Welcome to the recruitment/interest check thread for a new game using the FATE Core rules. As per those rules the game creation will be done communally. I will be providing some pre-established setting facts to guide the setting into something I'd like to run, but the players will have input into those facts as well, and we may end up with something different if I like the ideas enough :)
The basic premise of this setting is a distant future (several millenia at the least) 'soft' Science Fiction setting. I say soft because I have only a high-school level science background, so there will be technobabble and a lot of handwaving about why certain things work the way they do. I do like a certain level of realism however, so I try to anchor things in reality as much as I can. The focus of the setting is upon a single, large (on the order of a couple miles long) living ship. One of the first orders of business will be to come up with a name for said ship, and define some characteristics of it (though the ship design is one of the pre-established facts mentioned I'm open to alterations). The ship is home to a number of races (currently 5), and it's own relatively complex ecosystem complete with flora and fauna and weather. It is from these races, which have been isolated within the ship for a few millenia that the PCs will be drawn.
The campaign will open with their idylic little society being intruded upon by the outside world, which will introduce them to the larger issues of the campaign setting and pit them against an empire spanning multiple worlds in multiple star systems.
There are spots in the campaign for approximately 6 players, though most of those slots will likely go to the members of another campaign I was running which may be ending. At the least they will be given preferential treatment.
Applicants should be familiar with the FATE Core rules (that is, the 2013 revision/reprint)—which can be obtained for any amount you wish to pay (including free) from the FATE/Evil Hat website (direct product link here), or DriveThruRPG—and the assumptions it makes there in regards to player attitude. That is to say players should be willing to invest in the setting, provide opinions and ideas about the setting, other players and their own characters, be willing to take constructive criticism and advice, work cooperatively with the other players and GM to make a fun, and enjoyable game for everyone. As the book says, characters should be Proactive, are (generally—that's what the Trouble aspect can be about after all) Competent, and lead Dramatic lives.
Players should also be able to post regularly, checking the game once a day, and posting as frequently as they are able to and it makes sense to do so. Any notification of absences should be given in advance (where possible) in the discussion thread, or as soon as possible into the period of absence. If players go two days without posting or notification they will be considered AWOL and GMPC'd until their return, and after a week will likely lose their place. Posting over the weekend is slightly more relaxed, as the GM works weekends and is unable to post as regularly himself :) (I understand things happen sometimes, the important thing is to keep me informed. If I know something is happening to you in RL then I'm not going to be upset. The unexpected happens to all of us, just drop us a post or PM and let us know)
Recruitment will be open for roughly a week, or until I get a full roster of six I'm happy with. If you don't make it into the six then don't forget about the game completely, feel free to follow along. All too often someone is unable to continue and another slot may open up :) Once recruitment closes then we will move onto the world creation and character creation which as the Core book suggests we will do cooperatively. Feel free to include some thoughts on what type of character you'd like to play and let me know in your submission. I can provide some of the pre-established info for the setting in a future post if people wish, but remember that these things may be subject to change. I am more interested in getting a gauge of interested parties, and their abilities for cooperative storytelling (which is how I see this campaign). Previous experience with FATE is not required, but extremely helpful, and players will be expected to have read the player-relevant chapters of the book before the game officially starts (which will be after game and character creation).
Look forward to chatting with you all and getting this game off the ground!
Well I'd hoped to get some interest :P I guess I should give you guys some info on the setting itself and see if that attracts anyone's attention. Remember the below is just my thoughts on the setting, and most of it will be open to discussion. Think of it as the initial fuel to start a fire and try and get some creativity going :)
So please, let me know if this sounds like your thing, and/or any thoughts on the below. Spoilered for length/convenience.
