New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I take it China's busted up because of the stasis coming down at different rates. I don't think Tibet or Xinjiang would go that route unless the Chinese decided to do a complete reversal on the Hanicization policies.

China is being fairly brutal to both the Uygurs and the Tibetans. I assume that with the central government gone for a few decades both Xinjiang and Tibet would rebel. Both the US led Western alliance and the South China coastal city states would persuade the Chinese minorities in both Xinjiang and Tibet to move to the prosperous coastal city states.

Granted my knowledge of East Asia is limited. So if you use part or all of this idea, play it your way.

[PTTG]

Project Nerio Mission 4 launched in 2042, intended as the third to land on the Martian surface. The crew of ten included geophysicists, biologists, botanists, and ISRU experts. When the plasma sheath arose around the transfer module, the vessel was above a barren rock populated by only a couple dozen researchers.

When the plasma cleared, they were flying above a landscape of barbaric ruins - at least until the gravsail ships intercepted them...

In other words, start with characters for the first chapter of GURPS: Mars, and plop them in the world of the last chapter of GURPS: Mars.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

China is being fairly brutal to both the Uygurs and the Tibetans. I assume that with the central government gone for a few decades both Xinjiang and Tibet would rebel.

Well, Tibet makes some sense, as they still hold very clear majority (though I'm fairly sure the Han are the ones with the guns). On the other hand, Xinjiang was almost even between Han and Uyghurs in 2020. Here's an article with a relevant table.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Strange Dawn

Are you the person who is going to explain the lights on the dark of the moon?

They don't need much explanation,
they're moonbases.

How is that possible? They weren't there yesterday!

Your yesterday was different than mine.

That can't be.

Europe was held in a stasis field by extradimensional aliens.

Quit quoting old Doctor Who plots. This isn't a fantasy.

You might wish it was. Europe has been held in stasis for sixty years.


More later...

The Philippines were never under stasis. they faced multiple attacks from the Aliens but lost proportionally fewer people than they did in WWII, which was brutal for them. As the war went on and aide and advanced tech came in the Philippines changed. An anti corruption campaign worked and the economy grew rapidly.

Most of the Philippines is very Jetsons and Barbarella, but Mindanao, the Sulu archipelago and Palawan are sadly Mad Max. Between the ancient bitterness of these Islamic Islands to the Roman Catholic majority of the Philippines and the bitterness of refugees that fled east from the horrors of the long drought and famine in Southwest Asia these islands are unstable and brutal. The local elites both fear development, because it would make the people independent of the elites, and demand instant development, in order to convince the masses that they care about them.

[Astromancer]

The Homunculi Solution

I'm not done with Strange Dawn yet but here's a different idea. Basically, take the cloning technology from Transhuman Space and have it applied to a real world problem.

The problem is the demographic crisis. The social problems that prevent young couples from becoming parents. The birth dirth is threatening real world nations even now. In this scenario the technology to create large numbers of Eighteen year Olds within two years is being used to create large numbers of citizens.

These new people (the Homunculi of the title) have the zero point advantages of No Genetic Defects, No Mental Defects, and No Unattractive, from Transhuman Space. They also have base stats of eleven in all four attributes. They are decanted as high school graduates with a solid education. They are then trained in skills needed by the economy.

The rest of the population fear these new people. It's a combination of something new, technophobia, and fear of being replaced. It doesn't help that due to issues not clearly understood, the Homunculi all tend to be bisexual and not religious.

The PCs would be recently decanted Homunculi attending Nursing school and working in a hospital as orderlies. Innocents meeting the world, when the people in that world are under massive stress.

Look at old Twilight Zone and Outer Limits episodes for inspiration.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

It doesn't help that due to issues not clearly understood, the Homunculi all tend to be bisexual and not religious.

Probably has something to do with how they are "raised", and possibly the mix of genetics. If it isn't just straight up magic, I imagine they could force educate them into a different box.

So who's paying for all this and what if they don't want the jobs they're assigned?

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by TGLS

Probably has something to do with how they are "raised", and possibly the mix of genetics. If it isn't just straight up magic, I imagine they could force educate them into a different box.

So who's paying for all this and what if they don't want the jobs they're assigned?

Basically, the government. If they don't like the assigned job, they are free to seek other training and get another job. Having no families, other than those they create or are allowed to join, they generally wait until they have achieved some financial security before acting.

Although this is basically a "twenty minutes into the future" scenario, the Homunculi aren't occult in any way. Granted the technology involved in a "twenty minutes into the future" scenario are improbably advanced, but that's a feature of the genre.

I chose the traits of being bisexual and irreligious because those traits would cause paranoid reactions among those most given to neophobia and technophobia.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Although this is basically a "twenty minutes into the future" scenario, the Homunculi aren't occult in any way.

I guess, but it just doesn't seem plausible that the reasons why irreligiousity and bisexuality are common among the Homunculi aren't understood. They're raised in the "All sexualities are valid / no particular religious direction" box. Put them in the "If you aren't straight you're sick / pray every day" box, and they'll come out of the box in a way that the reactionaries want.

You could do this as a whole metaphor for debates on education, adding in stuff like whether Homunculi should receive a general education or just be directly taught the skills they need.

[jason taylor]

We Are Not Alone:

For years rumors of THEM have been circulating. Finally mysterious creatures have shown themselves openly. They are in a saucer like ship and shaped like grey distorted humans. They have a momentous message which the world has been waiting to hear. Is it a way to solve war, to protect the environment.

Actually it is: "Quality Spaceships at Low, Low Prices".

This can be played straight for a light session. Or there can be something beneath the surface.

[Flaco76]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The Homunculi Solution

The rest of the population fear these new people. It's a combination of something new, technophobia, and fear of being replaced. It doesn't help that due to issues not clearly understood, the Homunculi all tend to be bisexual and not religious.

The PCs would be recently decanted Homunculi attending Nursing school and working in a hospital as orderlies. Innocents meeting the world, when the people in that world are under massive stress.

Look at old Twilight Zone and Outer Limits episodes for inspiration.

One of the most famous quotes from Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" is, "O brave new world, that has such people in it!" This line reflects the character John's initial wonder and later disillusionment with the society he encounters.