The Mechanics' Guild: An RP(G) Community

[Plzen]

So I'm putting together another faction-based mechanics RP, and for thematic reasons didn't want to use a point-to-point (or a RISK-style) map. So I transcribed a map from a Civilisation VI mod into hexographer and came up with this. On the off-chance anyone feels like using that image as a board for their own mechanics-based RPs, well, there it is.

I may or may not actually finish the RP of which this map is a part; possibly more on this later if I don't drop the project.

[2ndBritan]

can i be The unitary states of the Commonwealth situated in england

[G-Tech Corporation]

So! I’m considering putting together a Planetary Colonization RP, primarily based around exploration, economic specialization, and technological innovation - where players are not necessarily in competition, but certainly striving towards different goals and ideologies. It’ll be set in the near future, in a fictitious solar system. Thoughts? Interest?

[Plzen]

Thoughts? Interest?

Interest, of course. I liked the setting of Beyond Earth, and that setting and theme with completely different mechanics appeals to me.

[Ralnis]

Thoughts? Interest?

Interest, of course. I liked the setting of Beyond Earth, and that setting and theme with completely different mechanics appeals to me.

I like the idea.

[Holy Tedalonia]

Thoughts? Interest?

Would be cool to see a progression from generic civ to more ideogical civilization. Seeing a society progress in such a way could be a neat and intriguing mechanic.

Could probably call it "traditions" or something along those lines. It also fits a story problem if the all these ideological groups shared a ship to get to planet/system.

[Plzen]

Could probably call it "traditions" or something along those lines. It also fits a story problem if the all these ideological groups shared a ship to get to planet/system.

Not unlike Alpha Centauri, then, hmm?

Ah well. All this is idle speculation until G-Tech gives us a draft of the mechanics for us to fuss over.

[G-Tech Corporation]

(extensive WIP obviously)

The Far Frontier

The Mendices System. Wild, mostly unmapped, barely visited - and yet now vital to humanity's future. The first traversal the Einstein-Rosenburg Stabilizer managed to punch through the veil of reality from beyond Martian orbit, the Amistad-Ceres Bridge, is the only route for humanity beyond our own frail system, and so Mendices, formerly dismissed by astronomers as a system unlikely to hold any value to mankind, is now the site of an interstellar gold rush. The UN Mission to Mendices, or UNMen, has chartered numerous firms, both private, public, and even some who would be considered of questionable ethical nature to support the UN colonization mission to Amistad, the largest and most charitable planet orbiting Mendices Prime.

You, brave CEO, represent one of those entities. Strike it rich on the frontier and enhance your portfolio, catalog strange and unknown species, create a new home for mankind, or simply kill those who don't believe as you do. It is a wild place, out here on the Far Frontier

Welcome!
This is, as you may have guessed, a science fiction RP - specifically a science fiction RP based around space colonization, and the economic, social, and political ramifications of such an action. You will fill the role of one of the Factions headed to Amistad, hostile terrestrial world in the Mendices system, and it is up to you to see that your interests are represented upon this new world and that your people grow and thrive. Others will be landing on Amistad too, some peaceful folks willing to work in concord with you, some rivals, some even savage madmen who bribed UN officials to try their luck out here on the fringe when society wouldn't accept them in civilized space.

Gameplay will revolve around a small map of tiles, representing the surface of Amistad, a map which will gradually expand as the RP progresses and both the UN and player Factions explore the strange world. Managing the resources of your faction, from your budget, to your reputation with the UN, to simple constraints like food and water, will be paramount to your success as colonists of this strange world.

Without more to do, here is the Application:

Code: Select all

[box][align=center][Faction Name][/align]
[b]Leader:[/b]
[b]Faction Biography:[/b]
[b]Faction Type:[/b]
[b]Faction Color:[/b]
[b]Faction Ideology:[/b]
[/box]


Now, explaining a few things in that application - not everything here will make sense, but that will be explained later.

Essentially, what general gubbins and crewmen you brought from Earth - a good read on what you'll be specializing in providing to the planetary economy, and how nicely you will play with others.
Expansionist: Start with $10,000 Credits. +1 Claim per HQ Level. -50% Steel Cost of Buildings. Fuel Costs reduced by 30%.
Corporate: Start with $15,000 Credits. +1 Bonus Claim. Intermediate and Advanced Buildings gain a +25% Output Adjacency Bonus, and are unlocked one HQ Tier earlier.
Nomadic: Start with $8,000 Credits. May found an additional Tier 1 HQ at any time for free. Does not gain Exploitation Resources.
Automated: Start with $5,000 Credits. No HQ support required. Transportation consumes Power instead of Fuel.
Industrialist: Start with $8,000 Credits. Manufacturing Buildings may directly exploit Claims at 50% Efficiency. -25% Manufacturing Energy Consumption
Scientific: Start with $5,000 Credits. Free Research Lab adjacent to HQ. Additional Funding gained from Explorations, Expeditions, and Excavations. Start with 10 additional Influence with the UN.
Natalist: Start with $10,000 Credits. Starts with 4 free Claims which must be sited adjacent to the HQ. Pays 50% less Water for Greenhouses. +25% Power from Wind Farms and Solar Farms

Feel free to suggest more Ideologies - these aren't important to start with, essentially providing small boosts initially, but will eventually dictate your win conditions.
Preparedness: Start with one free Garrison Deployable.
Enlightenment: Start with one free Technology.
Dominion: Start with one additional free Claim.
Profit: Start with $2,000 additional Credits.
Unionist: Start with +10 Influence with the UN.
Explorers: Start with one prepared Survey Team and one prepared Core Sample Operation.

Gameplay

Essentially, the Far Frontier revolves around the extraction and utilization of resources from the planet Amistad for the good of your faction. You'll need to feed, water, and protect your people, primarily concentrated in your HQ, and do all of that without running your books into the red - or your creditors will eventually come knocking. To this end you will want to establish Buildings on the planetary surface to provide you with Resources, the number of which are limited by your Claims. Every Faction begins with four Claims, not counting the regions your HQ will occupy.

