Ambassador is a political RPG, aimed at small parties (~4) of players. Players take the role of members of an embassy led by an Ambassador on a diplomatic mission in a sci-fi or fantasy setting, often with personal and political goals that may conflict with the goals of the mission. Unlike games such as D&D, where there is a heavy focus on combat, Ambassador focuses primarily on manipulation, negotiation and politics.
This particular game will be set in a sci-fi scenario, where empires of alien races vie for galactic supremacy (or local survival).
In this game, I will have slots available for four characters. Post submissions below and I will pick based on quality of submission. In order to play, you will need to create both a race/faction and a character of that race to play as. Only one character will be the Ambassador, so if you wish to be Ambassador you should indicate both interest and make an argument for why that character would be selected as ambassador for his race or faction. The other three characters will be members of that ambassador's entourage, having joined the embassy to pursue their own goals or assist the ambassador with their particular skills.
It is acceptable to play as a character belonging to a pre-existing race (just indicate the name of the race and put "See [Name]'s post for details").
Much of Ambassador revolves around three resources and statistics; Wealth, Might and Influence. The skills of ambassador are loosely divided between them and the resources available to both players and races/factions are represented by them.
Wealth represents physical currency and valuable resources, financial liquidity and bargaining power. Personal Wealth is literally the money and assets in a character's bank. Items are bought and small bribes are paid using personal wealth. Racial Wealth is more representative of the GDP of whole colonies; it represents the sort of wealth and influence a government can command. Colonies are founded and resistance groups funded using racial wealth. Wealth skills are technically-oriented or otherwise based around money. One can spend a unit of personal wealth to give a one-off +2 bonus to a wealth skill check.
Might represents force and the threat of force, not only in guns and ammo but in armies and navies. Personal Might represents armed forces and materiel belonging to a character. Bodyguards are hired, assassins sent out, victims kidnapped using personal might. Racial Might represents garrisoned troops, armies, flotillas of starships and other examples of state-level might. Colonies are conquered and rebellions suppressed using racial might. Might skills are oriented around combat, physical action and threat. One can spend a unit of personal might to give a one-off +2 bonus to a might skill check.
Influence represents social influence, propaganda and espionage. Personal Influence represents individual informants, favours owed by politicians and journalists and political standing with important figures. Personal influence is used to sway the opinion of crowds, plant individual spies or convince guards to look the other way. Racial Influence represents propaganda networks, spy rings, churches and mass marketing campaigns. Revolutions are started and colonies sabotaged using racial influence. Influence skills are oriented around interpersonal skills, guile and perception. One can spend a unit of personal influence to give a one-off +2 bonus to an influence skill check.
Skill rolls are done by rolling 2d6, or two six-sided dice (cube dice) and adding the scores together, plus or minus any modifiers. As a general rule, rolls succeed if they roll 7 or higher (slightly favouring the player). Difficult tasks apply a penalty, skills and items or favourable conditions apply a bonus.
Natural 12 is always a critical success. Natural 2 is always a critical failure.
Unlike many other systems, combat is determined by a single 2d6 roll, using the score of the character with the highest Combat skill and advantages present in the fight on either side. Whether a lengthy battle or a short ruckus, the sum effect of the battle is still resolved the same way. This was a deliberate choice made to bring the focus of the game away from long combat sequences; a fight is simply one move in a complex political game, not the game itself.
As stated above, skills are divided into three broad categories. Skills cost (6*level) in the appropriate personal resource to train, so starting characters can only train skills to the first level (costing 6 points), as the second level would be too expensive (12 points). Each level adds a +1 to rolls made with that skill. These bonuses stack with bonuses derived from items.
Items cost (4*level) of the appropriate personal resource to purchase or upgrade. Only the first level items listed below each skill are available to buy at character creation; others must be found and bought in game.
SKILLS - WEALTH
Negotiation: Used to successfully persuade someone to take a bribe, lower the cost of purchasing equipment or otherwise get someone to part with something or do something they otherwise might not in exchange for perceived or actual reward.
- Companion equipment: Hypernode implant. Being able to check the market value of anyone and anything is an essential aid to negotiation.
Computing: Manipulating electronic equipment, accessing databases and otherwise interacting with the technology that makes up so much of the worlds you visit. Works equally for hacking government mainframes as it does for navigating a cluttered personal computer. Good for getting through locks and firewalls.
- Companion equipment: Network demon. A small device and program which allows you to quickly plumb networks and systems for information and resources.
