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Old 05-29-2023, 09:36 PM   #2681
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Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

Present-day Earth is struck by a cloud of fast-moving interstellar dust -- barely visible, though sensitive instruments note it. While astronomers attempt to puzzle out the cause of this unprecedented phenomenon, a wave of bizarre behavior washes over the world.

A few months after the dust shower Crops and wild plants start to suffer a strange and rapidly-spreading blight, and as weeks pass, animals start to behave erratically. Domesticated animals become hostile, while wild animals lose all fear of humans. Mass animal deaths spike, then remain elevated.

Pathology reports on dying plants and animals reveal no known diseases, but further investigation reveals countless never-before-seen microbes in a vast variety of forms and modalities. In time, it becomes clear that all of these life forms are variants of a single invasive virus-like life form which is radically different from any other life seen on Earth.

Over the following months, everything rapidly falls apart. Soon, humans and other large animals are infected as well. First there is confusion, then there is sickness and death, and then the death abruptly stops, and instead infected humans appear to recover. Then they turn hostile.

Unlike a horror movie, these twisted infectees are just as clever as normal humans, and though they don't cooperate, they are still a massive threat.

Soon, our focus centers on a remote arctic research base. There, a small group of researchers search for a cure. The supplies stop coming, the radios cut off, and there are rumors of sickness among the personnel. And yet, a treatment is invented! It's risky. It's untested. It's downright unethical. But a few volunteers with advanced infections accept the injections.

They wake up. It's three months earlier. Their wounds and illnesses are gone.

And it becomes clear that there's much, much more to the alien disease than anyone suspected.

In time, they will discover that yes, the alien life form did arrive via an interstellar spore cloud. But it is not just a virus -- it is a parasite, a collective microbe. Within it are bits of every biosphere it has previously infected. It is not _just_ a virus: the virus is the foundation of a whole alien ecosystem. And part of that ecosystem is a different microbe, a colonizing hive mind organism.

This organism is part of the invasive life, subsumed into the functioning of the invasive parasitic life form. By attacking the parasite, the researchers freed the hive mind organism to activate again. And that in turn had bizarre consequences. The bacterium itself is able to send information back in time. When the circumstances are right, those who volunteered to receive that injection are, mentally transported back to the earliest point the bacterium can reach -- a moment a few weeks before the terminal collapse of society begins.

Sent back in time over and over again, they can only bring whatever information they can memorize, and then attempt to use that to find a solution before time runs out again.

But there's a reason the virus keeps that hive mind symbiote stored in its gene banks.
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Old 06-03-2023, 04:53 PM   #2682
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Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

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"He Drew a Circle..."

This idea is largely a steal from "Bladerunner" its sequel and "Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep" the book that inspired the films. The two films are more different than they are supposed to be and neither resembles the book all that much. Still this idea is drawn from these works.


More later I .
Because of the Empathy Movement (which reflects aspects of the original book) modified humans all have Secret at the thirty point level. Followers of the Empathy Movement, although they make a great show of kindness and mercy among themselves, see Replicants as a spiritual pollution. The corperate cartels that created the modified humans does want to protect the modified humans. However, this concern is based on self- interest only. Individuals mean little to the Corporate Elites.

If the Empathy Movement is like the Nazis with a cuddly new agey exterior, the Corporate Elites follow a warped form of Libertarian ideals that would sicken and disgust most real world Libertarians. The long term plan is to simply let humanity on Earth die out and replace humanity with their modified humans and the old governments with their corporations. That this plan is both unworkable and the goal ridiculous seems to occur to no one. The total lack of debate and free speech makes dealing with the problem nearly impossible.


Each group of modified humans looks somewhat different.

Replicants: These people are beautiful or at least attractive. As "comfort women" and "comfort men" are drawn from the general population of Replicants it's easier to make them all look good. Physical and mental stats are in the 15 to 17 range. Lifespans are brutally short. Replicants are decanted as adults and only live about ten years.

Few Replicants break out of their programing. Those that do either hide or rebel. To do either they need to get to Earth.

Myrmidons: These people look big and hard. Physical stats are in the 17-19 range. Mental stats are higher than average. The better looks and brain power of the Replicants is about using Replicants in multiple functions. Myrmidons are simply cannon fodder. Their lives are as short as those of Replicants but their conditioning is much more intense. It generally limits their imagination and free will. But, unlike Replicants, this isn't seen as a problem by the Corporate Elites.