Approximately three quarters of ship's ~12km length is hollow, forming 5 connected, irregularly circular chambers roughly 500m in diameter. Each chamber features slightly different envionmental conditions, though all are habitable. There is an approxmiate seasonal cycle. All of the chambers posses some vegetation and wildlife, some being more 'wild' than others, the same being true of their weather and environmental conditions.. The five chambers are known to the inhabitants as The Eeyrie (mountainous terrain, scrubby brush, sandy tundra, primary home of the Gargoyles who live in caves dug into enormous stalgmites hanging from the cieling, access gained by long narrow paths, sharp switchbacks and giant ladders carved into the walls), ??? (temperate, small hills, scattered vegetation and small animals, the main home of the Humans), Foresthome (well tended wilderness, trees grow everywhere including from walls, other plants hang from cieling, everywhere is green. Neat, easily traversed paths lead through the forest to the varios Dryad settlements, the next chamber, and Father Tree. Main home of the Dryads), the Wetlands (as wild as Foresthome if not more, a mishmash of jungle, swamp, and ???. Paths are less common and less well maintained. Filled in large part (approx 1/3) by an enormous 'mountain' of stone which houses the Mantis in an extended cave network and features the ruined structure that is their seeming origin), and ??? (swampy area proper? Full of plants and animals/insects used by the biochemists in their creations. Large population of humans and altered).
The rest of Ship (including a thick section that runs beneath the habitat areas, though generally innacessibly from such) is taken up by the complex biology of Ship. Features include an enormous brain, a similarly sized stomach, and all the other various organs necessary for Ship and her inhabitant's survival (she is almost entirely self-sufficient, able to drift for centuries through interstellar voids without lasting harm, as long as there is a system at the other end in which she can 'refuel'.) Primary propulsion is via a 'frill' almost as long as she is that Ship can extend and acts as a solar sail, secondary propulsion provided by expelling gasses.
The inhabitants of ship have only myths and legends to go by as to the origin and purpose for their journey. The things they do know is that the humans are the only original inhabitants of the ship, while the Gargoyles and the Dryads 'evolved' (with some help from Ship) from the fauna of ship. The Mantis were introduced by ship along with the asteroid that now resides within the wetlands from the last system they were in (a few centuries ago) when it discovered said asteroid and some genetic remnants of the species (see the Mantis entry for more information). The Altered developed as a result of the Human's biochemical research, and seemingly as a natural result of life aboard the ship.
Shipboard life is idyllic and peaceful. Though a diverse group of races in a small region there have been few large scale conflicts between the various races. Populations remain small by mutual agreement, and though each of the races has a 'home' chamber members of any particular race can be found in any chamber in some amount (though the asteroid remains the sole territory of the Mantis, they lay no claim to the wetlands at large) however small.
Gargoyles: Gargoyles were the first race to emerge after Ship's journey began. They are almost as old as the humans, having 'evolved' less than a century after departure. They originate from a extant species of small servitors who used to facilitate ship's functions, and were 'raised' during a time of conflict to serve as warriors to protect ship (or at least so the stories go). From this origin they developed a peaceful culture that dwell in high places that match their rocky hides. They are relatively similar to humans, but 'simpler'. They are proper omnivores that can digest anything organic, and even obtain some benefit from minerals, and their physiology is generally quite robust, able to go for several days without sustenance or rest without detrimental effects. Their skin is thick and tough containing significant mineral deposits. They display a high mutably to Human Biochemical tests, and legends tell of other times of conflict when great warriors developed clawed hands and feat, thickened, truly stone-like skin, and even some tales recount, growing great wings to bear them aloft.
Dryad: Perhaps edged out by the emergence of the Altered thanks to the human's efforts, the Dryads are the second ship raised/created species, emerging some decades further into the journey than their predecessors the gargoyles. They were not raised directly from the plants as one might imagine, but instead from a group of humans reputed for their nurturing nature. Ship bonded these humans with the trees and the plants of Foresthome, whose traits they took on. It is said that Father Tree is in fact the leader of this group who became one with a sapling, his form melding into it instead of the other way around; certainly Father Tree would seem to be almost as old as Ship, his roots extending throughout Foresthome, joining the entire forest beneath the soil.
The Dryads are small in stature, appearing mostly human except for a fibrous feeling to their skin (which is likewise thicker than a human's), their hair which bears resemblance to the foliage of the trees, and the small ducts that some posses on their inner forearm, from which they can release small darts of sharpened wood which grow naturally within.
Human: The humans are the original inhabitants of Ship, and one may assume, the purpose for her journey. If they once knew that purpose however, it has been losts to their memory. They maintain a long oral tradition of the major events within Ship, and it is from these that the newer races learn their origins and began their own retellings. The humans live in simple huts, raising crops and hunting the local wildlife for what they need to survive. What little extra they gather they use to barter with the other races for items from 'their' habitats.
