I'm putting the finshing touches on a New Era timeframe campaign background set in the Halowon sector (two sectors rimward of Canopus or one sector rimward and trailing form Banners). In the setting, Virus did affect the sector, but in a more straightforward form than detailed in TNE (for example, no vampires). Now, however, infected systems are few and far between and virus is much more history than a everyday threat.
The practical effect of Virus was to geographically isolate the Halowon subsector as locally manufactured starships are far too precious to risk on the jump-3 route through Gateway subsector (which leads to the Banners sector, which is the nearest known human space).
The result is a sparsely populated (total pop approx 350 million in 20 systems), roughly subsector sized region of human space in Halowon subsector (subsector `F' on a sector map). The region is divded into no less than sixteen polities, although only four of those could be considered `powers'. Hard times/virus/isolation have resulted in a loss of technology, thus average tech level is nine, although the commonly seen range is from six to eleven. There are less than one hundred working starships in the region (the largest navy boasts only eighteen), none larger than 1ktons. Data on surrounding subsectors is fragmentary.
The setting has a fourfold purpose. 1) move the setting away from canon events, but retain the background, 2) place the setting in an environment allowing plenty of exploration, both the `lost colonies' type (coreward) and the `great unknown' type (further rimward), 3) create a multipolar, realpolitik political environment of squabbling pocket empires, and 4) recreate the atmosphere of the three original LBBs, especially in regards to starship size and relative power (I confess I still get misty eyed at memories of saying, "A type M mercenary cruiser!?! We're all gonna die!")
Also, cheers Antony for doing the Banners Sector, which so transparently provided the inspiration for Halowon and from which I so brazenly pirated!
