The Frontier is a Sci-Fi roleplay with anthropomorphic animals that follows the exploits of the crew of the cargo ship SS Dauntless as they try to make a living on the fringe of colonized space. The roleplay draws heavy inspiration from franchises such as Firefly/serenity and Cowboy Bebop. In this roleplay the crew will take various jobs to make a living on the frontier of colonized space. The jobs can range from anything legal to doing very illegal stuff. After all, the frontier is a rough place where government control is not as sharp. People do what is necessary to survive.
This roleplay will focus heavily on the crew of the Dauntless as they travel through the known universe on the fringe of colonized space. This roleplay will not have a big overarching plot but will be a series of adventures based upon jobs, our characters backstories and other influences. Players are greatly encouraged to bring in their own stories, ideas and ghosts from their past to shape the universe around them.
Keep it Roleplayer Guild friendly. Any content that is not allowed to post on the forum should not be in this roleplay.
No godmodding/power-playing/auto-hitting/controlling other players characters and stuff like that.
Be friendly, tolerant and tolerable. Treat your fellow players with respect and don’t be afraid to communicate with them or the GM. If you have any problems, concerns or stunning idea’s then reach out to the GM and the rest of the group.
The players are greatly encouraged to expand and add existing lore. New colonies, planets and organizations are all fine. Just consult the GM about it first so that we can keep the lore coherent and up to date.
If you lose interest, run out of time or have some reason that you are no longer willing or able to participate in the roleplay, then it would be really awesome to write your character out of the story. If there is some reason such as a vacation, funeral, wedding or whatever that makes you unable to post for a while, please communicate about it and we can work things out.
The desired post frequency is 2 to 3 posts per week. If that is too fast or too slow for you, then this roleplay is simply not for you. In the case that players go missing without a trace the GM will take over their characters as NPCs.
Casual or better writing standards. Write a paragraph or two and use spell check.
There will be a maximum of 10 participants in this roleplay. Players will be accepted based upon their character sheet. Once your character is approved you’ll be on the roleplay.
The lore
Terra is the home planet where everything started. Under pressure from overpopulation and pollution, space travel and colonization switched into high gear around 300 years ago. With the invention of the Fusion engine distances within the solar system could be traversed in reasonable time with large payloads. With constant acceleration fusion engines near lightspeed traveling became a possibility, reaching the furthest colonies in matters of months. Terra is governed by the Union of Nation-states, UNS for short. The UNS is a federation of independent Terran states who have unified in order to maintain peace and prosperity on Terra itself. State based space travel is all done under the UNS flag. The Union of Nation-States Space agency is the primary organization that enforces government control throughout the UNS colonies.
The Dauntless
The Dauntless is a privately owned Constellion class cargo ship. Sixty years ago, the ship was considered one of the most modern vessels any private venture could own. Now the Dauntless is an outdated heap of junk that travels through the edge of the colonized world. The Constellion class cargo ships were once very popular due to its large lifting capabilities, large shuttle deck and capability to land on most surfaces. Next to its minimal crew of 5, the Constellion class is able to carry an extra passenger load of 15 people.
Technical specs:
Length: 120 meters
Beam: 60 meters
Height: 40 meters
Empty weight: 100.000 tonnes
Cargo capacity: 50.000 tonnes
Acceleration: Max 4g
Range max fuel: 3500 AU (1g constant acceleration)
Range max payload: 1000 AU (1g constant acceleration)
Crew: 5-10
Passengers: 10
Armament: Unarmed
Bridge: The bridge of the Dauntless is relatively small. Upfront are two working consoles for both the pilot (left) and navigator (right). In the center of the small room is the working console for the captain/first officer. Crew/passenger living quarters: The living quarters consist of ten 1-person rooms and five 2 person rooms. At the end of the hallway is the bathroom with multiple showers and toilet facilities. The center of the living quarters is formed by the large kitchen/dining area. At the sides of the dining area are the kitchen facilities and storage spaces and at the center of the space is a large wooden table with 20 seats. The last room in the living quarters is the entertainment room. The entertainment room is not much more than a small cinema/game station with rundown chairs and 60 year old visuals. Hibernation room: For long distance traveling crew members and passengers are put into hibernation for most of the duration of the journey. Hibernation is a state where people’s metabolism, heart rate and breathing are significantly reduced by putting them in a cold induced coma. This process greatly slows down resource consumption. The Dauntless has 20 hibernation pods. Engine room: The engine room holds all systems for propulsion, artificial gravity and life-support. The systems installed on the Dauntless are roughly 60 years old and need lots of maintenance. The ship is powered by a Mark 2 Fusion reactor and able to reach speeds of up to 0.085% of the speed of light. Shuttle deck: The top deck of the Constellation class ship is the shuttle deck. It has space for six shuttle class spacecraft. Shuttles are launched from atop the ship. At the back of the shuttle deck is the elevator that is used to take the shuttles outside. The top of the ship is used as the takeoff and landing lane for shuttles when landed on planets. Cargo deck: The cargo deck is the lowest deck on the ship. It is not much more than a large room where all kinds of different cargo can be stored. The max cargo load is 400 tons. The Cargo deck has a large entry door underneath the ship.
