Post by V.I.R.O.S. on Mar 9, 2010 14:10:05 GMT -5
This game is heavily based off of the Dune series, but I am keeping away most of the plot, as well as the timeline. In this game, you will be someone aspiring to be the new Emperor, by either overthrowing him, or marrying into the royal family. Unlike other games, it will require a certain amount of working together, as no one person can overcome the obstacles that the other players and I will present to them. To insure that the political intrigue theme of the game is kept, I am offering a reward of 1,250 Dan-Balls to the first person to become the Emperor, and stay the Emperor for 15 posts.
The object of the game is to control over half of the starter planets, and have enough power to either overthrow, or marry into, the Emperor's family. You must remember that the NPC characters are not as smart, or as skilled, as other player characters, so it is best for you to employ other players instead of NPCs.
Rules
1. No Godmodding.
2. No Godmodding.
3. No Godmodding.
4. I may add more rules if needed.
The mechanics of this game give you several classes to choose from. Each class has it's own weaknesses and strengths, but none of the classes can succeed on their own. The classes are...
Baron/Duke:
These are the leaders of planets, or certain areas of land on planets. This power was awarded by the Emperor to your ancestors, and was passed down to their heirs, through the family line. In some cases, the power was recently awarded to a family because another family fell out of the Emperor's favor, and he transferred the power, or because all viable Barons and Dukes in the family died (or were killed! ). A Baron is the leader of only a section of a planet, but a Duke rules a whole planet. A planet may have multiple Barons, but not multiple Dukes, and a planet can not have Barons and a Duke, because a Duke is the exclusive ruler of a planet. All players who pick this must start out as a Baron, but they may move up to the rank of Duke during the game.
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Mentat:
After the usage of computers and other "thinking machines" was banned because of the Artificial Intelligence takeover by VIROS, Mentats were used in their place. Mentats are essentially human computers, with amazing powers of calculation and intelligence. Not only that, but they are known for being able to "predict the future" by using logic to fill the gaps in their knowledge, and thereby predict the most likely scenarios. Mentats are recognizable because of their deep red lips, a result of the Saph Nectar they must use to modify their brain structure to incorporate such hard logic.
___________________________________
Bene Gesserit:
Bene Gesserit are powerful women, trained to access ancestral memories through a trance they induce through the usage of Melange (A.K.A Spice) and certain other naturally occurring chemicals. The Bene Gesserit are also known for their powers of persuasion and, "The Voice". The Voice is the exploitation of the ancient human instinct of leaders and followers, it is essentially a command that is very hard to resist. If a trained Bene Gesserit hears a person talk enough, they can use subtle vibrations and tones in their voice to command someone to do something, which they will most likely find near impossible to resist. The Voice can only be used for short-term commands like "Stop!" or "Run!", as human sentience overrides the command after the person realizes what they are doing. Experience Bene Gesserit can tell when a person is lying, but only direct lies, not half-truths or word twistings. Bene Gesserit are mistrusted by all, but especially by uneducated people.
_________________________________________
Guild Navigator:
These men are trained by the Spacing Guild to utilize Melange to enable prescient powers within them, so they can detect the dangerous eddies and flows of the chaotic dimension they traverse when using Otherspace technology to pilots spaceships long distances. Guild Navigators jealously and loyally guard their secrets, sometimes to the death. There are four stages to a Navigator's life, the first being a simple human with only the ability to traverse the safest zones of Otherspace, and are not addicted to spice. You may only start as Stage 1 or Stage 2 Navigator. Over the course of the game, you will evolve naturally, but extra dosages of melange will speed up the transformation.
Stage two is a mildly mutated human, giving the appearance of a flesh-colored humanoid fish. Stage two Navigators are mildly addicted to spice, and they walk as if constantly submerged underwater. They are the most common types of Navigators, and are used to navigate passenger-ships.
Stage three Navigators take on the appearance of blowfish without needles, and have a diet of almost exclusively Melange. These navigators are used for high-priority deliveries such as Dukes and shipments of rare and/or valuable commodities, and they require suspensors to move because their legs become near-vestigial during the transformation.
