Wolds in the Shared Universe

[rust]

Hello Puck, and thank you for your interest.

Most of the colonists live on Floaters, huge rafts with several decks, which
are linked together to form settlements. There are also some domed habitats
on the sea floor, mostly to operate the crystal mines (crystals are the main
export of the colony), and there are the Faders, a kind of "sea gypsies", who
live on their catamaran ships.
The people need diving equipment underwater, but there are many types of
submarines and submersibles, and some of the most difficult and dangerous
tasks are handled by aquabots (aquatic robots) or by trained dolphins and
wrillabees (the latter from the Ringworld RPG).
Typical underwater weapons are gauss harpoons (where magnetism is used
to accelerate a metal dart) and sonic stunners.

The colony itself is a rather peaceful and perhaps even somewhat boring pla-
ce (people go about aquafarming, fishing, mining - the usual drudgery), the
only exceptions are the exploration of the planet and of some abandoned ru-
ins of unknown origin, the encounters with the potentially intelligent "octopo-
ids" of the deep sea trenches, and the diplomatic and political games with the
various powers which would like to control the colony.

True adventures happen offworlds: Raiders and pirates from a nearby failed
interstellar state, trade missions through more or less hostile regions, a con-
flict with a megacorporation which produces genetically modified slaves, and
similar stuff.

The focus of the campaign is the development of the colony under adverse
conditions. Up to now we have played some fifty game-years, from the first
landing to the independence and afterwards, and have produced about fifty
pages of "canonical" material, some maps and lots of unedited notes.

For the technology of the colony I used GURPS material, for roleplaying we
currently use a modification of Cthulhu Rising, but of course I plan to "trans-
late" the setting into the new BRP. We do have some homebrewed underwa-
ter rules, based on the Ringworld RPG, but not very detailed.

[Puck]

Great stuff, If I ever run any sci-fi stuff it would be a great world to visit. It seems like so much can be done from world to world with sci-fi stuff. Good luck I'll be looking forward to seeing the water world take shape.

[rust]

Thank you, and I hope my colonists will one day be able to visit The Green -
most of them have never seen any kind of forest, and can only dream of the
things that might be discovered there.

[Rurik]

Originally Posted by Puck

I thought that it could really be either a gated world or part of the shared world. For that matter someone could use it for a sci-fi setting but I wouldn’t plan it as such. The reason I was afraid that it would not work with the shared world is that there was talk that there should not be intelligent races other than mankind on the shared world. This type of setting really lends itself to new types of races though. It would be a tough stretch, but I could work it up without some of the races I was thinking of.

Well I don't think any firm decision has been made regarding the races, throwing in with the project certainly gives you some say in the matter.

I'd like to get a very rough draft of a map started, and with your permission would like to put The Green in, based on what you outlined below - this will be a very rough starting point modified as other world pieces fall into place.

I don't know how worried we need to be about real world weather patterns - the world may end up being flat (or worse ), only time and the group will tell (but there is no harm in conforming to them none the less).

Originally Posted by Puck

I planned on the Green being on the western edge of a continent very much the shape of the inner cusp of west Africa, pinned between very high mountains (the Skysheild) to the northeast (to catch the rainfall) and the Sea to the southwest. To make it seem real, the inner part of the continent, just past the mountains, should probably be a nasty desert. (The clouds dump their moisture into the Green as they rise over the mountains leaving an extremely dry place on the other side. This desert would be a very fun project as well).

The Green would connect with the rest of the shared world through two routes: The mountain gates/ tunnels through the mountains and the corsairs, pirates and explorers. The Pirates could themselves come from other writer’s portions of the world or at least be running from the authorities from other parts of the world. The vast slow moving rivers, deltas and swamps of the green make great havens, hiding places or even strongholds for less reputable seamen.

The Green could offer other parts of the world rare medicinal and magical herbs and spices as well as beautifully wrought leather, bone and possibly ivory products. Also strange animals(for gladiatorial games and such). In return the Green would require metal tools, weapons and armor. Metal is very rare and valuable.

I'll try to fit that - does anyone have anything they might like to add thet fits on the borders of The Green or fits in some other way (pirates perhaps?)

Originally Posted by Puck

So in short the answer is: yes, I would love to help out the shared world if it will fit. I am very interested in the final decision on the inclusion of other races as well as this will affect a lot of what I am about to put together. I am also very open for suggestions, the Green may fit into the common world in other ways.
Thanks again for the interest. That goes a long way toward pumping me up to tear into this.

I think The Green would fit in great, so if you don't mind I'll try to fit it somewhere. I'm getting pumped up myself, and am ready to jump in. Lets not let the enthusiasm wane.

[jarulf]

Briefly delurking here

Rust, Puck
I think you two have a great beginnings of a "Known Space" type setting going there. If you could agree on some shared general background others could get in on the fun and add their own sci-fi worlds.

relurking

[rust]

If we decide to use Gates to connect the worlds, even a different background
should be no real problem, the Gates could still connect worlds in "parallel uni-
verses" with completely different political etc. background situations, even
with slightly different laws of nature (e.g. to allow for different FTL drive phi-
losophies).
In my opinion, this approach could make it even more interesting than a sha-
red background, but that is probably a matter of taste.

Pharos IV currently uses the "Honorverse" of David Weber's Honor Harrington-
series as its background, but it could easily be "moved" to any other back-
ground where a remote human colony on the very edge of the explored space
is possible.

[rust]

Just for the record: After taking a look at the star charts I have decided
that the Shared World (whatever its final name will be) is in my universe's
System 0801 of the Demara Sector, right beyond "the edge of nowhere" in
unexplored territory, and approximately 19 lightyears from Pharos IV.

[soltakss]

What star charts?

It would be useful to see what people are using as Star Charts so that everyone could use the same charts, otherwiase we will be confusing each other.

[rust]

Of course you are right, but I hesitate to put the chart on the forum. I am
using the "Honorverse" of David Weber's "Honor Harrington" novels as the
background universe for my setting, and Mr. Weber is well known for his ex-
treme dislike of unlicenced use of his ideas - as fas as I have been told
(well, warned) he has already "killed" at least one fan project, and I do not
want to cause the forum any trouble.

However, I can provide a link to a map of the "Honorverse":

http://harrington.suewebik.net/obrazky/mapawall2.gif

This is a detailed map of the "Honorverse". In the "far north" of the map you
will find Basilisk, which is connected with Manticore through a wormhole over
a distance of 210 lightyears.
Pharos IV is in the Demara Sector (my invention, not on this map),"left above"
Basilisk, about 43 light years from Basilisk.
There is a chart of Demara Sector, but it is hardly more than a sheet of paper
with a dozen dots, some of them named.

Now, other people contributing to the shared universe will hardly want to use
the "Honorverse", I think.
Therefore we could concentrate on the Gates as connections of the setting
(which would allow us to ignore star charts almost entirely), or we could de-
sign some long-range connections (like the wormholes of the "Honorverse"),
which would allow us to ignore the "space between", too.
And, of course, I could "transport" Pharos IV from the "Honorverse" to a com-
mon background universe of the shared universe worlds, although this would
force me to rewrite lots of history, politics and diplomacy.