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Old 08-29-2016, 06:52 PM   #1
Hammercraft
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Weekend Project: The Galactic Reformation

Early science fiction writers looked to the stars and wondered how long it would take to visit other worlds. Some peered even further into the potential of mankind and imagined a humanity that expanded beyond the stars to become as universal as gravity and radiation. Indeed, humans did expand. Motivated by their innate desire to expand, discover, and obtain, they exploded outward from their origin as fast as their expanding technological wave would carry them. Slowly at first, then ever more rapid, and incessant. They were filling the void. They encountered other life forms, but none that were both as intelligent and as technologically advanced as themselves. The Fermi Paradox - the question of how much potential there was for life, yet how silent and empty space was when we listened to it - was ultimately answered by an ancient Earth philosopher Douglas Adams:

Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.

The universe was just so amazingly huge that despite the odds among all the stars that intelligent life would develop in many places at different times, it was also likely that 'humanity' and 'aliens' would never meet and interact in a way that would be meaningful, from one species to another, before time and space tore apart their identity.

At first humans were explorers. It was a romantic time, when they sought to discover the secrets of the unknown and return to Earth to share the wonders. Ships would travel to distant stars and survey planets and bring back huge amounts of information and photographs and soil samples. Technology progressed. Systems were developed to terraform planets and process minerals, to extract water and generate atmosphere. Workers migrated to foreign worlds to escape or to advance, to be part of the first wave of human expansion.

Faster than light technology made the first wave possible, and a mastery of gravitational manipulation expanded their range. Soon humanity was reaching and discovering and settling worlds faster than they could assimilate their relationships with them. While people were eager to discover, they were also eager to live their lives prosperously. Humanity was galactic, but customs were local. Generations lived and died on foreign worlds. It didn't take very long - in an evolutionary perspective - for humanity to lose its intrinsic value in Earth, their planet of origin.

Planets traded with each other for goods, like tribes in the wilderness. Alliances formed. Wars were fought. Empires rose, and fell, and were formed from the ashes. And if you can believe it, there came a time when the Earth was forgotten completely. It simply ceased to matter to the people who lived among the stars.

Until one day, a scavenger with a license to collect from a narrow allotment of space, stumbled upon a treasure that would change the galaxy.

Gam Talvin was performing his preliminary survey of a planet in segment 0405 of the Alleromaze Sector and the results were pretty disappointing at first. Most of the planets had a high level of waste and decay, with very little usable technology. He figured that he might as well have brokered for a mining contract instead of a salvage one because of the low level of salvageable tech he detected, but all of the rare minerals had long since been stripped from the worlds. One thing piqued his interest however, and that was the age of the segment. He fancied himself a bit of a historian, as most salvagers did in a recreational sense. To be out among the stars in a remote location that the space lanes had abandoned you sometimes encountered the remnants of entire civilizations that were lost and could make up the stories about their rise and fall. The age of this segment meant that the stories on this world could go back as far as a lack of erosion would reveal.

Aboard his freighter in orbit around the developed planet of the system in 0405 the story wrote itself. It was tapped of all its assets and abandoned, and geologic events and alien vegetation had covered the surface. There were no active beacons and no intelligent life. Theoretically, under his contract he could nuke the surface or syphon off the air water and nobody would care. And there was a lot of water, which meant a lot of decay. He might be digging for a while before he discovered anything of interest. He considered subcontracting it, but he knew that would just be cutting his losses. But he was well off enough, he could afford it either way. The real reason he was here was just curiosity.

The first day yielded nothing very interesting. Some regions with dense populations around the middle of the fat planet, but not much elsewhere. Interesting actually, considering the relatively large population impact, but lower planetary distribution. The oceans and poles were completely undeveloped. The people here must have been pretty fussy about their environmental conditions. The second day, while scanning for metal veins he discovered a pattern he didn't anticipate. It was workable metals, in smaller amounts, in a wide distribution at a subterranean level. He stared at the data for hours trying to make sense of it until it dawned on him what he was looking at. The metals weren't underground, they were on the surface at a time when the surface was at that depth, and had long since been buried by time. He'd never seen stuff that widespread that deep. Either there was a lot of waste dumped on this planet or the world was really, really old.

tbc
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Old 08-30-2016, 11:43 AM   #2
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Cleric Eller pressed the small tab under his display and waited for the 'secure' light to appear before he dialed the communicator. His conversation would now be distorted and encrypted, which would keep the riffraff out. It wouldn't keep the Service from cracking open his conversation if they had wanted to, or any ship with a class 4 communication module, but that was why they were using public channels and why members were expected to live moderate, uneventful lives. It was how the clerics in the Order managed to keep their interplanetary conspiracy beneath notice for hundreds of generations, by being mostly boring in plain sight. The galaxy was filled with dark motives and real dangers, and remaining calm in the waves of conflict was a survival skill. Aside from the continual work toward finding the beginnings of human kind in the Galaxy, this was the skill that members of the Order of Origins of Terra Proxima practiced the most.