The humans are also the reason for the good health and gentle lives of many aboard the ship, for a faction amongst them are dedicated to the study of the science thy call biochemistry. Growing replacement 'parts' and other strange, living creatures that serve a variety of medical uses, as well as extracting and brewing various drugs. It is also this group that is responsible for a large quantity of what have come to be known as the altered (see below).
Mantis: The Mantis as the only race to have originated from outside the ship. Relatively new additions to shipboard life they have nevertheless integrated with the others, though they are the most insular of the five. The asteroid from which they emerged was delivered into the wetlands chamber by ship, and some decades later from it came the first Mantis. It took some time before communication was established, the Mantis having what seemed to be their own method of communicating with sounds, signs and body language rather than true speech. They picked up the language of the Ship eventually however, and told the tale of their parents awakening in a strange chamber within the asteroid. Few have been allowed into that chamber, but those that have report strange structures and shapes that they can only assume is the inspiration for the Mantis' talent for engineering.
Since their 'awakening' inside the asteroid the Mantis have dug deep and far, enlarging the original chamber and constructing many others spreading out from that place. They have also displayed a keen intellect and skill with tools and invention which they have shared with the other races, helping to improve the lives of all within the ship. They are the ones responsible for the contruction of the raised paths through the more swampy areas of the wetlands, for widening and smoothing the paths of the Gargoyles (as well as creating a platform that can be raised and lowered from the main Gargoyle home to allow swift, though labor-intensive entry and exit), improving the designs of the Human's villiage, and collaborating with the Biochemists, even the Dryads treetop platforms are more stable and safe thanks to the Mantis' ingenuity.
The Altered: Not truly a unique race the Altered are the result of genetic anomalies, Biochemist experiments and alterations (it's hard to think of someone as completely human when their lost arm has been replaced by a fleshy tentacle, or when their life-saving liver replacement results in growing scales over half their body), and other freaks of nature (usually the result of attempts at crossbreeding).
Though malformed or deformed by the other races standard the Altered are nevertheless accepted by the other races. Many of them share the Human's talents at Biochemistry (or indeed were biochemists before their enthusiasm for discovery got the better of their common sense), others gain other skills, whether through new abilities granted by their mutations, or simply through hard work like anyone else.
Some parents when faced with an Altered offspring will choose to reject such offspring, and either give them to Altered parents (who may be incapable of having their own children), or 'Return them to Ship'. Such may also become the fate of Altered whose mutations result in violent behaviour and personalities; such dangerous Altered are captured, restrained by their neighbours, and anaesthetised by a Biochemist or herbalist, before being fed into one of the orifices provided by Ship for recycling waste. Such treatment is only performed as a last resort however, when the Biochemists or other wise persons deem their mutations too extreme for them to survive or be corrected.
- Psionics: Ship itself is an incredibly powerful Psionic. It is through this ability that it is able to function as efficiently as it does. It allows Ship to defend itself and can be used offensively if required as well. It allows Ship to communicate with it's representatives, and assists in ship's varied functions. It is also possessed by some of the inhabitants of ship (the representatives as mentioned, as well as others besides), and undoubtedly some of the countless and varied races and species beyond that Ship's inhabitants may end up encountering :) Capabilities and limits of Psionics to be established in world creation.
- As stated in the races spoiler above, those aboard the ship possess knowledge of advanced biochemical engineering.
- Warp-style technology possessed by the Ith, a starfaring race.
- Ancient progenitor race responsible for the spread of life throughout the galaxy
- Ancient evil prophecized to destroy all that the progenitors created (Eldritch Horrors. Who wants some Cthulu with their Sci-FI? :D)
- and more!
hmmm giving this a bump so it does not get lost in the weekend wave.
It appears to have a Starship Warden feel from some discussions with the GM. That might help some of the old guard see where this is going.
As someone who tried to rum a Spirit of the Century pbp, I have to ask: how do you plan on dealing with fate points? For me it was so much slower than the already sluggish pace of a pbp, proposing a temptation for an Aspect and then having to wait for his choice to prgress the scene. Do you post both scenario in spoilers, and he just follows the one he chooses?
