New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Further notes:

Magery in this universe always comes with either positive or negative Charisma. Thus the in universe equivalents of James T. Kirk and Northwest Smith have spellcasting abilities. And the Wilbur Whateley power repels as much as his appearence. Thus a level of attractive Magery costs 15 points (Magery plus Charisma) and repellent Magery costs five per level (Magery minus Negative Charisma).

Near Humans are the main Aliens of this setting. Feel free to pull near humans in as you like. The Vulcans were obviously designed to be a Homo Superior group. But the early Vulcans were driven nearly mad by their own telepathy and the subconscious selves interfering in other people's dreams. Only there Iron disciple keeps them sane. C. L. Moore's take on Venusians fits this setting. They were angelically beautiful savages. "Faces like cherubs, hearts like devils.." was one of her phrases. Play around with the Star Trek and Northwest Smith aliens. Go for a subtle wrongness that builds to spooky.

Cultural Backgrounds should be lush, decadent, and exotic. Moore, Smith, and Brackett all went that way with Mars and or aliens. Lovecraft's The Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath should be a major guide to the style and appearance of alien societies. Pedantic Violet mists that don't believe in humans are a must.

Sorry, can't edit right now.

[Astromancer]

Try this one...

Take the basic Transhuman Space setting and allow them to make the Alcubierre Drive functional. It however has a practical limit based on the means used to make the drive work in the first place. This limit has three effects. First, a top speed of one Light Year per week. Second, after 70 cumulative weeks of travel the ship needs massive maintenance in a well equipped shipyard. Third, a Drive Engine can only be resorted to safe function about nine to twelve times, it depends on the quality of the original construction of the engine.

Humanity in the year 2120 is beginning to move out to the stars. The politics are brutal. The majority cultures movements are screaming that non-majority cultures need to cede to the majority cultures all the best worlds and mining opportunities. Others are saying cultures that never got a chance to grow should get preferential treatment. Others say that all cultures need to get chances in the new interstellar frontier. Many reactionaries, remembering how Europe and America transformed the world because of the frontiers they gained, seek to stop interstellar flight at all costs.

There are rumors of early colonies already being set up around Tau Ceti. Some nations are planing to build starfleets to police the new frontier.

[David Johnston2]

Voyager Done Right: The characters are the crew of a Terran Republic starship Ulysses, which has been flung so far away from the Republic into unmapped territory that it will take them an estimated seven years to return to Republic space. Along the way they will encounter one by one science fictional menaces inspired by Homer's Odyssey as well as other random encounters.

There will be no shortcuts. The Ulysses will have a limited supply of missiles and shuttlecraft. If they run out, well they'll just have to figure out how to trade for more or do without. Same thing with repairs. Most of the intervening space won't have the tech to repair damage the Ulysses takes properly. (The Ulysses is TL 11, traveling through mostly TL 10 space.)

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Voyager Done Right: The characters are the crew of a Terran Republic starship Ulysses, which has been flung so far away from the Republic into unmapped territory that it will take them an estimated seven years to return to Republic space. Along the way they will encounter one by one science fictional menaces inspired by Homer's Odyssey as well as other random encounters.

There will be no shortcuts. The Ulysses will have a limited supply of missiles and shuttlecraft. If they run out, well they'll just have to figure out how to trade for more or do without. Same thing with repairs. Most of the intervening space won't have the tech to repair damage the Ulysses takes properly. (The Ulysses is TL 11, traveling through mostly TL 10 space.)

I had an idea like this back about the second season of ST:tNG. I called it Star Trek: Immram {after the Irish voyage narratives). I had Lindsay Wagner as the Captain and Tom Baker was her Betazoid Grandfather whom they were stuck with for the duration. But otherwise very similar to your idea. Yes the Captain was a Betazoid/human hybrid.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Voyager Done Right: The characters are the crew of a Terran Republic starship Ulysses, which has been flung so far away from the Republic into unmapped territory that it will take them an estimated seven years to return to Republic space. Along the way they will encounter one by one science fictional menaces inspired by Homer's Odyssey as well as other random encounters.

There will be no shortcuts. The Ulysses will have a limited supply of missiles and shuttlecraft. If they run out, well they'll just have to figure out how to trade for more or do without. Same thing with repairs. Most of the intervening space won't have the tech to repair damage the Ulysses takes properly. (The Ulysses is TL 11, traveling through mostly TL 10 space.)