The final stage of Navigators completely lose any semblance of a human, with the only remaining human features being the eyes, mouth, and skin color. They now look like stunted flesh-colored whales, and move about in suspensor-floated tanks. These tanks are made of the most powerful alloys known to man, and also pump copious amounts of gaseous spice into the very air that the Navigators breathe. Fourth stage Navigators are used for human colonization of unknown areas, and exploration. Navigators become reclusive upon reaching the second stage of their existence, and remain completely unseen after reaching the third stage. By the fourth stage, they have come to terms with their condition, and are willing to be seen during meetings.
___________________________________
Face Dancers:
Face Dancers are by far some of the most reviled beings in the known universe. Their bodily makeup allows them to change height, color, proportions, bodily features, hair length and color, as well as hair growth, gender, and many other traits. They are the best of spies and assassins, but are completely sterile. Face Dancers are known for their trickery, but they are easily detected by Bene Gesserit.
Baron/Duke-
Escort: All Barons and Dukes are accompanied by 5-10 Guards at all times
Commandeer: Barons can commandeer weapons and armor for upcoming battles, but Dukes can commandeer anything they please. Both of these significantly decrease morale in the owner's land.
Money: Dukes and Barons have theoretically infinite amounts of money, but extensive spending will bring the Emperor's wrath. It is usually safer to rely upon the family's coffers than the Emperor's generosity.
===========
Mentat:
Calculate: Mentats are able to predict possible outcomes of a venture when provided with accurate information.
Respect: The calculations of Mentats are almost always trusted, unless they are totally ridiculous.
Expensive: Dukes and Barons trail a well-trained Mentat like flies to honey. They have low started cash, but they are bought as fast as possible.
===========
Bene Gesserit:
Powers: A starter Bene Gesserit can select one of their three powers, and earn the rest over time. The three powers are...
-The Voice, which allows you to give a hard to resist command to people who are non-deaf and you have heard talk before
-Ancestral Memories, which allows you to draw on the wisdom of ancestors with the usage of spice. Essentially gives you weak Mentat "calculate" abilities for the turn you use it.
-Truthsayer, which allows you to tell if an NPC is telling an outright lie.
Fear: Bene Gesserit are feared all over the known universe, so they are rarely attacked by street ruffians, or even experience killers.
Unmask: A Bene Gesserit is able to detect a Face Dancer on sight.
===========
Guild Navigator:
Respect: The Spacing Guild has an exclusive monopoly on the ability to travel through Otherspace, and thereby enable people to travel the trillions of light-years between the settled planets of the Empire. No one would willingly anger a Guild Navigator, or risk being permanently stranded on their planet.
Stage One: Stage One Navigators are not allowed to pilot anything but 1-person training ships, but they do not require Melange.
Stage Two: Stage Two Navigators can pilot passenger ships, as well as low-worth trading goods. They are mildly agoraphobic. Stage Two Navigators are addicted to Melange, and will go into heavy withdraws if they are not provided with it at least once a post.
Stage Three: Stage Three Navigators can pilot luxury yacht ships, as well as carry high-clearance loads of rare goods and sensitive materials. Stage Three Navigators are heavily agoraphobic and mildly claustrophobic. They must have 5-6 melange pills a post. They are supported by suspensors, to help them walk.
Final Stage: The Final Stage of Navigators are cleared to pilot any Guild Ship, as well as having an extensive knowledge of all things space and melange. They are mildly agoraphobic, and extremely claustrophobic. They are heavily addicted to melange, and do not ever eat or drink anything but it. They still breathe oxygen, but they also require copious amounts of Melange in it's gaseous form. They require 1-2 melange pills a post, and 1 tank of melange gas a post.
==========
Face Dancer:
Dance: Face Dancers can disguise themselves as any person, without a single difference, so long as they have seen the person. They can only copy parts of the person they have seen, so a birthmark on the stomach would only be visible on them if they had seen the birthmark or a picture of it.
Create a Face: Face Dancers can create their own body if they want to, but it requires a certain amount of creativity to get the proportions right without having something to copy.
Reviled: All people besides Face Dancers are offended by their existences, but people are willing to ignore these reservations if they need the Face Dancer for a job.
Infiltrate: A Face Dancer is able to infiltrate a Baron or Duke's court so long as they are not detected.
