Introduction
The Galaxy is vast, it is encompassing, and it is a marvel in and of itself - both in an In-Character capacity, and as an Out-of-Character network of inter-connected canon. Filled with strife, brigandage, economic warfare, espionage, cultural dissemination and assimilation, philosophical and political discourse and dissent, existential crises and threats to life and reality, and a myriad of other nascent and extant obstacles and hurdles, the Galaxy in which the majority of the Future Tech community participates and exists within is a place of complexity and seemingly endless nuance. This, from an Out-of-Character perspective, serves not merely as one of - if not the - single greatest cases for what successful collaboration, player compromise, creativity, and consistency can bring, but also acts as a persistent hurdle for newer players unfamiliar with the Future Tech community and the In-Character world in which the community exists.
In the past, there have been at least two attempts ("State of the Galaxy Project" by Feazanthia and "State of the Galaxy" by Telros with cooperation from the original creator) to create a single thread to provide a snapshot look at the Galaxy; each have, in turn, faced their own challenges and obstacles and yet, despite this, have effectively assisted in collating - in part - the way much of the Future Tech community currently sees the Galaxy itself. Thus, the concept is not without its merit, quite evidently, but even so there remains obstacles which have dwelt in the path of making this idea a reality once more - a reality remade, improved upon, and grown.
As such, much like its predecessors, the "State of the Galaxy, Version 3.0" will attempt to provide a bi-weekly or monthly update to the status of the Galaxy and its quadrants relative to In-Character activity, presented in a format which not only provides redirection to threads which may impact the Galaxy as a whole, but also to threads users may be interested in becoming involved in for their own enjoyment. In addition, these updates will also provide succinct editorialization by the editors (see below) as to how they see the current status of the Galaxy, thus providing not merely a singular perspective, but several new perspectives with each subsequent update. While this is similar in functionality to its predecessors, this thread will function slightly differently: chiefly, this thread will be closed to all users whom are not listed as a part of the authorized list of editors, allowing the thread to function not merely as a way to highlight threads of particular reach or impact and interest, but also allowing the thread to act as a guide in situ to newer players seeking to become involved in Future Tech.
For this reason, in addition to this thread, a secondary thread will exist which shall provide users a chance to submit their threads, perspectives, and potential ideas for inclusion. Understand, however, that not every thread, perspective, idea, or submission will be included; it is the function of the State of the Galaxy Editors to act as a democratic, editorial committee which will review each submission for its theoretical reach and impact in the Galaxy at large and determine whether it is to be included by a simple majority vote. As mentioned, these updates will occur on an either bi-weekly or monthly basis, as determined by external commitments and SotG-Editor availability; in addition, each update shall be written (again, as determined by external commitments and availability) two to four SotG-Editors, with each update a new selection of editors being chosen (as available). Of course, this posting regimen is also determined by the general activity of the Future Tech community.
Lastly, we have the News in the Now segment, which serves to highlight potentially interesting articles, related events, or other instances of potential interest, presented in the format of a bulleted news feed. Ideally, this is meant to serve both to point readers to potentially interesting articles and their related events (ideally for future involvement), as well as provide a certain degree of levity in the expression of such.
With a bit of luck and commitment by the Future Tech community, it is our hope this thread will prove successful in helping Future Tech roleplayers - both new and veteran - in gaining a broader view of the Galaxy, its quadrants, and the varied star-states and polities (and their actions) which help make Future Tech as alive, detail, and complex as it is.
Quadrants
While other systems of orientation and interstellar division exist in the Galaxy, the "Quadrant System" is, by far, the most prevalent. In this system, the Galaxy is divided into four quadrants, divided as such (assuming "up" is "north"): Alpha Quadrant, southwest; Beta Quadrant, southeast; Gamma Quadrant, northwest; and Delta Quadrant, northeast. Over time, these quadrants have changed in their character, composition, user activity, and relative "importance" in the astropolitical climate of the Galaxy; in general, each quadrant has a relative number of "themes" or "trends" which have developed (and changed several times) in the eyes and minds of the Future Tech community in the more than ten years that Future Tech has existed as a part of the NationStates roleplaying community.