Dotting for interest. Expect to see a character proposal either later tonight or sometime tomorrow.
Alright, sorry about delayed response, I have to admit I got a bit bummed out when this thread failed to get ANY replies :p
@Airon87: I assume you mean with regards to compels? Still fairly new to the system and putting this campaign together, but I figure I'll post with the assumption that the player accepts the compel (possibly in a spoiler), and if they refuse then we can deal with that in game. The book says that even if they refuse the compel sometimes the 'bad stuff' starts to happen anyway and the fate point they pay allows them to describe how they change/overcome the bad stuff.
I was also considering getting everyone on a skype chat (text, but potentially voice if people are up for that) so that we have an instant messaging capability. I'm sure people will be on at all different times, but it could potentially help to speed some of that stuff up.
yes, for temptations I meant compels (I bought the game in my native Italian and didn't look up the original wording).
I don't know, honestly, I was so excited when I first set up my PbP adventure with FATE, but I crashed against the medium. FATE is made for quick wit, interruptions, teamwork, while PbP seems to promote character introspection and narration.
I wish you the best of luck with this adventure.
Ship name proposal: Icimani Ina (ee-chee-mah-nee ee-nah)
I have interest in this game. Although I have no experience with FATE on any level. I would be willing to learn though. I have no issues on picking up the details for new games (although I hear FATE is easy to learn). I will try and pick up the PDF as soon as I can. Hopefully by tomorrow.
I have interest in this game. Although I have no experience with FATE on any level. I would be willing to learn though. I have no issues on picking up the details for new games (although I hear FATE is easy to learn). I will try and pick up the PDF as soon as I can. Hopefully by tomorrow.
FATE is VERY easy to learn and the rulebook/pdf is very well organized. An unnamed but very near to this board game company could well look to how clean and error free the layout is. Just sayin.
Ship name proposal: Icimani Ina (ee-chee-mah-nee ee-nah)
So something like "Journey Mother" assuming my google-fu is up to translating Lakota. I am leaning towards just calling it 'Ship' as there is only one it does not really need a specific name. Of course we could both be correct Icimani Ina is the real name of Ship but the name has lost meaning to the folks inside who just call their world 'Ship.'
@Airon87: Very true, well I guess we'll see how it goes for us; it's new to everyone in the group I believe
@Grand Moff Vixen: As I just said, none of us have played FATE before that I'm aware of, but it seems very well done, and has some very good explanations, advice and examples for everything :) Plus it's pay what you want, so that's awesome.
I was going to say it sounded Native American-ish PWO :) Hrmmm, I was thinking more a single name, but that's just me. I too like the idea of her usually just being called Ship (hence why I kept capitalizing it above), so perhaps they use her full name (Icimani Ina) only for ceremonial occasions and the like. Considered bad luck to risk distracting her by calling her attention perhaps?
People can feel free to continue to submit name suggestions or register interest, but we should keep this thing moving as much as possible.
What are you guys interested in? I have some ideas as you've seen (and more you haven't). Some thoughts--on which I would like your opinions and suggestions--about the greater scheme of things are:
- Set in the distant future of the Milky Way galaxy (this means that Earth is potentially a player in the setting and perhaps visitable.)
- The evolutionary seeds for human life were scattered throughout the galaxy billions of years ago by an advanced, spacefaring progenitor race. Some seeds grew true (Earth), while others went, falling before the rigors of their environment or failed the race against other native species, still others mutated or crossbred resulting in a wide and varied mix of (generally) humanoid species scattered throughout the Milky Way.
- The progenitors were not the only spacefaring race however, they possessed any enemy, one who would seek to destroy and devour all that they sowed. (Cthulu anyone? I'm definately open to changing this and the previous ones if anyone's tired of the 'ancient race' trope, or Cthulu/eldritch horrors. Like I said, suggestions and thoughts please :))
- Ship/Icimani Ina was created by one of said descendants (haven't decided whether it will be Earth quite yet, or one of the other races who 'bred true', thoughts?) and launched, thousands of years ago as a paradise for it's creators. For some reason however the Ship went astray, or was prevented from completing it's task, and now wanders aimlessly through the vast voids between stars, while the descendants of it's creators live blissfully unaware inside.
