I like it. And since I've never played PBEM before, I'd like to try it, to
get some experience with it.
> It's stupid early in the morning and I've been up all night working,
> patrolling and the like so my brain's not working all that well.
>
> I'm looking at setting up a Traveller style SciFi PBEM and I've kind of
> hacked out some house rules and design ideas for the background, how the
> universe operates and the like and I'd like to run it past everyone, get
> your thoughts and input and I guess see if there's any interest in what
> I'm proposing. You're all my PBEM kickstarter. =^)
>
> ==================
>
> House Rules
> The standard TNE rule set will be in effect with the following exceptions:
> Iâm trying for a rules invisible game where we donât have to stop
> every couple of minutes to resolve some mundane task.
>
> Setting:
> * The setting is a kind of 2300ad / Traveller / Firefly mash-up.
> * Humans are only in the infancy of their exploration of the galaxy;
> exploration is via arms along clearly defined routes out into the depths
> of the universe. You can call them arms or mains if you wish.
> * We have encountered a number of alien species but nothing that indicates
> a "Grandfather" or "Ancients" existed and seeded the galaxy with human
> life.
> * Rival nations and rival corporations back on Earth are involved in a
> kind of cold-war struggle to expand their influence to the stars.
> * Cultures back home on Earth have heavily influenced the look and feel of
> the space. While China and India have the largest economies on the
> planet, English remains the language of trade; however, Cantonese and
> Hindi catch phrases have found their way into everyday use.
> * English, Chinese and Devanagari script can be found almost everywhere in
> human controlled space and most spacers have at least a passing
> understanding of what the signs say.
> * There are certain universal truths of manufacturing: If you want
> innovation you go to the US, if you want it improved or miniaturized you
> take it to Japan, if you want it mass produced you take it to China and
> Taiwan, if you want it made right you take it to Germany and if you want
> it to work after you'd put a bullet through it you take it to Russia.
> * Ramen and Tofu, if you don't like them curried and served with Dim Sum
> you're going to starve to death quickly in the world of the future.
>
> Character Generation:
> * All characters will be single term generations. You can even go with a
> half term if you want.
> * All TNE occupations with the exception of Hiver Tech and Regency
> specific Careers are available.
> * All characters are subject to final GM approval before play can
> commence; I don't want to see any UPP's of FFFFFF-F.
>
> Pre-Game:
> * I'm a huge believer in letting people feel their characters out and
> letting them take a look at the universe for a bit before throwing them
> into the soup. As such we'll be playing out a kind of pre-game warm up
> exercise where you can go shopping in Prague or have brunch with your
> friends in New York before we leave the Earth behind.
> * Any general thoughts you have on who your character is and where they
> came from are always helpful in fleshing out the story.
>
> Task Resolution: (The plan is to be rules and task resolution
> invisible, or as close to as possible)
> * No changes here.
> * New skills can only come from someone with "Instruction". Learning a
> new skill is an "Uncertain / Difficult" task with a duration of one week.
> At the end of the week the instructor rolls to see whether he has taught
> the pupil the new skill. If not it's back to the books.
>
> Psionics:
> * Aren't you a little old to believe in all that gypsy fortune teller,
> poltergeist sort of crap?
> * Although, remember last weekend when you got really drunk and blacked
> out in the bar and woke up in jail? That my friend is clearly evidence of
> existence of psionic teleportation.
>
> Technology (FF&S):
> * Tech Level is in the 10-12 range, modern style devices like smart
> phones, tablets the the like are easily available.
> * FF&S mk1 mod1 is the official design sequence, including any errata
> published by GDW prior to their departure.
> * Antti Lahtinen's remarkable Excel® spreadsheets will be used to design
> all weapons and vehicles, of course I might just steal stuff from various
> source books because I like the look or feel of a particular bit of
> equipment.
> * Most items found in the 2300ad equipment guide are available. Some of
> the items in the RCEG and Traveller books (CT/MT even GT) are available,
> check with me.
> * Genetic modification is available within reason, see the 2300ad book for
> ideas, cybertech is also available but the wholesale removal of perfectly
> functional body parts comes with a great cost both physically and
> socially. Characters will not begin the game with these kind of
> modifications but may uses their pre-game time to seek them out if you
> really want to have some kind of waffle iron / toaster attached to your
> head go right ahead.
