Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 25

Author Topic: Interplanetary Arms Race: The Network  (Read 25903 times)

Madman198237

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #15 on: July 02, 2019, 11:56:17 pm »

Here, how soft the sci-fi is?

Ahem, the standard form response:

Lunatic In Chief's Form Response To The Question "How Hard Is Your Sci-Fi Arms Race, Madman?":
"Suggest a design and I'll judge you. I mean it."
Logged
We shall make the highest quality of quality quantities of soldiers with quantities of quality.

Taricus

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #16 on: July 03, 2019, 12:08:29 am »

And given that speed is the entire point of industrial manufacturing, I can't really back the baths as a viable, full scale design at this stage; we need an industrial design for that to be added onto before we should try it.
Logged
Quote from: evictedSaint
We sided with the holocaust for a fucking +1 roll

Powder Miner

  • Bay Watcher
  • this avatar is years irrelevant again oh god oh f-
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #17 on: July 03, 2019, 12:39:30 am »

Considering that a functioning spaceship is expected and, erh, needed on the first three turns, I would like to begin work on components for functioning spaceships for the first few turns, especially to be able to make a ship that is overall not shit even if rolls slap us in the face a time or two
Logged

Man of Paper

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #18 on: July 03, 2019, 06:49:42 am »

Here's my suggestion for some backstory and name things now that I got some sleep.

[Author's Note: Pertinent information for the GM will be bold]

Archivist's Log, Date - Unknown

It has been some time since disaster struck our planet of Osiris which housed our colony in the Duat System. When we left for the system it was, uh, stressed that we'd never make it. That every body and mind would be destroyed in transit, and so when we arrived we thought it would be funny to embrace the fact that we were all supposed to be dead. Heh. If you're listening to this, don't misinterpret me: our naming of the system and planets makes sense. But I digress, I'm supposed to be reporting on the disaster.

Crops and food stores were under siege by some form of local parasite and (until relatively recently) we had no effective way of combating them. As our food supply diminished we were forced to make severe cuts in rationing until the whole thing blew over - or we were all dead. A number of us didn't make it as our weakened, overexerted states on this alien world left us susceptible to disease. Smoke filled the air, not from industry, but due to the Crematoriums running fairly consistently. The parasite and disease faded away before the colony reached the point of no return, and just in time for our people to discover the extremely poor decision-making going on in that other colony. After surviving Pestilence, Famine, and Death, it was time for us to bring War.
Logged

Taricus

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #19 on: July 03, 2019, 06:52:22 am »

The names are good but the backstory... Could use a little work to say the least.
Logged
Quote from: evictedSaint
We sided with the holocaust for a fucking +1 roll

Man of Paper

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #20 on: July 03, 2019, 07:05:27 am »

Eh, I'd have gone into more detail, but I felt like this was sufficient without accidentally stepping into Sci-Fi territory Madman would rather we didn't enter - alien biology in particular can swing from hard to soft (scifi and nothing more) wildly based on personal preferences alone. Any suggestions for it?
Logged

Twinwolf

  • Bay Watcher
  • Probably hanging around Forum Games and Roleplay
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #21 on: July 03, 2019, 07:09:41 am »

Something worth noting - our engines are speed 1. Even on the first turn where we can start moving, we're not going to make contact. Assuming neither of us make a speed 2 engine, first contact will be on turn 3. Just a thought.

Also, in regards to making infrastructure for use on volcanic-world - Madman, do we need to design specific infrastructure for planets (such as the volcano world) to be able to use their base points? Do we need to have designed specific tech to survive them to conquer it? I'm actually assuming the volcano world isn't special in this respect, otherwise side 2 would be a bit ahead of us in terms of production since they wouldn't need planet-specific designs for their starting worlds while we would. Meaning we don't neccesarily need something for volcano-world off the bat.

As for drives, do we have any ideas? I remember seeing fission/ion engines. Maybe fusion engines (possibly ala battletech)? Or is that too "soft scifi"?

As for fluff, I'll put up my ideas later. I have a few, just need to write them up.
Logged
Sigtext!
Of course, Twin is neither man nor woman but an unholy eldritch abomination like every other Bay12er. The difference is they hide it better.
Quote from: Caellath on IRC
<Caellath>: Twinwolf, your thirst for blood has been noted.

