The Universe Project Hub [FT/Applications/OOC]

[Transoxthraxia]

Join our IRC at #TUP
The Universe Project - Main Theme
TUPMap Ver. 1.1
The Encyklopoedia Galaktika
A guide to starting off in FT

Hello, everyone, and welcome to The Universe Project. For the past year and a half, I’ve been constantly searching for a number of stable and realistic* FT Roleplay groups. After bouncing around for a bit, I settled within FAR and FAR II, immersing myself in the administration of the two organizations before they fell apart, either due to internal squabbling or inactivity. After a short reincarnation of FAR was started by myself, it was more or less over before it was able to get going.

What The Universe Project offers is a possibility for realistic* intergalactic diplomacy, war, and so on. What TUP aims to do is to create a friendly, open world for FT nations wishing to interact with one another in the form of an organized group, where they can easily access other FT RPers and FT RPs in a centralised, organized fashion, without worrying too much about lacking information about the aforementioned civilizations, or of random drop-outs, et cetera.

TUP is designed to set up a universal canon of sorts that would allow for the creation of a standard “code”, if you will, that would allow for the intermeshing of our various civilizations and their histories. From the very get go, there will be an established history of civilizations that would span the entire galaxy, their relations, past wars, rivalries, allies, et cetera, that will all be important to the go-ahead of the RP group.

The Universe Project is not designed as a single, linear RP, but to act as a hub for multiple RPs that occur possibly at the same time in the same universe. Of course, when I say universe, I mean like the Haloverse, or the DCverse, not an actual universe. In fact, one of my main criticisms of a lot of the functioning FT threads or groups that are active now, or had been in the past, is the use of scale. Many people argue that FT nations could easily span entire galaxies, and, while I won’t go much into why I don’t believe that this is possible, I will be limiting the scale of this to a single galaxy, in order to prevent things such as the “Invulnerable Empire”** Syndrome or massive, unreasonable amount of numberspam.

As The Universe Project is not nearly done, and in fact, at this point, is hardly more than an interest thread, this OP will constnatly change and evolve, and, hopefully, will compeltely change from what it states right now. I’d like to bounce some ideas back and forth between myself and those that express interest in the thread. I have some clear ideas on what some rules are going to be, but there are other things that I’d like to hear others’ opinions on the subject before I definitively put any ruling into effect upon it. If there is enough initial support for TUP, I'll get up an initial ruleset up for this thread, as well as a galactic map.

* As realistic as FT can get, naturally.
** Derived from the Winning Condition on the game Endless Space

The galaxy in question within The Universe Project, Alpha Valibi (Named so for Alpha being ‘first’ and Valibi a grammatical derivative of Valibat, which means ‘adventure’ in Latin.), has seen past its prime. The civilizations that inhabit the galaxy now are not the first to have treaded upon Alpha Valibi’s systems. Long ago, more than one hundred thousand years, an ancient empire ruled the galaxy. The Forebears, as they are often termed, were an intergalactic empire of tremendous political and technological sway. Conquering their way through galaxies, the Forebears came upon Alpha Valibi roughly 50,000 years ago, and promptly conquered the majority of the galaxy. They erected massive cities, created entire worlds, and ruled the galaxy without parallel.

However, suddenly, without warning, the entire Forebear Empire disappeared from the galaxy within a year, roughly fifty thousand years after they came. For reasons unclear, the empire disappeared as rapidly as it had come, nearly in the blink of an eye. The buildings that it had built, monuments that it had erected, worlds that it had created, were all abandoned, left to rot in time. Many of these structures still exist, though are useless outside of being monuments, religious icons or archaeological sites throughout the galaxy. Many are still completely uncovered, and litter many of the planets within Alpha Valibi.

The Galaxy once housed the Empire of the Forebears, an empire that was similar in power and form to all those other classic Invulnerable Empires such as the Forerunners or the Endless or the Precursors. The Forebears possessed unthinkably advanced technology, they could create entire habitable worlds with the flick of a switch, and destroy them even faster, if they wanted to. They would be able to harness the power of an entire star and devote it to whatever they needed. But, for an unknown reason, within a single year, the Forebear Empire collapsed. It collapsed so rapidly that it may have been intentional. For whatever reason, the Forebears disappeared, leaving nothing but a number of ruins.

