Sphere:Longshots

It's 2170. About 100 years since founding, and hundreds of light years from Earth. You don't really care. They've never spoken to you. All you have are second-hand tales from trade caravans, about FTL failures and killer drones. They call it 'the Rim', but you just call it home.

History Paths

A1) Origins

Pioneers

Some people petitioned the posthumans with the pure spirit of adventure. With no frontiers left on Earth, only longshots could satisfy the human drive for exploration and discovery.

Seperatists

Others left to escape persecution, real or imagined. Distance from Earth would shield them and let them start anew.

Idealists

Still others held in their minds an ideal for society. By travelling to a new land with like-minded people, they could make a better life, on sound principles.

A2) Colonists

Baseline

Mixed

Transhuman

A3) Destination

Garden World

Tolerable World

Hell World

No World

B1) Historical Events 1

Quiet

Crisis Situation

Military Action

Artefact Find

B2)

B3) Crisis Situation

Sudden Change of Government (+morale)

Adapt (+transgene)

Tough It Out (+doctrines)

Shoot It Repeatedly (+military)

Muddle Through (+PIP)

Rush To Production (+CIP)

Innovate Madly (+apps)

B4)

B5)

C1) Historical Events 2

As B1.

D1) Historical Events 3

As B1.

E1) Political Stance

Keep On Keeping On

It's the 100th year since founding and we still haven't gone crazy. Pretty good for the neighbourhood.

Grand Ambition

To the power-hungry, the isolation and fragmentation of the Rim is an opportunity, not an obstacle.

The Podunk Union

Others look to soft power and cooperation against the challenges of deep space.

Open for Business

Despite the distances, trade can still be lucrative and many worlds focus on advancing opportunities.

Get Out

Worlds with bad experiences or things to hide take a tough line with outsiders.

Ideological Purity

Worlds based on certain ideologies can be extremely sanctimonious about them.

E2) Economic System

Get Digging

Hard work and strong backs wean colonies off fabricators and onto their own two feet.

New Gilded Age

Get back to work, scum.

Fabricator Rations

You had more than your share of fabricators, and your economy never graduated from dependence on them.

Social Management

Without annoying moralisers and lawyers looking over your shoulder, a rationally organised society can be set up.

Transistor Mines

Sophisticated structures of posthuman or alien origin can be torn apart for components to be used in other technology.

Crossroads

Worlds at convergences of trade routes reap dividends.

The Pirate Bay

Other worlds decide to take them by force.

E3) Military Doctrine

Death Spiral

Some worlds are desperate to gain any technical advantage they can, but without substantial research infrastructure this takes a severe toll.

Able Spacemen

A focus on a solid and reliable fleet is key to defence in the depths of space.

Swarms

Making effective smallcraft is a challenge for rim states, but pays dividends.

Tiptoes

For pirates, lurking is king.

The Low Road

Ships are hard. It's better to focus on a strong army to defend.

Into the Darkness

Effective interstellar travel is crucial to trade and power projection.

The Future's Fighting Man

Making better murderers.