Timewaster's Guide Archive
Alternate Realities => Endless Stars => Topic started by: Mr_Pleasington on August 09, 2005, 03:16:31 AM
-
I've lately been inspired to return to designing my own strategic play by face/email/message board 4X sci-fi game.
I need some help. It's not necessary to know anything about the game to help me. Basically, I need Sciences and research goals that are typical to sci-fi. I know I could just look up research trees for several video games, but I thought I'd see what we could come up with.
Some guidelines:
-no weapons. Those will be dealt with later
-keep it fairly broad
-FTL travel has been discovered.
Research is divided into three areas, Military, Science, and Social. Again, skip military for now.
Here are examples of what I have so far-
Science:
Terraforming
Artificial Intelligence
Total Autonomation (requires A.I.)
Organic Industry
Social:
Cloning Tech
Neural Grafting
Propaganda
-
Intresting, I'll come up with some stuff once I get time later in the week.
-
You need nanotech, medical research, bionics (for limb replacement), transportation (FTL, "warp" driver or hyperspace/travel, or teleportation, or several of the above). Power research (utilizing alternative energy sources like unused atomic or quantum energy sources, etc).
-
How about....new forms of governements can make up some or use some good paper governements. Also what about like a refinery type research to enhance the power supply sources. Maybe some reasearch into reforce building materials to make certain items stronger (like buildings roadways, and other things of that nature)
Will post more when I think of more
-
Anti-gravity (propulsion, materials transport), anti-matter (disposal). Energy projection (for protection for hazardous environments, such as mining or working with radioactive materials or chemicals. energy projection could be used for mining as well.
-
what about improvements in houseing, buildings that can hold more people, new luxury items?
-
Go buy GURPS Ultratech 1 and 2. Read. Those have an obscene amount of sci fi tech in them.
-
What about the healh insurance industry. If you have near god-like ability to heal people, who decides what will be covered and what will not be covered? Are people enslaved to insurance policies? Does insuranse policies dictate who can be helped and who can't be helped? What is considered life-threatening when nearly anything can be cured? How would one set up a social security system for varied species?
Also there could be all kinds of social research on the interaction between different sentient species. Aliens may not necessarily think and feel as humans think and feel. There would probably be a lot of psychological research to be done there.
Here's another list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction_themes
-
what about advances in computer and information technology, maybe a world wide wireless communication feature, better computers, and Robotics.
-
Go buy GURPS Ultratech 1 and 2. Read. Those have an obscene amount of sci fi tech in them.
*twitch*
Ok, you've hit on a pet peeve. When one is CREATING an RPG, it is a good idea to be familiar with ones of similar setting. However, once you've gotten past that stage and are actually building the setting, using another person's property as direct source material is just wrong on so many levels. It's fine if you're building a GURPS setting. But if not, don't go read GURPS Ultratech as you write your setting.
-
All good suggestions, gang. Some I'd already incorporated.
For the record, this isn't an RPG...technically. It probably falls more under the category of strategy board game. But without much of a board.
-
While there are some great ideas here, it dawns on me that this would be much more helpful if I provided some context.
Let me make an inquiry and see if I can do just that.
-
the more information you can provied the better ideas people will have that are relevant to the game
-
Spoken like a true gentleman, Legion.
That's why Fell was kind enough to give me a forum to do just that. You'll notice "Endless Stars" is now our playtest arena.
Shortly, I'll have the the info I've got so far posted there. Then you all can make suggestions. We'll work out a all kinds of things and then, hopefully, playtest it!
Come join the fun!
-
I'll play the romulans, and nobody will ally with me :)
-
What about trade research, better barding system to allow the purchase of cheaper items, caravans, and better trade routes to increase trade speed. Also diplomacy, better ambassadors, maybe the construction of embassies in other nations, which leads to spies......spies, might lead to war type items so I will stay away from them.
-
Spies and sabotage are all handled in the Intel Phase. It's being worked on.
-
You need the space rescue tech advance
Thunderbirds you are GO!!!!