Second Sphere History Paths

History Path Bonuses

SP

SP (Starting Points) are bonus points that you can spend to customize your nation after it has gone through the history paths.

Population

Population represents the number of inhabitants in your nation. A nation with many dots in Population will have an intrinsically larger population base and consequently a larger draft pool and strong economic base. It also makes military support cheaper, as wages are lower. However, a nation with a large population and relatively low wealth bonuses has low per-capita income and its citizens will be relatively badly off compared to the norm.

Transgene

Many people across the human-explored galaxy have augmented themselves through genetic technology, passing along modified traits to their children. Transgene is a representation of how significant and/or how common they are.. At low levels (1-2) they typically represent a minority group with significant augmentations or minor widespread effects. At moderate levels (3-4) they represent a population that is dominantly (>90%) transgene, generally of a single 'template' (eg, Ishtar upgrade, Coordinator pattern, etc). A high levels (5+) it represents a population that has multiple different 'templates' in large quantities, or less commonly a single radically upgraded (and generally cost-inefficient) template. Examples would be Haraway's World for the former and Adhara for the latter.

Morale

Morale represents your government's popular support in the eye of its people. At negative levels it generally means you have significant outstanding issues, while at high positive levels it represents nearly fanatical devotion to 'the cause'. Be wary though, it may mean that going directly against prior politices your people approved off will lead to domestic uphevals . . .

PIP

PIP (Primary Industrial Points) are your nation's heavy industries, a holistic measure of your resource extraction and assembly abilities. It is your steel mills, your mines and your shipyards and all units and items are built wherever their PIP is spent. PIP ultimately represents the 'low-tech' end of industry.

CIP

CIP (Complex Industrial Points) are your nation's precision manufacturing and intellectual production abilities. These are your computer programmers, your chip foundries and your advanced materiels labs. Unlike PIP, CIP is highly portable as it is high-value, low-mass/volume items, and as a result is it relatively trivial to ship CIP between worlds. CIP ultimately represents the 'high-tech' end of industry.

Fabers

Fabers - Fabricators - or Cornucopia Machines are sophisticated posthuman-derived nanotech assembly plants. They can, within reason, build anything, so long as the operator has raw materiels and faber blueprints. Normally build into 'dumpers' which are large lift vehicle sized drop capsules they were common spread in colonies set up in the late 20th century. Many have since been disassembled due to age, but many others still operate in the Expanse. They can output PIP or CIP in whatever ratio the operator desires.

Wealth

Wealth is effectively a measure of per-capita wealth, eg, how well-off and affluent your citizens are. As a result, high wealth is a good way to get lots of tax money. Unfortunately, as a result a nation with high wealth will have workers who demand more pay, and as such military support will be relatively expensive.

Dust

Delta Dust is the miraculous technology of the Precursors that was reverse-engineered by the Posthumans, replacing their own crude reality-modifying technology. It is found all across the Sphere, in both ancient sedimentary deposits or in modern Posthuman structures, and can also be made with black-boxed factories. Dust is a comparative value of how much Dust your nation produces relative to the norm.

Theta

Theta Dust is a more potent version of the familiar Delta Dust, found exclusively in Posthuman sites. It is most commonly used in high-performance FTL drives, though ZOCU has pioneered its use in other fields as well. Unlike Delta, which represents a relative value, Theta represents an absolute value - if you do not have any dots in it, you do not make any.

Military

Military represents the effective dollar value of your combat arm(s), ranging from the poor bloody infantry to the giant robots to the warships. It is a comparative value to the norm for major colony worlds, and nations with many dots in military are powerhouses when it comes to warfare.

Doctrines

Doctrines are the training your troops and leaders get - while Sphere assumes a well-trained, professional military, not everyone trains to fight a fleet war or use giant robots. Doctrines thus represent discretionary points to improve your abilities in various aspects of the science of running a war.

Logistics

'An army marches on its stomach'. In Sphere, the concept that the future army will deploy every man as a front-line soldier has been disposed of. Infantry need food and bullets, tanks need power cells and shells, warships need fuel and missiles. Logistics represents your ability to support a large military during both peacetime and wartime.

RP

RP (Research Points) represent your nation's extraordinary ability to develop new technologies. RP can help reduce the time and/or cost of new technologies. Further details will be forthcoming when the technology rules are drafted.