- While Ship has drifted, the other races have continued their growth, spreading amongst the stars, and it is a member of one of these races that stumbles upon the marvel of Ship...
Your google fu is correct. However the question was asked so I figured I'd throw something out.
Regarding fate chips I believe the core rules said something about them being able to be awarded after the fact if something happens that is played and would result in a fate chip then it's a fate chip. IE someone with the manners of the goat comments on how ugly they thing the queens dress is without prompting from the GM.
@Grand Moff Vixen: As I just said, none of us have played FATE before that I'm aware of, but it seems very well done, and has some very good explanations, advice and examples for everything :) Plus it's pay what you want, so that's awesome.
Sweet! I just paid $1 for the pdf! Plus I see there is a kindle edition too. I will begin pouring over the book and the setting and think up some ideas. I will need a couple days though as I have a very long day tomorrow. I have at least 5 hours driving time ahead of me. Ugh.
Sweet! I just paid $1 for the pdf! Plus I see there is a kindle edition too. I will begin pouring over the book and the setting and think up some ideas. I will need a couple days though as I have a very long day tomorrow. I have at least 5 hours driving time ahead of me. Ugh.
@Grand Moff Vixen: As I just said, none of us have played FATE before that I'm aware of, but it seems very well done, and has some very good explanations, advice and examples for everything :) Plus it's pay what you want, so that's awesome.
Bummer GMF (don't mind me, I'm lazy and like shortening names :p), hope you make it there safe and sound. Ideas are good, once you've got some bring em back here and share!
@Skeksin: Yes, if players self compel and cause themselves problems as part of roleplay then that can result in retroactive fate awards. Players can also ask for compels for their character (the three headed dog is sleeping near the pile of gold? Well I guess me being As quiet as a moose could cause some problems.), or offer compels for other players. It's meant to cost them a fate point to offer the suggestion, but that seems to go against the feel of the game (unless of course the two PCs happen to be in opposition at the time, in which case I would charge the point).
Anyway! Thoughts! Do you guys like my suggestions for the plot of the campaign? Hate them? Have much much better ones? Share em! Doooooo eeeeeet!
!!!
I could use a bit more fleshing out of the scenario to find a character type to play.
If I play Bob the biotechnical engineering quality assurance agent (inspected by agent 11!) and it's all about fighting or diplomacy then it isn't a really good character.
Well, that's why I'm asking you guys for your opinions. I need to know if you're happy with the progenitors and eldritch horrors elements, or if you'd favour a different kind of campaign. So far noone has commented (I figured it's the weekend and was allowing till monday before I gave this a nudge), so I don't really have anything to go on. You tell me what sort of game you want to play, I see this as a collaborative effort.
Once we've got the basics down, then we can get into more detail. Characters can come afterwards once we get to that step of game creation (I'm going through the process as detailed in chapter 2, I encourage you all to read/follow along).
My FLGS has a copy of FATE core on order for me & hopefully it will be coming in later this week. Once that is here & will have a better idea of how feasible my character concept is.
Umm, well like I just said, character concept not so important for now. Trying to figure out whether you like my plot idea or not. Kinda important to get these details down before we move on to characters and such. Also, you can get the PDF for free from Evil Hat or DriveThru RPG.
Or do you guys just want me to establish the setting myself? I'd really prefer to have you guys involved in things a bit more, but--from the responses so far--it doesn't seem like you're all that interested in this world creation stuff. Please tell me I'm mistaken (easy enough to do over the internet)
Eh I'm fine with the general concept. Just trying to figure out what kind of story will go up inside the shell here.
Lots of stops at planets?
I figure the ship will at least feed on something. Skim stars like in Stargate Universe? Skim planets or gas giants? Feed on asteroids? Or perhaps go full Budong and eat anything and everything including other ships?
How much maintenance does it really need from the crew or are they just kinda along for the ride?
How does the crew get food? Is it processed by the ship? (this would seem to be the most likely due to limited space)
Will there be frequent supply runs off ship for ship and/or crew needs?
If there is an eldritch evil out there looking to thwart the ship then some kind of framework for being able to learn about it would be needed I'm thinking.