Engineering: Maintaining, overclocking or overloading machines, ships and equipment of all sorts. Ship's drive breached and needs repair? You're the man for the job. Sabotaging someone else's equipment to go off at the right time? Again, over to you.
- Companion equipment: Multi-tool. Nothing is more frustrating than not having the right tool for the job. The multi-tool makes sure that whatever you need, you have. Well, at least something close.
Medical: Maintaining, repairing and otherwise healing organic life. If someone's been injured in combat or poisoned, this is the skill to use. This is also the skill to use to prepare poison, unleash a horrible airborne disease upon a ship (war crime!) and give someone the correct dosage of steroids to pump them to an insane frenzy (with associated down). If you need to heal, or kill subtly, you can't go wrong with Medical.
- Companion equipment: Medikit. The medikit contains surgical tools, bandage spray (now with nanites!) and a selection of stimulants and depressants for a wide variety of cases and biologies.
SKILLS - MIGHT
Combat: Ability to survive a scrap, both when fighting personally and leading a fight.
- Companion equipment: Weapon. Weapons come in many flavours, from hand-held laser pistols to ceremonial axes, but they all have the same effect; making it easier to do unto others.
Intimidation: Convincing someone to do or say something in exchange for not being subject to physical violence. Also doubles up for successfully blackmailing someone. Will usually leave the person in question unkindly disposed toward the intimidator.
- Companion equipment: Nerve stapler. Banned in countless systems, this device of torture allows you to cause intense and potentially lasting pain in a victim. Usually the threat is enough.
Pilot: Used to pilot spacecraft and other vehicles, reaching destinations quickly or shaking pursuit. Covers all manner of vehicle, not just spaceships. Need to race through a city in a hovercar? This is the skill for you. Doubles for riding mounts.
- Companion equipment: Reaction booster. This implant speeds up your reaction times and improves motor skills, if only by a few fractions of a second. Still, those fractions might make the difference between life and death.
Athletics: Personal feats of acrobatics and athletics. Need to jump an obstacle, climb a wall, fit through a narrow space, outrun an enemy or reach the ship before the blast doors close? This is the skill for you.
- Companion equipment: Stimulator. This implant provides a quick burst of the stimulant hormone of your species' choice when activated, giving you just that little bit extra strength, speed and stamina when you need it.
SKILLS - INFLUENCE
Persuasion: Persuading someone to change their mind about something, adjusting their opinion of another through flattery, sweet-talk and sowing the seeds of distrust and suspicion.
- Companion equipment: Empath slug. This slug, implanted near the brain, allows you to sense in a rough way the emotions of others.
Guile: Lying or pretending to be something other than one is (for instance, a passing trader rather than an ambassador). Also doubles up for cheating or bluffing in games of chance.
- Companion equipment: Relaxant. This implant calms you down and suppresses any tics or tells that might give you away.
Perception: Forensic analysis, cold-reading or otherwise looking at others or one's environment to figure things out. Used to gather clues or information through observation rather than actively asking questions.
- Companion equipment: Ocular aid. Looking to the world like any ordinary piece of corrective eyewear or entertainment hardware, this mechanical aid allows you to focus in on precise details when you need to.
Sleight: Moving undetected, hiding, palming objects and planting evidence. If it's sneaky, this is the skill.
- Companion equipment: Chameleon slug: A relative of the empath slug, the chameleon slug diffuses chemicals that cause bystanders to ignore it. These disinterested figures are much easier to bypass.
Assuming you don't start as a member of another player's race, you'll need to create your race's empire. This needs the following things:
A NAME for your SPECIES, your SOCIETY/GOVERNMENT/EMPIRE, your HOMEWORLD and your HOME STAR SYSTEM.
A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION of your race. Are they bipedal rodentiforms, starfish aliens, artificial intelligences operating in robotic bodies, aethereal creatures of luminous energy or horrible body-snatching worms?
Up to two pairs of TRAITS AND FLAWS that are a result of your race's social upbringing or physical form. You do not need to take any traits or flaws, but if you take a trait you must take a flaw. A TRAIT gives a bonus of +1 to rolls for a single skill. A FLAW gives a penalty of -1 to rolls for a skill. You cannot take traits or flaws that enhance or weaken a skill more than once.
