[Hard Times] A Location Dilemma

[Golan2072]

I'm looking for a good location for my (Virus-less) post-Hard Times OTU-variant set in 1135 or 1138. My original intention was using the Soloamni Rim section, but I've encountered a serious problem - it is one of the most developed and most heavily populated sectors in the OTU. Unless TNE-style measures (i.e. mass and total destruction of almost everything, which I'm trying to avoid) are used, you'd get quite a well-developed surviving area (probably with alot of infighting, but still well-developed) which will probably recover quite quickly due to the sheer manpower and surviving industrial base. Or will that not be a problem?

Another idea was using the part of Gushemege close to the Ael yael homeworld [Jaeyelya (Gushemege/Vipach)], which is IIRC quite a frontier. But wasn't it too close to Strephon's (the imposter?) Worlds and thus utterly destroyed in the Lucan/Strephon war?

My last option is to take the Spinward Marches and make a few "variant"-type changes, i.e. no stable "regency" but a multi-sided civil war between the Aslan, Zhodani, Vargr and several post-Imperial polities (with Swordies thrown into the mix). I'm quite liking that option - alot of OTU material to 'borrow' from, alot of factions. The only problem would be stepping on the Regency - but who cares... Think of a combination of our beloved CT serving with a heavy dose of Hard Times spice... Damn, I'm getting drunk with this vision.

What I'm looking for is a sector with the following attributes:
1) Relative frontier (but still developed to a moderate degree)
2) Alot of rival political groupings.
3) Enough warfare during the Rebellion to cause some chaos and a deep economical recession, but not all-out destruction.
4) Most CT and early MT adventure should be usable (with adjustsments, ofcourse)

The Marches look quite good for me - as does the Rimward part of Gushemege.

 

[Golan2072]

I'm looking for a good location for my (Virus-less) post-Hard Times OTU-variant set in 1135 or 1138. My original intention was using the Soloamni Rim section, but I've encountered a serious problem - it is one of the most developed and most heavily populated sectors in the OTU. Unless TNE-style measures (i.e. mass and total destruction of almost everything, which I'm trying to avoid) are used, you'd get quite a well-developed surviving area (probably with alot of infighting, but still well-developed) which will probably recover quite quickly due to the sheer manpower and surviving industrial base. Or will that not be a problem?

Another idea was using the part of Gushemege close to the Ael yael homeworld [Jaeyelya (Gushemege/Vipach)], which is IIRC quite a frontier. But wasn't it too close to Strephon's (the imposter?) Worlds and thus utterly destroyed in the Lucan/Strephon war?

My last option is to take the Spinward Marches and make a few "variant"-type changes, i.e. no stable "regency" but a multi-sided civil war between the Aslan, Zhodani, Vargr and several post-Imperial polities (with Swordies thrown into the mix). I'm quite liking that option - alot of OTU material to 'borrow' from, alot of factions. The only problem would be stepping on the Regency - but who cares... Think of a combination of our beloved CT serving with a heavy dose of Hard Times spice... Damn, I'm getting drunk with this vision.

What I'm looking for is a sector with the following attributes:
1) Relative frontier (but still developed to a moderate degree)
2) Alot of rival political groupings.
3) Enough warfare during the Rebellion to cause some chaos and a deep economical recession, but not all-out destruction.
4) Most CT and early MT adventure should be usable (with adjustsments, ofcourse)

The Marches look quite good for me - as does the Rimward part of Gushemege.

 

[Golan2072]

I'm looking for a good location for my (Virus-less) post-Hard Times OTU-variant set in 1135 or 1138. My original intention was using the Soloamni Rim section, but I've encountered a serious problem - it is one of the most developed and most heavily populated sectors in the OTU. Unless TNE-style measures (i.e. mass and total destruction of almost everything, which I'm trying to avoid) are used, you'd get quite a well-developed surviving area (probably with alot of infighting, but still well-developed) which will probably recover quite quickly due to the sheer manpower and surviving industrial base. Or will that not be a problem?

Another idea was using the part of Gushemege close to the Ael yael homeworld [Jaeyelya (Gushemege/Vipach)], which is IIRC quite a frontier. But wasn't it too close to Strephon's (the imposter?) Worlds and thus utterly destroyed in the Lucan/Strephon war?

