I am thinking in this direction. Probably a combination of this with Whipsnade's approach.
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Hard Space Redux
- Thread starter Golan2072
- Start date
I'm thinking of this as some sort of "guild" - the Infinite Stars Cooperative. A closely-knit, Scout-owned "corporation" offering impartial survey and communication services. This works well with the "no ranks" approach to Scouts in CT. The Cooperative accepts only certain people and sends them on dangerous missions. If you survive a few terms of Survey (which is not an easy task, to say the least) and bring results, you become a member in the Cooperative.I'd separate surveying from communications and give C3 whatever in the setting passes for the OTU's x-boats system. The larger corps, trading blocs, and even larger colonies would have their own couriers, again much like how the movers & shakers in the OTU have their own.
For surveying I'd suggest a mixture of approaches. The larger corps would have their own surveying assets just as they have their own couriers, certain nations and colonies would have surveying assets, and there would be a number of small independents of varying abilities. Finally and most importantly, there would a surveying corporation.
In the setting, "SurveyCorp" would be to surveying what C3 is to ports, comms, and banking. It is wholly apolitical, trustworthy to a fault, maintains standards, provides training, and plays no favorites. Any organization or government can hire it. Many of the corporate and independent surveyors used to work for it. It also forgets nothing.
While NDAs of various lengths and strengths mean it keeps secrets from outsiders, "SurveyCorp" doesn't keep secrets from itself. It's crews will be briefed about everything the corp knows about that system before they visit a system. This "We Know, They Don't, We Know, They Can't" mindset fosters an almost cloistered corporate culture with a faintly paternalistic mindset towards outsiders.
Though I'm not sure how much this will fit the tone of the setting...
I would think extend the LBB scout version of clueless admins riding herd on a bunch of no-rank explorers and troubleshooters to being the corporations and blocs hiring the scouts, funding and directing their activities, but learning through harsh costly experience that a corporate/bureaucrat mindset gets people killed Out There, and it's best to let the expendables that chose and live this life do their job.
Of course, this understanding only lasts as long as the next corporate frontier chief rotates out and the new one needs to 'make a splash'.
Extant mechanisms like 'charter ship' and 'merc ticket' could handle the hiring and crewing.
The Type S benefit could then be NOT a detached duty loaner, but an actual owned ship the character earned from several lucrative but hairy 'scout tickets', and the maintenance/fueling for gratis depends on the scout continuing in the business and of course keeping the scout corp entirely in the loop about any and all intel they pick up as part of contracts.
Of course, this understanding only lasts as long as the next corporate frontier chief rotates out and the new one needs to 'make a splash'.
Extant mechanisms like 'charter ship' and 'merc ticket' could handle the hiring and crewing.
The Type S benefit could then be NOT a detached duty loaner, but an actual owned ship the character earned from several lucrative but hairy 'scout tickets', and the maintenance/fueling for gratis depends on the scout continuing in the business and of course keeping the scout corp entirely in the loop about any and all intel they pick up as part of contracts.
I'm thinking of this as some sort of "guild" - the Infinite Stars Cooperative. A closely-knit, Scout-owned "corporation" offering impartial survey and communication services.
That's a much better idea. A much much much better idea.
Though I'm not sure how much this will fit the tone of the setting...
Perhaps it's relatively new compared to the other guilds, corporations, and organizations? It "coalesced" when the many smaller separate companies providing similar survey and courier services began merging during the early days of the 3rd Generation expansion?
The small survey/courier companies had found themselves in a "race to the bottom". The larger corps, nations, trade blocs, and whatnot which contracted their services routinely played the companies off against each other, only signed short term contracts, insisted on regular fee cuts in the name of "efficiency", and so forth. At first, the companies formed a trade association which set minimal contract conditions while mandating certain safety and operational standards. The sales pitch for the "Infinite Stars Cooperative" was that the companies in it were experienced and dependable; i.e. "We produces results, not excuses."
With a majority of the competent firms part of the ICS, most of the independents remaining weren't worth what little the customers wanted to pay. The customers either had to deal with the ICS, do it themselves, or do without. Most chose to deal. The few competent survey and courier firms still outside the ICS found they couldn't compete with the ICS' numerical edge in personnel and infrastructure. They either joined, were "convinced" to join, or became subsidiaries of a larger corporation.
