[Space] Baseline Universe

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Suppose you were going to run an (interstellar) Space game. Or in fact are.

I actually like a great deal of varriability in my Space games, still, you asked about a baseline setting.

What would your Tech Level be?

Tech Level Nine with FTL and Matter Transmitter superscience. But otherwise, straight TL9, though very Transhuman Space! in many ways now. I guess STAR TREK has colonized my brain.

Would you have spacefaring alien rivals to humanity or just genetic variants of humanity?

There would be others, either, as in THS just forming out of humanity, or full blown aliens, even if they are technically human. The STAR TREK option of humanlike aliens is good for me. Really Alien aliens is also fun.

What would be your preferred propulsion model?

I prefer a cheap reliable jump-drive for the established routes and an expensive tricky warp-drive for explorers. That way, the galactic mains have strategic value, but the off-the-beaten-track areas are lively too. Just harder to reach. World on the Jump-Drive routes are in cheap quick contact with other star systems, like the major trading nations of the 21st century. Systems that you need to reach by Warp-Drive are like 17th century North America or 18th century Madagascar, isolated but not sealed off.
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How far in the future would it be?

It depends on how much cultural change my setting needs. If you need neo-human speices to have their own evovled cultures, that can take centuries. If I simply want modern people in space, fifty years on and handwaving. It varies.

Why would be good.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Meh, tropes and cliches only become so because they're effective shorthand and thematic tools. Course, my precursor races wouldn't have created other intelligent races, they'd just leave behind TL 12^ artifacts and the occasional death trap.

Often, yes. But the higher the level of technology the harder it is to wipe out a society completely. I just don't see how you could wipe out a TL12 interstellar society plausibly.

[Flyndaran]

TL9 safetech with only three giant FTL ships that carry space stations for instant set up in new systems.

One alien species with a monopoly on the FTL ships, and a few others lifted from the stone age. Screw the prime directive. ;)
One aquatic cuttlefish like species with status issues.
One uplifted species that came from the FTL guys' sister planet.
One anomalous species from a sulfuric acid covered planet with ATR 1.

I'm not sure if I would include humans. Or maybe have a few individuals "abducted" while the rest of earth lives ignorantly of the Federation.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Often, yes. But the higher the level of technology the harder it is to wipe out a society completely. I just don't see how you could wipe out a TL12 interstellar society plausibly.

Oh, I agree. That's part of the big mystery. Where did they go? Why? Plus, in order to fit in with our observable reality (where space telescopes haven't seen any dyson spheres or other such projects) why did they disguise all their mega-engineering projects so fastidiously? What were they hiding from?

Given my GMing predilictions, there'd probably be some kind of "cosmic horror" answer.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

...
Given my GMing predilictions, there'd probably be some kind of "cosmic horror" answer.

Monstrous reality bending creatures that only notice us specks if we wield super high tech?
I like that.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Monstrous reality bending creatures that only notice us specks if we wield super high tech?
I like that.

Yeah. Only really starts hunting down things that are observably a Kardashev Class II or higher civilization. Or something. I dunno, really it's just a boogyman to spring on my players if the campaign ever focused in that direction.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Oh, I agree. That's part of the big mystery. Where did they go? Why? Plus, in order to fit in with our observable reality (where space telescopes haven't seen any dyson spheres or other such projects) why did they disguise all their mega-engineering projects so fastidiously? What were they hiding from?

Given my GMing predilictions, there'd probably be some kind of "cosmic horror" answer.

If you skip the silly Hollywood Science at the end, Mass Effect (esp. the second one) presents a good set of answers to these questions.

[sgtcallistan]

What would your Tech Level be?

Mixed: from primitive/fallen worlds to TL11/Star Wars/Dune level, to finds of higher tech from earlier times (also human, oddly).

Would you have spacefaring alien rivals to humanity or just genetic variants of humanity?

Both: most people you meet are humans or variations thereof due to separation over time/radiation/genetic manipulation in the distant past (includes cat-men, dog-men, etc. for colour, a nod to Cordwainer Smith, and to give the players a race problem to rise above).
Then you meet some slightly superior aliens, who look like very different bipeds.
Then you discover they are also basically human stock...

What would be your preferred propulsion model?

I use 'conversation drive' as adapted from the old WEG Star Wars game.
The journey lasts long enough to have a conversation/planning session; or to cut away to what others are doing at that moment.
Cinematic, basically.
The propulsion drive itself is even simpler; 'it works until it doesn't'.
Still needs a ship to accelerate up to speed/away from a gravity well.
Helps the dramatics, y'know.

How far in the future would it be?

Far, far future (Dune), or long, long ago (Star Wars). Dramatically the same I feel, as we don't have to worry about Earth or so many of it's problems. YMMV.

Why would be good.

Why? Just because. I find that good. ;)

[roguebfl]

I like use Asimovian Jumpdrives for my FTL drives, it allow space opera battles becuase your restrict to STL inside a gravity well, Navigation routs to avoid gravity wells bettwen you and your target destination.

if your players have issue with FTL communications, no problem you just use Jump Drive curers, the Pony Express Rides again 8)

Also like Uplift/Babylon 5 feel that humans aren't the biggest kids on the block 8)

[Frost]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Suppose you were going to run an (interstellar) Space game. Or in fact are.

What would your Tech Level be?

For my curent homebrew setting TL10^ is probably the best description though the defigning paridigm is Conservitive Hard SF unless I need superscience to solve a specific problem (ok so its a cop out, but so what). TL 10 (slightly edited) strikes me as having a good ballence between novelty and familiarity.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Would you have spacefaring alien rivals to humanity or just genetic variants of humanity?

Both have their uses. My gut instinct will always be humans only, but at the end of the day one or two non-humanoid, non-PCable races are too useful a plot device not to keep in reserve. When I need to play the alien card I have a couple of races picked out ready for use although it hasn't come that far yet.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

What would be your preferred propulsion model?

Either fast superscience STL or slow FTL. I have used both in various incarnations of the setting with some sucess but for the curent version I have gone back to STL with a pesudo-velocity drive pinched almost verbatim from David Pulver's 'Meridian' setting. This suits the campaign because it makes interstellar travel a big deal without being completely unatainible it also suits the episodic nature of my campaigns.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

How far in the future would it be?

Given the slow nature of travel I tend to use a rough outline of a future history running from about 100 years from now for 1500+ years. The timescale is chosen for much the same reasons as the TL. The relitively early starting point provides a degree of familiarity while alowing a measure of exoticism that can then build over time as settlement expands and cultures evolve and diverge.