[Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding

[Prince Charon]

On the off chance that there was any confusion, I'm not objecting to either vote, I was just giving clarifying information.

Current count is one vote for 3, and one vote for 4. Voting remains open, probably until Sunday or Monday, unless no-one else votes before Saturday, at which point I guess I'll use my vote as a tie-breaker.

[Emerald Cat]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

I'm confused as to where you're getting 140 years, rather than 40 to 50.

EDIT: Did you maybe skim the question, and accidentally add the mention of a hundred years to the mention of fourty years?

On my first reading, I though that the 40 years were being used consecutively to the 100 years with the Genetics Wars being the starting reference. In any case, humanity is stated to be a member of the galactic community for decades years before meeting the Romulans. Therefore, I stand by my vote for option 4.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Later EDIT, Reply to TGLS: Most wars are fairly short, even with the relatively slow FTL speeds of this era. Sure, an interstellar war where both sides are limited to STL speeds could last decades, if it happened at all, but I'm imagining FTL in this era being fast enough that an interstellar war needing to last more than a decade would be odd (unless it's a cold war, which is another matter).

Well here's the way I see it. In order for a war to make sense, Solar Cooperative (SC) needs to expand to the point where a border conflict or some other Casus Belli arises. This probably takes at least 10-20 years. There is also probably some period of build-up before the war (the tense, interesting period adventures can be set in). Then after the war ends, both sides are probably tired enough for there to be a pause in hostilities. Even assuming a short shooty period, we're looking at 30 year period before the SC gets in a fight.

On the other hand, it could also have the case of a sudden attack on Earth that starts the war (easily skipping the 10-20 year expansion period). This would probably be the a very significant shift from Star Trek.

[Prince Charon]

OK, I said I'd do a tie-breaker today, if we still had only two votes, and here we are with only two votes still.

While TGLS's logic is sound, the argument does ignore the fact that while the SC is expanding in a literal vacuum, they are not expanding in a political vacuum, and may be dragged into existing wars (e.g. traders from the Cooperative refuse to stop trading with one party or another when a war breaks out, and one of those parties decides that the humans are no-longer neutral), and he did list a variable expansion period. After due consideration, I'm breaking the tie in favor of Option 4. I don't currently have a followup question ready, but I ask that anyone who feels like chiming in suggest what wars might have occurred that the SC became involved in. 'Just the Man-Kzin Wars' is an option, though the exact number is not a requirement, and the last one might happen during or after the Romulan War.

'Short shooty periods interspersed with longer periods of high tension' will probably be on the list also, but that kind of overlaps with other options.

EDIT: To clarify, my current thinking is that there's a period of peaceful expansion and prosperity in the 2110s and the early 2120s, with very little political tension directed against the Solar Cooperative during the 2110s, and not much more in the early 2120s, though the tensions affecting the SC rise in the middle and late 2120s. The first war (with whomever) would probably happen in the late 2120s or early 2130s. The Romulan War happens in roughly the 2150s or 2160s, possibly something like 2155-2160, or 2151-2153, or something like that.

[Prince Charon]

Who did the Solar Cooperative have wars with before the Romulan War?

This will be a two-question post, each in a different format, for ease of counting.

First question:

As mentioned, the Romulan War happens in roughly the 2150s or 2160s, while first contact with the Vulcanians happened in the 2110s. The latest I'd want to set the Romulan War is somewhere around 2166-2169 or so. Below is a list of races and alliances that the SC might have fought wars with. I'm including the Xindi, since they did commit acts of war against Earth in Star Trek: Enterprise, and some of you may actually want to help adapt that plot to this setting. The options that don't have links are from GURPS Aliens.

Please include the number when you vote. You may vote for more than one race/group. I will be totaling up the votes for each, and if there's a tie or anything close to a tie, the SC had wars with two or more races/groups in the period before the Romulan War.