My last option is to take the Spinward Marches and make a few "variant"-type changes, i.e. no stable "regency" but a multi-sided civil war between the Aslan, Zhodani, Vargr and several post-Imperial polities (with Swordies thrown into the mix). I'm quite liking that option - alot of OTU material to 'borrow' from, alot of factions. The only problem would be stepping on the Regency - but who cares... Think of a combination of our beloved CT serving with a heavy dose of Hard Times spice... Damn, I'm getting drunk with this vision.

What I'm looking for is a sector with the following attributes:
1) Relative frontier (but still developed to a moderate degree)
2) Alot of rival political groupings.
3) Enough warfare during the Rebellion to cause some chaos and a deep economical recession, but not all-out destruction.
4) Most CT and early MT adventure should be usable (with adjustsments, ofcourse)

The Marches look quite good for me - as does the Rimward part of Gushemege.

 

[Whipsnade]

2-4601,

How about the rimward half of Zarushagar? It's sandwiched between Dulinor, Margaret, and Daibei with Lucan and the Solomani a distant presence. Daibei and Duke Craig's 'Influence Zone' passes through a small portion, so you'll have one of the saner factions nearby.

Of the eight subsectors, three are fully in the 'Wilds', two are in the Reft, two are brushed by Daibei's influence, and one is touched by Dulinor's influence.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Whipsnade]

2-4601,

How about the rimward half of Zarushagar? It's sandwiched between Dulinor, Margaret, and Daibei with Lucan and the Solomani a distant presence. Daibei and Duke Craig's 'Influence Zone' passes through a small portion, so you'll have one of the saner factions nearby.

Of the eight subsectors, three are fully in the 'Wilds', two are in the Reft, two are brushed by Daibei's influence, and one is touched by Dulinor's influence.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Whipsnade]

2-4601,

How about the rimward half of Zarushagar? It's sandwiched between Dulinor, Margaret, and Daibei with Lucan and the Solomani a distant presence. Daibei and Duke Craig's 'Influence Zone' passes through a small portion, so you'll have one of the saner factions nearby.

Of the eight subsectors, three are fully in the 'Wilds', two are in the Reft, two are brushed by Daibei's influence, and one is touched by Dulinor's influence.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Golan2072]

Isn't Zarushagar quite well-developed and heavily inhabitated? Plus the Core is quite close by - with Lucan's remaining assets (actually, I intend to have Dulinor take the Irridium Throne and establish his Core-Sector-wide Empire while fighting off the other factions and an uprising against him by the dissillusioned Illelish masses).

I'm leaning more and more my Spinward Marches variant. Even in the "Golden Era" it was a powder-keg ready to explode at every minute (not just aslan, Vargr, Zhodani, Sword-Worlders, Darrians and Imperials - there are also several revolutionary groups, not to mention the Ine Givar terrorists). Look here for ProtoTraveller quotes.

Also, there is a WEALTH of useful material, both cannon and fan-made, up to and including The Illustrated Guide to the Marches by Andrew Boulton.

Think of this as Classic Traveller in its classic setting with a twist. A serious twist. The Imperium is dead - the last remnants of its rotten corpse brought to "undeath" under the triumphant Dulinor. The fire of the Rebellion has burned itself down to ashes, with anly a few cooling ambers - and the occasional short conflagation of a revolution, a coup or a warlord's attempt to grasp power. Aslan and Vargr run rampart. Shielded from the worst excesses of the Rebellion by the Claw, the Spinward Marches were effected by it nonetheless: trade with the rest of (former) Imperial space has died town to a weak trinkle; megacorporations and banks have collapsed; Vargr corsairs and Aslan Ihatei have invaded; and people with centuries-old agendas have taken the opportunity - and the lack of any hope of reenforcements from the Core - to make a go at their goal. Archduke Norris attempted to enact several reforms in the remaining Imperial structure in the marches - and got an insurrection around Efate in response. The Imperium is dead; the people have no need for reforms in a dead polity.

It's the "good", old marches everybody knows and loves. It's the "good", old Marches, but the cat is gone - it is now the turn of the mice to fight over the remaining cheese.

(Think East Europe when Stalinism collapsed under its own dead weight, leaving opportunists and nationalists to fight over the remains - especially think of the Balkan circa 1992).

 

[Golan2072]

Isn't Zarushagar quite well-developed and heavily inhabitated? Plus the Core is quite close by - with Lucan's remaining assets (actually, I intend to have Dulinor take the Irridium Throne and establish his Core-Sector-wide Empire while fighting off the other factions and an uprising against him by the dissillusioned Illelish masses).

