Infinity Divide: Rebellion 2.0

[F. Scott Banks]

Well, I've got a working title, and since I now know what to call it, I can go ahead and start developing it.  Those who know me know I won't hesitate to use the Forge as a scratchpad and so here I am, knocking out another one.

I've never been real solid on presenting mechanics for discussion, especially when my mechanics are horrendously complex.  The way I usually do it is to simply presnt the game's features, and it's gameplay, getting into the nuts and bolts of it only when pressed for specifics.  This way, the document doesn't look like a seventy-post algebra problem.

Anyhoo, here's my overview for Infinity Divide.

Storyline:

2078:

Mankind teeters on the brink of collapse.  Centuries of pollution, development, and squandering precious resources have shattered once proud nations into warmongering tribes, fighting over such essentials as arable soil and clean water.  

Fall of 2082:

At the height of the antarctic wars, a recruitment fleet enters earth orbit.  After watching mankind tearing at itself, the aliens make an offer to the people of earth.  Slow extinction by our own hands, or enlistment into an interplanetary armada, claiming new worlds for ourselves and expanding our limitations to dimensions never before imagained.

Spring of 2093:  

All countries and nationalities are abolished.  Mankind becomes a united people under the guiding hand of our extraterrestrial benefactors.  Our simple physiology is easily understood by alien scientists and human lifespans are extended infinately.  Cloning allows for even violent death to become nothing more than an inconvenience.  The human genome and brain are completely mapped, allowing for near-eternal life, through the transmision of brainwaves from a dying body into a healthy one.

Federation Date 1.0.0.1

The first cadre of soldiers leaves earth, making the small planet an official member of the Ji'nah Federation of Planets.  Over two billion young men and women, loyal to both the Earth Federation and the soverign Ji'nah Empire leave their homes to serve in the infinite blackness of space.

Federation Date 1.9.5.12

During a standard recommissioning of the Athari homeworld, capitol ship's Delta Pi and Delta Theta undergo a mutiny.  The human soldiers rename the ships Rebellion and Defiance, turning their weapons on their own support groups.  Ji'nah ambassadors, now stranded on the planet's surface, are summarily arrested and executed.  The executions are broadcast throught known space.  The Ji'nah are not pleased.

Federation Date 1.9.5.40

The Ji'nah blockade the human homeworld of Earth.  Despite a vailiant effort to reclaim the planet, Earth remains under Ji'nah control.  The Defiance safely escapes into Athari controlled space.  The Rebellion is destroyed.

Federation Date 1.9.9.3

The Earth Blockade causes mutinies throughout the Empire.  Some humans fight against their brothers and sisters in an attempt to appease their masters and ease the suffering of those still earthbound.  Far more humans turn deserter, sharing weapons and technology with once-vanquised races and forming powerful alliances with those who they once sought to exterminate.  Not all races welcome the humans back, however, and from them the Ji'nah recruit more soldiers, hungry for revenge against the humans.

Date of Rebellion 2.0.0.0

The universe is in upheaval.  The Ji'nah empire, opposed for the first time in millenia, staggers to reclaim what it has lost.  Ancient vendettas surface, creating assassins guilds.  Profiteers form Merchant Unions, engaging in piracy, bounty hunting, and smuggling.  Rebel and Imperial Forces skirmish over resource-rich planets, founding colonies and establishing trade routes with neutral and friendly nations.

It is a time of war, and endless conflict spread out across the infinity divide.

Gameplay:

IDR 2.0 plays more like a single-player RPG in the beginning.  This is because the game has an admittedly high learning curve and you've gotta crawl before you can pilot an orbial frame.  Players are created at the Hive.  The Hive is a branch of Prosis Incorporated that handles cloning.  Being a live birth, your character is technically the property of Prosis for awhile, but once your time as a newbie is up, you can cancel your contract with them and do whatever you want.

After deciding what your avatar looks like, the character's stats are applied.  Initially, you will only posess your physical stats, but as you undergo your initialization, you will gain the stats needed to function in the gameworld.

Being a live birth, your stats can either be randomized (rolled) or applied (base values applied).  If base values are applied, it is assumed that you received hormone therapy and your character will be average across the board.  A perfect specimen, but in no way unique or exeptional.

Stats are the same as in Advent, but to keep this document thorough, here they are.

Power
Speed
Endurance
Allure

Knowledge
Insight
Resolve
Poise

Unlike in Advent, the stats aren't subdivided though.  Power is the only stat that defines physical strength, Resolve is the only stat that defines mental toughness, etc.  Each of these stats can be anywhere between o and 20.  An "applied" set of stats are all 10.

During initialization, characters are "trained" in basic game knowledge.  The use of their Personal Data Journal (menu screens), the banking system, game history, etc.  Then, characters are trained in combat and piloting.

