Traveller, The Rise of Empire: A Naval Design, Procurement and Command Quest

Traveller, The Rise of Empire: A Naval Design, Procurement and Command Quest
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It has been three centuries since the founding of the colony, since the slow-boat ships left the system to seek further worlds to settle and stranded some fifty-thousand colonists to either thrive or die a slow death.

With three-hundred years of struggle, pain and hard-fought success under their belts, the people of Home have begun to look to the stars​
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1-1: Founding Home

4WheelSword

The original N-body Problem
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It/She/They
Traveller
The Rise of Empire
A Naval Design, Procurement and Command Quest




It has been three centuries since the founding of the colony, since the slow-boat ships left the system to seek further worlds to settle and stranded some fifty-thousand colonists to either thrive or die a slow death. They chose the former, establishing grand cities, massive farms, orbital infrastructure and off-world mining operations to extend their reach to the very heavens. With three-hundred years of struggle, pain and hard-fought success under their belts, the people of Home have begun to look to the stars, fascinated by what may have happened to colonists isolated on other worlds, other systems. They have heard distant radio broadcasts, other planets seeking news of the fates of their fellow descendants of those slow boats.

Home intends to offer them a new future.




What is Traveller?
Traveller is a role-playing system that has existed for some fifty years since its first publication in 1977. It is a tale of grand adventure, discovering ancient mysteries and uncovering deep conspiracies amongst the stars. The version we will be using has been published by Mongoose Publishing in two editions since circa 2008, and we will specifically be using three books: Mongoose Traveller 1ed Core, MT1ed High Guard and MT1ed Trillion Credit Squadron. We are using the expanded rules of the latter including Technological development, Limited communication and some home-brewed rules developed by the author.

What is this quest?
Using the rules laid out in the above books, we will be taking a single colony from its first steps into interstellar diplomacy and exploration to the logical conclusion: Interstellar Naval Warfare and Conquest. We will not be managing the government, domestic policy or infrastructure investment. What we will have control over is exactly what the Head of the Navy should have control over; Technological investment, the work of the yards and the distribution of forces. Sometimes foreign policy will influence us, at other times we will influence foreign policy through out actions. Sometimes we will go to war for the politicians, and sometimes we will force war upon them.

How will it play?
There is currently no set time between turns as some other quests of mine will have. We will time-skip as and when appropriate, though the minimum turn time will be week-by-week. Votes will be on major events, and sometimes I may ask for more expansive write-ins to cover things like policy in specific situations, or spending or such. During war time, time will move slower, during times of peace, time will move more quickly.

So lets get to it shall we?


Home has been an established colony for 350 years. It has seen the development of a new culture, new technology and new struggles. It is:
[ ] Home (1) is a world the size of Old Terra, with much of the planet covered in oceans, a thick, breathable atmosphere and a Temperate climate. The planet is ruled by the consensus of the people, as it has been since the early days of colonisation. Technological developments have allowed for the burgeoning population to stay connected and stay informed as more and more people have been enfranchised as part of this system. Despite this democratic system, there is a small but notable faction of Technocrats who believe that a civil service bureaucracy would better serve the people.

The descendants of the ships crew serve as advisors to the bureaucratic system, taking a role akin to viziers but banned from voting on any matter whatsoever. There is also a stark caste system amongst the people, with 'workers' considered more important and vital than 'managers' and in turn they are more important than 'owners' leading to the voices of those who work the machines being given more weight than those who own the machines. This leads to a significant amount of social unrest from both the top and bottom of the pile, and there are significant concerns that the political system may collapse in the not too distant future as tensions reach a boiling point.
[ ] Home (2) is a fat planet with higher than comfortable gravity, leading to a squat, stocky people. Despite this, the atmosphere is thin and while there is a lot of water, much of it is frozen or ice slush due to the cold climate. The planet is ruled by the wealthy, a plutocracy that has survived based on two metrics - the hereditary command of the colony based on ship-ranks and the ownership of various industries that are vital to the colonies survival. There is a political faction that opposes this; a religious minority group that follows a so-called 'Messiah' that promises to lead the colony to a new, more equitable age.