The viewing screen hummed as it searched for the connection code in the open communication lanes. Despite the hundreds of local laws and interstellar treaties that he was breaking, and the risk that a bored ship's comm would surf his communication among the millions of streams exiting the subspace relay, Eller was calm and filled with purpose. The investment he had made in a small trading company had paid off and he couldn't wait to share his findings with the Order.

In a galaxy filled with conflict, tactical information was a solid commodity because it could be used criminally or militarily. Scientific information could be valuable, but it could also be worthless, and it often took the effort of someone who was a master of their scientific discipline to evaluate the quality of the information. But cultural and historical information had very little practical value to the common enterprise and was exchanged as easily as art or rumor. It was considered harmless entertainment. For that reason it was easy to acquire in bulk, and a skilled historian could sift through it for markers to find the pieces of value. What a person did with that information once they determined its authenticity, that was what turned bedtime stories into the seeds for revolution.

His connection tab lit up as his unit established a seat in the conference. He would be presenting his findings third, but he wagered that the two presentations before him titled 'Genetic Markers in Raybiis VII' and 'Early Core Fleet Tactics' would be forgotten by the end of the three-day. His information was going to shake reputations and destroy fortunes. It would be impossible to contain for very long, and it would change the Order itself.

He unpacked his files and went over the information again. The planet was in sort of a dead-end in space, in a position that didn't connect easily to other systems. It was a Jump-2 distance from most of its neighbors, but not all of them. So it was neither isolated nor valuable, and was then bypassed completely by the development of Jump-3 drives. It had plenty of water to be scooped, but was heavy in biology, so it wasn't an inviting place to stay. The atmosphere was breathable but somewhat tainted. You wouldn't die if you were stranded there but life would not be pleasant. That explained the reaction matrix in his analysis of lore regarding the system. Factoring in tales and patterns of behavior and historical conflicts and trade agreements, the sum total of the galaxy's opinion of segment 0405-3 Alleromaze was that it was uninteresting, uncomfortable, and the air smelled funny.

It was an oxygen-rich atmosphere with a wet surface, but it wasn't the exterior of the third planet that was interesting. Underneath the ground, covered by millennia of vegetation and rot and ash, were the remnants of an ancient civilization waiting to be rediscovered. Most of it was decayed, but some of it was preserved. There were tunnels, low-tech vaults, and the skeletons of structures that survived the gnawing of time, and within them was enough information to describe the world beyond any question. Its age could easily be established, and it stretched further back than any ruin discovered so far. Much further back, in fact, than was commonly theorized to be possible. As a candidate for Terra Proxima it more than qualified. It could possibly be Terra itself.

And then the single gem that he knew would shake foundations glowed on his screen. It was a dark red brick building enclosed in a protective circle. Despite its depth and the millions of tons of waste above it, it was protected by a circular shell of stone at that layer. It took some time to figure out the source of this miracle of preservation, but eventually the circumstances were revealed. A force field generator protected the building from being harmed. It was an ancient model, and it wasn't strong enough to repel energy weapons, but it would keep people and heavy objects outside the perimeter. Its source of power was an additional source of mystery until the reactor core was found. Something had happened, so long ago, to trigger the building's defensive systems, and they had never relented, not until the power conduits that connected them had decayed. They stayed intact long enough for a crust to build over the dome and for the entire structure to be buried, and preserved.

And what an amazing, quizzical structure it was. It was functional in style, but the interior was like a temple, built to store information about celebrated heroes. And the people weren't warriors, or scientists, or politicians, but athletes. Its halls were decorated with metal plaques showing the faces of these ancient humans, and with text in reliefs that described their lives and endeavors. For a normal historian, the excitement of discovering a right-angle of worked metal from a thousand years ago was real. To step into that building, to see those bronze faces staring back at you through time from a thousand thousand years ago was surreal. It was religious. It was going to change everything he knew.

tbc

Last edited by Hammercraft; 08-30-2016 at 11:45 AM.
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Old 08-30-2016, 04:48 PM   #3
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Prince Banwal bal Tabat, heir to the Dawn Empire, Commander of the Third Fleet and Lord of the Crimson Reach and her associated planetary bodies, asteroids and mining colonies, surveyed the proposal offered to him by the religious zealots. It amounted, more or less, to a request for his peaceful surrender.