Below, users will find a general overview of each quadrant and their generalized "themes" or "trends"; understand that these "themes" and "trends" are not absolute or universal. As a mechanic, the quadrants function, chiefly, as merely a simple way to divide the Galaxy, and users are in no way beholden to any of the themes present in such, though these motifs do provide a rough and broad outline of the recent trends of activity in each quadrant and, as such, may help guide a new player in deciding where they desire their star-state to reside. Beyond such, the choice of quadrant is often merely a matter of personal preference or whom one may wish to be "near" - in an astronomical sense.
Alpha Quadrant
Home to the ancient and the gilded. Once upon a time, the Alpha Quadrant (southwest; between six and nine o'clock) functioned as the center of astropolitics in the Galaxy, where the oldest and the most prestigious of stellar polities and empires dwelt. In part, this is due to - by classical and traditional convention, though its actual position relative to the demarcation between the Alpha and Beta Quadrants is debated - the presence of Sol System in the Alpha Quadrant, further weighted by the exorbitant weight of history which Terra, Mars, Jupiter, and the Jovian moons have in the Galaxy.
In recent memory, the Alpha Quadrant has seen an overall resurgence in its role in the Galaxy. What was once seen as decay has received a new coat of gilding; some still decry the purported "arrogance" of many Alphan star-states for their perceived stranglehold on the Solarian Reaches, but few can deny the impact new capital investment has made on the quadrant. Trade ventures have grown and flourished, leading to an overall shift to a "New Generation of Old Money," as some have called it. Whether this will signal an equal resurgence in the role of Alphan star-states in the astropolitics of the Galaxy remains to be seen, but few would contest that the pieces are being moved across the board of interstellar politics.
Beta Quadrant
Once home to what some have called the "nouveau riche" or "Galactic New Money," much of the Beta Quadrant (southeast; between three and six o'clock) suffered beneath a unique series of circumstances that still haunt the memories of many native Betans to this day. Be it economic collapse, social dysfunction, or a combination thereof, the Beta Quadrant has become in the eyes of many as a quadrant devoid of a heart its own. Instead, the inner reaches of the quadrant have been left devoid, lifeless, and still, with naught but the ever-present raiders and illegal salvors clamoring for what remains of what was once considered the center of astropolitical affairs in the Galaxy, if but for a time. To some, only the periphery - the regions of the Beta Quadrant which have benefited from either the constant influx of capital from Alpha or have been bolstered by the martial paranoia required along the Delta-Beta Boundary - have seemingly been left unscathed by this period of turmoil and terror.
Of course, in truth, little is known about the current status of the Betan heartland. To some, much like its core-sister Gamma, it has become a new frontier. To others, it is merely a place to pass from Delta to Alpha. Even so, this view does little to actually highlight the native bodies within the quadrant which, while seemingly quiet, are not unknown or having vanished. The ebb and flow of the astropolitical tides, however, shift and change within the Beta Quadrant on a schedule all their own. It is a matter for time to tell whether, like Gamma, Beta, too, will see an influx of those whom seek their name in fame or fortune and, in truth, whether those quiet, but prepared powers that lurk within the darkness of obscurity will seek to rebuke their advances.
Gamma Quadrant
Once home to abominations vulgar and eldritch, gods-given-flesh and born within the weight of black stars older than time itself, the Gamma Quadrant (northwest; between nine and twelve o'clock) within the the last ten years(IC) has become the so-called "New Frontier" - largely due to the supposed disappearance of many of those same horrors which once dwelt in systems unnamed and unknown. For decades left ignored, if not outright feared, the Gamma Quadrant is seen by many as a proverbial gold mine of wealth and opportunity, spurring even the most impoverished, but brave (or foolish) adventurer and spacer to head-out to the "Delta-Gamma" and "Alpha-Gamma Peripheries" in the hope to make ends-meet in a new land far away from their old debts and burdens. For this very reason, numerous frontier colonies and settlements have been erected in the proverbial "Galactic Wild West," bringing to truth the hopes of a slim few.
Even so, the Gamma Quadrant is not without its natives and imperial polities extant since long before the Age of Alliances. Several of these star-states are welcoming of these new frontiersmen and their families, while others view them as little more than interlopers - if not outright invaders - from worlds and stars distant and alien. As such, the Gamma Quadrant is in a state of fluctuation between the old and the new; only time will tell whether this leads to progress or, as is the way of the Galaxy, the loss of a billion souls by the commands and under the directives of a few.
