First, I suppose we need to look at the apparent premise/background of Firefly:
(From the official Fox website)
STORY
Set 500 years in the future in the wake of a universal civil war, FIREFLY tells the tale of Serenity, a small transport spaceship without a homeport. Captain Malcolm (“Mal”) Reynolds commands Serenity for legitimate transport and salvage runs, as well as more “entrepreneurial” endeavors.
On Serenity, crew and passengers live together in close quarters as they shuttle between the Alliance-governed galaxy and the border planets that delineate the new frontier. The crew undertakes almost any job -- legal or not -- to stay afloat and put bread on the table. Each of the passengers has his or her own motivation for being on board - some honorable, some more questionable. All have unique pasts and different reasons for wanting to get to their destination.
Serenity and its crew flies to the border planets, many of which are barely inhabited, because they want to stay away from the Alliance and below its big radar. Thrust together by necessity, the disparate men and women of Serenity face constant challenges, which test and reveal their true identities. FIREFLY is about their unpredictable lives and relationships, as well as their search for meaning in a very uncertain time.
(Apparently the war ended 4 years ago. One of the significant battles was "The Battle of Serenity")
CHARACTERS/CAST
“You’re probably safer on the move,“ the captain of Serenity tells a reluctant, new crewmember, “and WE NEVER STOP MOVING.”
Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds – “The Captain”
Mal is Serenity’s captain. He is a defeated soldier who opposed the unification of the planets by the Alliance to no avail. The world he called “home” now gone, Mal does what he needs to do to keep Serenity flying and its crew intact. Uncertain of his role in peacetime, Mal wants a normal life, but at the same time knows he'll probably never have one – an ongoing internal conflict.
Zoe – “The Soldier”
Zoe served with Mal during the war and is very loyal to him. She owes her life to Mal and is torn between that debt and her future with her husband Wash. Zoe has the strength and experience to take command of the ship, if necessary.
Wash – “The Pilot”
Wash flies Serenity and is Zoe's husband. He is unassuming, self-deprecating and not at all the fiery-hero type. He is the calm one with a sense of humor.
Inara – “The Ambassador”
A “Companion” by trade, Inara has her own space on the ship’s shuttlecraft. She is a high-class courtesan in a time when prostitution is perfectly legal on most planets. Why she is on the decidedly working class Serenity remains a mystery.
Kaylee – “The Mechanic”
The ship's engineer and bright light, Kaylee is more comfortable on “her” ship than on the ground.
Jayne – “The Mercenary”
Big, tough and unpleasant; Jayne’s a loyal soldier… until he gets a better offer and for now, the best one he’s got is Serenity’s. For now.
Simon – “The Doctor”
Simon is the doctor on board Serenity. He comes from a wealthy background and has had a privileged upbringing. He constantly disagrees with the captain’s decisions.
River – “The Fugitive”
Borderline psychic, River can read most minds and tends to speak not only what is on her own mind, but others' as well. The Alliance is eager to “recover” their genius.
Book – “The Shepherd”
He is a priest, older and a little wiser than the rest of the crew. It is unclear if Book is on a mission to spread the word of God throughout the universe or on a personal “walk-a-bout.” He’s found God, but he still needs to find himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Out of Gas" flashbacks
"Flash back about two or three years. Mal brings Zoe into the empty and dusty cargo bay. There’s a feeling that Zoe still considers Mal to be her commanding officer from the days of the war. Zoe’s not impressed with Mal’s purchase. But Mal sees the ship as their chance for freedom, a chance to escape the growing influence and authority of the Alliance. All the ship needs, of course, is a good mechanic and a pilot. He’s already got the name picked out… "
Politics
"Here's how it is: Earth got used up, so we terraformed a whole new galaxy of earths. Some rich and flush with the new technologies, some not so much. Central planets formed the Alliance and waged war to bring everyone under their rule. A few idiots tried to fight , among them myself. I'm Malcolm Reynolds, captain of Serenity. Got a good crew: fighters, pilot, mechanic. We even picked up a preacher...bonafide companion. There's a doctor too. Took his genius sister outa some Alliance camps and they're keeping a low profile. You gotta job, we can do it. Don't much care what it is."