Technologies

Technologies are just that - the developments your nation has made in improving their civilian and military applied sciences. Dots in tech represent a 'dollar value' of technologies you have above the norm - development is quite the opposite of free! They may be in specific fields (such as Shipbuilding, Infantry technologies, etc) or may be nonspecific. A nation with 3-5 dots in tech is considered average, with those above and below being relatively high or low tech. Of course, a nation that is excellent at building mobile suits may be inept at building warships due to stagnation in that field - having many dots in tech doesn't mean that you're the best at everything.

Stockpiles

These simply represent things your government has put away for a rainy day, ranging from large money-making investments to giant buried ammo dumps to vaults full of Delta Dust.

Debt

Debt is the opposite of Stockpiles, and represents you owing a significant amount of money to your citizens. Almost all of the ZOCU worlds have it, due to the ruinous expense of their war. Dots of Debt cancels out dots of Stockpile on a 1:1 basis and vice versa.

The Paths

Universal Routes

A1) Initial Colonization Mission Type

Longshot Mission (+ Faber)

Resource Base (+ PIP)

Early National (+ CIP)

Late National (+ pop)

A2) Initial Colony Population

Dominantly Transgene (++ transgene)

Mixed (+ transgene, + SP)

Dominantly Baseline (+ pop, + logistics)

A3) Destination World

No Suitable World (Go to A4)

Hell World (Go to A5)

Resource Rich World (Go to A6)

Terraformable World (go to A7)

Garden World (Go to A8)

A4) No Suitable World

Adapt (Radical Morphological Change)

Build Our Own (+ PIP)

Posthuman Structures (+ dust)

A5) Hell World

Adapt (Radical Morphological Change)

Tough It Out (+ Morale, Balls)

Make Do (Scraphunters)

A6) Resource Rich World

Simple Ores (+ PIP)

Fascinating Pharmaceuticals (+ Wealth)

Relic Dust (+ Dust)

A7) Terraformable World

Get To Work (+ pop)

Artifact Rush (+ PIP)

Terraforming Failure (Defensible)

A8) Garden World

Population Boom (++ pop, - wealth)

Cash Crop (+ Wealth)

Xenomorphs (+ military)

B1) History of the Colony, Volume 1

Quiet (+ Wealth, + population)

Transgene Migration (+ transgene, + population)

Crisis (+ Stockpiles, Go to B2)

Military Action (+ Military, Go to B3)

Artifact Find (+ dust, Go to B4)

B2) Crisis Situation!

Sudden Change of Government (+ morale)

Get Help from Earth (+ logistics)

Tough it Out (+ Doctrines)

Shoot it Repeatedly (+ military)

Muddle Through (+ PIP)

Privatize It (+ wealth)

Innovate Madly (+ CIP)

B3) Military Action!

Narco-Warfare (+ military, + doctrines, - pop)

Feral Drone Attack (+ military)

Supply Dump (+ Helium)

Training Ground (+ doctrines)

Regime Changed (+ military, + logistics, - morale)

Miner Beatdown (+ PIP)

Superpower Squabble (+ logistics)

B4) Artifacts!

Feral Drone Attack (+ military)

Ancient Resources (+ dust)

Extra Fabs (+ fabbers)

Useful Finds (+ CIP)

Reverse-Engineerable (+ tech)

Active Machinery (+ theta, - dust)

C1) History of the Colony, Volume II Repeat B1, then continue to D1

D1) The Breakdown

Isolated (+ stockpiles, Go to D2)

Broken-down (+ PIP, Go to D3)

Catapulted (+ wealth, Go to D4)

D2) Isolated (may not chose Sign the PACT or The EU Includes Us in E1)

Juche! (+ PIP, + helium)

Tough it Out (+ Doctrines, + morale)

Transgene Invasion II: The Boys from Brazil (+ Military, + doctrines, + PIP, - Transgene)

Go Weird (++ Transgene)

Strange Discovery (+ dust, choose from B4)

D3) Broken-down

Civil Unrest (++ military)

Become energy independent (+ Helium, + dust)

Get UN Aid/Refugee Center (+ logistics, + pop)

Revolution! (+ military, + doctrines, + morale, - pop)

Theta Hub (+ theta, + wealth, - dust)

D4) Catapulted (may not chose Independence, Solidarity or Make My Own Bloc in E1)

Quiet (+ Wealth, + pop)

Trade Hub (+ wealth, + PIP)

