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02-19-2016, 10:13 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
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[Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
So this Setting Generating Game thread was almexactly a year ago, and I thought it was time for another.
We can use the answer a question -> ask a question format as before. Try to keep the questions open-ended and avoid "leading" questions, which sneak in too much detail in a question that should be in an answer. The goal this time is to make a space opera setting which supports a free trader campaign. Apart from that, it's open slather! Therewith, the first question: Q1- What kind or kinds of FTL transport are there? ETA: Here's a summary of what's been contributed as far as post #62. Addendum: A partial mirror of this thread is available at this wiki, organised by topic. Summary The Interstellar Drift It's the year 3116... Groups & Polities:
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Other Details
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Locations
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Races: 7 of the 12 known sapient races have been named or described.
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Artefacts:
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Ships
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Ship Weapons & Systems
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Name Characters
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Equipment
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History
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02-19-2016, 10:24 AM | #2 |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
Answer: FTL is capable of huge jumps at a time, but the more you take in distance, the more you loose in accuracy -- you can cross the galaxy in five jumps, but once you're there it takes five MORE jumps to actually get close to your target. Each jump takes quite a bit of time
Which, if any transhuman aspects are prominent? (true AI, Neural interfaces, human genegineering...) EDIT: I love this game! And I've had this FTL method eating at me for a long time!
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02-19-2016, 11:49 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
No transhuman aspects are present aside from ancient and highly stigmatized sapient robots, all of whom have long since stopped functioning. All that remains is the stigma and a faded memory of how mankind was semi-enslaved by their own creations and atrophy of their own ingenuity and initiative.
Is there a galactic empire?
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02-19-2016, 11:57 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: traveller
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Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
There is no galactic empire as such, since the FTL drive makes a mockery of political boundaries and subdivisions. There are, however, a number of widely accepted conventions with the force of customary law, which allow traders to function throughout civilization with some sense of security. Some groups of worlds also from trade compacts or postal unions to further protect and promote their agendas.
Q: What kind of goods are most frequently traded? |
02-19-2016, 12:03 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
Heavy elements remain rare throughout the univers as compared to most volitiles, and are widely traded. Livestock and seedstocks are common goods, as well, since populating new worlds with sources of human-eatible foods is rather important.
How common are easily inhabited (habitability rating 7 or 8) worlds?
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02-19-2016, 01:41 PM | #6 |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
Finding a shirtsleeve world is easy -- you've got an entire galaxy to choose from. Finding a world that is pleasant is hard: alien vegetation generally isn't edible, and atmospheres are really fond of being too dense, too thin, or having 'off' mixtures of gasses.
How 'full' is the galaxy? Are new worlds being settled all the time? is it pretty much mapped out? are worlds as full as earth common?
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02-19-2016, 07:09 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
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02-20-2016, 11:37 AM | #8 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
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Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
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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.
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02-20-2016, 09:22 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: New Zealand.
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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?
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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. |
02-20-2016, 11:48 PM | #10 | |||
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
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Re: [Game] Generate a Space Trader Setting
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And calculation of your route should be easy enough- just point and shoot, right? And for the long range/low accuracy schema, if you know you're going to miss your target whatever you do, you'd just point roughly in the right direction knowing you'd have to do many short jumps at the other end. I guess it's the short jumps which need more accuracy... We have 2 questions open now- Quote:
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Tags |
game, setting, setting building, space opera, trader |
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