Anyhoo ideas and questions skipped off the top here.
I think part of the problem is that we are not sure what kind of campaign you want to run Peanuts.
Is it to be focused on adventures inside the Ship a'la Metamorphosis Alpha or more on how Ship relates to the rest of the universe a'la Andromeda?
What is the tech-level we should be thinking? Stone age? Gilligan's island bamboo and coconuts? How does this relate to the advanced biotech you mentioned? Is the science understood or are we dealing with Warhammer 40K/ cargo cult rituals?
A close read of the ideas you posted makes it look like the characters are unaware/uninterested in the outside universe until something invades. Is that correct?
So the invasion would be an impending issue with living on Ship being the current issue. That sounds good.
I am still at a bit of a loss though as to what we would be doing? This is a very unusual setting so forgive me if I am a tad slow on the uptake here. Could you provide three or so couple of sentence long outlines of what kind of adventures/actions we the players might be involved in?
It would really help.
I don't want to run any particular type of campaign/story other than using the setting elements I have shared. I have one in mind, but more importantly I wanted your input. I have my ideas, some of which I've posted, but I haven't wanted to squash your own creativity by giving you too much info. By the sounds of it you're just wanting me to give you guys the full setting and take it from there rather than collaborate to create something together.
If that is the case then see the spoilers below. If it's not the case, then make some suggestions, tell me what sort of campaign want to play! Think of the information about ship as the launching point for the campaign, rather than necessarily encompassing the entire campaign.
- Ship is an omnivore, it can feed on whatever, and has a very slow 'digestion' as it spends decade+ long stretches in interstellar space. Whenever it reaches a new system it skims the upper atmosphere of planets and munches on some asteroids and such to replenish itself (I don't see it as badass enough to survive flying that close to a star, and don't think it would get the same benefits as a planet could provide considering it's biological nature)
- Ship is generally self sufficient, but occasionally something gets clogged or blocked, or develops some sort of imbalance that requires more delicate treatment than she can manage herself. It doesn't happen often, the 'crew' is mostly along for the ride.
- As stated in the earlier setting information, the chambers have their own (somewhat simplified--humanoids are the apex predator after all) ecosystems. The tribes mostly function as hunter gatherers, with some agriculture and cultivation.
- In the normal course of Ship's travels, the inhabitants have only rarely had the opportunity or need to leave. Once into the campaign proper however, trips off ship will become fairly frequent. Most of the main action will probably take place off of ship
- The eldritch evil isn't specifically looking for the Ship, but there will be exposition about it fairly early on.
- Andromeda. The ship is largely there for setting the mood of the characters (relatively primitive beings suddenly discovering that the world outside is so much bigger than they could have imagined), and as a plot device.
- Prior to the Mantis' arrival it was very much a tribal level of technology, wood huts, stone tools, some simple engineering projects. The Mantis introduced some new thinking into the place and are responsible for some technological advancement (though not solely, they just shook things up a bit). The greatest technological achievement is probably the elevator mentioned under their entry in Races (so they'd have achieved winches, pulleys, levers, and other simple mechanical concepts). The main restraining factor is the lack of metals. Ship sometimes provides some metal tools, but it is not 'naturally occuring' for ship.
As to the biotech, I see that being practiced like a form of alchemy. They know what plants and animals to extract various chemicals from, and various recipes to create different compounds. There would be set recipes for certain effects that they commonly use (such as anaesthetics, and well established mixtures needed to grow replacement organs, or other creatures to filter impurities from the blood etc.), and a good deal of experimentation and trial and error to grow new symbionts (or whatever we end up calling these things). I really haven't developed this all that much, I just like the idea. The biochemists are likely some of the most intelligent people on the ship, but a lot of it is ritualized as well.
I also don't see the inhabitants as having a written language. The biochemists have likely devised some system for representing chemical formulas, but I still see information being largely word of mouth.
As to Warhammer 40k, I'm not all that familiar with the details of that setting, only the broad strokes of it.
- Ship's inhabitants are largely unaware of the outside world. I think there would be places where they could view the stars outside, and some may be intrigued by the distant stars and the way they slowly change/move over their lifetime, but unless they happen to be born when ship is approaching a system there's not much to see outside.
