Hard Times for a planet

[SJE]

So... I'm planning my TravCon scenario for 2015, and I''ve been hit by the thought of running a scenario in which the PC's are the ruling council of a planet in the Wilds. While not directly invaded or involved in the Civil War, the collapse of the economy and traders, and rise of bandits, pirates and ultimately Vampire ships are going to be the challenges they have to overcome.

I'm reading through Hard Times and Survival Margin, but are there any other good books or scenarios to read or inspire on the subject?

I suspect there will be some moral dillemmas along the way- trading freedom and democracy for survival and tyranny perhaps, or deciding whether to use the fleet to raid other worlds for supplies, or allowing your tech level to wither - probably with some Prisoners Dilemma situations too.

Any other experiences or examples with this type of game?

Thx

Steve

 

[mike wightman]

TNE Vampire Fleets is the first thing that springs to mind. After that two other TNE supplements worth their weight in gold to me are Path of Tears and Smash and Grab. My final two recommendations may appear a little odd but there are some really good meta-rules hidden within T4 Pocket Empires and T5 Imperial Squadrons.

 

[GypsyComet]

If this is a Hard Times scenario, Vampire Fleets may not reflect the era very well. At the end of Hard Times, your system's very own Virus Patient Zero jumps in and wrecks shop, one way or another. Not much evolution of the Cyms has occurred by that point, so they are really just a force for rapid destruction.

If the scenario will move forward fast enough to deal with the longer term aftermath, then those books (TNE main, and Vampire Fleets) that cover Virus/Cym psychology and evolution will come in handy.

 

[Quint]

You might simply want to ignore the TNE environment entirely and run a Hard Times scenario using some other conflict. All you need is someone willing to fight a "Black War" and you're good - so either an entirely MTU setting, or simply pick some out of the way place with some small client states that you can reasonably "put through the wringer" without impacting the larger setting...

That last setting one could have shades of the old Dragon magazine adventure "Exonidas Spaceport" (issue #59 IIRC), which is the other bit of source material I'd suggest for this sort of adventure.

D.

 

[Timerover51]

The old Morrow Project game, by Timeline, had some good scenarios, and it appears that they are back in business. Then you also should be able to get idea from Twilight 2000 as well.

There is also Alas, Babylon, about a post-nuclear war US, and then Poul Anderson's Vault of the Ages. The is also a far amount of Christopher Anvil's short stories online, covering frontier planets.

 

[Blue Ghost]

I never really got involved in TNE. Can someone give me the Readers' Digest version of "Vampire Ships".

Having said that, what SJE seems to be requesting is almost a Doctor Who like story arc, minus any time travel aspect; i.e. a set of characters travelling and experiencing disparate situations and NPCs. If you have the patience, I might recommend watching "The Key to Time" story arc from Tom Baker era Dr. Who to get some scenario concepts.

 

[GypsyComet]

I never really got involved in TNE. Can someone give me the Readers' Digest version of "Vampire Ships".

You want the product review, or the concept?

 

[Blue Ghost]

I guess overall concept.

 

[mike wightman]

It's a three part supplement.

The first part details how AI controlled ship become the vampire fleets of the title, the second part is a rather good adventure that has massive implications for the OTU future, and there is a robot building section thrown in just for good measure.

 

[Blue Ghost]

That's interesting. I bought some of the books before Imperiumgames closed their doors, but I sold them years later before I could really crack any of them.

Getting back on topic, there was an old UK sci-fi show about a virus wiping out much of the world, and fragments of society were trying to rebuild. You might look into that series to mine some ideas.

 

[GypsyComet]

That's interesting. I bought some of the books before Imperiumgames closed their doors, but I sold them years later before I could really crack any of them.

Imperium Games published T4. TNE was the edition prior to that, by GDW.

 

[Xerxeskingofking]

just a suggestion that popped into my head:

why not push the date back the Civil War?

it has that same "abandoned by higher authorities" feel as the Imperial navy is pulled into supporting various contenders. it covers a extended timeframe, but not one so extended that the PCs could not play the same PCs throughout the campaign. it also has a clear cut and "happy" ending (when word of Arbellatra's refusing the throne and ending the civil war arrives).

I not certain of the tech level of the Imperium at this point, but I think it must be about TL13 (as they institute the X boat network afterword, which obviously needs J4). So, apart form a some the higher tech goodies, most of the stuff players a familiar with would still be there.


I would suggest spreading the adventures out over the period with a few years between each game. the players success in each game affects the fate of the world (if they defeat the attacking pirates, then the world gets a rep as a "hard target" and is left alone, if the playesr choose to bow to a envoy form one faction they get raided by members of another, etc)

 

[GypsyComet]

why not push the date back the Civil War?

it has that same "abandoned by higher authorities" feel

Not to the same degree, though, even if you play in Deneb. There is no evidence that the Civil War ever descended to Black Warfare, as it was always single-target King of the Hill. Commerce continued along unabated, as the only time you were going to find fleets slugging it out was if you happened to be in a system at the same time as two contenders on their way to Capital, or if you were very close to Capital. For everyone else things might have gotten slightly more dangerous with the lack of naval patrols, but not Black War dangerous.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Imperium Games published T4. TNE was the edition prior to that, by GDW.

I keep getting the two confused.

 

[SJE]

When folks talk about the Civil War, do you mean the Megatraveller era?

If so, thats kinda what I'm thinking of- going from the chaos of the Imperium post-Strephons assassination, its balkanisation and restrenchment back to the power cores, the destuction of the Navy and rise of piracy and how that impacts the economy as the trading ships stop coming, and the technology designs and transfers and advanced parts cease to flow.

So the PC's are the Imperial Noble, elected Prime Minister, the Admiral, the General of ground forces, and maybe a Free trader/pirate type. They are facing an economic recession, civil unrest, technology level loss and possible raiders.

Maybe the system has a Highport. Do they maintain that or devote the technicians and parts to keeping the planetary fusion generators going? Do they secure parts and resources from other worlds nearby by raiding, or do they keep their fleet close by to protect their planet from raiders?

Thats the kind of game I'm going for. Like the MT Hard Times book but instead of it being planet hopping Travellers, its the rulers of just 1 planet.

Any suggestions for a good locale or planet? One an equivalent neighbour and some weaker. Also I'm not sure if it should be on a trade route or a cul de sac/cluster on a spur?

Thx.

SJE

 

[aramis]

When folks talk about the Civil War, do you mean the Megatraveller era?

There are two canon civil wars in the 3I... one in the 600's (604-622) and one in the 1100's (1116 to 1135)... in general the use I see normally is for the 600's. The second is usually "The Rebellion" or sometimes the "Second Civil War"