As the ICS trade association became a de facto service monopoly, the wiser members realized the ICS shouldn't press it's newfound advantage too hard. Squeeze too much and the customers for their services could decide it was worth more to replace the ICS than negotiate with it. The association became a guild, setting the fees it's members charge while also guaranteeing skillful work by those members.
Thanks!That's a much better idea. A much much much better idea.
I'd see this as a cooperative of former freelance explorers; it began as a professional association but then began to coordinate trade and prices. The corporation did not necessarily like this, but on the other hand membership of your chosen freelancer in ISC meant guaranteed quality and confidentiality; a kind of informal certification. Eventually this evolved into an actual "corporation" owned by its members.Perhaps it's relatively new compared to the other guilds, corporations, and organizations? It "coalesced" when the many smaller separate companies providing similar survey and courier services began merging during the early days of the 3rd Generation expansion?
ISC also runs the "spacer magazine" called Infinite Stars, and potentially serves as an equivalent for TAS.
Seasoned scouts often get to freely use their scout ship, but the ship always belongs to ISC, and no one truly leaves the Cooperative.
A guild, a "corporation", a professional association, and a little bit of quasi-criminal syndicate.
... and a little bit of quasi-criminal syndicate.
Definitely. They're setting fees and prices and won't want anyone, whether competent or incompetent, undercutting those fees and prices.
They're also going to want freelancers who aren't part of the association to join the association, perhaps going as far as "suggesting" membership in various ways.
Exactly.Definitely. They're setting fees and prices and won't want anyone, whether competent or incompetent, undercutting those fees and prices.
They're also going to want freelancers who aren't part of the association to join the association, perhaps going as far as "suggesting" membership in various ways.
The place they have less of a foothold is Stalking ("plumbing" alien ruins for artifacts), as Stalkers have their own organizations - several of them - often with a much clearer criminal nature.
The place they have less of a foothold is Stalking ("plumbing" alien ruins for artifacts), as Stalkers have their own organizations - several of them - often with a much clearer criminal nature.
That's a good distinction which can lead to all sorts of fun. The ICS doesn't "stalk", but they have all the maps of the places where you can to "stalk". What's more, they can help identify places where you might find ruins in which to "stalk".
The ICS sells treasure maps, sometimes for money up front and sometimes for a cut of what you find.
And hence the Stalker ecosystem - the delicate balance between ISC, Stalkers (independents and groups), and the Corporations.That's a good distinction which can lead to all sorts of fun. The ICS doesn't "stalk", but they have all the maps of the places where you can to "stalk". What's more, they can help identify places where you might find ruins in which to "stalk".
The ICS sells treasure maps, sometimes for money up front and sometimes for a cut of what you find.
And hence the Stalker ecosystem - the delicate balance between ISC, Stalkers (independents and groups), and the Corporations.
Each of the three needs the other two, doesn't trust the other two out of their sight, and will screw the other two at the drop of a hat. The perfect RPG setting!
My apologies for the typo. I will correct this.I'm gonna be 'that guy', and point out that the English spelling for 'trading blocks' would be bloc.
So, Trading Bloc.
Trading Blocs
So far I have detailed many aspects of my Hard Space setting for Classic Traveller and the Cepheus Engine, from spaceflight to history. Now it is time to detail the political "big picture" - the Trading Blocs. The next blog post will detail the Fig Four corporations, as well as the Colonial Commerce Commission and the Infinite Stars Cooperative.
Following WWIII, nation-states were too discredited and bankrupt to function individually. Furthermore, they had great trouble retaining much of their former territories. To maintain a semblance of governance, they banded together, signing trade agreements and aligning themselves with the rising corporate powers. These supra-national government entities are called Trading Blocs. Each Bloc is an economic entity first and political entity second; the Trading Blocs map to their backing corporations. On Earth, this is a corporate-government partnership. Off-world, the Trading Bloc is little more than a flag of convenience.
United Nations (UN): The original United Nations collapsed with the first shots of WWIII in 2038 and officially disbanded in 2043. However, once the war was over, China, Russia, and India reestablished the UN, at least in name. With backing from the gigantic Zhang-Markov Industries, the UN soon expanded, first to Brazil and South Africa, and later to encompass most of Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of South America. They extended invitations to the (formerly) developed nations of North America and Asia to join them, but it was clear to these nations that the UN is firmly in the hands of their old wartime rivals, and thus they refused, forming their own competing Trading Blocs instead. The UN claims much of the world's territory as its own, as noted above, but only holds tenuous control over much of inland China, Siberia, and the recovering South-East Asian jungles. It also claims the Levant as its own, but holds no power there, despite repeated attempts to force its political will on it.
