You've caught my attention.

Okay.

What do the two factions of government represent? What sort of theme and mood are you going for here? Is this a galactic game? Is this post-scarcity? Some other relevant question?

>>2472537

Awesome idea is awesome.

I don't know if i'd have time to play it but i expect you'll be bombarded with requests to join before long anyway!

love/emotion vs logic/science

>>2472561
Both sides claim to be the elected representative body of the Universe. It is, in essence, a civil war. Ideologically they are both democratic republics, however P.o.S is more Socialist whereas the W.G is more Conservative however this currently represents voting trends and, if pushed, these subtle inflections could become more extreme.

The game spans the entire universe; or as it's colloquially know 'The Cosmos' The advent of S.P Space, however, facilitates travel and communications with greater ease, essentially condensing real-space into more reasonable proportions.

It's almost post-scarcity: industry, while largely done by non-sentient automations still requires personal direction and design to be maximumly efficient and pleasing. Further, the amount of Paperwork having to be undertaken to run industry and supply the populace of the Cosmos is vast and billions are employed as civil servants. Military needs and production are a major source of economic return.

>>2472586
Love versus Strife against an Existential backdrop?

>>2472645
An excuse for a ripping good space opera yarn then, eh?

Well, despite the vastness of scale here, make sure you DON'T emphasize that- the characters should always have meaning. Their actions shouldn't be swallowed up against the background of the inevitable, ala 40k- you have guys who are working on the behalf of abstract forces for God's sakes, shooting rainbows of love and hate!

So, make sure there is a small cast, and that the characters are able to get into the notice of The Big People fairly easily- at least, those are my thoughts.

You DID mention realpolitik for if you're involved with the governments, so maybe you'll want to emphasize isolation for those. But I can't see you doing that for characters playing as agents of love and strife.

>>2472673
He said existentialism.

>>2472691
He said power rangers!

>>2472673
There are three parties involved. Love and Strife and the two sides to the civil war.
To be an Agent of Love or Strife is essentially to be a Crusading sci-fi Knight of sorts - you'll equal to all others of your cause and potentially immensely powerful. Cutting a battle-ship in half with a sword isn't beyond you. Being subtle and covering your infinity armour with a cloak and wandering Odin-like through the PoS S.P-docks is sometimes necessary, but it's for the sake of the universe, right? Flash-freekin'-Gordon.
To fight in the civil war is slightly more down to earth, but players can still expect important things to happen to them. To be diplomats, or captains - to be entrusted with increasingly crucial missions.

As you said, it's Space Opera; the action is always going to follow the players about.

(Pictured: An Agent of Strife)

Top-level agent of Love?

Bump.

>>2472537

So...

NIKOPOL Trilogy?

>>2472913
Yes. But with less fascism and Egyptian Gods.

>>2472998
Oh, and limited amounts of chess-boxing.

Anyone in /tg/ interested in playing?

>>2473101
Yeah, sounds pretty cool and funky. I'd like to know more, but I'm unsure of what questions to ask.

>>2472537

>>2473174
>r and bring about a new age of love.
If they choose Strife, love's counterpart, they'd be the bizzaro-world opposites of what they could be. Anywhere between Saturday-Morning-Cartoon-Villainism to outright Nihilism.
Or both, both is good.

I don't know whether I'd want to be justice and light or grimdark? Maybe the human side is best. Wait, this is the entire universe right? Is everyone human?

>>2473300
The cosmos is filled with every type of creature imaginable. As far as sentient species go, to avoid massive confusion as to rights, everyone is referred to as 'Human', but Homo Sapiens are by no means a majority. The squid-like Caijuu are also a prime space-faring species, as are Robots - mechanical, sentient constructs who value a self-contained sense of person above a mental collective.
Each separate sentient Human receives one vote on issues that effect them. A major decision in the Universe split the Cosmic Government as argument arose as to who exactly would be effected by the outcome; and thus who could vote.

All this, of course, is meant to play up the existential absurdity of the setting.

>>2473386
>existential absurdity
You have my attention.

Why do I get the feeling that there's some deeper philosophic meanings to this other than just blasting people with brightly-colored lasers. Empedocles would be proud.. or worried.

>>I've just finished a setting wherein Love and Strife are very real elemental forces of the universe

FOR THE LOVE

I think I'd actually prefer to play as one of the normal people. The lives of average heroes in a universe where avatars of love and hate stalk the stars doing battle seems quite interesting. Normal humans have to act smart, not strong.

>>2473487
i played it, it was good

>>2473386
You're approaching Douglas Adams absurdity here.