Despite the laughable lack of force that the zealots could apply, it did amount to a real danger. The Church of Terra was an infection that was spreading unchecked through his arm of the galaxy. It was recruiting followers to its faith in a way that no other religion could compete with - it had the knowledge of the origin of humanity, and a monopoly over its interpretation. And the faith of their followers was frenzied. They converted easily, and their loyalty was fanatical. But Prince Tabat was neither threatened nor amused. While his title was hereditary, that didn't mean he did not earn it. His entire life he had been fighting relatives, infiltrators, manipulators, impostors and aggressive competitors. He had never faced a threat like this one before, and if he had encountered it in his youth he might have been overcome by it. But age had granted him experience and wisdom and a significant amount of confidence. It was time to turn the situation to his advantage.

People whispered that he was being undone and his failure to attack the Church early had doomed him. He watched the more selfish and fearful merchants and advisors camp out safer positions in the expectation that the Crimson Reach would crumble. His predicament was making the other Princes in court salivate over his holdings, and they prepared for the time when his assets would be salvaged. They aligned as many dukes and lords as they could with the region, to later justify sending in military forces to stabilize the region, all in defense of the tenuous claims they could establish with their network of minor nobles. Not a single battle had yet been waged, yet the royalty was already prepared to fight over the scraps of his Princedom.

Tabat honored all their requests for lineage, and traced them all, publicly. It was something that a person would do if they expected compete defeat, to honor so many challenges made it virtually impossible to survive without compromising everything but your hollow title in the end. When Grand Emperor Yougan had been defeated by the Tabat so many years ago, at the end of his life he was mercifully placed in stasis for centuries so that the division of assets could be negotiated before he expired without proper heirs, launching more unnecessary wars of succession. It appeared that even this would be unnecessary, with Tabat holding supreme regional authority, but using it to honor the research of all foreign claims. It appeared that he was waiting for this moment to turn the job of defending his territory to the Dawn Empire as a whole, and to depend in its own self interests to defend it.

Tabat was calm and prepared. He closed his tablet, which contained endless notes and information that he would not need to refer to, and left for the conference venue.



"And so," the Ambassador Hendfor said, his voice echoing into the far corners of the hall, above the heads of dozens of dignitaries, advisors, court officials, and the Church delegation, "it is clear that in these times the people - your people - have the need to reconnect to their origins. They see the truth in our teachings, and it feels more meaningful to them than any of your titles. These bonds are stronger, and they cannot be broken by any force. You must submit to their truth."

The Ambassador had expected to see more of a reaction to his words by now. After several hours of mildly pecking away at the integrity of the royal rule, Prince Tabat sat in silence. Hendfor was an experienced negotiator, and he accepted that there was a chance that he would not leave the negotiation alive. When a person is cornered and their options dwindle they can feel threatened and prone to outbursts. His personal shield would stave off the actions of any random agent, but in a practical sense he was completely defenseless in the lion's den. He relied on the strength of his message, the hold that his faith had on the Prince's people, and the threat that violence against the Church would create rebellion and altogether too much trouble for any single Prince to handle. He hoped that good manners, calm persistence, and an appeal to reason was the key to avoiding a bloody revolution.

So he at once felt defenseless, but completely secure. Netting one fish did not save you from being drowned by the ocean. This was not a wave that would lap at the shores of the Crimson Reach, it would submerge it. All that was left to negotiate is how quickly the faith would flow. Still, the Prince was calm, and not distracted. He was patiently providing the Ambassador with as much time to arrange his fate without argument or interruption. Hendfor had his complete attention. It was time to demand a response.

"This belief is established in science, it is the truth, as you have been provided the evidence of. It has a hold on your people, and it provides them with purpose and meaning in this vast universe that you cannot provide alone. So we ask you, will the Crimson Reach submit to the teachings of the Church of Terra? Will you pledge your support for our faith? Will you honor the legends of the past-"

"Players."

The interruption was loud and clear. It was not offensive, but it did catch the Ambassador off guard.

"The - excuse me?"

Prince Tabat rose and walked to the center of the room, speaking to the Ambassador. "The Legends of The Hall, as it was called, referred to each other as Players. They were divided into teams and led by an experienced player who they referred to as their Manager."

The Ambassador was clearly shaken. Of all the arguments he was expecting to entertain, one that revolved around the artifacts in the Hall of Fame - the central repository of preserved relics on Terra - was not among them. He was surprised enough that it showed in his face. Was the Prince a religious man?

Tabat continued, "They would convene on a regular basis and engage in friendly competition in large halls with thousands of people in attendance. They would engage in an athletic competition that they called the Game of Baseball. This is the heart of Terra."

Tabat turned away from the Ambassador and stood out in the open. He listened to the growing noise of the assembly. Emotion rushed through the chamber. People whispered and gasped and spoke in excited voices. The Church clearly did not expect to encounter a royal who was versed so thoroughly in their religion and artifacts. It was time to take control of the situation.

