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Old 02-14-2017, 01:19 PM   #27
Johnny1A.2
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Default Re: Steampunk Mars/ Cold War crossover

Quote:
Originally Posted by marvin View Post
Excellent overview, thanks. Unfortunately that being so, I don't want Lift Wood to work on Earth. It makes things too easy. I think I'll limit it's utility by saying that Mars was prepped by Ancients who embedded a network of counter-lift plates in it's subsurface crust. In order for Lift Wood to work these counter-lift plates must be present. Perhaps a network could be installed on Earth, like adding a major rail network, but it would be difficult and very expensive.

Thanks,
Ben
You're going to need something to make space flight easier, or else the transition will only have indirect effects for a very long time after 1973. You might do better to let it work, but make the supply of liftwood very small, so it's so expensive that it only makes sense to use it for space flight or emergencies when you're off Mars.

One thing that will happen if the Mars is mostly that of Space1889 or Dying Mars is that 1973 Earth is far better positioned to study and figure out the secrets of the ancient Martians than 1889 Earth would have been. One of the big motives of travel to Mars is going to be the desire to study the Martian relic tech.

(There was an old S1889 supplement in which the PCs discover an old Martian facility from their glory days, and it's filled with such things as a modern recognizes as computers and advanced electronics.)
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