NEW New Frontiers...

[Owen E Oulton]

Continuing on from the New Frontiers? thread, which just hit 3 pages and is a bit unweildy.

[Oded]

Ok, it's been a long time since my last post, the Thallonian templates is very well made, there are just two changes I thought about. The first, I'm not sure all Thallonians should have the arrogant disadvantage, Si Cwan is obviously arrogant, But I'm not sure all Thallonians are. The other addition to the template is a new disadvantage I think we should add: No Homeworld, it should probably be -2 or -3, and while I don't think it should have a game mechanic associated with it, it should affect the roleplaying.

And now, for the Si Cwan write up, the only change I can think of is to add Zak as a rival (with a -2 level), it seems like he and Si have some kind of semi-friendly rivalry going on.

[Owen E Oulton]

I'm not familiar with New Frontiers, not being a Peter David fan, but if it's "semi-friendly" it's not a Rival disad per the LUG rules. A Rival is someone who actively goes out of his way to make trouble for someone, not just someone who competes with a character.

[Pope]

I'd have to agree with Owen that Zak and Si Cwan's banter isn't worthy of a disad. It's more of an RP thing (that's why I also thought the Calhoun NPC was a bit unwieldy; much of that stuff is simply "in character" stuff, not coordinated rules).

And, as I think I've said before I have this idea that most of the Thallonians were somewhat aristocratic. OK, so they weren't all Lord Si Cwan, but think they all looked down on the other species of their Empire. Perhaps some exiles were more open (a possible character development) but in general I'd like to think they're effete.

This is a bit off topic, but I've had arguments with some players about the stereotypes of certain races. Klingons are angry, Romulans manipulative, Ferengi greedy and Thallonians arrogant. Some break the mold, but I think for the most part this is the way the Star Trek universe should be. I like to think of it as a ficticious experiment in which aspects of human nature are grafted into external species, amplified, and essentially studied as we may study a bacteria in lab rats. The whole idea of these aliens is to exemplify certain traits of our species.

Anywayz, sorry about the rant I'm still reviewing the Thallonian template, and hoping to find some time for more NPC's. If anyone wants to talk about my species philosophy let's open it up in Star Trek Chat.

Pope.

[Gareth007]

Owen, thanks for the new thread.

I'll still defend the Calhoun template, unwieldy or not. :P I don't see all that much difference, really, between the "roleplaying" aspects and disadvantages. In fact, I think they're really the same thing, it's just that the Advantages/ Disadvantages give you a benefit for those advantages and disadvantages instead of them "just" being roleplaying advantages.

My argument for Zak/ Si-Cwan NOT being rivals would be that they don't quite rise to the level of Calhoun and Jellico, which we have agreed, I think, is a rivalry.

Owen, sorry you're not a fan, man.

Obed, please bring try your hand at whatever you like.

Pope, I agree with you about the races, except that I think Klingons have migrated to Honorable warriors instead of just angry.

More stuff coming soon, I promise.

--G

[Doug Burke]

Originally posted by Owen E Oulton:
I'm not familiar with New Frontiers, not being a Peter David fan, but if it's "semi-friendly" it's not a Rival disad per the LUG rules. A Rival is someone who actively goes out of his way to make trouble for someone, not just someone who competes with a character.

Not necessarily, Owen.

According to the DS9 CGB (Pg 98), "At the Narrator's option, a relatively minor or trivial rivalry (such as between Captains Sisko and Solok), or one restricted to a particular activity or subject (such as for the affections of a particular person, or a sports rivalry), is worth a flat -1 point."

Just playing monkey wrench.

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Doug Burke

McCoy: "You're taking me to the promised land?"
Kirk: "That's what you get for missing staff meetings, Doctor."

