[Space/Thaumatology] Stargate: Fantasy - Worldbuilding thread

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Varyon

2: The gate used by SGC, and probably the first several gates encountered, look like they do in the movie and shows, but they will encounter rings that look quite different. T..

This is a vote for 2 as Varyon outlined.

I didn't have a strong feeling when the question was first posted but this wil do quite well.

[ericthered]

2. vary it for aesthetic effect

[Prince Charon]

Poll remains open, but it very strongly looks like 2 will win, probably Varyon's version of 2. I'm fine with that, his idea is cool, but if you feel otherwise, it's probably a good idea to vote.

I have a new Question about teleportation in this setting that I'll probably post some time this weekend, and will close this poll then.

[Prince Charon]

Teleportation Question I

Teleportation in various forms has a long history in science fiction, and in fantasy. While the Stargates provide what is effectively interstellar teleportation, the show also had shorter-ranged devices in the form of ring-transporters, teleportation booths on Atlantis, and even some site-to-site teleportation, though apart from the Ascended, this was all accomplished by fairly large machines. What sorts of teleportation might be encountered in this setting?

1. Just like the show, but explicitly magical instead of movie magic pretending to be technology.

2. Similar to the show, but as with the Stargates, there are a greater variety of designs (and a greater range of visual effects, if anyone in your game feels like drawing them).

3. Rather than platforms that you stand on, teleportals are used; you walk through, and are somewhere else (like the 'gate, but for less significant distances, and thus having smaller infrastructure).

4. A staff, ring, or other portable item that allows independent teleportation might be the mark of an important Goa'Uld (or servant thereof) or a powerful magician.

5. Teleportation spells or the equivalent exist, but are quite difficult and rare.

6. As 5, but teleportation spells or similar are relatively common among Goa'Uld and other magicians who live long enough.

7. Unlike the show, the Stargate is the only form of teleportation that the PCs are likely to encounter from non-Ascended.

8. Something else (please specify).

Please remember to include the number(s) of your preferred option(s) when you vote.

*******

Answer: 3 gets four votes, 2 and 4 get three each, and 1 and 5 get one each (as Kesendeja specifically notes that their vote for 8 was basically a vote for four of the other options). So, teleportals are very common, while ring transporters, booths, and other such systems of a variety of designs are not too much less so, and powerful folks have access to teleporting magic items. Teleport spells and such exist, but are rare, and may be quite unexpected the first time the PCs encounter the use of one.

[adm]

3 would allow connections between various stops on an established network, likely fixed on creation, perhaps with an upper limit.
4, would likely be extremely rare due to cost, and potential theft/lost issues, with them going to a fixed location.

[Kesendeja]

Teleportation Question I

I guess my vote is 8, but it's just combining these three ideas.

2. Similar to the show, but as with the Stargates, there are a greater variety of designs (and a greater range of visual effects, if anyone in your game feels like drawing them).

3. Rather than platforms that you stand on, teleportals are used; you walk through, and are somewhere else (like the 'gate, but for less significant distances, and thus having smaller infrastructure).

I really don't see why these can't be combined giving a wide variety of options. It would also tend to make the SGC a little wary of odd platforms and arches just sitting out there, never quite know what they'd do.

4. A staff, ring, or other portable item that allows independent teleportation might be the mark of an important Goa'Uld (or servant thereof) or a powerful magician.

This seems like a really good escape method for the bad guys. It's not somthing they use all the time, but a last ditch method to save themselves.

5. Teleportation spells or the equivalent exist, but are quite difficult and rare.

If it's too easy to learn it takes some of the mystery and difficulty away, but by the same token, someone has to be powerful enough to know how the magic works, and might be powerful enough to use it.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

Teleportation Question I

I'd say basically 2+3 - there are a variety of teleporters in use, including some that are upright portals resembling Stargates. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that many of the teleporters were developed in an attempt to replicate the Stargates themselves, but the creators were unable to integrate them properly into the existing network and/or make them capable of teleporting things much further than maybe 1 AU (if the Stargates connect different planets in the same galaxy, as in the show; if they are instead interdimensional portals, I'd say the makers of the teleporters couldn't replicate this aspect of them). It might be interesting if some of the teleporters can integrate with the Stargate network - while they can't be used for interdimensional travel directly, you can use them to travel to a nearby Stargate (and maybe even rig a Stargate to connect to your teleporter when trying to dial out - SG1 shows up, explores a world, thinks they're dialing home, then end up in your brig instead).

[Prince Charon]

Poll remains open, probably for the rest of the week. Results so far are interesting.

The next Question was going to be about the feudal structure of the Goa'Uld Empire, but then it occurred to me that there were things that really need to be settled before that: FTL travel and communication. I've been assuming that it would be like the show, just more clearly magical and with a need to park spacecraft at a ley line or nexus occasionally, but that isn't necessarily so. Maybe the regular-size Stargates are the only form of interstellar FTL travel and communication, so vehicles capable of 'gate travel are very important to the Goa'Uld, rather than being vanishingly rare in the Milky Way (Atlantis is quite a few Questions down the line). Maybe there are large, orbital 'gates like in B5, because if you can't duplicate something at its current size with your technology, try scaling it up. Maybe there are several forms of FTL (perhaps used by different civilizations).

So, I plan to have that question posted by Friday or Saturday, and a later question about FTL communications some time next week (whether before or after Thanksgiving, I'm not sure).

[Varyon]

Did we ever determine if the Stargates were interstellar (traveling to another star in the same galaxy) or interdimensional (traveling to a different reality) in nature? It seems like we'd need to nail that down before considering what other options are available for traveling between worlds.

[ericthered]

I vote for 1,2, 3, and 4: material teleportation, with small-item teleportation being powerful and rare.