The most powerful political force is the Alliance. It has recently put down a rebellion from the frontier world who apparently were seeking autonomy. There may be some small resistance groups still floating around but nothing definate has been mentioned in the series about them.
Astrography
"Here is a list of planets mentioned in the Pilot script:
Hera - Contains Serenity Valley
Persephone - Well populated, High tech planet. Eavesdown docks.
Boros - Trade planet.
Sihnon - Not that different from Persephone. More crowded, more complicated. The great city itself is like an ocean of light. Inara was born there.
Londinum - King wears a shiny hat.
Athens - A planet with habitable moons.
Whitefall - Athens' fourth moon, Patience lives here.
Osiris - Simon was a surgeon in Capital City.
Three Hills - A border planet."
Technology
The Alliance forces have the highest tech equipment (though various technologies exist within it's sphere of influence). The frontier worlds are mostly agrarian and utilize low tech weapons and equipment (though examples of higher tech equipment exist).
Ships have gravitics. Kaylee mentions "Gravitic thrusters" for propulsion. Small ships are capable of FTL travel. Apparently small FTL ships are available for purchase on the frontier.
Low tech handguns and longarms are common. Some societies use swords (at least the nobles do).
The character's ship, Serenity, is a "Firefly" class "Rogue" ship.
Ship layout
"Ok, I have rewatched "Serenity" and "The Train Job", and have tried to integrate the set walk throughs that are on this site into things, and this is what I have. The bad news: The inside seems to be bigger than the outside, or at least impossible to justify. VERY frustrating.
Exterior: The ship is roughly divided into thirds, lengthwise: The
head and "neck", a center section, and an aftersetion which contains
the drive units and the exterior rotating "ring".
Interior: According to the "Serenity" script, the crew cubbyholes
(where Mal, Jayne, Kaylee, and Wash/Zoe live) are off of, and below,
the corridor which runs from the bridge back to the rest of the ship.
This seems to fit with the available visuals.
The messroom/ galley is on top of the front of the center section;
in "Bushwhacked", we saw the Tam's outside the windows there, while
we could see the Feds searching the messroom through the windows. Adding the footage from "Ariel" and what I can remember of "Out of Gas", I think that this room is the entire top level of the center section.
The main cargo door (ramp) is under the throat, and the cargo bay
takes up most of the lower level of the center section. There are
catwalks that run the length of the cargo bay midway up the sides of
the bay, with a bridge that runs between them side to side in roughly
the middle of the bay. There are twin stairs at the rear of the bay
that lead to doors into the aft/upper levels of the ship, and ports
to the side which lead to the shuttle bays on either side. There is a door at deck level in the center of the aft wall of the cargo bay; the floor behind it is a step below the cargo bay floor, and there is a wall about four feet behind the door (that is, the door forms the stem of a tee intersection.) The med bay is behind that wall, and about five feet below the floor of the cargo bay. There is a lounge area of sorts on the port side of the med bay, and an open area on the starboard side which leads to the passenger quarters.
The passenger quarters are UNDER the cargo bay, accessed by a corridor that runs along the starboard side of the ship.
The engine room that we have seen would seem to be in the aft center
of the aft section; there is a corridor that runs forward from there to the aft door of the messroom (this feature is pretty clear in several interior shots, and impossible to justify with the exterior shots. As I said, frustrating. (Though a little bit of finagling might be able to make it almost work.) There is a passageway that leads off the starboard side of this corridor which leads to nowhere we know about.
I could draw a fairly coherent map at this point, but I am going to watch a few more videos first, I think. You never know what may turn up.
Oh, yes... The "Kaylee's Room" sign, and the "Christmas lights" around the ladder, are definitely in the pilot, and several other episodes. "
I've seen a thread where the Firefly characters are written up as Traveller characters using Traveller rules and stats. While this can suffice, what's to keep us from creating specific classes that specifically fit into the Firefly universe? What's to keep us from generating said universe?
I know I'm going over alot of ground that's been covered already in one shape or form in the forums but I thought I'd try to present as many of the "show facts" as I could find and get feedback.