Combat is handled pretty much the way it is in Advent again.  Skills vs. Skills, with a dask of natural ability tossed in to make it interesting.  Combat can be either ranged or close, or a mixture of both.  The game gets in detail as to why, but with the effectiveness of personal shield generators, a sword can be more useful than a pistol in some situations.  Also, with all those aliens out there, hacking open a vital organ is universally assured to be fatal.

Piloting can get real complicated, but it generally is a game of rock-paper-scissors.  On our approach, my ship and an enemy ship select one of three maneuvers pertinent to the situation.  If I win, then I have superiority and I get to shoot at his tail.  If he wins, then he gets to shoot at mine.  If it's a draw, we both blast away at each other as we pass, and do it all over again.   In this situation, skill prevails over skill.

The thing is, the available three possible techniques change depending on the situation.  Is it a fighter, is it a frame, is it a ground-based mech, is it two different ships fighting each other, or is it two ships of completely different classes going at it?  Also, certain ships have different "modes" as in the case of frames, which are capable of transofrming from robots into tactical weapon platforms.  An orbital frame can fly and may transform into a jet, or a bomber, or a transport depending on it's design and the needs of the pilot.  A ground-based frame can transform into a surveilance post, an artillery battery, or an Anti-aircraft turret.

So piloting gives players these generic skills.  They will only learn how to pilot a single vehicle (the mechs are cool, but I'd recommend a cruiser to travel between planets), but other vehicle classes can be learned in the course of the game.

Modular Design:

A specific vehicle or device will have standards, but they will vary from device to device.  Learning the "Form Factor" of various devices can take awhile (everything from star cruisers to simple pistols have a unique form factor), but the same basic system applies to all devices.

The basics:

The power plant of any device is a Hexathermite Yavinium Core (or Hex Core for short).  Yavinium is an unstable element found in collapsed stars that can be synthasized into Hexathermite Yavinium.  A single disk of the material the size of a quarter can power a small star fighter indefinately, powering all systems and supplying both fuel for engines and ammunition for weapon systems.

Smaller rings cut from those disks power smaller devices.  The smallest ring is a binary ring, having enough power to fuel two modules within a single device.  The first module is always the "Flow Controller", a device which prevents the Hex from collapsing upon itself like a miniature black hole (mathematically possible, but since the Hex destroys itself in the process, it takes large amounts of Hex to create such an event).  The Flow controller can mirror the Hexes power output, suppressing surges with energy of opposing polarity.  It is by redirecting the Hexes energy into itself that it is kept stable.  Since Hex is completely unstable and highly dangerous without the use of a Flow Controller, it is not transported, or used without the device.  The combination of processed hexalthermite yavinium and a flow controller is technically called a Yavinium Energy Helix, but most technicians call them "Heaters"

Let's assume this simple device is a pistol.  In that case, the second module would be a simple discharge vent.  A discharge vent causes the stored enrgy to be released in a controlled direction.  Not matter what the weapon's manufacture, all pistols follow this simple form factor.

Designing Bigger and Better Things:

Larger and more complex devices require more Hex.  This is due to the limitations of the technology moreso than the limitations of the element.  A binary flow controler can only power two modules.  The Hex can power a limitless amount, but it would become so unstable that it would destroy itself.  Processing Yavinium (and even synthasized Hexalthermite Yavinium) changes it's properties so that it destoys itself if it becomes uncontrollably unstable.  Unprocessed hex will form a small star upon unleashing the full amount of it's potential energy (something scientists call "acheiving equilibrium.")

Hex can be processed into Binary amounts, powering small devices.  The smallest controllable amount of hex can power two devices.  The two-module limit (one module being the flow controller) has caused technicians to call this "Format" a binary format.

The next format of processed Hex can support four modules and is called four-bit, after that eight-bit, after that sixteen-bit, thirty-two-bit, and sixty-four-bit.  A great many devices can be made using the first six formats of Hex.

However, I'm sure we all wanna know how to make the really cool stuff.

The limitations on all Hex formats is that they cannot be subdivided.  The modules placed on a format work within the same system.  There are modules that create logical systems within the format but that's just for performance.  When building in a format, if one module goes, the thing just doesn't work.

This is where Categories come in.

Cat 1 is the first Category of Hex power plants.  With an advanced flow controller that allows the Hex to power multiple systems and an attatched "conditioner" that transforms the raw energy into electrical, magnetic, concussive, or explosive energy, Categorical Yavinium Energy Helixes are called Hex Engines (even though that's not technically correct).

Cat 1 can power 127 modules, plus it's own Engine Assembly.  Frames generally have Cat 1 engines.  Cat 1 was the first Helix to surpass the 64 module limit without initiating a sub-space explosion.

Cat 2 is essentially two Cat 1's sharing a single Flow controller (called, in this case, a flow hub). Blockade runners and frieghters usually use Cat 2 engines.

Cat 3...3 Cat 1's.  Cruisers and  light battleships use Cat 3.

Cat 4, Carriers and Heavy Battle Cruisers

Cat 5,  Capitol Ships.

Cat 6, Orbital Space stations, and Colonies.