The culture of the planet is progressive and vibrant, constantly evolving and developing with the disadvantaged of the system producing music and art and other things on a scale never seen before. They are constantly breaking rules and reforming traditions, even as those traditions stay stilted and solid amongst the upper classes where the rituals of society are considered utterly vital to the maintenance and transfer of power. These traditions are considered to have saved the colony during a major plague, the scars of which still mark the cities and the population, and while the population is recovering it is doing so slowly.
[ ] Home (3) is a world the size of Old Terra, with significant oceans and a dense atmosphere tainted with a high proportion of Carbon Dioxid3e. The oceans are massive enough to support a large population but they are acidified by the atmosphere and must be treated before they are drinkable, a process that is not helped by the roasting climate. The planet is balkanised, split into three major factions that each propose themselves as the true and rightful leaders of Home. While a decaying bureaucracy holds the current seat of power in the Capital, a charismatic dictator holds sway over the surface militias and the last descendants of the ships crew have the ear of many notable people amongst the population.

Despite the grip of balkanisation and near-revolution, the people of Home are honourable and their word is considered sacrosanct. None would dare to break a promise or an oath, and this is a major part of deal-making and diplomacy amongst their people, hardly seeing the need for written contracts in most cases. Many of the people remember the worlds their slow boats came from, the achievements and the stories and the myths passed down generation to generation without a change in the wording. Language is utterly sacred to these people, and the way it is used is utterly vital to society.



Welcome to my new art quest! I plan to develop deck-plans and drawings for most ships designed and built during this quest, and I hope you will help me make this into a thriving and exciting game!
 
[X] Home (2) is a fat planet with higher than comfortable gravity, leading to a squat, stocky people. Despite this, the atmosphere is thin and while there is a lot of water, much of it is frozen or ice slush due to the cold climate. The planet is ruled by the wealthy, a plutocracy that has survived based on two metrics - the hereditary command of the colony based on ship-ranks and the ownership of various industries that are vital to the colonies survival. There is a political faction that opposes this; a religious minority group that follows a so-called 'Messiah' that promises to lead the colony to a new, more equitable age.

Get me my wealthy space dwarfs.
 
[X] Home (2) is a fat planet with higher than comfortable gravity, leading to a squat, stocky people. Despite this, the atmosphere is thin and while there is a lot of water, much of it is frozen or ice slush due to the cold climate. The planet is ruled by the wealthy, a plutocracy that has survived based on two metrics - the hereditary command of the colony based on ship-ranks and the ownership of various industries that are vital to the colonies survival. There is a political faction that opposes this; a religious minority group that follows a so-called 'Messiah' that promises to lead the colony to a new, more equitable age.

Ludd The Messiah wills it!
 
[X] Home (3) is a world the size of Old Terra, with significant oceans and a dense atmosphere tainted with a high proportion of Carbon Dioxid3e. The oceans are massive enough to support a large population but they are acidified by the atmosphere and must be treated before they are drinkable, a process that is not helped by the roasting climate. The planet is balkanised, split into three major factions that each propose themselves as the true and rightful leaders of Home. While a decaying bureaucracy holds the current seat of power in the Capital, a charismatic dictator holds sway over the surface militias and the last descendants of the ships crew have the ear of many notable people amongst the population.
 
[X] Home (2) is a fat planet with higher than comfortable gravity, leading to a squat, stocky people. Despite this, the atmosphere is thin and while there is a lot of water, much of it is frozen or ice slush due to the cold climate. The planet is ruled by the wealthy, a plutocracy that has survived based on two metrics - the hereditary command of the colony based on ship-ranks and the ownership of various industries that are vital to the colonies survival. There is a political faction that opposes this; a religious minority group that follows a so-called 'Messiah' that promises to lead the colony to a new, more equitable age.
 
[X] Home (3) is a world the size of Old Terra, with significant oceans and a dense atmosphere tainted with a high proportion of Carbon Dioxid3e. The oceans are massive enough to support a large population but they are acidified by the atmosphere and must be treated before they are drinkable, a process that is not helped by the roasting climate. The planet is balkanised, split into three major factions that each propose themselves as the true and rightful leaders of Home. While a decaying bureaucracy holds the current seat of power in the Capital, a charismatic dictator holds sway over the surface militias and the last descendants of the ships crew have the ear of many notable people amongst the population.
 