Expensive: Face Dancers have low post-to-post money, but they are extremely rare, and so are employed for quite a lot of money.
(These are the amounts that you get per post, but if you are employed, you will get more. Dukes and Barons get so much because they must pay for their Mentats, Bene Gesserit, Face Dancers, and Navigators.)
Duke/Baron: 50 Sovereigns per Post for Baron, 100 for Duke
Mentat: 5 Sovereigns per Post
Bene Gesserit: 25 Sovereigns per Post, in addition to their paycheck if they are employed
Navigator: 10 for Stage One, 50 for Stage Two, 75 for Stage Three, 250 for Stage Four
Face Dancer: 5 Sovereigns per Post
(This may only be accessed when you are not captured or otherwise inhibited. Other items may be added if needed for the game/)
1 Serving of Melange: 2 Sovereigns
1 Melange Pill: 15
1 Tank of Gaseous Melange: 150
1 Navigator-Piloted Ship to a settled planet: 50 Sovereigns (This is the NPC cost, if you ask another player, they will most likely give you a trip for less. Dukes and Barons must buy a high-priority ship. Navigators of all levels get half-price on all of these.)
1 Navigator-Piloted High-Priority Ship to a settled planet: 100 Sovereigns
1 Navigator Piloted Ship to a colonized planet: 100
1 Navigator Piloted Ship High-Priority Ship to a colonized planet: 150
1 Navigator Piloted Ship to an uncolonized planet: 150
1 Navigator Piloted Ship High-Priority Ship to an uncolonized planet: 200
Characters who start the game must choose a planet. Any character who is not a Baron is currently on the planet. A Baron is the owner of part of the planet.
Planets-
Caladan: Primarily freshwater ocean, this planet's chief exports are whale fur and Caladanian Sweet Rice. Caladan has 500 Legions of Tier 1 Troops.
Sal: Rich in minerals, this planet's chief exports are Gold and Iron. Sal has 200 Legions of Tier 1 Troops.
Donathan: A frontier planet on which colonists are hardworking and a good source of labor. The military is large, with 100 Legions of Tier 3 Troops.
Fulcrum: A planet that is central to shield and laser technology. It ships the advanced particle agitators used in shields and lasguns. Fulcrum has 500 Legions of Tier 1 Troops.
Dyn: A recently colonized planet on which trade has become central. Dyn is in the center of the safest Otherspace routes, so it is visited frequently by traders. Dyn has 100 Legions of Tier 2 Troops.
Chani: A desert world with concealed oasis of bountiful life, which the natives guard jealously. Chani has only 100 Legions of Tier 1 Troops, but many concealed places for the guerrilla troops to hide.
San: A beautiful paradise world which the richest of the rich go to retire. The Emperor favors this place, so it is guarded by 150 Legions of his powerful Tier 4 Troops. It has no exports, and imports are high, but the rich are known to bequeath all their money to the planet after they die.
Tier One: The most basic of troops, with no experience outside of their planet.
Tier Two: Stronger troops, with only small difficulties adjusting to other planets. They can pilot aerial vehicles.
Tier Three: Powerful troops, easily able to crush enemies. They are able to conduct orbital bombardments if sanctioned by the Emperor and the Guild.
Tier Four: Exclusive to the Emperor's troops, they are only available when he doles them out to his greatest allies.
Name:
Gender:
Class:
Planet:
Age: (Bene Gesserit have life expectancies of 150, Guild Navigators can last up to 300 years.)
Starter Money: You start with x3 your income per post.
Also, a few notes on technology. Lasguns are laser guns, shields are shields. When a lasgun bolt hits a shield, catastrophic explosions happen in the gun and the shield, killing the user and defender. Shields exist because they stop anything moving through them higher than a certain speed. This has eliminated the use of projectile weapons, but has brought in a new area of hand-to-hand and melee fighting, because shields must be set to allow relatively fast moving things, to allow atmospheric particles for breathing. Suspensors simply allow things to float and be maneuvered around to by resisting gravity. When shot by a lasgun, it shorts out both the suspensor and gun with no explosion. There is a blanket ban on all atomics, courtesy of the Emperor. All Great Houses have atomics, but telling anyone you have them, or even suggesting using them, is badbadbad.
