Into the Desert: Enki II

[rust]

Thank you very much for the interesting links !

[Dredj]

Here's something else you might be interested in. the video has a very small amount of the type of training the future astronauts might have to go through. And there seems that there are links to more informative videos after this one plays.

[rust]

Yep, thank you again for an interesting link !

[Dredj]

I don't know how well this vehicle would work on your desert world, but if I had $20,000 I would buy it: http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/106040/Air-Cars:-A-New-Wind-for-America%27s-Roads

At least it's different in that it can run on just about anything! Might be something to consider for the other vehicles in your setting.

[rust]

A nice idea, I will put in on my list - thank you !

By the way, this is a first sketch of what Enki II will look like ...

[Dredj]

A nice idea, I will put in on my list - thank you !

By the way, this is a first sketch of what Enki II will look like ...

That's really cool! I see it has polar ice caps. Looks like a fine place to terraform.

[rust]

Thank you !

And here we have a first sketch of the Sapal Sector of the Solar Federation,

where Enki II is located.

As you see, I have decided that this time space will not be flat: The coor-

dinates under the planet symbols give the "height" of the system within the

galactic disk, in this case all of them at "-" or below the height of Sol, which

is used as a reference.

It took me a while to do all the square root handling to calculate the distan-

ces in the sector in a three-dimensional space (I hate math ...), but I think

that the little additional "realism" was worth the trouble.

And from now on the players of the astrogators among the characters will

have some real math to do in order to arrive at the right system ... >:->

[Dredj]

Thank you !

And here we have a first sketch of the Sapal Sector of the Solar Federation,

where Enki II is located.

As you see, I have decided that this time space will not be flat: The coor-

dinates under the planet symbols give the "height" of the system within the

galactic disk, in this case all of them at "-" or below the height of Sol, which

is used as a reference.

It took me a while to do all the square root handling to calculate the distan-

ces in the sector in a three-dimensional space (I hate math ...), but I think

that the little additional "realism" was worth the trouble.

And from now on the players of the astrogators among the characters will

have some real math to do in order to arrive at the right system ... >:->

Man, you sure put in quite a bit of work in your settings! Have you ever thought of going professional?

[rust]

Man, you sure put in quite a bit of work in your settings! Have you ever thought of going professional?

No, thank you, I really prefer to do it just for fun and without any kind

of responsibilities.

Besides, I "borrow" too much from all kinds of sources, so my settings

could hardly be published commercially without causing serious copyright

problems ...

[rust]

Yesterday I finished the campaign's core BRP-Traveller-system.

The characters will be generated with the regular Traveller "lifepath" charac-

ter generation system, although we will use Careers and Event Tables adap-

ted to the setting, and afterwards the attributes and skills of these charac-

ters will be converted to the BRP system.

For the skills we will use this table:

No skill = 10 % (easy "untrained" tasks only)

Skill Level 0 = 40 %

Skill Level 1 = 60 %

Skill Level 2 = 70 %

Skill Level 3 = 80 %

Skill Level 4 = 90 %

For the attributes we will use this table:

Trav 02 = BRP 03

Trav 03 = BRP 04

Trav 04 = BRP 06

Trav 05 = BRP 08

Trav 06 = BRP 10

Trav 07 = BRP 11

Trav 08 = BRP 13

Trav 09 = BRP 15

Trav 10 = BRP 16

Trav 11 = BRP 17

Trav 12 = BRP 18

SIZ, POW and APP, which have no Traveller counterparts, will be rolled ac-

cording to the BRP rules.

Once the characters have been converted, we will play them as normal BRP

characters, with attribute rolls (Idea Roll, Know Roll, etc.) and all that.

However, there will be no Experience Checks, because we will use Traveller's

character generation system throughout the campaign.

This system subdivides character generation into four year terms of service

in various careers, with a possible change of careers and new skills and also

events at the beginning of each new four year term.

While in Traveller this "time structure" ends when the character is generated,

we will use it to structure the entire campaign time: Characters will serve for

four years in a certain career, and will then have the opportunity to choose

a different career or to stay in the previous one, and will get the additional

skills for the career they did choose.

At the same time the GM will roll for a possible promotion and for events du-

ring the new four year term, and will use the results as "plot elements" for

the character in question during those four game time years.

I am not yet sure that this system will work, but I think it is good enough for

a start, and I will be able to improve it during the campaign.

Apart from that BRP-Traveller-system, most other campaign elements have

also been designed, at least their outlines are now there.

The background universe and its technology assumptions (based on Travel-

ler and GURPS, mainly) are ready, a couple of starships and of important equip-

ment items have been designed, and maps have been sketched.

Even the first four adventures are now more or less ready for play. The first

one will be the detailed exploration / survey of the planet Enki II (using the

material from Traveller's World Tamer's Handbook), the second one a mission

to find valuable natural resources sufficient to finance an outpost that could

grow into a viable colony with a long-term terraforming program of the planet.