Today, the UN is the most populous of the three Trading Blocs and holds the most territory. It claims to be a democratic regime with equal standing for each member-nation, but the Shanghai Arcology calls the shots (together with the underground Moscow Arcology and the fortified center of New Delhi), and Zhang-Markov calls the shots in the Shanghai Arcology. In space, the UN holds titular claim over the Coreward arm of the Solar Main, with 23 colonies, 15 of then new; it also holds 3 new outposts to the Trailing of Sol.
American Federation (AF): Rising from the destruction of WWIII, the North and Central American markets began their slow recovery with the support of Iron Star Enterprises. Refusing to join the Russo-Indo-Chinese-controlled UN, the former United States, Canada, and Mexico joined forces economically. They later absorbed the Greenland, Caribbean states, all of Central America, and parts of South America as well. Power rests in the few central arcologies of Eastern North America, especially the Boston and New York arcoblocks. Behind this power lies Iron Star Enterprises, closely followed by the electronics and cybernetics powerhouse of Federated Robotics. The latter is not one of the Big Four but is very close to being the fifth corporation in line. The AF claims the entire North and Central America, as well as parts of South America, as its own but holds weak control outside the arcoblocks, and no control of the vast wastes of the former central and south-central United States. Particularly, despite frequent skirmishes and "police actions", both the Rockies Cantons and the Free Republic of Texas remain firmly outside AF control.
Today, the AF is the smallest Trading Bloc in terms of population and territory. Its federal regime is de jure composed of autonomous states, though the central arcoblocks enjoy the most autonomy, while the smaller urban sprawls, Caribbean islands, and South American states are little but puppets of the larger arcology-states.
International Commonwealth (IC): The European nations, Britain included, came out of WWIII in a bad shape, having much of the ground combat occur on their soil. To recover, they banded together to form their competitor to the UN, called the International Commonwealth (IC). It is de jure an open organization of nations, akin to the old League of Nations or United Nations. In addition to Western and Central Europe, it also includes Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as a number of African countries. De facto, London, Berlin, and Neo-Tokyo set the tone and the rest follows. The IC has good control of Western Europe and Japan, but little control over the Eastern European wreckage and no control at all over the wasted Australian Outback.
Today, the IC is the second largest Trading Bloc in terms of population and territory, after the UN. Like the UN, it claims to represent the interests of Humanity as a whole, and presents itself as a more "enlightened" alternative to it. However, in practice, it represents the interests of the Royal British Interstellar Society (RBIC), United European Minerals (UEM), and their smaller Japanese competitors.
The American Federation and International Commonwealth share the Rimward arm of the Solar Main, with 19 colonies, 13 of them new. They also control 6 new outposts to the Rimward-Trailing of Sol.
So far I have detailed many aspects of my Hard Space setting for Classic Traveller and the Cepheus Engine, from spaceflight to history. Now it is time to detail the political "big picture" - the Trading Blocs. The next blog post will detail the Fig Four corporations, as well as the Colonial Commerce Commission and the Infinite Stars Cooperative.
Following WWIII, nation-states were too discredited and bankrupt to function individually. Furthermore, they had great trouble retaining much of their former territories. To maintain a semblance of governance, they banded together, signing trade agreements and aligning themselves with the rising corporate powers. These supra-national government entities are called Trading Blocs. Each Bloc is an economic entity first and political entity second; the Trading Blocs map to their backing corporations. On Earth, this is a corporate-government partnership. Off-world, the Trading Bloc is little more than a flag of convenience.
United Nations (UN): The original United Nations collapsed with the first shots of WWIII in 2038 and officially disbanded in 2043. However, once the war was over, China, Russia, and India reestablished the UN, at least in name. With backing from the gigantic Zhang-Markov Industries, the UN soon expanded, first to Brazil and South Africa, and later to encompass most of Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of South America. They extended invitations to the (formerly) developed nations of North America and Asia to join them, but it was clear to these nations that the UN is firmly in the hands of their old wartime rivals, and thus they refused, forming their own competing Trading Blocs instead. The UN claims much of the world's territory as its own, as noted above, but only holds tenuous control over much of inland China, Siberia, and the recovering South-East Asian jungles. It also claims the Levant as its own, but holds no power there, despite repeated attempts to force its political will on it.
