Ashes to Ashes

Economies

NO COLONIZATION MONEY SPAM

Systems

Clarify just what gates are. Wormholes maybe, just to make it explicit?

All existing systems should be generated beforehand. I've already found two options:

This one is for Starfinder and is very space opera. https://www.sfrpgtools.com/system-generator#

This one is pretty hard scifi: https://www.alternityrpg.net/solar_system_generator/index.php

It doesn't necessarily need to be in super detail but at least '3 rocky planets, 1 comet belt, 2 gas giants, 1 ice giant' is a good start.

New systems should be added sporadically. Silence suggested that everyone's annual explorations be added together and that determines how good the next new system(s) are.

Star systems should feel large enough that multiple PCs can exist in one; this keeps people in proximity to each other while giving them space without the need for CONSTANT EXPANSION INTO THE BLACK.

I'm proposing that we stay with the existing hexgrid system with a decent number of gate-connected systems (30-50?) and then about that many as non-connected systems. Play with jump ranges some and decompress the map. Jump range is technobabble nonlinear technobabble.

Individual bodies would be rated in difficulty (1-10, as a cost multiplier) with resources/energy as a return multiplier. Possibly 'habitability' for settlement.

Surveys can decrease difficulty and/or improve resources but doing so would cost exponentially more money for every tick of improvement. These can be tracked as 'level 1, level 3, etc' For ease of tracking, they should be recorded as like 9 (7) representing true and modified values. There should be a real difference between space and planet habitats.

Technology

Simplify tech. A lot. Cut down the zillions of little things. Instead:

Each state has a tech milieu. This is basically the whole Xantech/Prometheus/Etc etc thing built from the start. I figure we can bake in various cool things, different options and shiptypes etc. I figure each would have at least one unique economic consumable. Everything outside your milieu (save retrotech) costs double.

• Retrotech: Old and busted. For NPC stuff, rando dudes using clearly inferior gear, etc.
• Prometheus: Antimatter battlebrick with high DPS and lots of HP, but vulnerable to criticals (whoops) and not much intrinsic flexibility.

Theme: Halo, Earth Alliance, etc.

Resource: Deploys with Antimatter, can build superior equipment via Dilithium.

• Xantech: Space opera standard, uses psions for newtype pilots and councillor Troy.

Theme: Star Trek, Gundam

Resource: Psions

• Smart Matter: Endlessly reconfigurable nano-machinery. Totally flexible but folds quickly if the shields go down.

Theme: Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Shadows

Resource: Metatron

• Velan Biomimicry: Deadly space sharks made of laminated Giger.

Theme: Gauna, Giger, JAWS

Resource: Songs of Nephilim

• Sword Singularity Manipulation: Glowing line bullshit like some kinda video game. Hi/Lo mix.

Theme: Zone of the Enders

Resource: Singularities, Delta Dust