Future Tech Advice and Assistance Thread [O.O.C.]

[Vocenae]

I agree, I don't especially love RPing as an aggressor nation either. It feels silly (especially with my tendency to play as low-FT, I'm just ASKING to get butt-kicked) and I prefer the space opera-esque theatre of FT personally anyway. There were a few nations that managed to turn out some interesting interactions, but at this point I'm thinking it'd be better to shutter this account for good and just remember the fun times.

Honestly, looking through all my old accounts, most of them were rather 'cookie cutter' nations. I'll probably keep a couple active just for the reasons that they were non-hostile and did have significant work put into developing them.

But thanks for the Local Cluster pointer, I really do need to find out what the community's like now and wasn't sure of where to put feelers out. I prefer character-driven RPs and definitely want to create something more receptive to that field.

A parting question though... is the softer, "space opera" variant of sci-fi an active community? Again, I'm all here for character-driven RPs and prefer to seek out interesting social and political work more than data tables and hypothetical engines.

Again I'm going to heavily suggest you read all the Guides written by for FT by members of FT. They'll answer so many questions on what is acceptable in the community and what isn't. Of course, please feel free to continue asking these questions or questions about anything you might read in the guide and we'll be happy to answer them for you. It just makes things a little easier on everyone if you do some of the legwork yourself.

But just to address one point immediately: There is no 'hard' 'soft' 'low' 'high' FT. There is just FT. Your nation's aesthetics may cater to one or the other, but in the end your choice of technological window dressing will not have a positive or negative impact on your nation against other players. In Future Tech, your 'power' and 'influence' is directly linked with your standing with the other players of the community. If you show respect to both your fellow FT'ers, the Community Standards, and follow the 4C (Creativity, Consistency, Collaboration and Compromise) and a willingness to learn and take advice then you'll find there are not many closed doors in terms of what you can and cannot do in FT (aside from, you know, deliberate godmodding or violating the rules of the forum).

Comradery is extremely important in the FT community, after all, wouldn't you rather play with friends than people you're constantly at odds with?

[Ky-telstein]

I've read the guides on FT, but I'm pondering population size.

Basically, I'm not playing a large nation - comparatively a few systems, a sub-sector or so of the Imperium which has somehow been transplanted from 'its reality' to the 'NS reality' through warp-fuckery, and must now try to survive on its own. However, with the Imperium humans are one of its most major resources - a single hive world can have typically 20bn people. So its population would likely be grossly disproportionate to its hard power due to the general low quality of education etc. of its citizens, and the need of large sections of its military to be directed inward.

Would it, under these circumstances, be considered acceptable to have a generally higher than would normally be anticipated population?

[Vocenae]

Population size has no bearing on FT. While yes there are players who do like to define it for their own factbooking reasons, most players don't specify how large their population is because it simply isn't important to the plot. I myself ignore listing anything specific, but for m own internal Consistency when developing my worlds, I generally run with the population on my gameplay page. That is about as hard numbers as I get, and I have no listed IC population number. Numbers, for the most part, really don't come into consideration for anything concerning FT as the emphasis is on creating interesting setting (nations) and characters.

If you think that number is appropriate for the nation and setting YOU want to develop, then feel to run with it.

Honestly I'm more concerned with the Warhammer 40k aspect of your nation.

[Sunset]

I've read the guides on FT, but I'm pondering population size.

Basically, I'm not playing a large nation - comparatively a few systems, a sub-sector or so of the Imperium which has somehow been transplanted from 'its reality' to the 'NS reality' through warp-fuckery, and must now try to survive on its own. However, with the Imperium humans are one of its most major resources - a single hive world can have typically 20bn people. So its population would likely be grossly disproportionate to its hard power due to the general low quality of education etc. of its citizens, and the need of large sections of its military to be directed inward.

Would it, under these circumstances, be considered acceptable to have a generally higher than would normally be anticipated population?

Description, description, description. Instead of listing a number - and thus provoking problems later on down the line - stick with descriptions instead. A teeming population, rampant over-crowding, death, misery, and disease run rampant as people are packed into increasingly smaller spaces and must scrabble and fight with their neighbors just to survive another day. There is no one spot, no one place on the surface of the planet that is not considered home to someone for no matter how long. Description.