Love.

Strife.

The Cosmic Government.

Pick your side, /tg/

>>2472537
Strife because im lonely and beardy

>>2473575
>>2473487

STRIFE

Strife.

Our women are hotter.

Governmental. Because robots are fucking awesome.

OP here. Just thinking that players and NPCs could uphold the different ideologies, but yet outwardly appear to be another solider in the war; keeping any powers secret and covertly influencing events to further either love or strife.

So who'd be an honest-to-god servant of the government and who would be a devious ideologue of (potential) immense power would be something that'd have to be resolved both regarding NPCs and within the player party itself. The final boss of a champaign actually being a trusted team-mate.. TPK anyone?

>>2473996
Sounds cool. So the entire party can either be straight-cut Love or Strife and fly around having exalted-style adventures, or can play as cosmic soldiers in a more DH-style war fiction or investigative champaign.
Or be low-powered agents, or be a mix. Ultimate customization!

Right, there is now a chat-channel open at http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/chat.html
on the Love_and_Strife channel.

BUMP, damnit! Best thread on /tg/

Bump for awesome.

Time to pack away the toys for tonight. I'll just archive this in case anyone wants it again to actually play with.

Color me extremely-fucking-interested.

I want, I enjoy- but you need SOME specifics.

Describe for me space ships, weapons, planets, religions, alien species, etcetera- abstract generalizations can only go so far.

>>2474998
Vague esotericism no good then?

>>2475016
Well- as much as the sweeping generalizations are cool, I just can't stand having space opera without details. Y'know, "Archbishop of the Cosmos Jarrick, ascended on Villarhen, the most faithful of planets, is neutral in this action- he is profoundly frustrated in not being chosen as an agent for Love, and as of such is attempting to act in such a manner that he feels befits one chosen by Love. Therefore, his neutrality in the civil war. He is blind to the fact that his zealous, untempered prosecution and firebrand hate speech to the Consortium of Corat (The effects of which can still be felt in the Perdido Cults that infest every hab from Terra to Lo Edge Research Station) is what is impairing him, not just mere politics."

>>2475067
Nice! Now official cannon.

Let me make it clear - while I have some vague ideas as to the themes, aesthetics and generals principals of the setting it's very much an open project and I'd love some creative cooperation from /tg/.

>>2474998
>space ships
S.P Space is a vastly different place to Real-Space, however, traveling through it remains largely the same. Passage through the glistening vortexes and dazzling energies of the S.P are forged on vast craft, capable of sustaining a passenger contingent of at least one million. The current trend of design in the Cosmic Government learns towards organical cone structures there are many variations in the private sector in accordance with taste and cultural fashion. While battleships tend to be smaller and sleeker the same minimal cone format is retained.
>weapons
Lasers, Solid Slugs and Phase weaponry are still in use. In fact, considering the vastness of the universe, if something has the potential to hurt someone, it's probably in use. In order; Nuclear, Biological, S.P Focused, Love and Strife-based weaponry are still the most vastly destructive forces known to the C.G

>>2475138
Hmmkay...

Alright. Love and Strife partially originate in S.P. space- probably want parallel drive systems for agents of Strife and Love- but Love and Strife don't originate there. Rather, somehow, after humanity had made good, primitive use of S.P. space, Love and Strife recognized their agents, and bade them to spread this. So far, popular theory is that these are extra-dimensional alien gods that see kinship in man, and would see them spread their dictum of choice. Popular theory is not necessarily the correct one though. Most who study S.P. space state that if there is something out there, it is slow and impressionable. Of course, knowledge that Love and Strife are acting in the universe isn't common- people bemoan the villainy that life holds, and pine for better days, and sometimes attribute this to the conscious work of forces beyond their control, but don't grasp the true picture that agents of Love and Strife hold.

Which of course is "My side good, their side bad."

All Agents of Love and Strife are picked within S.P. space. Those aware of Love and Strife then have a terrible habit of flinging themselves from airlocks in S.P. space in an attempt to be chosen- sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Usually though, Agents are chosen when S.P. Space is brought to THEM, scientific experiments gone wrong, isolated cosmic flukes, and moments on the verge of death are all popular. To be sure, there have been Agents chosen on warp ships, but most of the time the Agent has to do something extraordinary to bridge S.P. Space and realspace to deserve the power that can be brought to them.

The Parliament of Stars favored food across the universe is usually rice. This has lead to a copious amount of jokes and slurs from the Galactic Witenagemot, neutral parties, and comedians much to the exasperation of the Parliament. The abortive campaign of "Rice is Nice" from their Propaganda Department only cemented the joke.