The object of the game is to control over half of the starter planets, and have enough power to either overthrow, or marry into, the Emperor's family. You must remember that the NPC characters are not as smart, or as skilled, as other player characters, so it is best for you to employ other players instead of NPCs.
Rules
1. No Godmodding.
2. No Godmodding.
3. No Godmodding.
4. I may add more rules if needed.
Barons and Dukes are the primary characters in this game, but they require the continued support from Non-Barons and Dukes. There are no fixed amounts in a true government, so the "Intrigue" of the game may make creating an army unit cost more than last post. Every move you make is a gamble, and the Unforseen Issues (Known as UIs) can only be detected in advance by a Mentat. If you want to consolidate your power, build an army. If you want to gain more power, take over another Baron's land. If you want to get more economical power, put some money into trading, and see how things turn out. Everything is up to your diligence and instinct, so we'll see who gets the money.
The mechanics of this game give you several classes to choose from. Each class has it's own weaknesses and strengths, but none of the classes can succeed on their own. The classes are...
Baron/Duke:
These are the leaders of planets, or certain areas of land on planets. This power was awarded by the Emperor to your ancestors, and was passed down to their heirs, through the family line. In some cases, the power was recently awarded to a family because another family fell out of the Emperor's favor, and he transferred the power, or because all viable Barons and Dukes in the family died (or were killed! ). A Baron is the leader of only a section of a planet, but a Duke rules a whole planet. A planet may have multiple Barons, but not multiple Dukes, and a planet can not have Barons and a Duke, because a Duke is the exclusive ruler of a planet. All players who pick this must start out as a Baron, but they may move up to the rank of Duke during the game.
_______________________________________
Mentat:
After the usage of computers and other "thinking machines" was banned because of the Artificial Intelligence takeover by VIROS, Mentats were used in their place. Mentats are essentially human computers, with amazing powers of calculation and intelligence. Not only that, but they are known for being able to "predict the future" by using logic to fill the gaps in their knowledge, and thereby predict the most likely scenarios. Mentats are recognizable because of their deep red lips, a result of the Saph Nectar they must use to modify their brain structure to incorporate such hard logic.
___________________________________
Bene Gesserit:
Bene Gesserit are powerful women, trained to access ancestral memories through a trance they induce through the usage of Melange (A.K.A Spice) and certain other naturally occurring chemicals. The Bene Gesserit are also known for their powers of persuasion and, "The Voice". The Voice is the exploitation of the ancient human instinct of leaders and followers, it is essentially a command that is very hard to resist. If a trained Bene Gesserit hears a person talk enough, they can use subtle vibrations and tones in their voice to command someone to do something, which they will most likely find near impossible to resist. The Voice can only be used for short-term commands like "Stop!" or "Run!", as human sentience overrides the command after the person realizes what they are doing. Experience Bene Gesserit can tell when a person is lying, but only direct lies, not half-truths or word twistings. Bene Gesserit are mistrusted by all, but especially by uneducated people.
_________________________________________
Guild Navigator:
These men are trained by the Spacing Guild to utilize Melange to enable prescient powers within them, so they can detect the dangerous eddies and flows of the chaotic dimension they traverse when using Otherspace technology to pilots spaceships long distances. Guild Navigators jealously and loyally guard their secrets, sometimes to the death. There are four stages to a Navigator's life, the first being a simple human with only the ability to traverse the safest zones of Otherspace, and are not addicted to spice. You may only start as Stage 1 or Stage 2 Navigator. Over the course of the game, you will evolve naturally, but extra dosages of melange will speed up the transformation.
Stage two is a mildly mutated human, giving the appearance of a flesh-colored humanoid fish. Stage two Navigators are mildly addicted to spice, and they walk as if constantly submerged underwater. They are the most common types of Navigators, and are used to navigate passenger-ships.
Stage three Navigators take on the appearance of blowfish without needles, and have a diet of almost exclusively Melange. These navigators are used for high-priority deliveries such as Dukes and shipments of rare and/or valuable commodities, and they require suspensors to move because their legs become near-vestigial during the transformation.