Delta Quadrant
Once considered the embodiment of war itself, the Delta Quadrant (northeast; between twelve and three o'clock) has - according to the popular perception of many - become a near-lifeless wasteland pock-marked by star-states who have built themselves into self-isolating fortresses of martial might and prowess. Surely those powers remain and while, surely, the powder keg remains unstable, to say the ever-present mortar fire and the heat of orbital bombardment could forever keep outsiders away would be a mistake. While the scars of war are certainly visible, the mercantile, migrant, and scout convoys are more than apparent. Some say this has always been the case; others decry this purely as myth and hearsay. What is known is that, once more, the Delta Quadrant is coming to be witnessed by the interstellar community. Entrepreneurial ventures have brought interest to the quadrant like few have before, decrying the blasted hellscape of so many of its worlds as merely the remnant memories of a more paranoid time.
Even so, war still lingers. The threat of conflict is still present, and no matter of time is likely to dissuade its silhouette away from the quadrant. The shadow of the past lingers between the Deltan stars - cast long and foreboding on a quadrant known for decades as only a war-ravaged collection of sectors riddled with reclusive powers. Some of this image may, some say, be warranted, but others have long held it to be but a common misconception. What is known for certain is that the shades of terror no longer seem to guard the gates of the Delta Quadrant in such great fervency, leaving instead its future yet to be written.
News in the Now
Editors
The State of the Galaxy Editors (or "SotG-Editors") are a group of volunteer users and International Incidents Roleplay Mentors specializing in Future Tech and come from a wide array of different play-styles and sub-communities within the over-arching NationStates Future Tech Community. As outlined in the introduction, the SotG-Editors consist of the authors of each update, the thread original poster, and function as a democratic committee to determine which submissions, incidents, etc., as submitted by players, may have greater consequences for those involved and the Galaxy at large. For further information on submission guidelines, please review the "State of the Galaxy Submissions" thread, which also includes the appropriate application for the submission of a thread, perception, or idea. Further, understand that the perceptions of each SotG-Editor are theirs and theirs alone and do not necessarily represent the perceptions, opinions, etc. of other SotG-Editors nor are to be construed as absolute.
The Galaxy is vast, it is encompassing, and it is a marvel in and of itself - both in an In-Character capacity, and as an Out-of-Character network of inter-connected canon. Filled with strife, brigandage, economic warfare, espionage, cultural dissemination and assimilation, philosophical and political discourse and dissent, existential crises and threats to life and reality, and a myriad of other nascent and extant obstacles and hurdles, the Galaxy in which the majority of the Future Tech community participates and exists within is a place of complexity and seemingly endless nuance. This, from an Out-of-Character perspective, serves not merely as one of - if not the - single greatest cases for what successful collaboration, player compromise, creativity, and consistency can bring, but also acts as a persistent hurdle for newer players unfamiliar with the Future Tech community and the In-Character world in which the community exists.
In the past, there have been at least two attempts ("State of the Galaxy Project" by Feazanthia and "State of the Galaxy" by Telros with cooperation from the original creator) to create a single thread to provide a snapshot look at the Galaxy; each have, in turn, faced their own challenges and obstacles and yet, despite this, have effectively assisted in collating - in part - the way much of the Future Tech community currently sees the Galaxy itself. Thus, the concept is not without its merit, quite evidently, but even so there remains obstacles which have dwelt in the path of making this idea a reality once more - a reality remade, improved upon, and grown.
As such, much like its predecessors, the "State of the Galaxy, Version 3.0" will attempt to provide a bi-weekly or monthly update to the status of the Galaxy and its quadrants relative to In-Character activity, presented in a format which not only provides redirection to threads which may impact the Galaxy as a whole, but also to threads users may be interested in becoming involved in for their own enjoyment. In addition, these updates will also provide succinct editorialization by the editors (see below) as to how they see the current status of the Galaxy, thus providing not merely a singular perspective, but several new perspectives with each subsequent update. While this is similar in functionality to its predecessors, this thread will function slightly differently: chiefly, this thread will be closed to all users whom are not listed as a part of the authorized list of editors, allowing the thread to function not merely as a way to highlight threads of particular reach or impact and interest, but also allowing the thread to act as a guide in situ to newer players seeking to become involved in Future Tech.