>Planets
While appearing to be ghost-like, miniature points of light that sparkle and fall like snow in S.P Space, the planets of the Republic of the Cosmos are excessive in number and sort. The majority are sparsely inhabited industrialized complexes where massive construction or agriculture automations continually churn out their much needed produce which are swiftly organized and shipped to the Megalopolises; city-states capable of covering entire systems, sometimes half-existing in S.P Space. The Republic constitutionally promised a certain amount of living space per Sentience, hence the enormity of urban areas. Of course, many member-states of the Cosmos are content to organise their own citizens in whatever manner suits them regardless of stature.

The Parliament of Stars and the Galactic Witenagemot both hold bans against slavery, though the Galactic hold no bars on indentured servitude and forced prison labor and the Parliament allows prostitution (With vigorous government check ups) and as a punishment for heinous, galactic level crimes, lobotomies with mind control.

Both sides take these policies as excuses to decry the other as hypocrites.

However, considering that little labor NEEDS to be done in the far future that can't be done by robots, the average life of a citizen (At least on Grade 3 Cosmic Goverment worlds) is relaxed.

The latest Cosmic Census revealed that there are only 433, 653, 921 souls in the empire. The worrying state of affairs has incited some policy to encourage breeding to correct the shrinking population.

>>2475450
Oh, wow, this's stunning.
I've been up far too long to write coherently and you've out-shone me by a couple of thousand candles...
Good to know at least someone has a firm grasp on the humanitarian side of my setting.

>>2475475
Have to make up for writing 40k fanfiction somehow...

Must chow. Will hopefully have more ideas when I return.

This setting had always struck me as a 'Here are the basics, now run with it!' affair. Like Paranoia, where neither the size, shape or aesthetics of Alpha Complex are discussed, you still gain a definite sense of what is and is not suitable. E
ssentially, with the right mind-frame and key descriptors, multiple players would get the same mental image of the Cosmos and could build on it from there; each player group having their own version of events.

>>2475511
Nice to have some talent around. Must sleep. I'll be back in a while and read through - I hope it'll revitalize my creatively.

ANON, please post all and any ideas!

This may need to be archived soon. If nothing new shows up before the end of my shift, I'll submit it to Suptg.

>>2475559
I've made one archive. I don't know if it updates.

Is this some sort of epic thread?

Project "Blue Sky"

So wait...

Parliament of Stars, Cosmic Government, and Galactic Win...german word. They represent love, neutral, and strife; respectively?

And each of them have regular government troops, as well as crusading power ranger knight types obeying their force, not their government?

>>2475878

And if the Love and Strife guys each have their power rangers but the neutral Cosmic Government doesn't, I propose in addition to their normal military, there be some sort of scientific inquisition or something. The proponents of Reason or some such.

>>2475878

Actually, i think Love and Strife are above the governemental agencies, and that they have no actual relationship to them; you might have Strife agents from the Galactic Witenagemot fighting with Agents of Love from the Parliament of Stars, while Agents of Love from the Witenagemot sabotauge efforts of the Parlimentary Agents of Strife to influence the politics of the Cosmic Government.

>>2475878
The Parliament of Stars and the Galactic Witenagemot are two sides of a universal government that is now churning in civil war. A while ago they had been two parties within the same democratic republic but this state has since fractured into these two warring states.
The forces of Love and of Strife are not associated with either side, being more cosmic-energy than political end. However, those who would call themselves agents of Love or Strife (who are occasionally imbued with immense mystical power) seek to use the current Cosmic upheaval to unseat human autonomy and place the population of the universe under their control - lead either by notions of authoritarian justice and truth or anarchic entropy and greed.

>>fuck you Søren

Well hey, I just wanted to ensure organic life would have a place in a biomechanically dominated galaxy, but that's your opinion and all. Sounds like someone has some growing up to do.

The University of Cosmos would like to remind you that the Church of Reason is the new path for a new and harmonious reunified Cosmic Government.

>What sort of theme and mood are you going for here?

A quietly dark epic in a misgivingly toy-like Sci-fi shell. While there may be deeper philosphical, social political considerations, I'd still want the players to experience a run-n-gun Space Opera.
As a rule of thumb, technology should appear as if it was conceived in the 1970s, mixed a little with Ashley Wood, art deco and pulpy comics.

>>2476078
Yeah, a place on a spike. Amirite? Eh? Amirite?

Archive this win!