Space Flight: Space Flight is done by the principle of constant acceleration. The process of constant acceleration means that a spaceship will accelerate at the same rate to halfway on the journey and then it will decelerate until it arrives at its destination at near standstill. The maximum speed that is achieved with this process depends on the distance and maximum rate of acceleration. However, speeds beyond near lightspeed are not possible. Speed of Interstellar travel greatly depends on the maximum acceleration rates. The record for acceleration currently is 7g. However the faster the rate of acceleration, the higher the fuel consumption. Interstellar space travel is mostly done on acceleration rates of 1G. Traveling to other star systems is often a process that takes many months.
The biggest challenges for manned spaceflight for long ranges are not speed but resource consumption such as fuel, oxygen, food and water. Hibernation is used to reduce the amount of resources the crew and passengers consume on their trips but the recommended maximum time spent in hibernation by the USN health authorities currently stands at 1 year.
The known universe refers to the stars, planets and moons colonized by those who have left Terra. There are 4 reachable star systems with the current level of technology. The Belenos system is the home system of the people of Terra. Other systems include the Catequil system, Chantico system and the Akhustal system. The distance between these systems is measured in Astronomical Units (distance between Terra and Belenos) between the stars. The known universe is divided into three sections known as The Core, The Border and The frontier.
The Core: The Core is formed by the Belenos system. This is the original star system containing the home planet of Terra. The Belenos system was the first system to be colonized. The colonies are well developed with many metropolitan area’s. The Core is controlled by the Union of Nations and by far most colonies are directly governed by the UNS.
Star name: Belenos
Ownership/government of colonies: Primarily Union of Nationstates but some are private property of mega corporations
Terra: Terra is the home planet of all the people in the known universe. Overpopulation drove the Terrans to colonize the universe. Pollution has taken its toll over the ages on the planet of Terra and living conditions have deteriorated to the point that the people have to live under special domes in order to keep the toxic air out. Spending too much time outside of a dome will result in sickness and death.
Terra city is the political center of the known verse. Not only is this where the Union of Nations government is located but all Mega Corporations have their official headquarters in the city.
Phobos: Phobos is the only moon of Terra and the first celestial body that was colonized. Unlike the planet Phobos orbits around, the moon is actually a place where you can breathe freely. The experiments with terraforming on Phobos have been very successful and the moon has a pleasant climate and fertile soil.
One of the most well-known institutions on Phobos moon is the Omni Core Security Academy. The most famous and prestigious private military school of the known universe. It is said that the OCSA training courses are extremely tough and that the research departments are at the frontline when it comes to developing innovative concepts to the art of warfare.
The Border: The Border is formed by the Catequil system. The Catequil system is the closest star system to the Belenos system with a distance of just 900 AU. Colonization of the Catequil system started around 400 years ago and most colonies consist of larger urban areas. Colonies found here are either private property of the mega corporations or directly governed by the UNS. Guidelines for creating elements:
Star name: Catequil
Ownership/government of colonies: Either Union of Nationstates or Mega Corporations
Colony tech level/culture: Mostly large urban area’s with a 20/21st century look and feel. Think Cowboy Bebop cities.
The frontier: The frontier is formed by Chantico and Akhustal systems. These star systems are the furthest away from the core and even the fastest interstellar ships take many months to reach them. The Chantico system with a distance of 2500 AU is the closest of the systems making up the frontier. Colonization of the Chantico system started around 100 years ago. The Akhustal system is far away with a distance of 7000 AU but it is considered a very promising region. The first terraforming missions arrived 125 years ago and permanent settlements have only been founded in the past 25 years. UNS control is pretty much absent and the mega corporations can pretty much do as they please. Guidelines for creating elements:
Star name: Chantico
Ownership/government of colonies: Mega Corporations or other private ventures
Colony tech level/culture: Mostly smaller settlements. Some remote ones might even be constructed primarily out of wood or other natural resources that are found. Generally colonized planets and moons have a central hub city which serves as a headquarters for the owning colony.
