EmergenceThe people of Home Bunker awoke from their long slumber with their memories patchy and poorly understood. They knew a language they called English. They knew they were underground, in some sort of survival bunker. Most curiously of all, they knew deep down they had some burning purpose. They were needed to do something… they just couldn't tell what. So they explored their bunker, discovering the dormant control room and the warehouse stacked high with goods. Soon, their fears were overcome and they sent a team down into the valley, finding a vast mottled sky, huge green fields and more mountains like the one they came from, and what appeared to be roads down below. The people of Home Bunker had much to do…
This is a suggestion game based around some ideas cribbed from arms races and some from older suggestion games. Basically, there is a bit to discover, plots will come up, and times will get tough. Use your collective creativity and votes to forge a path through this new world. The setting is semi-hard sci fi. Typical barriers to cool things like lasers or antigravity will be lowered somewhat, but there will be no time travel, quantum mechanics etc.
Turns consist of a theory phase, a design phase, and an Orders phase. The Theory phase consists of players submitting “testbed” designs, specifically to advance the knowledge in one of their fields. Testbeds are vague ideas, such as “Research the possible efficacy of automatic weapons”, and can produce prototypes and experience in fields. Then, during the Design phase, current experience is used to create designs, possibly based off of earlier prototypes. Finally, during the Orders phase, units are directed around on the map, units are put into production and deployed.
All technology comes from background understanding and knowledge. For example, a Bronze Age spear would come from the background of Fabrication and Materials, with a sub-field in Materials of Metals. Fields represent this knowledge. Understanding of fields comes in levels, starting at zero, and there are a few ways to increase these levels:
-Make a Theorem to expand knowledge in a field.
-Trade with people for experience in a field.
-Disassemble technology in the Theorem phase.
In addition, new fields can be discovered from these actions. Sub-fields represent more specific knowledge about a topic. For example, Fabrication is the basic field representing the ability to create. Underneath that would be a sub-field such as Workshops, representing small production spaces. And underneath Workshops there could be Foremen, representing knowledge in a single boss directing workflow in a workshop. Sub-fields can be taken out from underneath their parents with a Theorem, if applicable. A Foreman could be removed from the workshop and placed underneath the Organisation field, instead, allowing for the benefits of the technology to spread to other fields.
In the Theorem phase, two theories are created. These theories represent ideas about Fields or even general questions, and not specific designs. Theories, when created, can have a resource investment. Investments are not required, but can contribute heavily towards the success of a project. A small investment allows access to 10% of resource stockpiles. Medium represents 25%. Massive investment represents 50%. Resources cannot be invested individually, theories require access to the entire stockpile. However, resources invested are not necessarily used, they are merely “freed up”, allowing their use if necessary. Depending on the project, this investment might not be used. Assigning too much may create wastage, too. Generally speaking, smaller, more specific theorems require less resources and create deeper knowledge in smaller amounts of fields. “Research into laser focusing technologies.” Will potentially provide lots of research into the field of lasers, with small chances of improving supplementary systems. “Research internal combustion.” Will require a larger investment for best results, but has potentially very large impacts on Materials, Machines and Fuel. Theorems can either take the form of “research into” commands, questions “Can we improve laser technology?”, or even “prototyping” ideas. “Create a chemical-pumped laser array to study the effects of lasers on armour.” In addition, sometimes you’ll receive a special prototype from this which can be field-tested for XP.
In the order phase, units and buildings are assigned to be constructed. Constructed units, unless otherwise noted, arrive on the next turn. Buildings may only be constructed in territory that has room for it, and certain structures may only be built in claimed land. Watchtowers can be put in any territory, but workshops can only be built in claimed land, for example. Production requires Production Points, which can be produced at a rate of 100 people/PP. This rate is vastly improved by special production buildings and technologies.
Orders are simple commands given to units. These can include scouting, building buildings, defending, attacking, or more specific orders depending on situation. Generally, most units can only move one location in a week, but some fast units can move further.
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Topic: Emergence (SG with Arms Race Elements.) (Read 3756 times)