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Space Opera RP (Gauging Interest)

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SOCR Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Get out of here, STALKER
Diamonnes In Riastrad from Ulster Since: Nov, 2009
In Riastrad
#27: Jun 28th 2011 at 5:54:42 PM

Moerin, is it entirely necessary to use verbal tics in a written format? Sorry to be an ass, but it makes it a tad difficult to follow.

Halo is indeed bloody awesome. Especially the Elites. Seriously, there is no cooler alien species ever created.

My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.
Moerin (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#28: Jun 28th 2011 at 6:00:53 PM

Sorry about that. It's an old habit, and one I really do without even thinking about it. I'll try to cut down on it for purposes of this discussion, though, if it's really that distracting. Sorry!

Also I could probably challenge your assertation that these "Elites" are the coolest alien species out there, but it's kind of late and I'd just ramble on incoherently if I went on a tangent like that at the moment.

merrja That person who is away. from Away Since: Dec, 2010
That person who is away.
#29: Jun 29th 2011 at 2:51:55 AM

As a big Sci-Fi epic space-opera fan I'm interested in this.

edited 29th Jun '11 2:52:28 AM by merrja

I am currently away, in a place without internet. This state may persist for some time. I will change this sig when I am not away.
DoctorHabberdashMD -Angry face- from In session! Since: Jun, 2011
-Angry face-
#30: Jun 29th 2011 at 5:20:31 AM

EXCELLENT.

In caps and everything.

So... uhm... we have a very vague guideline going.

Race for a McGuffin which may or may not actually be a superweapon, but is thought to be one.

The humans are very "realistic" and their tech relates to the modern day. Nothing too "shiny". Probably all kinetic weapons too?

But yeah. I mean, if anybody has any suggestions or general... counter points, totally shoot 'em up. Like Heroin. A Heroin of ideas.

I don't know what that means.

Diamonnes In Riastrad from Ulster Since: Nov, 2009
In Riastrad
#31: Jun 29th 2011 at 5:37:01 AM

Moerin: From a purely anatomic viewpoint, they're very well designed. Every detail of their movements makes perfect sense; there's no obvious defiance of the laws of physics involved.

The culture behind them is also well-developed. They have a system of Asskicking Equals Authority going on, so that the Elites*

in the highest position are the most competent in combat.

I could gush for hours, but I think this link will suffice: www.halo.wikia.com/wiki/Elites

EDIT: [up] Yes, I vote for kinetic weapons. Kinetic Weapons Are Just Better.

I did have an idea, also. Rather than the normal "Alien weapons are all shiny and superior to humans'" (one species at least) of aliens could use what looks at first glance like primitive stuff but is actually very potent; for instance, a very large crossbow. A coil-gun crossbow. Bolts shot out fast enough to tear through a tank. Aw yeah.

edited 29th Jun '11 5:41:04 AM by Diamonnes

My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.
DoctorHabberdashMD -Angry face- from In session! Since: Jun, 2011
-Angry face-
#32: Jun 29th 2011 at 7:30:30 AM

That could be good, sure.

I think we need to iron out the setting and stuff before we get too fixated on working out different alien races.

So... any ideas? :P

Diamonnes In Riastrad from Ulster Since: Nov, 2009
In Riastrad
#33: Jun 29th 2011 at 8:25:52 AM

There are many approaches and parts of world-building, my favourite happens to be species. /Anthropologist

Alright then, what should be the basic state of the setting? Interplanetary/Galactic war? Lawless societies, Wretched Hive-style port cities, etc? Political tensions?

edited 29th Jun '11 8:26:05 AM by Diamonnes

My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.
Moerin (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#34: Jun 29th 2011 at 8:32:54 AM

Why go with just one? May as well throw everything together and see what we come up with. Although I'll admit that I'm a big fan of the Fantasy Kitchen Sink, so I'm probably of the mind that just hurling every idea at the wall and seeing what sticks is the best idea.

But that's just me. Mind you, in a galactic war setting, there probably will be a bunch of lawless, wretched hives lying about, as well as politcal tension. Hmmm...

Galactic war does suit me just fine, though. Just brings up the question of who the sides in the war are. The Federation vs The Empire? Aliens vs humans? Every faction/sapient race for itself? Hmmm...

