The year is 2245. And humanity, by some miracle, has not yet blown itself into little bits just yet (though not for a lack of trying.) No, instead we have long since left our dying world in the mid-21st century. From there we spread ourselves out across the inner rim, then past the belt into Jovian space, and even there we did not stop. We pushed ourselves to the very edge of the TNR, verging on the Kuiper ring. We have made an empire to last the ages, forged it from blood, fire and sweat. The Imperium. The great hand stretching from the ice fields of Charon to the mysteries of Mercury.

But it is all a lie.

Power.

Wealth.

Influence.

We live like rats. We think ourselves gods despite that we are sequestered upon the unnatural smog of our own, specially designed creations. We are a race of deception. Not just to others. Rather to ourselves. We outlawed the slavery of human beings, so we altered the human genome just slightly as to find a loophole. We affirmed democracy, but it is a democracy of the few. We built up towers, yet most live at their bases.

We are, for all intents and purposes, sad little puppets on sad little strings. We all want to be real little boys and girls, and so we prance about, laughing, making merry, ignoring those binds. Ignoring them until they inevitably tug back. You see, the creation of life has long been seen as divine, though mankind deems itself worthy to be the judge and jury of existence. We created AIs, and then deleted them. We spliced homo sapien data, and then manipulated it for our needs. Our wants. Our desires.

This is not the future of stories. We are not the peace keepers of the galaxy, swinging about lightsabers or phazer beams. There is no biological life out there except for us. We. Are. Alone. And really, that is the saddest part of this whole tale. In Science fiction there are always the alien villains. The big bad guys who everyone rallies against and defeats through the power of teamwork and love and bloody friendship magic, ponies, rainbows and unicorns. Well guess what? There are none to be found. The movies lied to us; they said mankind was at its barest essence good.

That is wrong. Those big bad boogie men of space? We created them because we are them.
So welcome to your dream kids! That big, bold, brave new world!

Welcome to 2245 AD.





2245 is a (pseudo-) realistic sci-fi setting set two centuries after the war that ended human life as we know it today. But that's not to say it ended humanity, far from it.

America, the UK, China, Russia, these are all dusty empires no different from the Spanish Conquistadors or the French Napoleonic State you learn about in civics class. And they are viewed just the same: as failures. They were lead by idiots, they were full of glutinous prats and all they did was leave a mess for their progeny to clean up. It is the damning position of nations which sat idly by and let their world plunge into chaos. Maybe at the time it looked like a good idea, but hindsight is 20/20.

This story isn't like most distopic novels you have undoubtedly read. It does not assert that mankind became caught up in its own power, or that we were mislead, or that somehow the past was better. It wasn't. Look around you. Do you think our world is perfect? As much as the Hunger Games and Divergent try and tell us that the present is some glorious Utopia, it's just not. Rather, if looking for inspiration, think about the Red Rising trilogy (novels which I took heavy influence from when building 2245.) The Atlantic is in a stage of decadence, just like the roman empire. Inevitably that lead to our decline and that of western society as a whole. And what came after that? The Imperium, which say what you will, is not evil. It isn't sending children mindlessly to their deaths for their entertainment, or trying to brainwash the population to their own nefarious ends, they just do what is necessary to ensure the unity of their governance.

And now, after two centuries of office, they two have fallen into the decline of civilization.

Bureaucratic mismanagement, corruption, personal interests. A second Jovian Conflict is close to rearing its ugly head and Beyonders from the TNR are growing ever more vicious. Corporations which line pockets from hydrogen extraction are beginning to wonder if they really need to abide by Imperium mercantile law. Unconfirmed Reports of a mutant strain of HKV-2 proliferate the Far-Rim. Labor uprisings break out across the Belt. The future of humanity is again in the silent peril of the early twenty first century. And all the while a similarly voiceless M4-Trade Hauler drifts through the black. The crew may not know it, yet one way or another they will decide the fate of humanity.

Be it for the better… or the worse.



(A basic overview of possible player types, this is by no means an exhaustive or constrictive list.)

Humans:

We are human -some more than others admittedly- and we are all the same conniving buffoons that we always have been. Though hey, two centuries isn't that long, who knows, maybe there is hope for us yet.

Spindleys:

Ever hear about what zero-G does to someone’s body? Now imagine that progressed over three generations and you get the emaciated, sickly looking Spindleys, their bones and muscles so used to zero G they would likely snap like twigs should they ever return to Earth.

Not that they intend to. Spindleys are the descendants of those locked on sleep ships, whose course was set to the unknown black, but awoke a century later with their future homes already colonized. Now they are the nomads of the solar system, ever moving, never to settle for long.

