Big Wild Universe

[Mythmere]

From an RPG standpoint, one of the biggest difficulties with science fiction campaigns is the fact that the characters would normally have access to a lot more information than a GM can give out - because he hasn't got the time to invent all the incredible detail that is available on even the most rudimentary internet, or the futuristic equivalent.

Fantasy RPG's are particularly nice this way: it's quite believable that people in a village wouldn't know about the geography, customs, or dangers of an area even ten miles away.

I was thinking how to import the mystery of the fantasy RPG into a sci-fi setting. What sort of universe would permit a starfaring party to encounter only vague details about their environment (thereby allowing the GM to put his adventures and campaign together piece by piece but still believably)?

1. Someone has the information but keeps it secret.
1.a. Megacorporations, an interstellar religion or an interstellar government lie and sue and otherwise suppress information detail about other world cultures.

2. Information storage is tainted. Example: a virus prevents computers from sharing information, or computers aren't used (religious reasons, viruses, etc). This takes information back into the paper age, which would at least make it hard to find what you want to know. Especially if coupled with information controls enforced by planetary, religious, and interstellar authorities.

3. The information has recently been lost. TNE, as an example.

4. The information hasn't been gained (exploration campaign)

5. The records are in computers, but the computers are sapient, and don't cooperate with humans.

6. Technology is no longer well understood (Warhammer 40K).

Any other ideas or comments? I'm probably going to come back to these ideas later and try and construct a detailed setting.

 

[tjoneslo]

My first response would be to ask why do the players (as opposed to the characters) need a massive info-dump. The players I game with hate the thought of having to read a two page handout, let alone the vast volume of data you seem to imply is needed. This does imply you are not a saditic, mean GM who omits telling the players critical information, and then abuses the characters because the players were not sufficiently imaginative in their questions to the GM.

My way of handling this issue has been a combination of 1, 2, and 3. The data is in the computer and usually fully accessable. The problem is that until an expert (which may be the PC's) go thought the reams of data, it isn't that useful (i.e. it's not information).

So, yes, you can pull up the complete demographic data for the next world, with 825 different categories. What the computer won't tell you is if the world has a market for the crate of simsense video's you have stashed away. In some cases you can pay to get that kind of analysis (which can cost a fair penny), and in other cases no one has done it and it simply isn't available.

 

[Ran Targas]

Myth,

My favorite is mis-information. IMTU, the Empire is constantly rewriting history, spouting propanganda, and erasing sensitive databanks to ensure the Imperial status quo is maintained.

Particularly in the case of astronomical data, Imperial records are only accurate for planetary systems that 1) are necessary for the Imperial economy and 2) hold significant military importance. Outer colonies or small settlements are ignored on star charts until they become shining point of free thinking and liberty (i.e. a threat to the New Order), at which point a garrison is established and astronomical data revised.

Most of the information on the data nets is propaganda or blatant lies meant to keep the populace off balance. A search of available public data is not worth a whole lot in the end. The truth may be hidden somewhere in the data but the validity of that data is always in question.

This lack of reliable information has resulted in a black market of sorts, with the Imperial censors in close pursuit.

 

[spank]

The PC's have falled thru a wormhole, and become lost

If you want to give the players acess to all the worlds limit them to a small campaign, The Link World Cluster.

 

[Shadowdancer]

In a big universe, all of the information won't be spread evenly. Even with Internet-type data systems on each world, lots of information won't necessary spread from world to world.

IMTU, each planet or system's data net has lots of information about that planet or system, and maybe some other nearby or important systems in the subsector. Information becomes more and more unreliable for places that are further and further away from the system.

Reliable information can be found, but the general population doesn't know the information or where it is. If can be found in libraries and some government and megacorporation computer systems, but you have to know where to look for it.

Since the players don't usually spend that much time at any one star system, their knowledge of any specific system is going to be limited. And since they have very little time to dig up information about more distance areas of space, their knowledge of that is going to be limited as well. Most of what they know about the Imperium and other empires, and sophont races major and minor, is propaganda they've picked up from the Imperial news and entertainment medias.

In our game, I use knowledge skill checks for players to know applicable information under a specific subject matter, or an education check with appropriate modifiers for general knowledge about the Imperium, other races, historic events, etc.

 

[Orionruse]

Information, like knowledge, is a "speculative" commodity in my campaign. I think an old American proverb says it best,"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

I tend to run my games with very little violence, requiring a whole lot more thought than most GM's do. When action does occur, the events are just as well thought out as most of the NPC's (when local laws are broken, even my NPC's go to jail-- and grudges are remembered when ex-cons get out of the "joint, pit, clink, " whatever!

When my players get information from me, they now spend as much time trying to verify it as acting upon it. They have probably been badly burned by spoonfed information as they have wildly profited from it. You do have to doctor it up a little bit though. It's ironic, I think, that the more you imitate life in a roleplaying game, the less interested your players become and they act more like hooligans and thugs (though it can be fun to let your players become criminals-- especially if you like to let your "good guy" NPC's beat up on the PC's).