Taricus

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #22 on: July 03, 2019, 07:26:48 am »

With our current tech, a battletech style cold fusion reactor is outside of our current grasp. But a fusion reactor is within our reach. But it's a fission/fusion powered ion drive that's being discussed.
Logged
Quote from: evictedSaint
We sided with the holocaust for a fucking +1 roll

Twinwolf

  • Bay Watcher
  • Probably hanging around Forum Games and Roleplay
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #23 on: July 03, 2019, 08:05:37 am »

Alright, fluff time

I have two ideas for a faction - sharing a similar backstory but different results. Taricus oughta like this first one.[/b]

Quote
Official Audio Log of Archivist Jefferson Medula

The Founding

In the year 0 After First Founding, the colony ship landed. At first, things were peaceful, as we set up our first operations bases, and started to colonize. The world and system were not named yet. We had bigger concerns. The world was lush, habitable, with a breathable atmosphere. We were on track to have the industry for space flight in ten years. We had picked the best and brightest of humanity, and the future was ours to take. There was some local wildlife that seemed to hate humans. And some local flora that seemed to hate humans. But it was nothing we couldn’t

But some people chafed under the order imposed by our leaders. They didn’t realize that their strict rules and control was for their own good, didn’t realize that beyond any assistance from Earth, we had to be careful. It started relatively low key. People occasionally skimming some supplies. Some bitter arguments in meetings, some drunken ramblings about how the man was putting them down. The administrators monitored the dissidents, but didn’t do anything. After all, what harm was there in letting people express their opinions?

And then the first bombs went off.

It was as if half the colony picked up weapons at once. We weren’t always at the level of plastic pistols; before them, we had real weapons, designed to let people survive on the frontiers. No bombs, though. The first explosions tried to take out the government building, which resisted due to being made from a spaceship hull. The Tower, the communications building built shortly after colony formation, was destroyed and we lost contact with our sister colonization effort. The rebels declared themselves the true government of the planet, that the Administration cared only for power. They ignored that the administrators had been elected by the colonists before launch, to be the most competent among them.

It was a long war, and a bitter one. It seemed half the colony had turned against the Administration. Many industrial efforts had been made were wiped from the planet. Eventually, the terrorists were crushed. The Administration had to resort to some… unfortunate measures, to keep the fighting from starting again; anything capable of making weapons better than the cheap plastic guns was shut down - those would do for self defense, and anything more could be a threat. While we do allow people to voice their opinions, it's from regulated channels - someone calling for another violent revolution will be quite hastily reminded of what happened the last time that happened. We punish disruptive dissent, yes. We are strict, yes. We have to be harsh because our world is trying to kill us.

Recently, we regained contact with our sister colony - and were horrified to discover the atrocious name of their system, and how they failed to handle their own crisis. For their own good, we must conquer.

In Year 40 AFF, we look to new prosperity as our first ships come off the production lines. Our star, Roma, and it’s earthlike world Konstantine shall help sheperd humanity to a bright future.
(Planet and star names provisional)

I think a twist on the standard sci fi authoritarians could be interesting - a government like that, but with leaders who genuinely believe what they're doing is right, that it's for the safety and prosperity of their people. Grey rather than black or white.

Still working on idea 2, but it's basically the reverse of this - a government coming out of a revolution overthrowing the authoritarian regime, and wanting to "free" the other colony. I'll get to it in a bit, hopefully once I get the role on discord.
« Last Edit: July 03, 2019, 11:27:41 am by Twinwolf »
Logged
Sigtext!
Of course, Twin is neither man nor woman but an unholy eldritch abomination like every other Bay12er. The difference is they hide it better.
Quote from: Caellath on IRC
<Caellath>: Twinwolf, your thirst for blood has been noted.

Doomblade187

  • Bay Watcher
  • Requires music to get through the working day.
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #24 on: July 03, 2019, 08:48:47 am »

I was thinking maybe a space enthusiast group, or group of former WMD scientists exiled from earth after last war.
Logged
In any case it would be a battle of critical thinking and I refuse to fight an unarmed individual.
One mustn't stare into the pathos, lest one become Pathos.