HQ: Each HQ is free to land, and generally only one may be constructed. Buildings directly adjacent to the HQ do not require Transportation to provide their Resources to your Faction. Your HQ will consume 2 Water, 3 Food, and one Oxygen every year to support your colonists. If your last HQ is destroyed, your faction will automatically be liquidated by her creditors, and eliminated. HQs have a base Operation Resistance of 85%. Each HQ will occupy 5 Regions in a cross shape.
HQ Tier 2:

[spoiler=Basic Buildings]
Water Drill: 10 Steel - The Water Drill will consume 2 Power every year to produce between 2 and 20 Water.
Water Pump: 5 Steel - The Water Pump will consume 1 Power every year to produce 5 Water. It can only be constructed adjacent to a Surface Water tile.
Wind Farm: Free - The Wind Farm produces between 4 and 10 Power every year.
Solar Farm: 20 Aluminum, 100 Silicon - The Solar Farm produces between 8 and 14 Power every year.
Electrolytic Condenser: 10 Aluminum, 40 Steel - The Condenser consumes 10 Water and 3 Power to produce 3 Oxygen and 5 Fuel every year.
Greenhouse: 20 Steel, 10 Glass - The Greenhouse consumes 10 Water to produce 5 Food every year.
Mine: Free - The Mine consumes 1 Power to produce between 2 and 20 Aluminum, Iron, or Uranium depending on the terrain.
Element Quarry: Free - The Element Quarry consumes 1 Power to produce between 2 and 20 Silicon or Carbon.
Cytonursery: 10 Steel, 10 Glass - The Cytonursery conducts experiments on Earth crops to begin modifying them for compatibility with Amistad's ecosystem. It consumes 1 Power and 5 Water every year to gain you 1 Influence with the UN.
Hab Block: 10 Steel, 5 Glass - The Hab Block consumes 2 Water, 2 Food, and 1 Power every year to produce 50 Credits in tax revenue.

Geothermal Plant: 40 Aluminium, 100 Steel, Tier 2 HQ. The Geothermal Plant will produce 20 Power every year, but must be built on a Geothermal Fissure.
Ion Collector: 10 Aluminum, 80 Carbon, Tier 2 HQ. The Ion Collector will harvest exotic elements in Amistad's atmosphere, consuming 3 Power to produce between 8 and 12 Fuel every year.
Steel Mill: 10 Iron, Tier 1 HQ. The Steel Mill will consume 10 Iron every Year to manufacture 5 Steel.
Chemical Refinery: 40 Steel, 20 Carbon, Tier 2 HQ. The Refinery will consume 5 Fuel, 5 Carbon, and 2 Power every year to produce 2 Chemicals.
Glass Kiln: 40 Steel, 20 Silicon, Tier 2 HQ. The Kiln will consume 3 Oxygen and 10 Silicon to produce 5 Glass every year.
Electronics Factory: 40 Steel, 20 Aluminum, Tier 2 HQ. The Factory will consume 3 Aluminum, 5 Carbon, 3 Silicon, and 2 power to produce 2 Electronics in a year.
Rover Hangar: 20 Steel, 20 Carbon, Tier 2 HQ. The Rover Hangar allows you to launch up to 1 Exploration, Expedition, or Excavation per year for $1000 Credits.

Research Lab: 60 Steel, 20 Electronics, Tier 2 HQ. The Research Lab consumes Chemicals to produce Research Points towards Technologies. Consumes up to 10 Power and 10 Chemicals per year to produce 10 Research Points. Lesser amounts are also acceptable.
Resource Development Center: 40 Steel, 40 Electronics, Tier 2 HQ. The RDC consumes Chemicals to produce Optimization Algorithms, which temporarily or permanently boost the output of your Buildings. May consume up to 10 Chemicals and 10 Power per year to produce up to 10 Algorithmic Datum.
Biodome: 40 Steel, 10 Glass, 40 Electronics, Tier 3 HQ. The Biodome provides a place for colonists from across Amistad to kick back and unwind. It produces 50 Credits per year for every Hab Block and every HQ level anywhere on Amistad. This amount is, however, divided by the number of Biodomes in operation. It requires 5 Power per year to operate.
UN Liaison Office: 20 Steel, 10 Chemicals, 20 Electronics, Tier 3 HQ. The Office does their best to polish your image with the UN, granting you 5 Influence per year.

Operations: Forthcoming
The Interstellar Market: Forthcoming
Aliens: Forthcoming
Influence and Turn Order: Forthcoming

[Excidium Planetis]

Looks interesting G tech.

Count me in!

[Lord Dominator]

Looks good indeed (I can really tell the WIP bits, lol)

[Plzen]

Ah, Offworld Trading Company as a 4X NationStates roleplay? I like this idea. I loved that game.

In that case, my preference is towards keeping the resource/building/faction type set of that game as much as possible, with new mechanics added on top of the existing system, so I don’t have to learn an entirely new set of buildings and what they’re good for.

[Harkback Union]

(extensive WIP obviously)

The Far Frontier

The Mendices System. Wild, mostly unmapped, barely visited - and yet now vital to humanity's future. The first traversal the Einstein-Rosenburg Stabilizer managed to punch through the veil of reality from beyond Martian orbit, the Amistad-Ceres Bridge, is the only route for humanity beyond our own frail system, and so Mendices, formerly dismissed by astronomers as a system unlikely to hold any value to mankind, is now the site of an interstellar gold rush. The UN Mission to Mendices, or UNMen, has chartered numerous firms, both private, public, and even some who would be considered of questionable ethical nature to support the UN colonization mission to Amistad, the largest and most charitable planet orbiting Mendices Prime.

You, brave CEO, represent one of those entities. Strike it rich on the frontier and enhance your portfolio, catalog strange and unknown species, create a new home for mankind, or simply kill those who don't believe as you do. It is a wild place, out here on the Far Frontier

Welcome!
This is, as you may have guessed, a science fiction RP - specifically a science fiction RP based around space colonization, and the economic, social, and political ramifications of such an action. You will fill the role of one of the Factions headed to Amistad, hostile terrestrial world in the Mendices system, and it is up to you to see that your interests are represented upon this new world and that your people grow and thrive. Others will be landing on Amistad too, some peaceful folks willing to work in concord with you, some rivals, some even savage madmen who bribed UN officials to try their luck out here on the fringe when society wouldn't accept them in civilized space.

