Not many questions, either it makes a lot of sense or everyone just passed it over. Sitting at work now, watching the world go dark and pondering what good a broken DVD player is to me right about now. =) Maybe I should just tell everyone to phone the 800 line I'm sitting next to that's very silent tonight.
Anyway, I'm looking for a place to host a PBEM that's going to allow me to upload stuff like pictures, maps and such and run the mailing list. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions let me know.
I've got room for a few more bodies if anyone's interested and I'll start dropping invites as soon as I get a list set up. Send me a personal Email and I'll add you to the list.
DS
----- Original Message -----
From: "DEREK STANLEY" <>
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: I’m trying for a rules invisible game where we don’t 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 what’s 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
Anyway, I'm looking for a place to host a PBEM that's going to allow me to upload stuff like pictures, maps and such and run the mailing list. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions let me know.
I've got room for a few more bodies if anyone's interested and I'll start dropping invites as soon as I get a list set up. Send me a personal Email and I'll add you to the list.
DS
----- Original Message -----
From: "DEREK STANLEY" <>
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: I’m trying for a rules invisible game where we don’t 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 what’s 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