Please select the Universal Era Humanity was born into:
Difficulty: 0-10, 0 is easiest and 10 is hardest
Big Bang Difficulty 10
QM Warning: There is no Good End to this choice. The question is not if there will be a Bad End, but when and how it happens.
(0 seconds) Mankind came from another universe, escaping into this one at the time of the Big Bang. There is danger in the future and what once was may follow again. Beware.
Starts with mastery of Dark and End Tech-bases
Energy Tech-base discoverable
Ancients Tech-base discoverable
Progenitors Difficulty 7
(300 million years) Mankind evolved in one of the earliest eras of the universe. So early in fact, that galaxies have not yet even begun to form. Humanity is the first form of matter based life in the universe, and nothing yet is certain or set in stone. You will be as ants to the godlike-energy beings that came before you, but you have the chance to shape and guide the fates of all that come after you.
Starts with Ancients Tech-base
Energy Tech-base discoverable
Young Difficulty 3
(999 million years) Mankind evolved in an early era of the universe, when galaxies were only just starting to form and the time of Energy is nearing its end. In a scarce 1 million years, the god-like energy beings that once dominated all will be no more due to the ever expanding universe, as the ambient energy forms into matter and stars. Matter-based life is beginning to flourish in this era, relatively free of the manipulations and conflicts of the energy beings.
Starts with Ancients Tech-base
Energy Tech-base discoverable
Ancient Empires Difficulty 2
(3 billion years) Mankind evolved when the galaxies of the universe just started their departure from each other, and when numerous forms of life started reaching sapience. The early universe energy beings have all but disappeared, leaving only ancient traces of their passing, and the early matter-based life have either gone on to become massive empires, spanning entire arms of proto-galaxies, or have died out. Regardless, the last 2 billion years have been eventful, and there is much to learn and discover of your neighbors while the galaxies of the universe are still close-by.
Starts with Ancients Tech-base
Energy Tech-base discoverable
Dark Tech-base discoverable
The Fall Difficulty 5
(9.99999 billion years) Mankind evolved during a time of great decline in the galaxy, when the ancient empires are starting to panic due to their slowly failing technology. The empires are struggling to find a way to preserve the Ancient's technology base or find a new one in the face of the coming Dark Age, where matter density will be below dark energy density. Mankind comes onto the galactic scene 10 thousand years before the inevitable failing of the Ancients tech-base.
Starts with Ancients Tech-base
Dark Tech-base discoverable
Dark Age Difficulty 8
(9.999999 billion years) Mankind evolved on the cusp of when matter density will fall below dark energy density. This is a time where the various ancient stellar empires are either undergoing their "fall from grace" or have already fallen, due to their failing technology base in the face of the imminent Dark Age. Mankind comes onto the galactic scene with scarcely 1000 years before the Ancients tech-base is no longer operable.
Starts with Ancients Tech-base
Dark Tech-base discoverable
FTL Rediscovery Difficulty 1
(10.008 billion years) Mankind evolved just after the start of the Dark Age of the universe, where matter density is below dark energy density. This is a time of relative quiet in the galaxy, where all of the old stellar empires and powers have "fallen," leaving behind numerous colonies cut off from one another. It has been more than 2 million years since the Fall, and a couple of the surviving colonies and newcomers to the galactic scene have started to discover how to achieve FTL in the Dark Age.
Starts with Dark Tech-base
Ancients Tech-base discoverable
Galactic Republic Difficulty 0
(13.8 billion years/IRL Earth) Mankind evolved during a time of great stability in the galaxy. This era has been marked by the creation and maintenance of a galactic republic, and a time of relative peace. In the midst of a golden era, most of the struggles that the Galactic community faces is political in nature rather than martial.
Starts with Dark Tech-base
Ancients Tech-base discoverable
End Tech-base discoverable
Civil War Difficulty 4
(35 billion years) Mankind evolved during a turbulent time in the galaxy, with a massive 4 sided war that erupted a scant few years ago from a boiling political climate. Now is a time of opportunity, to carve our a portion of the galaxy for ourselves while other polities are warring. And while all 4 factions will try to win your allegiance, be wary of neutrality, for tempers are running hot and some may take offense.
Starts with Dark Tech-base
Ancients Tech-base discoverable
End Tech-base discoverable
Invasion Difficulty 6
(65 billion years) Mankind evolved during a time where the galaxy is being ravaged by an extra-galactic invasion. The invaders are not reasonable, and seem to be controlled by a sort of theological dictatorship that rules absolutely over the behemoth world ships that they used to cross the great gulf between galaxies. Each and every soldier they employ are berserk with religious zeal, while their engineers treat their technology as holy artifacts, and their leadership devote their lives to the pursuit of the revival of their God. Crisis makes for strange bedfellows, and opportunities to end old animosity are aplenty, especially if one has the diplomatic acumen to form a coalition against the coming tide.
Starts with Dark Tech-base
End Tech-base discoverable
End Times Difficulty 9
(99.999 billion years) Mankind evolved and arrived on the galactic scene on the cusp of the Heat Death of the Universe. The star that Earth orbits is nearing it's end, and most of the universe is cold and dark. Mankind's existential question is: what is there left to do in the final years of the universe but watch our own death come on swift wings?
Starts with End Tech-base
Energy Tech-base discoverable
Ancients Tech-base discoverable
Dark Tech-base discoverable
New Eden Difficulty Unknown
QM rolls for which era you start in. NOTE: Another human faction will exist if you choose this option.
(100 billion years) The End of the Universe has come. Heat Death was inevitable, but in mankind's last throes of life, a hope was born. We created a tear in the fabric of reality and have accessed the multiverse. Where we'll go, who knows? All that we care is that our species has a second lease on life and that we are headed to a New Eden where we can carve out a home for ourselves. And maybe... just maybe figure out a way to prevent the same cold death our original home faced.
Starts with mastery of End Tech-base
Energy Tech-base discoverable
Ancients Tech-base discoverable
Dark Tech-base discoverable
Voting Options:
[] Big Bang Difficulty 10
[] Progenitors Difficulty 7
[] Young Difficulty 3
[] Ancient Empires Difficulty 2
[] The Fall Difficulty 5
[] Dark Age Difficulty 8
[] FTL Rediscovery Difficulty 1
[] Galactic Republic Difficulty 0
[] Civil War Difficulty 4
[] Invasion Difficulty 6
[] End Times Difficulty 9
[] New Eden Difficulty Unknown
Mechanics note: No tech-base is better than any other. Each one does different things under different circumstances. Using Ancient's tech in the Dark era has an exponentially cost growth rate depending on what you're trying to do. Meanwhile, using Dark tech during the Ancient's era would produce interesting, but not very powerful effects due to the high amounts of matter density while End tech relies on near perfect vacuums and high density matter that would probably make the early universe implode. So long story short, different tech-bases do different things, so don't vote SOLELY based on what techs are available.
QM's note: You know, I'm SO happy that Cosmic Dust has had such a surge of players and activity! I'm especially happy about all the familiar faces among the voters. It's been far too long since I've been active, and I'm glad to be able to have the time and energy to devote to writing again. It also helps that a long spout of writer's block has been conquered, and I'm raring and ready to go! So ready, in fact, that I have a lot of the Cosmic Dust setting lovingly crafted and ready for you to explore. And I gotta tell ya, I had to refrain hardcore from closing votes early and putting up this update because I was just so excited!
Anyway, enough rambling from me. I hope you enjoy the possibilities and have fun debating where you want to start!