- I see those issues as the ones leading up to the start of the campaign, but the 'invasion' will be what kicks off the campaign (and thus a current issue), the impending issue will be the eldritch horrors approaching.
- This last question will have to wait. I have to start getting ready for an appointment this morning.
So what you are saying is that the inhabitants of the generation ship are in a state more like from the movie Pandorum in that the inhabitants lost the knowledge of the ship and anything outside of it. I had that movie in mind as you elaborated on this kind of game. It has an appeal to it that I like. I did like Pandorum a lot by the way.
I didn't think I'd seen that movie, but from reading the plot it seems I did :)
Uhh, there are similarities, but instead of being in hypersleep and evolving into horrible cannibalistic monsters, it is a generation ship where the characters live their lives out in a simpler, more natural environment. The excitement will come from reality finally breaking into the ship and dragging them out of their nice primitive utopia.
Ok then as hunter/gatherers the food will have to be some kind of super crop. A couple of square miles is only 1280 acres. Takes between 2.5 and 20 normally to feed 1 person. Population would be too small unless there are supercrops so that an acre feeds several.
So there would be the usual social type of characters. Some fighters. Religious types which are probably the closes to engineers anyone has and would likely be in charge of any of the work details for fixing the ship. Senior Religious members would be the ones that get the instruction from the ship. With that of course if someone wanted more power then they lie and say "it is the will of the ship that xyz happens". Which would of course be beneficial to them in some way. Either by keeping population oppressed or direct gain. Unless there is something in place to keep that from becoming a regular occurrence.
The usual fighting types and sub types. If there are tribes then infiltrators and spies. People to steal supplies that others have and they need for some reason and this is the option chosen for whatever reason.
Generally a caveman, Native American Indian or Incan type of society with the character types associated with.
The population is going to be fairly small, I'm thinking a couple thousand at most, but uhh, it's not much of a spoiler to tell you that Ship was launched for a purpose, and was made to be self sufficient so super-crops are definitely plausible. I do see religion cropping up, but not as a major part of the lives of the majority. As to misrepresenting ship's desires, I doubt they'd remain in their position for too long, ship is intelligent and fairly aware of what's goign on inside her :)
Infiltrators and spies not so much, I've said a couple times this place is pretty close to a utopian society, disputes are simple, and the tribes all live fairly harmoniously. I realize this doesn't make for terribly exciting games, which is why the launching point will disrupt this harmony :D
More after sleep/if/when I remember
Alright, so seems like this is going to be a more standard game set-up then. I'll write everything up and post it in the next few days... Then you guys can start on your characters. Remember Phase two and Three require you to work with the other players :)
Ok I finally came up with an idea for a character given the basics (villagers in a living space ship needed to be a bit more defined so I could find something that fit)
Concept: Master of "Dance"
Trouble: Sucker for a luscious set of gams
Skills: Fight +4, Lore +3, Athletics +3, Physique +2, Will +2, more to come
Stunts:
Wisdom of Sue
Many dances
I am dancing
Works better if its from Earth originally since the "dancing" is actually martial arts that in the long years spend travelling in space the fighting aspect has been kinda forgotten. The Wisdom of Sue is actually Sun Tzu. Again corruption of the knowledge as it gets passed on down through the generations.
Interest withdrawn. Have a nice day.
Yeah sorry about the lack of response from me, my ambition and enthusiasm may have gotten ahead of my ability to follow through. Still likely to go ahead with this campaign, but not sure when exactly. When I finally get it up I'll be posting a new thread and will send those who expressed interest a PM to let them know.
Thought that might have been the case. Same with the NE fate?
uhh yes, this one still has priority over that if that still happens now.
Dotting for interest, as one of our local GMs is considering a FATE Core-based Doctor Who campaign (with the players as Companions and the GM's role of course pretty obvious...)
As none of us have actually played under FATE (any variety), one or two might be interested in lurking and learning. GM-Peanuts, if you'd be willing to sling a PM my way as well, it would be greatly appreciated. (If not, I'll certainly understand.)
Have fun, all!
Dux
P.S. When you started describing the generation ship, the first thing that came to my mind was the early '70s effort The Starlost...