Ideas for a science-fiction world

[Flax]

I am in the making of a science-fiction world, I have a few ideas, nothing too ambitious but it keeps me occupied. So, if anyone wants to pitch in, be my guest.

[Aficenos]

I've read so much I can surely help with idea's, concepts or anything else you may need, but youre gonna have to come up with a world and a set number of limittation that we can start to work with, here are a few points I think should be considerd first:

1- level of evolution
2- availability of AI
3- Weapons (where laser, blasters, etc)
4- Kind of space travel, and access (military, civilian, leisure)
5- Do they use currency or are they like the star trek freaks and the want to "better themselves" (they just want the chicks)
6- Space exploration (colonies, etc)
7- Aliens

Of course there are things I am omitting but I believe that these points represent a good start from where we can start expanding.

Always here to "help" (for the credit)

[Banzai Kamikaze]

Hey, good idea when you're bored... but what will this be for ? Writing, roleplaying ?

Anyway, I can only encourage to be original and avoid the stereotypical science-fiction. Don't make it a star wars with different species and a different story.

I could help you to get a few ideas for the setting, but I think you'll want to make your own.

I'd be happy to write something up if you want me to.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

To stay in the tradition of good science-fiction settings, you should include a philosophical or fantasy concept around which evolves your world.

Examples of these are the Force, the fear of machines, a totalitarian governement, threat of an invasion, magical powers, etc.

What is important about science-fiction is that it is part science, part fiction. Therefore, it needs to be a realistic and coherent world with something out of the ordinary.

[Aficenos]

Well in some regard I disagree with Carl, because the beauty of science fiction is it's universal fiction. Anythign can happen all you have to create is the world but you don't need a sphere or a basic concept to help the world evolve, the world should evolve itself, if you look for example at the Asimov universe you go from robots to telepathy and the links are there but they are not all around one thing.


Anyway I still wait for Flax to give us a starting point

[Flax]

Ok, so here it is, a basic concept. I'll start by outlining the points written in Aficenos post.

1) Spaceworthy civilisation
2) Artificial intelligence? Well I would say good, but not good enought for androids or anything close to a human, maybe small robots, automatons. ( In comparaison, less advanced than star wars or star trek)
3) Energy weapons, although they have a short range and have drawbacks ( like heat) making ballistic weapons still popular. As for starships, energy weapons and I like mass drivers. Also no shields, or maybe only as a prototype with flaws.
4)Space travel is pretty common, but few people own a ship, its mostly orginisations or the upper crust of society. Flying in a space liner is about as expensive as a plane ticket.
5)Oh yes, money is important and you will see why. This is not an ideal world.
6)Colonies, Earth has been abandonned since its now sort of gray but it is a highly respected landmark ( or should I say spacemark?) The main colonies are now important planets, having colonies of their own.
7)No alien contact, yet... ( although we could say the human race evolved somewhat differently depending on the planets they inhabit)

FACTIONS:

The two main factions would be the Zaon Imperium, a once thriving mega corporation who rose above the competition and claimed about half of the populated systems as its own. The other faction would be The Conglomerate Of Free Enterprise (TCOFE) composed of the corporations that are still free, they united to resist the Zaon advance, yet they do not posses a real sense of unity, petty bickering and betrayal is fairly common. They control the other half.
Also, a few rimward colonies are independant, they are usually too unprofitable to acquire, making them the perfect place for fugitives of the law and other scum.
When Earth was deemed unhabitable, the last group of humans left the planet but never settled, these nomads roam about everywhere, staying as much as possible in group. They are outcasts in most of the communities. They travel in groups of small capital ships and space transports. They are seperated in different clans.

TRAVEL:

Travel between system is accomplished by flying through a gate that forms a sort of wormhole, the gates fonction only if there is a pair ( starting point and arrival). On planets flying car are very accessible.

POLITICS:

Very tense political situation for everyone, the war between the Zaon Imperium and the TCOFE is over, but it is a fragile peace and border skirmishes are not uncommon. There is a lot of intrigue in both big factions.


Questions?

[Banzai Kamikaze]

Well, you could make a world evolving around more than one concept of course, but it gets harder and harder to keep everything coherent.