> * The existance of full blown Computer AI is debatable. Some Virtual
> Intelligences (VI) are boarder-line but it's hard to tell if this is the
> result of really clever programming or actual sentience. VI's or AI's are
> not recognized as individuals and as such have no personal rights in the
> eyes of the law.
>
> Weapons:
> * Gauss, laser, chemically propelled rounds and plasma weapons are
> available but are heavily regulated. Fully automatic and plasma weapons
> are prohibited. Pistols, rifles and shotguns all require a FAC (Firearms
> Acquisition Certificate) to obtain and permits to carry.
> * Stun guns, chemical sprays, batons and knives are easily obtainable and
> require no special licensing, although stun guns do require a special
> permit to carry.
>
> Combat:
> * Damage dice will be d8 instead of d6.
> * Getting hit by a large caliber explosive round in the face is simply a
> bad idea; try not to do this.
>
> Starship Operations:
> * Jump drives are kind of a melding of the Stutterwarp(distance
> limitations and travel time is affected by the speed of the drive), and
> the Jump Drive (you really do vanish from the our universe and then
> re-appear somewhere else some days later).
> * All vessels exiting from J-Space produce a Jump-Flash which, if
> observed, can be used to determine a rough displacement of the exiting
> vessel.
> * All vessels entering J-Space need only refine enough fuel to produce the
> initial Jump Envelope (J-1). The remaining fuel is utilized to maintain
> the Envelope during the vessel's journey and may be refined en-route.
> * Direct observation of the Jump Envelope is common and it's rather like
> being on the inside a plasma globe. It does not make you crazy to look at
> it and a skilled pilot can determine a fair amount by simply looking at
> whatâs going on inside the envelope.
> * As in 2300ad, vessels in J-Space build up a residual charge inside their
> drives that needs to be discharged in a gravity well. The rate at which a
> vessel accumulates this charge appears to be directly related to the
> distance traveled in J-Space, thus limiting the distance a vessel can
> travel. Eventually the charge reaches a point where the parts of the
> drive begin to decay and will quickly flood the starship with lethal
> levels of radiation. The rate at which this charged is discharged is
> determined by the size of the gravity well and not the actual gravity the
> drive is subjected to. A ship orbiting a dwarf planetoid might take
> several days to discharge where as a ship orbiting Sagitarius A* would
> discharge almost instantly. Of course then you'd probably be
> spaghettified by the black hole so that's really not a good example.
> * Vessels may utilize unrefined fuel for maneuver drives. However, the
> maintenance number of the vessel will be increased by (G-Rating x 5%) to
> reflect the additional wear and tear on the ship.
> * The HEPlaR acronym is out and the term "Plasma Focus Drive" is in. They
> are essentially the same thing I just like the way "Plasma Focus" rolls
> off the tongue.
> * Interface ships under 100dt's are not capable of possessing artificial
> gravity, inertial compensation units or any of the niceties of civilized
> star travel and as such are often referred to as vomit comets.
> * The Higgs Field Manipulator is only a few decades old, is incredibly
> expensive and not terribly reliable, as such only a few modern starships
> have artificial gravity created by this device. Most older starships use
> spun habitats to create artificial gravity or simply do without. Many
> ships with Higgs Manipulators only have gravity in the high traffic areas
> of the ship and none in others to keep costs down, to the uninitiated this
> can be particularly trying.
> * Contra-Grav or Higgs Field Manipulation on whole starships to nullify
> its mass is prohibitively expensive and as such only very high end
> military ships or the yachts of the obscenely rich possess this. If you
> want to fly into an atmosphere your ship needs to have some kind of
> streamlining and possess engines big enough to get you back up to orbit.
>
> The Universe:
> * I'm going to use the base 2300ad universe and if you'd like to see it I
> suggest you go to http://evildrganymede.net/category/rpgs/2300ad/ for some
> images and a serious break down on the real Universe problems associated
> with the 2300ad universe. Despite these problems I still like this system
> of the nations of Earth slowly heading out in the the universe along paths
> linking star to star like a long road.