Gameplay will revolve around a small map of tiles, representing the surface of Amistad, a map which will gradually expand as the RP progresses and both the UN and player Factions explore the strange world. Managing the resources of your faction, from your budget, to your reputation with the UN, to simple constraints like food and water, will be paramount to your success as colonists of this strange world.

Without more to do, here is the Application:

Code: Select all

[box][align=center][Faction Name][/align]
[b]Leader:[/b]
[b]Faction Biography:[/b]
[b]Faction Type:[/b]
[b]Faction Color:[/b]
[b]Faction Ideology:[/b]
[/box]


Now, explaining a few things in that application - not everything here will make sense, but that will be explained later.

Essentially, what general gubbins and crewmen you brought from Earth - a good read on what you'll be specializing in providing to the planetary economy, and how nicely you will play with others.
Expansionist: Start with $10,000 Credits. +1 Claim per HQ Level. -50% Steel Cost of Buildings. Fuel Costs reduced by 30%.
Corporate: Start with $15,000 Credits. +1 Bonus Claim. Intermediate and Advanced Buildings gain a +25% Output Adjacency Bonus, and are unlocked one HQ Tier earlier.
Nomadic: Start with $8,000 Credits. May found an additional Tier 1 HQ at any time for free. Does not gain Exploitation Resources.
Automated: Start with $5,000 Credits. No HQ support required. Transportation consumes Power instead of Fuel.
Industrialist: Start with $8,000 Credits. Manufacturing Buildings may directly exploit Claims at 50% Efficiency. -25% Manufacturing Energy Consumption
Scientific: Start with $5,000 Credits. Free Research Lab adjacent to HQ. Additional Funding gained from Explorations, Expeditions, and Excavations. Start with 10 additional Influence with the UN.
Natalist: Start with $10,000 Credits. Starts with 4 free Claims which must be sited adjacent to the HQ. Pays 50% less Water for Greenhouses. +25% Power from Wind Farms and Solar Farms

Feel free to suggest more Ideologies - these aren't important to start with, essentially providing small boosts initially, but will eventually dictate your win conditions.
Preparedness: Start with one free Garrison Deployable.
Enlightenment: Start with one free Technology.
Dominion: Start with one additional free Claim.
Profit: Start with $2,000 additional Credits.
Unionist: Start with +10 Influence with the UN.
Explorers: Start with one prepared Survey Team and one prepared Core Sample Operation.

Gameplay

Essentially, the Far Frontier revolves around the extraction and utilization of resources from the planet Amistad for the good of your faction. You'll need to feed, water, and protect your people, primarily concentrated in your HQ, and do all of that without running your books into the red - or your creditors will eventually come knocking. To this end you will want to establish Buildings on the planetary surface to provide you with Resources, the number of which are limited by your Claims. Every Faction begins with four Claims, not counting the regions your HQ will occupy.

HQ: Each HQ is free to land, and generally only one may be constructed. Buildings directly adjacent to the HQ do not require Transportation to provide their Resources to your Faction. Your HQ will consume 2 Water, 3 Food, and one Oxygen every year to support your colonists. If your last HQ is destroyed, your faction will automatically be liquidated by her creditors, and eliminated. HQs have a base Operation Resistance of 85%. Each HQ will occupy 5 Regions in a cross shape.
HQ Tier 2:

[spoiler=Basic Buildings]
Water Drill: 10 Steel - The Water Drill will consume 2 Power every year to produce between 2 and 20 Water.
Water Pump: 5 Steel - The Water Pump will consume 1 Power every year to produce 5 Water. It can only be constructed adjacent to a Surface Water tile.
Wind Farm: Free - The Wind Farm produces between 4 and 10 Power every year.
Solar Farm: 20 Aluminum, 100 Silicon - The Solar Farm produces between 8 and 14 Power every year.
Electrolytic Condenser: 10 Aluminum, 40 Steel - The Condenser consumes 10 Water and 3 Power to produce 3 Oxygen and 5 Fuel every year.
Greenhouse: 20 Steel, 10 Glass - The Greenhouse consumes 10 Water to produce 5 Food every year.
Mine: Free - The Mine consumes 1 Power to produce between 2 and 20 Aluminum, Iron, or Uranium depending on the terrain.
Element Quarry: Free - The Element Quarry consumes 1 Power to produce between 2 and 20 Silicon or Carbon.
Cytonursery: 10 Steel, 10 Glass - The Cytonursery conducts experiments on Earth crops to begin modifying them for compatibility with Amistad's ecosystem. It consumes 1 Power and 5 Water every year to gain you 1 Influence with the UN.
Hab Block: 10 Steel, 5 Glass - The Hab Block consumes 2 Water, 2 Food, and 1 Power every year to produce 50 Credits in tax revenue.

Geothermal Plant: 40 Aluminium, 100 Steel, Tier 2 HQ. The Geothermal Plant will produce 20 Power every year, but must be built on a Geothermal Fissure.
Ion Collector: 10 Aluminum, 80 Carbon, Tier 2 HQ. The Ion Collector will harvest exotic elements in Amistad's atmosphere, consuming 3 Power to produce between 8 and 12 Fuel every year.
Steel Mill: 10 Iron, Tier 1 HQ. The Steel Mill will consume 10 Iron every Year to manufacture 5 Steel.
Chemical Refinery: 40 Steel, 20 Carbon, Tier 2 HQ. The Refinery will consume 5 Fuel, 5 Carbon, and 2 Power every year to produce 2 Chemicals.
Glass Kiln: 40 Steel, 20 Silicon, Tier 2 HQ. The Kiln will consume 3 Oxygen and 10 Silicon to produce 5 Glass every year.
Electronics Factory: 40 Steel, 20 Aluminum, Tier 2 HQ. The Factory will consume 3 Aluminum, 5 Carbon, 3 Silicon, and 2 power to produce 2 Electronics in a year.
Rover Hangar: 20 Steel, 20 Carbon, Tier 2 HQ. The Rover Hangar allows you to launch up to 1 Exploration, Expedition, or Excavation per year for $1000 Credits.

