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title: Lore Writers Overview
tags: [Work-In-Progress, Planning, Lore]

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# Lore Writers Overview
###### tags: `Work-In-Progress` `Lore` `Planning`

[Procedure for Writing Lore Documents](/UE1V0rOERgqA9aLASprVCA)
[Shiptest Team Page](/@shiptest)
[Shiptest Pages By Tag](/team/shiptest?nav=overview) => [Tags Legend](/1CuwKZlWQtq5WsnscoWnHA)

## Table of Contents
[ToC]

# Current Projects

- Kepori rewrite
    - wiki page doesn't mention they're egg-laying
    - Ryerice, Ashturi


## Magic Lore Meeting July 2023
[Shiptest Lore Meeting, July 2023 (Magic)](/x9O5tiL1REm9xHgCCY84vw)

## Wiki Migration

- [ ] https://shiptest.net/wiki/Colonial_Minutemen  pages mentioning the CMM structure will need to be renamed with Colonial League of Independent Planets where appropriate.

current progress on finalised pages:
- [x] [Mercenary Faction - Saint-Roumain Militia](/XoYN6lPAQu-MrvVgLYMh5w)
- [x] [Mechanical Amplification: The History of Exoskeletons, Mecha And More](/484drFYkQl6Js-6xNCeX7w)
- [x] [The Galaxy In Verse: A Collection of Poems, Songs and Sayings From Across The Known Universe](/lCd2jDjJTjq3zXcYzkz3AQ)
- [x] [Inteq Risk Management Group](/rbtOWXJLR2-1C2KhXmRGAg)
- [x] [The PGF’s Hottest New Sitcom, “The Life and Times of a Zohillian Cargo Inspector”](/PFQyu3QLRsSgqUQDE8j3jw)
- [x] [Corporate Gallery: The Companies Outside The Conflict](/e9Ljcoq8RLKX0RjitbaCKw)
- [x] [Excerpts from the Biological Assessment and Removal Division’s Xenofauna Combat Arms Manual, First Edition](/T5qM2OnCQZeXxfDb2IvDJA)
- [ ] [Colonial Minutemen: Biohazard Assessment and Removal Division](/O7isfsIuRfuNE5zoOzf6og)
- [ ] [IPC FACTION - THE INSTALLATION](/iclzbO1dSQWexF4A2id4kw)
- [ ] [The Nanotrasen Project Catalog: Research, Development and Destruction](/LSrgwQ0VSAm2EXIF8ayjlw)
Triage: Setting basics, Factional pages, lastly pages about more detailed information
==ACTION REQUIRED==: A page containing setting primer notes incl. 

The Main Setting Primer / General Lore pages by triage

Human Timekeeping
Federal Standard Calendar (FSC) | Predating Standard (PdS) — The standardized calendar of the [[Solar Confederation]], used by all within their sphere of influence. The year FS-1 began on the day that TerraGov and its territories confederated into SolGov. The current year is [CURRENT YEAR - 1519]. There are 13 months with 28 days each, with each date having a consistent associated weekday, as well as a weekless Day of Unity (used to mark the beginning of a new year) and a weekless census day every 4 years.

Annum Era Astrae (AEA) | Annum Ante Astrae (AAA) — An alternate calendar occasionally used in SolGov space. This calendar closely mirrors the Gregorian calendar with 12 months of irregular length and unfixed weekdays. This uses an identical year to the Federal Standard Calendar, and is used by more traditional-minded parties within SolGov. It finds widespread use within the Sol Administration. 

==ACTION REQUIRED==: We need SVGs of all factional icons, including black monochrome versions.

==ACTION REQUIRED==: change all pages listed here to use the new Inteq URL https://shiptest.net/w/index.php?title=Special%3AWhatLinksHere&target=inteq&namespace=

==ACTION REQUIRED==: Factional pages must contain these headings for migration to the wiki:

Faction Brief

How to Play this Faction

Culture

History

Structure and Operations

Economy (If Applicable)

Relations

~~==ACTION REQUIRED==: Change the FactionBox template to include more details. Complete, though we need a new template for planetary/location info. FactionBox isn't cut out for it.~~
Mark is reworking this for view on mobile

==ACTION REQUIRED==: Rearrange Faction / Species on the main page so Faction comes before Species. Edit Faction template to include sub-factions.

Mark has given approval, will need something to balance out the columns to make this full width. Not sure if it works on mobile?

Use ship list, potentially? but there's a link to it earlier in the doc. Any thoughts?

