Tales from the Ether (pre-NES)

[Starlife]

Also wondering if it is normal for people to have signed up to not start posting anything for a while?

Noticed we have like 5 people posting anything right now. I think originally there were 14. Is my NES that bad?

 

[SKILORD]

Don't worry about it mayne. Let them see a few successful turns, let people get familiar with your update style before getting all worked up about the quality.

We're just starting off, don't fret, people can join or rejoin later, just give them the opportunity to.

 

[Darksaber1]

Maybe they'll show-up. I'm just wating for the tuen change, then'll get something this week.

 

[Starlife]

Well, I've done more than half of the update. I'll write the rest tomorrow and post it.

 

[Milarqui]

Physics coursework sounds like the most terrifying thing i can imagine. i mean had to force myself to do the basic math required to make a ship and figure out the supplies thing.

Physics ain't that terrifying. I've been studying Physics for more than nine years (4 years at high school and 5 at university) and it is quite interesting.

 

[Starlife]

Update 1

 

[SKILORD]

Nice work.

 

[Starlife]

Nice work.

Thanks SKILORD. I hope my update style is okay. As we continue, I will write more information during each update (obviously, since more information will gradually be revealed and the game will perpetuate itself to an extent). I also like leaving things rather open-ended for players to fill in the gaps. And, one more thing: I like personalizing the update so I write a little paragraph about each player's crew.

Anyway... someone tell me if I am doing something wrong or if they have a huge problem with my updating style.

 

[Starlife]

Bah, of course I forgot something.

I added "Story Listings" here.

 

[Starlife]

Damnit, one more thing. I am planning on doing the next update in two weeks this time, instead of one. So Summer 1889 will be a rather lengthy season real-time wise. Plenty of time to develop plots and what not.

 

[Darksaber1]

That's a relief, I have a school trip and exams that'll probably pervent me righting this weeks, and then spring break next week, were I might get something done.

 

[Starlife]

That's a relief, I have a school trip and exams that'll probably pervent me righting this weeks, and then spring break next week, were I might get something done.

Similar schedule myself. But I am more doing this just so we can develop plots a bit more, since some really interesting ones have begun to emerge. It might go a bit beyond 2 weeks - but I'm guessing I'll write the update pretty much around March 4-7.

 

[Milarqui]

Impressive update, Starlife!

 

[Haseri]

Yes, nice update.

EDIT: Haseri has been taken by a Fey Mood!
Haseri has constructed: The Worthy Endeavor, Statted Out In GURPS Spaceships Stats!

Spoiler The Worthy Endeavor :

Tech Level: 5+1
SL
Front
[1] Iron Armour (DR 1, 12k)
[2] Control Room (C0, C/S 4, CS 2, 200k)
[3] Habitat (1 bunkroom for 4, 100k)
[4] Habitat (1 sickbay, 100k)
[5] Lifting Gas Gasbag (30 tons lift, 100k)
[6] Cargo Hold (5 tons)
Central
[1] Iron Armour (DR 1, 12k)
[2-3] 2 Habitats (2 cabins for 4, 200k)
[4-5] 2 Lifting Gas Gasbags (60 tons lift, 200k)
[6] Solar Mirror (30k)
[C] Solar Boiler Power Plant (1 PP, 30k)
Rear
[1] Iron Armour (DR 1, 12k)
[2-4] 3 Cargo Holds (15 tons)
[5] Lifting Gas Gasbag (30 tons lift, 100k)
[6] Ether Screw (-1 PP, 0.002G acc, 100k)
[C] Engine Room (WS 1, 30k)

Switches:
No Computer
Pre-Radio

Skill Piloting (Low-Performance Spacecraft)/TL 5+1 (IQ-6, Piloting (Aerospace)-4, Piloting (High-Performance Spacecraft)-2)
dST/HP 30
Hnd/SR 0/4
HT 13
Move 0.002G/c
Loaded Weight 100 tons
Load 20.8 tons
SM +6
Occupants 4+4ASV
dDR 1/1/1
Cost $1.226M

Some thoughts: GURPS Spaceships:7's ether propellers acclerate at 0.2 G, meaning they could travel between Earth and Mars in just under a week. I've reduced the acceleration by 100 to approximate the travel times given.
The cost is in 2004 US$. No idea how that transfers to alt!1889 GB£.
I'm assuming 1 ton of cargo space is being used to carry 500 man-days worth of food.

 

[Freemanuncg]

I'm gonna be honest i have No idea what most of that means Haseri. Also where did your dollar amounts for the ship components come from, i hadnt really thought about the cost of my ship. Being an english lord of some wealth Craven just bought it or convinved the crown to do so. But i do like the idea of having value for component pieces so that if/when i wanna upgrade or build a new ship i can kinda gauge wether i'm overdoin it through that system. Did you just make the numbers up?

edit: also when it comes to calculating the speed of my ship i'm gonna leave it at 'fast' and never again think about it unless i upgrade it to make it 'more fast' hahaha

 

[Starlife]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Haseri, that is indeed awesome. If I introduced that complicated of ether flyers to our ruleset though, say goodbye to many of our math-adverse players.