Proxima: Proxima is a planet that is officially property of the Omnicorp corporation. They hold the exclusive rights to colonize and exploit the planet’s resources. After the terraforming period, the first permanent colony, New Proxima was founded. From this central hub several mining operations were started all across the planet. The successful terraforming of proxima also attracted a lot of illegal settlers who have started various small communities on the planet's surface. Living mostly under the radar of the official authorities.
Star name: Akhustal
Ownership/government of colonies: Mega Corporations or other private ventures
Colony tech level/culture: Mostly smaller settlements. Some remote ones might even be constructed primarily out of wood or other natural resources that are found. Generally colonized planets and moons have a central hub city which serves as a headquarters for the owning corporation.
Iroria 1: Iroria 1 is a planet in the Akhustal system. Interest in colonizing this particular planet started roughly 100 years ago when large deposits of valuable minerals were discovered. Both Omnicorp and Wayland corporation expressed interest in starting the colonization of this planet. After much talks, court cases and negotiations the Union of Nations decided that both companies could start the exploitation of Iroria 1 in the form of a joint venture. The initial terraforming phase was highly successful and after 75 years the air became breathable and fauna and flora had developed to the point that Iroria 1 was able to support Terran life. Both Wayland and Omnicorp started to set up their mining colonies on the planet’s surface and for about 20 years this uneasy joint-venture managed to stay alive. However conflicts brew over how the profits were split and which company could mine what site. This led to a 5 year brutal war where thousands of colonists and soldiers lost their lives. The Iroria 1 war only ended roughly 1 year ago through mediation of the UNS. After the end of the Iroria 1 war the planet attracted many groups of settlers who moved beyond the colonies of the corporations to set up their own small communities mostly outside of the jurisdiction of both the Megacorporations and the UNS.
The Union of Nations was formed 478 years ago at the end of the great cataclysmic war of Terra. During that war many toxic weapons were used and living conditions on the home planet of Terra deteriorated quickly to the point that living on the surface was no longer possible. Only under special domes filled with filtered air could the Terrans prosper. Needless to say that the resources to create enough domes were too scarce on Terra itself to house the population. Under pressure to survive, the different nations of Terra unified in the Union of Nations that together with the mega corporations would lead the colonization of space. On paper each and every colony is territory of the UNS and all UNS laws apply. However the UNS does not have the resources and will to enforce the laws far beyond the core. The distance between Terra and the furthest colonies is so great that travel time could be up to a year and even communication is a slow process. The Union of Nationstates is a democratic government composed of various local, regional, planetary and interplanetary bodies. In essence the most important structures are its president, the senate and the house of representatives. In theory all citizens in all colonies can vote however mega corporations often overrule UNS institutions in the Rim and border colonies creating their own private countries.
Throughout the history of Terra 4 corporations pioneered space exploration and exploitation and now own together 90% of all colonial assets beyond the core. The mega corporations are officially UNS licensed for space travel and are allowed to have their own private security forces to maintain law and order. The truth is that the mega corporations have much more power in space then the UNS and run their colonies as their own private countries. The competition between the Mega Corps is extremely fierce and has resulted in what is known as the 5 great company wars. The last violent clash between the mega corporations was the Omni Corp-Wayland war that ended just a year ago. During that conflict over a hundred thousand people lost their lives. Alphabet: Alphabet is one of the oldest Mega Corps. It started out during the Information technology revolution of 550 years ago and invested heavily in big data and advertising platforms. They jumped the space race bandwagon as they saw that space vehicles would become one of the new advertisement platforms of the new century. Technology developed by Alphabet can be found anywhere. In spaceships, colonies, personal communication devices, smart-wear. You name it and the Alphabet has their fingers in it, collecting data on you wherever you go. Alphabet does not own any colonies themselves but will often invest in other company’s ventures, making sure that their technology is used. In most colonies there are often offices of Alphabet employing all kinds of specialists. Omni Corp: Omni Corp is the largest deep space mining corporation there is. They exploit many colonies on distant planets and moons for mineral mining. They are fiercely competitive and are known for the poor treatment of workers in order to make more profit. Omni Corp invests heavily in exploration and colonization. They maintain an iron rule over their assets and the people working for them. Omni Corp has their own private security force named Omni Core that operates a variety of different weapon systems and armed spaceships. The Omni Core is feared throughout the known universe for their Ironclad views on law and order and the often brutal ways they enforce it. Not to mention that the Omni Core is probably the best trained and equipped fighting force among the mega corporations. Musk Industries: Musk Industries was the first private venture that entered the space age. Pioneering private spaceflight and cargo transportation. It was Musk Industries that created the first permanent settlement on the moon of Terra and spearheaded the space-colonization. Their spaceships are world class and Musk Industries was the company that introduced the Constallion class cargo freighter over 60 years ago. Musk industries heavily invests in the transportation sector ranging from spaceships to land based vehicles. The majority of spaceships that transverse the known universe come from Musk Industries shipyards. Even the CEO of Omni Corp travels space in a Musk Industries Space Yacht. Wayland Corp: The Wayland Corporation is a conglomerate that has its tentacles in many sectors including deep space mining, arms manufacturing, medicine, computers, spacecraft. You name it and there will be a company linked to the Wayland corporation making the stuff. Wayland is also notorious for its exploitation of colonial residents, lack of moral value and shady business practices. Their hostile takeovers of assets in the frontier are often very violent and involve the deployment of armed mercenaries and thugs. This practice has led to the Wayland-Omnicorp war on planet Iroria 1 that ended only a year ago.
