Ampharos said
This is the first time since my last post that I’ve given the OP a thorough read-through, and I have a number of questions and remarks I’d like to make before submitting my nation sheet:Regarding planet types, they seem somewhat restrictive. For instance, it is conceivable that if life can be supported on Hoth-like planets, then what about life on Tatooine-like planets? Having both “Desert Planets” and “Arctic/Tundra Planets” would make sense here, even though they would have similar mechanical effects, e.g. hostile environments and few valuable resources.The term “Healthy Planet” seems somewhat subjective, especially when it’s conceivable for certain species to fair better in less traditional environments than others. I think the term you might be looking for would be “Temperate Planet”, unless you mean “Healthy Planet” to refer to any world habitable for that particular species.I considered doing some kind of aquatic species, but I didn’t see anything for “Ocean Planets” or “Marsh/Swamp Planets” which would be favorable for amphibians and some reptilian species.Alternatively, I gave thought to a home world similar to Tuchanka, which would be a previously “Healthy Planet” but has long since become radioactive due to nuclear warfare or some other kind of exposure.(For reference, I’m leaning towards something almost exactly like Tuchanka and a race loosely based on the krogans but without the genophage, thus, it would be important for me to have clarification on the possibility of desert planets and having my homeworld radioactive or otherwise hostile to non-local lifeforms.)I’m confused about the difference between Hyper Drives and Warp Drives. Based on my knowledge of science fiction, Hyper Drives allow a ship to enter Hyper Space or some other kind of wormhole whereas Warp Drives warp space around a ship and allow faster-than-light travel through more traditional means, or do I have this backwards?Likewise, I’m confused about Part Four in its entirety. It’s conceivable to imagine that if we’re still using combined and integrative arms tactics that science fiction universes would continue to do so. In other words, I imagine that fleets would consist of small, medium, and large ships with a possible focus on one class or another, and likewise, ground forces would use most classifications to some capacity, even if there is preference for one or another.If the above is true, then do we have to fill out information for ship and vehicle types, or…?The last thing I want to mention is a general question about the story. Is this something similar to Mass Effect where all the races are relatively young, or is it something similar to Distant Worlds where the species are rebuilding the civilizations of their forefathers after some galactic collapse or some other kind of cataclysm? In other words, what are we to assume in regards to the backstory, and likewise, what about humans? Is this the Milky Way, and by extension, do humans exist? If so, have they existed for long, etc?(Thanks for reading this gigantic wall. I don't mean to cause unnecessary trouble.)
I created the Nation Sheet and Roleplay to be fair and unlimiting. If you have a suggestion or idea, offer it, But once I start listing other planets it would appear lazy or stupid to not list all planet types.The options are extra options, never a requirement. If you want a desert planet, go ahead. You can have your own positives and negatives to make your Nation fair.
For the term of Healthy Planet, it was just set there to mean a planet without many, what one term could be used, disabilities. Healthy environment, atmosphere, resources, ground, etc. We have no need to make things complicated. I wouldn't be able to make everything so complex as I would rather allow a playful and fun environment other than a restrictive game that only lets you do this or that.
For the aquatics, I actually thought about that, but I thought I had made the extra options unrestrictive. The limitation of "forced to live underground" is for those species that do not live in water, but living underwater would still be a similar restriction. Healthy planets can have vast oceans, no land doesn't mean unhealthy.
Frozen Planet doesn't mean "Ice Age," it just means the planet is covered in snow or ice. My species home planet was reduced to being frozen due to a nuclear winter.
I suppose I could make it easier and make Planetary Notes for areas like issues, affects, problems, or positives. It would act just like the Species Traits, the more good you have the more bad you must have. That, or you could make everything balanced and fair with other things being affected. Planet has bountiful resources that will last generations? But your species is extremely physically weak, increasing time to harvest the resources and build machines to harvest the resources would balance it.
No matter how many times I look up Hyper drive and Warp drive, eventually my brain gets mixed up with either of them. But that is aside the point. I've allowed both and even allowed their appearances or how they are done to be customized. Why not give players a unique drive of their own (That still acts as either a Warp drive or Hyper drive?)
I don't think I exactly got what you meant here, about the Part Four problem, but I may have it. You could list each individual Named ship, or just the class of ship (When I say Class here, I do not mean the Classification section within the sheet). Like with the U.S. Military, you can either list a specially named Humvee "The Humvee" and each additionally named vehicle, or just Humvee, Infantry Transport, and that will tell everyone you have a vehicle or many vehicles like this. With Infantry, if you have just one type of infantryman who has a different load out some times, just say that in weaponry. You can list each if they have different armor, tech, etc.
Think of Mass Effect, where some species are "young" but some have been there many centuries or more than other young species (I constantly say species because I did look that up before creating the Nation Sheet. Species is Human. Race is hispanic, asian, etc.), the difference being that they are not faced with a fear of destruction, but only faced with a fear of a possible destruction IF they become too war-like. There is no federation, galactic senate, etc. There are no "Leaders." Sure, there may have been leaders before the Zill attacked, but that was then. Since then, the Zill have collapsed major powers and caused distrust among the older Nations. The species Human is very possible, but we are not in our universe. We are not in the Milky Way. You can create a Nation of Humans on a Planet of Earth if you wanted to, and even have the moon. If that is what is fun to you, then by all means do it. Originally for my Nation, Terrans (Humans) once thrived on their planet Terra, until destroyed by the Zill while engaged in a defensive war against a warfaring Nation.
I understand with it being so loose that it can cause confusion and even upset many people, especially those who are very, very critical about things like this. All I have to say to that is... get over it. This isn't something that will excel you in life, it won't have an affect on your public records, it's just for fun. If I strict it too much, players will lose interest as their imagination will be restrictive. I want players to really create something of their own desires, not have a drop down box of what you can and can't do. You can do just about anything, as long as it is fair and balanced.