And to agree with Voc (Gasp)... Description. As evidenced by posts previous to this one, sticking to a specific canon can/may/will cause problems down the line. Maybe you'll stop loving 40k, maybe you'll want to add some other aspect but it won't jive with the 40k. Maybe you'll find a RP partner and really bond with them on a personal level and the Imperial hatred for xenos will backfire because they are lovely tentacle women. But if you take a little time, put up some new window dressings, take those lasrifles and... Bad example, perhaps, since lasrifles are pretty generic, but if you change the Imperium to the 'Kyraxyen Empire' (for example) and the other various names and direct references to something else you'll give yourself options for later. Are you still drawing heavily on 40k? Sure. But when or if that changes, you'll have options. And kicking yourself in that direction at this point will start you down the path of one of those 4Cs - Creativity.

[Ky-telstein]

Population size has no bearing on FT. While yes there are players who do like to define it for their own factbooking reasons, most players don't specify how large their population is because it simply isn't important to the plot. I myself ignore listing anything specific, but for m own internal Consistency when developing my worlds, I generally run with the population on my gameplay page. That is about as hard numbers as I get, and I have no listed IC population number. Numbers, for the most part, really don't come into consideration for anything concerning FT as the emphasis is on creating interesting setting (nations) and characters.

If you think that number is appropriate for the nation and setting YOU want to develop, then feel to run with it.

Okay, I wasn't sure if it was acceptable to have a non-defined population in FT. I suppose in MT, which I'm more used to, it's a different thing: if a player has 500mn then that number is unquestionably a measure of power over a nation of 250mn.

Honestly I'm more concerned with the Warhammer 40k aspect of your nation.

Eh. I have multiple nations, this is just one I happen to have which is based on WH40K.

• Kouralia - FanT/MT nation which is semi-culturally Italo-Celtic, drawing minor inspiration from sources as diverse as Discworld, The Rivers of London, Agents of SHIELD, MLP (but since CoPS is kinda dead in the water that's likely to quietly disappear) and Stargate.
• Arlelli and Trescia - MT-only nation which is based on the premise of a modern Order-State (e.g. if the Knights Hospitaller had not been kicked from Malta, and had instead developed into a relevant country).
• Liivland Abufan Se Steorre - FT nation which has tenuous links to the Baltic States, and otherwise has very little inspiration from other fictional sources.
• Wairstia - FT nation which is basically Spehs!Normans/Spehs!Knights/Spehs!Feudalism/Spehs!Papacy. Yeah, it doesn't derive itself from any work of fiction, ut it is a very simple 'X in Space' nation.
• Ky'Telstein - FT nation which is basically 'a sub-sector of the Imperium must cope with no longer under the thumb of the imperium, and no longer being the top-dog'. It is already 50-60 years since it became in the new NS universe, and has spent most of that time reconquering its own planets from traitors (or even those who believed themselves to be the true representatives of Imperial authority in the sub-sector) in 'civil wars' in that time. Now it must look beyond its own borders, and can easily further entrench itself into Imperial values or learn openness and acceptance in an effort to survive a universe where 'we will just kill everyone in your nation with offensive ease' is not a valid foreign policy.

And to agree with Voc (Gasp)... Description. As evidenced by posts previous to this one, sticking to a specific canon can/may/will cause problems down the line. Maybe you'll stop loving 40k, maybe you'll want to add some other aspect but it won't jive with the 40k. Maybe you'll find a RP partner and really bond with them on a personal level and the Imperial hatred for xenos will backfire because they are lovely tentacle women. But if you take a little time, put up some new window dressings, take those lasrifles and... Bad example, perhaps, since lasrifles are pretty generic, but if you change the Imperium to the 'Kyraxyen Empire' (for example) and the other various names and direct references to something else you'll give yourself options for later. Are you still drawing heavily on 40k? Sure. But when or if that changes, you'll have options. And kicking yourself in that direction at this point will start you down the path of one of those 4Cs - Creativity.

As above... Eh. I have many nations which I alternate between as the mood takes me, and with the amount of original detail put into some of them I'm certainly not lacking in creativity, furthermore I've planned ways in which this nation can become less Imperial while retaining a very WH40K base, but through RP rather than 'and suddenly there was an almost-but-not-quite rip-off of 40K nation'.

[Tharwatine]

It is already 50-60 years since it became in the new NS universe, and has spent most of that time reconquering its own planets from traitors (or even those who believed themselves to be the true representatives of Imperial authority in the sub-sector) in 'civil wars' in that time. Now it must look beyond its own borders, and can easily further entrench itself into Imperial values or learn openness and acceptance in an effort to survive a universe where 'we will just kill everyone in your nation with offensive ease' is not a valid foreign policy.

As above... Eh. I have many nations which I alternate between as the mood takes me, and with the amount of original detail put into some of them I'm certainly not lacking in creativity, furthermore I've planned ways in which this nation can become less Imperial while retaining a very WH40K base, but through RP rather than 'and suddenly there was an almost-but-not-quite rip-off of 40K nation'.