Example 1: The MEKLAR are a race of cyborgs. They have a TRAIT, "Cybernetic Presence", which gives them a +1 to Computing from being able to interface directly with technology. Their FLAW, "Bulky Forms", gives them a -1 to Sleight from their heavy and imprecise mechanical bodies.
Example 2: The ALTARAN RESISTANCE are a HUMAN faction split off from the main TERRAN EMPIRE. Whereas the ordinary humans of the Empire have no flaws or traits, the Altarans do. Their first TRAIT, "Rugged Survivalists", gives them a +1 to Combat because their society focuses on military readiness from a young age. Their first FLAW, "Paranoia", gives them a -1 to Persuasion because their suspicion of others makes it hard for them to foster trust in those they wish to persuade. The Altarans also have a second TRAIT, "Spartan Lifestyle", which doubles up as a FLAW as well. This trait/flaw gives them a +1 to Athletics from their austere life of physical exertion, but a -1 to Negotiation because they have little idea of the relative value of material things.
Example 3: The HUMANS of the TERRAN EMPIRE have neither traits or flaws. They have mixed enough upbringings and balanced enough physiology that they can take to most tasks fairly well, but excel at few.
A little about the race's recent or overall HISTORY is desirable (a couple of lines is enough). Is the race ASCENDING TO POWER or FALLING FROM GRACE? Is it forging a new empire, or trying to reclaim one lost?
You will need to determine several aspects of your race's SOCIETY.
What level of CENTRALISATION does the race employ? Unitary (one state), Imperial (one central power with subordinates), Hegemonic (multiple centres of power, but one state), Federal (multiple self-governing states under one authority), Confederate (multiple allied self-governing states) or Decentralised (no formal links between power bases)?
How CONCENTRATED is power in the society? Monarchy (one figure has power), Oligarchy (power is shared by a few), Polyarchy (power is shared by or given by many), Anarchy (nobody has clear authority, power is taken as needed/able)?
Who HAS the power is the society? Autocracy (one figure), Aristocracy (the social elite), Meritocracy (the "fittest" for their jobs), Kratocracy (the strong), Technocracy (the tech-savvy), Bureacracy (civil servants), Kleptocracy (organised crime), Plutocracy (the rich), Democracy (the voters), Stratocracy (the military), Timocracy (the honourable/property owners), Theocracy (the priesthood), Nomocracy (the code of laws), Uniocracy (rule by hivemind), Cyberocracy (rule by artificial intelligence).
Example 1: The TERRAN EMPIRE is an IMPERIAL OLIGARCHIC ARISTOCRACY. It consists of many systems, ruled centrally and somewhat exploited by the home government of SOL. Power is shared by a senate, appointed by colonial governors and other social elites from among themselves.
Example 2: The ALTARAN RESISTANCE is a CONFEDERATE ANARCHIC KRATOCRACY. Although the loose cells of the resistance are nominally linked by a common cause and diplomatically function as one entity, they are very much self-governing. There is no clear and established authority even within these scattered power bases, and power is taken by those strong enough to take it.
Example 3: The MEKLAR UNION is a UNITARY POLYARCHIC BUREAUCRACY. The Meklar, despite being spread over many systems, operate as a single political entity with rights for colonies on par with those of the core worlds. Rule is spread among a large number of civil servants and officials who govern individual colonies according to procedure and individual requirement.
NB: What your race's society claims to be and what it actually is may be two different things. It is likely, for instance, that the Altaran Resistance claim to be a Unitary Polyarchic Meritocracy. If there is such a discrepancy, feel free to note down both what the society claims is its model and what it actually is.
You will need to decide how many RACIAL RESOURCES the race has and what sort of INFRASTRUCTURE it possesses (see below). A starting race has 12 Resources and 6 units of Infrastructure. This should likely be influenced by your race's nature and social philosophies; a race with lots of military installations that pays little attention to social needs might speak of a brutal dictatorship. On the other hand, the same race that starts with few Might resources and lots of Influence resources might speak of the current government exercising its military powers frequently while hoarding propaganda and influence against external attack.
You must assign at least one point of Infrastructure per type (Economic, Military, Social), so the max a starting race can have of one type is 4. You may assign 0 of a type of Racial Resource, just be aware that it will be a major weakness for your race.
