NationStates Jolt Archive

I think the title says it all. I've been rp'ing MT and NFT with my other nations on NS for over a year now, but I've never really tried to do the Future Tech thing. I've decided I should give it a shot with this nation, but I'd like some tips and tricks from the experienced FT RP'ers on what works and is accepted and on what they call BS. some specific questions:

1. What are some things considered god mods in FT?
2. What are the accepted means of interplanetary travel
3. What kind of weapons are acceptable and what are not
4. Is there a sub-catagory of FT nations that don't use FTL travel, but stay within their solar system? (Thinking about Silent Running and Outland)
5. How do economics change with FTL travel?

I would appreciate some info and ideas so I can RP the "beginning" of my FT nation. Thanks!

1. What are some things considered god mods in FT?
Depends on the player. Generally speaking, though, having 10 million of teh uber ships isn't good.
2. What are the accepted means of interplanetary travel?
FTL, or fixed FTL gates
3. What kind of weapons are acceptable and what are not?
Anything under the sun, pretty much. Most people take either ships and weapons from something else though, like Warhammer 40K, Halo 2, Video-Games (HW2 is where my tech is :P), or TV shows such as Babalon-5 or Star Wars.
4. Is there a sub-catagory of FT nations that don't use FTL travel, but stay within their solar system? (Thinking about Silent Running and Outland)
Not that I know of, but this idea intrests me. You may continue.
5. How do economics change with FTL travel?
Well...Not by much in principle, really. It's like world economics, just on a galactic scale.

1) Generally, planet killing weapons are considered godmodes unless the person you're using them on has consented to it. Most people also set a limit on the size of ships, although this varies widely, as I use 18km ships without complaint with this nation, but have had 15km designs shot down as wanky with my other nation. Generally, the bigger it is, the less you can have.

2) You can use any FTL method you damn well feel like. I use Warp translation from 40K, while my other nation uses the Mobius Continuum from the Necroscope series. Others use hyperspace, supspace, slipstream, and more.

3) As long as your PD weapons can't take down cruisers, I'm good. A lot of people use the basics: lasers, plasma, ion cannons. I use lances, nova cannons, teleport arrays, and flak cannons.

4) There's no real subset I know of like this (well, maybe some of the people in Sol), but you can draw inspiration from things such as Cowboy Bebop (awesome show).

5) Not at all, except you have even more goods on the market. Want Groxen meat? Camelopard hides? Daemonic minions? Talk to my nation.

Thanks guys - I'm working on an idea, once I have it fully formulated I'll post it here. Any more suggestions/idea about how to RP FT well. You don't have to stick to the 5 questions alone you know.

Don't use a tech base based on Star Wars, Star Trek, or Warhammer 40k. Those are the top 3 most ripped off tech bases :p

1. What are some things considered god mods in FT?

Anything like regular roleplay really. IE, jumping overwhelming force on someone without warning, having a huge fleet that never dies, pulling fleets from your arse, etc etc. "Be sensible" is the golden rule, and given your knowledge with MT, you can't go wrong.

2. What are the accepted means of interplanetary travel

Anything really. Just justify it, document it, and make sure it's ability is reflected in it's cost to your nation.

3. What kind of weapons are acceptable and what are not

Any that lie within the acceptable bounds of roleplaying. Ie, anything goes so long as it isn't a godmod. Some might consider your weapons wank (Ie, some might call your battleships that are only say 1 km long but equal to most 10-15 km dreads wank even if you document their production, cost them and don't godmod) but it's generally, anything that ain't a godmod goes.

4. Is there a sub-catagory of FT nations that don't use FTL travel, but stay within their solar system? (Thinking about Silent Running and Outland)

Freeform roleplay. Whatever floats your boat, have fun with it. Dunno how you could get others involved in your rp's though, but it's up to you.

5. How do economics change with FTL travel?

They don't change much at all really. Possibly some resources are easier to find and blockades are a lot harder to do in space.

But really, it's all about sensibility. Follow that and you can't go wrong, and if you do, someone will gladly help you back.

Don't use a tech base based on Star Wars, Star Trek, or Warhammer 40k. Those are the top 3 most ripped off tech bases :p

Nothing wrong with doing that; besides, I add a flair of originality by structuring it like Horus won the heresy; all with my original Characters based on the survivor of a fallen Imperium of Man :P

There are people who make it work; I don't claim to be one of them; but I love my system...

Just, if you are going to use ships and tech from a known sci-fi universe, try to keep it as canon as possible.

No jediwank.

Seriously.

As SeaQuest (DSV) above stated, play inside of canon. If you borrow from StarWars, Jedi are uniques, not your average soldier. If you steal from Weber's StarFire stuff, Warp Point assaults shouldn't be conceived without great loss of life. If you steal from Star Trek, your tactics will be neutered because, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE IN SPACE, you insist on using two dimensional maneuver, or even STOP AND PLAY TURN BASED COMBAT- er... I think I got carried away. Ignore the last part.

Seriously, though, if you must borrow, borrow in good faith ("Fixing" Star Destroyers is crap. They have that exposed tower for a reason.) If you make your own, I applaud you!

Oh, and nothing works perfectly the first time. Uberdeathships are always wank, even in Futuretech.