I think basing on the WH40k setting and being something unique is not mutually exclusive. For one, I always believed that the Imperium is not as homogeneous as GW led many of us to believe for a variety of reasons. Even if the core aspects of the Imperium, like its xenophobia and attachment to gold and skulls are to be preserved, each sub-sectors most likely would have their own unique culture even before it was transplanted into FT prime. The fact that our galaxy is not as xenocidal (usually) as the WH40k one probably would need to change in the structure of your society as well, especially if we consider that many Imperium factions originally in dominant position would no longer have the same power base due to their separation from the rest of the Imperium in this universe, as well as the lower intensity of warfare and xenocides here.

That does remind me, what would happen to your warp travel?

[Ky-telstein]

It is already 50-60 years since it became in the new NS universe, and has spent most of that time reconquering its own planets from traitors (or even those who believed themselves to be the true representatives of Imperial authority in the sub-sector) in 'civil wars' in that time. Now it must look beyond its own borders, and can easily further entrench itself into Imperial values or learn openness and acceptance in an effort to survive a universe where 'we will just kill everyone in your nation with offensive ease' is not a valid foreign policy.

As above... Eh. I have many nations which I alternate between as the mood takes me, and with the amount of original detail put into some of them I'm certainly not lacking in creativity, furthermore I've planned ways in which this nation can become less Imperial while retaining a very WH40K base, but through RP rather than 'and suddenly there was an almost-but-not-quite rip-off of 40K nation'.

I think basing on the WH40k setting and being something unique is not mutually exclusive. For one, I always believed that the Imperium is not as homogeneous as GW led many of us to believe for a variety of reasons. Even if the core aspects of the Imperium, like its xenophobia and attachment to gold and skulls are to be preserved, each sub-sectors most likely would have their own unique culture even before it was transplanted into FT prime. The fact that our galaxy is not as xenocidal (usually) as the WH40k one probably would need to change in the structure of your society as well, especially if we consider that many Imperium factions originally in dominant position would no longer have the same power base due to their separation from the rest of the Imperium in this universe, as well as the lower intensity of warfare and xenocides here.

Indeed. Basically 'the Imperium learns to stop being a little shit, or it gets destroyed' is the opening plot-line of this nation.

That does remind me, what would happen to your warp travel?

Tricky question. Otoh Warp travel uses the Astronomicon as a fixed point, and you then calculate how far away you are from that point to work out where you are in the galaxy. But, in this world there is a) no Astronomicon and b) nowhere near as much power for the Dark Gods. Thus I imagine the Warp is somewhat more stable, so while it's still not a given that you can come out in the place and time you intended, it's not quite as dangerous/hit and miss as normal.

I'm considering the main effect of the comparative lack of power of the Dark Gods to be that distance within the Warp is much more easily calculable, which makes it easier to traverse it. Think the Nether in Minecraft - for every 1 block you travel North in the Nether, you are correspondingly 8 blocks North in the overworld. Thus, travelling 1km in the Nether means a newly constructed portal would be 8km away from your entrance point. Basically something similar for the Warp. So, they work out where they are entering the Warp in reality, and then work out where they want to leave the Warp, then travel the calculated distance in the warp before coming out.

Of course they might come out 50 years in the past or never at all (as is normal for warp travel), and they are using pre-transition Imperial charts to try and map out their routes - i.e. to planets which don't exist any more, or which have moved etc. Thus, it is somewhat difficult to travel to new locations outside of those areas already re-mapped (i.e. the sub-sector of Ky'Telstein.

[Neornith]

I think basing on the WH40k setting and being something unique is not mutually exclusive. For one, I always believed that the Imperium is not as homogeneous as GW led many of us to believe for a variety of reasons. Even if the core aspects of the Imperium, like its xenophobia and attachment to gold and skulls are to be preserved, each sub-sectors most likely would have their own unique culture even before it was transplanted into FT prime. The fact that our galaxy is not as xenocidal (usually) as the WH40k one probably would need to change in the structure of your society as well, especially if we consider that many Imperium factions originally in dominant position would no longer have the same power base due to their separation from the rest of the Imperium in this universe, as well as the lower intensity of warfare and xenocides here.

Indeed. Basically 'the Imperium learns to stop being a little shit, or it gets destroyed' is the opening plot-line of this nation.

That does remind me, what would happen to your warp travel?