"The Church is indeed noble in its intent," said Tabat. "But it has lacked the resources to thoroughly satisfy the curiosity of my people. The Church is a good framework. It offers knowledge, and it asks for respect." He left out the perspective that it also uses its zealots like tentacles to infiltrate organizations, pressuring, squeezing, and strangling the life out of them. That would not be happening in the Crimson Reach. We would prove that our grasp was even stronger.

"Enough of this soulless debate!" called the Prince. "You cannot understand the glory of your own words, the power of our heritage unless you experience it yourselves. We shall recess to The Stadium." And the Prince exercised that power that the Ambassador knew he had, the practical strength of ownership. It was usually used for inflicting violence, but this Prince was different. He used the power to change the venue, without consultation, immediately. He signaled to his engineer, and the entire chamber crackled with energy as it slipped through a displacement barrier to a point on the surface a thousand miles away from the capital. The entire chamber - without the ceiling.

There are many inhabited worlds in the galaxy, and their conditions are as varied as the humans that inhabit them. There are very few worlds with a natively breathable atmosphere. For many, the natural light of the sun is too bright or too dim. The gravitational pull changes from heavy to light, or nearly nonexistent. For all of these factors there is a technology that can be employed to augment living conditions to create a comfortable habitat, but it tends to create a situation that few people appreciated:

Humanity, as it was in the future, mostly lived in little boxes.

Many of the boxes had windows and doors, but generally the higher density the population, the less common space there was to share for things that weren't essential, especially when carving out a space aside from the heavy gravity, searing sunlight, and poisonous air had a cost. So when the several hundred diplomats and officials suddenly found themselves in a corner of a massive dome underneath the open sky, there was a shock, and paralyzing fear. And to suddenly find themselves inside an object of their obsession, carefully engineered to neutralize gravitational and atmospheric influences at an expense that only a Prince could afford, filled them with a sense of euphoria.

"Come and join me in my Church," the Prince said. he strode out the door of the chamber, which now emptied out onto a field of dirt covered with trim foliage. "Your curiosity for the truth is admirable, but your patience is excruciating. I could not wait for the truth to be revealed so I had my own agents gather information. We have converted the visual records of the historical archives," and he waved a hand to a giant viewscreen mounted at the far end of the grassy field, where images showed ancient humans playing Baseball. "I have finished the conversion of the entire works of the Prophet Ken Burns. I have assembled the Rules for Baseball, which signified the proper ways that the athletics should proceed. I have assembled my own athletes, gleaned from the corners of the Crimson Reach and trained in the ways of Baseball."

The entire field was circled with benches like an outdoor auditorium, rising upwards in layers toward the sky. In the corner of the field, shaped like an open fan, was a large square of flat dirt. On the opposite side of the field was a room in front of the benches, and at a wave of the Price's hand men stepped out in stood in a line. They wore white uniforms with white hats bearing the insignia of the Crimson Reach.

"This is my Nine. Ambassador, I declare here that you shall be Umpire of the contest, and none here will dispute it." The Prince handed his tablet to the Ambassador. "I hereby submit as witness the associations as interests of the collected dukes, lords and princes of the Empire of Dawn, who have by Proxy of Interest legally agreed to adhere to the decision of our match. I demand that the Church of Terra submit to me their lineup, or forfiet. I hereby challenge the Church for the right to be the first Commissioner of Baseball."

tbc

{generating lots of background data for analysis... tbc}

Last edited by Hammercraft; 09-01-2016 at 06:25 PM.
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Old 08-30-2016, 05:09 PM   #4
Eugene Church
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Fascinating concept... extremely well-written.

Looking forward to your dynasty.
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Old 08-30-2016, 05:19 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eugene Church View Post
Fascinating concept... extremely well-written.

Looking forward to your dynasty.
So far it is.....





AWESOME!!!!

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"A baseball fan has the digestive apparatus of a billy goat. He can, and does, devour any set of statistics with insatiable appetite and then nuzzles hungrily for more." - Sportswriter Arthur Daley
"Who says there's an unemployment problem in this country? Just take the five percent unemployed and give them a baseball stat to follow." - Outfielder Andy Van Slyke
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Old 08-30-2016, 10:31 PM   #6
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Really like this so far. The back story is immense and your small introduction to this new game is quite unique. Keep up the good work!
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Old 09-08-2016, 11:38 AM   #7
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{edited for clarity}

Last edited by Hammercraft; 09-08-2016 at 05:53 PM.
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Old 09-09-2016, 03:42 PM   #8
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The rebellion on Fagalqar was not being contained as quickly as the Cezgarine princes anticipated, and it was drawing much of the Empire's attention, being a neighboring system of the capital. There was a dispute of succession in Ladan that involved a lot of political intrigue, and border disputes with Biirs, and when the Empire looked toward the core to the Crimson Reach it often couldn't see past the border system of Redalre, with its reputation for gambling, spice trading, and perpetual lawlessness.

