###### tags: `Deprecated`

# Shiptest Lore Meeting 7th October 2023
> Ash: Regarding lore meetings as a format
> I'd prefer if they were for discussion and not for decision-making, since it's a bit of a struggle for people to make it with timezones, it's a very short window to formulate arguments and deliberate on ideas, and I don't really like to engage with voice as a medium for debates.
> Totally understand if it's frustrating to be stuck in the weeds over writing decisions, but I don't think hosting these meetings really does much to address that. Don't really have an answer myself except wanting people to talk more in the lore channel.

## SPECIES LORE
### IPCs
> Ash: Some stuff based on old IPC lore here: https://hackmd.io/5ODCJ4RHRtOnua7d23kxPw?view#FSC-200---Invention-of-the-Positronic-Brain
> I'm not sure where we should take positronics lore. People want to do stuff with their characters involving programming and code themes I think, which doesn't really gel with the lore for them we've loosely put together. Most of the broad points from past discussions are in the link above, and those aren't interconnected with that point very strongly in case we do want to change it.
> A middle ground could look like - pseudo-organic structures developing around positronic-to-electronic interfaces and stimuli? The most obvious/exterior parts of the positronic would be the most obviously machine-like, make interfacing with digital systems driven by innate familiarity - modifiable interfaces, but a core only altered by stimuli?

Notes:
Rachnid planet source maybe???
IPCs is about being a sentient being but made out of metal
IPCs shouldnt be super smart hyper computers, let them be as smart as a normal person
Players want to play as more drone-like IPCs but others are human, we might need to find some kind of equilibrium so people can play one or the other without one seeming goofier than the other, or decide if we want to promote one or the other in rp
Positronics wage slaves, literal indentured servants perhaps
make a better distinction between the positronic brain and the chassis; The positronic brain isn't able to run computer programs, but maybe their chassis can be altered to do that
make posibrains harder to print/remove the ability to print them: either way: make them harder to obtain in game. you shouldnt just be able to use gold silver and steel to create a sapient robot friend
Intellicard doesnt make sense, we should remove it
they should be more robotic, make them stand out more from other races

### Slimepeople
sloim people notes: should we keep them? NO

### Phorids
https://shiptest.net/wiki/Phorids

Notes:
Phorids need different skeleton types and new clothing so they dont look gross(spriter issue)
They might need origin lore
make them different from elzu, and maybe add benifits to them setting on fire (coder issue)

## ACRA
> Ash: I'd like to know what the plan is for ACRA. Is it going to be a find-and-replace job to change mentions of NT to ACRA in the future, or is it going to change their lore / thematic stuff too? I'd like to know in case it'll affect us working on the timeline and NT pages.
Any/Eve said this a while back: "with nt like
everything but the lore is more or less vaguely known
the lore itself is open insofar as it matches the aesthetic"

Notes: dont make changes to NT yet pwease

## Mirroring wiki pages to HackMD and vice versa in case of loss to either program

>Ash: Ideally we'd keep a cosmetic copy (ie: a HackMD note formatted as close to the original) and a copy of the wiki sources (which I think only Mark would really be able to set up). It'd mean an extra step to making wiki edits, but it'd be a pain in the ass to lose access to, or outright lose any work. Getting stuff in-game somehow would also help.

Notes: Mark says he'll back them up, thank u mark
species lore articles need to be updated on the wiki

## FAQ rewrite
https://shiptest.net/wiki/FAQ
[FAQ Rewrite](/gJsp_mUQQna1aRgZ0vPI2A)
> Ash: Meem/torwanderer is working on a new guide for new players, sort of a mission statement thing here: https://shiptest.net/wiki/What_is_Shiptest
It treads some of the same ground as the FAQ rewrite, but Meem would like it to be a separate page. We probably shouldn't double up on info just so we can keep things clear for new players. I wouldn't mind there being a definitive page with all the necessary info on it (the Beginners page https://shiptest.net/wiki/Beginners_Guide doesn't cover some of the items in these other three documents), or at least something to point the players to the things they need to know.
> I'm not happy with how long my FAQ rewrite is right now, it covers some things in too much detail, but I also didn't want to compromise on starting from absolute basics.
> Could focus on splitting things between "Necessary stuff to add to the beginners guide" and "extraneous details more suited to the FAQ".
>
> Also: Can one of the admins please weigh in on a "How to make a distress call" section for the FAQ? I don't think it's common knowledge that you can ahelp for that.