I'm leaning more and more my Spinward Marches variant. Even in the "Golden Era" it was a powder-keg ready to explode at every minute (not just aslan, Vargr, Zhodani, Sword-Worlders, Darrians and Imperials - there are also several revolutionary groups, not to mention the Ine Givar terrorists). Look here for ProtoTraveller quotes.

Also, there is a WEALTH of useful material, both cannon and fan-made, up to and including The Illustrated Guide to the Marches by Andrew Boulton.

Think of this as Classic Traveller in its classic setting with a twist. A serious twist. The Imperium is dead - the last remnants of its rotten corpse brought to "undeath" under the triumphant Dulinor. The fire of the Rebellion has burned itself down to ashes, with anly a few cooling ambers - and the occasional short conflagation of a revolution, a coup or a warlord's attempt to grasp power. Aslan and Vargr run rampart. Shielded from the worst excesses of the Rebellion by the Claw, the Spinward Marches were effected by it nonetheless: trade with the rest of (former) Imperial space has died town to a weak trinkle; megacorporations and banks have collapsed; Vargr corsairs and Aslan Ihatei have invaded; and people with centuries-old agendas have taken the opportunity - and the lack of any hope of reenforcements from the Core - to make a go at their goal. Archduke Norris attempted to enact several reforms in the remaining Imperial structure in the marches - and got an insurrection around Efate in response. The Imperium is dead; the people have no need for reforms in a dead polity.

It's the "good", old marches everybody knows and loves. It's the "good", old Marches, but the cat is gone - it is now the turn of the mice to fight over the remaining cheese.

(Think East Europe when Stalinism collapsed under its own dead weight, leaving opportunists and nationalists to fight over the remains - especially think of the Balkan circa 1992).

 

[Golan2072]

Isn't Zarushagar quite well-developed and heavily inhabitated? Plus the Core is quite close by - with Lucan's remaining assets (actually, I intend to have Dulinor take the Irridium Throne and establish his Core-Sector-wide Empire while fighting off the other factions and an uprising against him by the dissillusioned Illelish masses).

I'm leaning more and more my Spinward Marches variant. Even in the "Golden Era" it was a powder-keg ready to explode at every minute (not just aslan, Vargr, Zhodani, Sword-Worlders, Darrians and Imperials - there are also several revolutionary groups, not to mention the Ine Givar terrorists). Look here for ProtoTraveller quotes.

Also, there is a WEALTH of useful material, both cannon and fan-made, up to and including The Illustrated Guide to the Marches by Andrew Boulton.

Think of this as Classic Traveller in its classic setting with a twist. A serious twist. The Imperium is dead - the last remnants of its rotten corpse brought to "undeath" under the triumphant Dulinor. The fire of the Rebellion has burned itself down to ashes, with anly a few cooling ambers - and the occasional short conflagation of a revolution, a coup or a warlord's attempt to grasp power. Aslan and Vargr run rampart. Shielded from the worst excesses of the Rebellion by the Claw, the Spinward Marches were effected by it nonetheless: trade with the rest of (former) Imperial space has died town to a weak trinkle; megacorporations and banks have collapsed; Vargr corsairs and Aslan Ihatei have invaded; and people with centuries-old agendas have taken the opportunity - and the lack of any hope of reenforcements from the Core - to make a go at their goal. Archduke Norris attempted to enact several reforms in the remaining Imperial structure in the marches - and got an insurrection around Efate in response. The Imperium is dead; the people have no need for reforms in a dead polity.

It's the "good", old marches everybody knows and loves. It's the "good", old Marches, but the cat is gone - it is now the turn of the mice to fight over the remaining cheese.

(Think East Europe when Stalinism collapsed under its own dead weight, leaving opportunists and nationalists to fight over the remains - especially think of the Balkan circa 1992).

 

[Whipsnade]

2-4601,

Sorry. I didn't read your requirements closely enough. In particular #3: Enough warfare during the Rebellion to cause some chaos and a deep economical recession, but not all-out destruction.

In suggesting Zarushagar, I was counting on the wanton destruction from the Rebellion and Black War creating a 'new frontier' within the old Imperium. Not surprisingly, you want a somewhat 'softer' landing than that!

