For my OortWorlds project:
Well, trying to come up with a somewhat random ‘generate a territory.’
Like, tech, resources, etc.
And I keep veering into ‘OK THIS PLACE HAS ABUNDANT HELIUM AND…’
And then I slap myself a few times.
What I have now is, I think, a bit more doable:
Tech: 2-6: Low tech; 7-9: Standard tech; 10+ Advanced tech
Territorial characteristics: d6 x d6. Roll six times. You may arrange which have greater or lesser importance.
You may also decide to roll 1d6 once on each row.
(6×6 grid here)
Balkanized: There are deep rifts in this territory, and occasional outright battle between two or more groups. You must be very careful here; each side will be calculating whose side you are on.
Until you prove yourself, you will be at -1 to parley with anyone in the territory. If you are inducted into a given side, that side will treat them favorably (depending on other factors), but all other sides will be at -2 to parley.
You can often get help from your allied group when taking action against other groups, and may gain henchmen while in the territory.
Meritocracy: This territory is interested in what you can do for them, and your proven skills. Proving yourself may take different forms – higher tech regions may use standardized testing, while others believe in proof by action.
Once your skills have been recognized, the territory will treat you with according respect. You may be able to negotiate for goods and services, exchanging for service to the territory.
(etc)
So, example:
Tech: (rolled a 7) Standard
Territorial characteristics: Haven, Frontier, Cluster trade, Vital supply, Cut-off, Scattered.
So it’s a frontier place that’s cut-off from other local territories, with a scattered population that’s a welcoming, somewhat idealistic, haven for refugees.
It has trade with another cluster (long distance), and has an abundance of some resource (given everything above, guessing exotic minerals or possibly valuable organics).
Each of those factors has possible benefits. Haven means you can probably talk locals out of various goods and services. Cut-off and cluster trade somewhat balance one another — on the one hand, there’s a lack of regular trade from other territories. On the other hand, you have interesting goods from another cluster.
Not the most exciting location, but there’s the possibility of claim jumpers, local criminals fleeing other parts, and so on.
Another try:
Tech: (6) Low tech
Territorial characteristics: Centralized, Calculating, Lawless, Vital demand, Autocracy, Depressed.
Eeek.
Ok, centralized population, so most of the people here are gathered in a tight grouping of habitats, possibly around one or two large bodies.
Autocratic and lawless goes nicely together, as does economically depressed.
Calculating refers to the general character of people here. And, well, given they live in a tightly grouped territory with obsolete tech and a struggling economy, that… sort of makes sense.
As for Vital demand, maybe they really want pop music… but given everything, I’m going to say the government is really interested in weapons and small ships.
are these tables you wrote published anywhere?
Which tables, the initial ideas, or the 6×6 grid I mentioned above?
yep. On my copious-free-time todo list is to cobble together a PbtA space opera sandbox, largely pulling from sine nomine books and cherry picking a few bits from stars of iniquity. So I’m always watching for input material.
Hrm.
Well, this was originally Fate-based, so where you see dF, that’s Fudge dice… Spam incoming…
Technology
A territory’s tech rating reflects the best technology to be found there. Individual settlements may be less advanced, and different groups will have varying areas of expertise. One outpost might be well-known for cutting edge propulsion, while another has advanced robotics. Infrastructure has a large impact on this – a territory with high infrastructure has large stations or clusters of habitats with a lot of variety, while low infrastructure will encourage smaller, more self-sufficient outposts.
From a practical point of view, technology indicates what services are available to repair or purchase equipment, and what kind of threats or conflicts the players might encounter.
The first bolded element in a description is its nickname – T:+1 is Advanced technology, while T:-3 is Fission.
+4 Pre-Eruption; almost anything is possible. There is usually a specialization in technology – genetics, cybernetics, data, or physics, possibly others. There is also a spin toward either greater community or greater individualization. Territories can stay in pre-Eruption state or oscillate between lower points. A few pre-Eruption territories are capable of producing their own Hypergates.