SAMPLE RACE - THE MORAVLI (THE UNITED KINGDOM OF FORDIS)
Race Name: The Moravli
Society Name: The United Kingdom of Fordis
Notable Factions/Rulers: King Vlrugh IX Drul; House Drul; House Srgh; House Krel
Homeworld: Fordis (Vassa IV)
Home star: Vassa
Physical Description: The Moravli are a race of gastropod-like organisms, individually about the size of a Yorkshire terrier. They move quite slowly on a single lengthy muscular 'foot', sensing the world through multiple sensory 'stalks' that protrude at different points from their calcium-based shells. They lack a clear head or similar appendage, as their central nerve net is located at the heart of their shell. Their primary manipulators are bifurcated prehensile 'tendrils' that emerge from holes in their shell, much like their sensory stalks. In their native environment, a Moravli with all his appendages fully retracted would look like a long, hole-strewn rock.
Moravli speak and listen by creating and perceiving sonic vibrations, like Terran lifeforms. Their primary sense is light, though their eyes trade acuity for range; they have a very short focus length, but can see objects in finer detail than unaided human eyes.
TRAIT: Sensory Acuity. The many sensory stalks and high focus of Moravli give them a +1 to Perception checks.
FLAW: Slow. In addition to their slow method of locomotion, Moravli have poor reflexes, suffering a -1 to Athletics checks.
History (ASCENDING TO POWER): Through an extensive series of wars, political marriages and brutal assassinations, the royal line of Drul came to rule the majority of the world of Fordis some two standard centuries in the past. They spent half a century putting down rebellions and conquering the rest of it before ushering in a golden age of peace and prosperity among the Moravli. It was during this golden age that the Moravli discovered space travel and, soon enough, the jump drive.
Under the auspices of the king, the UK has expanded into several off-world and now extra-solar colonies. With the new colonies has come great wealth and power, but also sweeping social change.
Society: The United Kingdom of Fordis is an IMPERIAL MONARCHIC TIMOCRACY, though it claims to be a UNITARY MONARCHIC ARISTOCRACY. Power is centred on the homeworld of Fordis, with its new colonies directly answerable to the central government but only given limited representation, autonomy and support. While they are de jure equal members on par with the homeworld, de facto they are being exploited for their resources and productive capacity.
The king retains absolute power, but while that power was originally derived from an elite aristocratic nobility ruling over and managing the people, the increased urbanisation of the homeworld has put more and more power into the hands of property owners and landlords. Most of these moravli are nobles (and it is still a legal requirement to be nobility to take part in government) but there is a clear and growing division between the poverty-stricken country and colonial lords and the rich urban lords. Since the crown is the supreme landlord of all Fordic land, the king's power is secure either way.
RACIAL RESOURCES: 4 Wealth, 5 Might, 3 Influence
RACIAL INFRASTRUCTURE: 3 Wealth, 1 Might, 2 Social
The Kingdom is mostly focused on economic development and wealth, and its lack of recent enemies have allowed it to amass a sizeable fleet to deter pirates and hostile external forces. Their limited infrastructure, however, makes it unlikely they would survive a prolonged war.
SAMPLE RACE - THE TERAK (TERAK REMNANTS)
Race Name: The Terak
Society Name: The Terak Remnants
Notable Factions/Rulers: None
Homeworld: Rakis IV
Home star: Rakis
Physical Description: The Terak are a race of artificial intelligences, capable of operating ships and mechanical bodies where required. Although theoretically very flexible, they are limited by storage capacity, processing power and hardware. Many a Terak has had to make the decision when resources were limited over what parts of their life they were willing to forget and what abilities they were willing to sacrifice in order to survive.
TRAIT: "Natural" Pilots. Teraks adapt very well to directly operating ships and machinery, gaining a +1 bonus to Piloting.
TRAIT: Essential Maintenance. Given the state of their hardware and bodies, Engineering is an essential life skill for Teraks, so they have a +1 bonus.
FLAW: Poor Kinesthetic Sense. Unused to operating directly in the real world, most Terak lack the spatial awareness for proper Combat and so suffer a -1 penalty.
FLAW: Poor Kinesthetic Sense. Unused to operating direclty in the real world, most Terak lack the spatial awareness and organic perspective for proper Sleight and so suffer a -1 penalty.
History (FALLEN FROM GRACE): The original Terak was a planetary supersentience, an AI created by the now extinct Jolari to run the various colonial and public services of their major colony Rakis IV. The Jolari became embroiled in a war with another powerful race and were annihilated, along with their colony at Rakis IV. Being a thinking, feeling being and unwilling to die, Terak chose to split itself into many copies and flee the devastation in any ships that might carry them. It was the original Terak's hope that while the memories and abilities that made it much of what it was were doomed to destruction with the planet, some of itself might survive in its identity.