Research Lab: 60 Steel, 20 Electronics, Tier 2 HQ. The Research Lab consumes Chemicals to produce Research Points towards Technologies. Consumes up to 10 Power and 10 Chemicals per year to produce 10 Research Points. Lesser amounts are also acceptable.
Resource Development Center: 40 Steel, 40 Electronics, Tier 2 HQ. The RDC consumes Chemicals to produce Optimization Algorithms, which temporarily or permanently boost the output of your Buildings. May consume up to 10 Chemicals and 10 Power per year to produce up to 10 Algorithmic Datum.
Biodome: 40 Steel, 10 Glass, 40 Electronics, Tier 3 HQ. The Biodome provides a place for colonists from across Amistad to kick back and unwind. It produces 50 Credits per year for every Hab Block and every HQ level anywhere on Amistad. This amount is, however, divided by the number of Biodomes in operation. It requires 5 Power per year to operate.
UN Liaison Office: 20 Steel, 10 Chemicals, 20 Electronics, Tier 3 HQ. The Office does their best to polish your image with the UN, granting you 5 Influence per year.

Operations: Forthcoming
The Interstellar Market: Forthcoming
Aliens: Forthcoming
Influence and Turn Order: Forthcoming

Someone's been playing Offworld Trading Company...

[Harkback Union]

Ah, Offworld Trading Company as a 4X NationStates roleplay? I like this idea. I loved that game.

In that case, my preference is towards keeping the resource/building/faction type set of that game as much as possible, with new mechanics added on top of the existing system, so I don’t have to learn an entirely new set of buildings and what they’re good for.

Hah, looks like I'm late to the party.
TBH I've based several games on that myself, Mars2050 being the most inspired.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Harkback returns!

[Harkback Union]

Harkback returns!

I've been plotting it for awhile!
Any 4x types games in progress? Like the one you posted about earlier?

[G-Tech Corporation]

Harkback returns!

I've been plotting it for awhile!
Any 4x types games in progress? Like the one you posted about earlier?

None of note I’m afraid. There’s one I’m nominally running limping along, but I haven’t had the time to actively drive that forward, so she is fading.

[Harkback Union]

I've been plotting it for awhile!
Any 4x types games in progress? Like the one you posted about earlier?

None of note I’m afraid. There’s one I’m nominally running limping along, but I haven’t had the time to actively drive that forward, so she is fading.

Thinking of starting one in the near future.

Trying to make this one as simple as possible, hoping to get more people into mechanicsy RPs.

Pretty much Mars 2050 but IN SPACE (I mean, many stars and planets) without colonists being unique, less types stuff to build, less punishing start and protection through initial isolation, but more competition later with scarce resources, space and ground combat (latter is extremely simplified) and because I've been playing a lot of D&D lately, dice based blind research (with some compensation for failed rolls).

Of course, as usual, some kind of ideology/genetics mechanics for assimetry between players.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Lots of exploring to do. I'll for once write up what you find in advance, and you'll just have to open it up to see what you find.

[The GAmeTopians]

None of note I’m afraid. There’s one I’m nominally running limping along, but I haven’t had the time to actively drive that forward, so she is fading.

Thinking of starting one in the near future.

Trying to make this one as simple as possible, hoping to get more people into mechanicsy RPs.

Pretty much Mars 2050 but IN SPACE (I mean, many stars and planets) without colonists being unique, less types stuff to build, less punishing start and protection through initial isolation, but more competition later with scarce resources, space and ground combat (latter is extremely simplified) and because I've been playing a lot of D&D lately, dice based blind research (with some compensation for failed rolls).

Of course, as usual, some kind of ideology/genetics mechanics for assimetry between players.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Lots of exploring to do. I'll for once write up what you find in advance, and you'll just have to open it up to see what you find.

Holy crap, Hark is here! Count me in, whatever it is.

[Harkback Union]

Thinking of starting one in the near future.

Trying to make this one as simple as possible, hoping to get more people into mechanicsy RPs.

Pretty much Mars 2050 but IN SPACE (I mean, many stars and planets) without colonists being unique, less types stuff to build, less punishing start and protection through initial isolation, but more competition later with scarce resources, space and ground combat (latter is extremely simplified) and because I've been playing a lot of D&D lately, dice based blind research (with some compensation for failed rolls).

Of course, as usual, some kind of ideology/genetics mechanics for assimetry between players.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Lots of exploring to do. I'll for once write up what you find in advance, and you'll just have to open it up to see what you find.

Holy crap, Hark is here! Count me in, whatever it is.

Wonderful! OOC might be ready in a day or 2.
Coronavirus giving me a lot of time at home.

[The GAmeTopians]

Holy crap, Hark is here! Count me in, whatever it is.

Wonderful! OOC might be ready in a day or 2.
Coronavirus giving me a lot of time at home.

Boy do I feel that. I should be at a three day State-level competition right now.

[Harkback Union]

Wonderful! OOC might be ready in a day or 2.
Coronavirus giving me a lot of time at home.

Boy do I feel that. I should be at a three day State-level competition right now.

Any good RPs right now?
I'm trying to find the right window for this next thing.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Boy do I feel that. I should be at a three day State-level competition right now.

Any good RPs right now?
I'm trying to find the right window for this next thing.

Well, we do have ye olde New Civs still running

[Harkback Union]

Any good RPs right now?
I'm trying to find the right window for this next thing.

Well, we do have ye olde New Civs still running

Could delay my RP for the time being.

[The GAmeTopians]

Well, we do have ye olde New Civs still running

Could delay my RP for the time being.

Please don't!

[Harkback Union]

In any case, here is the full rulebook for review (90% complete).
I'd like some feedback and questions, potentially rework some aspects.

Players would start with 2-3 Colony ships, exploration vessels and some extra unique traits of their choosing.

