I need guidence and input...

Hey there.

Yup it is me again.

I have hit a stumbling block in my Star Trek: Genesis campaign design.

I have a killer backstory.

I have a killer forestory.

I have killer players with some killer ideas for characters.

I have killer NPCs and sub-plots.

But I am running into a stumbling block. 2/3's of my players have a reason to work together (2 Starfleet, 1 Klingon Captain, Station Doctor), but last 2 not so much (Betazoid Torch Singer, Ferengi Bar Owner). This leaves me in an awkward spot. I have this scary feeling that 2 players are going to get left out, or be ham fisted into stories. Eep.

So I thought to myself, I need to introduce a local race that has requested Starfleet's assitence. Something like the Bajorans, but more unique. Have we seen any one shot races that look cool, aren't bugs or anything too weird.

I figure with the backstory, they will have been a servitor race of the light side. The ones who hid the ultimate weapon on their sister planet (the devastated one).

Help.

Any ideas would be cool.

I will take suggestions from any sci-fi, so long as it is film or TV so that I can use a visual reference. You know me and my images ;)

I hope to find something in Star Trek (since I don't use Voyager, any Delta Quad races would be cool suggestions as well).

Thanks in advance :)

Oh oh oh!

I had an idea!

Ocampans and Talaxians! Yeah!

With some tweaks they could both be cool races.

Now imagine the dead planet under the station is Ocampa. In the past their planet was devastated and refugees fled to another planet in the system, Talax.

The Talaxians had long had dealings with the Ocampa and welcomed the refugees, giving the an Atlantis-like Island to live on.

Yeah, and f the Ocampa were the ancient race that served the light it would explain them calling their gods "Caretakers". :)

I can use the Ocampan station from "Cold Fire" as the PC space station :)

So this way, one of the players plays an Ocampan mystic who has begun having visions from the Caretakers.

The other plays a Talaxian advisor assigned to the station as a liason or ambassador of sorts.

What do you guys think?

Having fun conversing with yourself there Aslan? :p :p

Really, it sounds fine to me. You just needed to think "out loud" didn't you? :p

-- Daniel

::Guilty As Charged::

Yup Sho, apprently I needed to. I am so silly sometimes. :)

I am thinking I should change the life-span of the Ocampa in the end, maybe into their 20s or so?

The idea being that they used to live only for 9 years and then the Talaxian medical technology and diet etc contributed to them living longer.

What do you think?

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Originally posted by AslanC


I am thinking I should change the life-span of the Ocampa in the end, maybe into their 20s or so?

The idea being that they used to live only for 9 years and then the Talaxian medical technology and diet etc contributed to them living longer.

What do you think?

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I think that this makes the Talaxian medical and scientific accomplishents greater than that of the Caretakers people...

However Ocampans do live longer... Look at Tanis. Once removed from their natural environment into the 'big bad universe' tm. They not only have reason to further devepop their psionics but in doing so extend their lifespans. I believe that Tanis was in his late teens...

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Originally posted by Dan Gurden
I think that this makes the Talaxian medical and scientific accomplishents greater than that of the Caretakers people...

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How so? I mean I never got the impression that the Caretaker was trying to improve of advance the Ocampa, only maintain them out of guilt.

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Originally posted by Dan Gurden However Ocampans do live longer... Look at Tanis. Once removed from their natural environment into the 'big bad universe' tm. They not only have reason to further devepop their psionics but in doing so extend their lifespans. I believe that Tanis was in his late teens... [/B]

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Yes he was and IIRC he made mention of someone being in their 20s. Is this a result of their living conditions or the result of Susperia tampering? I can't recall if they mentioned it in "Cold Fire", which I have only seen once.

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Originally posted by AslanC
How so? I mean I never got the impression that the Caretaker was trying to improve of advance the Ocampa, only maintain them out of guilt.

Yes he was and IIRC he made mention of someone being in their 20s. Is this a result of their living conditions or the result of Susperia tampering? I can't recall if they mentioned it in "Cold Fire", which I have only seen once.

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Fair Point. However, with a slight rephrase, it still makes the Talaxian science and medical achievements more advanced than those of the Federation (who never tried despite being close to Kes)... So I still think that the science route is wrong, and that it should simply be an evolution (which implies several generations... Not difficult at 9 years of life...)

As for there being no mention of 20 year olds on Tani's crew, thats also True... But I do recall that while late teens was common, it was by no means the end of his life...

Ha! A people said there was no reason for having those species in the Player's Guide! Aslan is living proof. Carry the torch, brother!

(For the record, I was against both species being included, and I was the Voyager developer.) :)

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Originally posted by Don Mappin
Ha! A people said there was no reason for having those species in the Player's Guide! Aslan is living proof. Carry the torch, brother!

(For the record, I was against both species being included, and I was the Voyager developer.) :)

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Well at least one of the mysteries of the Player's Guide has been solved :).

