To answer a few questions.
1. AI/VI is a thing, and I'm currently leaning toward allowing AI/VI player characters.
2. There are aliens "out there", but with varying degrees of development. Some were less affected by the Scream, while some species that consisted entirely of psychics were wiped out almost entirely.
3. The sector for the game I'm rolling is fairly developed, as I'm adding to the population and technology roles. Trade between worlds is more developed, but still limited largely to compact, high-value goods.
It will be a few weeks before I have the sectors detailed enough to start, but things are starting to finalize.
1. Adventure: Everybody would start off on Cromer, a world in the northwestern section of the sector. This world is the capital of the Steward Confederation, a marginally high-tech confederation. Cromer itself is nominally a democracy, but intense corporate interests tend to be the deciding vote on many matters. Unlike other worlds, you're not likely to be shot if you walk down the street without armor.
2. Suns of Gold: This is a variant of the Adventure start, only that characters will start off in control of an independent trading vessel, and in debt to a corporation. This can be more dangerous than adventure because trading vessels are the favorite targets of interstellar outlaws, political demagogues, and warring parties. There's nothing stopping the players from engaging in piracy to pay off the debt, or even just running off with the ship beyond the reach of the corporation and government.
3. Darkness Visible: This one comes in three different possible variants. Either the party have started their own independent intelligence/criminal/whatever group, are working for a corporate or government intelligence service, or are working for [REDACTED]. Each has their pros and cons and chance of being kidnapped and shot.
4. Starfleet. This one has a few variants, and is still being fleshed out while I work out the Steward Confederation's border regions. At this time, the confederation is at peace, but that could change between now and start, and change over the course of the game. This means that instead of large fleet battles, the players will be on a frigate or cruiser type ship (depending on the danger) and will be patrolling star systems to protect trade and hunt down pirates while occasionally making planetfall for R&R. Of course, the more adventurous party may opt for a deep black ship, meaning going out to fringes of the empire and engaging in less-than-reputable state business.
5. Starvation Cheap: Like Starfleet, except ground combat. While the empire does not have a war going on at the moment, its troops are still needed to protect fragile peaces and engage in police actions. The variant of this is joining a corporation's security forces or even creating your own mercenary force.
Right now, I have 6 points to Starfleet and 4 points to Adventure. As I get closer to actually, you know, being done, I will see what type of campaign has the most interest and go from there.
Also some notes:
1. Blind HP. Instead of the vanilla system, I will be using a pretty heavily modified HP system that makes injuries more granular. You won't know what your character's health is like exactly unless you are or see a doctor, but you will be aware of when you're suffering a major wound, broken arm, or are generally in bad shape.
2. All new characters start with 0 XP, Level 1, even if your previous character was Level 9 or something. The good news is is that the amount of XP I give out will be based on the party's level as a whole, so lower leveled characters in powerful parties will level up faster. XP is not loot-based.
3. I will probably only allow humans and, at most, one AI/VI character.