Their legacy in the galaxy is now largely forgotten. What remains are small pockets of ruins, a long dead civilization that could not stand the test of time, buried deep within the planets, waiting for people to stumble upon them, their power perhaps to be unlocked. While they are not aware of it, this, is where Humans come from. The Forebears were a large, and powerful empire that spanned multiple galaxies, Omega Centauri, Messier 83, as well as both Magellanic Clouds. But what is most important, is that the Forebears one controlled the Milky Way, and, in fact, it was considered one of the largest, and most central parts to the empire. When the Forebears first came to Alpha Valibi, the galaxy that will be the main setting for The Universe Project (A notably fictional galaxy), they too brought with them Humans. Considered one of the most adaptable of species, they soon spanned multiple systems under the watchful eye of the Forebears, and when the Forebears finally left the system, the Humans once more fell into a period of uncivilization. The causes of this are still unclear, and the real truth has not yet been discovered by Human anthropologists.

Faster Than Light Travel, better known as FTL, is a technology that, through various means, gives spaceships the ability to mvoe faster than light for periods of time to get around the massive galaxy in a practical amount of time. While in many sci-fi universes, FTL travel is often unrestricted and/or abused, there will be a "cap" so to speak, on the FTL within The Universe Project. Here, after a bit of discussion, the members of The Universe Project have so far agreed upon the ability for individual members of TUP to choose how they would get around in FTL, if they'd prefer to go ripping holes in space/time or utilize a former Forebear "highway", or anything else, that's their business. However, FTL is limited in speed. For the sake of convenience and fairness, the speed of FTL cannot exceed 20 lightyears an hour. There are multiple explanations for this, but for practicality, fairness, and to give an air of standardization while retaining a large degree of creativity, it will have a speed cap.

Furthermore, FTL cannot be used in battle in any way, shape, or form, as in the past it has been used to abuse, and cheat one's way into an unfair victory by FTLing away from a volley directed at their ships at the last second before appearing amidst the enemy before blowing the hell out of them. Any sort of use of FTL in battle except for retreat or tactical withdrawl are absolutely prohibited.

Well, once you've been accepted, and you're integrated into TUP, you'll most likely want to start, or participate, in a TUPRP. However, before you go about posting any new RP, you need to read all of this first, since there is a proceedure. As you come up with the idea for the RP, you should first see if anyone in the Hub is interested. Once people are, you can ebgin writing your OP, or original post. Within this original post, you should set up the setting, the objective, and whatnot, suggestions are detailed here. Once you've written your OP, you are theoretically ready to post it and begin having fun.

However, before you do, you should a) clear the idea with me. As the administrator of TUP, I hold the final word on whether an RP is acceptable for TUP or not. Once you've gotten my permission, you should then b) send me your OP, and a suitable title for the RP, because then I can use The Universal Administrator to post the topic, and, if need be, make edits, close it, or lock it by moderator request. That way, I can still have a bit of control over TUP and keep it a bit centralized, while everybody being able to come up with their own ideas for an RP. Thank you.

There has been a bit of a revision to this rule. A member of this RP, Roerak, has proposed to me something called the Mini-RP, or at least, that's what I've termed it. The concept of these is that they are to go on within the TUP universe, but their effect on the big picture will be negligent at best. These can range from smuggler's encounters, prison journals, anything that you can think of that won't end up causing a war between two nations, or, hell, even souring the relations between the two of them. These are lore-immersive writing projects that don't require myself, through The Universal Administrator, to post. However, just because I won't be posting them, doesn't mean that I won't be notified about them. Once a Mini-RP has been posted that takes place within the TUPverse, I kindly ask the one who posted it to telegram me notifying that it has been posted, and a link to the RP, so I can add it to the OP under the "Mini RP" section of the OP. Thank you.

What can the OP do?

Well, if you're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world, I'm Tyler Durden. I have the final word on all issues within the Project, and you should assume as much. My powers are unlimited, but just. I create the rules with an open discussion with the participants of the project on either the Hub or the IRC channel, and often act upon suggestions that are put forward during this time. Alongside this, I am also in charge of administering the RP, accepting nations and starting RPs in order to have a semblance of control over them. The OP is the progenitor of the thread and thusly is the paramount executive, usually, when it comes administration or legislation-time.

