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Vega Strike Universe Development Document Vega Strike Universe Development Document Text: JS, et al Art: Oblivion, et al Ed. JS July 6, 2009 Notice: DEVELOPER/CONTRIBUTOR DOCUMENT. NOT INTENDED FOR GENERAL CONSUMPTION BY PLAYERS. (at least until it’s sufficiently done to be presentable, intelligible, etc. - even then, it’ll be full of spoilers :-/ ) Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank, in no particular order, a large number of much more accomplished authors (and one celestial entity), without whom it is unlikely we’d have ever set out on such an undertaking as this: David Brin, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Larry Niven, Gregory Benford, Robert A. Heinlein, John Varley, Frank Herbert, C.J. Cherryh, Dan Simmons, Robert L. Forward, Greg Bear, Roger Zelazny, David Gerrold, Joe Haldeman, Mike Resnick, Ben Bova, Robert Silverberg, Poul Anderson, Stanislav Lem, David Weber, Ian M. Banks, Lois McMaster Bujold, Neal Stephenson, Vernor Vinge, Ursula K. Le Guin, S. M. Stirling, Soren Kierkegaard, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Friedrich Nietzsche, Bertrand Russell’s teapot, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Thomas Kuhn, – we owe you all much. 2 Contents Table of Contents 3 List of Tables 17 List of Figures 18 Preface 19 1 Overview and Genesis of the VSU 22 1.1 The nature of the Vega Strike Universe ............................. 22 1.1.1 Requirements of the VSU ............................... 22 1.1.2 Genesis of the VSU: dependencies among game, universe, and game-engine ..... 25 1.2 Philosophy of scope and goals for plot and protagonist .................... 26 1.2.1 Small protagonists in a big universe .......................... 26 1.2.2 Appropriate player-level plots ............................. 27 1.2.3 Moral certainty, prerequisite idiocy, and other things worth avoiding ......... 30 1.2.4 Blank slate vs. pre-determined protagonists ...................... 31 1.3 Philosophical assumptions ................................... 32 1.4 Themes in Vega Strike ..................................... 34 1.4.1 Generational conflict and impositions ......................... 34 1.4.2 Trans-humanism .................................... 35 1.4.3 Man (and Alien) against the Environment ....................... 35 1.5 Player advancement ....................................... 35 1.6 Things we can learn from other games/universes ........................ 36 2 Physical Reality in the VSU 38 2.1 Suggested reading ........................................ 38 2.2 Things that should not / will not be seen in the VS universe .................. 38 2.3 Things that should (eventually) be seen in the VS universe .................. 41 2.4 Physics and Technology in the VS Universe .......................... 41 2.4.1 Supraluminal Propulsion ................................ 41 2.4.2 Normal Space Propulsion ............................... 41 3 2.4.3 Orbital Infrastructure .................................. 43 2.4.4 On Weaponry, Defense, and Damage in the VS universe ............... 43 2.5 Biology ............................................. 47 2.5.1 Genetics ......................................... 47 2.5.2 Evolution ........................................ 47 3 Social Existence in the VSU 48 3.1 How to think about various groups ............................... 48 3.1.1 Humanity ........................................ 48 3.1.2 The Klk’k ........................................ 50 3.1.3 The Aera ........................................ 51 3.1.4 The Rlaan ........................................ 51 3.1.5 The Uln ......................................... 52 3.1.6 The Shmrn ....................................... 52 3.1.7 The Dgn ........................................ 52 3.1.8 The Saahasayaay .................................... 53 3.1.9 The Purth ........................................ 53 3.1.10 The Alphans/Betans .................................. 53 3.1.11 The Ancients ...................................... 53 3.1.12 The TWHON ...................................... 53 3.2 Economics and Day-to-day Living ............................... 53 3.2.1 Transportation and Craft Ownership .......................... 53 4 Astrography and its Impact on Destiny 54 4.1 The Jump Networks ....................................... 54 4.2 Location and Planetary Compatibility ............................. 54 5 Time-line (Omniscient Viewpoint) 55 5.1 Time-line outlines ........................................ 55 5.1.1 Abbreviated game-oriented time-line ......................... 55 5.1.2 Vega Strike Universe Time-line ............................ 57 5.2 TWHON Era .......................................... 61 5.3 Ancient Era ........................................... 63 5.4 Alphan-Betan period ...................................... 