Skipper's Sanctuary

[Skipper]

I thought, "Hey Skipper, you need a thread to do your raw writing and idea-ing. So, as our Workshop area is for such a thing, here it is. Firstly, I'll copypasta all info from my Freelancer game. I'll work on my own selection of systems, so all of the below applies only to me. Obviously, somethings will have to be changed to fit here and agreed upon. FTL travel is the first thing that comes to mind.

Spoiler: Ship Technology 

Spoiler: Living Quarters 

I put together a microcabin for another game that I thought might work here for the regular crew.


Two bunks, two lockers, and a tiny bit of space in the middle. 2.1m deep by 2m wide by 2.25m high.

two microcabins sharing a bathroom.


a rendered image of the bunk side of the room. Big ladder split into two smaller ones on each end. A curtain track for each bunk gives an illusion of privacy

Special thanks to Enigma for the images

Aboard the Lady Jynx officer do indeed get private cabins, while crew have shared cabins, with two people per cabin. A cabin has a little living area and a bunk bed but not much else. Basic you hit it spot on with the first picture. You can choose who you stay with, as long s its not an officer obviously. Think of the TV series Red dwarf but a little smaller. I tried finding a picture but I couldn't, so I hope the refrence isn't lost on anyone.

Spoiler: Stasis Pods 

Stasis pods aboard the Serillien warship Unity

For longer periods of time in space, basic stasis pods exist: they don't stop ageing, but slow it down considerably, though use of coolants and a mix of fluids that induces a state of comatose, which slows the body considerably and cuts off most brain function as well as several organs. This helps to pass the time between starts considerably, but people who have been in stasis for a considerable amount of time can suffer stasis sickness, which starts with simple nausea when awakened as well as slight memory loss, to full blown amnesia as well failure to re start some organs correctly, resulting in quick deaths to simple illnesses. As with all things, money can buy better and better stasis pods with less likelihood of these. However the Lady Jynx is equipped with only basic pods.

Spoiler: Ship's Air 

Ships air is a condition suffered aboard most large, long distance ships, as well as orbiting space stations and all other space bound living places. It's an effect brought from the continued recycling of the same air aboard a ship over long periods of time, usually decades and ,for some more advanced ships, sometimes centuries. While the air remains breathable, it's make up begins to change from the "perfect" mix humans are use to on their home planet of Earth. It is usually slight and long term ships crew suffer no effects aboard ship's with the problem. However an outsider not use to ship air can become extremely ill when coming aboard somewhere suffering from the problem. These effect the victim with breathing problems as well as nausea. This usually clears up in time as they become adapt to the air. Children are largely uneffected by the problem. Likewise long time spacehands can sometime feel dizzy when experiencing an area without the problem.

The only way to rid ships of the problem is to decend into an atmosphere with the correct mix of air and dump and replace the entire ships stock of air. As ship air is rarely a problem for their crews, Captains rarely do this unless they were visiting a planet anyway.

As a cargo ship mainly, the Lady Jynx use very little of its air for crewmen, but it hasn't been in a friendly atmosphere since its construction several centuries ago, so it does suffer from the problem, as does Atlantis.

Spoiler: Artificial Gravity 

Most ships and space stations utilise artificial gravity to make life onboard more comfortable and natural, as well as to prevent the muscle deterioration and bones weakening that can be found as a result of living in Zero G for extended periods of time. The AG can be found in most of the corridors and rooms of the ships, with the notable exception of Engine areas and cargo holds, to make it easier to reach the uppermost areas of engines and to allow cargo to be easily manipulated. Fragile items and cargo can be held in special holds with AG.

AG is generated by a a combination of "pulling" plates and slight downward force generated from the ceiling of the ships areas.

Spoiler: Factions 

Spoiler: Serillien Republic 

Serillien Republic Marine

The Serillien Republic own much of the eastern area of the milky way, including the area in which Atlantis is located. As such, they provide the main policing of the space lanes, checking cargoes, ensuring taxes are paid and that pirates are a minimal threat. The front they put up to others is that of a vibrant and diverse culture, a democratic haven in the uncaring universe, a place where every man is equal and the law still holds power. While this is some what true in some areas and planets, mainly does nearer to their capital system, the further away one gets the more this illusion fades. While the Republic does do its best to protect its citizens, its resources are stretch thin further from its core. As you get to the outer reaches, criminal activity becomes common and, on the edge of their territory it is an open war between them and the various criminals organisations, rebellious planets and idealists.

To move deeper into their territory with a hold of illegal goods can be suicide, as they have strict punishment for criminals as befits the permanently beset organisation. However its possible to sweet the fingers of many official with Republic Tokens to allow a smooth ride. This corruption exists all the way to the top of the political ladder and with enough money many illegal organisations exist: indeed the only reason Atlantis hasn't been wiped out of Republic space is due to payments from the Lindemanns for its continued survival.

Spoiler: The Delloro Conclave 

Delloro Mercenary

The Conclave is a union of three former powers, joined together to ensure they survived after they destroyed each other in a bitter war over the Delloro system, famous for it's richness in an otherwise rare ore, Dellethelium. With the three nations joined together, their land holdings became huge, some of the largest in the area, however the war had exhausted their ability to defend the holdings, and the Conclave has become easy pickings for organised militaries, such as the Serillien Marine Corps, and as such the Republic has begun pushing into their territory.