So when Prince Tabat of Husavne absorbed the leadership of the Church of Terra peacefully, it did not raise as much concern as it would have within a more mature empire. The philosophers fretted, and the historians grumbled, but the princes saw their interests satisfied and resolved, and the resolution cost them nothing, so it left them to worry about other matters.

Within the Crimson Reach and systems further coreward of the Empire, the growth of the Terran influence grew rapidly. Along the trade routes that Tabat had carefully nursed to profit his kingdom, the message of Terra went with the traders. As a religion it was agnostic, and as a historical source it was undeniable. It appealed to everyone who hadn’t given up on knowing the answers to humanity’s origins, and it rolled over other provincial faiths like pebbles in a tide, exposing them with facts and neutralizing their resistance with unity, while allowing worlds to keep their own traditions and identities.

The Prince recognized that events would move beyond his control, and he wisely turned his ship to fill his sails. He had lived for 150 years, and by the grace of science and strong genetics he would rule for 100 more. It was his wish that during that time he would leave his kingdom stronger that when he ascended, and this was a means to do so. He would capitalize on this growing fascination with Terra and baseball to expand his region of influence, and use that reach to improve trade, extinguish conflict, and bring prosperity to the Empire - and beyond.

That first game on Husavne was an inspiring spectacle, but from a sporting perspective was not much of a game at all. As he anticipated, the delegates from the Church could not refrain from experiencing the game themselves as it was intended to be played, and took the field. They were outplayed, of course. Even limited practice by his athletes was sufficient to overwhelm the Church. The entire match was not played, with the Church being unable to put the ball in play during their set, and then unable to retire a single Crimson batter. They were gracefully allowed to submit a 9-0 forfeit, and Tabat became Commissioner to unanimous agreement.

The remainder of the conference became more of a pilgrimage, with other dignitaries arriving and discussing baseball in groups in the stands, the clubhouse, and roaming the outfield. The stadium was a huge investment, but it had paid off. And it was less expensive than it might have been on other worlds, because the atmosphere on Husavne was tolerable and the gravity was close to Terra’s.

There were few worlds that could claim ideal conditions – Terran gravity and breathable atmosphere - and Commissioner Tabat began cataloging them immediately. All worlds would eventually be within the influence of the Church to some degree eventually, and those with the best conditions for play would see baseball become a popular activity immediately.

The space lanes themselves changed rapidly. The biggest change was on Terra itself, which became a hub of activity for scientific research and tourism. Originally an uninteresting rock on the edge of empty space, it now hosted a Class A spaceport. A native Terran population supported a planetary navy, which was subsidized with supplies and training from the Third Fleet. Ships traveled daily from Terra to the nearby systems of Frusqasgeia, Rapla, Ratnetzeia, and Hobimadous, as well as the Crimson Reach port in Husavne. A mapped lane was available to Pirenenobus, but only the Prince’s work vessels were using it. Pirenenobus was one of the rare planets within reasonable distance that had standard Terran gravity and atmosphere – Tabat intended on building a stadium there. He wouldn’t be much of a Commissioner if the game stayed historical and theoretical, he was planning on building a living, active league.


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Old 09-09-2016, 06:29 PM   #9
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Notes on this league:

I plan on using the Terra scenario to explain the growth of a baseball league on a galactic scale. The entire structure of the universe I'm playing in so far has been done using the Traveller RPG method of random subsector generation. Traveller was a very nice dice-and-paper role playing game from the late 1970s used to create Buck Rodgers/Star Wars/Star Trek/Battlestar Galactica -type adventures with. The only change I've made is to change the name and earth-like conditions of Terra.

There are a few changes that I'm making to suit my own story. First of all, just because I like it, baseball becomes an important focus. As a result, star systems with habitable planets (a base 50% chance for each hex) that have a unique combination of Earth-like gravity and breathable atmosphere are pretty rare in the rules and they become major targets in my story.

If you look at the map above you can see a section of charted space (I have a ton of it mapped out, this is all we're looking at right now for story and practical reasons). In this space, the systems that have a gold border (Terra, Pirenenobus, Ursydada, Garetud, and Lerrokaroge) are all Earth-like and can have normal gravity open-air stadiums. That makes them easy targets for stadiums, as well as being a good source of athletes, because I assume that people will play baseball on those planets with no more requirement than 18 guys and a flat stretch of ground.


But galaxies are complicated places, and it's been a very long time since different populations have settled on different planets across the galaxy, and not everybody has done as well as anyone else. There are always wars being fought over things of small importance, and there are often terrible consequences for war, famine, disease, and general misfortune or mismanagement.