65 5.5 End of Alphan-Betan to beginning of ‘Icarus Descended’ ................... 67 5.5.1 On the origin of The Forsaken ............................. 67 5.6 Icarus Descended ........................................ 69 5.6.1 On various Pirate Groups and their origins ...................... 69 5.6.2 The Stars Are Also Pyres ................................ 73 5.7 Upon the Coldest Sea ...................................... 92 5.7.1 Act 1: Hiroshima (mon ami) .............................. 92 4 5.7.2 Act 2: As the sea begins to free them ......................... 93 5.7.3 Act 3: Children of an unconstructed god ........................ 93 5.7.4 Act 4: The Sea on Fire ................................. 94 5.7.5 Act 5: Sailing on Embers ................................ 94 5.7.6 Black Paralysis ..................................... 95 5.8 Foundering Inheritance (Orion region) ............................. 95 5.9 Foundering Inheritance (Fleet of 10,000) ............................ 104 5.10 Rimward of Eden ........................................ 104 5.11 Post Rimward of Eden ..................................... 104 6 UtCS: Player Character Plotting 105 6.1 Dramatis Personae ....................................... 105 6.2 Scenes out of time and sequence ................................ 106 6.2.1 Intro Monologue .................................... 108 6.3 Little-Plot segments ....................................... 112 6.3.1 The intro plot ...................................... 112 7 Portfolios 115 7.1 Cross-Portfolio Information ................................... 115 7.1.1 Vessel Overview .................................... 115 7.2 Portfolio: The Aerans ...................................... 116 7.2.1 Origin .......................................... 117 7.2.2 Physical ......................................... 117 7.2.3 Mental ......................................... 119 7.2.4 Technological ...................................... 119 7.2.5 Culture ......................................... 121 7.2.6 Writing, numbers, and insignia ............................. 122 7.2.7 Faction: Aeran Ascendancy .............................. 122 7.2.8 Faction: Aeran Merchant Marine ............................ 124 7.2.9 Vessels ......................................... 125 7.3 Portfolio: The Andolians .................................... 132 7.3.1 Origin .......................................... 132 7.3.2 Physical ......................................... 132 7.3.3 Mental ......................................... 133 7.3.4 Technological ...................................... 133 7.3.5 Culture ......................................... 133 7.3.6 Writing, numbers, and insignia ............................. 134 7.3.7 Faction: PRIMARY FACTION ............................ 134 7.3.8 Faction: OTHER FACTIONS ............................. 134 7.3.9 Vessels ......................................... 134 7.4 Portfolio: The Andolians .................................... 135 5 7.4.1 Origin .......................................... 135 7.4.2 Physical ......................................... 135 7.4.3 Mental ......................................... 136 7.4.4 Technological ...................................... 136 7.4.5 Culture ......................................... 136 7.4.6 Writing, numbers, and insignia ............................. 136 7.4.7 Faction: PRIMARY FACTION ............................ 136 7.4.8 Faction: OTHER FACTIONS ............................. 136 7.4.9 Vessels ......................................... 136 7.5 Portfolio: The Andolian Protectorate .............................. 137 7.5.1 Origin .......................................... 137 7.5.2 Physical ......................................... 138 7.5.3 Mental ......................................... 138 7.5.4 Technological ...................................... 138 7.5.5 Culture ......................................... 138 7.5.6 Writing, numbers, and insignia ............................. 139 7.5.7 Faction: PRIMARY FACTION ............................ 139 7.5.8 Faction: OTHER FACTIONS ............................. 139 7.5.9 Vessels ......................................... 139 7.6 Portfolio: The Bzbr ....................................... 140 7.6.1 Origin .......................................... 140 7.6.2 Physical ......................................... 140 7.6.3 Mental ......................................... 141 7.6.4 Technological ...................................... 141 7.6.5 Culture ......................................... 141 7.6.6 Writing, numbers, and insignia ............................. 141 7.6.7 Faction: PRIMARY FACTION ............................ 141 7.6.8 Faction: OTHER FACTIONS ............................. 141 7.6.9 Vessels ......................................... 141 7.7 Portfolio: The Confederation of Inhabited Worlds ......................
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