In addition, I'm thinking of adding leader and trade/diplomacy mechanics (1 leader who can bend the rules a little to help build/explore/research early on, but his value would fade as an empire grows.)

THE STORY SO FAR...

The Universe is dying...

Countless eons have passed since mankind's escape from earth, and its cosmic diaspora. Countless stars were born and extinguished since their first radio contact with alien intelligence... With space being so vast and rich in resources, they foolishly believed that peaceful coexistence would be self evident... one could not be further from the truth.

The first alien broadcasts decoded warned of an impending danger. It explained on repeat that supernovas and black holes are not a natural phenomena, but the ultimate weapons of mass destruction which are used relentlessly to sterilize all other forms of life by malovelent beings. The universe turned out to be already teeming with intelligent life, engaged in endless cosmic wars spanning several galaxies. It would not be long before humanity is caught in the crossfire.

Other signals from remote corners of the sky offered a wealth of knowledge, revealing serious errors in human science, but The rules of relativity stood firm. As Humans and Xenos traveled across the stars at near light speed velocities, the universe around them came to life. Distant galaxies whirled at breathtaking speeds as years turned into seconds while stars were born and destroyed all around them.

Often, a merchant or explorer returning to their homeworld would find nothing but the ashes of their civilization, that is if the planet was still in one piece. These unfortunate travelers would have become nomads, wandering around the universe in search of a new home. But as they would soon find out, the world around them aged much faster then anticipated.

As the intergalactic wars continued their escalation, a new weapon of mass destruction was discovered. The Hypernova. Shattering blackholes at the galactic center using antimatter caused massive tides of gravitational waves and γ radiation. These explosions reduced everything in their path to cosmic dust, and hastened the expansion of the universe by several orders of magnitude.

Those few who survived the final cataclysm searched the the sky for stable stars within reach, their numbers diminishing rapidly and accelerating away from each other. The night sky became dimmer and dimmer... Soon, there would be nothing left.

Amidst the chaos however, a single cluster of stars remained bound together by an unknown force. The bright pulsar at its edge visible from millions of lightyears away. The "Omega Cluster" contained several dozen star systems of various size, with possibly hundreds of planets and moons. Some might even support life, the survivors hoped as they set course to the cluster. As they would soon find out, they were not alone...

-

SPACETIME CONTINUUM

TIME

Time is measured in Gigaseconds (or Gs, 1 Gs = 31.6887646 years). The passing of each Gs constitutes 1 turn.

SPACE

The Ω cluster is home to the last stars of the universe.

1. The Cluster consists of Star Systems.

2. Each Star System is home to a number of Planets and Moons. Some may also contain anomalies.

3. Each Planet and Moon may be divided into Continents. Potentially, there may also be Oceans and other regions of importance on the surface. Each Continent may contain 1 type of Resource and can support a single Colony (without technology).

Since the width of the Ω cluster is about 30 lightyears, It is possible to reach any destination withing a single turn.

In addition, the Ω cluster may contain Deep Space Objects (or DSOs) which are outside of solar systems and be discovered by radiotelescopes. Finally, there are "locations of interest", such as space stations, asteroid belts, anomalies. Spacecraft may visit these locations of interest and DSO only if their faction has learned of its location through exploration or contact with other factions that have explored them.

-

STARS, PLANETS AND MOONS

STARS

The intensity and size of stars go from brown dwarf to red giant. The brighter a star, the more energy they radiate and the warmer orbiting planets are, distance taken into account.

Each faction conducts exploration on their own. They are unaware of everything outside of what they explored until radio communications are established with another faction through telescopes or 2 of their explorers meet on the field. From that point on, they have to wait 5 turns before they are "officially" aware of the other faction's exploration results and the location of their colonies, fleets and stations. You may also re-explore what someone already explored to avoid having to wait for 5 turns.

PLANETS AND MOONS
Upon surveying a planet, you will gain detailed information about the planet in the following category. What this means for your species depends on its characteristics.

CLASS: (R,L,G)
Rocky - Supports surface structures and colonies by default. May have Atmosphere, Lithosphere and Hydrosphere.
Liquid - Does not support surface structures and colonies by default. May have Atmosphere and Hydrosphere.
Gaseous - Does not support surface structures and colonies by default. Only has Atmosphere.

AVERAGE SURFACE TEMPERATURES: (Based on atmosphere, sun and distance to sun)
Hot - +500K
Warm - ~ 400 K
Temperate ~ 300 K <- Liquid water!
Cool - ~ 200 K
Cold - -100 K

ATMOSPHERE
Hydrogen
Helium
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Sulphur
Carbon
Planets atmosphere may consists of a mixture of these elements at various concentrations. The exact concentrations are irrelevant. The 3 most relevant gases are listed per planet. Certain combinations may be considered "Toxic".

"HYDROSPHERE" (or LAVASPHERE/METHANOSPHERE)
H₂O (All continents have free access to Water)
Molten Metal (All continents have free access to Metal)
Liquid Methane (All continents have free access to Carbon)
???
???

LITOSPHERE
- May vary by continent -
Ice Sheets (Carbon or Water)
Deserts (Silicon or Metals)
Wastelands (May have any resource, or none at all, possibly Toxic, Irradiated or ???)
Tundra (Carbon or Water) - Contains Carbon-based life which negates terraforming effects from 1 industrial colony while untouched (no colony built on).
Mountains (Metals or Rare Elements)
Eden (+1 Food, +1 Harmony for carbon based life forms (+ Colony bonuses), Water in all cases) - Contains Carbon-based life which negates terraforming effects from 2 industrial colonies (no colony built on).

-

EXPLORATION

Exploration is risky but rewarding. There are several dozen systems in the Ω cluster to explore, but there is no telling in advance of what you will find. With each planet you colonize or establish an outpost on, your fleet range is extended, allowing for new systems to be visited. Your choice of unexplored systems lists only the star's class and nothing about its planets.

While exploring, you may encounter anomalies that require immediate response or offer opportunities for later.