As a result, while some civilizations have persevered and developed advanced technologies like gravitational field generators and warp space travel, others have regressed to primitive technology and have a hard time reliably smelting ore. The Traveller rules take this into account, and the codes on the planets are a shorthand for me to use when I'm figuring out who's suitable for hosting a team and who isn't. A planet with a rudimentary starport, a tiny population, high gravity, bad air, and a low tech level 3 (equivalent to the early Industrial Revolution) would need significant assistance in hosting a league-sanctioned stadium without a lot of interest and assistance.



The league will begin small, with the center of influence (fan support) beginning at Terra. Stadiums will grow in locations that have sufficient support, and have a high enough tech level and population, with other factors having some effect. Then we sprinkle in some politics, add a little intrigue...
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Old 09-09-2016, 07:09 PM   #10
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Traveler was a favorite of my friends and I back in the day, hard to believe it almost 40 years ago, just another reason to follow this dynasty

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Old 09-13-2016, 01:31 PM   #11
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Commissioner Tabat had spent most of his days working the seams of relationships between regional warlords, planetside politicians, trade guilds, and rogue factions to secure the safety and resources of his empire. While he was correct in anticipating that the spread of enthusiasm for Terra and Baseball would smooth some of his difficulties, it was not making his life any less easy.

He imagined that sponsoring the advancement of a game would be a simple task. Unfortunately, it seemed that the game was more complicated than most, and ancient Terrans were extremely particular about the details of playing conditions. There would never be a sanctioned team, he imagined, that could not engineer the correct artificial gravity and atmospheric conditions require for play - the stadium on Husavne had even installed a randomized wind generator to create a light breeze over their field - but there were some basic requirements that fanatics were insisting on.

First and foremost, there were no artificial bats allowed in Terran baseball. Even though the simplest replicator could create a bat with the exact dimensions and density required to provide a consistent striking surface and elasticity, it was simply not allowed by the rules. Some factions thought that it was immaterial to the outcome, but some more zealous followers insisted that fans would not tuly be enlightened by an artificial experience.

The scientists on Jetetos were only too happy to provide bioengineering services. As a planet with Terran-like living conditions, high population, and high tech level, they were perfectly suited to host the growth of ancient Terran species needed to harvest for producing baseball materials. Extracting genetic material from the bats, gloves, and balls inside the Hall of Fame, they were able to rapidly develop forests of Ash trees and herds of cows. There were forests of cork trees, cherished for providing the heart of the baseballs themselves, and flocks of sheep that were carefully sheared for the yarn that was spun from their wool. At first the Jetetosan engineers were planning on charging a significant sum for their services, but discovered that the forests and herds became a source of income by themselves as wealthy interstellar tourists and historial researchers flocked to Jetetos to witness them.

"The harvest" quickly became a religious holiday on Jetetos. On that day there would be cows led to slaughter for their leather, and Ash trees felled by laser-cutting lumberjacks, enough to feed the hunger of a thousand worlds' appetite for baseball relics. At first only the wealthy and sponsored teams could afford them, but as their industry grew they became affordable items to own for the middle class. On Ursydada it became a rite of passage for young men of wealthy families to recieve their first Terran leather glove, and the man's selection of their glove type was carefully chosen for their fielding position, which could signify their expected role or philosophy. When Lord Reichelon II of Jetetos announced that his son would receive a cather's mitt derived from the leather of cows genetically related to the glove of the ancient player Johnny Bench, the announcement was met with a great peace and confidence by the masses, and an expectation that the heir would be prepared for the work he would inherit.

Today, as Tabat met with a cabinet of ministers dedicated to the growth of Terran baseball - a group that was quickly rivaling his own circle of Crimson Reach advisors in size - the issue on hand was a confounding and mysterious one. Deep within the researched practices of baseball was an enigma that could not be easily resolved, and it centerted around a little-known historical figure named Lena Blackburne. It seemed that an obscure but well-documented practice of game preparation was for the umpire at each stadium to condition every baseball with a dose of Blackburne's "mud" prior to the game, and a ball would not be put into play without this blessing.



After several days of discussion the group generally came to the agreement that the "mud" mentioned was in fact mud, a mixture of soil and water and organic material, and it was taken from someplace named the Delaware River in a Terran territory that was called New Jersey. There was a good estimation of what these locations corresponded to now on Terra, but it was known that Lena Blackburne never revealed the exact location or method of extracting the mud and presenting it in containers with the right consistency, so it was a secret that could quite possibly be permanently lost. Naturally, for the people seeking an exact answer this was a terrible discovery. The conference was headed toward a fracture between the factions that were more practical or more fanatical. Tabat was forced to resolve the dilemma.