Category 7 - 12.  These are called Clusters as they're not useful as engines due to their high instability.  However, they can reach a controlled equilibrium and are used to create synthetic stars.  These stars form planets around them capable of sustaining life within a few hundred years.

Category 13.  A category 13 Hex Cluster cannot sustain equilibrium and becomes a black hole within days of detonation.  There is no Category higher, as the added Hex is simply crushed in the pull of the black hole created.

So, that's the basics of getting started, and building complex devices (and star systems) in ID.  Next post...Your Frame and you, a technicians guide to the galaxy.

[F. Scott Banks]

Okay, so this is the reason the last post had more about Hex power than anyone would want to know.  That's because the engine used in a device determines what modules can go into it.

Customization of ships, frames, and weapons is the core of gameplay.  With fantasy, it's all about creating an empire, a family, a clan.  With sci-fi, it's all about making cool stuff.

At least, those are my interpretations of what the genres have to offer that haven't been fully realized.

Anyway (I'm skipping the "basics" of the Miscreant Engine because they've been discussed at length already) customization is at the heart of this game.  Your ship, your weapon, your frame...all these things are truly yours, tweaked and twisted into just what you want them to be.

Frames are probably the most complex devices in the game.  There are larger ones, but they're pretty much just that...larger.  Frames have to do a lot and that means they have the widest array of modules that they can use.

Frames are broken down into six "cores".  There's the head core, the torso core, the left and right arm cores and the left and right leg cores.  The engine is stored inside the torso, just below the cockpit (which is located in the "chest" area).  The head contains the AI memory modules, sensors, and the frame's computer.  The Legs contain movement and propulsion modules.  The Arms contain armament control systems and some armaments.

Each core can hold a varying number of modules depending on the make and model.  The basic modules are as follows:

Control Modules:

These modules are data processors that tell the frame how to use it's installed modules.  For example, if a frame is equipped with a missile system, Missile Control module allows the frame to recognize the new weapon and use it.  Without this module, the pilot would have to arm, aim, and launch the missiles manually.  With it, the pilot can simply select the target, choose the missle spread, and empty his magazine into an enemy.

Attenuators:

Attenuators change the amplitude of the energy flowing through the frame.  For example, an energy weapon would need high levels of energy to be effective.  However, these energy levels cannot safely travel through the frame's energy conduits.  An Attenuator either increases or decreases energy as needed by other modules.

Weapon Modules:

Modules or Module clusters that activate weapons on the frame.  Most weapons modules are "dumb", meaning that they cannot function without commands either form the frame or the pilot.  However, some weapons modules are automatic and fire on predetermined targets whenever opprotunities present themselves.  Good frame design and an effective AI usually perform just as well as these expensive "smart" wepaons though.

Actuators:

These give a frame it's ability to move.  Unlike the engine, which sets the speed of the frame.  Actuators determine a frame's agility.  Different actuators are needed for ground and atmospheric maneuverability which is why most frames are either ground-based or orbital.

Sensors:

These communicate environmental anomalies to the pilot or, depending upon the AI of the frame, the frame itself.  As a communication system, they also communicate with missiles after firing, guiding them to the target, and some can even track enemy frames energy output to find weak spots, assess damage inflicted, or alert the pilot to the charging of a particular weapon system.  These sensors require good AI to translate the data into information useful to the pilot.

Armor:

Not to be confused with the metal skin of the frame, Armor modules are energized sheathes that fit over the frame and carry a charge, disentigrating projectiles, negating energy charges, and dissipating heat.  The charge will weaken with use however, making the armor module less effective as it cannot be recharged.  Damaged armor modules are usually replaced rather than repaired.

Life support:

The cockpit itself.  Despite it's designation as a module, the cockpit is a permanent part of the frame and cannot be replaced.  A frame with a cockpit unable to maintain life support will generally have to be rebuilt or salvaged for parts.

AI Core:

The AI core is both hardware and software.  A removable module that most pilots carry with them, a frame's AI module contains the complex program that maintains flow control, delicate life support, and quickly and effectively translates combat information into tactics, options, and responses for the pilot.  Most pilots consider their AI to be a second pilot as the device learns to anticipate its pilots responses and sometimes performs appropriate functions without prompting.  When purchasing an AI, ensure that it can perform basic functions like life support or flow control without additional...

AI Memory Modules:

When your AI needs to learn a complex skill without taking the time to train, memory modules are the way to go.  If you'd rather not trust your proximity shields or pilot emergency ejection protocols to AI trial and error, purchase a memory module.  However, any memory modules installed prevent the AI from ever learning the skill (the program assumes it already knows how to do it) and may make your AI less usefull when transferred to another frame.

So those are the basics of a frame.  With just those, a designer can create a frame that moves and shoots.  Using multiple modules, or by customizing the modules themselves, a pilot can have the frame of his or her dreams.

Next...building a colony.

Oh...not that I really think anyone needs prompting, but go ahead and toss comments out.