[X] Home (1) is a world the size of Old Terra, with much of the planet covered in oceans, a thick, breathable atmosphere and a Temperate climate. The planet is ruled by the consensus of the people, as it has been since the early days of colonisation. Technological developments have allowed for the burgeoning population to stay connected and stay informed as more and more people have been enfranchised as part of this system. Despite this democratic system, there is a small but notable faction of Technocrats who believe that a civil service bureaucracy would better serve the people.

All of these seem neat but this one is the only one that seems tolerable to me rn xD
 
[X] Home (2) is a fat planet with higher than comfortable gravity, leading to a squat, stocky people. Despite this, the atmosphere is thin and while there is a lot of water, much of it is frozen or ice slush due to the cold climate. The planet is ruled by the wealthy, a plutocracy that has survived based on two metrics - the hereditary command of the colony based on ship-ranks and the ownership of various industries that are vital to the colonies survival. There is a political faction that opposes this; a religious minority group that follows a so-called 'Messiah' that promises to lead the colony to a new, more equitable age.
 
[X] Home (3) is a world the size of Old Terra, with significant oceans and a dense atmosphere tainted with a high proportion of Carbon Dioxid3e. The oceans are massive enough to support a large population but they are acidified by the atmosphere and must be treated before they are drinkable, a process that is not helped by the roasting climate. The planet is balkanised, split into three major factions that each propose themselves as the true and rightful leaders of Home. While a decaying bureaucracy holds the current seat of power in the Capital, a charismatic dictator holds sway over the surface militias and the last descendants of the ships crew have the ear of many notable people amongst the population.
 
[X] Home (1) is a world the size of Old Terra, with much of the planet covered in oceans, a thick, breathable atmosphere and a Temperate climate. The planet is ruled by the consensus of the people, as it has been since the early days of colonisation. Technological developments have allowed for the burgeoning population to stay connected and stay informed as more and more people have been enfranchised as part of this system. Despite this democratic system, there is a small but notable faction of Technocrats who believe that a civil service bureaucracy would better serve the people.

I am not trying to fistfight people just to get off my own damned planet.
 
[X] Home (1) is a world the size of Old Terra, with much of the planet covered in oceans, a thick, breathable atmosphere and a Temperate climate. The planet is ruled by the consensus of the people, as it has been since the early days of colonisation. Technological developments have allowed for the burgeoning population to stay connected and stay informed as more and more people have been enfranchised as part of this system. Despite this democratic system, there is a small but notable faction of Technocrats who believe that a civil service bureaucracy would better serve the people.
 
[X] Home (1) is a world the size of Old Terra, with much of the planet covered in oceans, a thick, breathable atmosphere and a Temperate climate. The planet is ruled by the consensus of the people, as it has been since the early days of colonisation. Technological developments have allowed for the burgeoning population to stay connected and stay informed as more and more people have been enfranchised as part of this system. Despite this democratic system, there is a small but notable faction of Technocrats who believe that a civil service bureaucracy would better serve the people.

Because it's the most similar to Earth.
 
[X] Home (3) is a world the size of Old Terra, with significant oceans and a dense atmosphere tainted with a high proportion of Carbon Dioxid3e. The oceans are massive enough to support a large population but they are acidified by the atmosphere and must be treated before they are drinkable, a process that is not helped by the roasting climate. The planet is balkanised, split into three major factions that each propose themselves as the true and rightful leaders of Home. While a decaying bureaucracy holds the current seat of power in the Capital, a charismatic dictator holds sway over the surface militias and the last descendants of the ships crew have the ear of many notable people amongst the population.
 
[X] Home (1) is a world the size of Old Terra, with much of the planet covered in oceans, a thick, breathable atmosphere and a Temperate climate. The planet is ruled by the consensus of the people, as it has been since the early days of colonisation. Technological developments have allowed for the burgeoning population to stay connected and stay informed as more and more people have been enfranchised as part of this system. Despite this democratic system, there is a small but notable faction of Technocrats who believe that a civil service bureaucracy would better serve the people.
 
