?) with large power generation capabilities relative to their size so that the can jump as soon as the navigational calculations are finished. (They have big computers too) 2) better equipment/engines/capacitors result in a more disk shaped jump exit zone as apposed to spherical exit zone with lower quality gear. This allows jump exits to be plotted closer to obstacles. Especially important for in system jumps. 2.5) star charts as well as "stellar positioning systems" greatly speed up the process of figuring out exactly where you exited. A key part of the following jump calculations. Up to date information regarding "jump" conditions at a desired destination can aid in improving jump accuracy. 3) there are 2 types of jump "deep" which is typically used for distances over 0.1 of a lightyear. A characteristic of a deep jump is the exit point tends to be away from gravity wells. The other kind of jump is a shallow jump which is effected less by gravity and tends to get used in system. Counterintuitively the calculations for a shallow jump take longer than a deep jump mainly due to the more complex nature of the environment. Deep jumps of less than 1000 light years require more power to start and stop the jump than is used to travel the distance. Shallow jumps use a similar amount of power regardless of the distance traveled. A shallow jump typically used about 1 percent of the power as a deep jump. If power is low (or expensive) long range ships (bigger generators etc) can easily shallow jump up to 0.5 of a light year. 4) See point 1 5) the output of the ships capacitors relative to its size is the main limiting factor on the range of a jump. 6) pass 7) shorter range jumps mean less corrections so there would be a mathematical breakpoint do do with the probable number of jumps to get to a destination. Sometimes there would be deliberate undershooting of the desired target. Free traders would target a system then visit many locations once they get there. FTL ships require position data, big generators, capacitors, navigational computers, a jump drive with external components (frequently retractable). Question How is policing the common laws handled? Organised force? Contractors? Something else?
__________________
Waiting for inspiration to strike...... And spending too much time thinking about farming for RPGs Contributor to Citadel at Nordvörn Last edited by (E); 02-20-2016 at 10:28 PM. |
Tags |
game, setting, setting building, space opera, trader |
|
|