218 Games has started working on our newest world setting.

An alien planet under strict rule, where humans are driven underground.

Five races exist, each with three subclasses.

We are thinking of dropping the character class structure for this, giving each character more freedom in creation.

so far we have:

Assimilites - Cybernetic or parasitic  organisms that steal parts to grow powerful.
Humans -   The last of the human class, some less "human" than others.
Scraps - Robotic military, taken out of service after newer models introduced.
Golems - Artificial persons, made only of natural material, used as spies in the old world.
Xaudaol - The new ruling class of powerful giant Alien life.  

The subclasses of each race is under development, as is the revamp of the combat / healing system.

The world will have an extensive cave system with Human cities, Xaudaol zones under full control, and mixed zones with all races.

Think dungeon crawl / open war / survival

Any thoughts?

Talk more about the setting.

Quote from: rway218;826215Any thoughts?

Sounds dumb and uninteresting.

Why are humans on an alien planet if these are the conditions?

Yeah, you need to describe more of the how and why to make this interesting and distinguish it from all the other dystopic settings. Right now it just sounds like too many other things with "and here are our classes" tacked on, with no reason to care about the classes or any idea what one would do if playing the game.

Quote from: Spinachcat;826428Talk more about the setting.

Fair enough.  I write from character to setting, so I started there.  

The setting will be a mostly dead planet, mars like, that has been forgotten by the first settlers from Earth.  Now it has become a wasteland, controlled by the former inhabitants.

Players would be able to choose from the basic races, and subclasses of race without having to choose a class.  Each subclass will be given a standard role in their social structure, and given freedom to grow into the direction the player chooses.  

Each race will be given a territory, social structure, and basic goal as a society.  This will be broken into factions (player groups, or game factions) that play for power or wealth, even adventure.

It will be assumed that the races are in a constant state of war, and groups that contain multiple races will be outcasts (and have a savage or wastland they live).

The combat structure will reflect the need for detailed hits, and system damage for all robotic / cybornetic characters.  Humans will be given a hit location chart for combat to see where they are wounded.

There will be levels of damage to each system / hit location that can be increased.  Hit points will (most likely) not be used, moving to percentage damage causing death / shutdown.

This will be a combination world of good modern technology, patchwork, steampunk, and hack.  Not even the humans will be fully human.

The world will hopefully be set up for adventure gaming, leading to moduals.  Also for battle style play, as the combat / damage system will echo those of large scale ship to ship conflict.

I'm working with AGS (Apokillyptic Gaming Systems) on the combat system.  They have a good d100 game version of directed damage to human characters.

I hope that is what you wanted...

Quote from: Matt;826486Why are humans on an alien planet if these are the conditions?

Yeah, you need to describe more of the how and why to make this interesting and distinguish it from all the other dystopic settings. Right now it just sounds like too many other things with "and here are our classes" tacked on, with no reason to care about the classes or any idea what one would do if playing the game.

The basic back story (so far) is that in the past, Earth tried to colonize this planet, and succeeded for the most part.  After years of building, the former inhabitants (by either returning, or being found dormant) start the first planet war to take it back.

Years later the Human population is enslaved, and the new masters start their reign.  Years after that, the humans rebel, and are driven underground.  Robotic / cybernetic races use this as a chance to gain their own territory.

That leads to localized governments, demilitarized zones, wastelands, savage lands, and cave systems all with their own structure and culture.

Basic cultures would be created first, detailed ones for expansions later.

We are still in concept stage.

Quote from: rway218;826215218 Games has started working on our newest world setting.

An alien planet under strict rule, where humans are driven underground.

Five races exist, each with three subclasses.

We are thinking of dropping the character class structure for this, giving each character more freedom in creation.

so far we have:

Assimilites - Cybernetic or parasitic  organisms that steal parts to grow powerful.
Humans -   The last of the human class, some less "human" than others.
Scraps - Robotic military, taken out of service after newer models introduced.
Golems - Artificial persons, made only of natural material, used as spies in the old world.
Xaudaol - The new ruling class of powerful giant Alien life.  

The subclasses of each race is under development, as is the revamp of the combat / healing system.

The world will have an extensive cave system with Human cities, Xaudaol zones under full control, and mixed zones with all races.

Think dungeon crawl / open war / survival

Any thoughts?

Quote from: rway218;826490The basic back story (so far) is that in the past, Earth tried to colonize this planet, and succeeded for the most part.  After years of building, the former inhabitants (by either returning, or being found dormant) start the first planet war to take it back.

Years later the Human population is enslaved, and the new masters start their reign.  Years after that, the humans rebel, and are driven underground.  Robotic / cybernetic races use this as a chance to gain their own territory.

That leads to localized governments, demilitarized zones, wastelands, savage lands, and cave systems all with their own structure and culture.

Basic cultures would be created first, detailed ones for expansions later.

We are still in concept stage.

I like this premise.

Just keeping all up to date on the changes:

We are making the planet's official class - Arid/Darwinian, giving less than 30% surface water, limited hydrological cycle, active atmospheric carbon recycling, no tectonic activity.

This will modify the storyline slightly - Human colony crash lands on barren world, and establishes a safety zone for evacuation.  The rescue never happens, and they begin to make the best of the situation.  

This will lead to the first contact with the indigenous life, and the first war.  

The rest of the events described earlier will remain unchanged at this time.

So far we have added 8 terrors of the planet surface (things that can just happen to affect a campaign):

Living Dunes - Silicone based microbes that can form simple machines, and can pull characters under the surface (among other attacks to be determined).  

Lightning Storms - Hour long storms that can have several ground strikes per minute.

Explosive Steam Eruptions - Underground water reserves hit active heat zones and flash boil, causing a volcanic style steam burst on the surface; followed by micro bursts in the surrounding miles.

Dust Bowls - Random dust storms that last for days/weeks/months

Noon Sun - a two hour period from 11am - 1pm that the surface temperature will rise from 80 F to 212 F then fall back to 80 F (the common average temperature).  Nothing unadapted can survive without protection (or hiding underground).

Midnight Moon - a two hour period from 11pm - 1am that the surface temperature lowers from 80 F to -212 F then rises back to 80 F.  Unprotected unadapted things will freeze without protection (hiding underground).

Flash Rain - This is a downpour that can last a few weeks, and floods the area it strikes.  The ground will absorb most of the water in the first days.  Noon Sun will cause the rain to flash boil, and Midnight Moon will flash freeze everything in the affected area.  This is also the source of the planet's limited water cycle.

Meteor showers - Pockets of random impacts that level miles of territory at a time.  They start slow, and speed up quickly until the shower abruptly stops.

The photo to IO, and the look we're going for...