Technobabblers...

Hey all,

I couldn't help but notice the several "technobabblers" that came out of
hiding on the "Name the Doodad..." thread. (Notably Mr.rutherford and Mr.
Anderson)  Well, if you really enjoy coming up with official-sounding
fictitious items, I might need your help. Drop me an email at

reetings,

I must confess, my original post to the mailing list probably sounded a bit
more official than it should have. Just business habits, I guess. Anyway,
here's the scoop on what I'm doing:

I'm creating a science fiction setting.

You're probably asking, "A setting for what? A game? A book? A movie?" Well,
none of the above, and yet, any of the above.:o) I enjoy setting creation. I
feel a good setting can be licensed into about any medium one wants. (Think
Star Wars) for the moment, I have no idea what I want to do with this setting.
I am currently using it with the StarGrunt II rules, and will probably write
short stories for it also. I'd love it if it
became a role-playing game and/or miniatures game, but for now, I'm
concentrating on the actual setting, and we'll see what comes of it.

That having been said, let me give you some details on my universe...

It is in the far future, in the same galaxy as Earth. How far in the future is
unknown. In fact, the people of my universe know nothing about Earth, even
though they came from there long, long ago. At the moment, I have only humans,
though I'm not closed to the idea of aliens out there. My main idea is that as
soon as FTL travel became available, humans expanded, setting up
star nations and/or a large star empire (at the point in the story where
I am, it would make no difference). Then something happened, and they lost
FTL. I know, it sounds crazy, but that's what I need to happen for my setting
to work. I need an explanation of how the original FTL travel was
lost/destroyed/whatever.  The part I have begun detailing is twelve
stars at the very center of the galaxy. A new form of FTL was invented which
travels
along jump-lines that connect the stars (or other spots in space, though
almost always it's a star system). These twelve stars are set in a circle
(both according to the jump-lines and real-space), and in the center, at
the very center of the galaxy, is a dead planet. A ball of condensed metal and
minerals. As all twelve stars discovered their new FTL at around the same
time, and the first jump-line to be opened was that to the Center, war
broke out over ownership of this sphere. Eventually peace came, and the twelve
"Orbs" formed the Inner Ring Imperialist Commonwealth, with the center planet
as the capital (cities have been built both above and below ground, even
though there is no atmosphere), calling it Pax Imperium, or "Peace of the
Empire". Now the Commonwealth expands outwards, though the twelve Orbs (sort
of like both noble houses and ruling states) fight, both openly and covertly.
In addition to the politics of the Commonwealth, there is the discovery of new
worlds and perhaps even other human groups, which may still be confined to
their planets, or might be mighty star nations.

Ok, now you probably think I'm a nut, and I'm aware that there are probably a
ton of errors in my thinking, both scientifically and sociologically, but tell
me what you think anyway. Are you interested in technobabbling for some of my
technologies? (magnetic acceleration guns, plasma weapons, FTL, maybe grav
technology, etc.) Let me know what you think.

God bless,
- Buddy

[quoted original message omitted]

Quoth Buddy:
> I'm creating a science fiction setting.

No, we're not. A story is a story, and can be presented in any medium.

> It is in the far future, in the same galaxy as Earth.

Well, that's something. Quite a few "science fiction" wannabes haven't the
vaguest feeling for how huge a galaxy is, nor for how far away the next one
is.

> am, it would make no difference). Then something happened, and they

Er, that was my fault, I'm afraid. You know, of course, that an antimatter
explosion in a jump node creates a hyperspatial wave front that temporarily
disrupts jump travel in that area. It turns out that the effect does not
dimish as the cube of the volume, which means a big explosion scrambles FTL
nodes for a long ways in space and time. It follows that, when you sell a bulk
shipment of antimatter, you really ought to bid it as "FOB destination"
instead of "FOB ship point", and send your own engineers to watch it until
delivery.
(muttered: "I _told_ them they needed to be careful with that shipment.
Morons probably had their instruments calibrated in Roman numerals or
something.")

> (both according to the jump-lines and real-space), and in the center,

(Alarishi survey teams are slavering at the thought. Air? Who wants
air?)

> Ok, now you probably think I'm a nut,

Yes, it seems you'll fit in well.