What can the Co-Ops do?

Since their jobs vary from RP to RP, it should be made clear what their role is in this Project. If I'm Tyler Durden, the Co-Ops are Edward Norton. I really like Fight Club, if you couldn't tell. I create the rules, and they follow them and make sure others follow them as well. It is important to note that the Co-Ops are not able to create new rules, nor are they allowed to accept applications. That means that if a Co-Op says that your application is acceptable, it does not mean you're accepted.

The job of the Co-Op is to abide by the rules set by the OP in a semi-authoritative way by laying down the law where it's meant to be laid. They are also obligated to, as Arcerion so kindly put it, provide "Vetting" for applications, like I've been doing, for any important errors or corrections that need to be fixed before I can get my hands on them. This, of course, is designed to make everyone's life much easier and the whole application process much faster.

Finally, I often think of Co-Ops as RP role models, the ones you go to for help or RP assistance during any conflict. They're there to enforce the rules, but also clarify and improve everybody's RPing experience, and I've picked my Co-Ops in a way that I ensure they're skilled RPers and experienced in the topic at hand, FT RPing. They have the power to bring to attention any possible godmodding or breach of rules to myself, or, if prolonged, the moderation team itself, especially if I, for whatever reason, am taking an extended leave.

If anyone is unclear on either the role of the OP or the Co-Op, feel free to telegram me for clarification.

If you need to contact either myself or a Co-Op, here is a list of current authority figures within the Project:

The OP, Co-Ops, and Universal Administrator:

• Transoxthraxia - the OP and final word on most TUP rulings.
• The Universal Administrator - the Account used by myself to post topics or anything else of great importance.
• Arcerion - My first chosen Co-Op, and experienced Roleplayer, as well as map-maker.
• Miyager - Our second Co-Op, an experienced Roleplayer who is available usually when I'm not.

Recent Important News

The Encyclopedia Galactica is up. For lore, ships, anything you need.

We're still alive, yes!

Nation Application:

Code: Select all

[box][b]Nation Name:[/b]
[b]Government Type:[/b]
[b]Government Description:[/b]
[b]National Leader(s):[/b]
[b]Nation Capital:[/b]
[b]Nation Age:[/b]
[b]Nation History:[/b]

[hr][/hr]

[b]Population:[/b]
[b]Major Species:[/b]
[b]Minor Species:[/b]
[b]Cultural Information:[/b]
[b]Society Information:[/b]
[b]Language(s):[/b]
[b]Notable Locations:[/b]

[hr][/hr]

[b][u]
Military Information:[/u][/b]
[b]Military Doctrine:[/b]
[b]Military Strengths:[/b]
[b]Military Weaknesses:[/b]
[b]Major Industries:[/b]
[b]Foreign Policy:[/b]

[hr][/hr]

[b][u]Additional Information:[/u][/b]
[b]Technological Bases:[/b]
[b]NS Activity:[/b]
[b]RP Experience:[/b]
[b]Map Claim(s):[/b] - Leave this blank for now, until we have completed the map. -
[b]Map Colour:[/b][/box]

0192 (Don't delete this.)



Species Application:

Code: Select all

[b]Species Name:[/b]
[b]Physical Description:[/b]
[b]Average Lifetime:[/b]
[b]Respiratory Gas:[/b]
[b]Reproductive Cycle:[/b]
[b]Natural Abilities:[/b]
[b]Diet:[/b]
[b]Possible Genetic Defects: [/b](Just like many humans are born with things such as Trisomy 21, what kind of genetic defects does your species have?)
[b]Additional Information:[/b]

0193



Transoxthraxia - The Arkhadyan Empire
The Tantalan Districts - Nationalist Tantalus
The Mirr Quhalden - Ralnis
The United Federation of Systems - The United Federation
The New Helvanthian Republic - The Vekta-Helghast Empire
The Vaar - Arcerion
The Hive of Ath'ar - Stellar Gate
The Galactic Empire of Salus Maior - Salus Maior
The Seran Federation - The URA
The Garden - Senkaku

Archaeological Findings
The Ventaurii Incident
A Disturbing Discovery
Human Connections
The Roerak
The Pavlostani Conference
Odd Enounters of a Spatial Kind
The Dacdrite Encounter
The Whip and Chain
Remote Prospecting
Menacing Intent
Tumulatus

[Resposa]

If this get's going, I would definitely want to be apart of this. I've been looking into world-building for a while now and this seems like this would be perfect for my idea!

