When the stars fell from the sky over the worlds of Calliope Republic, the notion that humanity was alone in the universe shattered, and so was the notion that we would be able to work together. The interstellar war that followed killed billions, with human weaponry being unable to dent let alone scratch the invaders armor. World after world fell, until we made our last stand on the world that gave us life. While the Calliope Republic fell, her last stand brought the invasion to a halt. With the gates to Calliope severed, the last settlements became capitals for new nations, each rooted in the knowledge that the threat may return. The year is 127 PCE, and the stage is set. Welcome to Project Payback.
Setting Details
This setting is similar to Agrippa-259 in terms of its technological level and scale. There are key differences; specifically in terms of weaponry and faster than light travel.
Technology
From the modern era, Project Payback takes place 350 years from the future. The Calliope Republic itself was the known pinnacle of technology in the human world. The alien threat however is known to have better weapons and technology.
In a direct confrontation, the Calliope Republic needed five ships to engage one alien ship in a ‘fair’ fight with the threat.
Faster than Light Travel
Sprox-Gates, as they are known, connect every human colonized star system. Sprox-Gates use a material known as Sproxite (Borrowed from Greek Sproxte, ‘Push’) to manipulate spacetime, covering the ship in a transrelativistic (effectively superluminal) pocket that sends the ships to the next system. Sprox-Gates are usually three of a kind, each covering a 120 degree segment of the star system.
There are two configurations: One way and Two way assist
In a one way assist, the pocket is only given enough energy to stay stable for a short period of time. Upon collapsing, the ship is able to maneuver conventionally and usually has to use gravity assists to slow down. Invariably, one way assists are often used by pirates and smugglers who rush up to the gate and jump. A downside to one way assists is that the pocket collapsing in deep space can disable or destroy prograde and retrograde thrusters.
In a two way assist, the pocket is given enough energy to stay stable for a longer period of time, and is expected to be caught by a receiving Sprox-Gate. If not caught, the ship may exit in an unexpected area, like on the other side of the solar system or in deep space, where the ship will have to maneuver conventionally back to the solar system.
Weaponry
Ships in Project Payback eschew traditional shielding systems as they do not exist instead, they use armor plating.
Typical weapons systems found in human space.
Vessel Types
- Ships
- Spacecraft
Unguided Weapons Systems
- Coilgun
- Railgun
- Mortar
Guided Weapons Systems
- Missile
- Torpedo
- Loitering Munition (Mine)
Additionally, ships contain advanced heatsink and radiator systems to plume excess heat from weapons use. Taking out a vital radiator can lead to certain death in space. It is assumed that all ships in Project Payback have those built in by default.
Claims
Claims will consist of up to ten systems, with up to 8 habitable planets. You can have up to two partially finished megastructures. These can be from the list provided in the map thread.
Questions can be forwarded to me in this thread