O Brother Where Are Thou? certainly worked for an interesting Odyssey parallel.
Star Trek would have a much easier time with cyclopes, lotus eaters, and good old Scylla and Charybdis. Even Apollo's cattle makes sense as some innocuous "resource" the crew inadvertently "gathers".

I do notice that no one ever seems to include what I initially thought an important issue of Voyager. Half the crew were violent terrorists forced to cooperate with military members initially out to capture them.
Of course even the writers seem to have forgotten about it very quickly.

[Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Try this one...

Take the basic Transhuman Space setting and allow them to make the Alcubierre Drive functional. It however has a practical limit based on the means used to make the drive work in the first place. This limit has three effects. First, a top speed of one Light Year per week. Second, after 70 cumulative weeks of travel the ship needs massive maintenance in a well equipped shipyard. Third, a Drive Engine can only be resorted to safe function about nine to twelve times, it depends on the quality of the original construction of the engine.

Humanity in the year 2120 is beginning to move out to the stars. The politics are brutal. The majority cultures movements are screaming that non-majority cultures need to cede to the majority cultures all the best worlds and mining opportunities. Others are saying cultures that never got a chance to grow should get preferential treatment. Others say that all cultures need to get chances in the new interstellar frontier. Many reactionaries, remembering how Europe and America transformed the world because of the frontiers they gained, seek to stop interstellar flight at all costs.

There are rumors of early colonies already being set up around Tau Ceti. Some nations are planing to build starfleets to police the new frontier.

I LIKE this!

Pre-made background, just add Warp Drive Expansion Pack.

Aliens later, of course. But the Transhuman racial background is varied enough that they aren't really needed.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I do notice that no one ever seems to include what I initially thought an important issue of Voyager. Half the crew were violent terrorists forced to cooperate with military members initially out to capture them.
Of course even the writers seem to have forgotten about it very quickly.

<shrug> I don't consider it to have been a very good idea. Really they should have ditched the ship when they arrived at the planet of the 47s. A place where they'd be welcomed, free of the Federation and the Cardassians? What's not to like?

[YankeeGamer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Try this one...

Take the basic Transhuman Space setting and allow them to make the Alcubierre Drive functional. It however has a practical limit based on the means used to make the drive work in the first place. This limit has three effects. First, a top speed of one Light Year per week. Second, after 70 cumulative weeks of travel the ship needs massive maintenance in a well equipped shipyard. Third, a Drive Engine can only be resorted to safe function about nine to twelve times, it depends on the quality of the original construction of the engine.

Humanity in the year 2120 is beginning to move out to the stars. The politics are brutal. The majority cultures movements are screaming that non-majority cultures need to cede to the majority cultures all the best worlds and mining opportunities. Others are saying cultures that never got a chance to grow should get preferential treatment. Others say that all cultures need to get chances in the new interstellar frontier. Many reactionaries, remembering how Europe and America transformed the world because of the frontiers they gained, seek to stop interstellar flight at all costs.

There are rumors of early colonies already being set up around Tau Ceti. Some nations are planing to build starfleets to police the new frontier.

As soon as things get going, someone is bound to build a few carriers. The carrier hauls a few exploration ships out for 34 weeks, and takes up orbit around a convenient star/moon. The smaller exploration ships conduct some exploration and return. Depending on how big a yard is needed, they either get hauled back to a yard or refitted on the spot.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

<shrug> I don't consider it to have been a very good idea. Really they should have ditched the ship when they arrived at the planet of the 47s. A place where they'd be welcomed, free of the Federation and the Cardassians? What's not to like?

The Maquis were originally defending their homes from a political restructuring and eviction. Their entire lives revolved around that. It would be, IMO, absurd for all of them to just give up to go Robinson Crusoe at the first opportunity.

Though I admit the very idea was bad to begin with as there was no way they could properly deal with the issue on an 80s family-ish tv program.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

The Maquis were originally defending their homes from a political restructuring and eviction. Their entire lives revolved around that. It would be, IMO, absurd for all of them to just give up to go Robinson Crusoe at the first opportunity.

Though I admit the very idea was bad to begin with as there was no way they could properly deal with the issue on an 80s family-ish tv program.

Yeah, bitter internal politics on an isolated starship had to take place on cable, really.

The BSG reboot captured the sort of descent into borderline insanity brought on by prolonged terror, isolation and desperation, but it was not for kids.