Diamonnes In Riastrad from Ulster Since: Nov, 2009
In Riastrad
#35: Jun 29th 2011 at 8:39:05 AM

Moerin, I do like the idea of a sort of mixed pot. Perhaps instead of the standard full-blown war of attrition and/or race towards the sci-fi equivalent of the Infinity +1 Sword, the conflict could eb more subdued; each side knows that starting an all-out war would waste too many resources, and leave them open for attack by other factions (though that isn't to say the occasional in-the-dark skirmish doesn't occur). Sound good to anyone? Brilliant? Decent? Bloody idiotic?

Speaking of, Loads and Loads of Factions, Y/N?

My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.
Moerin (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#36: Jun 29th 2011 at 8:58:41 AM

Ah, basically the sci-fi equivalent of mutually assured destruction, I take it? It could fit into why everyone wants this MacGuffin so badly, they might think it'd make them powerful enough to remove any threat and render them unstoppable. And I suppose it could lead to lots of bickering and infighting as part of the background.

Also, Y for loads of factions. It makes it more interesting, for one thing.

DoctorHabberdashMD -Angry face- from In session! Since: Jun, 2011
-Angry face-
#37: Jun 29th 2011 at 10:00:22 AM

Cold War in space, basically?

Fuck yeah!

Also explains why this is being entrusted to a single ship instead of a whole armada.

Diamonnes In Riastrad from Ulster Since: Nov, 2009
In Riastrad
#38: Jun 29th 2011 at 10:05:40 AM

Aye. A covert spec-ops unit with diverse backgrounds, united only by the fact that they're the best at what they do. Carrying out a secret mission for the Alliance (or whatever) so secret that only a handful of people even know the ship exists, let alone its crewmembers. cool

My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.
DoctorHabberdashMD -Angry face- from In session! Since: Jun, 2011
-Angry face-
#39: Jun 29th 2011 at 10:48:47 AM

I like it.

It's grounded too, much I really dig. Making Sci Fi seem "real world" makes it that much more appealing, sometimes. In my opinion, anyway.

BigDaddyP Be Legendary from England Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Be Legendary
#40: Jun 29th 2011 at 11:01:44 AM

I'm interested. I would be far more interested if it was completely original, without a basis in anything. I haven't played Halo at all. I don't even know the story of Halo (And not interested in learning, sorry). But yeah, a Space opera? Would be excellent to take part in.

As for the 'stealth covert spec-ops' thing, it could work but it seems a bit restricting. I mean, is it that you guys would be on a mission, but to everyone else you're just normal space travellers. As for your goal, how about this?

I'd be a huge mega badguy, with a weapon that can annihilate the Universe. Unfortunately, my predecessor lost it, so now I'm scouring space to find the weapon so I can end everything.

The weapon? "The Supernova bomb is simply a junction box in hyperspace that would, when activated, connect the heart of every major sun to the heart of every other major sun, thus turning the universe into one gigantic hyper-spacial supernova."

That's just an idea, but I mean, it's space. You could meet those who don't care, those who are trying to do as much as they can, those who want it to happen, and so on. Freedom~

Inspirational quote against powerful image of nature.
wannabeotaku I can't breathe in this from Earth Since: May, 2009
I can't breathe in this
#41: Jun 29th 2011 at 11:05:19 AM

This is relevant to my interests. Sure I'll back this up

Hello again tropers
Diamonnes In Riastrad from Ulster Since: Nov, 2009
In Riastrad
#42: Jun 29th 2011 at 11:07:56 AM

BDP: it's not really connected to Halo at all. We just decided to use some elements of Halo as a framework; namely, touches of realism and kinetic weaponry as opposed to shiny lasers.

My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.
BigDaddyP Be Legendary from England Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Be Legendary
#43: Jun 29th 2011 at 11:10:04 AM

It's space, why do we need to just have kinetic weapons? What's wrong with a laser or something? Maybe not everyone uses lasers in the future, but I still want to be able to wield a railgun. Maybe it could be rare and experimental technology, but don't deny us lazers!

It's the space sniper rifle.