+3 High technology allows a wide range of incredible technologies, from limited immortality, to common usage of artificial gravity and other fine manipulation of virtual fields. Computing resources and fine-scale fabrication is possible, cloning and genetic manipulation is easy, and the territory can produce hyperdrives. A T:3 territory allows easy travel between settlements for shen, and they may, with difficulty, travel at light speed from this territory to another territory at T:3 and above.
+2 Hybrid technology is marked by a high degree of integration between very different technologies. Humans often are cybernetically enhanced, and shen ride around in organic-skinned husks. Hyper collars can be created. High energy weapons and systems are common, computing is ubiquitous, and robots are plentiful. A T:2 territory permits shen to travel between settlements through communications, though the process is difficult and occasional.
+1 Advanced technology is very accessible. A T:1 gun might wrap around someone’s forearm when not in use, reshaping itself when necessary. Ship engines and basic power is driven by antimatter.
0 Standard technology tends to be divided; when someone accesses the data stream, it’s usually through a specialized device (glasses), someone might have gene therapy at a hospital, and so on. Ship engines are usually powered by antimatter.
-1 Impulse drives allow for highly efficient travel. Territories can spread over larger range, and impulse ships need far less reaction mass. Virtual field applications allow for highly efficient fusion.
-2 Fusion technology is used for ship engines, with fission batteries for basic power. Virtual field technology allow ships to accelerate at multiples of g without destroying the ship or occupants
-3 Ships primarily use fission batteries and chemical technologies. In some respects, 20th Century Earth is T:-3.
-4 Shambles – survivors have no capacity to even repair any of the technology around them, and are at the mercy of trade. There are countless stories of high habitation, lost tech ‘forgotten worlds’ adrift in the shoals, where one might be confronted with a bone-tipped spear.
Infrastructure
A combination of habitats, production, fabrication, distribution, this measures how thriving the territory is. It generally describes how well solarians can live in the territory and, roughly, population.
The type of infrastructure also reflects the type of population – whether the territory is populated more by humans, mai, or shen.
A high infrastructure means players will face large threats or opportunities. A low infrastructure puts players more on their own, coasting between scattered settlements. A low infrastructure zone might be a good environment for pirates and staking claims.
O’Neill cylinders are massive cylindrical habitats capable of hosting tens of millions of people. They rotate, creating a simple form of artificial gravity, and have a massive fusion lamp in the axis providing a day cycle, heat, and energy for the entire station.
While O’Neill cylinders are designed to support organic life, such as humans, they also have extensive ability to support machine intelligences and shen.
A mismatch between resources and infrastructure suggests a lot about the nature of the territory. A high resource, low infrastructure territory may be a recent colonization. A low resource, high infrastructure territory may reflect resources that have given out, or may be a vital trade hub.
+4 This territory is massive, possibly having grown over a thousand or more years. There is likely to be several O’Neill cylinders. This territory likely has a population in the hundreds of millions, possibly a billion or more.
+3 One or two O’Neill cylinders, but population is more centered in large ring stations and numerous outposts. The design of stations will depend highly on technology.
+2 Possibly one O’Neill cylinder under construction, a few mega-stations. Infrastructure is highly efficient and distributed.
+1 A large population with numerous fixed stations and habitats. There is an ability to sustain and provide health and comfort to everyone. There are likely to be two populous solarian species, which will often have an impact on technology.
0 A stable population of outposts and a few stations. If the technology permits, there is a large base of automation to get resources and process/fabricate materials. The population is probably focused on one of the three solarian species.
-1 Either a few large stations or, more likely, a widely scattered group of population centers. The population is dominated by one of the three solarian species.
-2 The territory is struggling to maintain, or grow, infrastructure, and there is likely to be one or more central bodies managing allocation of resources. There are likely a lot of mobile ships, temporary outposts, and a few centralized stationary habitats.
-3 Infrastructure tends to be transient, but the larger ships are capable of sophisticated fabrication. Technology is relatively focused, with a number of gaps because the territory lacks sufficient broad support. Population will usually be focused on a single species, with some isolated exceptions.