1. Kzin

2. Tellarites

3. Andorians

4. Kaa

5. Orions

6. Gormelites

7. Nausicaans

8. Xindi

9. Crystal Computers


Second question:

Did these early wars consist basically of 'short shooty periods interspersed with longer periods of high tension?' That would be fairly consistent with Star Trek, as both TOS and DS9 were clearly set during periods of political tension, and TNG was effectively retconned into also being set in a period of high political tension, though we saw little of this in the early seasons. Please vote either YES in all caps or NO in all caps.


EDIT: The results are that there were wars with the Kzin and Crystal Computers (who have two votes each) before the Romulan War.

The Kaa, Xindi, Andorians, and Orions have one vote each, so while the SC won't have gone to war with any of them in that period, there were political tensions, spying, smuggling, skirmishes, piracy, 'deniable operations,' and other things that adventures are made of.

There also seems to be a YES on 'short shooty periods interspersed with longer periods of high tension.'

[TGLS]

Some thoughts then a vote:

1) Change the name to cut the tie to Known Space.

2/3) On one hand it would be interesting to see enemies become friends (assuming this is just an enemies list), but on the other hand it might be too big a stumbling block.

4) A little over lap with the traditional Romulan niche (deceit), though with an extra helping of brutality.

4/6) I'd favor de-emphasizing the mental disadvantages a tad, so it comes off less as hard-wired and more as culture, so a Worf type is more practical.

6/7) They seem to share the same niche big mean tough guys who are primarily mercenaries and thugs.

9) Would probably need some rework, so they're not just giant rocks holding delightful conversations about how all organics should die.


My vote:
1489 YES

[ericthered]

Crystal computers
Kzin
Andorians
Orion

[smurf]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Preliminary Vulcanian Template, help wanted...

I think Qoltar the resident Klingon could help here.

IIRC there was an episode when Spock was blinded and he regained his sight (S1 E29). That would indicate Regrowth, possibly only for extremities. They could also endure a lot of pain that may qualify for High Pain Threshold.

The Vulcan neck pinch could be either a special pressure point attack or just an innate attack.

Mind Meld could be Telepathy via touch only.

Given all their abilities I wouldn't be surprised the Vulcan template is around 200pts.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by TGLS

Some thoughts then a vote:

1) Change the name to cut the tie to Known Space.

<SNIP>

Needing to think about the others, but for the Kzin, the name is canon to Star Trek, although I did shorten it (should be 'Kzinti,' which can be confused with 'Xindi'). I should say that I almost included the Cidi on the list.

Originally Posted by TGLS

9) Would probably need some rework, so they're not just giant rocks holding delightful conversations about how all organics should die.

Was planning on that, since the book was kind of vague, IIRC, on how they had a war, exactly (they could attack, once they had a vector, and be attacked, but calling it a war implies things that don't quite fit).

Originally Posted by smurf

I think Qoltar the resident Klingon could help here.

IIRC there was an episode when Spock was blinded and he regained his sight (S1 E29). That would indicate Regrowth, possibly only for extremities. They could also endure a lot of pain that may qualify for High Pain Threshold.

AFAICT, that was due to Spock not knowing how to open his nictitating membrane, which had closed reflexively when he was exposed to intense UV light. You're right that High Pain Threshold should be on the list, though.

Originally Posted by smurf

The Vulcan neck pinch could be either a special pressure point attack or just an innate attack.

I picked Sleep because it was an already-written ability that did pretty much what I needed. If I were to build it from the ground up, I'd use Affliction rather than Innate Attack.

Originally Posted by smurf

Mind Meld could be Telepathy via touch only.

Um, yes, but I was thinking about specific abilities. We may be having different conversations on this sentence, though.

Originally Posted by smurf

Given all their abilities I wouldn't be surprised the Vulcan template is around 200pts.

I suspect so.

[Phantasm]

Just replace Kzin with Caitians (M'Ress from ST:TAS)