GreivousKhan

These Dark Stars - IC is open -

@Isotope he did... granted it took me 30 mins to find. But a single light blue dot, fourth one down that is located near the top of the map between Oz and flagg.

These Dark Stars - IC is open -

@Polybius Any thoughts on the gene-lock tech?

These Dark Stars - IC is open -

@GreivousKhan

I'm cool with there being gene lock tech and it being important, but i don't think the Emperor can't control warp tech because of the civilian market. There's no way a noble head or royal is there to activate every new commercial vessel. Also selfish because I'm not technically a noble house :p It's going to be a plot point.

@Isotope

I meant more war vessels and not every trading ship out there. Which why I mentioned starbases and not starports. In fact, I'd go so far as to say they'd only need to do so with the command decks of Imperial capital ships, and skip smaller vessels like corvets and destroyers altogether.

Anyway, I'm glad there are at least people open to the idea since I'm growing quite fond of it myself. Mind you this is all up to the GM in the end, but the idea of there being a gene-locked caste system for the aristocracy is so interesting I might use this idea myself some time down the line. I also mostly had this in mind for the Cataphracts (mobile walkers/engines of war: Think titan fall) idea I have that lines up with this.

But first things first.

ALSO WHY I'M I BLUUUUUUUE!? :p

These Dark Stars - IC is open -

@GreivousKhan so what exactly is Gene-lock technology? Is it like a password system that only works with certain genes or... what?

@FrostedCaramel

Basically, gene-lock tech is something that locks down access/activation of a device. For example, the imperial government itself could control all rights to warp drive construction, the engines that allow us FTL through the void. The emperor then unlocks said software which allows anyone to then use it as long as said emperor is alive. Possibly further control can be established through remote access meaning said emperor can take away access of said devices should a vessel rebel.

My idea is the first emperor after establishing himself burned the activation factor into his genes. The activation factor is then inherited by his descendants. The noble houses, who swear fealty to the Royal Family, are bestowed FTL engines and the activation factor. Due in part to this, the people of the empire have been are oppressed under a monarchy centered around genlocked technology.

It would explain why we have a monarchy in the first place and how he might have taken power from the Bureaucracy. It also works into the apparent narrative with all these influential houses. Imagine the emperor has full control over how many starships you have, how many war engines on the ground you can use. It would give a single family absolute power even in a massive solar empire like this one.

The command decks of Imperial capital ships, the control stations of starbases, other orbital installations, it could all be subject to caste-based gene lock.

Question, what's keeping the clone guy from cloning the Emperor's DNA then?

@Legion02

This would have probably been a major worry early on for the imperial family, but if they oversaw cloning. (and even in a society void of gene-locking why would you not clones in the right place can take down an empire.) They could easily arrange for clones to have some kind of genetic defect that makes it impossible to interface with said gene-lock technology.

Though honestly though, there was nothing stopping clone guy from replacing an imperial family member before this. I imagine they are just watched much more closely than any other faction specifically for this reason. I think cloning humans is illegal in IRL for a reason. *and most sci-fi setting I believe.)

I'm not the GM of course and will never tell people what they can or can't do. That whole clone thing would make for an interesting plot line after all. It's easy enough to get around with a little genetic tempering on part of the empire though. If you're being watched closely anyway I'd find it hard to explain why your lab is making a clone of the emperor's third cousin. Heck, the Imperial family might have taken precautions like doing something to their genes so a clone always comes out deformed.

Edit: Map claim if possible.

These Dark Stars - IC is open -

Systems that we know exist but can't get to at the moment? Like alien systems we've yet to invade enlighten? Makes sense.

Also that image is massively shrunken from the original, and it's still huge. There's enough space to add a paragraph for each system already :p The original is like, 17k by 13k pixels.

@GreivousKhan

@Isotope

Ya, alien systems, sorry if I did not make that clear. That way it will make the map seem less empty if we have a few yet unexplored lanes/systems. Might make for possible plot points later on. :P

Edit: Basically what I had in mind ya.

@Drunken Conquistador@Sigma@Flagg@Pepperm1nts@Ozerath@Legion02@Polybius@FrostedCaramel@gorgenmast@Isotope

I had an idea that will likely affect everyone on some level and I wanted peoples opinions and thoughts.

Gene-lock Technolgy

Early in the rise of the empire, a bargaining company that specialized in security and starbase defense began research of the first gene-lock devices. Bactrimel Industries had long dabbled in the field of bio-science and gene therapy. The first man that would later become emperor of the fledgling solar empire quickly saw the merits that might be gained from these fields in securing political power. Through government-funded projects, the first genuine gene-lock devices began development.