Tricky question. Otoh Warp travel uses the Astronomicon as a fixed point, and you then calculate how far away you are from that point to work out where you are in the galaxy. But, in this world there is a) no Astronomicon and b) nowhere near as much power for the Dark Gods. Thus I imagine the Warp is somewhat more stable, so while it's still not a given that you can come out in the place and time you intended, it's not quite as dangerous/hit and miss as normal.

I'm considering the main effect of the comparative lack of power of the Dark Gods to be that distance within the Warp is much more easily calculable, which makes it easier to traverse it. Think the Nether in Minecraft - for every 1 block you travel North in the Nether, you are correspondingly 8 blocks North in the overworld. Thus, travelling 1km in the Nether means a newly constructed portal would be 8km away from your entrance point. Basically something similar for the Warp. So, they work out where they are entering the Warp in reality, and then work out where they want to leave the Warp, then travel the calculated distance in the warp before coming out.

Of course they might come out 50 years in the past or never at all (as is normal for warp travel), and they are using pre-transition Imperial charts to try and map out their routes - i.e. to planets which don't exist any more, or which have moved etc. Thus, it is somewhat difficult to travel to new locations outside of those areas already re-mapped (i.e. the sub-sector of Ky'Telstein.

Just a quick suggestion here, you could make a new home point for navigation references and have your nation explore from there, this would give you an idea where you're located in the Milky Way as well as create new RP opportunities for you as your exploration ships/fleets discover other nations

And if you're truly dedicated to the WH40K route just say you ripped off some Tau tech for FTL

[Stormwrath]

No Need to be Intimidated
A Testimony by Stormwrath

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The NationStates Future Tech Community, like every other roleplaying community lurking in the forums, has all kinds of roleplayers. There are those that prefer to tell the story objectively without having to go into too much detail, and there are others that prefer to go into the deepest of details about anything—whether it is the sensation of drinking from a teacup very very slowly, with a faint sipping sound to accompany it, or the agony of your workaholic character as he/she is forced to climb the flights of stairs to the 37th floor because the elevator had to be out of order, of all days. (See what I mean?) Some choose to write their posts in a single day (in fear the RP will move without them), and others just take their sweet time and draft a post an hour or two during the day, since they have to fulfill real life commitments. Some write like C. S. Lewis, while others write like J. R. R. Tolkien. Let's be honest, one way or another, we're all different kinds of players, who have different playing styles—in our case writing styles. And we have fun in what we do.

However, NSFT—by overgeneralization from many players from other communities in NS—is notorious for a certain trait that many FTers share: the infamous walls of text. Don't deny, you have come across an IC thread tagged "FT," and you certainly may have read FT factbooks, and you have seen that it contains stuff as long as the longest chapter you can find in your favorite novel. Your eyes start telling your brain, “This is too much for me to handle!” Then your finger scrolls the whole post down to the bottom. While there are walls of text in pretty much any community on NS, FT is well-known for such, and by the chaos gods are they all over the place. If you are just starting to dip your toe into the FT community, you may be feeling intimidated by the extremely long posts, thinking that this must be the quality standard FTers operate on, and that you should be like them. Let me stop you there and tell you, "Don't force it."

Why should I tell you this? It's because they were once like you when you first experienced roleplaying. Some of them began with only one-liners to crank out. But as time went on, they gradually improved their RP skills, kept on expanding their horizons in worldbuilding and in telling stories, and became the players they are today. To quote another guide on this thread, “Don’t rush, don’t worry, and don’t burn out.” This I believe applies to roleplaying not just in FT or in NS, but in any forum.

Yes, I know—this helpful post is a wall of text in of itself, which is ironic to the message I am trying to get across, but please continue reading. When I was starting out in NS, I began as an MTer, transitioned to PMT (which isn't that different from an MTer in my opinion), and then an FTer outside the greater FT community. All in a few months. At the time I wasn't sure if I should stick to a certain concept for my nation because I kept on retconning my nation's canon to whatever seemed cool at the time. I stuck to FT because it seemed like the tech level where my imagination had the least limits.

I'll be honest here, I was initially reluctant to participate in FT-Prime because the content that I would read was too much for my eyes to handle, and had avoided it for some time. Of course, I needed some kind of place to RP out my then-FT nation (Intergalactic Empire of Stormwrath), and so went for the threads that were tagged [FT, Open]. Back then I had no idea that such threads were actually within the purview of FT-Prime, thinking that because the Wall of Text FTers weren't around, this thread is outside of FT-Prime. After realizing this fact (and certainly being intimidated by it), I created my own Closed Roleplaying Group (Tanabiku Galaxy), and RPed the Intergalactic Empire there. Last year was when I finally worked up the courage to go back to FT-Prime again, when I had improved greatly in RPing, thinking that because I now write better than I did when I first started, it'll get their attention. Except I was wrong, and I got their attention in a whole different way.