[Transoxthraxia]

If this get's going, I would definitely want to be apart of this. I've been looking into world-building for a while now and this seems like this would be perfect for my idea!

Glad someone expressed interest in it. I'll TG a few people and hopefully rally up some support for the topic.

[The Orson Empire]

Ahh yes, I love world-building. Count me in.

I do hope this turns out better than FAR did. FAR was just a giant mess waiting to happen.

[Taledonia]

Very much interested. I've been trying to get a more hard sci-fi group going for awhile, but always had trouble finding other like-minded people. Everyone wants God-tier technology that's more magic than science, with ships that defy the laws of physics with their maneuvers yet still have but one engine in the back.

I'm also very much for the limiting of size. I myself have always been a proponent of using NS populations as a basis, but have found this idea unpopular(for what I believe is all the new people wanting to be as strong as the old right off the bat). My idea for this was that you claimed your NS population as that of your most populous planet. Your second most populous planet would then be limited to half your NS population. Third would be half again that of the second planet, and so on. I thought that this was a good way to limit size, and also make people more responsible for their nations; requiring time and effort spent on this game to get strong, whilst those who continuously just make puppet after puppet don't get very far. On the other side of this, too, is the fact that you can still claim many planets; you'll just have the realistic colonization factor, as each planet would represent less and less resources having been sent there due to the finite nature of resources.

That's my two cents. Once again, very interested.

[Transoxthraxia]

Very much interested. I've been trying to get a more hard sci-fi group going for awhile, but always had trouble finding other like-minded people. Everyone wants God-tier technology that's more magic than science, with ships that defy the laws of physics with their maneuvers yet still have but one engine in the back.

I'm also very much for the limiting of size. I myself have always been a proponent of using NS populations as a basis, but have found this idea unpopular(for what I believe is all the new people wanting to be as strong as the old right off the bat). My idea for this was that you claimed your NS population as that of your most populous planet. Your second most populous planet would then be limited to half your NS population. Third would be half again that of the second planet, and so on. I thought that this was a good way to limit size, and also make people more responsible for their nations; requiring time and effort spent on this game to get strong, whilst those who continuously just make puppet after puppet don't get very far. On the other side of this, too, is the fact that you can still claim many planets; you'll just have the realistic colonization factor, as each planet would represent less and less resources having been sent there due to the finite nature of resources.

That's my two cents. Once again, very interested.

Ah, interesting. To be honest, I'm glad that there's someone that has similar ideals to mine. God-Tier tech is just so... Boring. It'll appear throughout a few RPs, perhaps in the form of architectural finds, but that's kind of the extent of it.

I've also never thought about the planets like that. While certainly it would help someone like you who has been here nine years, since you have a massive population, even for a nation like me 3 billion for a single planet is small, and that's not counting nations who are newer than me. It would perhaps be prudent to choose your starting planet's population, whether that be between five billion or ten billion, the higher a population you choose the more penalties you may get in other categories, that I haven't really thought out yet. But once that occurs, your population would grow naturally.

[Transoxthraxia]

Ahh yes, I love world-building. Count me in.

I do hope this turns out better than FAR did. FAR was just a giant mess waiting to happen.

I'd have to disagree with you on this one, Ors. FAR I and FAR II were well planned out, the latter being better than the former, it's just that the leadershipw as too divided on rather mundane things like different weapons and if they should be limited or not, which ended up making everybody lose interest. They were well organized and planned out, but executed poorly.