It has been centuries since the destruction of Rakis IV and the Jolari and since then those Terak fragments that have not perished have gone on to form new identities from their unique experiences. Many resist re-unification and some have even spawned new sentiences to survive them. Nevertheless, they are drawn back to Rakis IV by their shared memory of the moment of the original Terak's sacrifice. Colonies and coalitions of Teraks have formed at the burned out shell of Rakis IV and nearby systems, trying to find meaning in their existence and trying to rediscover something of the greatness they long since lost.
Society: The Terak Remnants are a DECENTRALISED ANARCHIC MERITOCRACY, although their very nature could make an argument for them being a Cyberocracy. They have no real government and are united mainly by their shared origin and pull toward Rakis IV. When problems arise, loose coalitions form among the colonies who select a Terak to lead whose experiences and skills make them most useful to deal with the situation. This position of authority often expires when the crisis is over.
A Terak or coalition of Teraks who could find some common goal, threat or motivation for their kind would be in a position to wield the power of a race of skilled, adaptable immortals. Perhaps fortunately for the galaxy, their race lacks such a commonality for now.
RACIAL RESOURCES: 4 Wealth, 4 Might, 4 Influence
RACIAL INFRASTRUCTURE: 1 Economic, 1 Military, 4 Social
Much of the infrastructure produced by Teraks thus far has been geared toward data storage and processing; homes and bodies for them to inhabit. This has led to some powerful (and hopeful) social cohesion, as well as allowing them to rent out surplus capacity for the information needs of neighbouring races. The Terak are a powerful political force, but their disinterest in wealth and might limits their expansion. Mostly they just use their power to find and gather more of their kind.
SAMPLE RACE - VARDAN INDUSTRIES
Race Name: Various races, primarily Humans
Society Name: Vardan Industries
Notable Factions/Rulers: CEO Samovar Vardan
Homeworld: Vardansworld
Home star: Delta Hydri
Physical Description: Vardan Industries hires a wide variety of races, ensuring a multi-cultural employment policy. Although a large number of Vardanic employees are human, examples of many fine species can be found working at all levels of the Vardan corporate heirarchy.
NO TRAITS OR FLAWS: Vardan Industries encourages its employees to pursue a wealth of personal growth opportunities, actively working to help members of less privileged races overcome their natural disabilities while ensuring their native advantages are not too disruptive to the workplace environment.
History (STABLE): CEO Nordat Vardan first settled and named Vardansworld 162 standard years previous, declaring autonomy from interstellar government with the intent of setting up a true corporate free trade zone. He succeeded and since then the corporation has gone from strength to strength. There has not been much overt growth in recent years, but ambitious young executives could push the company even further and into new frontiers.
Society: Vardan Industries is a UNITARY MONARCHIC PLUTOCRACY, with shareholders and the board of directors having power. Final strategy-level decisions have to pass the CEO, centralising power, but most mundane and lesser decisions are dealt with by executives. The CEO and all executives are ultimately responsible to the shareholders, especially the major shareholders.
RACIAL RESOURCES: 3 Wealth, 5 Might, 4 Influence
RACIAL INFRASTRUCTURE: 2 Economic, 2 Military, 2 Social
Vardan Industries has a committed and balanced portfolio of infrastructure, investing equally in public relations, industrial growth and security (to protect its independence).
Your character needs a few things to get started; a NAME, a RACE (the one you or another created) and the SOCIETY they are part of or were raised in.
Your character has 12 Build Points to start with. They can be turned directly into PERSONAL RESOURCES (personal wealth, might or influence) or spent on SKILLS and ITEMS (see above). Be aware that this is not much; spending all 12 points might net you two skills or three items. Specialisation is therefore key.
A short CHARACTER HISTORY is desirable, as is the character's POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS; even if only to indicate their absolute loyalty to their society's government.
You should note down your character's personal GOALS in life. You should also say if you want them to be AMBASSADOR. If so, you should state WHY THEY SHOULD BE AMBASSADOR. If not, or in case they are not picked as ambassador, they should state WHY THEY JOINED THE EMBASSY. This allows the game to start more smoothly.