I haven’t explained the reason why NSFT is full of walls of text, have I? Well then. The reason that FT has lots of those is because many FTers have been on NS for years, and many of them I believe are post-college adults. They don’t have to worry about having to post as soon as the other RPer posted, nor do they have the time to worry about posting. Instead they take their time in coming up with one—one with more than enough substance to advance the RP. Some of them even feel offended if they found out you skimmed through or just skipped their post entirely, and that certainly is to be expected. That is what many prolific writers have done with their work; going at it a part or two at certain time intervals, which works best if you have real life commitments.

Don’t be like me back then, when I thought I had to be an expert to RP with them. Don’t be discouraged if your post is short compared to theirs. You just have to go to them and you know, RP to your heart’s content. The point of roleplaying with people is first and foremost to have fun. In our case, we have fun by creating a story and progressing it with new events, characters, settings, and developments. When you RP with other people with varying writing styles, or read books, you think to yourself, "Hey, why don't I take some of the good elements from his style?" Sure, why not? Take some good things Writer A and Writer B does in his way of RPing, and through these formulate your own style. Finally, have some love for what you do. Long post, short post, doesn’t matter—as long as you have put your work into it. After all, this place is great for stretching the limits of your imagination and creativity.

Who knows? After a while, you’ll eventually be writing walls of text, and inspiring more players to become like you.

Appendix A: Misconceptions Made by Players on NSFT

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Of course, this post doesn't cover only the Wall of Text thing that has discouraged RPers from trying out FT. There are other things as well. Here is a list of expectations that we think the FT community has, which are in reality nothing more than hearsay. The list is in no specific order of importance. Apologies if I haven’t included other misconceptions.

1. An FTer must be very knowledgeable at science and technology.
   To this I say no. While knowing about stuff like quantum mechanics, the theory of relativity, and gravitational singularities can help with worldbuilding your fictional state or responding to an IC post, it isn't a requirement to go into FT, no matter how much the term "science fiction" or “speculative fiction” seems to imply. Faster-than-light travel, a staple of sci-fi and FT, isn't scientifically proven according to our current understanding of physics, for example. It is however encouraged to go and research about what you think could be possible for your fictional star-state.
   
   
2. The more experienced FTers call the canon shots.
   No pun intended there, but I should point out that there is a difference between conforming to the guidelines of the community in order to gain respect and friendship and conforming to what the canon is. To us, your image OOCly is more important than what you worldbuild or RP. After all, there are going to be a lot more FTers with similar concepts, ideas, and themes—and there certainly have been—and that's okay.
   
   
3. It's not creative if it's not original.
   Let's be honest, nothing is original, not even in worldbuilding. Just because you have thought of something that hasn't been thought of in existing works doesn't mean you're the first one to come up with that. Others may have come up with an idea similar to yours at one point, and they chose to go with it or not. Often what is considered original is taking something here, taking another thing there, and once you have your ingredients, mix it all together to create something new.
   
   
4. Being competitive in an RP is a deadly sin.
   It's not. Seeking to win an RP for OOC's sake is the deadly sin here. There’s nothing wrong with being competitive, just don’t let it get to your head.
   
   
5. An FTer uses flowery jargon and descriptions.
   Once more, it depends on your writing style. Simple words or erudite appellations, what matters is that what you post adequately describes your character’s thoughts, feelings, responses, and such. Those matter to people who go through your work.
   
   
6. Using magic in FT is bad.
   No it isn’t. FanT and FT aren't strictly polar opposites. However, the burden is on you to make sure it makes sense when you worldbuild or RP with others. In addition, players are free to negate the effects of your magic, or even ignore it entirely as a plot element. As much as possible, you should ask the GM (OP in NS jargon) of the RP if it’s okay to use magic.
   
   
7. Using numbers, statistics, and other hard information is bad.
   Numbers are of course up to the players, as it can be part of their worldbuilding style. There’s nothing wrong with using them. What is recommended though is that you don’t dwell on coming up with numbers a lot since that will tax your imagination more than what is needed.
   
   
8. If you're larger than the Huerdaen Star Empire, it's bad.*
   It is recommended to start out small and let the FT community accept you over time, as stated in this post, thus theoretically allowing you to grow larger and larger because everyone else chose to be okay with that. But it's not the 11th Commandment, not like the gameside population you have on your first day in NS. Hell, you can say you RP a thousand-system interstellar empire and no one can stop you. I will state this though, and this reflects what everyone agrees with, 'You can do want you want and no one can stop you, but expect people to react.' That means as much as you can have your 1000-system empire, others can choose to RP with you or not, depending on their own perceptions.
   