ARROWS Staging Area (+ logistics, + military)

Hyperdrive Repair Research (+ CIP, + tech)

Catapult Construction (+ dust, + PIP)

E1) The Zodiac Organization

Independence! (Go to F1)

Solidarity! (+ Dust, - debt, Treaty of Sirius, Go to G1)

Sign the PACT (+ Wealth, - theta, Go to H1)

The EU Includes Us (+ CIP, - theta, Go to I1)

China is #1! (+ Pop, - theta, Go to J1)

Make My Own Bloc (+ PIP, Go to K1)

Indie Routes

F1) Indie World Politics

Get Sirius (+ hangarize, + morale, + military + ZOCU relations, - debt, - Treaty of Sirius)

Be Interventionist (+ Military, + logistics)

Core Subversion (+ dust, + SP, + logistics, - morale)

Take a Third Option (+ logistics, + Relations with secondary powers)

Fie On The Homeland (+ PIP, ++ logistics, - non-Rim relations)

Still Alive (and out there!) (++ PIP, + Dust, - tech)

Phezzan (+ sneaky shit, + all relations, - military)

Planet Wal*Mart (++ PIP, + Wealth, + ARROWs relations, - military)

Law of the Gun (++ Military, + PIP, - Morale)

Transhuman Supremacy (++ Transgene, + Morale, - relations)

Ideological Purification (++ Morale, + PIP, - CIP, - relations)

F2) Indie World Economics

Regional Hub (++ wealth, + pop, + CIP)

Transhuman Resources (+ transgene, + wealth, + CIP, + tech)

Center for Research (++ RP, ++ tech, + CIP, - PIP)

The Tensor Building (+ dust, + CIP, + RP, + weapon tech)

Expanse Production Center (++ PIP, ++ CIP)

Exploration Launching Point (++ dust, ++ logistics, + FTL tech, - military)

The HECsagon (+ Logistics, +++++ Helium, - military, - PIP)

F3) Indie World Military

Fort Up (+ military, + stockpiles, + defensive stuff, + ground doctrines, + ground tech)

Salvation Armada (+++ military, ++ logistics)

Zoom and Boom (++ military, + air doctrines, ++ aircraft tech)

The Fleet does the Flying (+ military, + logistics, + PIP, + fleet doctrines, + ship tech)

Friends from ZOCU (+ ground doctrines, + air doctrines, + fleet doctrines, + mecha tech, + mega particle tech)

Hypertech Bullshit (+ theta, +++ tech)

Low Profile (++ sneaky stuff, + CIP, ++ doctrines)

Scrap Heaps (++ PIP, ++ logistics, ++ military, + doctrines, -CIP, - tech)

ZOCU Routes

G1) ZOCU World Politics

Put It Behind Us (+ Wealth, + Pop, + stockpiles)

Never Forget (+ military, + logistics, + doctrines)

Guiding Star (+ ZOCU relations, + morale, + CIP)

House of War (+ morale, + transgene, + ground doctrines, + logistics - core relations)

Internal Collapse (+ military, + SP, + logistics, + stockpiles, - morale)

Hardliner Ouster (+ morale, + ARROW relations, + Core relations, + pop, - ZOCU relations)

G2) ZOCU World Economics

Regional Hub (++ wealth, + pop)

Transhuman Resources (+ transgene, + wealth, + tech)

Center for Research (++ RP, + tech, + CIP, - PIP)

Arms Production Center (+ PIP, + RP, + weapon tech)

Postwar Depression (+ Logistics, + military, + CIP, ++ PIP, -- Wealth)

Crash Industrialization (+ CIP, + Wealth, ++ PIP, - debt)

G3) ZOCU World Military

Fort Up (+ military, + defensive stuff, + ground doctrines, + ground tech)

Fight in the Jungle (++ ground doctrines, ++ morale, + ground tech, - pop)

Giant Robots Rule (+ ground doctrines, + air doctrines, + fleet doctrines, + mecha tech)

The Silent Service (+ stealth technology, + CIP, + dust, + ship technology)

Midseason Uglies(+ Theta, + tech, + CIP)

Low Profile (+ sneaky stuff, + CIP, ++ doctrines)

Crush them WITH YOUR MIND (+ transgene, + CIP, ++ tech)

PACT Routes

H1) PACT World Politics

New American Millenium (+ Military, + Technology, + Morale, - Rim relations)