Thanks, guys ...
(From the official Fox website)
STORY
Set 500 years in the future in the wake of a universal civil war, FIREFLY tells the tale of Serenity, a small transport spaceship without a homeport. Captain Malcolm (“Mal”) Reynolds commands Serenity for legitimate transport and salvage runs, as well as more “entrepreneurial” endeavors.
On Serenity, crew and passengers live together in close quarters as they shuttle between the Alliance-governed galaxy and the border planets that delineate the new frontier. The crew undertakes almost any job -- legal or not -- to stay afloat and put bread on the table. Each of the passengers has his or her own motivation for being on board - some honorable, some more questionable. All have unique pasts and different reasons for wanting to get to their destination.
Serenity and its crew flies to the border planets, many of which are barely inhabited, because they want to stay away from the Alliance and below its big radar. Thrust together by necessity, the disparate men and women of Serenity face constant challenges, which test and reveal their true identities. FIREFLY is about their unpredictable lives and relationships, as well as their search for meaning in a very uncertain time.
(Apparently the war ended 4 years ago. One of the significant battles was "The Battle of Serenity")
CHARACTERS/CAST
“You’re probably safer on the move,“ the captain of Serenity tells a reluctant, new crewmember, “and WE NEVER STOP MOVING.”
Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds – “The Captain”
Mal is Serenity’s captain. He is a defeated soldier who opposed the unification of the planets by the Alliance to no avail. The world he called “home” now gone, Mal does what he needs to do to keep Serenity flying and its crew intact. Uncertain of his role in peacetime, Mal wants a normal life, but at the same time knows he'll probably never have one – an ongoing internal conflict.
Zoe – “The Soldier”
Zoe served with Mal during the war and is very loyal to him. She owes her life to Mal and is torn between that debt and her future with her husband Wash. Zoe has the strength and experience to take command of the ship, if necessary.
Wash – “The Pilot”
Wash flies Serenity and is Zoe's husband. He is unassuming, self-deprecating and not at all the fiery-hero type. He is the calm one with a sense of humor.
Inara – “The Ambassador”
A “Companion” by trade, Inara has her own space on the ship’s shuttlecraft. She is a high-class courtesan in a time when prostitution is perfectly legal on most planets. Why she is on the decidedly working class Serenity remains a mystery.
Kaylee – “The Mechanic”
The ship's engineer and bright light, Kaylee is more comfortable on “her” ship than on the ground.
Jayne – “The Mercenary”
Big, tough and unpleasant; Jayne’s a loyal soldier… until he gets a better offer and for now, the best one he’s got is Serenity’s. For now.
Simon – “The Doctor”
Simon is the doctor on board Serenity. He comes from a wealthy background and has had a privileged upbringing. He constantly disagrees with the captain’s decisions.
River – “The Fugitive”
Borderline psychic, River can read most minds and tends to speak not only what is on her own mind, but others' as well. The Alliance is eager to “recover” their genius.
Book – “The Shepherd”
He is a priest, older and a little wiser than the rest of the crew. It is unclear if Book is on a mission to spread the word of God throughout the universe or on a personal “walk-a-bout.” He’s found God, but he still needs to find himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Out of Gas" flashbacks
"Flash back about two or three years. Mal brings Zoe into the empty and dusty cargo bay. There’s a feeling that Zoe still considers Mal to be her commanding officer from the days of the war. Zoe’s not impressed with Mal’s purchase. But Mal sees the ship as their chance for freedom, a chance to escape the growing influence and authority of the Alliance. All the ship needs, of course, is a good mechanic and a pilot. He’s already got the name picked out… "
Politics
"Here's how it is: Earth got used up, so we terraformed a whole new galaxy of earths. Some rich and flush with the new technologies, some not so much. Central planets formed the Alliance and waged war to bring everyone under their rule. A few idiots tried to fight , among them myself. I'm Malcolm Reynolds, captain of Serenity. Got a good crew: fighters, pilot, mechanic. We even picked up a preacher...bonafide companion. There's a doctor too. Took his genius sister outa some Alliance camps and they're keeping a low profile. You gotta job, we can do it. Don't much care what it is."