Elites : These are meant to be the replacement generations for the Corporate Elites. They are raised from infancy as the children of the corporate elites. They tend to be tall (6 ft+) and slim. They look like they are of either Northwest European or Northeast Asian ethnic backgrounds (the corporate elites prefer certain racial types).

Their physical stats are in the 13-14 range and their mental stats are in the 17-18 range. They are almost always beautiful. They have multiple mental advantages like Sensitive, Photographic Memory, and Intuitive Mathematician, among others. They all have the Zero-point advantages of No Physical Defects, No Mental Defects, and No Unattractive. They also have plus five to toxins resistance and the zero point trait for breaking down environmental toxins. All Elites have both Longevity and Extra Lifespan -1(0% Early Maturity).

Ordinaries : They are much like lesser versions of elites. They have all the Zero-Point advantages of the elites and their mental and physical stats are 11 at a minimum. The Ordinaries also have Longevity.

Ordinaries have the same range of ethnic types as you would see in American society. The Ordinaries are supposed to be of average height. Although the first Ordinaries were decanted like Replicants or Myrmidons, the Ordinaries raise families of Ordinaries like themselves.



Because of their resistance to environmental toxins and their ability to break them down, both Elites and Ordinaries stand out for good looks more than they are supposed to. This is simply because they are much healthier than those around them.

Basically, this is a game of secrecy and conspiracy. The PCs will tend to be either Replicants fighting to survive, Elites struggling for power and control, or Ordinaries trying to not be crushed in the struggle. This is a brutal cyberpunk world heading for collapse. The PCs will become aware of that and try to prepare for the disasters to come.
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Old 06-06-2023, 05:30 PM   #2683
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Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

Quote:
Originally Posted by Astromancer View Post
"He Drew a Circle..."

This idea is largely a steal from "Bladerunner" its sequel and "Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep" the book that inspired the films. The two films are more different than they are supposed to be and neither resembles the book all that much. Still this idea is drawn from these works.
Society is in free fall in this setting. Most of the planet is in chaos. Although some nations are holding together, mainly those with viable food supplies. Compared to present day corporations, the corporations of this setting are much weaker and poorer. However, compared to the governments and societies they are dealing with they are relatively stronger. Most societies are Plutocratic Oligarchies, so being rich is being in charge.

Cities tend to be isolated and very few people travel between them. Vertical Farms keep the cities fed. Nuclear power keeps these cities running. Social programs no longer exist. Even education is no longer free, secular, nor compulsory. The Empathy Movement is the only source of such programs. Thus conformity to the movement is a matter of life and death.

Space travel is cheaper and more efficient than in our time period by orders of magnitude. However, there really aren't places to go. The bases on the Moon and Mars are sterile meager places to live. Life is hard, boring, and under constant observation. These off world colonies will survive, but they won't be able to absorb the desperate populations of Earth for centuries.

More later...
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Old 06-07-2023, 04:36 PM   #2684
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"For a Cloudy Morning Foretells a Shining Day"

What's this in the picture?

That's a picture of the sun. They often drew it as a yellow circle with a smiling face.

I know the face is not real. Just like fairies or dragons or old women who rode geese through the air. But why did they make the sun a yellow circle?

They would have seen it most days, although they couldn't look straight at it.

Why? Why couldn't they look at the sun?



The Planet Nephelae was named for the nymphs of the fog and mist. Due to freakish atmospheric conditions, most of the plant is in eternal fog banks. The fog is clean and rarely so thick as to prevent finding your way on the street as a pedestrian. However, only those who travel to high desert mountains have ever seen Nephelae's sun, the star Caligo (the goddess of fog).

Nephelae was settled by a colony ship that had been in and accident and was isolated in deep space when a war broke out. The planet Nephelae wasn't seen as a good candidate for colonization. The weird eternal fogs, the low gravity, and other odd environmental conditions, made Nephelae a wild card. Luckily the settlers seem to have won the drawl.

