New Sci Fi Setting Seeds - Page 236

Astromancer · 10-29-2021, 05:59 PM

The Curious Music that I Hear

The colony was planted on this world only fifty years ago. The terraforming went surprisingly smoothly, even given the world had had open water and a surface air pressure of 15.9psi. In spite of some rock formations being mistaken for ruins, there seems to be no evidence that this world even had native life. Which makes the constant reports of ghosts met in dreams even more insane.

Basically, this is a small but thriving interstellar colony with a scout base and a bright future. They also have a Dreamland of their own. People are entering the realms of deeper sleep and thus the Dreamlands erratically without control everytime they enter Rem sleep.

All this chaos is attracting attention!

cptbutton · 10-30-2021, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The Curious Music that I Hear

The colony was planted on this world only fifty years ago. The terraforming went surprisingly smoothly, even given the world had had open water and a surface air pressure of 15.9psi. In spite of some rock formations being mistaken for ruins, there seems to be no evidence that this world even had native life. Which makes the constant reports of ghosts met in dreams even more insane.

Basically, this is a small but thriving interstellar colony with a scout base and a bright future. They also have a Dreamland of their own. People are entering the realms of deeper sleep and thus the Dreamlands erratically without control everytime they enter Rem sleep.

All this chaos is attracting attention!

In my "Werewolf The Apocalypse IN SPACE!" game* I was going to have "The Scream" a powerful if unintelligent force in the Umbra that was the spiritual remnant of the native ecology of microorganisms exterminated during the terraforming process.

* Based on your "And I Feel Fine..." article.

SilvercatMoonpaw · 11-01-2021, 06:19 AM

One of these "humans are resettled by aliens" ideas, only we're forceably resettled on a storm-wracked, polluted , archology-ridden planet all ready for us to immediately sink into cyberpunk malaise (presumably we're given instructions on how to run the alien tech). And then some other species the aliens have resettled come in on FTL ships and are like "Hey, want to join our club? We've got jackets."

This is all to set up humans having the "lives in terrible places" hat for some space opera.

Astromancer · 11-01-2021, 04:20 PM

Try this one...

Because of the nature of the means of interstellar flight, different powers have different sectors of Known Space . Thus, to a certain extent secrets can be kept.

Basically, this is a space espionage campaign. The setting is pretty much a golden age Sci Fi setting. The PCs are under deep cover. You'll want to decide both who the PCs are spying on and who they are spying for. And if they are spying for the people they think they're spying for.

Astromancer · 11-07-2021, 05:48 PM

Try this one ...

The Acceleration

I just reread Planetary . It struck me that if you looked at the present year in that setting it would be a great adventure setting. Ignore all crossovers, just look at a society were technology had been artificially held back that then jumps two tech levels plus super technology.

As the release of the stolen technology and other data started about fifteen years ago most major cities and many large nations would be TL10^. Rural backwaters would tend to be TL 8 or TL7. As the mention of a cheap system of levitation is mentioned in the last book, I assume that high temperature superconductors have been released to the public. If we assume a high temperature superconductor that's as cheap as Christmas tree tinsel, it would likely be mixed into the asphalt they have roads with. This would allow cheap electric vehicles that would glide over the roads at high speeds and very low cost.

The introduction of several clean ways of generating electric power at commercially viable levels combined with cheap durable batteries have gutted the fossil fuel industry. This has wildly shaken up hierarchies of power and influence worldwide. The workers in these industries from blue collar grunts to engineers with PhDs are seeking new employment with useless resumes.

Asteroid mining has boomed. Thus collapsing the value of Earth side mines. Many nations that survived on their minerals are seeking new employment.

In the cities and suburbs of the developed world wealth and easy living are the new norm. Improvements in medicine are so dramatic that people don't know what their probable lifespans are now. The human form has a new plasticity that challenges all past societal norms and expectations. The Gender Fluid can be physically fluid or sexually androgynous physically. Traditionalists are bitter and frightened.

More later.

Astromancer · 11-08-2021, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Try this one ...

The Acceleration

I just reread Planetary . It struck me that if you looked at the present year in that setting it would be a great adventure setting. Ignore all crossovers, just look at a society were technology had been artificially held back that then jumps two tech levels plus super technology.

More later.