As you're already surmised, the Marches neatly meet all your reuirements.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Whipsnade]

2-4601,

Sorry. I didn't read your requirements closely enough. In particular #3: Enough warfare during the Rebellion to cause some chaos and a deep economical recession, but not all-out destruction.

In suggesting Zarushagar, I was counting on the wanton destruction from the Rebellion and Black War creating a 'new frontier' within the old Imperium. Not surprisingly, you want a somewhat 'softer' landing than that!

As you're already surmised, the Marches neatly meet all your reuirements.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Whipsnade]

2-4601,

Sorry. I didn't read your requirements closely enough. In particular #3: Enough warfare during the Rebellion to cause some chaos and a deep economical recession, but not all-out destruction.

In suggesting Zarushagar, I was counting on the wanton destruction from the Rebellion and Black War creating a 'new frontier' within the old Imperium. Not surprisingly, you want a somewhat 'softer' landing than that!

As you're already surmised, the Marches neatly meet all your reuirements.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Border Reiver]

Why not try Daibei and Reavers Deep. Plenty of intrigue as Solomani, Lucan and Dulinor all want a peice of Duke Craig's pie. Aslan no longer feeling bound by the previous treaties are nibbling at the edges.

A big plus is that there is very little published about Daibei, you'd have a free hand to do whatever you want and not have some canonista question your universe.

It would be a blitz mentality amongst the Federation worlds, buckle down and watch the heroes of the Federation's armed forces hold back the tide of oppression. Of course there'll always be internal elements that think the Federation should side with at least one faction.

 

[Border Reiver]

Why not try Daibei and Reavers Deep. Plenty of intrigue as Solomani, Lucan and Dulinor all want a peice of Duke Craig's pie. Aslan no longer feeling bound by the previous treaties are nibbling at the edges.

A big plus is that there is very little published about Daibei, you'd have a free hand to do whatever you want and not have some canonista question your universe.

It would be a blitz mentality amongst the Federation worlds, buckle down and watch the heroes of the Federation's armed forces hold back the tide of oppression. Of course there'll always be internal elements that think the Federation should side with at least one faction.

 

[Border Reiver]

Why not try Daibei and Reavers Deep. Plenty of intrigue as Solomani, Lucan and Dulinor all want a peice of Duke Craig's pie. Aslan no longer feeling bound by the previous treaties are nibbling at the edges.

A big plus is that there is very little published about Daibei, you'd have a free hand to do whatever you want and not have some canonista question your universe.

It would be a blitz mentality amongst the Federation worlds, buckle down and watch the heroes of the Federation's armed forces hold back the tide of oppression. Of course there'll always be internal elements that think the Federation should side with at least one faction.

 

[Golan2072]

It is really a hard choice - Daibei, which gives me a free reign (what was published of it anyway? A map? A dot-map?) or the Marches with ALOT of useful material. Since I have my Solar Triumvirate ATU (which isn't related to the OTU in any ways) to satisfy my universe-building desires, the Marches look well...

And Zarushagar is also an option, if it was heavily damaged - but how heavily was it? TNE-style wilderness? What I want is an area in chaos, with enough war and economical damage to make things interesting and make the smaller forces (or even the PCs) politically relevant, but not one dead world after the other. By the way, was Zarushagar mapped in Traveller cannon?

 

[Golan2072]

It is really a hard choice - Daibei, which gives me a free reign (what was published of it anyway? A map? A dot-map?) or the Marches with ALOT of useful material. Since I have my Solar Triumvirate ATU (which isn't related to the OTU in any ways) to satisfy my universe-building desires, the Marches look well...

And Zarushagar is also an option, if it was heavily damaged - but how heavily was it? TNE-style wilderness? What I want is an area in chaos, with enough war and economical damage to make things interesting and make the smaller forces (or even the PCs) politically relevant, but not one dead world after the other. By the way, was Zarushagar mapped in Traveller cannon?

 

[Golan2072]

It is really a hard choice - Daibei, which gives me a free reign (what was published of it anyway? A map? A dot-map?) or the Marches with ALOT of useful material. Since I have my Solar Triumvirate ATU (which isn't related to the OTU in any ways) to satisfy my universe-building desires, the Marches look well...

And Zarushagar is also an option, if it was heavily damaged - but how heavily was it? TNE-style wilderness? What I want is an area in chaos, with enough war and economical damage to make things interesting and make the smaller forces (or even the PCs) politically relevant, but not one dead world after the other. By the way, was Zarushagar mapped in Traveller cannon?