The people are only joined together in loose ties, the Conclave itself holding little power and showing little put a name. However the money gained from dellethelium has made it so they can hire vast amounts of mercenaries to defend their realm. While not the most efficient force, the rag tag bands of soliders have managed slow the Conclave's inevitable lose.

Spoiler: Insurrectionists 

While the Serillien Republic does its best to maintain standards of living for most of its citizens, does at the bottom of the society's ladder often feel forgotten. It would take little to stir hatred amongst the group against the already beset Republic.

More coming soon!

Spoiler: The Society 

A shadowy crime organisation operating in and around Serillien space, they are a group of the most powerful crime bosses to plague the area, working together towards a loose objective, the furtherment of each others wealth and power. As a group of criminals have no sense of diplomacy, they are a group of equals. This is not to say that in the past their have been no conflict within the organisation. However the continued expansion of the Republic has forced togetherness, in way causing the very thing that the expansions were to stop.

The Society indirectly control nearly all organised crime within the area, and its influence can be felt much further they its physical reach. With its money lining the pockets of top politicians and policy maker in the Republic, it somewhat controls the deployment of their forces, their aims and their opnions.

[Skipper]

WIP on a post about ships. Lot of details need to be confirmed, names and such. But that'll come in time.

The ubiquitous star ship. Without the development of the common ship, mankind would be stuck on its homeworld(?) Now though, with technology far enough advanced, produced so widely and cheaply, travel amongst the starts has become almost common.

A History of the Starship

Early ventures into space were primitive, expensive and danger prone. Men, women and animals of kinds were strapped to large thrust engines, and blasted verticality into space, orbiting the planet for sometime before plummeting down into the oceans. Many dies in the explosions of the thrusters, filled with volatile liquids. However from the many disasters and tragedy, many lessons were learnt. Mankind perfected the primitive method, and managed to send equipment into space, basic orbiting satellites. Soon, they had managed to develop basic shuttles based on these explosive fuelled thrusters. With the ability to send equipment back and forth, the modern ship as we know it began to take shape.

During this time, first experiments in anti-gravity systems began to develop, allowing basic hovering off the ground. As the system developmental further and further, the power the thrusters needed to lift ships off the ground fell. Soon, shuttling people and equipment back and forth became cheaper and safer, and with that the first ship yard began to take shape above the atmosphere of the planet.

With a zero gravity environment to build in, and little worry as to launching it from the gravity laden world, the first true starships began to take shape. Unaerodynamic shapes, large oversized areas and excess material, the ships could comfortably hold hundreds of hands with comfort, and with thrusters coming smaller and smaller, little need for it in the forceless void.

It took scant years until many of these ships were built, and soon where each ship was built custom for the user, ship building corporations soon became more powerful, and mass produced ships became more and more common. As the ships spread, new colonies soon sprang up in the home system. However, the problem of covering the unimaginable distances of space became more and more prominent.

More Coming for this section: keep checking back!

The Anatomy of a Starship

Ships range wildly in size, from rare single man craft, to more common carriers and transporters, to large commercial transportation craft and warships. However, most ships feature an array of features which is common amongst all types. Primary amongst these ships are two features: life support and thrust. Without the first, travellers would be unable to survive in the unforgiving expanses of space, at least not for to long. Without the latter, ships would could remain motionless, or at least unsteerable.

Life support features many aspects. Most important is air recyclers, which extracts oxygen from exhaled carbon dioxide so as to be reused. While the air remains breathable, it's make up begins to change from the "perfect" mix humans are use to. This can lead to ship's air (see below). Small craft feature limited versions of this, only able to recycle air for so long before it becomes unbreathable: however as small craft are generally only used for inter system movement, this is rarely an issue. Larger ships can and often will feature bigger, more efficient recyclers, which when combined with more empty space to hold the breathable air, can lead to ships been able to remain in space without replacing the air for centuries on end. The process to replace the air in such large ships is difficult in orbit, and is commonly done on planets with breathable atmosphere, where all hatches, so to speak, will be opened allowing the air to swap. Small ships can be refreshed while been maintained, itself becoming a common part of ship maintenance. On an interesting note, spacestations often house even more efficient recyclers, which often mixes with those of docked ships allowing a huge population to continue living in the space. This is important, as spacestations rarely, if ever, have opportunities to replace air.

The use of recycled air has lead to a condition frequently known as ship's air, commonly suffered aboard most large, long distance ships, as well as orbiting space stations and all other space bound living places, all such areas which cannot replace air often, caused by the imperfect air after a period of time, usually an excess of oxygen. It is usually slight and long term ships crew suffer no effects aboard ship's with the problem. However an outsider not use to ship air can become extremely ill when coming aboard somewhere suffering from the problem. These effect the victim with breathing problems as well as nausea. This usually clears up in time as they become adapt to the air. Children are largely uneffected by the problem. Likewise long time spacehands can sometime feel dizzy when experiencing an area without the problem. Replacing air removes the problem, for a time.

More Coming for this section: keep checking back!

Ship Classification

More Coming for this section: keep checking back!


FTL details needed!

More coming soon! Comments and criticisms? Any ideas to add?

[Enigma]

For one of my previous role-plays, I used contragrav - it's a system of coils and generators that creates gravitational buoyancy for lift. Thrusters are needed to maneuver.

[Skipper]

For one of my previous role-plays, I used contragrav - it's a system of coils and generators that creates gravitational buoyancy for lift. Thrusters are needed to maneuver.

That what I was aiming at. However, originally they only had thrust for lift, much like the Saturn V rocket, and all of our real world space craft.

[Skipper]

YAY! Updated the second post!