> * If you're like me and you like videos I'd suggest looking at
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GayncyEsZnk
>
get some experience with it.
> It's stupid early in the morning and I've been up all night working,
> patrolling and the like so my brain's not working all that well.
>
> I'm looking at setting up a Traveller style SciFi PBEM and I've kind of
> hacked out some house rules and design ideas for the background, how the
> universe operates and the like and I'd like to run it past everyone, get
> your thoughts and input and I guess see if there's any interest in what
> I'm proposing. You're all my PBEM kickstarter. =^)
>
> ==================
>
> House Rules
> The standard TNE rule set will be in effect with the following exceptions:
> Iâm trying for a rules invisible game where we donât have to stop
> every couple of minutes to resolve some mundane task.
>
> Setting:
> * The setting is a kind of 2300ad / Traveller / Firefly mash-up.
> * Humans are only in the infancy of their exploration of the galaxy;
> exploration is via arms along clearly defined routes out into the depths
> of the universe. You can call them arms or mains if you wish.
> * We have encountered a number of alien species but nothing that indicates
> a "Grandfather" or "Ancients" existed and seeded the galaxy with human
> life.
> * Rival nations and rival corporations back on Earth are involved in a
> kind of cold-war struggle to expand their influence to the stars.
> * Cultures back home on Earth have heavily influenced the look and feel of
> the space. While China and India have the largest economies on the
> planet, English remains the language of trade; however, Cantonese and
> Hindi catch phrases have found their way into everyday use.
> * English, Chinese and Devanagari script can be found almost everywhere in
> human controlled space and most spacers have at least a passing
> understanding of what the signs say.
> * There are certain universal truths of manufacturing: If you want
> innovation you go to the US, if you want it improved or miniaturized you
> take it to Japan, if you want it mass produced you take it to China and
> Taiwan, if you want it made right you take it to Germany and if you want
> it to work after you'd put a bullet through it you take it to Russia.
> * Ramen and Tofu, if you don't like them curried and served with Dim Sum
> you're going to starve to death quickly in the world of the future.
>
> Character Generation:
> * All characters will be single term generations. You can even go with a
> half term if you want.
> * All TNE occupations with the exception of Hiver Tech and Regency
> specific Careers are available.
> * All characters are subject to final GM approval before play can
> commence; I don't want to see any UPP's of FFFFFF-F.
>
> Pre-Game:
> * I'm a huge believer in letting people feel their characters out and
> letting them take a look at the universe for a bit before throwing them
> into the soup. As such we'll be playing out a kind of pre-game warm up
> exercise where you can go shopping in Prague or have brunch with your
> friends in New York before we leave the Earth behind.
> * Any general thoughts you have on who your character is and where they
> came from are always helpful in fleshing out the story.
>
> Task Resolution: (The plan is to be rules and task resolution
> invisible, or as close to as possible)
> * No changes here.
> * New skills can only come from someone with "Instruction". Learning a
> new skill is an "Uncertain / Difficult" task with a duration of one week.
> At the end of the week the instructor rolls to see whether he has taught
> the pupil the new skill. If not it's back to the books.
>
> Psionics:
> * Aren't you a little old to believe in all that gypsy fortune teller,
> poltergeist sort of crap?
> * Although, remember last weekend when you got really drunk and blacked
> out in the bar and woke up in jail? That my friend is clearly evidence of
> existence of psionic teleportation.
>
> Technology (FF&S):
> * Tech Level is in the 10-12 range, modern style devices like smart
> phones, tablets the the like are easily available.
> * FF&S mk1 mod1 is the official design sequence, including any errata
> published by GDW prior to their departure.
> * Antti Lahtinen's remarkable Excel® spreadsheets will be used to design
> all weapons and vehicles, of course I might just steal stuff from various
> source books because I like the look or feel of a particular bit of
> equipment.
> * Most items found in the 2300ad equipment guide are available. Some of
> the items in the RCEG and Traveller books (CT/MT even GT) are available,
> check with me.
> * Genetic modification is available within reason, see the 2300ad book for
> ideas, cybertech is also available but the wholesale removal of perfectly
> functional body parts comes with a great cost both physically and
> socially. Characters will not begin the game with these kind of
> modifications but may uses their pre-game time to seek them out if you
> really want to have some kind of waffle iron / toaster attached to your
> head go right ahead.