Madman198237

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #25 on: July 03, 2019, 09:23:34 am »

Base points are all extracted WITHOUT designs. You can certainly design up infrastructure for various planets to gain more, but that's not necessary to acquire the base points.
Logged
We shall make the highest quality of quality quantities of soldiers with quantities of quality.

Man of Paper

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #26 on: July 03, 2019, 09:32:39 am »

I like the idea of making an NE-tier planetary construction on each of the dudes we occupy that aren't close to Scumlord territory. Make ourselves a couple Forge Worlds, maybe a world for Agriculture. Another for recruiting Space Marines.

Wait did the other team even get any of the bigger 40k fan?
Logged

Twinwolf

  • Bay Watcher
  • Probably hanging around Forum Games and Roleplay
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #27 on: July 03, 2019, 11:31:30 am »

So discussion in the discord indicates most people don't like the authoritarian flavoring - I'll work on an alternate idea that came up while I was writing it, focusing at the hinted "death world" type aspects; everything trying to kill you can make a lot of obstacles to progress. Imagine if the entire world was Australia but without the few places that aren't generally trying to kill you.
Logged
Sigtext!
Of course, Twin is neither man nor woman but an unholy eldritch abomination like every other Bay12er. The difference is they hide it better.
Quote from: Caellath on IRC
<Caellath>: Twinwolf, your thirst for blood has been noted.

Taricus

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #28 on: July 03, 2019, 12:38:32 pm »

Eh, it's more the current level I gather. It's able to be reworked. That being said, death world is... well, I feel that might be unbalanced for other reasons.
Logged
Quote from: evictedSaint
We sided with the holocaust for a fucking +1 roll

Twinwolf

  • Bay Watcher
  • Probably hanging around Forum Games and Roleplay
    • View Profile
Re: Interplanetary Arms Race: Side One
« Reply #29 on: July 03, 2019, 12:48:29 pm »

Well, have my second idea in any case.

Quote
The world was supposed to be perfect. In some ways, it was. Just the right distance from it’s star, Duat. The moons just the right size and orbit. The atmosphere a perfect mix for human habitation. Everything about the planet Osiris, from observation via space telescopes back home on Earth, made it seem like an ideal second Earth.

The initial landing seemed to confirm that. Analysis of the water showed it was, well, water, and without any pathogens that would hurt humans. Various fruits seemed perfectly edible. The first year of colonization was simple, clean, efficient, and optimistic. The world was ripe for colonization, for the advancement of humanity.

And then Osiris fought back.

There was something in the fruit, in the water, something we couldn’t detect but something that, after a time, would kill a human - and then spread that lethal attribute to another from the corpse. Just as were getting those in quarantine, we made first contact with xenofauna. They were dog sized creatures with teeth that could chew through a steel plate. But the first patrols to encounter them couldn’t warn anyone, because the atmosphere somehow blocked communications. Scientific marvels, all, but we didn’t have the time to study them. And it just got worse and worse.

It was a death world. Everything on it seemed to hate humans with an abnormal passion. Patrols stopped coming back, we lost several expeditions to start more settlements. Forget communicating with the other planet, we couldn’t communicate with each other. It was a long bitter fight, inventing the technology to let humans survive on Osiris. An outpost grew into a village, into a town. Slowly, we managed to tame parts of the world. Through a combination of attrition and new people waking from cryosleep being unprepared for the fight, the government gradually shifted from an elected group to “whoever’s lived the longest.” If you wanna live, you listen to the council - it’s not a threat, it’s that if you don’t the planet will kill you.

When we finally managed to build enough infrastructure to make contact, we learned two things about our sister colony that we could just not abide. They had their own crisis, which they handled so poorly we must take over for their own good. And they had such an atrocious naming sense, we need to rename that planet and star.
Logged
Sigtext!
Of course, Twin is neither man nor woman but an unholy eldritch abomination like every other Bay12er. The difference is they hide it better.
Quote from: Caellath on IRC
<Caellath>: Twinwolf, your thirst for blood has been noted.
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 25