   *This must not be misconstrued with the other misconception that the Huerdaen Star Empire is the largest sovereignty entity in the Galaxy as supposedly held by more prominent members of FT-Prime. If you do tell Huerdae you claim to be larger than the HSE, he'll invite you to an RP for glorious space warfare. Maybe not to put your nation in its place ICly, but for the fun of it.

[Allanea]

Excellent, thank you.

[Kyrusia]

Stormwrath's guide, "No Need to Be Intimidated," has been added to the FT Helpful Links index.

[Pandoran United Empire]

I've been wondering for a while, as astrologists measure distance (1AU = distance from the sun to earth) are there any such agreed measurements of distance or are they more fluid and depends who you rp with. Besides the most common that being light year.

[Kyrusia]

I've been wondering for a while, as astrologists measure distance (1AU = distance from the sun to earth) are there any such agreed measurements of distance or are they more fluid and depends who you rp with. Besides the most common that being light year.

Light-years are the most common; this can, typically, be divided into light-hours, light-minutes, etc. The International Astronomical Union standardized the usage of "parsec," which is derived from "parallax arcsecond" and defined as (thanks, Wikipedia): "One parsec is the distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one arcsecond. A parsec is equal to about 3.26 light-years (31 trillion kilometres or 19 trillion miles) in length. [...] In August 2015, the IAU passed Resolution B2, which as part of the definition of a standardized absolute and apparent bolometric magnitude scale, included an explicit definition of the parsec as exactly 648000⁄π astronomical units, or approximately 3.085677581×10¹⁶ metres (based on the IAU 2012 exact SI definition of the astronomical unit)."

In FT, I've tend to find various sub-units of "light-year" to be most common, but depending on what exactly is being compared this can vary considerably, down to astronomical units and even millions or thousands of kilometers.

[Stormwrath]

Light-years are the most common; this can, typically, be divided into light-hours, light-minutes, etc. The International Astronomical Union standardized the usage of "parsec," which is derived from "parallax arcsecond" and defined as (thanks, Wikipedia): "One parsec is the distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one arcsecond. A parsec is equal to about 3.26 light-years (31 trillion kilometres or 19 trillion miles) in length. [...] In August 2015, the IAU passed Resolution B2, which as part of the definition of a standardized absolute and apparent bolometric magnitude scale, included an explicit definition of the parsec as exactly 648000⁄π astronomical units, or approximately 3.085677581×10¹⁶ metres (based on the IAU 2012 exact SI definition of the astronomical unit)."

In FT, I've tend to find various sub-units of "light-year" to be most common, but depending on what exactly is being compared this can vary considerably, down to astronomical units and even millions or thousands of kilometers.

Some FTers, including me, have also come up with our own astronomical units, often equated to the distance between the capital world and its home star. But don't worry about all that, Pandora (can I call you Pandora?). Just stick to the things you're most comfortable with, and if you want to break out of your shell, go for it.

[SquareDisc City]

I've been wondering for a while, as astrologists measure distance (1AU = distance from the sun to earth) are there any such agreed measurements of distance or are they more fluid and depends who you rp with. Besides the most common that being light year.

Astronomers measure distance in light-years when doing science. Astrologists don't measure distance at all when peddling their charlatanery. /rant

But anyway, if distances are given they tend to be real-world units like km, AU, and light-years, even when it doesn't make much IC sense. It's no different really to writing the dialogue of an alien species in English. Alternatively you could refer to journey times, which are the more relevant factor for the story, and not fret over the absolute distance.

I don't see interplanetary distances talked about much at all actually. Typically, though not necessarily, a civilization with commonplace FTL travel will find running around its system trivial. Just like how on Earth, for most of us it doesn't matter much if something is a quarter mile or a half mile away. I also rarely see parsecs used - they're common in professional astronomy and cosmology but the typical FT reader is more familiar with light-years.

[Pandoran United Empire]

Just stick to the things you're most comfortable with, and if you want to break out of your shell, go for it.

Oh i'm breaking out of my shell, moving from years of MT/PMT to FT.

[Stormwrath]

Just stick to the things you're most comfortable with, and if you want to break out of your shell, go for it.

Oh i'm breaking out of my shell, moving from years of MT/PMT to FT.

Oh? Well then, I recommend you read some of our guides here and check out our related threads so you can get a heads up of what this community is like and how we operate.

And when I meant by "stick to what you're most comfortable with," I mean you shouldn't have to worry about working up stuff like new standards of measurement until you think you can pull it off.