Adventure three deals with the discovery of a downed spaceship and the sad

end of the famous scout who was the first to explore the Enki system, and

adventure four with the discovery of some alien ruins, where the characters

may find data that could lead to a first contact with an alien species.

By the way, here is a sketch of those ruins. It is based upon the plan of a

world cultural heritage site, but I am almost sure that no player will recognize

where the idea came from.

[Dredj]

It is based upon the plan of a

world cultural heritage site, but I am almost sure that no player will recognize

where the idea came from.

Cool, a challenge for my free time:) However, it does look somewhat familiar (I have an interest in archaeology). My first thought is some kind of Native American site or something from the ancient Middle East. I'll definitely be scrutinizing it closer.

[rust]

My first thought is some kind of Native American site or something from the ancient Middle East.

Cold, unfortunately.

[Dredj]

Unique housing idea: Tricked-Out Inflatable House Provides "Instant Survival" | Wired Science from Wired.com

[rust]

Thank you very much !

A nice idea for a kind of "emergency shelter", something every vehicle

on a desert world with exotic atmosphere should carry, I think.

[Dredj]

Hey rust, if you have any major political intrigue going on in your games, you might want to check out this one for ideas: Houses of the Blooded Houses of the Blooded - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I've bought it and am reading it. I haven't got very far into it, but it might be very useful for mining for ideas regarding anything dealing with factions and politics. The pdf only costs $5 USD.

Edited November 10, 2008 by Dredj

[rust]

I think its style might be a bit too much Fantasy, but I will take a look

at it. Thank you !

[Dredj]

Since you have inmates working on your colony, here's a couple things for some unsavory characters: RPGNow.com - UKG Publishing - Year of the Zombie: Fleshmongers

RPGNow.com - UKG Publishing - Year of the Zombie: Marauders

[rust]

Once again, thank you for the interesting links !

I am not sure whether I should let these people loose on the

planet ... :eek:

[Dredj]

Once again, thank you for the interesting links !

I am not sure whether I should let these people loose on the

planet ... :eek:

It could make for a VERY interesting campaign, though>:->

[rust]

The Enki II / Tashara Colony setting meanwhile has grown to 30 pages of

background material, some maps and a small hill of notes, but it would not

make much sense to post the stuff here and ask for comments - all of it

is in German, of course.

So all I can offer you is the "macroview", the map of the Solar Federation

and its neighbours (first draft, most names still missing), and the "micro-

view", the map of the region of Enki II where the Tashara Colony will be

established.

[Guest Vile Traveller]

For the skills we will use this table:

No skill = 10 % (easy "untrained" tasks only)

Skill Level 0 = 40 %

Skill Level 1 = 60 %

Skill Level 2 = 70 %

Skill Level 3 = 80 %

Skill Level 4 = 90 %

That is very similar to the approach we used in our old traveller conversions. The Traveller lifepath character generations system is great, and has not been beaten in my RPG experience. It's easy to simply convert the end result into percentiles and 3d6 stat ranges, as you have done.

However, we used slightly different skill percentages per level. I have no idea whether this was a more accurate conversions of the actual chances than your approach, but it 'felt' right:

Skill Level 0 = 30 %

Skill Level 1 = 45 %

Skill Level 2 = 60 %

Skill Level 3 = 75 %

Skill Level 4 = 90 %

Maybe I should actually sit down and check what the 2d6 bell curve works out to in percentiles for those skill levels ... :confused:

[rust]

I have to admit that I just trusted the table in the Mongoose Traveller rules,

without checking whether the values are right.

[Dredj]

Check out this site: Serena Dawn Spaceport You might be able to get some good vehicles from it.

[rust]

Thank you for the link - this looks very interesting.

[Dredj]

Hey Rust, here's some more links to a game setting, in reply to a thread I made in the FUDGE rpg forum. It's some kind "hardish" sci-fi setting that seems to have developed on the net. I've barely read any of them, as I just heard of them, so the quality of some of them might be lacking. But, here's the post that was made on the FUDGE Forum http://www.fudgeforum.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=423 with the links:

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:36 am Post subject: Re: Newbie bearing Hard SF treats Reply with quote

Nice links!

One of my favorite places to visit is the old E-Space (or Macrospace) setting developed out of an idea from the Lexicon game (link to wikipedia?)

It was a hard-ish SF setting that proposed a way of FTL travel that was plausable. Earth builds an empire, aliens not encountered at the time it was written. Said technology then turns out to "dirty-up" hyperspace and shuts off all FTL travel. Some worlds die, some thrive. Many hundreds of years later travel opens up again.

So you can play in a empire-days, an exploration days, an apocalypse days, a survial days, and then a re-discovery days.

Somewhere on those sites is a guide to levels of soft to hard SF and what those labels might mean.

E-Space Society : E-space

The Phoenyx - Forum

Through the Wayback Machine:

E-Space « Site » Sitemap browse

The original Lexicon rules:

The 20' By 20' Room: Lexicon: an RPG

Links:

Lexicon games - Ghyll

Edited December 17, 2008 by Dredj