For this reason, in addition to this thread, a secondary thread will exist which shall provide users a chance to submit their threads, perspectives, and potential ideas for inclusion. Understand, however, that not every thread, perspective, idea, or submission will be included; it is the function of the State of the Galaxy Editors to act as a democratic, editorial committee which will review each submission for its theoretical reach and impact in the Galaxy at large and determine whether it is to be included by a simple majority vote. As mentioned, these updates will occur on an either bi-weekly or monthly basis, as determined by external commitments and SotG-Editor availability; in addition, each update shall be written (again, as determined by external commitments and availability) two to four SotG-Editors, with each update a new selection of editors being chosen (as available). Of course, this posting regimen is also determined by the general activity of the Future Tech community.
Lastly, we have the News in the Now segment, which serves to highlight potentially interesting articles, related events, or other instances of potential interest, presented in the format of a bulleted news feed. Ideally, this is meant to serve both to point readers to potentially interesting articles and their related events (ideally for future involvement), as well as provide a certain degree of levity in the expression of such.
With a bit of luck and commitment by the Future Tech community, it is our hope this thread will prove successful in helping Future Tech roleplayers - both new and veteran - in gaining a broader view of the Galaxy, its quadrants, and the varied star-states and polities (and their actions) which help make Future Tech as alive, detail, and complex as it is.
Quadrants
While other systems of orientation and interstellar division exist in the Galaxy, the "Quadrant System" is, by far, the most prevalent. In this system, the Galaxy is divided into four quadrants, divided as such (assuming "up" is "north"): Alpha Quadrant, southwest; Beta Quadrant, southeast; Gamma Quadrant, northwest; and Delta Quadrant, northeast. Over time, these quadrants have changed in their character, composition, user activity, and relative "importance" in the astropolitical climate of the Galaxy; in general, each quadrant has a relative number of "themes" or "trends" which have developed (and changed several times) in the eyes and minds of the Future Tech community in the more than ten years that Future Tech has existed as a part of the NationStates roleplaying community.
Below, users will find a general overview of each quadrant and their generalized "themes" or "trends"; understand that these "themes" and "trends" are not absolute or universal. As a mechanic, the quadrants function, chiefly, as merely a simple way to divide the Galaxy, and users are in no way beholden to any of the themes present in such, though these motifs do provide a rough and broad outline of the recent trends of activity in each quadrant and, as such, may help guide a new player in deciding where they desire their star-state to reside. Beyond such, the choice of quadrant is often merely a matter of personal preference or whom one may wish to be "near" - in an astronomical sense.
Alpha Quadrant
Home to the ancient and the gilded. Once upon a time, the Alpha Quadrant (southwest; between six and nine o'clock) functioned as the center of astropolitics in the Galaxy, where the oldest and the most prestigious of stellar polities and empires dwelt. In part, this is due to - by classical and traditional convention, though its actual position relative to the demarcation between the Alpha and Beta Quadrants is debated - the presence of Sol System in the Alpha Quadrant, further weighted by the exorbitant weight of history which Terra, Mars, Jupiter, and the Jovian moons have in the Galaxy.
In recent memory, the Alpha Quadrant has seen an overall resurgence in its role in the Galaxy. What was once seen as decay has received a new coat of gilding; some still decry the purported "arrogance" of many Alphan star-states for their perceived stranglehold on the Solarian Reaches, but few can deny the impact new capital investment has made on the quadrant. Trade ventures have grown and flourished, leading to an overall shift to a "New Generation of Old Money," as some have called it. Whether this will signal an equal resurgence in the role of Alphan star-states in the astropolitics of the Galaxy remains to be seen, but few would contest that the pieces are being moved across the board of interstellar politics.