## WIKI USAGE NOTES

Making a new page:

https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Starting_a_new_page

Redirecting pages:

https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Redirects

Find Templates used in a page with the top-right drop-down menu while editing a page.

Use this page to search for Templates used in other pages.
https://shiptest.net/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere

A guide to template use:
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Templates

Moving pages:
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Help:Moving_a_page

Images:

https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Images

Categories:
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Categories

Redirecting a Page
#REDIRECT[[Page-name]]

- This may be out of scope but the new-player experience could REALLY use some TLC. Rules pages on the wiki need a review and I'm not sure whether to point people to the Primer here first and foremost. I have no idea how the HackMD "books" are assembled to maintain the current lore compendium. New player centric ships and player training contracts, etc.?
> [name=Ashturian]
- [Lore Tips](/2qg9-elERpGVIfmxtN5KVw)
- [Shiptest Lore Meeting May 2023](https://hackmd.io/wuT0sQ4hRKaNAKAzoZ1Xlg)
- Tweak dates to suit FS 250 Sol contact with alien species.
- [Shiptest Ship Niches Doc](/91HiEg1zQDu0H3NToMp1iQ)
- [More Ship Names June 2023](/buZW70yjQLSs_rGrujhy_A)

# Writers List
Project Lead: marksuckerberg
Lore Head: valorium.

```csvpreview
User,Curator,Active,Listed, Note
.apogee, Y,Y,-
ariever, Y,Y,-
asciisquid, Y,Y,Y
ashturi, Y,Y,Y
bokkiewokkie3, Y,Y,-
blessed0184, -,N,-
coleminerman, Y,Y,-
everypercent, -,Y,Y
imaginos_, -,Y,-,
janus0722,-,N,-
latency, Y,Y,-
marksuckerberg, N/A,Y,N/A,Project Lead
pinkpuffball81, Y,Y,-
piper6996, Y,-,Y*,(do not disturb)
prefabquasar, -,Y,-
recoherent, -,N,-
ryerice, Y,Y,-
spocky, -,Y,-
sun_soaked, -,Y,-
tallvisit, Y,Y,Y
thgvr, -,Y,-
tmtmtl30, Y,Y,-
valorium., N/A,Y,N/A, Lore Head
```

# Page Links
## Planning / Notes
- [Direction](/-_ascEM0SWSqq-wJMJBLCA)
- [Design Discussion Thing](/5bS0WdJNQ_-71DHyiMHWwA)
    - This document is probably important and needs to be discussed further > [name=Ashturian]
- [Concrete Goalslist (for Devbreak?)](/A7gM1CIbRZecJ7dPRGfqoQ)
- [Languages/Language Rework](/NdUxQoqET8Wj2-f6lW7K9A)
- [Faction Gameplay Outline](/otFk0fdkTZ-2gbOCCODooQ)
- [Replacements For Vending Machine Foods And Drinks](/0jSUEY9VTzuhhUwV3w5Jxg)
- [Overmap notes](/lJC4KCRSQDeO9fQ_rTdISQ)
- [Backgrounds](/XrjVyalYR5C1_5CyfLT4ig)
- [PACMAN rework](/Hq6-jeDZRPSoMk4B8AWtyw)
- [Space Suits of All Kinds](/Ao0lXKNxTM2Y4H5ZNCDwjA)
- [(Visual) Direction?](/jSC_uRXrSlGlH8I3jE_sgQ)
- [Visual Guidelines](/fcPSXtRXSpCNBuGc6Aslgw)
- [Zeta's Devlogs](/kzMGNzavRV6iJ2dnGw42pQ)
- [Ruins ideasguy note](/5HwlhnB2QvGrUGW9fUKeZQ)
- [Maximum Ideasguy Overdrive](/Zh3IvL2JQwmTXx66mpgsPw)
- [Tiramisu-based random ideasguying (constructive edition)](/c8rdFEahSnOqJ6bsJUb_2g)
- [Breaking Bad](/FkTaRqddQMWXBKWr9p2IuQ)
- [Fabrication](/Le6_MGvaQ4SYisvXbmIJ5g)
- [The Wizard Problem: Souls, Remembrance and Grilled Cheese](/mp8hX1wXRwqWiQyM56DMTg)
- [Storing Dynamically Generated Locations](/LwXkpFn_SBCu_ZFkjtG31Q)
- [CAS: Shiptest Deck Ideasguying](/NkhzhpOeTA6FHqQ8zqL_0g)
- [Outpost Catalogue Audit](/JZtR7BnATMK1RXcsQnY1sA)
- [Random Events](/pVQwvtyMRDuhu7DR2Tz_sw)
- [Skills](/-QZbqajxSSy1xqS6R4zARA)
- [Xenoarch](/uaEkTTTvQoO8UeSUpCNI6w)
- [Research And Development](/jirv2mJxRTC52bnarTjcaw)
- [Paperwork and Passports: Reputation](/RmHYB1hERLiOPmjSEyyN_Q)
- [Shiptest Administrator Rulings Overview](/XVD48Cq_SUKESPQ0xxyPhA)
- [Deranged Rules WIP](/BQsu9YTjT1O-9Fba3DI4ZQ)
- [The Overmap](/yq17CXdhSg-nhGXBhI7xLw) Deprecate in favour of the wiki overmap article? >[name=Ashturian]

## General Lore Pages
- [Main Page / Primer (Book View)](/@shiptest/lore)
    - 
- [The Corporate Wars](/rkq_PFA0u)
    - asciisquid
- [Timeline](/xZAk8RyiQ86yUsFitpGHng)

~~- [Spungle, or: How I Learned To Stop Hard Sci-fiing and Love The Supernatural](/91WHVLP_SRq-u5pBoM2HzA)
    - [The Necropolis](/x52Pw-uhSHuCrpM1G3PrOA)
    - [Clockie stuff deranged WIP](/VHHwKXinQ4SSZ_fb8hCvGw)~~

- [Mechanical Amplification: The History of Exoskeletons, Mecha And More](/484drFYkQl6Js-6xNCeX7w)
- [Pre-NOF Media: What Remains?](/Gfg28J8OTCqWvauUs8RUjg)

## Faction Pages
- [Factions Overview](/RnUAC47eQ7mkcf-GtzQq1A)
    - Super oudated, is it worth maintaining these overview pages?
- [Nanotrasen](/YBU3h8QnSyCiz38wDr9hdA)
    -  [The Nanotrasen Project Catalog: Research, Development and Destruction](/LSrgwQ0VSAm2EXIF8ayjlw)
- [The Syndicate](/djBofH_pQ7KcEvF0n53CTg)
    - asciisquid
    - [The Cybersun Fashion Catalog: Elegance in Design](/uES7fe9mQdOjBTtijqd4Yg)
    - [The Gorlex Marauders](/f6AynIPKSZOk2wmTwBD3VQ)
- [The Most Serene Solar and Intersolar Confederation](/DzB8ZELfQNOpkLMF4XDDwA)
    - imaginos_
- [Kalixcis](/tZOJhrnETJKhl084EPqdFA)
    - coleminerman
    - [Pan-Gezena Federation](/3EKZzjqXQqaxFoQd9qihCw)
    - [Kalixcis Timeline](/FQWdrA7GTUiuRa3-SyF9kg)
        - coleminerman
    - [Celeste Station](/lxMoCh6HThSRiflv-LHNFw)
        - valorium.
- [The Colonial Minutemen](/Y9MR8ivKSqS1Iw5hA2Y_GQ)
    - ryerice, valorium.
    - (Outdated, deletion candidate?) [The Colonial Minutemen](/d8M4Ejc7Tyut5PkGCLArgQ)
    - [Colonial Minutemen: The Galactic Optimum Labor Division](/pM217Xb1S1at1V_uubh2Hw)
        - valorium.
    - [Colonial Minutemen: Biohazard Assessment and Removal Division](/O7isfsIuRfuNE5zoOzf6og)
        - valorium
- [The Installation](/iclzbO1dSQWexF4A2id4kw)
    - valorium.
- https://shiptest.net/wiki/Inteq_Risk_Management_Group
    - oudated: [Inteq Risk Management Group](/rbtOWXJLR2-1C2KhXmRGAg)
    - Halcyon?
- [Saint-Roumain Militia](/XoYN6lPAQu-MrvVgLYMh5w)
    - valorium.
    - OUTDATED: [Saint-Roumain Militia Lore Document](/ZHF_aRWsQ7OKNBT0DUuE-A)
    - [Excerpts from The History of Illestren, By Hunter Montagne Robert Saint-Victoria](/wDA7cekKSGOUUPQUdNcPtA)
- [The Frontiersmen](/t_HGmbysSRiewYUeGa3RjA)
- [Corporate Gallery: The Companies Outside The Conflict](/e9Ljcoq8RLKX0RjitbaCKw)
    - valorium.
- [Shipwrights](/uR_NRtJJSLGGcUJlozQSdg)
    - valorium.
- [Firearm Manufacturers Loredoc - WIP](/Mq4hqNe9QzKo-iSIm4uGVw)

## Species Pages
- [Species Overview](/RrJg9UPLRNyLVKZ_1Z0NqA) (Outdated?)
- [Humans](/_bhmmCQlRUSe6kAlPG3KZg)
- [Phorids](/Lo305eZaSUqs4DMDu8C1kA)
    - 
- [IPCs]
    - everypercent (?)
- [Sarathi](/3DXuLT8ySUCjWT2lPAztDA)
    - Brugged#0232 (Inactive?)
- [Elzuosa](/AtbGvPTITHa46PbRYR8NpQ)
    - 
- [Kepori](/XOXOMnUZTcu24uw5LXQy8g)
    - ashturi, bokkiewokkie3, ryerice, piper6996(do not disturb?), valorium., tallvisit
- [Rachnids](/OAQf1MJySjmhEqh8IIHZoA)
    - asciisquid, everypercent (?)
- [GAS for Shiptest: Serpentids](/w5dMsA6hQ5WXIo1ewOjn0w)
    - tallvisit, everypercent
- [Mothpeople](/H12_rLYVK)
- [Vox Lore ==First Draft==](/eoo6HewARie5mXdWbxfIRg)
    - ashturi, sun_soaked
~~- [Carinae](/MTMCqh32RFWjS8okzC8m8A)~~
    - Is there a plan for Carinae? [name=Ashturian] no not really [name=valorium.]
## In-Universe Media
- [The PGF’s Hottest New Sitcom, “The Life and Times of a Zohillian Cargo Inspector”](/PFQyu3QLRsSgqUQDE8j3jw)
- [The Galaxy In Verse: A Collection of Poems, Songs and Sayings From Across The Known Universe](/lCd2jDjJTjq3zXcYzkz3AQ)


# Lore Design Guidelines
- **No -isms (discriminations) exist institutionally in-universe except for classism.** Individuals may rarely hold bigotry and bias but this is always on an individual level, and is only present because there is always strong variation between people - and we don't want to restrict players character-building. But their racist moth has nobody backing them up, at least.
- **Factions and culture are never drawn directly across species lines.** They may have strong bias due to species often having locational origin points (Many humans are from Earth, and most people from Earth are humans, but Solgov is not "The Human Faction" by a long shot), but they will never be restricted specifically along these lines. **Remember when referring to the culture, refer to the culture, not the species!**
    - Roughly 250 years have passed since the known species of Shiptest last made first contact with a new species. Homeworlds being cultural centres is largely historical.
    - Pre-Spaceflight cultures that existed circa 250 years ago or longer - extant or historical - would have their homeworlds as their original focal point. The homeworld's original species (however many there are) tend to make up roughly 60-70% of their present population. This does not account for synthetic species (IPC's) or lifeforms that people can become (Phorids, Slimes, etc.)
    - Post-Spaceflight cultures emerged around colonised planets, space arcologies, space fleets, and large space structures. Some are even non-localised cultures, connected by the space internet (Extranet? Exonet?)). Post-spaceflight cultures are almost always species-agnostic, with the exception of Phorid groups, the Installation (with its limited areas supporting organic life, though a permanent population exists there), or other more niche subcultures.
- **Humanocentrism is to be avoided, and to some degree this includes avoiding humans be the "generic" species.** They have their own gimmicks!
- **Leave room for players to make up their own shit that is functionally canon.** We fucking love headcanon, and OC planets, genelines, factions, etc
- **Core themes: rebirth and recovery after disaster and trauma:** main setting is handling the destroyed remains of former colonies, many/most species have singular great disaster in their past that they have grown beyond to some degree.
- **Balance of a silly world with serious emotions and character development**: the old "futurama and bojack horseman" adage of days past. Strange things can happen, but characters react to them in a grounded way; read: as a person off the street would.
- Keep a close eye on the reasons behind scifi and ss13 tropes without fully subverting them for the sake of subversion: solgov in its form here, etc.

Useful lore team review topics:
* Just because something can be added doesn't mean it should be.
* What purpose would the addition serve?
* What needs to be added to represent the addition in-game? How much sprite, ship, role, and other code work will it need to be realised?
* Where would the addition's place in the setting's map be? What are their relations to Shiptest's other factions? What do they have stakes in?
* Brainstorm additional interesting hooks for lore that players can riff off for roleplay and use as motivations / inciters of conflict. Eg. Nanotrasen wants their colonies back; the Syndicate is tearing at the seams.