[Neornith]

So I've been thinking, with the prevalence of power armor in FT I'm curious if anyone else has given thought to what the protective layer of the armor itself consists of and what everyone uses from the "lower end" of the tech spectrum to the "higher end"and why you use that type of armor

For Avlana I use a lighter high alloy titanium to in effort to reduce weight but maintain a high protection, I like to think my armor sacrifices protection for speed because my Avan aren't really designed to take a high amount of punishment even in their armor

[Excidium Planetis]

So I've been thinking, with the prevalence of power armor in FT I'm curious if anyone else has given thought to what the protective layer of the armor itself consists of and what everyone uses from the "lower end" of the tech spectrum to the "higher end"and why you use that type of armor

For Avlana I use a lighter high alloy titanium to in effort to reduce weight but maintain a high protection, I like to think my armor sacrifices protection for speed because my Avan aren't really designed to take a high amount of punishment even in their armor

Excidium Planetis doesn't really use powered armor per say, more like regular armor with a powered exoskeleton over it or occasionally cybernetic limbs underneath.

Typical armor consists of titanium alloy plates and synthetic fibres, usually either para-aramids or polymeric fibres. The fibres can also be soaked in shear-thickening fluid to improve performance considerably. Titanium, due to its rarity, is being slowly phased out in favor of the B2 Steel-Aluminium alloy.

Note that this is on the "lower end" of the tech spectrum, using materials that are MT and technology that is PMT and could be used in as little as a couple of decades.

[Escalan Corps-Star Island]

As my IC nation has no real developed military as of yet, I can't comment on their existing tech; however, I can speak regarding the armour they have records of their predecessors possessing– which also happens to feature prominently in my own personal, non-NS timeline.

At any rate, the armour itself consists of three primary layers, the outermost of which is a ceramic baked into a slightly-compressible carbon-fibre mesh. Multiple coatings of this are applied perpendicular to one another to form a tough outer shell that's sufficiently heat-resistant to protect the occupant from near-misses of plasma weaponry, at least on an infantry scale.

The second layer is comprised primarily of the same carbon-fibre framework, though this is arranged in a three-dimensional lattice to allow for compression from near shockwaves. Woven into this substrate are a number of titanium fibres to aid in both heat dissipation and the deflection of normal kinetic/flechette rounds that are commonly employed as closer-range alternatives to the more destructive plasma rounds.

The third and final layer consists of a number of hydraulic tubes that do not impede the flexibility of the armour under standard conditions, but can rapidly stiffen upon a sudden increase in external pressure. This serves to aid in protecting the occupant from both large shockwaves off of explosions as well as rapid impact by other blunt objects, be they shrapnel or simply the ground after a nasty hundred-foot fall.

All of this is layered over the standard exoskeletal framework and undersuit, which contains additional homeostatic and sensor capacities.

[Neornith]

As my IC nation has no real developed military as of yet, I can't comment on their existing tech; however, I can speak regarding the armour they have records of their predecessors possessing– which also happens to feature prominently in my own personal, non-NS timeline.

At any rate, the armour itself consists of three primary layers, the outermost of which is a ceramic baked into a slightly-compressible carbon-fibre mesh. Multiple coatings of this are applied perpendicular to one another to form a tough outer shell that's sufficiently heat-resistant to protect the occupant from near-misses of plasma weaponry, at least on an infantry scale.

The second layer is comprised primarily of the same carbon-fibre framework, though this is arranged in a three-dimensional lattice to allow for compression from near shockwaves. Woven into this substrate are a number of titanium fibres to aid in both heat dissipation and the deflection of normal kinetic/flechette rounds that are commonly employed as closer-range alternatives to the more destructive plasma rounds.

The third and final layer consists of a number of hydraulic tubes that do not impede the flexibility of the armour under standard conditions, but can rapidly stiffen upon a sudden increase in external pressure. This serves to aid in protecting the occupant from both large shockwaves off of explosions as well as rapid impact by other blunt objects, be they shrapnel or simply the ground after a nasty hundred-foot fall.

All of this is layered over the standard exoskeletal framework and undersuit, which contains additional homeostatic and sensor capacities.

See instead of using ceramic with Avlana I borrowed (which means I shamelessly stole it) the concept from Palladium's Rifts roleplay game and use a thin layer shiny surface material to help reflect lasers, now this obviously doesn't help with other types of ammunition that use heat but my armors aren't intended to be used against enemy armor, instead they're geared towards fighting infantry where I imagine laser rifles are more common

I suppose the one thing I should clarify, my armors intended role is for rapid movement of infantry instead of using them as shock troops like others, does anyone else have armors built for a unique role?

