Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-15-2011, 11:53 AM   #1
vicky_molokh
GURPS FAQ Keeper
 
vicky_molokh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
Default [Infinite Worlds] Thalassia-1

Greetings, all!

Just a random IW custom world I came up with. You are free and welcome to do whatever you want with it.

Code:
Current Affairs: various world civilizations are expanding and colonizing the most lucrative shelves and plateaus.

Divergence point: Some time roughly around the split of Pangæa. That is, if you ignore the laws of physics allowing superscience technologies and catastrophic cosmic radiation.

Major Civilizations/Great Powers:
Australia (democratic federation, CR2-4), Madagascaria (representative democracy; ; CR2), Helena (corporate state/meritocracy, CR4),  Lemuria (libertarian confederation; always read the fine print; also, the most likely sanctuary for many pirate groups; CR1), Antarctica (technocracy/meritocracy; noted for being most advanced in terms of equal opportunities and human rights; CR4).

Worldline Data
TL: 5+2^, but some technologies are more mature than their TL indicates. 
Mana Level: low to none.
Quantum: (pick one)
Infinity Class: (pick one)
Centrum Zone: (pick one)
Geography
The world is currently has a roughly 95% hydrographic coverage, but even before, its geography differed from Homeline drastically. Africa, North America, and a large part of eastern Eurasia are absent from the map. The Antarctic continent is somewhat larger, with a peninsula reaching into temperate climates. Australia, South America and Eurasia are splintered, as if their coasts are jagged with hundreds of gargantuan fjords. The areas of Madagascar and what Homeliners know as the Near East are oceanic spaces filled by myriads of islands of various sizes. The Pacific Ocean contains Lemuria, a continent roughly equivalent to our sunken Zealandia.
As of now, with the global warming, sea level raised enough to flood most of those continents - but that's a good thing (see below).

Brief history:
Long story short, the various civilizations went their ways, with some occasional conflict between them. Around TL4-TL5, it is discovered (primarily by pearl-divers) that there are unique mineral and ores deep under the sea level. Further research found that said minerals could be used to greatly improve materials technology, power generation, and some other bits. This pushes most civilizations to focus on underwater mining and research. Most states start sponsoring construction of large, permanent underwater bases dedicated to these economic and scientific pursuits. However, roughly by the time TL5 becomes mature, there is a fast increase in climate warmth. By the assessment of local scientists, this is largely caused by the increased solar activity. With the warming climate, ice caps begin to melt, increasing the ocean level and flooding the smaller/lower islands. Antarctican and Madagascaran islands are the first to suffer from the cataclysm, soon followed by Hellenia and then everybody else.

But then It Got Worse: by late TL6 (TL5+1 actually), surface dwellers started reporting gradual global decrease in health, appearance of mutations and reduced birth rates; meanwhile, underwater mine-cities and academic towns were flourishing. This lead to a steady supply of 'volunteers' willing to both invest in further improving the submarine infrastructure, and in actually living underwater on a permanent basis.
Roughly in early TL7, all communication with the surface was rather abruptly terminated. Attempts to send people 'up there' ended in in casualties. While the locals are not familiar with the Homeline term for it, and have slightly different laws of physics in this area, it helps to think of the phenomenon as a large radioactive-like bombardment that makes living less than a couple dozen yards below the sea level (or ground . . .) impossible.

Technological development:
The civilizations are roughly equal in technology, with slight inclines into this or that sphere of tech, and are roughly TL5+2^ or TL7^, with the following notable differences:
  • No nuclear technologies.
  • Computers are retarded (-1 Complexity).
  • Orichalcum is available from late TL4 in small numbers, and is becoming a common but expensive material at TL5+2^. Note that it loses much of its strength if used in small amounts.
  • Nebulonic fuel is actually found in rare deposits, and can be used to power the equivalent of Ether Furnaces.
  • Heat Rays are available and have performance comparable to projectile weapons underwater (they don't immediately defocus!).
  • A bulky and early version of Dynamic Chameleon coating is available for vehicles, and only works underwater in a reasonably familiar environment (only -2 to vision).
  • Geothermal power generators are available and a mature technology.
  • Sociology is a rather mature technology - it is possible to engineer persistent societies united by an idea (though making said society increase in size rapidly is very likely to destabilize it instead).
  • Parasite extermination, fighting corrosion, and electrolysis are very mature technologies.
__________________
Vicky 'Molokh', GURPS FAQ and uFAQ Keeper
vicky_molokh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-15-2011, 12:56 PM   #2
Tyneras
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Kentucky, USA
Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Thalassia-1

Sounds like an interesting setting. I'm thinking it might get classified as a hell parallel, simply due to the surface being wiped out (and probably any scouts, too.) I doubt either Centrum or Infinity would find these civilizations unless they made the first move, or someone like the Cabal showed them for Mysterious Reasons™.

I'm curious, where do the underwater cities get their air? With all surface life and huge amounts of ocean like (like photosynthesizing algae, fish near the surface, all whales and dolphins) wiped out by the bombardment, it seems like a lot of the lower TL resources have been wiped out. Huge underground forest-caves?
__________________
GURPS Fanzine The Path of Cunning is worth a read.
Tyneras is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-15-2011, 02:33 PM   #3
vicky_molokh
GURPS FAQ Keeper
 
vicky_molokh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
Default Re: [Infinite Worlds] Thalassia-1

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyneras View Post
Sounds like an interesting setting. I'm thinking it might get classified as a hell parallel, simply due to the surface being wiped out (and probably any scouts, too.) I doubt either Centrum or Infinity would find these civilizations unless they made the first move, or someone like the Cabal showed them for Mysterious Reasons™.
Many of the local equivalents of our major cities (Rome, Athens, all of Madagascar etc.) were flooded, and thus under the oceanographic 'shield'. I presume that an agent/probe jumped in, saw a flooded city, and made an emergency jump out.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyneras View Post
I'm curious, where do the underwater cities get their air? With all surface life and huge amounts of ocean like (like photosynthesizing algae, fish near the surface, all whales and dolphins) wiped out by the bombardment, it seems like a lot of the lower TL resources have been wiped out. Huge underground forest-caves?
Hydrolysis, Open Space dedicated to gardens, Life Support, certain local algae.
__________________
Vicky 'Molokh', GURPS FAQ and uFAQ Keeper
vicky_molokh is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
custom setting, infinite worlds, setting

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.