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 01-16-2018, 08:58 AM   #71
AlexanderHowl
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

Since WWII technology depended on fossil fuels and there would likely not be any fossil fuels on a Ringworld, they would collapse back to the technology of the 1860s (when everything could depend on wood as fuel). Unless humans were divided into village-sized units and provided with food until the first crop, the majority of humans would starve to death. I can imagine a scenario where a well meaning but clueless alien civilization accidentally kills 90% of humanity in an effort to save them from the horrors of war by transporting them to a Ringworld and leaving them to starve to death because they did not think to leave sufficient supplies.

The resulting loci of human beings would probably not have any contact with each other because they could not travel the vast distances involved. If we assume that the aliens clumped humans together in groups of one million people, they would have created 2,300 loci of humanity (before the resulting kill off from mass starvation if the aliens were clueless). With an area of 3 million Earths, the distance between the center of each loci would be around 900,000 kilometers, over twice the distance of the Earth to the Moon. The Cardiff locus might as well be on another planet than East London locus because no one would travel between the two on foot or on boat.

Now, this is not saying that it is a bad idea, it possesses a lot of gaming potential, it is just that the first generation after transportation would be quite difficult. I imagine that quite a few people would be interested in getting bloody revenge on the aliens for their imprisonment (and/or genocide) of humanity. Of course, it would require superscience, but I do not think that is a particular problem with the idea.
AlexanderHowl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2018, 10:39 AM   #72
PTTG
 
PTTG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

Volition, memory, and general-purpose cognition are cracked by 2025, resulting in primitive but essentially humanlike AI becoming commonplace by 2030. Only massive mainframes can run these AI at humanlike speed, but a desktop machine can run an AI for certain specialized tasks fast enough.
PTTG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2018, 11:33 PM   #73
Daigoro
 
Daigoro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl View Post
Since WWII technology depended on fossil fuels and there would likely not be any fossil fuels on a Ringworld, they would collapse back to the technology of the 1860s (when everything could depend on wood as fuel). Unless humans were divided into village-sized units and provided with food until the first crop, the majority of humans would starve to death. I can imagine a scenario where a well meaning but clueless alien civilization accidentally kills 90% of humanity in an effort to save them from the horrors of war by transporting them to a Ringworld and leaving them to starve to death because they did not think to leave sufficient supplies.
I have trouble picturing an alien race that figured out FTL and mega-engineering, but who didn't understand logistics.
Quote:
The resulting loci of human beings would probably not have any contact with each other because they could not travel the vast distances involved. If we assume that the aliens clumped humans together in groups of one million people, they would have created 2,300 loci of humanity (before the resulting kill off from mass starvation if the aliens were clueless). With an area of 3 million Earths, the distance between the center of each loci would be around 900,000 kilometers, over twice the distance of the Earth to the Moon.
As mentioned above, 'scattered' doesn't necessarily imply precise equidistant spacing around the ringworld. In fact, that would require a different term, such as 'evenly distributed'. They could be randomly scattered in clusters over a limited section of a ringworld which has other habitats dedicated to other alien refugee ecosystems, for example.
__________________
Collaborative Settings:
Cyberpunk: Duopoly Nation
Space Opera: Behind the King's Eclipse
And heaps of forum collabs, 30+ and counting!
Daigoro is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2018, 12:24 PM   #74
Astromancer
 
Astromancer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daigoro View Post
I have trouble picturing an alien race that figured out FTL and mega-engineering, but who didn't understand logistics.
Solid point. The Aliens would probably place cultural/national groups in prepared sites.

Quote:
As mentioned above, 'scattered' doesn't necessarily imply precise equidistant spacing around the ringworld. In fact, that would require a different term, such as 'evenly distributed'. They could be randomly scattered in clusters over a limited section of a ringworld which has other habitats dedicated to other alien refugee ecosystems, for example.

The idea of a town of 1940s Americans and Canadians just over the mountains from alien jungles. It has the flavor and feel of The Phantom Empire crossed with 1950s Heinlein. Picture the people of the Republic of Ireland circa 1950 on an island larger than Madagascar with the spinward fifth having a climate like Ireland and the rest warmer. The nearby islands (relatively nearby) have exotic aliens on them, except for those that have Yanks instead.

Yes alien habitats you can walk or sail to make interesting gaming.
__________________
Per Ardua Per Astra!


Ancora Imparo

Last edited by Astromancer; 09-11-2018 at 02:50 PM.
Astromancer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2018, 01:10 PM   #75
Astromancer
 
Astromancer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

I'm rereading Le Guin's Planet of Exile. The basic problem of the planet's long year (which is 65.75 Earth years long) seems like a good problem challenge. I think the biochemical mismatch between Earth life and Werel life doesn't interest me, but the cultural embargo which the stranded colonists slowly abandon during the novel does. Mainly as an explanation of lost knowledge among the colonists.

Picture an isolated town. It's a mixture of TL5 and TL6 and slowly dropping the self restrictions of the Cultural Embargo that has limited them for so long. Winter is coming, and on this planet (it's not Werel) winter lasts twenty Lunar months, or eight thousand planetary days.

The planet Calliope, named for the muse of epic poetry, has days that are 32 Earth hours long. The planet is a major mystery, its native life forms aren't native at all. The planet life forms, including native humans and close human relatives, all seem to have been brought to Calliope between the years 95,000BCE and 8,500BCE. The entire ecosystem is made up of Earth life forms only.

None of the planetary Human or near Human groups have gotten beyond TL2. They are however impressive at dealing with regular quarter century ice ages. The towns folk, isolated settlers who fear they are either forgotten or the people who sent them out have been conquered or worst.