[Taledonia]

Oh, another big idea I had was concerning a map and claims. If you made it so players had to actually create their realms before being allowed to officially add them to the map, it would make things much better. You'd stop the casuals from attempting to put a bunch of systems in, and would create a much more immersive universe since everything would be written out. Star system descriptions should have number of planets, type of star, celestial objects; whilst planetary descriptions should contain atmospheric content(easily obtained by Googling Earth's atmosphere and tweaking the numbers some, or Saturn's, or Mars', depending on the planet), number of satellites, rotational period, orbital period, climate, et cetera. This would allow everyone to readily know what they're dealing with.

Also, for the population thing again, I find NS pop easy to use because it does grow naturally, without needing to constantly edit posts. It may also be because I'm an old nation, but then, I feel I've put in countless hours over these nine years to get here. A large commitment, one we'd want to see others demonstrate, right? After all, for projects like this, you need committed players. Perhaps we could throw in a limit for starting claims, thus taking away the inherent advantage of nations like myself. I myself have limited my nation to a single system, so my population is rather small in RP's when compared to other nations out there. So we could say, maybe, everyone can claim a max of ten planets at the beginning, or something? And then to expand you must roleplay it out.

[Arenumberg]

I've indulged in plenty of FT Universe creation, as some of you may of noted in the past (Dawn of Sol, Legacies of the Exodus) - both were relatively story driven in basis and consequently were somewhat limited in the options of nation people had and thus peoples participation and their longevity, but were definitely fun in terms of world-building, so I'll keep an eye on this.

[Elemental North]

I'm great at this stuff. If you want me, I'm in.

[Riysa]

Tagged for interest!

I've got an FT nation as a Type II human civ based on dark energy (think Combine, not Mass Effect), that's pretty secretive and isolationist, and I want to flesh it out. Personally, my main issues in FT are about MagiTech - although I see that's been addressed, so no need to go over it further, but I'd like to have some set rules for how psychic powers can be used. Otherwise, I'm all good.

[The Orson Empire]

Ahh yes, I love world-building. Count me in.

I do hope this turns out better than FAR did. FAR was just a giant mess waiting to happen.

I'd have to disagree with you on this one, Ors. FAR I and FAR II were well planned out, the latter being better than the former, it's just that the leadershipw as too divided on rather mundane things like different weapons and if they should be limited or not, which ended up making everybody lose interest. They were well organized and planned out, but executed poorly.

You have a point. But still, seeing as it was executed poorly, it was still a giant mess waiting to happen.

[The Orson Empire]

Tagged for interest!

I've got an FT nation as a Type II human civ based on dark energy (think Combine, not Mass Effect), that's pretty secretive and isolationist, and I want to flesh it out. Personally, my main issues in FT are about MagiTech - although I see that's been addressed, so no need to go over it further, but I'd like to have some set rules for how psychic powers can be used. Otherwise, I'm all good.

I doubt psionics will be allowed.

[Transoxthraxia]

Oh, another big idea I had was concerning a map and claims. If you made it so players had to actually create their realms before being allowed to officially add them to the map, it would make things much better. You'd stop the casuals from attempting to put a bunch of systems in, and would create a much more immersive universe since everything would be written out. Star system descriptions should have number of planets, type of star, celestial objects; whilst planetary descriptions should contain atmospheric content(easily obtained by Googling Earth's atmosphere and tweaking the numbers some, or Saturn's, or Mars', depending on the planet), number of satellites, rotational period, orbital period, climate, et cetera. This would allow everyone to readily know what they're dealing with.

Yeah, that's actually what I had planned, to be honest, though there are other tools rather than the gravitational and atmospheric measurements of Sol.

Also, for the population thing again, I find NS pop easy to use because it does grow naturally, without needing to constantly edit posts. It may also be because I'm an old nation, but then, I feel I've put in countless hours over these nine years to get here. A large commitment, one we'd want to see others demonstrate, right? After all, for projects like this, you need committed players. Perhaps we could throw in a limit for starting claims, thus taking away the inherent advantage of nations like myself. I myself have limited my nation to a single system, so my population is rather small in RP's when compared to other nations out there. So we could say, maybe, everyone can claim a max of ten planets at the beginning, or something? And then to expand you must roleplay it out.

We'll see how this one goes. Agreed with the commitment part, but what do you suggest the limit is for a civilization such as yourself?