Through careful selection and manipulation, the first emperor gene locked technology deemed most vital to the empire. These rights could be further delegated by carefully selecting loyal officials and retainers and granting them authority codes that allowed one access-- they, in turn, could delegate further down the chain. It was this right of access to critical installments that is thought to have created the Empire in the current state it is in now. Thus allowing the rebirth of neo-feudalism as power began to reside in several noble houses. Due to the imperial families right of access, they have been allowed to remain in control for centuries.

Even assassination attempts were discouraged due to the gene-locks failsafe of shutting down access unless rights are not carefully transferred before succession. It was almost through gene-lock technology alone that the Imperial family has managed to wrest so much power from the Imperial Bureaucracy.

The idea here is that gene locked technology is one of the reasons why the imperial family has remained in power for so long. It also means there will be even more importance on acquiring an heir or a member of the imperial family by one faction or another. As it might mean access to vaulted tech or weapon platforms that are at the moment unusable. Basically right to rule grounded directly in the technology the empire needs to survive rather than a divine mandate.

Well if ya'll think this idea is stupid or silly let me know, or if it needs changes or additions.

These Dark Stars - IC is open -

@GreivousKhan@Drunken Conquistador@Sigma@Flagg@Pepperm1nts@Ozerath@Legion02@Polybius@FrostedCaramel@gorgenmast

Possible map I made up:



Thoughts?

@Isotope

Appreciate the work you do that no one else is willing to. You deserve praise for that alone.

On a serious, I would maybe space those systems apart from each other a little, so that it might be easier to assign nameplates if you decide to do that.

How might you feel about adding the systems with no lanes to signify fringe systems on the edge of the empire?

These Dark Stars - IC is open -

Random thought: Wouldn't it make sense for the Vacare to have been kept on a very tight leash by the Empire? Kind of how like in The Witcher (odd example, but still) the mages of Nilfgaard were considered valuable but very disposal assets. I was hoping Vacare would be less prevalent, but that's just me personally. It just kind of makes sense to me that the Empire would consider these super-human people to be a potential threat, and actively suppress them. Using their potential, but never allowing it to grow out of their control. Now that the Emperor is dead, many Vacare could be using the opportunity to break away or push reform. Some of the loyalist, obedient Vacare would try to preserve the status quo to keep their cushy positions in the court.

@Pepperm1nts

That was part of my reasoning with the Knights of Null(Perhaps to be renamed Knights of Silence), individual genetically altered to be absent from the void and its influence. Thus making them the perfect Vacare keepers and hunters. Kind of imagine there might even be government sectioned places where Vacare were kept from the public at large kind of like magi circles in dragon age.

These Dark Stars - IC is open -

@Isotope I like the first option as well, it also still makes sense given even a massive solar empire would likely still gloss over countless systems for one reason or another. Now add the fact we are bound for the most part by stable star lanes and even established sci settings like masse effect only have like 20% of the galaxy mapped out if I recall right.

Space is big.

These Dark Stars - IC is open -

@GreivousKhan Sorry man, we'll have to be on opposite sides(I think?) :P

Plan B for my faction Idea(Sort of last minute I admit) will be an Imperial House/Duchy/etc that specialize to an extent in cybernetics, but their true mastery is in robotics, the House Head possessing his own private army of machines. If that seems good with the GM.

@Sigma

You always oppose me. :P

I should think about how the church feels about transhumanism like improvements through cybernetics or the prevalence of the Vacare.

@Legion02 Now you just need a code and give'em swords and you have jedi-- without the pacificism.

These Dark Stars - IC is open -

Just trying to get back to everyone...work out a NS and a post. Bare with me, I can't log on everyday.

@IsotopeI'll add the FTL fluff asap. Thanks so much!

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This exactly. We can figure out the details as we go.

As for cartography, I propose we use @gorgenmasts idea about tracts of Imperial territory. With the center being the core worlds of the Empire (1st tract, orbit, ring w/e) etc.

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I've left both of these factions intentionally vague.

The vacare are jedi without any of the trappings of light/dark. They are simply powerful.

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I think we should focus on the internal conflict of the factions and forces within the empire. It's less Warhammer 40k and more Romance of the 3 Kingdoms.

@Polybius

I thought of it along the lines of CK2 in space. Also, since you left the church vague, and no one else has placed much interest in them. Would I be free to throw out some details/fluff for said church?

I'm assuming it has power at least somewhat reminiscent of the Catholic church though that might depend on how ingrained it is within the high officials or nobles of the empire.

@Polybius Damn! I can't resist! Consider me interested. Would it be possible for me to play as one of mentioned alien hordes?

@Sigma

Woot, always nice to see Sig around ^.^

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