The most powerful political force is the Alliance. It has recently put down a rebellion from the frontier world who apparently were seeking autonomy. There may be some small resistance groups still floating around but nothing definate has been mentioned in the series about them.
Astrography
"Here is a list of planets mentioned in the Pilot script:
Hera - Contains Serenity Valley
Persephone - Well populated, High tech planet. Eavesdown docks.
Boros - Trade planet.
Sihnon - Not that different from Persephone. More crowded, more complicated. The great city itself is like an ocean of light. Inara was born there.
Londinum - King wears a shiny hat.
Athens - A planet with habitable moons.
Whitefall - Athens' fourth moon, Patience lives here.
Osiris - Simon was a surgeon in Capital City.
Three Hills - A border planet."
Technology
The Alliance forces have the highest tech equipment (though various technologies exist within it's sphere of influence). The frontier worlds are mostly agrarian and utilize low tech weapons and equipment (though examples of higher tech equipment exist).
Ships have gravitics. Kaylee mentions "Gravitic thrusters" for propulsion. Small ships are capable of FTL travel. Apparently small FTL ships are available for purchase on the frontier.
Low tech handguns and longarms are common. Some societies use swords (at least the nobles do).
The character's ship, Serenity, is a "Firefly" class "Rogue" ship.
Ship layout
"Ok, I have rewatched "Serenity" and "The Train Job", and have tried to integrate the set walk throughs that are on this site into things, and this is what I have. The bad news: The inside seems to be bigger than the outside, or at least impossible to justify. VERY frustrating.
Exterior: The ship is roughly divided into thirds, lengthwise: The
head and "neck", a center section, and an aftersetion which contains
the drive units and the exterior rotating "ring".
Interior: According to the "Serenity" script, the crew cubbyholes
(where Mal, Jayne, Kaylee, and Wash/Zoe live) are off of, and below,
the corridor which runs from the bridge back to the rest of the ship.
This seems to fit with the available visuals.
The messroom/ galley is on top of the front of the center section;
in "Bushwhacked", we saw the Tam's outside the windows there, while
we could see the Feds searching the messroom through the windows. Adding the footage from "Ariel" and what I can remember of "Out of Gas", I think that this room is the entire top level of the center section.
The main cargo door (ramp) is under the throat, and the cargo bay
takes up most of the lower level of the center section. There are
catwalks that run the length of the cargo bay midway up the sides of
the bay, with a bridge that runs between them side to side in roughly
the middle of the bay. There are twin stairs at the rear of the bay
that lead to doors into the aft/upper levels of the ship, and ports
to the side which lead to the shuttle bays on either side. There is a door at deck level in the center of the aft wall of the cargo bay; the floor behind it is a step below the cargo bay floor, and there is a wall about four feet behind the door (that is, the door forms the stem of a tee intersection.) The med bay is behind that wall, and about five feet below the floor of the cargo bay. There is a lounge area of sorts on the port side of the med bay, and an open area on the starboard side which leads to the passenger quarters.
The passenger quarters are UNDER the cargo bay, accessed by a corridor that runs along the starboard side of the ship.
The engine room that we have seen would seem to be in the aft center
of the aft section; there is a corridor that runs forward from there to the aft door of the messroom (this feature is pretty clear in several interior shots, and impossible to justify with the exterior shots. As I said, frustrating. (Though a little bit of finagling might be able to make it almost work.) There is a passageway that leads off the starboard side of this corridor which leads to nowhere we know about.
I could draw a fairly coherent map at this point, but I am going to watch a few more videos first, I think. You never know what may turn up.
Oh, yes... The "Kaylee's Room" sign, and the "Christmas lights" around the ladder, are definitely in the pilot, and several other episodes. "
I've seen a thread where the Firefly characters are written up as Traveller characters using Traveller rules and stats. While this can suffice, what's to keep us from creating specific classes that specifically fit into the Firefly universe? What's to keep us from generating said universe?
I know I'm going over alot of ground that's been covered already in one shape or form in the forums but I thought I'd try to present as many of the "show facts" as I could find and get feedback.
Thanks, guys ...