Right now, I figure you want to make a universe with mega-corporations. That's fine, I don't know so many science-fiction worlds involving corporations. There's Ground control and Shattered Steel (very good somewhat old mech game).

I do have one more question. Does your world have anything to do with ours ? Is it our world in the future or more of a "parallel" world ?

If it's our world, then you'll need to explain how we came to be ruled by corporations. There was a very good story in Shattered Steel as how mega-corporations arose. It was a coherent and mostly realistic story.

Also, it would be interesting to know if it's a scientifically correct world, or more fantasy. What I mean by this, is that some science-fiction authors try to explain as realistically as possible with physics how their world works (Star Trek), while others leave an interesting vague explanation (more like star wars with the Force).

[Flax]

Ok, well its our Earth and it began to be very polluted so in a period of about 150 years everyone left, the nomads being the last to leave. The mega corporations had control over the colonies, since they financed the colony ships leaving Earth. When the governement of Earth tried to establish their power in the colonies, the corporations said no, the governement could do nothing but abdicate since they had no military exept the Earth Security Force ( but they are like police, not military). So every corporation continued to control their own worlds, exept that now no one could tell them what to do and they became like the city states of ancient greece.
As for how the Governement Of Earth managed to control the corporation with no army, there was a sort of concil of all the corporation, a sort of senate, ruled by the richest groups. Since Earth was more than a match for its colonies in economy, the Governement Of Earth had power, but that power was wavering as the years passed since the colonies grew more and more powerful under total control of their corporations.

Was that logical? It sort of came out all at once and I am not sure it is totally clear.

As for it being scientifically correct, I can't say it will be since I only know the basic of science. I am aiming for a logical, coherent and realistic world, but as for how thing works, well I prefer to be vague and let others speculate if they want.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

the nomads being the last to leave

hmm, what nomads ? You mean, like the 1 000 nomads left on this planet ?

And another question: how is it that there wasn't any war between the Earth and the colonies sooner ? It wouldn't be logical that Earth just stood there and watched their power fade. They should have attempted to stop the wavering of their power, by attacking the corporations, by manipulation, or by wathever mean.

Also, why doesn't Earth have any military ?

Otherwise, it's a starting point. You'll have to clear some things up, and you'll have a good basis for you world.

[Flax]

1. The nomads : I was making a reference to the nomads that are in the setting not the nomads of 2004, these nomads were the poorest people of earth, that is why they left last, they managed to salvage enought materials to make ships to leave Earth.

2. As for Earth having no military, well they were centered on themselves, not really caring about the colonies as long as there were no visible threat to Earth and the corporation were fine with that since they could manage their own planets. Also all the heads of the corporations and the president of Earth were all pretty much friends, or at least acquaintance. So Earth being protected from outside threats by the corporations, its goverment could concentrate on the betterment of the people, or more accuratly the elite.

The democracy on Earth was more and more corrupt, so yes it is possible they did nothing as their power wavered, as long as the presidents had a good life, the colonies could do pretty much all they wanted.

Also Earth had power for a long time in its economy and population, but as soon as the people started leaving there was less ans less population and the economy came down crashing.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

After Flax surrendered to my constant history question attacks, he accepted to let me make a draft of the history of his world.

Yay, A new hobby when I have too much time on my hands !

Anyway, Flax, you should also make a better draft of the current situation of your world. We could roleplay in it with online posts like we did for star wars and dnd.

[Flax]

I want more time to develop each factions (Politics, economy, military, planets...), a starmap and characters.
That is why if you what to help me, just ask. Remember that I will have the final word on everything, this is not to sound tyrannical. I am not a person who refuses most of the stuff proposed to him.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

Well, I started working on the history, but you'll probably want to make a massive editing, because you might not be happy about how it turns out

I'll upload it soon on my website.

[Archangel Zero]

I'd love to work on the Nomads, if you'd let me. I'd need a copy of whatever history you have, Banzai, before I start anything though.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

Sure, though Flax might know more about them then I do. I'll give you the beginning of the story with a few informations about the nomads. Change their story as you wish (or as flax wishes).

The link is on my website.