Howdy,

I've had this idea bouncing around in my skull for a while and now that the sites back up, I would be interested to see if it catches anyone else's fancy. This idea is based on the War among the Stars RP hosted by the very excellent Shimmerene awhile back, but is- I think- substantially different in scope, focus, and intention from that fondly remembered RP.

I'd like to create an RP about two or more interstellar nations engaged in a titanic war set across multiple planets. The setting would be at the end of a galactic dark age, several centuries after the fall/dissolution/splintering of a pan-galactic empire dominated by humans. Both/some/or all of the warring nations, perhaps, would claim the mantle as the rightful successor of the old empire.

Anyway, this RP would be substantially different from a typical nation RP in which each player controls a faction. Rather, in this RP all factions involved would be collaboratively designed by the players, and a great deal of the fun of it, I imagine, would be engaging in elaborate world building and composing the over-arching history of the war that's the focus of the RP. In the RP itself, players would control one or more of the people involved in the conflict- privates, generals, admirals, and all ranks in between, political leaders, spies and saboteurs, members of local guerrillas or Independence fronts, etc etc etc

If this is something that might interest you, let me know here or via PM! Once we get two or three folks we can work via pirate pad to flesh out the setting collaboratively, decide on characters, and kick off the story!

- Flagg

Chatzy: http://us11.chatzy.com/84641144168446

Very much interested, and I do believe I remember you from the old guild.

Some more details would be nice, but for now it sounds good.

Heyitsjiwon said Some more details would be nice

Indeed, but I am interested as well.

So even though we control characters, do we still have some control of our own factions?

You know what, chalk my name up as well. Interested to see where this goes.

Sigma said
So even though we control characters, do we still have some control of our own factions?

Yes. Im thinking that I as GM or all of us collaboratively would control the metagame- ie, the progress of the war, outcomes of battle, etc- and we would all work on designing the factions, but that since players might be controlling heads of state/generals/other high ranking officials, they would exercise significant, though not total control over the respective factions. Hell, even a trooper or squad could change the outcome of the war, so to that extent nations/factions would be controlled through character actions, as opposed to a typical nrp in which an entire nation is controlled by a player.

I'll post more detailed information this evening.

Interested. I predict that the arrangement you have suggested will help the story progress more readily and help to reduce the occurrence of arguments between posters.I look forward to working with you all.

This reminds me of a brilliant historical NRP we had in the old guild. My schedule is tight, but count me as interested.

Glad to have so many awesome people interested. Welcome. I'll put the OOC up soon with links to a Chatzy room and a pirate pad for our collaborationing pleasure. Since collaborative world- or rather, galaxy building- will be a large part of this RP, I will probably create an OOC thread dedicated to universe discussions as well. That way the main thread isnt overcrowded and those who dont wish to use pirate pads or chatzy will still have a voice in creating our factions.

Here are some rough ideas for a setting and for one of the factions. Let me know what you think. Suggestions/criticism/ideas welcome.

History

It has been almost 400 Atheni-Standard Years since the Ignatio Event collapsed the Golden Road and two other major subspace arteries, plunging the galaxy-spanning Arcturus Imperium into two centuries of chaos and civil war. In many systems, oppressed xenos and undercaste humans erupted in rebellion against their now-isolated imperial sector governments, in others Imperial governors and admirals turned into warlords and bandit-kings, carving fiefdoms out of whatever territory they were strong enough to seize and hold.

In ASY 3,320, Emperor Fashti XVIII was murdered on his throne by his successor, who ruled for all of three days before the Imperial Palace on Atheni II was bombarded from orbit by a rival claimant and all semblance of Imperial authority ended for good.

The Galactic Dark Ages had begun.

It is now ASY 3,576.

Factions

The Grand Duchy of Agamenos

Among the five stars and eleven inhabited planets of the Agamenos Sector, a sort of peace has been maintained over the last few centuries under the rule of the Grand Dukes of the august and ancient House of Kesselbrood. The succession of Dukes have fought off invaders and pirates, quashed rebellions, and steadily if unevenly improved the lot of non-humans, even allowing them representation in the Sector Diet. Thanks to shrewd leadership and luck, the worst of the Imperial Collapse left the Agamenos Sector unscathed.

The Grand Duchy maintains one of the most powerful navies left in the galaxy: archeo-tech Imperial ships of the line that have been lovingly maintained for centuries. Likewise, the Duchy can field a truly vast number of troops and xenos auxiliaries.

All is not well, however. The Grand Duchy has always been more of a confederation of states loyal to a dynasty than a unified polity, and the seams in its governing structure are beginning to tear. The current Archduke Adamantious von Kesselbrood XI is an enfeebled madman, governed by his ministers. Worse still, he is childless and a succession crisis looms.

The price of safety has been stagnation. The army is massive but poorly supplied and commanded largely by incompetents. Neo-feudal economic arrangements have hampered industrial growth across the Sector while lining the pockets of a reactionary and short sighted nobility. Seperatists movements, meanwhile, abound among both monohumanist militants incensed at the relaxation of Imperial Caste and race laws, and among dissatisfied aliens populations, many of whom chafe at subjection to human rule.

Other Faction Ideas: a transhumanist fascist, corporatist, or racist-democratic state who would be the Grand Duchy's main antagonist in the war. Lesser powers could be involved on either side, and are wide open for creation. Suggestions on all of the above welcome.

A note on subspace streams: these are avenues along which interstellar ships can travel especially quickly and energy efficiently. A galactic hegemony like the Arcturus Imperium depended on them, and the collapse of four major streams at once left many sectors cut off from the ability of the imperial navy to reinforce. They are not, however, the only means of interstellar transport. Subspace jumps outside of a stream are commonplace, but much, much slower. Many smaller subspace streams remain functional, and it along these that interstellar empires tend to grow.

Hello Flagg. Colour me interested for now anyway.

Also, hey sigma and aza and terminal.

I'm interesting in this too. If you're willing to have a noob to RPG in it :P

I am definitely interested in playing as transorganic fascists. In fact I am calling dibs if that's ok

Sweet, we got our antagonist faction. And hey DM, forgot to mention to be glad to see some of you guys are here.

Thanks Sigma.

@flagg only saw the chatzy now, I am on board, I should be able to get the bones of a nation sheet up this week for sure.

I can't seem to find the link.

Sigma said
I can't seem to find the link.

The link to which? I may be the source of confusion, Flagg pm'd me on the irc which I mistakenly called chatzy, if that's what you're looking for.

Ah I see, my mistake.