New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Vaguely similar to the first half of the movie Titan A.E.
In that, humans are the homeless outsiders after the destruction of the Earth.

I thought the plot must have been around somewhere.

I believe Andre Norton has something like it too.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

In any case there can always be ways to arrange for the jump point to deposit you at an inconvenient spot.

Your game your rules. Have evil fun.

[dcarson]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

I thought the plot must have been around somewhere.

I believe Andre Norton has something like it too.

After Doomsday by Poul Anderson from 1961 has Earth destroyed and one of the surviving groups becoming mercenaries to get publicity so other surviving groups of humans can find and join them.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Dawn and Dusk

Some leftover details.

First: The default Tech Level of this setting is TL4. Poverty and lack of resources often leads to a functionally lower tech level. Black Powder weapons are a nearly universal technology in the setting. Printing, even though it is the signature TL4 technology is rare, mainly because of a limited demand for books and the expense of making paper.

The Aurorans had access to TL9^ technology. Before the recent changes that came with reopening the Subshuttle, they functioned day to day at around TL6 or 7, in some limited areas 8. The supertechnology the Aurorans had access to was a room temperature superconductor. The room temperature superconductor is the base technology of the Subshuttle system and woven through most of the Auroran technology.

The Cartrights are competent gunsmiths and are securely TL4 in weapons technology, in most other things, poverty and ignorance bring them down to TL2.

Second: There were roads through this area before the disaster, including a two-lane highway that passed by the Ponderosa Campground. However, early in the crisis that led to the collapse, most of the local bridges were destroyed to prevent the use of the highways.

Some of these bridges have recently been rebuilt by either the Navahos or the Aurorans to promote local trade. The local roads, neglected for centuries, are still very poor, but far better than nothing.

Third: The Psionic powers of the Cartrights are generally narrowly based. For example, instead of pyrokinesis, an individual Cartright might be able to cause black powder to ignite by will. One of the Cartright clairvoyants effectively had 360 Degree Vision but no other ESP abilities. One Cartright could control the lightning strikes during a storm, but could not cause them nor had any other psi powers. Any and all their Psionic abilities are narrow and quirky.

The Aurorans have a science of practical psionics, their abilities tend to be general. A Cartright's power might be very potent, but narrow in focus. The Aurorans are generalists. Also, the Aurorans generally have several different Psionic powers. Where, in GURPS mechanical terms, a Cartright might at most have 75 points in one or two narrow abilities, an Auroran normally will have 125 points in several general abilities.

Fourth: The Aurorans live longer than baseline humans. They have both Extended Lifespan and Longevity, as well as TL9 medical care. The Cartrights, being random mutants, and having only TL2 medical care, live shorter lives. The Aurorans have often tried offers of medical aid as a way to manipulate/control the Cartrights. The idea has had variable results.

Fifth: There are within the scope of the PCs (who are assumed to be Cartrights) no functional states. Tribes, communities, strongholds, and that sort of thing, yes, no real states. The fact that that is changing is part of the game setting.

Meanwhile, the Aurorans are aware of several states. The Pacific Alliance, which is made up of city-states in a confederation with members in Hawaii, Baja California, California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, is something they are looking to join. New Zealand, New England and the Canadian Maritimes, Putro Rico, and Ireland are all the basis of friendly states. There are hostile states in the Mississippi valley and the old US southeast. Groups of pirates may be forming states in Central America and the Carribean. There are multiple groups trying to form a state in central Mexico. This has led to an endemic state of civil war. The different factions are looking for mercenaries.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Dawn and Dusk

The local language is Mercan or rather several variants of Mercan. Mercan evolved out of English and a native speaker of English would start with a Feeble understanding of Mercan, but once they got used to Mercan, they'd be at Accented. In the Four Corners Area (where all of this is assumed to be happening) Mercan has many Spanish loan words. In the Northeast, near Quebec, or near the Cajun areas, French influence is notable.

To the South in Mexco, the local language will be some form of Span, which has the same relationship to Spanish as Mercan does to English. The Aurorans speak English as their native language, but almost all of them know the local languages as well.

Global warming helped bring on the crisis that destroyed civilization, but the fall of civilization caused the CO2 level to decline. Still, Sea Level has risen 30 feet or nine meters. The Imperial Valley is a lagoon and the monsoon rains in the southwest are vastly stronger and the flooding more dangerous.

The dry season is also drier. Which when combined with the stronger monsoon makes life harder.