"On the one hand, we have tradition. It is spiritual and must be honored," Tabat said to appeal to those who would not give ground on the issue. "However, we also know that the 'mud' had a specific purpose, it was used to take the shine off a baseball without making it soft from moisture. Therefore what we are looking for is to establish a standard that will be provided for the entire league. As Commissioner, I decree," and he paused at this point to look around the room, meeting the eyes of people in a warning not to challenge his authority, "that we shall give the task of supplying mud to one world, who will provide the mud based on our requirements, and be compensated fairly for their cost. That responsibility I assign to First Dictate Hovvos of Shenerytania. For all of the Terran league's games, baseballs will be rubbed with Hovvos' mud."

It was a deft move. Shenerytania was a world that could potentially host a baseball team, having Terran-like gravity and the technology to create an enclosed stadium, but land was at a premium since most of the planet was covered in water, and what wasn't submurged was swampy. They lacked many of the resources that most worlds traded in, and many of their more convenient trading partners were agricultural worlds, so this would give them the boost they needed to keep them competitive. They were also in a conservative section of the Terran subsector, well within the protection of the Third Fleet's range. Also, it turned their agricultural reputation into a badge of honor. It would be a necessary diversion from replicating the actual conditions of Terran baseball, but Tabat knew it was one that could never be quantified, so it could remain mysterious. There would be more romance than consternation with that, he hoped.

And with the last of the practical issues resolved, the conference adjourned. They would take their findings back to their respective planets, and reconvene in 30 Crimson days to discuss the candidates for league membership.

Last edited by Hammercraft; 09-13-2016 at 01:32 PM.
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Old 09-14-2016, 05:48 PM   #12
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Expansion of interest in Terran Baseball was rapid. Aside from restricted and conflict zones, where there was trade there was the word of baseball, and it appealed to people of all class and industry. Within 5 years it has spread beyond the Crimson Reach inside the Dawn Empire to the point that worlds in Mafadian and Anku had constructed stadiums and had submitted applications to join the League. The first worlds had been approved to host teams based on their ability to provide a structure that would meet the League requirements for play, and that the world had a sufficient population to support the team financially and technologically. Interstellar travel was cheaper for some worlds than others, and for some it was still something they had yet to achieve.

The worlds of Husavne, Frusqasgeia, Shenerytania, and Havlahoos would host the first teams. There would be others, soon.



When the hologram of Avreharia's Chief Engineer appeared in his personal quarters Tabat was startled, and not completely surprised. Husavne was a technically advanced world, but there were others in the galaxy whose science far surpassed their own. He did not expect all of his best safeguards to be able to block surveillance. Though his palace was well shielded - both at the rim and planetside - against energy projection, physical assault, and psionic invasion, there were simply limits to the defenses a person could reasonably employ against the eyes and ears that peered around the corners of subspace to glean information.

"Forgive my interruption and invasion of your privacy, Commissioner Tabat, I am Engineer Rogun, of Avreharia. There is an urgent matter."

Tabat suppressed his instinct to take offense. He was not being addressed by his provincial title, but instead as Commissioner. This was a curious choice.

"Fortunately I am presentable," Tabat said affably. "What is the nature of this urgent interruption?"

The hologram of Rogun flickered and spoke again. "You are in some significant danger of losing your power, very soon. Motions are already underway to relieve you of your Fleet Command and to install a Regent Prince over the Crimson Reach, and a Governor over the planet of Husavne. The Dawn Empire has decided that you wield too much power, and it must be put in check for their own preservation. It is of course contingent on you refusing concessions that would leave your authority in essentially the same state, so your refusal and resistance is expected. The Empire is essentially performing a coup d'etat."

'Resistance expected indeed,' Tabat thought! He had made the relationship he needed to preserve the authority within the Crimson Reach by embracing the Terrans, and prevent the sector from being lost in the wave of fanatacism, but the growth of enthusiasm was not consistent within the Empire. There were some who were still insulated from it and fearful of its impact.

"However," Rogun continued, "I believe we can resolve your issues of local authority by providing you with the suspended military authority you require to keep the peace within your realm. It is too late to restore your Fleet command, but I am authorized to grant you a commission in the Avreharian Scouts."

A mistake he didn't often make, Tabat began to speak before he realized the depth of Rogun's offer. "I am gratified by your gesture, however-"

"Your commission of course is contingent upon your approval of our League subsidiary application - and I would express that our world would prefer to align ourselves with the Husavne as a feeder team."

Tabat smiled as recognition dawned on him. "And?"

"And your duties as regional Scout Commander will require you to administrate a C-II Science Freighter and seven research vessels currently cloaked in orbit."

