Colony requirements

[jchurchill]

but the Lawyer is actually a good thing too. You will have conflict between individuals and that will require some form of arbitration. Now that can be 7.62x51mm arbitration or it can be somewhat more pleasant than that; however it does require individuals trained in the expectations of society in all kinds of situations. In modern western societies, these people tend to be lawyers rather than the shamans, priests, and so forth of other places and times.

One other thing - everyone remembers the line from Shakespeare "first thing...", few remember it was the bad guys saying it as the lawyers could undo the ill that they intended...


(not one myself, but freedom rests on them just as much as on a good rifle.)
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Only in Anglo-American law and particularly in the US is the lawyer acting as shaman these days.
Glad to hear someone say anyhting positive about a lawyer, esp. in the US.

In Europe lawyers are respected much more so than here in the US but then the role is different. Not intended to be a "redistributor of wealth."

 

[jchurchill]

Also, as to lawyers: NO.

You need a judge type character, but Judge Judy would do. I agree with (former?) governor Ventura - when you start having a code of laws that takes up many volumes and you need a special class to interpret the cryptic contents for you, you know you're going in the wrong direction. (paraphrase)
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Then what will the judge base his or her decison on? Unchecked "equity?"

The better solution and the one adopted by everyone but the Anglo-American world is a single volume code of general laws along the lines of the French Civil Code or the German civil code.

The French civil code was written with the goal of being a single volume of laws written so that a literate peasant could understand his rights by reference to simply written and organized rules.

Of course of you want to use the US western frontier as a basis or guide...lawyers who moved into the west usually carried a single book of commentaries or laws such as Blackstone's commentaries on the common law.

At the very least you would need a notary of some sort to record land deeds and transfers.

Just pass a law that restricts lawyers to 1 for every 500,000 people as opposed to the modern US ratio of one for every 20 people.

 

[RainOfSteel]

In the last list, I didn't see Stonemason, Carpenter, or Lumberjack.

Although it might be controversial, I think Banker (with a bank complete with safe, old west style) would be invaluable in conducting business.

See R.A.H.'s Time Enough for Love, the novella where Lazarus Long is on that frontier world (that he himself was colony mission leader on) which I forget the name of. The character owned both the general store and the bank (and eventually the other colonists "nationlized" the bank out from under him, which, of course, he was ready for; he just gave it to them and quit being banker to let them sink or swim). The presence of the bank allowed for an advanced cash economy despite the backward state of the colony.

 

[vegascat]

A few merchants will be needed. The shopkeepers, bankers, warehousemen, and teamsters. These are the people who's reason for being is to get things from where they are to those who need them. The guys that make capitalism work. Without these guys, you have the perfect communistic society, ie. people who can't get what they need when they need it or in the size needed, but are happy because they all own it all.

 

[jchurchill]

Fifty unrelated, breeding adults is generally considered the minimum (by endangered species specialists); five hundred are probably required for long-term viability.

With more or less normal age distributions, your minimum total population requirement would be ~85 or ~850, respectively; call it 100 (short term) or 1000 (long term) to be safe.
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So Dr. Strangelove's formula/theorem was correct?

 

[Zutroi]

Originally posted by secretagent:
Fifty unrelated, breeding adults is generally considered the minimum (by endangered species specialists); five hundred are probably required for long-term viability.

With more or less normal age distributions, your minimum total population requirement would be ~85 or ~850, respectively; call it 100 (short term) or 1000 (long term) to be safe.
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So Dr. Strangelove's formula/theorem was correct?

Thanks for the numbers! If you're really tight for space on your colony ship, you can radically increase the genetic diversity of your group by shipping along a few hundred (thousand?, million?) vials of sperm. You could even create an all female colony this way (with apologies to John Varley).

 

[Ran Targas]

^ Zut, you take all the fun out of it!

 

[jchurchill]

^ Zut, you take all the fun out of it!
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Amen Brother....

 

[jchurchill]

Thrash thrashed out:

An even (1:1) ratio of males to females is the most efficient from a genetic standpoint.
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efficient yes, fun, no.

For Dr. Strangelove to achieve N => 50, he would need 14 males and 140 females, for a total of 154, instead of 50 (25 male and 25 female).
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As General Turgidson said "you know, that Kraut may be on to something." Of course Dr. Stranglelove is completely mad but that is part of his charm. I have his doppelganger in a campaign. Great fun.


[Suspending monogamy, on the other hand, is probably a good idea in a population this small. The more combinations, the better.]
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wise words.

 

[Zutroi]

Originally posted by Ran Targas:
^ Zut, you take all the fun out of it!

I ain't advocating the all-female planet [not that there's anything wrong with that(tm)], merely throwing the idea out for anybody's use IYTU. Think of the fun you can have with a group of manly men and a covert ops mission!

 

[Ran Targas]

^ Zut, I think I would do an all female planet more like "A Boy and His Dog" or the Amazon planet episode of Futurama; sort of a female Planet of the Apes! To see the sudden shock on the faces of my players when they realize what the new female agenda is would be priceless!