1 Turn is enough for an exploration vessel to travel to a system and fully chart it. If all goes according to plan, you will receive a report of the crew's findings at the end of the turn. If something happened to the crew, you might never hear from them again and count as M.I.A. until their fate is investigated.

Each faction has a leader or a main character, who can be on board spacecraft or be assigned to colonies/outposts/armies. He counts as the eyes and ears of your faction. If said character is present during exploration, your chances of success are increase and you may choose your response to any anomaly you discover.

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RESOURCES

There are several types of resources to keep track of. By default, your planets may not exchange them and are on their own to provide whats needed. Technology and infrastructure may change that.

PEOPLE
1 unit of population counts as ~100,000,000 souls (can be more or less depending on your species type). They each need 1 Food per turn to survive, and 1 Harmony to thrive. Your people populate your colonies. Colonies are INOPERABLE without workers. By default, your people are stuck on whatever planet they landed on, with colony ships being the only means to transfer them.

FOOD
1 unit of food counts as provisions (drinks, sustenance, medicine) for 100,000,000 souls (can be more or less depending on your species) NOTE: Robots dont eat. Excess food spoils at the end of each turn. Only count what you produce/consume the current turn. If there is a shortfall of food, you will recieve a famine event (may lead to deaths, emigration, riots etc. the longer the famine lasts, the more severe the effects). You cannot send or recieve food from other planets/moons by default.

ENERGY
1 unit of energy powers 1 ADVANCED colony for a turn. Your ADVANCED colonies are INOPERABLE without energy. NO sharing this resources across worlds. by default.

HARMONY
Harmony represents the morale and well being of your people. You get -1 Harmony for each population you have! You may gain Harmony from certain colonies or technologies/social breakthroughs.
+ Harmony improves research and productivity and helps negate effects of famine and bad events.
- Harmony can lead to crime, disease and separatism.
The total sum of all Harmony on all your planets is your Progress rate. Your progress rate equals the % chance of a scientific or social breakthrough (Net Harmony of 5 = 5% = 1/20 odds of breakthrough). Social breakthrough are based on your factions ideology, Scientific ones are based on your research focus.
Excess/Negative Harmony does not accumulate over time. Harmony is recalculated every turn.

CREDITS
Credits (or you may rename your currency/measure of production) represent your industrial output. Credits are used to build new colonies, stations and ships. The SOLE source of Credits is industrial(Factory and Replicator) colonies. Credits are the only thing that can accumulate on your planets. Aslo, Credits can be invested in other planets/moons/systems if the planet that produced them has a spaceport!!!

WATER, SILICON, CARBON, METALS, RARE ELEMENTS
These 5 types of resources are used to power Farming/Hydroponics colonies (WATER), Factory/Replicator colonies (SILICON, CARBON AND METALS) and Reactors (RARE ELEMENTS). Surplus is always wasted (no leftover after a turn). Cannot be shared by planets by default.
IMPORTANT! If a colony is built on a continent that has a resource, that colony may use that resource for free. (No need for mines/drills) Also, Hydrospheres can provide resources (free water, metal or carbon) to all continents on a planet.
EXAMPLE: A Farming colony on a planet with H₂O Hydrosphere gets its water for free.

Note: There may be rare and unique resources around the omega cluster waiting to be discovered!

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COLONIZATION

ESTABLISHING COLONIES AND OUTPOSTS

Planets and moons that meet your species' needs can be colonized using a colony ship, or an outpost can be built there by sacrificing an exploration vessel. Through research, you may make uninhabitable planets colonizable, however, those planets will never be as productive as habitable ones (until terraformed). In fact, some colonies may require a constant stream of supplies from elsewhere and drain your faction's resources and will not make sense to live on unless that planet has something special to offer.

Once a Colony ship arrives in a system (after a 1 turn journey) it may immediately establish a colony on any continents of potentially habitable planets and immediately build 1 Basic Colony type of your choice, ready to produce next turn.

Exploration vessels can also be converted to outpost at the end of a turn for free (provided they are not M.I.A.). Outposts come in 3 (+ 3 unlockable) types:
- Fuel Depot: Unlocks nearby systems for exploration without needing to build a colony.
- Radio Station: Increased odds of intercepting alien communications and keeps track of fleet movement in neighboring systems.
- Remote Research Site: Prerequisite for secret projects.
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You may only build 2 outpost + 1 for each colonized planet you have.

COLONY TYPES

Colonies come in 2 types.
Basic (Needs no energy or research, costs 5 C can be built from the beginning on fully habitable worlds.
Advanced (UNLOCKED BY TECHNOLOGY - can be built on any worlds for which you have the technology to colonize, inhabited by 1 population)
There is also:
Metroplex (UNLOCKED BY TECHNOLOGY - A Megacity that fits on a single continent that can expand to accomodate multiple colonies (districts) stacked on top of each other, and if there are at least 5 pop worth of inhabitants, a single monument.
Most colonies, districts require 1 population to inhabit and work in them, which in turn has to be supplied with food. Some colonies are fully automated, and are exceptions (This is always written on the description). They do not need workers and cannot be inhabited.

Remember, Each continent has enough room for only 1 Colony! (some events/techs may change this!)

BASIC COLONIES
Require Breathable atmosphere, water and optimal (300K) temperatures, in other words, fully inhabitable worlds.
Costs 5 C to build.

- Farming Colony - Converts 1 Water to 2 Food. +1 On Tundra/Desert, +3 On Eden.

- Mining Colony - Extracts 2 units of any local resource for consumption elsewhere on the planet.

- Factory Colony - Uses 1 Metal/Silicon/Carbon to produce 2C per resource available (Can consume all 1 of each resource to make 6C in total. Slowly Terraforms planet towards higher surface temperature, Carbon atmopshere and may increase toxicity, possibly altering continent types. May use 1 Energy to cancel terraforming effects.

- Service/Commercial/Resort/Faith/Entertainment Colony (based on ideology) - Uses 1 Water, Provides +3 Harmony to the planet (+2 on Eden).

- Research/University/Knowledge Colony - Provides +1 [color=#4080FF]Tech per turn or +2 Tech per turn if provided with 1 Silicon and 1 Energy.