"I accept your generous offer and its conditions. I look forward to working with the Scouts in support of your scientific goals. But the Empire-"

"Is aware of our conversation. I have allowed them to intercept our transmission," The image of Rogun flickered again. "And I don't expect that they will present any trouble at all."
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Old 09-20-2016, 04:27 PM   #13
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OOTP Notes:

Finally done creating the data associated with the geography of the Saqualos sector of space. Mapped space is organized in sectors, and each sector is broken into separate subsectors. Subsectors are divided into hexes, in which star systems are identified (if they exist). For this league we are concerned primarily with the Saqualos sector, and all of the star map we've seen so far are contained within it.




Data about each world has been parsed into XML and imported into the world_default.xml file. That means when I generate a random player from the database they will have a random origin based on the planets and their population. Population values for the planets have been modified to reflect the likelihood that a player will have originated from that location, taking into account the tech level of each world; It is more likely that you will have a strong pool of athletes to choose from on a world with a lower tech level and less democratic government, since hardship tends to create a more physically adept population.

Much thanks to Dreifort for his guide to editing the world_default.xml file.

So a quick test shows us that it works, and each player comes from a location corresponding to the starmap. Example:



It's time to start constructing the team identities.
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Old 09-21-2016, 06:47 PM   #14
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The growth on Terra was rapid. What was once a desolate world with a tainted atmosphere was becoming a center of historical and scientific research. While the interest was in the culture of ancient humans - and the game they played - it was quickly decided that no matter how large the population grew the planet would never host its own team.

Instead, that was where the Terran Baseball League offices would be, and also the residence of their Commissioner.

Commissioner Tabat had been rescued from his impending coup in the Crimson reach, but he was not exactly fleeing into exile. He was now the single most powerful decision maker in a religious and scientific movement that was supported by billions of followers and growing. With a permanent station on Terra, and the peaceful strength and support of the resources of hundreds of worlds, his responsibilities were left to promote the culture of Terran Baseball, while his counterpart Chief Engineer Rogun was concerned with the preservation of the planet and scientific examination of its mysterious history.

The task at hand was to complete the analysis of all applications and to issue franchises. The cost of a franchise - in addition to an enormous sum of credits - was to promise to abide by agreed upon league rules, to respect the conditions under which Terran research would be conducted, and to support the military defense of Terra, the Terran league, and the Church of Terra. The planetary applications were pared down quickly by the number of planets that were able to construct their own facilities and commit to the interstellar travel arrangements.

The Avreharian engineers were able to provide facilities for personal travel between worlds using a technology that was frankly beyond comprehension for most people, and was much safer than normal jump travel. The time was right for the technology to be available, he could imagine the sorrow of having the same ambition a few generations ago and having no solution aside from extended jump travel in cryogenic suspension. Being thawed out every few days would have severe physical side effects, not to mention the small but not insignificant impact of radiation exposure in billions of lightyears of interstellar travel.

Giving that distance was not going to be a barrier, and only worlds that could promise the construction of facilities that met the League's requirements, there were only eight suitable applications at this point. Four of them were from densely populated worlds, and four were more sparsely populated. Therefore the answer to the structure for the League's formation was simple: One division of four teams, each representing their planet, and each team associated with a minor league affiliate on a separate world.

Husavne was the first franchise, one last gift of goodwill to the system that Tabat was exiled from. They were famed spacers who opened trade lanes to new systems and brokered deals with other systems. For their team name they chose the Traders, and their emblem was the yellow star among the red nebula.

Husavne Traders

Frusqasgeia was the second franchise. Having one of the largest supplies of Lanthanum - an element required for jump travel - it was a prosperous world with a large, stable population and a population that was enthralled with the Terran culture. For their name they chose the Lantha, and their emblem was drawn from references to ancient end-of-Terra era culture.

Frusqasgeia Lantha

Shenerytania was the third franchise. They had only recently developed interstellar travel, but they had a natural gravity comparable to Terra and could easily construct a facility to contain a breathable atmosphere in which to host games. They were a lower-tech but capable and civilized world whose inclusion would ease the fears of some 'rural' worlds that the League wouldn't be an exclusive organization of scientific elites. Embracing the excitement around the new export that the league had sanctioned for all Terran play, they affectionately name their team the Mud Runners.

Shenerytania Mud Runners


The final inaugural franchise was granted to Havlahoos, a geologically smaller world with a high population in the middle of a cluster of other populated systems. It had prospered due to its philosophy and discipline. In the face of constant activity and interference from surrounding worlds, they maintained a level presence and were often called on to mediate disputes. Many treaties and trade agreements were settled on Havlahoos, and the most promising students in law and political science were sent there to study from the masters. At the heart of their world they maintained a record of all the agreements they had ever been a part of or witness to, as a matter of record and in the Havlahoosan culture an item to meditate on. This vault of records was called the Codex, and they named their team after it. At the beginning of the league all of the umpires were also chosen from Havlahoos.

Havlahoos Codex
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