The triads are ancient criminal organizations rooted in tradition and mystery. They all have their origins in Terra and started long before space travel. The most important tradition is the initiation rite. During this rite, the initiate walks underneath a gate of swords towards an altar. From the alter they will pick up a knife and make a deep cut in their left hand in order to make a blood sacrifice in front of the ancient gods. While their blood pours upon the altar, the initiate will recite the oaths of loyalty, secrecy and helpfulness. Once a person becomes a member, they can never leave the triad according to their traditions. Triad members can sometimes be recognized by a scar on their left hand. There where money can be made you will find the triads. Triads often have their hands in the less legal businesses such as Drug trafficking, weapons dealing, gambling, prostitution and other forms of illegal activities. The triads are extremely wealthy and own many assets themselves. Often they have influences within mega corporations and even the UNS.
Application
The players are the ones with the power to make and break any roleplay. Their part in the roleplay is just as or even more important as a GM. Because in essence, the players are the ones who make the magic happen. My job as a GM is to gather a group of remarkable people that motivate each other by their contributions to the roleplay and avoid having people in the group who take the joy away from others. So how does this application process work? Very simple. Tell me a bit about yourself. What do you desire in roleplays? What kind of storylines, pacing and interaction makes you happy? But also what kind of aspects make you lose interest.
Of course I will be looking over your character sheet too. Your character needs to be interesting and fitting for the theme. An important part of your character sheet is going to be the skill section. Skills might play a major factor in many of the adventures the crew will have. What I would love to see is a cast of characters whose skill sets complement each other. Afterall, roleplaying is a collaborative effort. Personally I really value that participants bring in the creativity to expand the lore by thinking up new places, people organizations and story lines. I greatly encourage people to come up with their own story lines to follow and explore.
Character creation
[center] [h1] [color=16CA03] Character name[/color][/h1][/center] The frontier is a roleplay with anthropomorphic animal characters. The cool thing about that is that they are just as human as you and me. They all have fears, flaws, weaknesses and things they fundamentally struggle with. In short, characters need to be imperfect, make mistakes, mess up and eventually pull themselves back together again.
[center] [h2] [color=16CA03] Character summary[/color][/h2][/center]
[color=16CA03][b]Name:[/b][/color] [color=16CA03][b]Aliases:[/b][/color] [color=16CA03][b]Age:[/b][/color] [color=16CA03][b]Birthday:[/b][/color] [color=16CA03][b]Birth planet/birthplace:[/b][/color] [color=16CA03][b]Species:[/b][/color] [color=16CA03][b]Gender:[/b][/color] [color=16CA03][b]Role on the Dauntless:[/b][/color]
I hope to get a few more people interested in the comming days, after that start the ooc. If no additional interest shows up, we can always start with a few people and see if others join along the way.
@ExpendableYou have posted a few weeks ago in this topic. Considering the time passed, is it safe to assume you're no lonver interested?
I hope to get a few more people interested in the comming days, after that start the ooc. If no additional interest shows up, we can always start with a few people and see if others join along the way.
@ExpendableYou have posted a few weeks ago in this topic. Considering the time passed, is it safe to assume you're no lonver interested?
Still interested, have no fear. Just working out what sort of character I would play in this.
Still here boss mulling on Charrie options. Wondering if I want to unleash a character I made for a Second life RP sim or tap into my FF14 healer truama.