[X] Home (3) is a world the size of Old Terra, with significant oceans and a dense atmosphere tainted with a high proportion of Carbon Dioxid3e. The oceans are massive enough to support a large population but they are acidified by the atmosphere and must be treated before they are drinkable, a process that is not helped by the roasting climate. The planet is balkanised, split into three major factions that each propose themselves as the true and rightful leaders of Home. While a decaying bureaucracy holds the current seat of power in the Capital, a charismatic dictator holds sway over the surface militias and the last descendants of the ships crew have the ear of many notable people amongst the population.
 
[X] Home (3) is a world the size of Old Terra, with significant oceans and a dense atmosphere tainted with a high proportion of Carbon Dioxid3e. The oceans are massive enough to support a large population but they are acidified by the atmosphere and must be treated before they are drinkable, a process that is not helped by the roasting climate. The planet is balkanised, split into three major factions that each propose themselves as the true and rightful leaders of Home. While a decaying bureaucracy holds the current seat of power in the Capital, a charismatic dictator holds sway over the surface militias and the last descendants of the ships crew have the ear of many notable people amongst the population.
 
[X] Home (3) is a world the size of Old Terra, with significant oceans and a dense atmosphere tainted with a high proportion of Carbon Dioxid3e. The oceans are massive enough to support a large population but they are acidified by the atmosphere and must be treated before they are drinkable, a process that is not helped by the roasting climate. The planet is balkanised, split into three major factions that each propose themselves as the true and rightful leaders of Home. While a decaying bureaucracy holds the current seat of power in the Capital, a charismatic dictator holds sway over the surface militias and the last descendants of the ships crew have the ear of many notable people amongst the population.
 
[X] Home (1) is a world the size of Old Terra, with much of the planet covered in oceans, a thick, breathable atmosphere and a Temperate climate. The planet is ruled by the consensus of the people, as it has been since the early days of colonisation. Technological developments have allowed for the burgeoning population to stay connected and stay informed as more and more people have been enfranchised as part of this system. Despite this democratic system, there is a small but notable faction of Technocrats who believe that a civil service bureaucracy would better serve the people.

I'm very curious how you intend to depict owners as powerless, based on the blurb in your post.
 
[ ] Home (3) is a world the size of Old Terra, with significant oceans and a dense atmosphere tainted with a high proportion of Carbon Dioxid3e. The oceans are massive enough to support a large population but they are acidified by the atmosphere and must be treated before they are drinkable, a process that is not helped by the roasting climate. The planet is balkanised, split into three major factions that each propose themselves as the true and rightful leaders of Home. While a decaying bureaucracy holds the current seat of power in the Capital, a charismatic dictator holds sway over the surface militias and the last descendants of the ships crew have the ear of many notable people amongst the population.

Definitely in for [X] Home (3)!!! Let's get Homeworld with it :-333
 
[X] Home (2) is a fat planet with higher than comfortable gravity, leading to a squat, stocky people. Despite this, the atmosphere is thin and while there is a lot of water, much of it is frozen or ice slush due to the cold climate. The planet is ruled by the wealthy, a plutocracy that has survived based on two metrics - the hereditary command of the colony based on ship-ranks and the ownership of various industries that are vital to the colonies survival. There is a political faction that opposes this; a religious minority group that follows a so-called 'Messiah' that promises to lead the colony to a new, more equitable age.
 
[X] Home (3) is a world the size of Old Terra, with significant oceans and a dense atmosphere tainted with a high proportion of Carbon Dioxid3e. The oceans are massive enough to support a large population but they are acidified by the atmosphere and must be treated before they are drinkable, a process that is not helped by the roasting climate. The planet is balkanised, split into three major factions that each propose themselves as the true and rightful leaders of Home. While a decaying bureaucracy holds the current seat of power in the Capital, a charismatic dictator holds sway over the surface militias and the last descendants of the ships crew have the ear of many notable people amongst the population.
 
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