But I think what you did there is quite nice. The reason travel times between planets are kind of long are for a couple reasons:
1. To encourage Power Level A, which symbolizes a focus in speed moreso than weaponry.
2. To encourage stories to be written during space travel. I don't know about your Space 1889 campaigns, but we had some good ones where a lot of cool stuff happened while in the ether. Pirates, asteroid strike (and then the asteroid had a Vulcan sickness on it or something)... etc.
3. To encourage a difference between players who want to explore and travel frequently (Power Level A) and players who want to stay put on one planet for long periods of time (other power levels, more weapons).

But more and more I worry that players traveling through the ether for a whole turn will simply choose to not write anything.

 

[Vertinari118]

Dr. John Murphy (Doctor/Archaeologist)
British/Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Languages Spoken: English, French, German
Inventory: Doctor's Bag and Supplies, Binoculars, Machete, Revolver, Excavation Tools, Blanket, Two-man Tent, Lantern, Heavy-duty Clothing, Rain Clothing, Travel Bag, Portable Camera, Portable Photography Lab
Money £65
Physical Description

Spoiler :

Dr. Murphy is reasonably tall and well-built man at 6'0 tall and 175lb. He is quite physically fit due to the number of exploratory expeditions he joined on Earth. His hair is a medium brown and fashionable cut in a style one would expect from a young middle-class gentleman. He has hazel eyes. His normal attire is a bowler hat and a ditto suit, the precursor to the modern lounge suit, consisting of a frock coat, waistcoat and trousers. The clothes are well-maintained but one can only do so much to remove the stains of years of travelling. When in the field more practical heavy-duty outdoor clothing is worn.

Background/History

Spoiler :

Born in Cambridge, raised in Cambridge and educated in Cambridge. Is it any wonder that once John completed his formal education in medicine and semi-formal education in archaeology at Cambridge University he threw himself into expeditions? He has practised medicine in Germany and France as well as working with those nationalities on expeditions, thus he is quite familiar with the languages but not fluent. His work on expeditions mostly involved treating various tropical diseases, including ones which are unknown to medicine, and thus he became very apt at improvising treatments based on local customs. He is now thirty three years old and has joined an international team, sponsored by German, to explore Mercury and locate and claim potential locations for a research colony to contest the British control of Mercury. The scientists are unaware at present of the second part of their mission. As far as there are aware this is an innocent mission of exploration, though they might have guessed.

Richard Smith (Chemist/Inventor)
American/Bolivar, Tennessee
Languages Spoken: English
Inventory: Chemical Laboratory, Microscope, Machete, Binoculars, Revolver, Blanket, Lantern, Heavy-duty Clothing, Rain Clothing, Travel Bag
Money £73
Physical Description

Spoiler :

A more slightly build man at 5'8 and 160lb. He is also reasonably fit though not as fit as Dr. Murphy or the Leutnant. He is dressed in a similar manner to Dr. Murphy. He has auburn hair with sideburns and dark green eyes.

Background/History

Spoiler :

Born in a small town in Tennessee the prospects of Richard Smith as a boy were poor. He would become a farmer or an apprentice to a craftsman and that would be it. Yet Smith was saved from this humdrum existence by the Church or more specifically a kindly minister with a large library and plenty of spare time, as well as patience. He realised that the young Smith had a keen mind and a great interest in the world around him, thus the minister took it upon himself, with the consent of the boy's mother, his father was never asked, to give him a sort of education that his family could ill afford. Smith applied himself with vigour and passion to these lessons, arriving as soon as his work had finished and sometimes barely making it home before his father returned from his fields. From these beginnings he went on to become the assistant to a chemist in Memphis and he soon surpassed that master in experimental skill, theoretical knowledge and the ability to hypothesise and analyse. However, as he lacked almost any connections to the scientific community, his career has deadpanned at an assistant level. He has recently left his last employer to embark upon the German sponsored mission to explore Mercury, hoping to find the discovery of a life-time. He is twenty-six years old but very skilled and knowledgeable for his age. It was his brilliance and obscurity which led to him being accepted onto the team. After all the Germans don't want to send any top scientists, their own or otherwise, only to have them disappear on landing.

Leutnant Friedrich Schulz (Military Officer/Pilot)
German (Prussian)/Thorn
Languages Spoken: German, English, French
Inventory: Binoculars, Navigation Instruments, Telescope, Machete, Axe, Revolver, Bolt-Action Rifle, Long Hunting Rifle, Bayonet, Blanket, Lantern, Heavy-duty Clothing, Rain Clothing, Travel Bag, Camp Stove, Two-man Tent
Money £54
Physical Description

Spoiler :

Lt. Schulz is a tall and powerfully built German soldier standing at 6'4 and weighing 180 pounds. He is at his physical peak. His hair is a golden-blonde in colour and his eyes are grey. He is dressed in the standard field uniform for a member of the German Ether Corp of his rank. He also has a field uniform and sturdy clothes for the expedition itself.