The final stage of Navigators completely lose any semblance of a human, with the only remaining human features being the eyes, mouth, and skin color. They now look like stunted flesh-colored whales, and move about in suspensor-floated tanks. These tanks are made of the most powerful alloys known to man, and also pump copious amounts of gaseous spice into the very air that the Navigators breathe. Fourth stage Navigators are used for human colonization of unknown areas, and exploration. Navigators become reclusive upon reaching the second stage of their existence, and remain completely unseen after reaching the third stage. By the fourth stage, they have come to terms with their condition, and are willing to be seen during meetings.
___________________________________
Face Dancers:
Face Dancers are by far some of the most reviled beings in the known universe. Their bodily makeup allows them to change height, color, proportions, bodily features, hair length and color, as well as hair growth, gender, and many other traits. They are the best of spies and assassins, but are completely sterile. Face Dancers are known for their trickery, but they are easily detected by Bene Gesserit.
Baron/Duke-
Escort: All Barons and Dukes are accompanied by 5-10 Guards at all times
Commandeer: Barons can commandeer weapons and armor for upcoming battles, but Dukes can commandeer anything they please. Both of these significantly decrease morale in the owner's land.
Money: Dukes and Barons have theoretically infinite amounts of money, but extensive spending will bring the Emperor's wrath. It is usually safer to rely upon the family's coffers than the Emperor's generosity.
===========
Mentat:
Calculate: Mentats are able to predict possible outcomes of a venture when provided with accurate information.
Respect: The calculations of Mentats are almost always trusted, unless they are totally ridiculous.
Expensive: Dukes and Barons trail a well-trained Mentat like flies to honey. They have low started cash, but they are bought as fast as possible.
===========
Bene Gesserit:
Powers: A starter Bene Gesserit can select one of their three powers, and earn the rest over time. The three powers are...
-The Voice, which allows you to give a hard to resist command to people who are non-deaf and you have heard talk before
-Ancestral Memories, which allows you to draw on the wisdom of ancestors with the usage of spice. Essentially gives you weak Mentat "calculate" abilities for the turn you use it.
-Truthsayer, which allows you to tell if an NPC is telling an outright lie.
Fear: Bene Gesserit are feared all over the known universe, so they are rarely attacked by street ruffians, or even experience killers.
Unmask: A Bene Gesserit is able to detect a Face Dancer on sight.
===========
Guild Navigator:
Respect: The Spacing Guild has an exclusive monopoly on the ability to travel through Otherspace, and thereby enable people to travel the trillions of light-years between the settled planets of the Empire. No one would willingly anger a Guild Navigator, or risk being permanently stranded on their planet.
Stage One: Stage One Navigators are not allowed to pilot anything but 1-person training ships, but they do not require Melange.
Stage Two: Stage Two Navigators can pilot passenger ships, as well as low-worth trading goods. They are mildly agoraphobic. Stage Two Navigators are addicted to Melange, and will go into heavy withdraws if they are not provided with it at least once a post.
Stage Three: Stage Three Navigators can pilot luxury yacht ships, as well as carry high-clearance loads of rare goods and sensitive materials. Stage Three Navigators are heavily agoraphobic and mildly claustrophobic. They must have 5-6 melange pills a post. They are supported by suspensors, to help them walk.
Final Stage: The Final Stage of Navigators are cleared to pilot any Guild Ship, as well as having an extensive knowledge of all things space and melange. They are mildly agoraphobic, and extremely claustrophobic. They are heavily addicted to melange, and do not ever eat or drink anything but it. They still breathe oxygen, but they also require copious amounts of Melange in it's gaseous form. They require 1-2 melange pills a post, and 1 tank of melange gas a post.
==========
Face Dancer:
Dance: Face Dancers can disguise themselves as any person, without a single difference, so long as they have seen the person. They can only copy parts of the person they have seen, so a birthmark on the stomach would only be visible on them if they had seen the birthmark or a picture of it.
Create a Face: Face Dancers can create their own body if they want to, but it requires a certain amount of creativity to get the proportions right without having something to copy.
Reviled: All people besides Face Dancers are offended by their existences, but people are willing to ignore these reservations if they need the Face Dancer for a job.
Infiltrate: A Face Dancer is able to infiltrate a Baron or Duke's court so long as they are not detected.