The military consequences are also stark. Cheap nanotech means that nations that couldn't afford air forces can now seed the skies above them with radar undetectable nano-mines. Effectively closing off their airspace, The ability to project force to distant lands is now available to even midsize powers. Large numbers of people seek to flee the Earth to avoid the coming wars. Petty bandit chieftains demand to sit as equals to the great powers.

Basically, what might have been healthy and manageable at it's natural rate has been rendered brutally destructive because it was criminally withheld for three generations. The PCs are super powered trouble shooters fighting to persevere society, civilization, and lives.

Alternately, since this setting has the Bleed (a multiverse of thousands of universes) the PCs could be engaged in setting up safe harbors in alternate realities. The gigantic Shiftship seen in the Planetary Comics could be the PC's base of operations as they seek new homes for humanity.

TGLS · 11-08-2021, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The military consequences are also stark. Cheap nanotech means that nations that couldn't afford air forces can now seed the skies above them with radar undetectable nano-mines. Effectively closing off their airspace, The ability to project force to distant lands is now available to even midsize powers.

Yeah, Kosovo and Panama are going to go on massive expansionist campaigns now that they can get something to replace their non-existent air forces. I don't see how "everyone (?) can close their airspaces off cheaply" leads to "rapid force projection", given that air transport/supply is no longer an option. For that matter, wouldn't it be possible to deploy nano-mines at sea/ground level and seal themselves off from any marching/sailing army?

Astromancer · 11-08-2021, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGLS

Yeah, Kosovo and Panama are going to go on massive expansionist campaigns now that they can get something to replace their non-existent air forces. I don't see how "everyone (?) can close their airspaces off cheaply" leads to "rapid force projection", given that air transport/supply is no longer an option. For that matter, wouldn't it be possible to deploy nano-mines at sea/ground level and seal themselves off from any marching/sailing army?

Neither Kosovo nor Panama is a midsize power. As to how power can be projected while nano mines close off large areas of airspace, do you remember how that Russian front hacker gang closed down the colonial pipeline. Power projection can take many forms.

TGLS · 11-08-2021, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Neither Kosovo nor Panama is a midsize power.

And there exists no midsize power that has no air force.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astromancer

As to how power can be projected while nano mines close off large areas of airspace, do you remember how that Russian front hacker gang closed down the colonial pipeline. Power projection can take many forms.

I'd say there's a bit of a difference between:
1) A gang buying off the shelf malware and getting lucky by hitting an enormous company's billing system, who respond by shutting down their entire computer system in case said gang found another vulnerability.
2) Countries coming up with applications for this new supertechnology that changes everything. Unless I've misread this situation and there's somebody selling very advanced weapons technology (and if there is someone selling, they're going to be making a killing off the countermeasures too), then it's going to resemble an arms race more than a war.

Astromancer · 11-26-2021, 01:08 PM

This takes an idea I've used before but it twists it off in a new direction.

The Far Frontier

The Basic setting is a TL7 Western.

It seems that during WWII someone stopped an invasion from another reality or something like that. In order to stop the invasion they had to cut a deal of some kind. It wasn't a deal with the devil, but it wasn't much better. Most of the details never came out, but the upshot was that Allied soldiers couldn't be touched by axis bullets. That, and magical roads opening up to let the allies invade Europe unseen until they got there. The downside is the USA was banished to another world.

That's why we all live on Planet Sally.

WWII ended early. But America was removed from the Earth. FDR was healed and retained the presidency. And certain things were set up on the new planet (named for Sally Franklin). But the Americans were still in a crisis. Although a certain amount of infrastructure was prepared by means that never got explained and plans for a variety of useful and vital inventions. Most Americans landed on planet Sally as refugees. The refugee camps had food, clean water, hygiene facilities, and medical care, but they were still resettlement camps.

FDR was healed and rejuvenated as were most of his key allies. The President's unique gift for reassuring the people prevented riots and total despair, but even with the partial infrastructure, the rebuilding of America would be hard.

To explain the setting I'll break it down into Catagories.

A) The basic geography of the setting and the near by stellar neighborhood.

B) The general timeline.

C) The tech level and technical anomalies.

D) Some adventure possibilities.

More later, I must go.