Beta Quadrant
Once home to what some have called the "nouveau riche" or "Galactic New Money," much of the Beta Quadrant (southeast; between three and six o'clock) suffered beneath a unique series of circumstances that still haunt the memories of many native Betans to this day. Be it economic collapse, social dysfunction, or a combination thereof, the Beta Quadrant has become in the eyes of many as a quadrant devoid of a heart its own. Instead, the inner reaches of the quadrant have been left devoid, lifeless, and still, with naught but the ever-present raiders and illegal salvors clamoring for what remains of what was once considered the center of astropolitical affairs in the Galaxy, if but for a time. To some, only the periphery - the regions of the Beta Quadrant which have benefited from either the constant influx of capital from Alpha or have been bolstered by the martial paranoia required along the Delta-Beta Boundary - have seemingly been left unscathed by this period of turmoil and terror.
Of course, in truth, little is known about the current status of the Betan heartland. To some, much like its core-sister Gamma, it has become a new frontier. To others, it is merely a place to pass from Delta to Alpha. Even so, this view does little to actually highlight the native bodies within the quadrant which, while seemingly quiet, are not unknown or having vanished. The ebb and flow of the astropolitical tides, however, shift and change within the Beta Quadrant on a schedule all their own. It is a matter for time to tell whether, like Gamma, Beta, too, will see an influx of those whom seek their name in fame or fortune and, in truth, whether those quiet, but prepared powers that lurk within the darkness of obscurity will seek to rebuke their advances.
Gamma Quadrant
Once home to abominations vulgar and eldritch, gods-given-flesh and born within the weight of black stars older than time itself, the Gamma Quadrant (northwest; between nine and twelve o'clock) within the the last ten years(IC) has become the so-called "New Frontier" - largely due to the supposed disappearance of many of those same horrors which once dwelt in systems unnamed and unknown. For decades left ignored, if not outright feared, the Gamma Quadrant is seen by many as a proverbial gold mine of wealth and opportunity, spurring even the most impoverished, but brave (or foolish) adventurer and spacer to head-out to the "Delta-Gamma" and "Alpha-Gamma Peripheries" in the hope to make ends-meet in a new land far away from their old debts and burdens. For this very reason, numerous frontier colonies and settlements have been erected in the proverbial "Galactic Wild West," bringing to truth the hopes of a slim few.
Even so, the Gamma Quadrant is not without its natives and imperial polities extant since long before the Age of Alliances. Several of these star-states are welcoming of these new frontiersmen and their families, while others view them as little more than interlopers - if not outright invaders - from worlds and stars distant and alien. As such, the Gamma Quadrant is in a state of fluctuation between the old and the new; only time will tell whether this leads to progress or, as is the way of the Galaxy, the loss of a billion souls by the commands and under the directives of a few.
Delta Quadrant
Once considered the embodiment of war itself, the Delta Quadrant (northeast; between twelve and three o'clock) has - according to the popular perception of many - become a near-lifeless wasteland pock-marked by star-states who have built themselves into self-isolating fortresses of martial might and prowess. Surely those powers remain and while, surely, the powder keg remains unstable, to say the ever-present mortar fire and the heat of orbital bombardment could forever keep outsiders away would be a mistake. While the scars of war are certainly visible, the mercantile, migrant, and scout convoys are more than apparent. Some say this has always been the case; others decry this purely as myth and hearsay. What is known is that, once more, the Delta Quadrant is coming to be witnessed by the interstellar community. Entrepreneurial ventures have brought interest to the quadrant like few have before, decrying the blasted hellscape of so many of its worlds as merely the remnant memories of a more paranoid time.
Even so, war still lingers. The threat of conflict is still present, and no matter of time is likely to dissuade its silhouette away from the quadrant. The shadow of the past lingers between the Deltan stars - cast long and foreboding on a quadrant known for decades as only a war-ravaged collection of sectors riddled with reclusive powers. Some of this image may, some say, be warranted, but others have long held it to be but a common misconception. What is known for certain is that the shades of terror no longer seem to guard the gates of the Delta Quadrant in such great fervency, leaving instead its future yet to be written.
News in the Now
- Alpha Quadrant
- Valinor battle squadron returns home on eve of celebratory mood...
- Colonial Republic joins LOTUS...
- Union of Spacers General announces colonization efforts...
- Co-Prosperity Sphere seeks to return to Martian involvement...
Beta Quadrant - Peninsularian patrols approach Solarian Reaches...
