FTL in the New Era

[The Union of Tinis]

So, the big question is should we be allowing FTL in the new era or not? If yes, then what are the rules for it? I'd be ok with some sort of limited FTL provided there's some rules for it. So get to discussing all this stuff if you like.

[The Anean Star Empire]

I think it can be allowed, but with limits for most people at first. Like, limited to maybe a certain distance.

Of course, this is coming from the person that controls half of a galaxy...

[miokalia]

I'm okay with it on the condition that limitations are placed on it in such a way that it:

1. Is in effect: of no practical military application, and thus no sudden doomship armada overhead in the main RP, Threads which occur in different timelines or settings may allow or be based around "operatic scale space", such as Starfurs.

2. Can be used as a mechanism of cultural exchange to an extraterrestrially-based influence (This is probably applicable to you based on the description I read. Where you're bringing in a language/species/something which may not easily fit in with the immediate surroundings.


In regards to the second one: Integration with surroundings is something which can be done over time as a geographical history is developed with neighbors.
But to be honest, I started out doing a similar thing as Anean Star Empire, (a colony with cultural connections to 2 or 3 planets, rather than a galaxy) and have since revised and consolidated them into terrestrial cultures (which has made a few things easier, oddly enough).
However, I do find writing excessively detailed pseudoscience to create explanations for sci-fi devices to be bizzarely satisfying in probably some sick compulsive way .
So basically: I'm okay with it.


As a addendum to this:
If we're unlocking FTL: then the Axial Transit/Coaxial Clampy tech from pre-retcon could/should now be an FFed-wide tech, at least as a generic, non-specific foundation (by which I mean: a nondescript FTL which isn't necessarily based on the aesthetics and details of the pre-retcon one, and can be called anything.) upon which individual nations can define their own 'flavors' of. Kind of like Linux .
That way it will feel a bit more in-scale as a community development, while allowing for individual players to define different methodologies which do not necessarily have to coincide with one and other.

SAFETY of the system can be a manifestation of one of the limiting rules, As can Distance (as Anean mentioned), or Energy usage, or Mass-limits, or some combination of those perhaps.
An assumption with Energy usage is: that if the system works at all, the energy usage is not infinite, and for the sake of practicality: let's say it's within the realm of an attainable quantity. So enabling FTL doesn't necessitate enabling anything else itself.

But most importantly: it doesn't effect everything else to a detriment because it functions as a background device for explanation, cultural exchange, pseudoscience, etc...

If we unlock this, I'm still going to continue with having my dinosaurids terrestrially-based (as they have been since the retcon) and continue having their history intertwined and interactive with Cal's and KZ's, instead of having them operate via offworld influence (as it was prior to retcon). Having them as an island instead of a planet has been a lot more streamlined (example: There appears to be more opportunity for intricate history and historical detail with neighbors now. I would be posting more, I've just been extremely busy the last few months.)

As an auxillary, I think we can address some of the other sci-fi items as well, and similarly to FTL: consider re-scaling, rules and such. The main reason for this is: So that we have a simple, implicit system for accommodating the inevitable anachronism of nations operating in different implied eras or ages so that these differences do not interfere or inhibit interaction between different nationplayers.

[The Union of Tinis]

Ok, so not a lot of talk on this in a while... but I think unless there's any objections that the general rules for FTL should be as follows:

1. Faster than Light (FTL) Travel is a story tool that some nations can make use of.

2. FTL can not be used as a means to 'power game':
A. In character, you can not FTL to summon powerful space fleets, fling asteroids, time travel, otherwise destroy things that are not your own (aka, you can have FTL mishaps that destroy your own space ships/cities), or to generally cause unfair strife.
B. This restriction does not mean you can not in character threaten space fleets or destroying the world with fast asteroids however such threats can not and will not be completed out of character.
C. If FTL is used to power game, the moderators or administrators will lock the thread and request all involved parties to come to some sort of resolution to the situation before unlocking the thread. If no resolution can be agreed to by the participants in a reasonable amount of time, the moderators/admins will determine a resolution. Discussions on how to best resolve the issue shall be discussed openly in the General folder of the Fur Fed board for all to be able to see, add suggestions, and to participate.

2. Use of FTL is encouraged for the purposes of creating interesting plots, allowing interactions that might not be possible otherwise, and in some nation backgrounds if applicable provided the other rules are not violated.