Expensive: Face Dancers have low post-to-post money, but they are extremely rare, and so are employed for quite a lot of money.
(These are the amounts that you get per post, but if you are employed, you will get more. Dukes and Barons get so much because they must pay for their Mentats, Bene Gesserit, Face Dancers, and Navigators.)
Duke/Baron: 50 Sovereigns per Post for Baron, 100 for Duke
Mentat: 5 Sovereigns per Post
Bene Gesserit: 25 Sovereigns per Post, in addition to their paycheck if they are employed
Navigator: 10 for Stage One, 50 for Stage Two, 75 for Stage Three, 250 for Stage Four
Face Dancer: 5 Sovereigns per Post
(This may only be accessed when you are not captured or otherwise inhibited. Other items may be added if needed for the game/)
1 Serving of Melange: 2 Sovereigns
1 Melange Pill: 15
1 Tank of Gaseous Melange: 150
1 Navigator-Piloted Ship to a settled planet: 50 Sovereigns (This is the NPC cost, if you ask another player, they will most likely give you a trip for less. Dukes and Barons must buy a high-priority ship. Navigators of all levels get half-price on all of these.)
1 Navigator-Piloted High-Priority Ship to a settled planet: 100 Sovereigns
1 Navigator Piloted Ship to a colonized planet: 100
1 Navigator Piloted Ship High-Priority Ship to a colonized planet: 150
1 Navigator Piloted Ship to an uncolonized planet: 150
1 Navigator Piloted Ship High-Priority Ship to an uncolonized planet: 200
Characters who start the game must choose a planet. Any character who is not a Baron is currently on the planet. A Baron is the owner of part of the planet.
Planets-
Caladan: Primarily freshwater ocean, this planet's chief exports are whale fur and Caladanian Sweet Rice. Caladan has 500 Legions of Tier 1 Troops.
Sal: Rich in minerals, this planet's chief exports are Gold and Iron. Sal has 200 Legions of Tier 1 Troops.
Donathan: A frontier planet on which colonists are hardworking and a good source of labor. The military is large, with 100 Legions of Tier 3 Troops.
Fulcrum: A planet that is central to shield and laser technology. It ships the advanced particle agitators used in shields and lasguns. Fulcrum has 500 Legions of Tier 1 Troops.
Dyn: A recently colonized planet on which trade has become central. Dyn is in the center of the safest Otherspace routes, so it is visited frequently by traders. Dyn has 100 Legions of Tier 2 Troops.
Chani: A desert world with concealed oasis of bountiful life, which the natives guard jealously. Chani has only 100 Legions of Tier 1 Troops, but many concealed places for the guerrilla troops to hide.
San: A beautiful paradise world which the richest of the rich go to retire. The Emperor favors this place, so it is guarded by 150 Legions of his powerful Tier 4 Troops. It has no exports, and imports are high, but the rich are known to bequeath all their money to the planet after they die.
Tier One: The most basic of troops, with no experience outside of their planet.
Tier Two: Stronger troops, with only small difficulties adjusting to other planets. They can pilot aerial vehicles.
Tier Three: Powerful troops, easily able to crush enemies. They are able to conduct orbital bombardments if sanctioned by the Emperor and the Guild.
Tier Four: Exclusive to the Emperor's troops, they are only available when he doles them out to his greatest allies.
Name:
Gender:
Class:
Planet:
Age: (Bene Gesserit have life expectancies of 150, Guild Navigators can last up to 300 years.)
Starter Money: You start with x3 your income per post.
Also, a few notes on technology. Lasguns are laser guns, shields are shields. When a lasgun bolt hits a shield, catastrophic explosions happen in the gun and the shield, killing the user and defender. Shields exist because they stop anything moving through them higher than a certain speed. This has eliminated the use of projectile weapons, but has brought in a new area of hand-to-hand and melee fighting, because shields must be set to allow relatively fast moving things, to allow atmospheric particles for breathing. Suspensors simply allow things to float and be maneuvered around to by resisting gravity. When shot by a lasgun, it shorts out both the suspensor and gun with no explosion. There is a blanket ban on all atomics, courtesy of the Emperor. All Great Houses have atomics, but telling anyone you have them, or even suggesting using them, is badbadbad.