Notes:
FAQ should have links to the important lore articles on it (already done, ty skrem)

## Vox lore rewrite
[Vox Lore ==First Draft==](/eoo6HewARie5mXdWbxfIRg)
[Stuff for ancient oldvox guys](/-9wm4fn0Tb-CsjvjNFbtFQ)
> Ash: Status of the doc: ran out of steam at around 50% completion, need to re-evaluate some planned things and rewrite some of what's there. Welcoming feedback, ideas, concepts we wanted to implement but that I've missed.

## Bluespace/FTL lore
> Ash: I don't know what to do with Bluespace, I had some plans for esoteric stuff involving it but I've seen people say we already lean too heavily on it for setting inexplicable elements. Let me know, I guess. If nothing else we can codify the basics, stuff like - it's hyperspace, it has its own topology, and that influences how FTL travel happens between places. How places connect, and how quickly information travels, how quickly sensors can detect, etc. will influence the setting geopolitics.
> Also, we should recolour/rename hyperspace tiles around ships to be blue tinged or something. It'd make it more obvious that it's a threat and be thematic.

Notes:
Crack down on what bluespace can and can't do, maybe encourage replacing certain aspects of it with FTL or something
rename it from bluespace to something else

## Ninjas
Lets not have actual black pajama commando weeaboos and make it more like a fighting style for certain people
Faction based, maybe cybersun?
Player characters are not allowed to be cool cyber augmented superhumans like mr deus ex guy

## Full list of faction relations – maybe a table?

Notes: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1112925543562760222/1160383573631713330/relations.png?ex=6534766a&is=6522016a&hm=65a2a22feaf7d35632a8b59d3f2f7a358ea0b71711c8e718ef2dede209a556f8&
enforce roleplaying faction relations
more groups should love and hate eachother, noone should be neutral to everyone
add relations to PGF
make a graph of it once its done

## Moodboard for Kalixcian factions
> Ash: Zohil: K6BD's Rayuba?
> “The Star Emperor is a man of great stature, with an oiled beard and stern countenance. He does not concern himself, as his kin do, with plotting and scheming against each other, but chiefly with the exercise of ruling. His primary concern is justice. His subjects live fairly, peaceably, and one might say even well, if not for the heavy blade of the law constantly grazing the tender skin of their necks.”
> — Pyapop Pitram

Notes: ask ash to elaborate on what they meant by this

## Cult stuff – what are we doing with constructs, definitively
> Ash: I'd like for there to still be a correlation between centres of scientific civilisation and the degradation of "supernatural" phenomena - cult constructs would be affected as such. The constructs themselves would be either lifeforms from hyperspace given/contained in a physical form by the cultists, or something like an impression left behind by exposing a suitable material to Bluespace/Redspace, providing a lingering "programming" acted out by the resulting construct
> No ties to a tangible "deity" outside of common or repeated themes - identified differently by competing sects of worshippers.
> The constructs exist mostly in the fringes of civilised space, where their makers either once resides or still do.

## Timeline
[Timeline Rewrite Draft](/5ODCJ4RHRtOnua7d23kxPw)
> Ash: Some Kalixcis stuff was written concurrently with me putting this doc together so there's some conflicting points. I've taken some liberties here since we haven't codified everything. This is probably going to be a large and very involved project since it'll need input from almost everyone.