Hope and Change (+ Wealth, + Pop)

American-Led Peacekeeping (++ dust, + SP, + logistics, - morale, - pop)

Corporate State (+ Wealth, + Tech)

Transhumanize! (+ transgene, + CIP, + tech, - Morale)

H2) PACT World Economics

Ignore the War (++ wealth, ++ pop, - logistics)

Center for Research (++ RP, + tech, + CIP, - PIP)

Arms Production Center (+ PIP, + RP, + weapon tech)

Postwar Depression (+ Logistics, + military, + CIP, ++ PIP, -- Wealth)

Blood for Dust (+ Theta, ++ logistics, - morale)

H3) PACT World Military

Zoom and Boom (+ military, + air doctrines, ++ aircraft tech)

The Fleet does the Flying (+ military, + PIP, + fleet doctrines, + ship tech)

Send in the Marines (+ ground tech, + military, ++ ground doctrines)

Rangers Lead The Way! (+ sneaky stuff, + CIP, ++ doctrines)

Area 52 (++ doctrines, ++ Tech)

Once Tom Clancy Is Mass Produced... (+ stealth technology, + CIP, ++ aerospace technology)

Keep 'em Flying (++ Logistics, ++ Cargo)

Tin Soldiers (++ AI tech, + ground doctrine, + air doctrines)

EU Routes

I1) EU World Politics

Bureaucracy as Usual (+ Pop, + PIP, + logistics, - debt)

New European Millenium (+ Military, + Technology, + Morale, - Rim relations)

Credits to Society (+ Pop, + Wealth, + Morale, - military)

To Go Boldly (+ tech + military, + CIP, - wealth)

Fraying Patchwork (+ transgene, + military, + logistics, - morale)

I2) EU World Economics

Ignore the War (++ wealth, ++ pop, - logistics)

Regulated Economic Market (+ CIP, ++ PIP, + Morale, - debt)

Center for Research (++ RP, + tech, + CIP, - PIP)

Arms Production Center (+ PIP, + RP, + weapon tech)

Postwar Depression (+ Logistics, + military, + CIP, ++ PIP, -- Wealth)

Neo-Luddite Movement (+ Pop, + logistics, ++ PIP, - CIP)

I3) EU World Military

Drastic Military Reformation (++ Doctrines, + Technology, ++ CIP, - Military)

New Golden Age (+ Naval Technology, + Naval Doctrine, ++ Warships, + logistics, - Ground Forces)

Gundam Counterattack (+ ground doctrines, + air doctrines, + fleet doctrines, + mecha tech)

Foreign Legionnaires (+ ground tech, + military, + ground doctrines, + logistics)

The Special Aerospace Service (+ sneaky stuff, + CIP, ++ doctrines)

The Silent Service (+ stealth technology, + CIP, + dust, + ship technology)

Keep 'em Flying (++ Logistics, ++ Cargo)

Tin Soldiers (++ AI tech, + ground doctrine, + air doctrines)

Chinese Routes

J1) Chinese Arm Politics

Breakway System (+Non-core relations, +PIP, +CIP, -Chinese relations)

Democracy Unleashed (+ Morale, + CIP)

Special Administrative Region (+RP, +Tech, +Morale, -Doctrines)

Autonomous Region (+ Morale, + Military, + Pop, - Debt)

Province (+Pop, +Stockpiles)

Direct-Controlled Municipality (+Wealth, +CIP, +Pop, -Morale)

J2) Chinese Arm Economics

Special Economic Zone (++Wealth, + Pop, +CIP, +PIP, -Military, -Doctrines)

Transshipment Center (+CIP, +Tech, +Dust, +Logistics, - Wealth)

Military Industrial Zone (+CIP, +PIP, +Weapon Tech, +RP, -Wealth)

Regional Defense Base (+Military, +Logistics, +PIP, +Pop, -Wealth)

Conurbation (+++ Pop, + PIP)

J3) Chinese Arm Military

Supersoldier Factory (+ tech, + transgene, ++ supersoldiers)

Got a PLAN (+ military, + PIP, + fleet doctrines, + ship tech)

Long March Into Space (+Navy, ++Shipbuilding Tech, +Fleet Doctrines, +Logistics, -Debt)

Crysis Situation (++Dust, +Tech, +Sneaky Shit)

Fist teams (++ Doctrine +technology +CIP)