Spliceys:

Human-spliced chimeras. Dont think anime, fox eared tear-drop faced cartoons, rather perhaps something along the lines of “The Fly” movie would give a better impression. These “creatures” as some deem them are still relatively rare and expensive, only acquired out of true necessity or an over bulging purse, yet what they might lack in pragmatism they make up for in versatility. Afterall, what better way is there to put the fear of God into rowdy otherworlders then set them face to face with a living-breathing monstrosity? One would be amazing what doors such could open in the halls of the politicos.

Gene-clones:

Homo-Sapien-Varietas are slaves. There is no real dancing around the bush on that one. They might as well be human, but thanks to some crafty reorganization of genes they are not technically homo-sapien. They are different, and thus they are not legally people. Its nice how science provides such convenient loopholes for those who look hard enough.

Yep, human ingenuity at its finest.

AI:

Robots. They have no feelings. They are not people. Their programming tells them to believe this, and indeed, if robots can “believe” then maybe they do. But their processors also tell you that: "you think there fore you are.” A conundrum to be sure, because they do think. Maybe they think even more then their masters and their most apparently illogical solutions. “Alass to be or not to be, that is the question.”

However their servers provide no clear answer.

Beyonders:

Demons, nightmares, horrors from the black. We do not talk about Beyonders, and neither should you.





Name: Lassie (yes, off that classic vid-tape, the Cap’s an eccentric fellow)

Designation: M1-Trade Hauler, Reg Code 9T6P6-009UIAY

Stats:
-Current Crew: 57 crewmen on staff, no casualties or major dismemberments in the past month (NEW RECORD!)

-Current Cargo Leger: 10 crates of Duro Sead, 40 Synth Fabricators, 20 Constructor-M AI, 2 Hydrogen Repurposers (can't wait to get rid of these bloody things), 10 tankards of purified H20 and 20(.5) heads of Cattle (one got stuck in the loading dock door the other day… results were not pleasant)

-Current Escort: Tenth FR-mixed Infantry Squad (what a load of Ion-charged dicks. All hail the Imperium, am I right?)

-Current Position: Leaving Triton (finally)

-Current Destination: Iapetus

-Other notes:Streven, if I catch you messing with the Data logs again I’ll castrate you and stick your pink balls so far up the Cap’s ass even your over zealous tongue won't be able to find’em

-Zack Blucker signing off

(Oh please, you know you love me, Zack. *Kisses*. ; ) -Streven)

-I am going to kill that kid.





Link to Google Doc, this may take a moment to load due to the ammount of pages, be patient



So, with that all out of the way, what are your thoughts? Feel free to post bellow and thank you for your time.

I think that your interest check would benefit from an abbreviated version of your Google doc here on this page. Just some quick summaries about your races and concepts that would give players a chance to form ideas without having to go out of their way. To give better form their idea, they can go ahead and delve into the doc to research.

Also, speaking personally, I haven't read any of the fiction you listed above so the references are a little lost on me, but I can understand if you're trying to attract a crowd with similar reading interests.

Clearly you've put a lot of work into this, and I'd like to see your RP take off the way you want it to. Making it digestible to players is a good way of doing it. Using the Doc as a reference sheet instead of required reading will ensure that all of your material is properly appreciated.

With that said I'm intrigued by such a detailed world. What do you have in mind for a starting plot?

Alright, I wrote up a brief summary for the races, but was unable to determine how to properly compress the rest of the information in a means in which I have not already done through the summary or welcome statements. You are completely correct though, doing such would undoubtedly make this more user-friendly as opposed to just a barrage of information.

On to your second point. Depending on user preference I would likely begin with most members being part of the crew of the Lassy or her escort (there could also be an entourage for Spindley characters, if the interest arises.) This crew would be headed to Iapetus , spending a few IC weaks in space before hitting planet side in transport shuttles to barter their goods. Or, at least that is the plan -obviously such is never so simple.

In any case, thank you for your interest and feel free to respond again with more questions, concerns or suggestions, be it for lore or formatting. Have a great day.

So, musing over the matter in my head I have come to the conclusion that I will not be using a lengthy application system for this rp when it goes live. For one thing, I hate applications, as many others do. They are boring, they are pointless, and they are annoying. Second, they have never helped me flesh out a character. Only writing as that character does that, and it is hard to write as a character when you are uncertain as to if he or she will even be accepted or not.