3. FTL can not be used for attaining unrealistic benefits or technologies that are not already established as being one of your tech advantages, to steal the tech advantage of another player, or to locate beneficial items or wealth beyond the scope of established available things.

4. FTL must have some risk involved. The risk might be small or it could be large. But traveling thousands or millions of light years in a short amount of time is not without risks. Some possible risks are:
A. An error in calculation could put you in the middle of a star.
B. You come out of FTL at high relative velocities and must use conventional rockets and the like to not get flung off into deep space and to be able to land somewhere.
C. Your vessel must enter an 'other' or 'hyper' space type environment that might have objects, hazards, unfriendly locals there in.
D. There's a 0.0001% chance you might never come out the other side.
E. Use of FTL attracts attention from someone or something that doesn't like you.
F. Traveling through FTL really does a number on your ship the faster you go, so if you get in a hurry your ship might be torn apart.
(feel free to suggest or come up with other dangers and risks!)

5. All FTL has to make sense. A brief description of how it works, what the risks are, and what its like should be provided for others to have a reference and to prevent abuse. It is also encouraged that the basic ideas of the science be explained at least a little bit. If more than one FTL system is imagined, it is highly encouraged that those who have them/make use of them figure out how their methods are related (or not relate) so that a general fur-fed style science can be developed. This enriches the world of the Furry Federation and having this information floating about can inspire others to create new and wonderful ideas.

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So any suggestions for improvement, changes, or additions? I hope this covers the bases and makes some things clear. I think having some clear guidelines will have people worry less about it and will help people write more interesting RPs.

If this seems good to everyone I'll probably post it in the Important Information Area.

[Nova25]

I'm in total agreement over the point #1, 2, 3 and 5.

I'm also agreeing with the point #4, except for the sub-point ''F'' :
-Since the only real danger for ships traveling through ''hyper'' space (Using FTL), as saw in many Sci-Fi movies and other things (as far as I know), is IF the ship(s) enter in contact with the ''walls'' while traveling in the hyper-space ''corridor''.

As for ideas and suggestions, plus some ''observations and thoughts'' :
-So far the only Nation that can use ''FTL travel with spaceships'' is the Aneans, us not having the techs for FTL OR big spaceships, BUT !

...With an idea that ''sprouted'' from The Rift RP, and some people comments, I was thinking that we could have access to ''doors'' or portals...
...Maybe just 2 or 3 on the entire planet (like in StarGate ), that would allow people that don't have FTL to do the same, but with similar limitations, of course !

-The portal being ''relatively'' unstable, due to our own technological limitations, the energy source used, the limited time we can let the portal open and the time we have to wait to reopen it again, etc... Also, those portals would be a 2-Ways-only kind of portal, connecting ONE portal to a unique OTHER portal. This could led us to discover an hypothetical network of Portals, maybe on a limited number of worlds and maybe only in our galaxy...

[The Union of Tinis]

Subpoint F-> These are just suggestions for limitations, so feel free to reject them or come up with better alternatives. Not a big deal as long as there is something. But yeah, folks should not take that bit of listing as 'word of god' facts about these things. We can develope the pro's and con's later.

For the portals: If we're going to have more than the one, we should figure out, out of character, where they might be and where they might go just so things don't get out of hand. We might even reserve one for players who haven't joined the forum but exist somewhere in the great empty spaces of the federation.

[Nova25]

Jun 5, 2010 0:56:36 GMT -5 The Union of Tinis said:

For the portals: If we're going to have more than the one, we should figure out, out of character, where they might be and where they might go just so things don't get out of hand. We might even reserve one for players who haven't joined the forum but exist somewhere in the great empty spaces of the federation.

I guess, from the fact that we are on an Alternative Earth, that the ''Earth continents'' should at least have 1, maybe in the US (like in a certain Cheyenne Mountain - Stargate )...

There is/was one on the Acronos Island (will probably be destroyed in the end of The Rift RP)...

That makes 2 Portals...

It will make 4 Portal, if we have another one that we will discover in a near future... and another one hidden for any future New Members wanting to use it...

For the next Portal we would ''discover in a near future''... A place that would be good would be : Somewhere near the mountains around the Salt Sea (just west of Tinis) OR even IN the Salt Sea itself ... It's a remote enough location, but still accessible and interesting... Also, this portal could be bigger, being in a big place, big Sea, for boats or toward a ''water world'', etc...