> * The existance of full blown Computer AI is debatable. Some Virtual
> Intelligences (VI) are boarder-line but it's hard to tell if this is the
> result of really clever programming or actual sentience. VI's or AI's are
> not recognized as individuals and as such have no personal rights in the
> eyes of the law.
>
> Weapons:
> * Gauss, laser, chemically propelled rounds and plasma weapons are
> available but are heavily regulated. Fully automatic and plasma weapons
> are prohibited. Pistols, rifles and shotguns all require a FAC (Firearms
> Acquisition Certificate) to obtain and permits to carry.
> * Stun guns, chemical sprays, batons and knives are easily obtainable and
> require no special licensing, although stun guns do require a special
> permit to carry.
>
> Combat:
> * Damage dice will be d8 instead of d6.
> * Getting hit by a large caliber explosive round in the face is simply a
> bad idea; try not to do this.
>
> Starship Operations:
> * Jump drives are kind of a melding of the Stutterwarp(distance
> limitations and travel time is affected by the speed of the drive), and
> the Jump Drive (you really do vanish from the our universe and then
> re-appear somewhere else some days later).
> * All vessels exiting from J-Space produce a Jump-Flash which, if
> observed, can be used to determine a rough displacement of the exiting
> vessel.
> * All vessels entering J-Space need only refine enough fuel to produce the
> initial Jump Envelope (J-1). The remaining fuel is utilized to maintain
> the Envelope during the vessel's journey and may be refined en-route.
> * Direct observation of the Jump Envelope is common and it's rather like
> being on the inside a plasma globe. It does not make you crazy to look at
> it and a skilled pilot can determine a fair amount by simply looking at
> whatâs going on inside the envelope.
> * As in 2300ad, vessels in J-Space build up a residual charge inside their
> drives that needs to be discharged in a gravity well. The rate at which a
> vessel accumulates this charge appears to be directly related to the
> distance traveled in J-Space, thus limiting the distance a vessel can
> travel. Eventually the charge reaches a point where the parts of the
> drive begin to decay and will quickly flood the starship with lethal
> levels of radiation. The rate at which this charged is discharged is
> determined by the size of the gravity well and not the actual gravity the
> drive is subjected to. A ship orbiting a dwarf planetoid might take
> several days to discharge where as a ship orbiting Sagitarius A* would
> discharge almost instantly. Of course then you'd probably be
> spaghettified by the black hole so that's really not a good example.
> * Vessels may utilize unrefined fuel for maneuver drives. However, the
> maintenance number of the vessel will be increased by (G-Rating x 5%) to
> reflect the additional wear and tear on the ship.
> * The HEPlaR acronym is out and the term "Plasma Focus Drive" is in. They
> are essentially the same thing I just like the way "Plasma Focus" rolls
> off the tongue.
> * Interface ships under 100dt's are not capable of possessing artificial
> gravity, inertial compensation units or any of the niceties of civilized
> star travel and as such are often referred to as vomit comets.
> * The Higgs Field Manipulator is only a few decades old, is incredibly
> expensive and not terribly reliable, as such only a few modern starships
> have artificial gravity created by this device. Most older starships use
> spun habitats to create artificial gravity or simply do without. Many
> ships with Higgs Manipulators only have gravity in the high traffic areas
> of the ship and none in others to keep costs down, to the uninitiated this
> can be particularly trying.
> * Contra-Grav or Higgs Field Manipulation on whole starships to nullify
> its mass is prohibitively expensive and as such only very high end
> military ships or the yachts of the obscenely rich possess this. If you
> want to fly into an atmosphere your ship needs to have some kind of
> streamlining and possess engines big enough to get you back up to orbit.
>
> The Universe:
> * I'm going to use the base 2300ad universe and if you'd like to see it I
> suggest you go to http://evildrganymede.net/category/rpgs/2300ad/ for some
> images and a serious break down on the real Universe problems associated
> with the 2300ad universe. Despite these problems I still like this system
> of the nations of Earth slowly heading out in the the universe along paths
> linking star to star like a long road.
> * If you're like me and you like videos I'd suggest looking at
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GayncyEsZnk
>