As such, while there will still be an application, this is more so a formality and a means of organizing characters. Keep in mind, this does not mean this will be a free rp. I still expect the same grasp on the English language as any other casual and above forum. I do not mean this as a threat, merely a standard. And of course, if someone is causing trouble or acting insensitively to other players (including belittling someone for their lack of grammar or punctuation) they will be kicked immediately.

Nevertheless, this is my current ideal -still pending definite approval.

Name:

Age:

Gender:

Apearence: (A picture -so long as features can be sufficiently determined- will suffice. No anime/ manga/ unrealistic depictions please. One can add eye color, height, weight, et cetera below this if they so desire.)

Notes: (Other than perhaps a brief word regarding your character’s status aboard the Lassy one can leave this blank if they wish. This will be where you may fill out anything and everything you want during play including your profession, history, relationships, et cetra. Again, keep in mind, other than the basics of who your character is, all additions to this are optional.)

ahem one thing i have to ask really. how much did you take from the expanse series?

Nice novel.

ahem one thing i have to ask really. how much did you take from the expanse series?

I actually do not know what the Expanse series is, so... none?

Nice novel.

Er- thanks. I think.

@Ember16 oh well its setting is somewhat like this. Anyway why do you dislike chara sheets anyway?

For me they remove some of draw of truly delving into a character. They vanquish the subtlety and opt for mere facts scrawled upon a page for all to see. In my view there is more to making a character then writing out a spread sheet of their life, and if anything, that such is counter-intuitive.

But again, this is just my opinion. I do not wish to offend.

I'm only being partially facetious.

Having potential players read through 60 pages of your stuff to be able to get the faintest idea of what's going is probably gonna limit a good amount of players.

Then there's fact that with 60 pages of that setting info implies you have heavily ruminated through your setting and even as you run this game it's evolving to the new stuff you might be adding. Being the only one who has a definite feel for the setting might be conflict inducing as the players who aren't familiar will make characters that don't fit in perfectly.

I could be wrong, but my experience with people running games off their pet settings tends to yield similar results; with the Gm being be anal about things and constantly having players change stuff so it fits into their "vision" and the player experience being anti-fun as they end up playing "Mother May I?" so they can keep in step with the lore. It's a waste of time for everyone involved since the GM would be better spending tier just writing a novel and the players with playing something that's fun to do.

Of course I could be wrong.

No, I do believe you are perfectly correct. The things is though, I -personally- feel as if this matter is the same with any small scale game based in a setting which is not either fan-fic or historical. The Op will always have an ideal world they want to create, myself included. I am imagining a dark, gloomy epoch, seeded with corruption and all hope for any meaningful future having long since passed. Undoubtedly not everyone will agree with me. Some might want to believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, or maybe that they themselves can bring such about. They are no more correct then I am and I do not see it as my place as an OP to correct them, only to provide the possibility that they are right and the possibility that they are wrong. From there they must decide.

This is not the same thing as stunting their rp. Yes, what you say is true, I will not allow a character that does not fit with the setting. But who determines what that setting is? Is it I? Its creator? Or is it the players? Personally, I believe it is both. You see, the reason I wrote out such a document of lore was not to bind characters into its constrictive if voluminous passages. It was to provide reference in the formulation of their own. A planet as vast as Mars or as crowded as Luna can not be summed up into a paragraph or two, as much as I originally tried. These are generalizations. They are a quick notion of an overlying concept which could itself be completely false depending upon who you ask. I cannot promise that I will not, and never will, fail as an OP. It would be a lie, just as it would be for any in the same position. What I can say is that the reason I did not simply write a novel, as you put it, was because I wanted to see what people would do with this setting. I wanted to know how others came to recognize it; how they came to exist within and as part of it, building outwards.

But of course, I could be wrong.

I absolutely love the setting. It's something I'd read in my spare time, and that's a lot to say, given I don't usually care much for others' writing. You should definitely try your hands at writing a novel in this setting!

@Frettzo if you love this try the expanse series.

For me they remove some of draw of truly delving into a character.

Personally I tend to agree. When I started my RP I drew up a very minimal outline for required bios and use them only as reference sheets, so I can remember names and relevant details. But the histories were optional. They're also familiar and a good starting place for ideas, but if I was playing an RP game with just personal friends, I wouldn't bother with them. They're a bit petty and cumbersome.

All characters, regardless of well laid plans, will evolve based on the story they're in.

Add.: On the note of too much information, there is a certain degree of merit to discouraging players who wish to put forth minimum effort in your RP. You don't want everyone to want to join if everyone wouldn't match up to your standards. Me personally, I don't join anything unless it looks challenging or well thought-out. You'll know the GM is less likely to be fickle.

