Space Patrol Omega - Recalled

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Vanya Mia
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Space Patrol Omega - Recalled

Post by Vanya Mia » Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:08 pm

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Human space is changing once again. In times past, it evolved from daring frontier to corporate territory. Now, in the aftermath of alien infiltration, the near-collapse of ExiGalCorp and the legalisation of private space travel, the wheel swings freely once more.

A new wave of independent colonisation efforts have expanded into the unclaimed wilderness, miners and settlers and tradesmen looking to make a free life for themselves on unterraformed worlds. The Human Commonwealth struggles to maintain authority and power in the wake of the colonial exodus, working to fill the power vacuum left by the fall of corporate government. And the corporations themselves fight to stay in business, in the face of new competition and the distrust of the people.

And as always, the Deep Space Patrol changes with the times. Having fallen to near-irrelevance during the Corporate era, the DSP has found itself thrust into the role of peacekeeper and policeman, working to keep piracy and at bay and peace for all amongst the newly-settled systems. As the protectors of the people and the arm of the Commonwealth, they have succeeded... so far. But now, with shortages of fuel crippling the economy of the Core Systems, and the indignation of independent miners in the face of governmental pressure, tensions are high and weapons drawn.

Twenty years ago, the Patrol was enough to stop the alien conquest of Humanity. But even with new bases, new resources, new ships and new people, will they be enough to stop Human Space from falling into anarchy?

Perhaps you'll find out. As right now, be you veteran or greenhorn, the Deep Space Patrol needs men.

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Vanya Mia
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Re: Space Patrol Omega - Recalled

Post by Vanya Mia » Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:32 pm

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION.

The Colonial Era (2070-2200)

The exploration of space began with the development of effective shielding from cosmic radiation and the Linear Displacement drive in the late 2070s, allowing for the first manned explorations of the solar system. Originally dependent on synthesised fuels, space travel took a giant leap forward with the discovery of a naturally-occurring isotope of Element 115, Ununpentium, in the Kuiper belt. This proved a vastly more efficient and powerful solution to the energy issues associated with long-term space travel.

It was exactly what was needed to kick-start the torpid human race into refocusing its priorities. Nations on Earth began founding colonies of their own in the 2130s, fuelling new industry. Refined ununpentium began to be used for wide-scale power generation on Earth. Through the next century, the human race pushed out into the stars, and it was during this time that corporations such as Dyson Colonial and the mining guild Fujikama-Rogers began. The Deep Space Patrol was a natural outgrowth of the International Space Agency, and served as the diplomatic bridge between colonies. When issues of banditry and ununpentium theft arose, the DSP stepped up, becoming neutral explorers and policemen.

Despite these problems, and although conditions on colonies and mining outposts was tough, and space-flight technology was still in its infancy, space exploration was buoyed up by optimism and curiosity. Suddenly, space seemed a limitless frontier, and fresh discoveries of fuel were made year by year, prompting another venture into the unknown.

Eventually, however, things hit a glass ceiling. The burden of finding ununpentium supplies forced explorers and mineral surveyors to range further and further away from what would eventually become Core Space, and the establishment and maintenance of colonies and space stations slowly rose higher and higher. After a century of gold-rush-like exploration across an area of almost 600 light years, things needed to change. And this opened the way for...

The Corporate Era (2200-2335)

The rise of the corporations began with ExiGal, originally a medical research company that had turned its hand to answering questions relating to space travel and colonisation. As advancements in genetic manipulation began to catch up to spacefaring technology, ExiGal developed the first GELFs - Genetically Engineered Life Forms - and embarked on the first successful attempts at using GELFs for terraforming in the 2210s. With cost-effective terraforming able to make settlements in space much more self-sufficient, the way was open for ExiGal - and other corporations, following suit - to simply buy up areas of space, taking the burden of cost from the shoulders of nations.

Space became increasingly Corporate. Dyson Colonial and ExiGal, especially, approached the problems of banditry and lawless space with typically mercenary attitudes; allowing independent spacefarers to work for them, or be crushed under the weight of their quickly-growing private militaries. The rate of colonisation slowed to a crawl, but as colonies suddenly became not just mining outposts and supply dumps but full-blown cities and more, it began to fill up. Suddenly, the harsh frontier was transformed into a sky full of fresh welcoming pastures.

Colonies were founded or refounded as corporate enterprises; settlers became employees or tenants. The issue of national borders in space became increasingly blurred, followed by government and world finance. As the various Corporations became the new nation-states, each marking out their territory not in terms of planets owned but in terms of market niches, Earth gradually became just one planet among a hundred, albeit a central one. Space may have been bought and paid for, and independent space travel may have been a thing of the past, but as long as it gave people a place they'd be safe and kept the ununpentium flowing, the system worked.