Today, the UN is the most populous of the three Trading Blocs and holds the most territory. It claims to be a democratic regime with equal standing for each member-nation, but the Shanghai Arcology calls the shots (together with the underground Moscow Arcology and the fortified center of New Delhi), and Zhang-Markov calls the shots in the Shanghai Arcology. In space, the UN holds titular claim over the Coreward arm of the Solar Main, with 23 colonies, 15 of then new; it also holds 3 new outposts to the Trailing of Sol.
American Federation (AF): Rising from the destruction of WWIII, the North and Central American markets began their slow recovery with the support of Iron Star Enterprises. Refusing to join the Russo-Indo-Chinese-controlled UN, the former United States, Canada, and Mexico joined forces economically. They later absorbed the Greenland, Caribbean states, all of Central America, and parts of South America as well. Power rests in the few central arcologies of Eastern North America, especially the Boston and New York arcoblocks. Behind this power lies Iron Star Enterprises, closely followed by the electronics and cybernetics powerhouse of Federated Robotics. The latter is not one of the Big Four but is very close to being the fifth corporation in line. The AF claims the entire North and Central America, as well as parts of South America, as its own but holds weak control outside the arcoblocks, and no control of the vast wastes of the former central and south-central United States. Particularly, despite frequent skirmishes and "police actions", both the Rockies Cantons and the Free Republic of Texas remain firmly outside AF control.
Today, the AF is the smallest Trading Bloc in terms of population and territory. Its federal regime is de jure composed of autonomous states, though the central arcoblocks enjoy the most autonomy, while the smaller urban sprawls, Caribbean islands, and South American states are little but puppets of the larger arcology-states.
International Commonwealth (IC): The European nations, Britain included, came out of WWIII in a bad shape, having much of the ground combat occur on their soil. To recover, they banded together to form their competitor to the UN, called the International Commonwealth (IC). It is de jure an open organization of nations, akin to the old League of Nations or United Nations. In addition to Western and Central Europe, it also includes Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as a number of African countries. De facto, London, Berlin, and Neo-Tokyo set the tone and the rest follows. The IC has good control of Western Europe and Japan, but little control over the Eastern European wreckage and no control at all over the wasted Australian Outback.
Today, the IC is the second largest Trading Bloc in terms of population and territory, after the UN. Like the UN, it claims to represent the interests of Humanity as a whole, and presents itself as a more "enlightened" alternative to it. However, in practice, it represents the interests of the Royal British Interstellar Society (RBIC), United European Minerals (UEM), and their smaller Japanese competitors.
The American Federation and International Commonwealth share the Rimward arm of the Solar Main, with 19 colonies, 13 of them new. They also control 6 new outposts to the Rimward-Trailing of Sol.
Of the three is the UN the richest? Or is it the IC or AF?
In addition, what is weapons tech like in Hard Space?
For weapons and armor, will you just use generic Traveller terms/names for them or will you write your own fluff and terms/names for them as flavor text even when mechanically, they're identical to *insert Traveller term*?
In addition, what is weapons tech like in Hard Space?
For weapons and armor, will you just use generic Traveller terms/names for them or will you write your own fluff and terms/names for them as flavor text even when mechanically, they're identical to *insert Traveller term*?
There are changes in process for the trading blocks following a discussion I had about geopolitics and the course of WWIII. In a nutshell, countries who have sustained minor damage in WWIII have a strong position in the Trading Blocs, with the UN being Africa-centric rather than China-centric, though China still has some of its own power. Initially, the UN had the best mineral resources, but things are less pronounced given space and interstellar mining.Of the three is the UN the richest? Or is it the IC or AF?
There will be fluff names, yes. At least for weapons.In addition, what is weapons tech like in Hard Space?
For weapons and armor, will you just use generic Traveller terms/names for them or will you write your own fluff and terms/names for them as flavor text even when mechanically, they're identical to *insert Traveller term*?