The low population (four million people) puts serious limits on the economy and technology. Although the colonists have relic technology that's TL11. However, most people are living at Tech Level Six. Fossil Fuels are nonexistent, but plentiful hydro power is available. The University maintains TL11 biotechnology. Thus, crops and domestic animals are well adapted to Nephelae.

The main problem is the colony needs mineral resources. The local mines are producing less and less. Someone needs to go out and find new mines.

Basically, this is exploration in a fog, literally. This setting is a Golden Age Sci Fi setting. The BioTech isn't so Golden Age, but people need food.

The colonists came in four roughly equal groups from Bali, Morocco, Ireland, and the US states of Hawaii and Oregon. The culture of Nephelae is a blend of these cultures.

Nephelae has its own environment (this is Golden Age Sci Fi so no worries about protein incompatibility). The plants and animals of Nephelae are largely unknown.
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Old 06-11-2023, 06:57 AM   #2685
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The Big Defrost!

When did you get iced?

I was really sick for a while before I died. I don't feel certain about the year.
I think Reagan was in office.


So 20th century?

Yeah.

It was easier on me, I grew up with cell phones and household cleaning robots.



It's the glorious tomorrow of 2120! Nanotechnology has progressed to the point that the corpsecicles are being defrosted and restored to life, health, and youth. Funny that it generally freaks the corpsecicles.

Basically, the PCs are present day people who choose cryogenic preservation. Now the bet has paid off. The problem is that the future is a foreign country too. Strangers in a strange land with no path home. Some people take to the future like ducks to water, others like ducks to sauce L'Orange.
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Old 06-14-2023, 11:43 AM   #2686
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Default Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

Quote:
Originally Posted by Astromancer View Post
The Big Defrost!

When did you get iced?

I was really sick for a while before I died. I don't feel certain about the year.
I think Reagan was in office.


So 20th century?

Yeah.

It was easier on me, I grew up with cell phones and household cleaning robots.



It's the glorious tomorrow of 2120! Nanotechnology has progressed to the point that the corpsecicles are being defrosted and restored to life, health, and youth. Funny that it generally freaks the corpsecicles.

Basically, the PCs are present day people who choose cryogenic preservation. Now the bet has paid off. The problem is that the future is a foreign country too. Strangers in a strange land with no path home. Some people take to the future like ducks to water, others like ducks to sauce L'Orange.
Fun idea. Might want to do it as glorified versions of your actual players.
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Old 06-14-2023, 12:06 PM   #2687
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Fun idea. Might want to do it as glorified versions of your actual players.
You have a solid idea there.
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Old 06-16-2023, 02:29 PM   #2688
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The Newground

Why is this meeting important?

The Colony Factions are alotting territories among themselves. Everyone wants something good for themselves and to keep anyone else from being too lucky.

As long as we get a good deal, why should I worry about others being lucky?

Think about America. They got a huge section of the Earth's best farmland,
with amazing navigatable rivers, and oceans between themselves and potential enemies. This is why America was so powerful. No one wants another America.


Basically, this is a political game. You want good lands for your people, rich in resources and opportunities. But you don't want to create a powerful dominant nation. This is a game of social maneuvers and dirty tricks.
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Old 06-16-2023, 03:06 PM   #2689
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Think about America. They got a huge section of the Earth's best farmland,
with amazing navigatable rivers, and oceans between themselves and potential enemies. This is why America was so powerful. No one wants another America.


Basically, this is a political game. You want good lands for your people, rich in resources and opportunities. But you don't want to create a powerful dominant nation. This is a game of social maneuvers and dirty tricks.
Of course, it's idealistic to think that 'no one wants another America' on this new planet. Lots of groups would have members, and possibly leaders, who want their group to be another America, they just don't want anyone else to, and judging by the dialogue there, don't want to admit that that's what they're trying for.
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Old 06-16-2023, 05:34 PM   #2690
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Of course, it's idealistic to think that 'no one wants another America' on this new planet. Lots of groups would have members, and possibly leaders, who want their group to be another America, they just don't want anyone else to, and judging by the dialogue there, don't want to admit that that's what they're trying for.
Well admitting what you really want is not normally shrewd diplomacy.

As for the phrase "No one wants another America." It was a standard European mantra in the 19th and early 20th century. Cheapshots directed at America have been considered elegant repartee since the 1780s.
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