[Gareth007]

Well, I'm kind of burned out on characters and xenobiology. But my creative instincts were stretching into another area, today, so I submit for your review a draft of what I had envisioned for an introduction to Sector 221-G, and the history of the Thallonian Empire. It's very brief, and i feel this is appropriate for the type of resource we are preparing. Not to mention the fact that Peter David has only given us a little information thus far. I look forward, as always, to hearing your thoughts:

According to Thallonian legend, ancient Thallon was settled as a penal colony, though this is not widely known outside of Thallonian culture. The legend states that an ancient race sent its criminals to Thallon in the belief that the world was a desolate wasteland where the people would slowly die. When the penal craft arrived at Thallon, the convicts found the world to be rich in mineral and energy resources, as well as rich farmland. The legend tells that the original inhabitants were at first overwhelmed at the wealth their new home provided.
Whether or not this creation legend may remain unproven, since the destruction of Thallon in 2375 took with it all records pertaining to early Thallonian history. While it is possible that other record repositories might exist, none have been found. When asked about such artifacts by Federation diplomats, Si-Cwan has been extremely reticent.
In spite Thallon's loss, a great deal is known about the activities of the Thallonians after they had established themselves on their new home. The Thallonian quickly established a government on Thallon, and used the technology which had brought them there, as well as their own knowledge, to regain a technology base which would allow them to return to the stars, and hopefully return to their homeworld. This renovation took several centuries, due to the fact that the Thallonians felt it necessary to not only create transportation, but a military force capable of destroying their captors.
As time passed, the Thallonian desires shifted somewhat. As the Thallonians explored, nearby space, they used their advanced technology and military force to conquer those societies which they encountered. As the Empire expanded, the Thallonian drive began to change. It became apparent that their former homeworld was much farther away than Thallonian scientists had predicted; instead their focus began to shift to the obligations they had created to the worlds which they had conquered. This sense of noblesse oblige became the focus of the Thallonian Emperors, and indeed a mandate for the entire Thallonian Royal family, if not for all Thallonians. They considered themselves the caretakers of the member worlds, and if their methods were sometimes ruthless, they deemed them to be necessary.
The Federation first came into contact with the Thallonian Empire in 2364, when the U.S.S. Hood explored Sector 221-G. The Federation was at fist apprehensive about yet another Empire along its borders, and it greeted with relief the explanation of Thallonian ambassadors that the Thallonians were not interested in further conquest. However, the Thallonians were also adamant that they did not welcome Federation intervention into what they considered Thallonian affairs. Already faced with aggressive neighbors in the Klingon and Romulan Empires, the Federation agreed to remain outside of Thallonian space.
For the next century, the Federation expanded rapidly around the relatively small area of space which it designated as Sector 221-G. This situation changed rapidly, and it came to the attention of the UFP as early as 2355. The Thallonian Empire was beginning to collapse upon itself. Federation scientists now believe that this was precipitated by an unexplained depletion of Thallon's formerly abundant natural resources. Without these resources, the Thallonians were no longer able to maintain the technological and military advantages which allowed them to control their empire, and it began to collapse upon itself. By 2373, even Thallon herself was not safe from the revolution, and the Thallonian Royal family was forced to flee into hiding. Unfortunately, only two members of the Royal Family were able to make good their escape, Lord Si-Cwan and Kallinda, his younger sister. Si-Cwan spent several months searching Thallonian space for his sister, until he resigned himself to the fact that the death and destruction he was viewing across his former empire would not stop without outside intervention.
It was Si-Cwan who approached the United Federation of Planets with a request for aide for the peoples of his former empire.

--G

[Gareth007]

And just because I'm on a roll tonight, here's some info on Nelkar for y'all to rip apart.