Thank you, thank you, thank you :)

I struggle to do my best, especially since I was one fo the nay-sayers of the races as well ;)

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Originally posted by AslanC
Thank you, thank you, thank you :)

I struggle to do my best, especially since I was one fo the nay-sayers of the races as well ;)

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Forgive me for sounding like a total ignoramus :) but maybe I missed it but how did two races from the Delta Quadrant manage to find their way to the Alpha Quadrant. I missed the plot somewhere didn't I?:confused:

Can't you see the fnords?!

It's so obviously a conspiracy... I mean sheesh... how much more proof do you need?!

....ooh.. bright colours!

Ignorance forgiven ;)

I am not using Voyager as Canon, I don't like it over all, but like certain parts of it, so I will steal them.

One of them I am considering stealing is the Ocampa and the Talaxians.

The idea being that they are from the same system and a thousand years ago something happened to destory the biosphere on Ocampa. Those that survived fled to Talaxia, where they were given an uninhabited continent to colonize. Over the next thousand years they grew stornger and began to live longer :) The change in environement seemed to be very good for them.

The Caretakers are their name for the ancient gods who watched over them, but left them at the time of the Cataclysm.

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Originally posted by Dan Gurden
Fair Point. However, with a slight rephrase, it still makes the Talaxian science and medical achievements more advanced than those of the Federation (who never tried despite being close to Kes)... So I still think that the science route is wrong, and that it should simply be an evolution (which implies several generations... Not difficult at 9 years of life...)

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I think we are miscommunicating here. I am not saying that their advancements were so great it radically changed the Ocampa. I am saying that simply the change in environement, availability of quality health care and such is what did it. Not a concentrated effort, just a by product of their new world and life.

Same way that Asians who are born and raised in North America tend to grow taller and stronger due primarily to the change in diet.

Or take the fact that North American children are getting bigger and bigger every generation. Or Austrailian children.

My point is that it is simply the change in environment and other conditions that lead to them living longer than before.

Officially? Well the Talaxians and Ocampans made it in because they were represented by regular characters on the show... remember Kez and Neelix???

Look at each species in the book, and you will find they were regular characters representing them all.

With the sole exceptions of Androids and Changelings... Which in themselves are both exceptions...

Do Changelings even need stats?

I mean they are more of a plot point than anything else, much like the BORG.

Just curious.

I have re-read the posts here, and have come to a conclusion.

Aslan, you really do not need our help that much. All we can offer are facts that are based on the episodes (which you have said you will alter canon for what you dont like already) and personal opinion, mostly coloured by canon, also affected by your concious decision to differ from the on screen canon.

That taken as read, simply make it what you want, have longer lived ocampans, have the Ocampans and Talaxians with a long inter-twined history rather than a species frendship based on 2 characters relationship, have the Ocampans as far stronger Teeps than ever seen before... :D

Its not wrong, Its your game, but I cant really see how we can offer you much help if you want to change it to suit your campaign, we simply lack the knowledge of what you want to offer your campaign... Not unless we can get a look into your mind. Probably the door next to John Malkovich... ;)

Of course, I will have to report you to the WOTC Gestapo. :p

Power to your campaign Aslan.

Dan

I promise to labe any further posts asking for "help" and seeking "sounding boards".

I apologize for any confusion. It is the way I work. I sound an idea out loud and see if anyone cringes and thinks it is horrible.

Also that given, if someone presents an alternate idea that actually is better, then I tend to run that way as well :)

More than one person has changed my mind on these boards. You and I agreed a long time ago that we saw Trek in different lights, especially when it came to canon. ;)

As for the WOTC thing... that explains the guy dressed like Pikachu walking outside my building with the high powered rifle. :p

consider me cringing. :)

If it is a known race, Ocampa or Telaxian, you will have players pointing and possibly using player knowledge. The best bet is to use an existing race, but modify it slightly. Use Ocampa stats with a different look. or look at my tag and see if yo do not get an Idea.

I have to disagree with you Silerthrone, but only based on my players. Theya re not big Voyager fans, and even those that have seen all the epsidoes (like me) have a very open attitude to changes.

The two that would play these races are NOT big Voyager fans, so they will play the characters based on what insight and direction I provide for them.

This may all come off as moot though, since it looks like Star Trek will be much further downt he road for us now. :(

Well Aslan, it seems that you answered your own question before any of us got to -- and I read the boards and the replies -- but I am going to answer your question anyway!

I would have used the Caldonians -- perhaps thats why they *really* wanted to bid on that wormhole.

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Originally posted by Dan Gurden
Officially? Well the Talaxians and Ocampans made it in because they were represented by regular characters on the show... remember Kez and Neelix???

Look at each species in the book, and you will find they were regular characters representing them all.

With the sole exceptions of Androids and Changelings... Which in themselves are both exceptions...

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Not forgeting ex-Borg babes. (That is babes that were former Borg, not Borg who used to be babes. :) )

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Originally posted by Dan Gurden
Not unless we can get a look into your mind. Probably the door next to John Malkovich...

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I think Aslan's mind would be far a more interesting place than John Malkovich's. Especially when he's thinking about LGT's. :D :D :cool: