And Now For Something We Hope You Really Like!

I've decided. After Outremer, I will be working on the following, more or less simultaneously:

The Pre-Cluster

This is a setting for StarCluster 3, our solar system before anyone knew of the coming catastrophe, and before any slowboats were sent towards the Cluster. There is an extrasolar colony around Alpha Centauri, and ships heading to a couple of other places, but they will be totally peripheral to the setting, about as important as "What's Happening Today in Antarctica!" is among most people today. Fusion drive is available, but not Matter/Anti-Matter. Antimatter can be produced, but can't be safely handled before the slowboats get to the Cluster, set up colonies, and begin to research gravitics.

So, many of the worlds of the Solar System will be settled to varying degrees, and travel between them will be by constant thrust fractional G fusion torch drive ships. The first generation of uplifts will be available, as well as primitive robots, a few of which will be sapient, though no one knows why. The system will be under the overall authority of the UN, though nation states will still be very important. Politics will roil beneath the skim ice of a public accord. Sapient slavery will be a hot topic of debate, though nothing will be decided. Different people will have different ideas on the status of Uplifts and sapient robots, and some ugly things will be done.

Res Publica

I think I will finally get to work with Bill Corrie of Hinterwelt on this project. Res Publica is an historical game set in the later Roman republic. It will probably be using a custom system - right now I'm thinking a d20 dice pool, with Skill+1 dice, using the highest and adding stat for resolution, and using the lowest for hit placement in combat. I'm thinking of maybe adding the opponent's skill-1 to that number too - which may work out nicely to simulate the fact that a good hit would depend on the opening you are given, and skilled oppenents give you less of a chance to nail a vital area. Damage would be margin of success plus a modifier for the weapon, applied to the area hit.

-clash