Prior to its discovery by the Thallonians, Nelkar was an idyllic world. The fourth and last planet in a system orbiting a yellow star, the inhabitants of the planet began their various cultures in relative isolation from one another, and each had ample time to grow. The Nelkari, never possessed of an exploratory spirit, were long content to remain isolated. Eventually the settlements' size caused them to make contact with other cultures on their world, but it was an extraordinarily slow process. In fact, by the time the Thallonians came to Nelkar, there still was no unified government, simply a series of nation states which were at relative peace with one another. The Thallonians deemed this unacceptable, and set about combining those nation states into a cohesive puppet government for Nelkar. In addition to this enforced unification, the Nelkari gained an incredible technological leap from the Thallonians, gaining their first real exposure to interstellar travel and modern technology. This new technology created a need among the Nelkari – a need to acquire more of it. Seeing the possibilities which interstellar travel might open up and how handily they had been controlled by the Thallonians, the Nelkari became determined to ensure that they were never at such a technological disadvantage again.
In a surprisingly short amount of time given their past rate of growth, the Nelkari became a minor interstellar power in their own right. Their technological advances were not gained, however through research and development. Instead they were gained from scavenging the remains of destroyed interstellar craft and in some early cases, purchase of starship technology from powers which already possessed it.
With the collapse of the Thallonian government, the Nelkari became even more bold in their operations. No longer content with salvage, they began to actively attack weaker ships, and to lure more powerful ships to within range of their homeworld. Using brutal tactics, the Nelkari would simply attack the ships to gain the technology which they desired.
Starship technology is now used in ever aspect of Nelkari society, from construction of their own vessels to the architecture of their cities. Much of this technology is consistently on the verge of breaking down, due to the Nelkari's limited knowledge of repair and maintenance procedures.

--G

[This message has been edited by Gareth007 (edited 09-07-2000).]

[Pope]

Agk! This thread's been a bit inactive (just as much my fault). Anything new in the pipeline?

As Icon Trek seems dead I'd like to think we can produce some unofficial books to keep the online community happy!

[Liquidator Queeg]

Well, AFAIK, Dr. Jonas Bashir and several others are currently working on a Trill sourcebook, MacTavish is working on more material for his Android supplement (Borg history, IIRC), and Don is chugging away on the Voyager book. I don't know of any others in the pipeline right now (if I'm wrong or forgetting anyone, please speak up!). Additionally, after I'm finished with my Fantasy ICON project, I'm going to dive headlong into a Ferengi sourcebook.

I suspect that many more will contribute to this great game as time passes.

LQ

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Spock: "Has it occured to you that there's a certain inefficiency in constantly questioning me on things you've already made up your mind about?"

Kirk: "It gives me emotional security."

[CaptainGonzalez]

Dr. Jonas Bashir and several others are currently working on a Trill sourcebook, MacTavish is working on more material for his Android supplement (Borg history, IIRC), and Don is chugging away on the Voyager book. [/B]

Ok pardon my ignorance as I'm new to the discussion board. Where can I find these works in progress?

[Liquidator Queeg]

You can find out some more about Mactavish's Artificial Lifeform work here (It's the only one that's "complete", so to speak):
http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/For...ML/000463.html

Bashir's (and co.) discussion of the Trill work can be found here:
http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/For...ML/000642.html

More information about Don's work on the Voyager Supplement can be found here:
http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/For...ML/000645.html

And more information about my Fantasy ICON project can be found here:
http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/For...ML/000653.html

Note: The link to the website I set up with character creation information is currently unavailable. I am reorganizing the material and will have it up again soon.

At these boards you can perform searches by typing in various names, phrases and words (for things like Thread Topic and Poster Handle). This is the best way to discover information about past discussions. I've posted the above links to point you in the right direction to find the discussions I referenced in my previous post.

LQ

------------------
Spock: "Has it occured to you that there's a certain inefficiency in constantly questioning me on things you've already made up your mind about?"

Kirk: "It gives me emotional security."

[This message has been edited by Liquidator Queeg (edited 10-02-2000).]

[Karg]

Been Wondering, This thread has been dead for a while, Has any work been done on a New frontiers Sourcebook

[Gareth007]

I've done some work on one, drawing heavily on materials from this thread and those of Dan Gurden.

However, lately, I've been slacking off, due to studying for a retake of the Bar exam -- I'm trying to actually PASS this time!

However, I am still interested in putting it together. EVENTUALLY.

--G

[Dan Gurden]

You can still count me in...

I have been busy with the Trill Sourcebook, but still want to do this.

I would like to focus on the more useful areas of the book and avoid some of the more annoying elements that have been introduced recently.

After all, how do we Stat McHenry, now we know he's a Q?

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Dan.

"A couple of thoughts from a random mind!"