The local area has many small communities. There are other bandit groups like the Cartrights, but few so stable. There are many small towns, clusters of farms, strongholds, etc. Some are friendly to outsiders, some hostile, the Aurorans and the Cartrights both get mixed reactions. The Cartrights aren't the only ones to see the Aurorans as witchy and strange. Even some of those who eagerly trade with them and ally with them against the Cartrights see the Aurorans as weird and threatening. Meanwhile, the Cartrights are bandits and rustlers, so the reputation is fairly poor and more people dislike/despise them.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

{The Farfarers}

This idea draws on the magic kitbash I'm less than halfway through adding to this setting. Basically, a powerful archmage exploring the shadows of Earth's history decides to project some of those shadows to overwrite whole star systems in a poorly explored section of the Milkyway Galaxy. He opens/ repairs several jump gates, which had previously been broken, to connect to this area of the Milkyway. The paradox backlash erased the Archmage from existence. Still, there are about seventy worlds based on alternate histories of the Earth out there. All kinds of explorers, archeologists, treasure hunters, and other weirdos, are looking for them.

Among the discovered alternates are...

A world where Anthony and Cleopatra won at Actium. It's now thirty years later and Ceasarion and Cleopatra Selene (Cleopatra's daughter by Anthony) are in a violent struggle to take over Rome.

A world where the Julian the Apostate conquered most of Persia and Byzantium is a thriving pagan empire in 1487. The introduction of printing is radically up ending the politics of the Eastern Mediterranian.

A world where Justinian II dies at sea during his escape and Tiberos III and the dynasty descended from him, successfully drive back any and all Islamic invasions of Anatolia for centuries. Christian Byzantium is still surviving in 1812. Napoleon has invaded Byzantium and is demanding the Imperial crown.

A world where the Space Race lasted into the 1990's and the 21st century USA has bases on Mars, the Moon, and the Asteroids. The ruins of an ancient Martian civilization has been found. Bizaar Lovecraft type secrets are being found in the ruins.

See the alternate history thread for more fun.

Basically, think of those Parallel Earths from 1960's Star Trek, and have silly fun. "We are spacemen from Earth!" "No, you can't be this is Earth." "An Earth, we are from the real Earth." No, we are the real Earth." "Well, we took out a trademark!"

[Astromancer]

{Super toys last all Summer!"}


Try this idea, one type of supertechnolgy is added into an otherwise normal 2018 Tech Level Eight world (if 2018 and normal can be allowed in the same sentence). The reference to the sci-fi story is only in the idea of the new tech transforming the world.

Basically, in 2009 a young chemist sees something odd in his results. In most worlds the financial crisis ruins his career and he never gets to go back and check out the anomaly. In this reality, there was a much larger stimulus package because of a more accurate estimate of the problem. The economy righted itself faster and the young chemist stayed in school to get his Ph.D.

The anomaly led to a new understanding of superconductors and superconductivity. By 2013 there was a mass-produced superconductor that was superconductive to 350 degrees Celius ( 662 degrees Fahrenheit).

They've already paved a road with this Superconductor in the asphalt. Cars levitate a few feet over the roadway. They move at 100 miles per hour for less energy than it takes to run an electric fan.

Every aspect of technology in this TL8 world is undergoing rapid change. Many nations fear these changes. Russia is looking at a collapse of the oil market and an inability to keep up. Most of the Near Eastern nations see themselves being sidelined and left as a backwater. China is looking at a massive revival of the West and a boom in Japan, Korea, Indonesia, India, and Southeast Asia.

Many nations are looking at the new suborbital flying discs, designed by the USA, and asking if the future of transit is going to be high altitude to the point that the sea lanes and rail links no longer matter. And if the US military is 90 minutes from anywhere on Earth and can't be blocked, are they really independent anymore.

The power balance is gone. So what will the powers do? Note: Trump is unlikely to be in office in this world. The basic premise would eliminate his campaign in several different ways.

Further info, polywell fusors are being mass produced in this world. Superconductivity resolves they're technical issues. All other forms of power generation are rapidly headed toward obsolescence.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

T

{Super toys last all Summer!"}


Try this idea, one type of supertechnolgy is added into an otherwise normal 2018 Tech Level Eight world (if 2018 and normal can be allowed in the same sentence).

Basically, in 2009 a young chemist sees something odd in his results. In most worlds the financial crisis ruins his career and he never gets to go back and check out the anomaly. In this reality, there was a much larger stimulus package because of a more accurate estimate of the problem. The economy righted itself faster and the young chemist stayed in school to get his Ph.D.

The anomaly led to a new understanding of superconductors and superconductivity. By 2013 there was a mass-produced superconductor that was superconductive to 350 degrees Celius ( 662 degrees Fahrenheit).

