You've done it.
Graduated! Succeeded! Beaten the unholy slog that was university! Bloody well took long enough. But all the work, the aggravating classmates, the ever-ongoing stress... oof. But now you're out.
It had been a tough choice, several years ago, deciding to attend…
[] University of Olympus Mons (+3 to Propulsion Integration rolls)
[] University of Copernicus (+1 to all Strike Craft Integration rolls)
[] Tau Ceti Collegiate Institute (+2 to Electronics Integration rolls)
[] Proxima University (Permits use of Exotic Weapons and Systems)
But now, after the hellscape of mathematics, professors, theses, and more mathematics, you can say: werf. Entirely so.
The good news, however, hasn't stopped flowing yet - contrary to the fierce competition for job offers, you've been positively bombarded with offers from various companies - and even a few investors offering to back a startup company. "Spoiled for choice" seems appropriate here.
[] Solar Dynamics Strike Craft Division - A company with a good reputation, but somewhat risky; having previously focused on engines and hyperdrives, the shift into building strike craft is seen as a potentially-disastrous move.
[] Enceladus Shipyards - A long-established operation, ES is less bleeding-edge than its competitors, with a focus on proven technologies. Mostly they turn out corvettes and frigates, with the occasional foray into larger ships.
[] Incom Systems - A startup founded by a UoC graduate, there's always the ever-present worry of collapse and unemployment, but it already seems to be attracting both new and experienced designers - if you want to work with shiny, bleeding-edge gear, Incom's a good bet.
[] Lockheed-Martin-CB - The aerospace company, older than basically all of the rest combined. With a vast array of institutional knowledge, plus a sizable internal supply chain, this is the proverbial easy ride - provided you don't mind the bureaucracy.
[] I'll Make My Own! - Pick a name, pick a specialty, pick a location, and hope your investors aren't throwing their money into a black hole.
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Welcome to AeroSpace Design Quest, because I figure I might as well jump on the ever-expanding bandwagon.
Here, we shall delve not into the ancient history of the early 20th century, but into the far future of the mid-24th century. Below is an abbreviated summary of the mechanics of the game and most immediately-relevant fluff.
Design Process
The design process is divided into a number of phases. In short, these are
Hull, Propulsion, Systems, Weapons, and Prototyping. Propulsion, Systems, and Weapons will all include Integration rolls - which, based on your own skills and the quality of the system in question, determine how well your craft and the modules being added work together.
Hull determines the rough size, form, and overall role of the craft being designed; for example, deciding between Fighter or Bomber, or choosing between Small, Medium, or Large hull sizes.
Propulsion deals with the sourcing, integration, and optimisation of engines, hyperdrives, and RCS grids. Also determines exact fuel capacity and powerplant.
Systems includes electronics, avionics, sensors, and other such computery things. Sensors will often directly affect weapon performance. Electronic Warfare systems are included here.
Weapons is exactly what it sounds like - finding guns, missiles, lasers, or whatnot to bolt on to the craft so it can fight.
Prototyping is gathering all these things together and testing an initial model of the craft. This may include altering any of the above categories for bugfixing and troubleshooting.
After these are done, you can begin submitting the craft for contact bids - this is where the Rating system comes in.
Rating is a simple 1-10 scale (1 being "basically trash" and 10 being "god-tier") by which the quality of your craft and its various systems are measured. Reputation influences this, as do the Preferences of potential buyers (for example, the United Nations Fleet might prefer a high-tech, more sophisticated platform than a simpler, more rugged one).
All systems come with an inherent Rating - these can increase or decrease the overall Rating of a craft when installed. As you work, over time your Reputation (and/or that of the company's) will expand, influencing the Rating upwards or downwards as well.
For example;
EV-1 Exampleship (Strike Craft, Fighter)
>Propulsion 2
>Systems 1
>Weapons 2
>Reputation 1
Total Rating 6
The potential buyers would then all be rolled for (with 1d10) - any buyer who rolls below the Total Rating of a craft will order it. The greater the difference between Rating and Buyer Roll, the more they will order.
Other considerations can affect this - Rating modifiers can be attached to many design decisions, such as number of weapons, placement of same, range/fuel capacity, and so on.
Any questions about design mechanics will be answered, but bear in mind not all mechanics are set in stone yet.
The Places
The United Nations: Ever-expanding from their revitalization in 2070 as the new governing body of human-occupied space, the UN holds governance over Earth, Luna, and indirect governance over the Sol system - while most extrasolar colonies do answer to the UN in some capacity, their power is mostly concentrated in Sol. Noted fondness for high-tech equipment.
Alpha Centauri: The government-slash-colonial-authority of the Alpha and Proxima Centauri systems. Despite maintaining a semi-independent government structure and system militia, they are still subordinate to the UN. A significant portion of the populace is agitating for independence, but so far, little seems to be coming of it.
Tau Ceti: A fairly lightly-populated system, Tau Ceti IV and V are both under the governance of the local UN authority. Mostly focused on research and resourcing, Tau Ceti is viewed as the more-loved stepchild by many in the other colonies.
Barnard's Star: Notably primarily in that it's home to a pair of o'Neill cylinder habitats, the "colony" at Barnard's is mostly a quiet and peaceful spot, earning most of their income via research, particularly into long-term space travel.
Delta Pavonis: Renamed such after the first colonies were established in 2305, the former TRAPPIST-1 system is home to 3 settled worlds and a rapidly-expanding populace. Perhaps due to their distance from Sol, they are agitating for (and, to a degree, getting) increased autonomy from the UN - much to Centauri's exasperation.
Technology - Hyperdrive
Skipping most of the technical details, the big invention of the 23rd century was the Hyperdrive. A physics-bending piece of equipment, this magic box can be built to fit almost any ship, large or small. Thankfully for all, hyperdrives are fuelled by the same fuel used by sublight engines, and are fairly common - if expensive.
The curious side-effect most immediately note about a hyperdrive is its "drag" on a ship - while hardly excessive, it slowly increases, corresponding to sublight speed. While limiting, it is viewed as an acceptable tradeoff for FTL capability.
Fuel consumption is determined by hyperdrive Class - corresponding to fuel required to travel 1 light-year. A Class 2 drive, for example, would require 200 kilograms of fuel to travel 1LY - a Class 3, 300kg, and so on.