-4 Infrastructure is transient. Most populations live on large ships. Territories with nomads may be newly discovered, or rediscovered after a collapse or eruption. The territory’s technology is likely highly specialized, as they lack the ability to sustain a broader range of technology. If this territory has no hyperlinks, perhaps it doesn’t actually have a permanent settlement.
Resources
Ice and rock, the Oort cloud is pretty much defined as a space filled with countless tiny objects. The size can vary wildly, from scatterings of dust to objects 20 kilometers across. Thousands of years of solarian civilization in the Oort cloud, and millions of years of ocal civilization, many of these objects have been nudged together in greater concentrations.
High resources means opportunity. With a high infrastructure, the players can find a lot to buy or negotiate with. Different groups might compete fiercely over resources. High resources and low infrastructure means great opportunity, although the players are unlikely to be the only ones looking to stake a claim. Low resources can make for a lean, dangerous territory.
+4 Several large objects, plentiful resources of all kinds. While this may seem ideal, such a territory also attracts a lot of attention – a territory that can’t adequately defend its resources will find a lot of groups swooping in to take them.
+3 One or two large objects, and a number of smaller objects. The territory can be self-sufficient, assuming infrastructure and technology is up to the task.
+2 A number of small objects. One kind of resource may be somewhat less common than others.
+1 Plentiful volatiles, organics, metals, and a reasonable amount of other materials can be found.
0 One good source of resources, another resource is in reasonable supply, and others are somewhat lacking.
-1 One good source of resources, another resource in limited supply, and very little of anything else.
-2 A limited amount of one resource, possibly a single small cometary fragment, and very little of anything else. Trade is vital to supplement.
-3 What little resources this region has to offer are patiently, slowly scooped up by vacuum ferns. Any significant population relies on this to supplement trade and possible stockpiles.
-4 Perhaps this region once had a few smaller bodies that have since been used up, or this territory is in a crucial location between further-flung territories.
To determine which resources a territory has, when indicated:
Random resources (2dF)
2 Exotic elements (neodymium)
1 Organics (nitrogen, carbon compounds, traces)
0 Volatiles (hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen)
-1 Metals (iron, nickel)
-2 Fissionables (uranium, plutonium)
Culture (2dF)
Next the group should determine the overall culture of each territory. The group does not have to roll, and may decide to reroll or change values when desired – the randomness is meant to help spark ideas.
Organization Equity Rule
+2 Unified Communal Dictator
+1 Harmony Personal freedom Aristocratic
0 Diverse Stratified Republic
-1 Balkanized Caste Military
-2 Chaos Cut-throat Corporate
Lower Infrastructure and Resources tend to correspond with lower values. This is left to best judgment and interpretation, however.
Republics are, broadly, democracies, but Equity will shift how much the populace is truly represented.
Rulers maybe career politicians, plutocrats (money), aristocrats (inherited), theocratic, or military, although these factors often intertwine in different ways.
The 6×6 grid that I’m currently using, let’s see if it formats:
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Balkanized Meritocracy Oppression Autocracy Haven Equity
2 Vital demand Vital supply Thriving Depressed Cluster trade Insystem trade
3 Enforced peace Lawless Crime Corrupt Judicious Ideology
4 OCAL Hub Mysteries O’Neill Eruption Wild drones Cluster link
5 Centralized Scattered Populous Frontier Focused tech Depressed tech
6 Passionate Honorable Insular Calculating Industrious Fun-loving
I presume then, that you’ve already seen starblazer’s plot/location tables.
No, I haven’t… Been looking at Traveller UWP codes, Diaspora (Fate), Adventures on Dungeon Planet, and also have Eclipse Phase to peruse…
(my gang has played MongTrav and Rogue Trader for years.) I’d leave off Trav UWP as way too econ-101 focused for any sim aimed at DW-type fiction. — Besides starblazers being a shoe-in, the level of detail of your dimensions suggests you’d enjoy Sine Nomine’s sandbox tools. (the free edition http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/86467 got me hooked on the company)