10-29-2021, 05:59 PM	#2351
Astromancer Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Virginia	Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds The Curious Music that I Hear The colony was planted on this world only fifty years ago. The terraforming went surprisingly smoothly, even given the world had had open water and a surface air pressure of 15.9psi. In spite of some rock formations being mistaken for ruins, there seems to be no evidence that this world even had native life. Which makes the constant reports of ghosts met in dreams even more insane. Basically, this is a small but thriving interstellar colony with a scout base and a bright future. They also have a Dreamland of their own. People are entering the realms of deeper sleep and thus the Dreamlands erratically without control everytime they enter Rem sleep. All this chaos is attracting attention! __________________ Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo

11-01-2021, 06:19 AM	#2353
SilvercatMoonpaw Join Date: Jun 2017	Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds One of these "humans are resettled by aliens" ideas, only we're forceably resettled on a storm-wracked, polluted , archology-ridden planet all ready for us to immediately sink into cyberpunk malaise (presumably we're given instructions on how to run the alien tech). And then some other species the aliens have resettled come in on FTL ships and are like "Hey, want to join our club? We've got jackets." This is all to set up humans having the "lives in terrible places" hat for some space opera.

11-01-2021, 04:20 PM	#2354
Astromancer Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Virginia	Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds Try this one... Because of the nature of the means of interstellar flight, different powers have different sectors of Known Space . Thus, to a certain extent secrets can be kept. Basically, this is a space espionage campaign. The setting is pretty much a golden age Sci Fi setting. The PCs are under deep cover. You'll want to decide both who the PCs are spying on and who they are spying for. And if they are spying for the people they think they're spying for. __________________ Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo Last edited by Astromancer; 11-01-2021 at 04:25 PM.

11-07-2021, 05:48 PM	#2355
Astromancer Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Virginia	Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds Try this one ... The Acceleration I just reread Planetary . It struck me that if you looked at the present year in that setting it would be a great adventure setting. Ignore all crossovers, just look at a society were technology had been artificially held back that then jumps two tech levels plus super technology. As the release of the stolen technology and other data started about fifteen years ago most major cities and many large nations would be TL10^. Rural backwaters would tend to be TL 8 or TL7. As the mention of a cheap system of levitation is mentioned in the last book, I assume that high temperature superconductors have been released to the public. If we assume a high temperature superconductor that's as cheap as Christmas tree tinsel, it would likely be mixed into the asphalt they have roads with. This would allow cheap electric vehicles that would glide over the roads at high speeds and very low cost. The introduction of several clean ways of generating electric power at commercially viable levels combined with cheap durable batteries have gutted the fossil fuel industry. This has wildly shaken up hierarchies of power and influence worldwide. The workers in these industries from blue collar grunts to engineers with PhDs are seeking new employment with useless resumes. Asteroid mining has boomed. Thus collapsing the value of Earth side mines. Many nations that survived on their minerals are seeking new employment. In the cities and suburbs of the developed world wealth and easy living are the new norm. Improvements in medicine are so dramatic that people don't know what their probable lifespans are now. The human form has a new plasticity that challenges all past societal norms and expectations. The Gender Fluid can be physically fluid or sexually androgynous physically. Traditionalists are bitter and frightened. More later. __________________ Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo Last edited by Astromancer; 11-08-2021 at 04:04 PM.

11-26-2021, 01:08 PM	#2360
Astromancer Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Virginia	Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds This takes an idea I've used before but it twists it off in a new direction. The Far Frontier The Basic setting is a TL7 Western. It seems that during WWII someone stopped an invasion from another reality or something like that. In order to stop the invasion they had to cut a deal of some kind. It wasn't a deal with the devil, but it wasn't much better. Most of the details never came out, but the upshot was that Allied soldiers couldn't be touched by axis bullets. That, and magical roads opening up to let the allies invade Europe unseen until they got there. The downside is the USA was banished to another world. That's why we all live on Planet Sally. WWII ended early. But America was removed from the Earth. FDR was healed and retained the presidency. And certain things were set up on the new planet (named for Sally Franklin). But the Americans were still in a crisis. Although a certain amount of infrastructure was prepared by means that never got explained and plans for a variety of useful and vital inventions. Most Americans landed on planet Sally as refugees. The refugee camps had food, clean water, hygiene facilities, and medical care, but they were still resettlement camps. FDR was healed and rejuvenated as were most of his key allies. The President's unique gift for reassuring the people prevented riots and total despair, but even with the partial infrastructure, the rebuilding of America would be hard. To explain the setting I'll break it down into Catagories. A) The basic geography of the setting and the near by stellar neighborhood. B) The general timeline. C) The tech level and technical anomalies. D) Some adventure possibilities. More later, I must go. __________________ Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo Last edited by Astromancer; 11-22-2022 at 07:47 PM.