SF Planetary Science Mystery Adventures

Joseph Paul · 12-31-2015, 12:34 AM

OK - clarifications and expansions.

1) Yes things like the Bloop would qualify.

2) I should broaden the subject to both astronomical and planetary anomalies/mysteries.

3) The full setting will range from pre-TL9 to TL12+. This thread is about making investigation of scientific phenomenon a focus of play.

Why not send a probe? Ultimately because that means you are playing 'Jet Propulsion Laboratory' and that involves watching a screen for 8-12 hours. The setting is rich, travel is cheap, and being there personally with a dozen video drones is a way to monetize the science.

4) Fred, I would have thought with your heavy interest in the sciences that you would have a track record with this. I am disappointed that you won't be participating. If you think of anything jump in.

5) I am not after having players do original research on complex subjects. Just a means to set up skill tasks that would be entertaining and a focus of the play.

6) Yes, some of the mysteries should lend themselves to being solved/proven by characters. I wouldn't mind seeing things that are the subject of speculation 'proven' such as the ocean under the ice of Enceladus. A race to be the first to map it through the ice or get a probe in it could be done or circumnavigation by a manned vessel.

7) If they don't lend themselves to being solvable by characters then they may very well become signs that the Universe is not what the characters think it is (a major part of the setting I am working with). For instance the Space Roar obscures radio observation of first generation stars that can be nearly as old as the Universe. That Roar may also intentionally obscure the presence of intelligences that are as old or older. Da-da-da-daaahh...

8) Sharing the research - Here is a couple of pages on rules for space opera science set up for GURPS. I may look into modifying these to create a task structure for what I am after. Thoughts?

https://sites.google.com/site/mailan...cience-puzzles

https://sites.google.com/site/mailan...nce-operations

9) Hand in hand with 8 is the need for leads on mysteries in the sciences. Oh look! <Googlefu stopped being jammed>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomaly
http://www.science-frontiers.com/cat-astr.htm
http://www.technologyreview.com/view...ned-anomalies/

10) I want to know how other people have handled scientific characters and investigations. What did you do with a player that wanted to 'science the $#!@' out of things?

11) My setting involves a secret, that is the Universe is not what the characters think it is - stable, functionally eternal for the life time of their species, ruled by immutable physics. It is instead malleable, endangered by attempts to end it, and mutablity was built into the basic design. Play style can be Hard SF gritty to Space Opera to Four Color Co(s)mic depending on how much of the Truth the characters have learned.

12-31-2015, 12:34 AM	#9
Joseph Paul Custom User Title Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Indianapolis, IN	Re: SF Planetary Science Mystery Adventures OK - clarifications and expansions. 1) Yes things like the Bloop would qualify. 2) I should broaden the subject to both astronomical and planetary anomalies/mysteries. 3) The full setting will range from pre-TL9 to TL12+. This thread is about making investigation of scientific phenomenon a focus of play. Why not send a probe? Ultimately because that means you are playing 'Jet Propulsion Laboratory' and that involves watching a screen for 8-12 hours. The setting is rich, travel is cheap, and being there personally with a dozen video drones is a way to monetize the science. 4) Fred, I would have thought with your heavy interest in the sciences that you would have a track record with this. I am disappointed that you won't be participating. If you think of anything jump in. 5) I am not after having players do original research on complex subjects. Just a means to set up skill tasks that would be entertaining and a focus of the play. 6) Yes, some of the mysteries should lend themselves to being solved/proven by characters. I wouldn't mind seeing things that are the subject of speculation 'proven' such as the ocean under the ice of Enceladus. A race to be the first to map it through the ice or get a probe in it could be done or circumnavigation by a manned vessel. 7) If they don't lend themselves to being solvable by characters then they may very well become signs that the Universe is not what the characters think it is (a major part of the setting I am working with). For instance the Space Roar obscures radio observation of first generation stars that can be nearly as old as the Universe. That Roar may also intentionally obscure the presence of intelligences that are as old or older. Da-da-da-daaahh... 8) Sharing the research - Here is a couple of pages on rules for space opera science set up for GURPS. I may look into modifying these to create a task structure for what I am after. Thoughts? https://sites.google.com/site/mailan...cience-puzzles https://sites.google.com/site/mailan...nce-operations 9) Hand in hand with 8 is the need for leads on mysteries in the sciences. Oh look! <Googlefu stopped being jammed> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomaly http://www.science-frontiers.com/cat-astr.htm http://www.technologyreview.com/view...ned-anomalies/ 10) I want to know how other people have handled scientific characters and investigations. What did you do with a player that wanted to 'science the $#!@' out of things? 11) My setting involves a secret, that is the Universe is not what the characters think it is - stable, functionally eternal for the life time of their species, ruled by immutable physics. It is instead malleable, endangered by attempts to end it, and mutablity was built into the basic design. Play style can be Hard SF gritty to Space Opera to Four Color Co(s)mic depending on how much of the Truth the characters have learned. __________________ Joseph Paul