[The Vahkiran]

As my IC nation has no real developed military as of yet, I can't comment on their existing tech; however, I can speak regarding the armour they have records of their predecessors possessing– which also happens to feature prominently in my own personal, non-NS timeline.

At any rate, the armour itself consists of three primary layers, the outermost of which is a ceramic baked into a slightly-compressible carbon-fibre mesh. Multiple coatings of this are applied perpendicular to one another to form a tough outer shell that's sufficiently heat-resistant to protect the occupant from near-misses of plasma weaponry, at least on an infantry scale.

The second layer is comprised primarily of the same carbon-fibre framework, though this is arranged in a three-dimensional lattice to allow for compression from near shockwaves. Woven into this substrate are a number of titanium fibres to aid in both heat dissipation and the deflection of normal kinetic/flechette rounds that are commonly employed as closer-range alternatives to the more destructive plasma rounds.

The third and final layer consists of a number of hydraulic tubes that do not impede the flexibility of the armour under standard conditions, but can rapidly stiffen upon a sudden increase in external pressure. This serves to aid in protecting the occupant from both large shockwaves off of explosions as well as rapid impact by other blunt objects, be they shrapnel or simply the ground after a nasty hundred-foot fall.

All of this is layered over the standard exoskeletal framework and undersuit, which contains additional homeostatic and sensor capacities.

See instead of using ceramic with Avlana I borrowed (which means I shamelessly stole it) the concept from Palladium's Rifts roleplay game and use a thin layer shiny surface material to help reflect lasers, now this obviously doesn't help with other types of ammunition that use heat but my armors aren't intended to be used against enemy armor, instead they're geared towards fighting infantry where I imagine laser rifles are more common

I suppose the one thing I should clarify, my armors intended role is for rapid movement of infantry instead of using them as shock troops like others, does anyone else have armors built for a unique role?

The Vahkiran pretty much dedicate themselves to rapid deployment and quick movement. Their armour is extremely light and offers very little protection. They rely more on not getting hit and their personal MAG shielding systems, the actual armour they use is special lightweight alloy that is decent at dispersing heat, so lasers, plasma, the sort, whilst the MAG shield slows down solid projectiles so that their impact and velocity is reduced upon impacting the armour. Underneath that they wear a synthweave skinsuit which has all the circuitry for their helmets HUD and power supply for their MAG shield.

Edit: Their natural chitinous armour and carapace is also a decent armour against solid projectiles, so they're just naturally armoured as is.

[Vocenae]

"Your basic Vahkirran warrior isn't too smart, but you can blow off a limb and it's still 86% combat effective. Here's a tip: Aim for the nerve stem and put it down for good"

[Escalan Corps-Star Island]

*snip*

See instead of using ceramic with Avlana I borrowed (which means I shamelessly stole it) the concept from Palladium's Rifts roleplay game and use a thin layer shiny surface material to help reflect lasers, now this obviously doesn't help with other types of ammunition that use heat but my armors aren't intended to be used against enemy armor, instead they're geared towards fighting infantry where I imagine laser rifles are more common

I suppose the one thing I should clarify, my armors intended role is for rapid movement of infantry instead of using them as shock troops like others, does anyone else have armors built for a unique role?

The ones I referenced previously are used in an environment where laser weaponry is uncommon because of the energy requirements, which does make them rather susceptible to being penetrated by extreme heat at one point. By extension, a direct impact from a plasma round will still melt the wearer, but the armour defends from near-misses (damn, they hit the back wall of our bunker!) well enough. In that sense, the armour overall is really mostly geared towards "battlefield survivability": as long as you're not hit directly by anything major, you'll be fine and operational. This is largely due to the fact that ground engagements rarely focus on large numbers of troops or even major engagements at less than five miles range; rather, positioning and securing the superior aerial or fire-support scenario is critical to scoring a tactical victory and forcing a retreat or surrender. Furthermore, because what firefights do break out are often limited to smaller kinetic or flechette anti-personnel rounds (to avoid giving a large thermal signature for the other side to paint you with), the armour prioritises mobility over "super-soldier" type bulk and invulnerability.

[Ferret Civilization]

"Your basic Vahkirran warrior isn't too smart, but you can blow off a limb and it's still 86% combat effective. Here's a tip: Aim for the nerve stem and put it down for good"

Ha, legendary... Can't go wrong with that natural biology.

This nation just goes cloth, very loose lightweight cloth. No one wants to war something that isn't a threat, heh. Someone shows up and bam, we surrender. Cause not everything in the universe can be pure awesomeness, heh.