It's also possible to get swept up in detailing the world instead of the story. I used to RP with a guy who would just create vivid worlds to the point of obsession and start a new RP every few weeks or months. However his RPs suffered from a lack of plot-worthy material and aimlessness. You can't expect to be able to involve ANY of the world information in the story. It should be there just in case it ever becomes relevant to current events or OOC questions about lore.

In your place, I would keep the doc handy, but the information would be private (though leaving it accessible as an option your players could be good too, if anyone wants to go the mega detailed route). If you think about how this information is presented to the reader of a novel, all of it is introduced gradually so that it can be easily learned and understood.

I've had the most success in RPs if I world-build as I go. Start out with a rough framework and then make it up as I go along, based on ideas generated by the RP, what I need to move the story along, and what the players contribute. But there are different styles and I don't see any problem with this, as long as you don't require anyone to read all of it.

There are some players, like Frettzo, who might like to do so of his own volition. So having that available as an option is still pretty cool.

I absolutely love the setting. It's something I'd read in my spare time, and that's a lot to say, given I don't usually care much for others' writing. You should definitely try your hands at writing a novel in this setting!

Thank you, that is very kind of you to say. I am glad you like it.

youtube.com/watch?v=pkyqoiciL-k

I am not quite certain as to if I should be thanking you or apologizing. Either way it was a laugh, and for that reason I am grateful.

<Snipped quote by Ember16>

Personally I tend to agree. When I started my RP I drew up a very minimal outline for required bios and use them only as reference sheets, so I can remember names and relevant details. But the histories were optional. They're also familiar and a good starting place for ideas, but if I was playing an RP game with just personal friends, I wouldn't bother with them. They're a bit petty and cumbersome.

All characters, regardless of well laid plans, will evolve based on the story they're in.

Add.: On the note of too much information, there is a certain degree of merit to discouraging players who wish to put forth minimum effort in your RP. You don't want everyone to want to join if everyone wouldn't match up to your standards. Me personally, I don't join anything unless it looks challenging or well thought-out. You'll know the GM is less likely to be fickle.

It's also possible to get swept up in detailing the world instead of the story. I used to RP with a guy who would just create vivid worlds to the point of obsession and start a new RP every few weeks or months. However his RPs suffered from a lack of plot-worthy material and aimlessness. You can't expect to be able to involve ANY of the world information in the story. It should be there just in case it ever becomes relevant to current events or OOC questions about lore.

In your place, I would keep the doc handy, but the information would be private (though leaving it accessible as an option your players could be good too, if anyone wants to go the mega detailed route). If you think about how this information is presented to the reader of a novel, all of it is introduced gradually so that it can be easily learned and understood.

I've had the most success in RPs if I world-build as I go. Start out with a rough framework and then make it up as I go along, based on ideas generated by the RP, what I need to move the story along, and what the players contribute. But there are different styles and I don't see any problem with this, as long as you don't require anyone to read all of it.

There are some players, like Frettzo, who might like to do so of his own volition. So having that available as an option is still pretty cool.

You make a good point. I of course, never intended for the doc to be a mandatory read. However that is not to say that there are not certain matters which should be recognized by anyone attempting to be acquainted with the world. This comes into play especially near the bottom in the “A few Notes Upon” sections regarding gravity, Starships and verbiage. It could probably be formated better, I admit it, yet these alone likely amount to a good portion of 2245s base lore.

As for the matter of using the setting as a background, not the crutch of a story, I agree, but will admit that I had not thought of it that way before. You have given me something to ponder over and for that I thank you. It is more than welcome.

You have given me something to ponder over and for that I thank you. It is more than welcome.

I thought you were receiving some unfair criticism and wanted to pitch in my thoughts. The sort of detail you've put into this setting is the kind you see on single canon RP site. Perhaps a bit overkill for a freeform place like this (though not unfeasible), but it'd be highly valued in other settings. You have a lot of creativity and I'd hate to see that discouraged.

I love the pessimistic outlook on humanity, it totally makes sense with our species' history.

So eh let me be the first to ask. When will this rp begin?

I love the pessimistic outlook on humanity, it totally makes sense with our species' history.

Thank you, I am glad you found it an intriguing read.

So eh let me be the first to ask. When will this rp begin?

Right now I am just working on checking my grammar and punctuation throughout the lore doc. I do still have one more section to add (regarding the Solar-Compass of all things) but after that I do not see any reason for holding this any longer. All in all, should everything go to plan, the rp will be up by Friday, if not before.