Notes: The ICW lasted 18 years and happened 25 years ago, the hot war lasted 3 years

## Galaxy Map

> Ash: There's already a fair bit about this I want to change, but this is at least a version 1. Feedback welcome, and probably dependent on what we do for Bluespace/FTL lore

Notes:
Its good but we shoud change it, the frontier should be bigger
Move Sol and kalixis closer to the fronteir (or rather, move the rest around so these things are true)
Put the PGF close to the frontier
First contact planets should be closer to eachother

## Musical instrumentation update

Notes:
Faction playlists: genres and examples that can be associated with each faction
not much change yet, theyre workin on it

## Nailing down aspects of SUNS - HQ?
[SUNS (Student Union-Associaton of Natural Sciences)](/kxTJqHe9T7WUUbuqFZ-q5Q)
> Ash: I'm not sure why SUNS have been contentious for us, but I think adding more distinct syndicate aesthetics is good because it helps paint them as less monolithic
>
> Syndicate branches aren't cooperating much in modern shiptest, ergo we should be looking at it top-down with the intent of giving players the chance to play each of them by giving them at least *a* ship in the roster (which is something with limited ship slots that will only become more difficult as faction background restrictions and allegiances are fleshed out). An alternative is flexible slots and mixed-crew syndicate vessels, but I don't know whether that's a dynamic we want. It could be interesting to see play out, but people should know what they're in for.
>
> We should be writing the lore to fit the end goal rather than being too attached to what's there. Do we want SUNS to be capable of fielding a ship and crew? Our whole job to make and justify changes to the lore, and we have players keen enough to put in work mapping and being involved with the development of the concept we put out for them. This is the entire point of lore - getting players attached to concepts they find interesting and seeing what they make of it. The ball is still ultimately in our court for the final say of what fits the setting, but the players who have been putting in the work have been listening and trying to compromise on their vision vs ours every step of the way so far. Keep a good-faith dialogue going with them, please. We want people this passionate and willing to work with us.
>
> I don't know if I can do justice to finishing the SUNS lore, but there's a lot of people who've been offering good feedback in the team, it just needs to actually be set on paper.

Notes:
SUNS headquarters: loose coalition, there isnt much to their HQ because its more of just a coalition but they're based in Luna (earth's moon). They have a union hall, its not a large or over the top building because theyre just a union of students and scientists
If they were going to be in combat(read, the war), they'd probably be more like red cross: Definitely not frontlines fighters but on the sidelines aiding the wounded and providing support in special weaponry

## What are we doing with Gat Drones?

## Space UN? Yes? No? Who runs it, structure, etc.
> Ash: Leaning yes, since we need a reason for SolGov's timekeeping to be adopted, and an existing standards organisation might be a way for something like that to happen? Also, if we're framing the PGF as the pre-eminent expansionist military superpower, it invites the existence of treaties and supranational organisations to act as counter-balances / guarantors of independence against them. Syebenaltch, Reki, and Levis seem like the obvious picks for founding/core members, with maybe representation from the other Bezuts powers, constantly changing Shoal/Fleet representatives, and then eventually SolGov being the last major shake-up to the galactic dynamic. Maybe CLIP and newer Frontier powers, Independents, etc. struggle for recognition?
Could also easily be possible for the PGF to still be involved with these organisations - the real UN has politics like that, but if we're trying to take an optimistic view here maybe it wouldn't play out that way.

Notes:
Lets steer away from literally just copying the UN we have right now
In response to the NT credit crisis
Economic coatition, like the league of nations but also the european union
Let them do things like create a currency standard
Members of the space un: All the factions of the Kalixis, all the Tecetians, Sol, CLIP
Basically everyone is represented in the UN except for the Installation and the Shoal

## Finalizing CLIP

Notes:
Acronym stands for Confederated League of Independent Planets
They're different culturally and the members have to have a central government
A big chunk of them are democracies but theres dictatorships inside CLIP too
Luna-town
Former company towns that just form new companies
clip does no regulate anything about culture of their members, just their military and economy
they arent allowed to wage wars or put economic sanctions on eachothers
CLIP requires Free trade no fighting pwease c:
gold
CLIP military: the members of CLIP have their own militia but its nothing real big