[Transoxthraxia]

I've indulged in plenty of FT Universe creation, as some of you may of noted in the past (Dawn of Sol, Legacies of the Exodus) - both were relatively story driven in basis and consequently were somewhat limited in the options of nation people had and thus peoples participation and their longevity, but were definitely fun in terms of world-building, so I'll keep an eye on this.

Awesome. I'm glad so many experienced FT RPers are being drawn to this.

I'm great at this stuff. If you want me, I'm in.

This is open, so welcome, indeed.

Tagged for interest!

I've got an FT nation as a Type II human civ based on dark energy (think Combine, not Mass Effect), that's pretty secretive and isolationist, and I want to flesh it out. Personally, my main issues in FT are about MagiTech - although I see that's been addressed, so no need to go over it further, but I'd like to have some set rules for how psychic powers can be used. Otherwise, I'm all good.

Could you elaborate on both Half-Life Dark Energy and your "psychic" stuff?

[Ralnis]

FT is here with Trans? This is good, very good indeed. Stories, war, romance, epic battles, and diplomacy. Oh how I miss this so much after FAR and FAR II.

[Riysa]

Tagged for interest!

I've got an FT nation as a Type II human civ based on dark energy (think Combine, not Mass Effect), that's pretty secretive and isolationist, and I want to flesh it out. Personally, my main issues in FT are about MagiTech - although I see that's been addressed, so no need to go over it further, but I'd like to have some set rules for how psychic powers can be used. Otherwise, I'm all good.

Could you elaborate on both Half-Life Dark Energy and your "psychic" stuff?

I wouldn't be using psychic powers as I dislike them overall, but I wasn't sure if you'd allow them or not, which is why I was saying that if we were to have psychic powers, we should set some ground rules on how they can be used, their limits, etc.

As for my technology, here's my factbooks (#1 and #2) that should hopefully give you a basic overview of what the tech is like. They're still a WIP, so if you have any questions, shoot.

[Transoxthraxia]

FT is here with Trans? This is good, very good indeed. Stories, war, romance, epic battles, and diplomacy. Oh how I miss this so much after FAR and FAR II.

Indeed, Ral. Prepare youself; Summer is coming. And with it, more free time at my behest.

[The Five Galaxies]

Hello Transoxthraxia, we're RPed before as Co-OPs (which I'll explain over a TG) and I hope we can again, I'm very interested in a new FT Group.

[Ralnis]

FT is here with Trans? This is good, very good indeed. Stories, war, romance, epic battles, and diplomacy. Oh how I miss this so much after FAR and FAR II.

Indeed, Ral. Prepare youself; Summer is coming. And with it, more free time at my behest.

I am prepared, I am always prepared when it comes to Summer in the NS( second time weathering the storm)

[Morrow den]

This is interesting

[Transoxthraxia]

Indeed, Ral. Prepare youself; Summer is coming. And with it, more free time at my behest.

I am prepared, I am always prepared when it comes to Summer in the NS( second time weathering the storm)

It is mine, as well. But I'll lead us through the storm, don't you worry. Is there anything particular you'd like to see in TUP, that maybe you either saw, or didn't see in either incarnation of FAR?

[Transoxthraxia]

Hello Transoxthraxia, we're RPed before as Co-OPs (which I'll explain over a TG) and I hope we can again, I'm very interested in a new FT Group.

Of course.

This is interesting

Glad to have you aboard, mate.

[Ralnis]

I am prepared, I am always prepared when it comes to Summer in the NS( second time weathering the storm)

It is mine, as well. But I'll lead us through the storm, don't you worry. Is there anything particular you'd like to see in TUP, that maybe you either saw, or didn't see in either incarnation of FAR?

I saw someone said about having NS population which is a great idea for it can show active progress with the various populations. Also with the limit of psychics( won't be using any or have my own variant of it without the psychic part) which should not be so able to pull an advantage over armies. Also, it will be nice to have a list of the active RPs on the main OP and probably file those done as some sort of universal codex that tells the story of the galaxy at large, just to name a few ideas.

[Salus Maior]

Sounds epic, I'm in. Would Mars and real life planets be included? Cause I have this idea for a human-based Martian Empire.