The town, were the PCs live, has to survive as a lonely outpost on the edge of the continent. The tribes they've made truces with are being pushed out of their territory by new tribes hungry for better land and the fisheries which get better in the long brutal winter. The tribes see the Farborns, as they call the Earthfolk, as witches and threats. Besides they have good land and a fine strongly built city.

Can your PCs withstand a siege while gathering vitally needed supplies for the coming twenty-five plus years of winter? Can you convince your elders that the Cultural Embargo is both a threat to survival and meaningless if the Earth is a cinder? If they let you adopt new tech from old books can you make it work in time?
__________________
Per Ardua Per Astra!


Ancora Imparo

Last edited by Astromancer; 01-19-2018 at 01:14 PM.
Astromancer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2018, 02:58 PM   #76
jason taylor
 
jason taylor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daigoro View Post
I have trouble picturing an alien race that figured out FTL and mega-engineering, but who didn't understand logistics.
What if they were specialized to an antlike degree and whoever was taking care of the ships hydroponics died off. In any event it is easy for someone who has become used to the conveniences of a technology to forget about details they never thought of about living without.
__________________
"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison
jason taylor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-20-2018, 10:01 AM   #77
Astromancer
 
Astromancer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

{The Farfarers}

Try this idea.

Millennia ago powerful aliens noted the Earth's abundant lifeforms and seeded the galaxy, which was mainly sterile, with Earth life. With the rise of the classical civilizations, they decided that Earth life was ready to develop on its own on the many worlds they'd spread it to.

Many of the Human and Near Human groups that these seeders took from Earth were further manipulated genetically. The resulting parahumans then went on to found civilizations of their own.

Now, in the Twenty-Fifth-century humanity has developed two forms of FTL travel. The first is a jump drive. It goes from jump point to jump point instantly. The physics governing how many jump points a star has and where the jump points go isn't understood. However jump points are easy to find and cheap to use. The second and more expensive type is the skimmer warp. The speed of these systems comes in quantum levels. Warp quantums allow you to travel at the speed of light times the cube of the warp level. Example: WQ5 allows travel at 125C. Skimmer Warp is expensive to use and requires high maintenance and actual travel time. But it is far more flexible.

Humanity moved out to the stars quickly and met our kinfolk.

This can go as you like it. Traveller with the numbers filed off, STOS, Doctor Who, Lensmen, whatever. The aliens are in fact simply humans, and you know what trouble they are. I'll add further details later. This is a base I intend to use a few times.
__________________
Per Ardua Per Astra!


Ancora Imparo

Last edited by Astromancer; 06-16-2018 at 09:10 AM.
Astromancer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-20-2018, 12:43 PM   #78
Astromancer
 
Astromancer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

{The Farfarers}


Quote:
Originally Posted by Astromancer View Post
Try this idea.

Millennia ago powerful aliens noted the Earth's abundant lifeforms and seeded the galaxy, which was mainly sterile, with Earth life. With the rise of the classical civilizations they decided that Earth life was ready to develop on its own on the many worlds they'd spread it to.

Many of the Human and Near Human groups that these seeders took from Earth were further manipulated genetically. The resulting parahumans then went on to found civilizations of their own.
Here I'm stealing from Eldritch Skies although I don't make some of their assumptions. I assume that life forms do evolve in wildly divergent ways but base biochemistry remains much the same. Genes seem to be able to stay unchanged for billions of years if their function remains unchanged. Life takes the path of least resistance.

It's because life takes the path of least resistance that the ancients chose to manipulate DNA to try paths of advantage that wouldn't evolve naturally. However, once these modified life forms are out there, the path they took isn't the issue. The success or lack thereof within their environment is what counts. This goes for humans and hominids as well. A fifty foot high giant might be strong, but if he can't walk he's dead. A nine foot tall giant with well designed feet and legs might be fully viable.
__________________
Per Ardua Per Astra!


Ancora Imparo

Last edited by Astromancer; 06-08-2018 at 03:45 PM.
Astromancer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-20-2018, 12:56 PM   #79
Astromancer
 
Astromancer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

{The Farfarers}


Quote:
Originally Posted by Astromancer View Post
Try this idea.

Now, in the Twenty-Fifth century humanity has developed two forms of FTL travel. The first is a jump drive. It goes from jump point to jump point instantly. The physics governing how many jump points a star has and where the jump points go aren't understood. However jump points are easy to find and cheap to use. The second and more expensive type is the skimmer warp. The speed of these systems comes in quantum levels. Warp quantums allow you to travel at the speed of light times the cude of the warp level. Example: WQ5 allows travel at 125C. Skimmer Warp is expensive to use and requires high maintenance and actual travel time. But it is far more flexible.
I'm Editing this. A Retrocon if you like.

Jump drives are meant to be the normal drives. Commerce goes by jump drives. Skimmer drives are for exploration and military uses. The exception being were stars are very close and the jump points don't lead were you need to go.

Jump Drives and Skimmer Drives are compatible. Hybrid ships are the norm, they require higher amounts of maintenance.

As Naval Strategy is built strategy, this fact has big implications for all space naval powers.

More later....
__________________
Per Ardua Per Astra!


Ancora Imparo

Last edited by Astromancer; 02-09-2018 at 02:48 PM.
Astromancer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2018, 01:56 AM   #80
warellis
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

Would tramp freighter type PC ships generally use jump drives instead of skimmer warp?

How does the military/explorer groups having skimmer warp while everyone else uses those point-to-point jump drives change military or civilian responses to crises?

I assume there is no FTL radios and such?
warellis is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

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 08:13 AM.


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