They've already paved a road with this Superconductor in the asphalt. Cars levitate a few feet over the roadway. They move at 100 miles per hour for less energy than it takes to run an electric fan.

Every aspect of technology in this TL8 world is undergoing rapid change. Many nations fear these changes. Russia is looking at a collapse of the oil market and an inability to keep up. Most of the Near Eastern nations see themselves being sidelined and left as a backwater. China is looking at a massive revival of the West and a boom in Japan, Korea, Indonesia, India, and Southeast Asia.

Many nations are looking at the new suborbital flying discs, designed by the USA, and asking if the future of transit is going to be high altitude to the point that the sea lanes and rail links no longer matter. And if the US military is 90 minutes from anywhere on Earth and can't be blocked, are they really independent anymore.

The power balance is gone. So what will the powers do? Note: Trump is unlikely to be in office in this world. The basic premise would eliminate his campaign in several different ways.

Further info, polywell fusors are being mass produced in this world. Superconductivity resolves they're technical issues. All other forms of power generation are rapidly headed toward obsolescence.

Some revisions.

First, I'm moving the discovery of the Anomaly to 1989. Clinton, at Gore's suggestion, will jump on the opportunities of the Superconductors and Gingrich, ever the technophile will slack off his attacks looking for a greater advantage later. Polywell Fusors with Bussard in charge of figuring out the fine points, show up quickly.

Second, the desire of the Clinton and then Gore administrations (Gore was slightly more popular going into the 2000 election and got Florida by a small margin) to revive US manufacturing was opposed by the financial interests in a way that soured both men on a continued alliance. Reforms pushed by both administrations, and the fact that Glass-Stegall was never gutted in this world, means no 2008 financial panic .

As his opponents were behind the curve, and Obama was pushing reviving the Blue Collar economy in both his elections, the mainstream GOP is in tatters. Ted Cruz was the nominee of the GOP in 2016. An out of left (and I do mean LEFT) field candidate grabbed the Democratic nomination and narrowly beat Cruz.

More than seventy-nine percent of US highways are now maglev roads, and more than half of state and local roads are similarly treated. Cheap power cables based on carbon nanofiber superconductors have reduced power loss in electrical transmission massively. Power companies have slashed their costs and even at lower prices are making higher profits.

Fusor powered maglev saucers flying in suborbital paths are out competing both jetliners and many types of cargo ship. It's predicted that ocean-going cargo ships will be obsolete in a few years as prices fall.

The US space program is in full bloom and both the moonbase and the Cislunar Space Habitats are doing fine. A large O'Neill cylinder has been set on a Hohmann Transfer Orbit to Mars. Ion rockets will meet it in Mars Orbit and they will prepare the first human landing.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

{Super toys last all Summer!"}


Try this idea, one type of supertechnolgy is added into an otherwise normal 2018 Tech Level Eight world (if 2018 and normal can be allowed in the same sentence). The reference to the sci-fi story is only in the idea of the new tech transforming the world.

Europe, Canada, Japan, and South Korea, are booming. The fusors, by radically lowering energy costs, have made most goods cheaper while keeping wages solid. The USA plunked down for reviving the Blue Collar Economy because Clinton and Gore felt the financial sector stabbed them in the back. Europe, because the financial sector is still favored over manufacturing isn't doing as well as the USA. The fact that the USA is adopting many European style social programs is undermining many traditional arguments used by the conservatives to justify favoring finance. This leaves many powerful people unsure and bitter.

Russia is doing poorly in this 2018. Oil prices have been depressed for two decades. Putin is struggling to find a way to keep the people in line and the oligarchs happy.

As the Western Democracies are stable and prosperous in this world, China is unhappy. Worse, the mercantilist strategy they used in our world got sidelined. Once the Clinton/Gore alliance with Wall Street was gone and reviving the US manufacturing sector was the plan, tolerance for Chinese protectionism was gone. China has still grown well, but far more slowly. The recent announcement that term limits were gone and that Xi Jinping was effectively leader for life, didn't happen in this China. The Party is worried about it long term future.

In the Middle East, the oil slump has weakened all authoritarian governments. The simple disinterest in Middle East politics is crashing moral in most of the Islamic lands. People are becoming aware that once the oil is either gone or worthless, the Middle Eastern nations won't be able to feed their people. As with Yemen in our world, many Middle Eastern lands won't even have viable sources of water. Vast numbers of people are looking to leave but no one wants them.

More later...

[PTTG]

Did Gore follow up on a few leads from Clinton-era antiterrorism efforts, leading to some quiet new standards in airline cockpit door locks that hasn't really made the news aside from a senator or two complaining about the increased regulatory burden?