 

[Whipsnade]

Originally posted by Employee 2-4601:
It is really a hard choice - Daibei, which gives me a free reign (what was published of it anyway? A map? A dot-map?)...

2-4601,

Daibei has been published as a dot map in a DGP magazine and as a sector in AtoI.

Daibei is also the center of a faction. Subsectors A, B, E, F, G, I, J, and K are 100% Safe Zones. The rest are a mixture of Safe and Influence Zones. The only Wilds in Daibei are a tiny, ~5%, upper right corner of subsector D and a small, ~10%, lower right corner of subsector P. Heavy combat betweeen Sollie-Daibei, Dulinor-Daibei, Lucan-Daibei, and Dulinor-Lucan did occur in the sector, generally around the 'edges'. Damage did happen, whether it is the damage you're looking I don't know.

And Zarushagar is also an option, if it was heavily damaged - but how heavily was it? TNE-style wilderness?

You won't be using Virus I take it? A big chunk of Zarushagar is pure Hard Times, Rebellion shattered, Black War scorched, honest-to-Lucan wilderness.

Going by the 1120 map used as the Rebellion Sourcebook frontspeice, Zarushagar's 16 subsectors look like this:

- A: Spinward ~66% Dulinor's Influence Zone, trailing ~33% Wilds
- B: 100% Wilds
- C: ~25% 'upper right corner' Lucan Influence Zone, ~75% Wilds
- D: ~90% Lucan Influence Zone, ~10% Wilds
- E: Same as A
- F: 100% Wilds
- G: 100% Wilds
- H: ~5% 'upper right corner' Lucan Influence Zone, rest Wilds
- I: ~50% Dulinor Influence Zone, ~50% Wilds
- J: 100% Wilds
- K: 100% Wilds
- L: 100% Wilds
- M: 100% Rift
- N: ~90% Rift, 'upper right corner' Wilds
- O: ~50% rimward Daibei Influence Zone, ~50% coreward Wilds
- P: ~25% 'lower left corner' Daibei Influence Zone, ~75 Wilds.

By the way, was Zarushagar mapped in Traveller cannon?

AFAIK, it was mapped in the same fashion as Daibei; DGP dot maps and AotI.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Whipsnade]

Originally posted by Employee 2-4601:
It is really a hard choice - Daibei, which gives me a free reign (what was published of it anyway? A map? A dot-map?)...

2-4601,

Daibei has been published as a dot map in a DGP magazine and as a sector in AtoI.

Daibei is also the center of a faction. Subsectors A, B, E, F, G, I, J, and K are 100% Safe Zones. The rest are a mixture of Safe and Influence Zones. The only Wilds in Daibei are a tiny, ~5%, upper right corner of subsector D and a small, ~10%, lower right corner of subsector P. Heavy combat betweeen Sollie-Daibei, Dulinor-Daibei, Lucan-Daibei, and Dulinor-Lucan did occur in the sector, generally around the 'edges'. Damage did happen, whether it is the damage you're looking I don't know.

And Zarushagar is also an option, if it was heavily damaged - but how heavily was it? TNE-style wilderness?

You won't be using Virus I take it? A big chunk of Zarushagar is pure Hard Times, Rebellion shattered, Black War scorched, honest-to-Lucan wilderness.

Going by the 1120 map used as the Rebellion Sourcebook frontspeice, Zarushagar's 16 subsectors look like this:

- A: Spinward ~66% Dulinor's Influence Zone, trailing ~33% Wilds
- B: 100% Wilds
- C: ~25% 'upper right corner' Lucan Influence Zone, ~75% Wilds
- D: ~90% Lucan Influence Zone, ~10% Wilds
- E: Same as A
- F: 100% Wilds
- G: 100% Wilds
- H: ~5% 'upper right corner' Lucan Influence Zone, rest Wilds
- I: ~50% Dulinor Influence Zone, ~50% Wilds
- J: 100% Wilds
- K: 100% Wilds
- L: 100% Wilds
- M: 100% Rift
- N: ~90% Rift, 'upper right corner' Wilds
- O: ~50% rimward Daibei Influence Zone, ~50% coreward Wilds
- P: ~25% 'lower left corner' Daibei Influence Zone, ~75 Wilds.

By the way, was Zarushagar mapped in Traveller cannon?

AFAIK, it was mapped in the same fashion as Daibei; DGP dot maps and AotI.


Have fun,
Bill