- Mind Empire expands humanitarian efforts...
- Solar Cooperative Union begins long road to recovery...
- New Dornalia opens relations with formerly isolated star-state...
Gamma Quadrant - Nominal peace appears to return to Citic...
- Interstellar Empire of Nyte announces gate project...
- Alexzonyan Starfleet enter engagement in Arcadia Sector...
- United Systems announces inaugural Life Star Project mission...
- Investment in space elevators remains at historical lows...
Delta Quadrant - Numerous actors continue ongoing conflicts...
- Northwest Passage progress continues...
- Dimoniquid returns to international stage...
- Cult panic involving so-called "Sarkites" on the rise...
Editors
The State of the Galaxy Editors (or "SotG-Editors") are a group of volunteer users and International Incidents Roleplay Mentors specializing in Future Tech and come from a wide array of different play-styles and sub-communities within the over-arching NationStates Future Tech Community. As outlined in the introduction, the SotG-Editors consist of the authors of each update, the thread original poster, and function as a democratic committee to determine which submissions, incidents, etc., as submitted by players, may have greater consequences for those involved and the Galaxy at large. For further information on submission guidelines, please review the "State of the Galaxy Submissions" thread, which also includes the appropriate application for the submission of a thread, perception, or idea. Further, understand that the perceptions of each SotG-Editor are theirs and theirs alone and do not necessarily represent the perceptions, opinions, etc. of other SotG-Editors nor are to be construed as absolute.
- Kyrusia (Mentor)
- Thread OP; Publishing; Potential Update Author; Voting Editor.
- Feazanthia
- Advisory.
- Federal Republic of Free States
- Publishing; Potential Update Author; Voting Editor.
- Lubyak (Mentor)
- Publishing; Potential Update Author; Voting Editor.
- Rethan
- Publishing; Potential Update Author; Voting Editor.
- Santheres (Mentor)
- Publishing; Potential Update Author; Voting Editor.
- Telros
- Advisory.
- Valinon
- Publishing; Potential Update Author; Voting Editor.
- Vocenae
- Publishing; Potential Update Author; Voting Editor.
NOTICE ABOUT IN-CHARACTER MONTHLY UPDATE FORMAT
Monthly updates are written from an In-Character perspective and, based on their stated publication, may contain a
degree of "bias" or "spin." Indicators for the level of "spin" and its nature are taken from cues within each submission.
Certain publications may have differing "characters" and "styles" which, further, will accentuate this In-Character format.
If you do not agree to this treatment, do not submit an application.
General Announcement
As there appears to be some confusion as of late regarding the State of the Galaxy, I wish to clarify some things...
The State of the Galaxy does not claim universal authority on the "correctness" of its assessments or submission editorializing, and players are free to ignore this thread wholesale without detriment. At its heart, this thread is a glorified roleplay- and concept-advertisement thread. The Board of Editors works, often tirelessly and often up to the final hour, to write interesting versions of submissions that add to player submissions and worlds based on differing, external perspectives. We also strive to provide a service, through both IC article authoring and the OOC submissions thread, to advertise player threads and worldbuilding "plot hooks" (which often take the form of Tension Reports).
Even so, no player has a universal entitlement to inclusion in any monthly update. As is always indicated here, player submissions - unless summarily rejected due to some immediately apparent application or submission requirement violation - are reviewed for potential inclusion by the Board of Editors, as it is the Board of Editors which writes these editorialized articles. The Board of Editors aims to get as many submissions of quality as possible in each monthly update, but by the same token, the Board of Editors operates within the submission requirements; this means submissions which they decide lack information or cause, submissions that appear purely for self-aggrandized advertisement, submissions which violate the spirit of this project (such as through appearing to godmod or powergame), and - in general - submissions which do not meet the Board of Editor's requirements are not voted for inclusion.
Our Board of Editors have had contentious and controversial, internal debates regarding many submissions made to this thread. Some have been passed with one vote, some rejected with one vote, and some have come to a tie (requiring my vote as Executive Editor). This is likely to continue to be the case in the future whenever a submission is made which the Editors have disagreements over with regard to its content and character.
I hope this removes any confusion players may have.
Kyrusia
SotG Executive Editor and Thread OP