Epiphany! Imagine a colony, originally consisting of the scientifically and socialogically ideal mix of males/females. For some reason (alien slavemasters, war, alien virus, etc.), the male population has disappeared. The females revert to a combination of cloning/embryonic implantation to maintain the population but cannot reintroduce the Y chromosone, so no males are born. Unknown to the general populace, errors in replication are starting to cause mutation. So a planetary distress signal is sent as a lure to bring the necessary genetic material to the planet. The rescuers will be met by Amazon warriors, who demand their immediate surrender. They are escorted to a brightly lit, white roomed facility where a complete physical and genetic examination is conducted. Then the kulling begins! Would definitely need a few NPC's as examples of what was in store for the PC's.

This could be so much fun!

 

[vegascat]

That definately takes the fun out of it for the PCs. It would be fun to run it though.

"Captain, we are recieving a distress call from the planet Sappho, they need men!"
"Pilot, full speed for Sappho!"

Sounds like a bad prono or an episode of LEXX.

 

[jchurchill]

the planet Sappho, they need men!"
"Pilot, full speed for Sappho!"
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I doubt that planet really needs men. Just wishful thinking on your part perhaps?

This thread inspired me a short while ago to draft a double adventure --well 1/2 of one so far.

A Liner carrying the Imperial Women's Professional Golf Association is forced to land on a remote jungle planet ...the liner is presumed lost. Forward 30 to 40 years and the present day. The IWPGA has now reverted back to a barbarian state [use the Barbarian table in Citizens Supp. 4] of lesbian tribes roaming the planet, armed with titanium golf clubs [cudgel +1 or 2 depending]. The original Liner crew of males has been used to create new generations...the old and the sick men are quietly beaten to death with 9 irons when they can no longer serve the tribe. The liner's distress transponder still functions ever so faintly.....

Throw in a few volcanoes and some of Jame's dinosaurs and off we go. Dinosaurs, lesbians in fur bikinis, human sacrifice....good family fun for the Traveller adventurer. I think of it as "Lord of the Flies meets late night Cinemax"

I'm still toying with titles but "Lesbian Cavegirls of Planet 547-389" is the working title...

 

[kaladorn]

To find a common theme, you'd need to maintain the women, the golf, or the planet, or the liner as some sort of hook into the other half.

Maybe the second half is "Vengeance, IWPGA Style".... wherein we find out that the Liner was taken down by an act of a male golfer (Call him J.B. Singh) from the IMPGA who felt intimidated at the idea of an upcoming co-ed Imperial foursome (plus he had 'adequacy' issues with the idea of a 'foursome'). So, when recoverd, the descendants of at least some of the original crew will have a mission to avenge themselves on this fellows descendants.... the plan might be to force the descendant to engage in a ceremonial affair, something called a "round" of something they think resembles "golf". And the poor victim gets only a putter.

 

[Zutroi]

PLEEZ, Secretagent!

Can I have a copy when you're done with it?!?

 

[vegascat]

Well this thread definately took a hard left turn into fantasy land.

The viability of a colony from a shipwreck may be a good idea for a new thread.
What would it take for a chance at survival?

 

[eyegore]

Howdy:

I have some suggestions that that make quite good sense for a planned colony.

The Sheriff: Straight out of the western is an excellent profession to include. The role covers, most minor conflicts, and in many places can include the role of Judge as well, although with more people comes the creation of a specialist judge. The Sheriff can also include other professional skills, ie butcher, baker, communications, brewer, you name it. The sheriff also covers for soldier, etc.

The Judge: The decider and adminstrator of the colony. They can also be the major keeper of "Land Titles", "Births Deaths and Marriages", Diplomat, Town Clerk, Teacher, Doctor. Judges from different areas can act as Lawyers as well.

This general rule of thumb works well in a planned colony, where people are chosen for there multiple skills. In accidental colonies (IE those where people just arrive for one reason or other, no list of professional skills is appropriate as people will fill in as needed or where they see a niche.

Ciao

 

[alanb]

The most obvious basis for a colony is a military task force, built around a battalion of Engineers. Over time you build up the proportion of civilian employees. Add families and service industries to taste.

Alan B

 

[lesbates]

Originally posted by secretagent:
Throw in a few volcanoes and some of Jame's dinosaurs and off we go. Dinosaurs, lesbians in fur bikinis, human sacrifice....good family fun for the Traveller adventurer. I think of it as "Lord of the Flies meets late night Cinemax"

I'm still toying with titles but "Lesbian Cavegirls of Planet 547-389" is the working title...

I had raised the (remote) possibility of doing "Planet of the Lesbian Vampires" as first (as soon as I get a job and a camera) film project.

I already have a volunteer for the position of fight coordinator.

-- Les

 

[jchurchill]

I had raised the (remote) possibility of doing "Planet of the Lesbian Vampires" as first (as soon as I get a job and a camera) film project.

I already have a volunteer for the position of fight coordinator.
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