Background/History

Spoiler :

Lt. Schulz is a minor member of the German aristocracy and he was brought up in a manner befitting a Prussian noble. He was educated in the manner of nobility, taught of duty, honour, pride, leadership, war, hunting and academia. Schulz enjoyed learning of the glory of war and was an excellent shot so he was duly commissioned into the German Imperial Army as an officer. He has had some falling-outs with commanding officers of late and that is probably why he, one of Germany's top up and coming officers, ha found himself on a dead-pan mission to Mercury to babysit some scientists and make sure they do the job. He is twenty-five years old.

Jacques Moreau (Biologist/Inventor)
French/Morlaix, Brittany
Languages Spoken: French, English
Inventory: Biological Laboratory, Dissecting Kit, Microscope, Machete, Binoculars, Revolver, Blanket, Lantern, Heavy-duty Clothing, Rain Clothing, Travel Bag
Money £66
Physical Description

Spoiler :

Moreau is a short, bald pince-nez wearing French scientist. He is dressed again as one would expect for such a gentleman, however his dress is perhaps slightly dated. He is by far the oldest and least fit member of the expedition at 50 years of age. He has a little hair left, which is brown speckled with grey, and brown eyes.

Background/History

Spoiler :

A renowned biologist of his time, Moreau led significant breakthroughs in the understanding of liftwood and specifically worked on isolating the sap responsible for its extraordinary properties. This work was conducted at the University of Orleans and it is rumoured that a certain professor of archaeology, who was known to be a good friend of Moreau, may have acquired copies of the research paper. It is also rumoured that Moreau succeeded in his efforts but because he failed to make the process economically viable and thus the papers were ignored. Time and academic intrigue have dulled his fame and ended his career but he is still a creative thinker and an expert in exploiting biological phenomena for human gain. He is also an expert in the nascent science of biochemistry, that is the study of the chemical processes in living organisms, as proven by his research into liftwood sap, though he has conducted numerous other projects. Indeed this science is so nascent its name has yet to be decided though the term biochemistry was first used about seven years ago.

SMS Der Wanderer
Hydrogen Lift
Zeppelin-brand ether propeller
Power Plant A
Gas Turbine
Propeller: 10
Armament: 4 Gatling .50 (2 Forward Sponson and two Rear)

4 gunners, 1 chef, 15 other crewmen
Armor Plates: 1 tons
Cargo Space: 3 ton
Physical Description & Background

Spoiler :

A sleek craft 430ft in length with a beam of 60ft and a tonnage of 230 tons. A crew of twenty one is hardly enough to run the ship but they manage somehow. The ship is a gift from the German government for the length of their mission to Mercury and beyond, if the scientists and their pilot chose to carry on serving the German Empire. Der Wanderer was a prototype ship, a sort of ether clipper. The German Empire soon realised that a fast ship, primarily for trading, was not required and the project was mothballed. It has been refitted with the latest scientific equipment and its engines, which were already state-of-the-art, have received a few tweaks to make sure they are still cutting edge. Der Wanderer will become the face of German scientific exploration but first she must endure her shake-down cruise in the hands of various international explorers and scientists and one disgraced leutnant. The Kaiserliche Marine pray she will return safely. A curious note on the design of the ship, she is not a zeppelin; instead the hydrogen lift is held inside the ship to help protect it from the elements and any unwanted attention. The rubber membrane full of gas runs the entire length of the ship and is 40ft in diameter; indeed the lowest deck rests barely a centimetre above the gas.

OOC note: I have no idea what volume of hydrogen is required to lift 230 tons to a height of 24,000ft but steam-punk has a long tradition of grossly underestimating things for the sake of a good story and I intend to continue in that tradition.

 

[Starlife]

Looks great, Vertinari!

 

[Starlife]

OOC note: I have no idea what volume of hydrogen is required to lift 230 tons to a height of 24,000ft but steam-punk has a long tradition of grossly underestimating things for the sake of a good story and I intend to continue in that tradition.

Well said.

 

[Freemanuncg]

A renowned biologist of his time, Moreau led significant breakthroughs in the understanding of liftwood and specifically worked on isolating the sap responsible for its extraordinary properties. This work was conducted at the University of Orleans and it is rumoured that a certain professor of archaeology, who was known to be a good friend of Moreau, may have acquired copies of the research paper. It is also rumoured that Moreau succeeded in his efforts but because he failed to make the process economically viable and thus the papers were ignored.

Mwhahaha sneaky frenchman

Excellent by the way!