EDIT: If you mean that the weapons have to be explained how they work, i'm OK with that.

edited 29th Jun '11 11:10:56 AM by BigDaddyP

Inspirational quote against powerful image of nature.
Diamonnes In Riastrad from Ulster Since: Nov, 2009
In Riastrad
#44: Jun 29th 2011 at 11:12:01 AM

BDP: Human militar(y/ies) produce and make extensive use of kinetic weaponry. This isn't necessarily true of any of however many alien factions.

EDIT: Yeah, I'm thinking an explanation would be nice.

edited 29th Jun '11 11:16:17 AM by Diamonnes

My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.
BigDaddyP Be Legendary from England Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Be Legendary
#45: Jun 29th 2011 at 11:21:31 AM

It sounded like you were applying it to the whole RP so people would have to use kinetic weapons if they wanted to play.

Anyway, that was a lesser important part of my post. I was really hoping people would focus more on my badguy plot.

Inspirational quote against powerful image of nature.
SOCR Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Get out of here, STALKER
#46: Jun 29th 2011 at 11:27:00 AM

Okay, with stealth in mind I'm redesigning the ship. designs up friday.

It has medium-level armament much more on the 'hard' side of scifi then not. So yes, laser weapons. Iym trying to take as few technological liberties as I can and still get a good space-opera-y feel, with FTL, Artificial Gravity and AI taken for granted.

How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?
Diamonnes In Riastrad from Ulster Since: Nov, 2009
In Riastrad
#47: Jun 29th 2011 at 11:29:04 AM

Few things:

  • What is the 'heart' of a sun? The core?

  • How do you connect millions of stars together?

Also, that's another question, mates, FTL travel: How and how fast? Will there be hyperspace of any sort, whatever the given value of hyperspace may be?

My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.
Moerin (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#48: Jun 29th 2011 at 11:32:31 AM

Hmmm... Well, whilst I do prefer soft sci-fi (it's science fiction after all, but I digress), I wouldn't be adverse to trying out something with a harder science base. We'll see how this works out.

@BDP: I'm... Not sure how your villain thing would work out, but we'll see what everyone else thinks. To be honest, I've been planning a villain in my head since we started, although I haven't really said much about them and I've been trying to make them less like just an expy of the Empire from Star Wars and more like something... More original, but yeah. We'll see how it works out.

EDIT: Wait... Supernova bomb... Why does that sound familiar?

ANOTHER EDIT: Um... Usually with FTL I just assume "oh hey, it's faster than light, they probably have the [piece of technobabble here] to pull it off", but if you're going for a harder science base... Well, hyperspace (however that works) might be the best alternative, I suppose.

edited 29th Jun '11 11:34:53 AM by Moerin

BigDaddyP Be Legendary from England Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: You can be my wingman any time
Be Legendary
#49: Jun 29th 2011 at 11:34:57 AM

[up]Yes I got it from Douglas Adams. Great man. Also, I guess there can be more than one badguy, but I just put my idea because no one else had suggested one yet. I'm sorry, I did not mean to shove your idea aside, it just didn't appear that there was another badguy planned. Hell, a Badguy Duumvirate or so on might be a good idea for a villain. I didn't mean to limit you.

I mean, it's a space opera. What's better than something that threatens space?

[up][up]It's Science Fiction. I guess you just make it so invisible or hyper-spacial 'lines' connect every sun to every other sun. I guess it could be like a domino effect. All around the universe stars and suns are exploding all the time. Our own Sun that heats Earth will explode one day too, and become a White Dwarf, and so on. So, if you connect a sun that is exploding or becoming a supernova, and make it so it sets off another sun, it will start a chain reaction.

Or it just pulls every sun in the universe together at the same time, creating the biggest explosion ever. I dunno, there's lots of ways.

edited 29th Jun '11 11:37:19 AM by BigDaddyP

Inspirational quote against powerful image of nature.
SOCR Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Get out of here, STALKER
#50: Jun 29th 2011 at 11:37:13 AM

borrowing the FTL from my personal setting, it basically turns the ship into a beam of tachyons. Destroys the ship if the drive ring is sufficiently damaged. Characters are not conscious during jumps. Useful because it cant be interdicted and the GM can shift scenes with little set-up and travel time, saving us from handwaving a bunch of stuff.

If you try to get sciency about FTL I throttle you. Same thing with antigrav.

How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?

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