 June 23, 2011 - 6:14pm | I've always got the timeline on my mind these days and was thinking about extending the setting into the future. But this thread discussion started with a comment by someone about claim jumping and I was thinking about the PGC as the heavy where it had explored and claimed a number of star systems but the idealist, the displaced and the dis-illusioned have all wandered out to this area and been living there. In walks the PGC with little appreciation for what it considers squaters. So I was thinking of situations where PGC would function best as a heavy 1. The UPF and the Council of Worlds goes the way of the League of Nations. Under this the PGC which has significant presence on Gran Quivera, Laco, in the Pan Gal System plus a host of systems that it has explored but has not yet begun to exploit emerges at the Pan Galactic Protectorate with something like a dictatorship for government. 2. Throw in another major incident like the Free World Rebellion during this time and you could have the formation of a Vrusk Trade League 3. Republic of Pale could become expansionist though it has no where to expland. It could take Volturnus but that would easily draw the attention of the Rim Coalitions and the CFM and moving on Laco risks a repeat of the 10 year war with PGC over Laco 4. The Clarion would survive but find itself needing an even stronger space presence. My preference here is to see the a confederation of systems banding together for self defence. Madderly's star ends up in the Confederacy which makes it difficult to bring the Vrusk Trade League into an alliance. Likely candidates for this confederacy are Dramune, Cassidine, Devco, Madderly's Star, Clarion and a few others 5 The yazirians are a mixed bag. I'd like a strong core of yaz worlds banding together but with at least one going over to the confederacy or to PGC for that matter. 6. Rim Coalition holds together 7. One or so systems is going it alone In all of this is a shifting web of alliances and deals and occassional shooting, The Frontier develops a much more Firefly like feel, The borders are expanded and there are now small outposts and colonies beyond the Frontier. Best to have just prior to the break up of the Council of Worlds a major extra Frontier campaign against the sathar that seemingly trashes their home world (in reality its only crushed one clan of the sathar) What to do with Space Fleet is a big question; but I'd like to see Fleets and task forces go over to various political powers described above. If you're the commander of the Space Fortress orbiting Clarion and the world as you know it goes to hell you'd likely consider very long and hard about throwing in your lot with the planet you're orbiting especially since logistics have broken down and the crown of clarion could easily absorb you and your men and pick up the tab to support the space station and its assets. The Pan Gal Protectorate would gain a major fleet in port at Prengular. I'd also like to see one fleet admiral go rogue and hang on to Lynchpin system and develop an understanding with the Pan Gal Protectorate or even a trade alliance. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
June 23, 2011 - 6:20pm | Star Law- as an organization ceases to exist but it would be comman place to refer to some mercenary/ security specialist as "former Star Law" Out in the Rim the star law agents and marshals there will organize a "Rim Law" and continue business as usual with the exception of setting up a new accademy on Osak Piracy will see a rise. Even some former space fleet ships going pirate. Now you have a Wild Wild Frontier lots of options for KHs scenarios with any or all of the factions going at each other. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 June 24, 2011 - 7:55am | Star Law ceasing to exist??? I'm afraid your taking away a major aspect of the game and of science fiction in general. I would think that Star Law would adjust to the times rather than disappear and would steadily class into more and more agencies over time, as the UPF bloats. When the bubble bursts, Star Law would again be scaled back and several of its agencies would cease to exist, but Star Law would remain. Getting rid of Star Law would be like getting rid of the FBI or Interpol. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
June 24, 2011 - 11:56am | If the United STates didn't exist any more then neither would the FBI. If the government that mandated the existence of STar Law ceases to exist then Star Law in its present form goes away. It can't go on without the political organization that mandated it for a number of reason. That is not to say that the STar Lawmen will cease to exist, they'll all just find something new to do. And I didn't propose a total kill of Star Law; by FY 111 it has branched into the Rim, presumbably by treaty mandate or executive mandate of the Rim Coalition. The organizational structure of STar Law in the Rim could easily re-organize and CFM or the Coalition government may decide that its been to valuable and its marshals too important an asset to loose they they undertake funding the new Rim Law. However, its a fundamentally the same as Star Law and views itself as the spiritual and direct heir to Star Law. But if the money dries up there goes the organization as very few people work for free. "Show Me The Money!" Certainly the various political entities that would arrise in this situation would have security organs that function like STar Law but with a more limited mandate- not outside their government's sphere of influence. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 June 24, 2011 - 5:21pm | While I understand that a written history of the Frontier can give players (or more so game masters) a perspective of where he might place his individual campaign while presenting a pre-historical outline of what's coming down the road. But when considering that a campaign can easily go in any direction the individual GM wishes, wouldn't presenting a timeline be more of a subjective work? Don't misunderstand me, I think it's awesome to hypothesize a historical thread based on what was originally presented in Alpha Dawn and Zeb's Guide, but at the same time, I can't seem to shake this "well, that's possible but surely not the only possibility" feeling I get from SF timelines. Please feel free to B slap me if I'm not getting the point. My SF website izz: http://ragnarr.webs.com |
June 25, 2011 - 4:54am | Great Question Captain, I'm just considering this as a set up for gaming in the proposed time and circumstances. Some are very creative and they'll just create their own thing. But when you're time poor its easier to grab a setting book and build off of work others have done. I, myself, wont present a campaign setting without knowing something about it. I want to know who the major players are and their motives. I dont adlib well so by knowing more about the setting I can come up with something quicker in response to unusual player actions because I know that organization X is headquartered in this location and based on known motives and policies I can extrapolate its reaction to someone (the PCs) doing certain things. As for timeline you only need a short bit to set up the setting then things go from there in individual campaigns. So, to campaign in a fractured Frontier you need to set that up and answer why it happend. What happened to Space Fleet and its vessels, what happened to the sathar, etc. Its really about setting the stage. A campaign can go any direction after that; though if there is a great series of modules to be played then the referee can try to stir things in a general direction and an outline will help with that too. This is just a brainstorming thread to see what other ideas people have, see if others have interest in this, evaluate whether creating a project to develop this alternate future setting is worth while. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 June 25, 2011 - 7:53am | not the FBI, maybe Interpol... more like the International LEA's with the sway and respect of the Marshal Service, Interpol, EUPM, CPPS, CARICC... I know I am missing a couple... LEA's like the FBI and BATF are not International though they do gain regular temporary exceptions for operations in foreign countries... some agencies are more like Interpol, which is both an International and a Multinational LEA Cooperation, and can shift to a new HQ should the current country of residence fail that drastically... CARICC is arranged similarly... the Canadian Pacific Police Service and Securitas AB get by with being private firms, international megacorporations if you will, for LEA Consulting and Security Investigations certain field agents in these companies have rights of arrest in multiple countries... Star Law to me is like Interpol, as Ascent mentioned, an Interstellar Multispecies Law Enforcment Cooperative with Frontier Extradition Authority (like the Marshals) and the backing of several private security firms, formed into quiet megacorporations of their own right (like CPPS and Securitas)... I don't see Star Law being the only game in town, but the biggest and the best for sure... The Vrusk and Yazerians likely have their own versions (like the CARICC and EUPM)... but agent exchange programs and mutual cooperation with respect to cultural interests is likely common... If the US were to fail, the FBI would also, but the U.S. Marshals would merely revert to an earlier name and reorganize, retaining much of their international jurisdiction long enough to regain the rest... depending on the extent and severity of such a collapse on a global scale of course... Oh humans!!  We discover a galactic community filled with multiple species of aliens, and the first thing we think about is "how can we have sex with them?".~ anymoose, somewhere on the net... so... if you square a square it becomes a cube... if you square a cube does it become an octoid? |
June 25, 2011 - 8:00am | FBI is a poor example. Its also likely that many planetary governments would be all to happy scoop up highly train star law marshals and put them on the pay role. I could also see a marshal on an out post colony deciding to stay put and head the local law enforcement being the only marshal in town as it were. Wouldn't be to hard form him to work out a payment for services provided. I envision a Gene Hacknan like character from Unforgiven. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