This came to an abrupt end in 2335, with Deep Space Patrolmen revealing the infiltration of ExiGal by parasitic alien lifeforms intent on subjugating Humanity. The confrontations between the two great spacefaring powers of the time - ExiGal's Crisis Resolution Department and the Dyson Colonial Military - resulted in high loss of life and revenue. The discovery of the existence of aliens and proof that the galaxy was still very, very big and very far from tame shook the whole of Human Space, but perhaps worse was the resulting loss of faith in the Corporate system.

The Commonwealth Era (2335-?)

The sudden outbreak of violence across Human Space had immediate effects, hitting humanity where it hurt - supplies of ununpentium. Shortages loomed, and sudden sharp drops in standards of living accompanied the onset of economic depression. With Corporate government still reeling, an attempt at new government was made; the Human Commonwealth, an elected legislative body made up of 550 officials from Core colonies, stepped up to try and fill the power vacuum in 2337. Headed by President Robert King, the Commonwealth's brief was simple - to salvage the economy of Human space, and pave the way for a new democratic galaxy.

Progress of a sort was made with the legalisation of private space travel in 2338, the result of a bill proposed by Quentin Thompson, a senator for Wolf 359. This resulted in an exodus of people from Core Space, buying up corporate surplus starcraft and supplies and temporarily re-invigorating a flagging industry in spacefaring goods and starship manufacture. But the longer-term effects were the establishment of new, independent colonies on unterraformed planets beyond the established frontier, founded by people that had no wish to live upon the decaying Core systems or find a life in Corporate service. Over the next five years, history repeated itself with a new gold rush. The reappearance of independent mining helped secure new supplies of fuel for Core Space - for anyone who could pay for it.

Before long, however, the old problems began to re-emerge. Raids began on colonies, independent and corporate alike, by a new generation of pirates. Corporate forces were simply no longer up to the task of defending all their own settlements, in the wake of their losses and in new legislation limiting the size and scale of private military forces from the Commonwealth. More disturbing were the conflicts, some armed, between independent miners and Fujikama-Rogers. This spurred the Commonwealth to sponsor the Deep Space Patrol in the role of police and peacekeepers among the unsettled colonies in 2347.

This was a job made doubly difficult thanks to the sullen resentment felt by many of the new settlers towards both Commonwealth and Corporation alike. Independent miners felt that they had the right to set their own pricing levels for their mined minerals, a position the starved Core Systems simply could not agree with. Settlers and miners began arming themselves through a thriving black market. Pirate bands continued to emerge. Forces from several different Corporations prowled the frontier, looking for markets or claims to stake as theirs. Stability in Frontier Space - an area now stretching up and along the galactic arm to a distance of 200 light years from the corporate boundary - seemed an impossibility.

The year 2351, though, saw the Battle of Arvindshome, a landmark event in many ways. A compact between four of the more threatening pirate organisations attempted an annexation of the Osram system, one of the first independent settlements in Frontier Space and an important travel and trading hub. By taking control of it, the pirates were aiming high - nothing less than founding their own kingdom. The main settlement, Planet Arvindshome, and its attendant space station were only kept out of the invaders' hands by the valiant defence of the settlers and the Deep Space Patrol. The defence was led by Sgt. Major Furnell Gorman, who lost his life in the successful attempt to board and destroy a pirate flagship at the height of the fighting. In the aftermath, a shocked kind of peace emerged.

Present

It is now 2355. The DSP's heroism won them some measure of credibility in Frontier Space, but it has slowly evaporated in the face of ever-increasing tension between armed Commonwealth officials and Independent colonies. President King's adminstration continues to try and exert any manner of control it can across Human Space, desperate for legitimacy. Many of the Independent colonies have formed alliances between themselves, intent on defending themselves against such interference or another Arvindshome - and some have become forces to be reckoned with. The Corporations continue to try to survive in a world that is beginning to leave them behind, working to enforce rights and markets that they see as theirs. Pirate activity has slowly increased, and many feel a second confrontation with them cannot be far away. The initial guerilla wars of Frontier Space have settled, but violence continually threatens to re-emerge. And, of course, with human expansion again on the rise, who knows when contact with a second alien race might occur?

But the DSP's efforts have inspired one thing - a wave of new recruits, made aware that there's a cause and a battle that needs to be fought. With Core Space stagnating, Corporate Space uncertain and Frontier Space volatile in the extreme, Humanity is in a dark place. Maybe, just maybe, there's the chance of a brand new world around the corner. And with the DSP, maybe there's a chance of keeping the lid on things just long enough for it to finally get here.

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Vanya Mia
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Re: Space Patrol Omega - Recalled

Post by Vanya Mia » Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:35 pm

THE CORPORATIONS

Central Credit Facility is responsible for management of the financial services of individuals and corporations alike. It’s based upon earth but has branches on every major colonised world and terminals in most settlements of any size or importance. Possibly the only corporation still completely stable.