- Renewable Energy Array - AUTOMATED. Cannot be inhabited by population, does not require workers! Requires an Atmosphere OR must be/in orbit of 3rd or closer planet of the system. +1 Energy No questions asked. +2 Energy on Eden (Hydroelectric power).

- Telescope Array - AUTOMATED. Cannot be inhabited by population, does not require workers! Requires at least 1 University/Scientific colony on the planet (which operates it remotely). Required to locate new systems and search for alien signals. At the price of 1 Energy per turn, it may transmit 1 known technology to another faction which also has a Telescope Array (over the course of 1 turn).

ADVANCED COLONIES
Can be built anywhere you have the technology to colonize (can also be built on fully habitable worlds but sometimes not worth it).
Costs 5 C to build.

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METROPLEX DISTRICS/MONUMENTS
Require Breathable atmosphere, water and optimal (300K) temperatures, in other words, fully inhabitable worlds.
Costs 5 C to build.

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To Be Announced.

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STATIONS

SPACE STATIONS

In the
- geosynchronous orbit of each planet and moon,
- their Lagrange points,
- at asteroid belts,
- at the edge of solar systems or
- deep space, (pretty much anywhere you want to!)
space stations may be constructed with various purpose in mind. Space Stations may be clustered together to act as a single point of interest, allowing them to assist each other in production or battle.

NOTE: Outposts may initially only be built on planets. A later technology allows outposts to be built in space by explorers.

STATION LIST

Space Port (5 C, 0-G Construction) - 5 HP, 2 Slots, Max 1 per location - Built in orbit of Planets and Moons. Provides crew, life support and defense to a station. cluster. May repair up to 2 spacecraft per turn to full health. Allows C produced on the planet/moon it orbits to be spent anywhere in the universe.

Shipyard (3 C 0-G Construction) - 3 HP - Must be built adjacent to a Spaceport, Outpost or Habitat - May assemble 1 spacecraft per turn OR May repair/refit up to 2 spacecraft per turn to full health/replace module slots.

Weapons Platform (2 C 0-G Construction) - 2 HP, 1 Slots - Must be built adjacent to a Spaceport, Outpost or Habitat - 1 C Maintenance cost per turn.

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SPACECRAFT

TRAVEL
At the start of each turn, spacecraft may set course for any star system. This information may be classified and revealed at end of turn.
Spacecraft may specifically end their turns at a location of interest in the target star system(Planet/moon orbit, station, asteroid belt, nebula, anomaly, Lagrange point, Deep space...) or just be floating around in general.
- If spacecraft are not traveling, they may instead interact with a planet/moon/station if possible.
- Explorers may both travel and interact (explore) in the same turn. All other ships must may only do one.
- Ships being built are not allowed to do either.

CLASSES

- Colony Ship (10 C, Cryostasis, Ion Drive) - 10 HP, 0 Slots - Loads 1 population from a planet upon completion. May colonize habitable planets (establish basic colony of any type on a continent) over the course of a turn.

- Exploration Vessel (5 C) - 5 HP, 0 Slots. - Only type of spacecraft which may be built at a planet without a shipyard. Capable of landing on planets and building outposts.

- Destroyer (5 C, Ion Drive) - 5 HP, 2 Slots - 1 C per turn maintenance cost.

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PARTS

Spacecraft and stations with "slots" may incorporate weapons, shields, armor, reactors and special equipment into their designs. The cost of the design is the cost of the base hull + parts. Parts do not impact maintenance costs. Ships may be retrofited at shipyards (parts replaced) by paying the total cost of the new parts being added.

The parts determine a ship's stats for the following values.
- HP = Base HP + Armor
- S = Sum of Shield generator parts
However, you s hould list each weapon aboard the ship separately.
- P = Photonic damage from one weapon.
- K = Kinetic damage from one weapon.
- F = Flak damage from one weapon.
- M = Missile damage from one weapon
- Q = Quantum damage from one weapon.
So the final stats for a destroyer may look like this:
- Pride of Cevelli -
8 C, 5 HP, M2, F2,


MISSILES

- Torpedo Bay (2 C) - Missile 2. May bombard planets (10% per turn)

- Atomic Warhead - (5 C, Hydrogen Power) requires Torppedo Bay aboard. - Missile 1 AOE (damages everything, friend and foe, Cannot be intercepted by flak or dodged). May bombard planets (100% per turn). Leaves target continent Irradeated. Can only be used once per battle. Once armed, deals damage 1 Phase later.

- Antimatter Warhead (10 C, Quantum Power) - Must have a Reactor and a Torppedo Bay aboard. Can either Disable all shields and photonic weapons on all ships in battle OR Missile 3 AOE (damages everything, friend and foe, Cannot be intercepted by flak or dodged). May bombard planets (200% per turn). Can only be used once per battle. Once armed, deals damage 2 Phases later.

FLAK

- Flak Battery (1 C) - Flak 2

KINETIC

- Kinetic Battery (2 C) - Kinetic 3 May bombard planets WITHOUT ATMOSPHERE (10% per turn)

- Rail Gun (2 C, Superconductors) - Kinetic 3, May bombard planets (20% per turn)

PHOTONIC

- Photon Lance (2 C, Focusing Crystals) - Photonic 2

- Photon Prism (5 C, Prismatic Core, At least 1 reactor aboard) - Photonic 5

QUANTUM

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Laser

WARFARE

SPACE BATTLES!

Battles in space occur when 2 fleets/hostile space objects end their turn in orbit of the same planetary system (includes orbits of planet and its moons) or asteroid belt/location of interest. In this case, a space battle occurs. This can also involve stations from both sides in very extreme cases. Any other ships in the system may also choose to join the battle.

PHASE I - Laser warfare -

- First, all Photonic weapons are fired by both sides simultaniously,
- Damage is then evaluate for each side. Shields take damage first, then hull points.