Steel Dragons (+ ground doctrines, + air doctrines, + fleet doctrines, + mecha tech)

League Routes

K1) League Politics

Be Interventionist (+ Military, + logistics)

Fie On The Homeland (+ PIP, ++ logistics, - non-Rim relations)

Still Alive (and out there!) (++ PIP, + Dust, - tech)

Law of the Gun (++ Military, + PIP, - Morale)

Transhuman Supremacy (++ Transgene, + Morale, - relations)

Ideological Purification (++ Morale, + PIP, - CIP, - relations)

Evil to Fight Evil (+military, +transgene, ++doctrines, +tech, –morale, -relations, -pop)

K2) League Economies

Regional Hub (++wealth, +pop, + PIP)

Black Market Hub (++wealth, +CIP, +sneaky stuff)

Basketcase (+pop, ++PIP, ++military, + logistics, --wealth)

League Production Center (++ PIP, ++ CIP)

Exploration Launching Point (++ dust, ++ logistics, + FTL tech, - military)

Regional Port (+dust, ++PIP, + CIP, +shipbuilding, -ground tech)

K3) League Military

Battlefield World (+ military, + stockpiles, + defensive stuff, ++ ground doctrines, - pop)

Salvation Armada (++ military, ++ logistics)

Scrap Heaps (+ PIP, ++ logistics, ++ military, + doctrines, -CIP, - tech)

Magnate Killteams (++ sneaky stuff, ++ doctrines)

Copycat (+CIP, ++air or ground doctrines, +mecha tech)

High-Tech Bullshit (++ Dust, ++ tech)

Guts (+military, +++morale)

Mao Mode (++military, +PIP, +doctrines, +stockpiles, ++morale, -transgene, -CIP, -tech)

Stalin Mode (++PIP, +CIP, ++logistics, +helium, +tech, -doctrine, --morale)

Starting Tech Bonuses (Tentative)

ZOCU: + Mecha Tech, + Mega-Particle Tech, + Shield tech, + propulsion tech, + Hangarize, - shipbuilding

PACT: + Aerospace Technology, + ECM Technology, + Pulse Tech, + Carrier Technology

EU: + Naval Technology, + Ground Tech, + Railgun Technology, + Defensive Technology

China: + Shipbuilding, + Aerospace tech, + Ground Tech, + Railgun Technology

League: + Ground tech, + Defensive tech, + Technology (any), - shipbuilding

Independent: ++++ Technology (any), - shipbuilding

Chaotic Events

These represent events that are difficult to predict in any form of historical pattern and are not tied to any specific sequence of events. Tentatively, any nation may chose one (just to keep things simple) to further customize their nation and represent particularly anomolous events in history.

Found Religion (+ Morale, - Wealth)

Ran Outta People (+ Computer Tech, - Pop)

Don't Touch That! (+ Stockpiles, - Debt) - note: your +s stockpile cannot be removed by -s debt during nation creation

Hippies Under The Bed (+ pop, - military)

My Toaster Hit Singularity (+ dust, - CIP)

Libertarian Rickroll (+ Wealth, - Morale)

Communist Manifesto (+ PIP, - Wealth)

Economic Progression (+ CIP, - PIP)

Build It And They Will Come (+ Logistics, - Wealth)

Immoral Breakthrough (+ tech, - Pop, - morale)

My Little Lacus (+ Transgene, - Military)

Reaganomics (+ Wealth, - Debt)

Cut To The Bone (+ doctrines, - military, - logistics)

Transgenes Go Back To Transgeneland! (+ Morale, - Transgene)

Populism! (+ Morale, - everyone relations)

Development Hell (+ RP, - tech)

The Weak Perish (+ doctrines, - pop)

Path Change log

Upgraded

A2) Initial Colony Population

Changed:

E1) The Zodiac Organization - Solidarity!

F1) Indie World Politics - Get Sirius

G1) ZOCU World Politics

G2) ZOCU World Economics - Crash Industrialization

I1) EU World Politics

I2) EU World Economics changed

--Shrike 08:23, 17 July 2009 (UTC)

Changed:

D4) Catapulted (may not choce Independence or Solidarity in E1)

--Shrike 18:30, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

Added:

Chinese Arm and League paths

Changed:

Almost everything for Indies.

--Shrike 21:04, 22 July 2009 (UTC)

Noncannon Ideas