Cyberboon are holders of the patents to the majority of cybernetic and robotic technologies, manufacture a range of domestic, industrial and military robots from huge terraforming earth movers to artificial limbs. They are the last remaining of the large manufacturers of such machines, as recent decades have seen the decline in their prosperity with the development of Genetically Engineered Lifeforms (GELFs), which now fulfil a wide range of operations that were once achieved via mechanised technologies and reduced the market size. Thanks to their solid patents on this technology, and apparent side-line approach to involvement in the alien conflict, they have retained a solid market but only time will tell if they are completely immune.

Dyson Colonial the well-known exploratory, colonisation and defence Corporation. They have offices in even the smallest officially colonised worlds, where they provide medical facilities and local law enforcement, and handle space traffic. At the time a prime mover in supporting the thwarting the alien invaders the retained their reputation, but in these days of independant colonisation and with their resources stretched thin by the crisis in the core worlds, is their position as secure?

ExiGal, or ExtraGalactiCorp, the Corporation once held a monopoly on scouting and securing new worlds. The surveying, initial exploration, analysis and assessment of potential colony worlds was all once done by their employees. However, following their infiltration by the alien race, and subsequent negative publicity, the time was ripe for independant initiatives and they have suffered accordingly. Maintaining their innocence at the hands of a mind controlling race they scrabble to maintain their market place, aided by the fact that they still hold the patents on, and are responsible for the manufacture of, many products; space faring, agricultural and medical.

Fujikari-Rogers Mining Corporation, once the largest asteroid/uninhabitable world mining organisations in known space, is crumbling. Once upon a time their work began pre-colonisation, and extended post-colonisation on newly terra-formed worlds or those in the early stages of the terra-forming process. Now they struggle against the settlement of un-terraformed environments by smaller rivals, eager to take advantage of the instability in the core worlds, and independent colonisation groups using mining as a means of supporting their newly established homes.

Galactic Express, or GalEx, is the largest player in the transportation business, with a distribution network that includes all colonised worlds. The services of their large ships are often employed in the transportation of equipment and they frequently accommodate smaller craft in the hold of their larger ships for inter-solar system travel. However, they too are seeing increased competition from smaller rivals as the prices of fuel force their own charges higher, opening up opportunities for the honest and unscrupulous alike.

Tasco Corporation is known as one of the largest manufacturers of food products, with fingers in the majority of farming operations on major worlds, and throughout the supply chain for all agricultural operations. They too, though, are suffering as the cost of transportation affects their operations. While provision remains unaffected in the core worlds, the cost of formal goods is soaring in the extreme colonies and newly settled planets, creating opportunities for the black market and producers of poor quality, potentially dangerous goods.

News Networks, of which the three most successful are: HOAX (Homeworld, Orbital And eXtragalactic) News, GalChan117 and GNN (Galactic News Network).

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Vanya Mia
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Re: Space Patrol Omega - Recalled

Post by Vanya Mia » Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:56 pm

Haks

All D20 Modern haks from http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Ha ... il&id=7841 plus the base module is needed for character creation.

CEP 2.3/2.4 from http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Ha ... il&id=7849

CTP Tilesets

From the CTP Releases page here http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Ha ... il&id=6992
ctp_common_04072009.7z
ctp_goth_int.rar
ctp_loadscreens_04_07_2009.7z

Plus ctp_babylon_04-07-2009.7z from http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Ha ... il&id=8007

CRAP wilderness from http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Ha ... il&id=5228

The updated version of Baron Rage's DrylandsHT from http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Ha ... ail&id=955

Finally two from Chandigar

UDP1_Suburbia_1_1.zip from http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Ha ... il&id=7414
udp2_office_int_tileset_1_2.zip http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=Ha ... il&id=7596

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Vanya Mia
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Re: Space Patrol Omega - Recalled

Post by Vanya Mia » Sat Dec 08, 2012 12:45 pm

Break for the Christmas period. SA is away but with planning I should be able to do the session on the 19th, but the 26th is a write off as I have family around. Normal service will hopefully resume on the 2nd.

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Vanya Mia
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Re: Space Patrol Omega - Recalled

Post by Vanya Mia » Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:03 pm

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Gulfwulf
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Re: Space Patrol Omega - Recalled

Post by Gulfwulf » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:35 am

Is this a new campaign you're starting, VM? With our family illness over, I can resume a Monday night game if you haven't started yet and have some room.

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Vanya Mia
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Re: Space Patrol Omega - Recalled

Post by Vanya Mia » Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:52 am

No, this is some (badly laid out) information for a (very) long running existing campaign SA and I run from 10 pm to 12 pm UK time. Had to give up the other one as it was a 3 am start for me and with the work commitments I now have I just can't do that time of the morning any more. :(

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Gulfwulf
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Re: Space Patrol Omega - Recalled

Post by Gulfwulf » Mon Apr 22, 2013 1:54 am

I can understand that. As I said in game, let me know if you start a new campaign and need a player. :)

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Vanya Mia
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Re: Space Patrol Omega - Recalled

Post by Vanya Mia » Wed Aug 27, 2014 4:59 pm

Space as you have travelled through it, for reference.

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