PHASE II - Close Combat -

- Missiles and Kinetic weapons may be fired simultaneously (no Photonic weapons this phase!).
- Any Flak weapon may then cancel its attack to instead protect its fleet from Missiles. 1 Point of Flak may cancel 1 Missile damage. Flak also deals double damage to strike craft.
- All damage is then evaluated, first Kinetic then Missiles, Shields take damage first, then Hull points. Missiles deal double damage on impact with Hull.

Special: Boarding ships select their targets at the end of the phase.

Withdrawal: You may attempt to withdraw from combat at the end of this phase. Destroyers and strike craft withdraw immediately. All other classes can withdraw 1 full phase after their withdraw is ordered, during which they are still in the battle (and can deal damage/be damaged).

PHASE III - Melee -

This phase repeats until one side withdraws or is completely destroyed.
- All weapons are fired simultaneously and then damage is dealt in Photonic => Kinetic => Rocket order.
- Ships may be ordered to ram other ships at the start of the phase (Requires Fanaticism) which always results in the ramming ship being completely destroyed, while dealing damage equal to their max HP to the target. This is dealt at the end of the phase and requires the ship to survive damage dealt to it this phase.

Special: Boarding ships make rolls to see if they captured the target. If yes, the ship is now under your control and may be used in the following phase.

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ORBITAL BOMBARDMENT!

Ships may use their turns to bombard moons/planets, provided there are no hostile forces present near the moon/planet. Planetary bombardments destroy a % of a target colony. If destruction reaches 100%, the colony is destroyed and its inhabitants are exterminated. Ships may also attack anomalies and outposts with bombardment weapons. Outposts are destroyed by 20% destruction, anomalies may vary.

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PLANETARY COMBAT!

Armies may be built by fortress colonies for 2 C each and have a supply cost of 1 C per turn. It takes 1 full turn for an army to leave its planet (and another full turn to travel to other systems, does not require a full turn to land), and is then counted as a spacecraft with 2 HP. Armies can land on hostile planets only if there are no hostile ships/stations around it. After successfully landing on a planet (or moon), a battle commences.

PHASE 0 - Mobilization -

Each colony on the planet with less then 50% destruction mobilizes a single defense army at no cost. Fortress colonies can instead always mobilize 3.

PHASE I - Landing -

Defenses on the planet from fortress colonies may attack transports to destroy armies prior to the engagement.
The attackers then choose a continent where the battle occurs.
Remaining armies then annihilate each other as if they were matter and antimatter. 1 army dies from each side on repeat until only 1 side has armies remaining. If no armies remain, the defenders win. For each army destroyed, 5% collateral destruction is applied to the continent where the battle occurs.

PHASE II - Siege -

Fortress colonies cannot be captured, only destroyed and will fight to the very last. Their siege may go on for decades. Each army on a planet may deal 10% destrution per turn to a fortress colony. They can also be destroyed by orbital bombardment. The rest of the planet however may be occupied.
Fortress colonies do not require food or energy during the siege and will produce 1 fresh army each turn at no cost which may attempt a breakout at the end of the turn, or wait for more reinforcements to build up.

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TECHNOLOGY

Technologies are divided to 3 groups.
Physics - Weapons, Energy, Communication, Shielding, Research
Biotech - Food, Harmony, Habitability, Terraforming, Genetics
Engineering - Industry, Infrastructure, Terraforming, Weapons, Spacetech

They also come in tiers.
Tier I (Industrial): 3 Techs per group, 20% odds.
Tier II (Space Age): 3 Techs per group, 20% odds.
Tier III (Nano): 2 Techs per group, 10% odds.
Tier IV (Quantum): 2 Techs per group, 10% odds.
Tier V (Enigmatic): 1 Techs per group, 5% odds.
Tier VI (Transcendent): 1 Techs per group, 5% odds.

Total number of techs: 9+9+6+6+3+3 = 36
Only Tier 1 techs can be specifically selected for research.

RESEARCHING TECHS

- Each Research Colony conducts research independently.
- Each Turn They may select any tier 1 tech or 1 of the 3 technology groups and attempt to unlock the secrets of a technology. They then make one roll with a d100, and if they roll the % treshold or below, they discover the selected tier 1 technology or one random technology from the next available tier. The more advanced the technology, the smaller the odds.
- Each time a colony fails to research a technology, they add their current odds to the base chance and they will roll for that next turn (so a if a colony has 20% chance on turn 1 for a tech, it increases to 40% chance the next turn, then 60%, 80% and finally 100% on turn 5). Finally, each failed roll adds +1% to technology breakthrough chance. This roll is made 1 times per turn per faction. A breakthrough can find unique technologies which cannot be discovered from the tech tree.

TIER ONE TECHS

PHYSICS

Focusing Crystals
- Unlocks Photonic Lance.

Atomic Power
- Unlocks Reactor Colonies, which can convert 1 Rare Elements to 3 Energy.

Ion Drive
- Required for Colony ships and Destroyers.

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BIOTECH

Gas Synthesis
- Allows constructing Atmospheric Terraformer (5 C) on any type of continent. AUTOMATED. Uses 1 Energy, May increase or decrease any type of gas on the planet its built on (1 - 5% rate per turn, progress faster on small worlds/moons), does not require/house workers. May (depending on location) imp act surface temperature when adding or substracting gases.
- Allows advanced colonies on planets without the right type of atmosphere.

Hydroponics
- Unlocks Hydroponics Colony- Converts 1 Water and 1 Energy to 3 food, irrelevant of continent type.

Cryostasis
- Required to construct colony ships

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ENGINEERING

0-G Construction
- Spaceports, Shipyard and Defense Platforms

Underground Colonization
- Subterran Colony - Uses 1 energy, extracts 3 resources of the type available on its continent. Immune to bombardment. Allows for a 2nd colony to be built above.

Ultra Steel
- Fortress Colony - Uses 1 Energy, Provides 3x the defense armies during an invasion. May train 1 army per turn. Can destroy 50% (rounded down) of all invading transports. (2 fortress colonies destroy 75%, 3 destroy 87.5%).
- Unlocks Ultra Steel Plating spaceship parts.


[spoiler]Deep scanning
- Allows for finding hidden anomalies.
- Allows building archeology outposts on hidden anomalies and excavate artefacts.

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