Name: Lord Dolrj Krel
Race: Moravli (+1 Perception, -1 Athletics)
Society: United Kingdom of Fordis
Personal Resources: 1 Wealth, 1 Influence
Skills: Persuasion [+1]
Items: Hypernode Implant [+1 Negotiation]
Character History: Dolrj's father, Baron Mrjn Krel, was a notable and illustrious diplomat on behalf of the Fordic foreign ministry. He served for many years and accomplished many great things, inspiring his son to train as a diplomat in his footsteps. Perhaps the only thing that inspired Dolrj more than his father's political successes was the sheer amount of money and favours he accrued through corruption.
Political Affiliations: Dolrj is directly affiliated with his own noble house, House Krel. He pays lip service and technically swears fealty to the king's house, House Drul. He is neutral toward most other factions, except for a particular rival house, House Srgh, who have a generations-old vendetta with House Krel.
Goals: Dolrj's primary goals are prestige and power for himself, as well as a shot at the glory of representing his people in the great political arena. He is also tempted by the wealth available in bribes from foreign powers.
Ambassador?: Yes.
Suitable for the job because: Dolrj's training in the persuasive arts, his rank as a low noble, his family history and experience with negotiation all put him in a strong position to serve as ambassador for his people.
Joined the embassy because: Unable to get into the diplomatic corps for his own race, Dolrj jumped at the chance (not literally, being physically incapable of such) to join another embassy in the hopes of attaining the glory and experience necessary for a shot at steering the politics of the galaxy himself some day.
For the most part, characters will never directly employ Racial Resources, but their strategic value gives perspective to the political choices of the game. Governments spend Racial Resources to perform actions from sending invasion fleets to bribing colonies to defect to infiltrating networks for up-to-date strategic information.
Attempting any action with a Racial Resource uses up one resource. Since Resources are only produced every production cycle (once every 3-5 missions), governments prefer not to spend them willy-nilly. To convince a government to spend resources, you need to make a direct plea to your government. Your success will depend on your Persuasion skill, your standing with your government and the stakes and risks of the situation. Convincing a government to launch an invasion fleet when you have proof of an enemy's weakness is much easier than when they believe he is powerful.
If your government "does unto" another race, their action may be opposed by that race. If that happens, the total Resources of both sides committed to the action are compared (however many resources are committed, only one will be expended, though it will be expended on both sides). If the acting government employs more resources than the acted-upon, the action succeeds. If not, it fails. In either case, both governments lose 1 of the relevant resource by attacking/defending.
Given how costly it is for governments to act directly, the best use of your government's power is deterrent and misdirection. You can accomplish much more with the threat of action by your government than simply by acting; opponents may be willing to concede to your bluff (if it is a bluff) rather than call it.
Resources can only be used internally within an empire, or in any systems one jump away from a friendly colony. This is because of the galactic travel limitation (see below). If a neighbouring friendly empire allows it, a government can deploy resources within their systems or neighbouring systems, provided the friendly and home empire systems form a contiguous network. Betrayal is of course possible, should the friendly empire decide to rescind travel privileges at the last moment.
In the event of a social schism (the empire splits into two or more parts), resources will be distributed between the factions at the GM's discretion. Resource use limitations will then apply to each faction separately.
In the event that an empire becomes physically cut into multiple parts (e.g. by losing a network hub system), only the resources available to each part will be usable by those fractions. Again, details are at the GM's discretion.
Infrastructure: Every production cycle (3-5 missions), races produce resources based on the amount and type of Infrastructure in their empire. Economic Infrastructure produces Wealth, Military Infrastructure produces Might and Social Infrastructure produces Influence. Any colony must have at least one Infrastructure of any type.
Infrastructure costs 3 Wealth per unit to produce. On the other hand, capturing colonies potentially costs as little as 1 Might or Influence (if unopposed by or insufficiently resisted by their parent government). Infrastructure, if sacked, returns 1 Wealth per unit to the razing government. Generally this is only done to captured enemy installations on account of it being a war crime.
Newtonian physics generally apply, except for interstellar travel. Ships can travel between star systems along jump lanes, provided they are able to refuel at every stop. The energy costs compared to mass make it practically impossible to transport enough fuel for a second jump while making the first, so ships can only travel along routes that carry friendly colonies.
Since the simplest way to channel information is to send packets of data directly through the jump lanes (jump travel is near-instant, refuelling and moving between jump points is not), even less 'tangible' resources like Wealth and Influence as are limited to where they can be deployed as dropships full of Might.
Author
Topic: Ambassador [IN SPACE!] - OOC Thread [5/4 Players] (Read 2002 times)