Colony types
I've been working on an article that deals with, among other things, various forms of colonies. Here's what I have so far:
Castaway colony: Colony established by a group of people accidentally cut off from civilization. The classic example is the passengers and crew of a misjumped starship, but abandoned outposts and people marooned by pirates or mutineers are also possibilities. Such colonies are usually composed of highly disparate individuals with few of the skills needed for survival and little useful equipment; they often fail in a few years. Those that don't fail completely usually suffer a severe loss of knowledge and technological capability in less than a generation.
Exile colony: Colony established by a government in order to get rid of disturbing elements of their society. Some are established close to the homeworld in order to reduce transportation costs and/or keep an eye on the exiles. Others are established far from the homeworld despite the high transportation costs in order to reduce the exiles' opportunities to return. In rare cases the exiles are given a ship and told to go far, far away, but such colonies have more in common with castaway colonies.
Utopian colony: Colony established by a group of like-minded people banding together to create their particular version of a more perfect society. Usually either established in an unclaimed region of a nearby world or on an empty world far, far away. The level of organization and support for the venture can vary tremendously with the wealth and political influence of the group. Utopian colonies with a strong organization behind them are more like sponsored colonies.
Outpost colony: Colony that is growing up around an outpost established for reasons not connected with colonization: Mining outpost, trade enclave, Scout or Naval base, scientific research station, etc. Always established within reach of the parent society, but to large, powerful interstellar realms 'within reach' can be several sectors away. Such colonies usually grow in an unplanned, haphazard way, becoming more and more independent of the outposts that spawned them until one day their economies no longer depend completely on the outposts. Should the outpost be shut down before that happens, most such colonies lose a sizable part of their population, turn into castaway colonies, and either fail or suffer a drastic loss of technological capability.
Sponsored colony: Colony established by a government, company, or other large, wealthy institution for the purpose of furthering some goal. Such colonies are usually well equipped and often supported long enough to ensure success.
Comments?
Hans
I've been working on an article that deals with, among other things, various forms of colonies. Here's what I have so far:
Castaway colony: Colony established by a group of people accidentally cut off from civilization. The classic example is the passengers and crew of a misjumped starship, but abandoned outposts and people marooned by pirates or mutineers are also possibilities. Such colonies are usually composed of highly disparate individuals with few of the skills needed for survival and little useful equipment; they often fail in a few years. Those that don't fail completely usually suffer a severe loss of knowledge and technological capability in less than a generation.
Exile colony: Colony established by a government in order to get rid of disturbing elements of their society. Some are established close to the homeworld in order to reduce transportation costs and/or keep an eye on the exiles. Others are established far from the homeworld despite the high transportation costs in order to reduce the exiles' opportunities to return. In rare cases the exiles are given a ship and told to go far, far away, but such colonies have more in common with castaway colonies.
Utopian colony: Colony established by a group of like-minded people banding together to create their particular version of a more perfect society. Usually either established in an unclaimed region of a nearby world or on an empty world far, far away. The level of organization and support for the venture can vary tremendously with the wealth and political influence of the group. Utopian colonies with a strong organization behind them are more like sponsored colonies.
Outpost colony: Colony that is growing up around an outpost established for reasons not connected with colonization: Mining outpost, trade enclave, Scout or Naval base, scientific research station, etc. Always established within reach of the parent society, but to large, powerful interstellar realms 'within reach' can be several sectors away. Such colonies usually grow in an unplanned, haphazard way, becoming more and more independent of the outposts that spawned them until one day their economies no longer depend completely on the outposts. Should the outpost be shut down before that happens, most such colonies lose a sizable part of their population, turn into castaway colonies, and either fail or suffer a drastic loss of technological capability.
Sponsored colony: Colony established by a government, company, or other large, wealthy institution for the purpose of furthering some goal. Such colonies are usually well equipped and often supported long enough to ensure success.
Comments?
Hans