Weapon tech is approximate Traveller TL10. Slug throwers predominate, advanced forces use ACRs. Lasers are important sharpshooter (and very light support) weapons but not the main infantry small arm by far. Most people use slug-throwers. Most use conventional slug-throwers; the most advanced and well-budgeted forces (read: corporate SWAT teams) have ACRs, as do the more expensive mercs.
There are no grav vehicles, so expect VTOLs, tilt-rotors, and Aliens-style dropships, as well as APCs and tanks. There is no battledress (yet) but there are much bulkier "combat suits" to be designed with CE vehicle rules.
For the AF & IC, what countries were able to escape major damage?There are changes in process for the trading blocks following a discussion I had about geopolitics and the course of WWIII. In a nutshell, countries who have sustained minor damage in WWIII have a strong position in the Trading Blocs, with the UN being Africa-centric rather than China-centric, though China still has some of its own power. Initially, the UN had the best mineral resources, but things are less pronounced given space and interstellar mining.
And how cyberpunk are the arcologies on Earth, in your mind?
Do you think most typical slugthrowers would either be caseless or case telescoped firearms?There will be fluff names, yes. At least for weapons.
Weapon tech is approximate Traveller TL10. Slug throwers predominate, advanced forces use ACRs. Lasers are important sharpshooter (and very light support) weapons but not the main infantry small arm by far. Most people use slug-throwers. Most use conventional slug-throwers; the most advanced and well-budgeted forces (read: corporate SWAT teams) have ACRs, as do the more expensive mercs.
Would railguns or coilguns be used for anti-materiel/sniper roles?
For ship armor & weapons, would you just use generic Traveller terms like say "crystaliron"? Or do you figure with this setting that names or terms might be different (though mechanically matching with the Cepheus Engine rules?
Finally, in this setting, how do the rich travel around? Is there anything akin to first-class/High Passage on liners or people with yachts of some type?
In the IC, India and some of the South-East Asian countries suffered mostly conventional (rather than nuclear) damage. England suffered sever damage but recovered relatively quickly.For the AF & IC, what countries were able to escape major damage?
In the AF, Latin American countries suffered only secondary damage; Brazil and Argentina and major powers and food producers.
Very cyberpunk. Inside the arcology this is corporate paradise/hell (depending on how you view it) - high quality of life but tightly controlled; outside the arcology, this is the Urban Blight, shelled-out urban sprawl with little law and major gang activity, as well as corporate factories. Beyond that - the devastates Wilds (think Mad Max, STALKER, and Fallout).And how cyberpunk are the arcologies on Earth, in your mind?
Ordinary (cheap) firearms use conventional ammunition. ACRs and related weapons (such as advanced handguns and SMGs) use caseless ammunition (I'm tempted to make these HEAP as in Aliens).Do you think most typical slugthrowers would either be caseless or case telescoped firearms?
Heavy vehicle weapons, possibly replacing ordinary cannons. Too bulky for personnel-grade use.Would railguns or coilguns be used for anti-materiel/sniper roles?
I'll probably keep the Traveller/CE terms for compatibility sake.For ship armor & weapons, would you just use generic Traveller terms like say "crystaliron"? Or do you figure with this setting that names or terms might be different (though mechanically matching with the Cepheus Engine rules?
The rich travel by High Passage. The super-rich by personal or company-owned yachts.Finally, in this setting, how do the rich travel around? Is there anything akin to first-class/High Passage on liners or people with yachts of some type?
Brazil and Argentina and major powers and food producers.
How does the language/culture divide work in South America. One of the many things 2300AD got right was acknowledging the long standing gulf between hispanophones and lusophones.
I'll have to research that...How does the language/culture divide work in South America. One of the many things 2300AD got right was acknowledging the long standing gulf between hispanophones and lusophones.
Sorry, another question I've forgotten to ask for a few days now. With regards to wealth, do you have any ideas about per capita wealth, national/colony GNPs, productivity, and so forth?
Something along the lines of "The UN is the wealthiest trade bloc, but it's larger populations means it lags in per capita wealth behind..." or "The IC bloc's productivity edge means it is more wealthy than population totals would suggest.".
Something along the lines of "The UN is the wealthiest trade bloc, but it's larger populations means it lags in per capita wealth behind..." or "The IC bloc's productivity edge means it is more wealthy than population totals would suggest.".
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