Fan made Phantasy Star setting; cyberpunk/sci-fi

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Fan made Phantasy Star setting; cyberpunk/sci-fi

Postby TDG » Mon Feb 2, '15, 12:08 pm

Hello all,

This is the second Phantasy Star setting I have been walking around for a while.
Unlike the first one which time setting I also sometimes called the 'Royal Era' this setting is more focused on what we would eventually see in Phantasy Star 2 but before Mother Brain arrived (I do sometimes think that perhaps I should set this instead during the earlier decades since her arrival when the Palma government took her in use and used the advanced technology and control she provided to reshape Motavia).

I like to call this era; the 'Corporate' era, as we see a shift of power and influence from national and planetary governments to planetary and interplanetary corporations.

Those who have read an earlier proposed script to Phantasy Star 2 might recognize a lot of elements in my take. Reason why I used these elements again is because I simply liked them a lot and felt it would be a shame if they remained unused.
And people will probably also recognize material I took from Phantasy Star Adventure to depict regular society and what impact corporations can have on them.

There is still a lot of work to be done on this setting, and I plan to finish the other setting first, but I just wanted to show all of you now what I came up with.

* * * * *
Background storyline

The Algo system, five centuries have passed since the 'Royal Age' and now is the 'golden age of space travel'.
Space colonies have been established on the moons and throughout the Algo system, and already the first colonization ships have left for the stars.

Cities on Palma have grown into vast metropoles that house millions of inhabitants with towers that reach towards space.
Motavia is slowly being turned into a second 'green' world and supports a growing population of colonist descendants, and already has large cities of its own.
Dezolis which has proven more difficult to tame has instead opted for large domed cities in which more hospitable micro climates can be generated, similar to the underground settlements of centuries before.

Large governments and corporations now conspire against each other and rapidly advancing technology is slowly growing out of control.

Though the worlds have grown more civilized and advanced there are still plenty of problems in this era.
Those unable to keep up with the development or unable to afford it have grown dissatisfied while questionable research and experiments have led to new dangers that threaten the population.

Though hunters are still employed by people to deal with certain situations such as bio monster attacks, the governments of the three worlds now employ their own agents who investigating rumors and potential dangers, mediating between people, and in general resolve problems that can not be handled by local authorities.




Locations

Palma


– Camineet


– Scion



– Gothic







– Ekken space colony

One of the largest space colonies in the Algo system, it is located in a synchronous orbit around Palma and serves as a space port for it.
It possesses large shipyards, technology manufacturing plants, and zero g research and development centers.

The atmosphere and architecture onboard the station is a mix of both old Palma, going back to the Royal age, and modern Palma, and it has become a popular settlement for those who do not feel at home in the vast metropoles on Palma's surface.
It also includes large artificial biospheres that includes forests, lakes and deserts.

The station also serves as a residence block for the workers of the power satellite and their families and shuttles move between the colony and power satellite on a regular schedule.

Note: I am walking around with the idea that this space colony is design wise a predecessor to the worldships depicted in Phantasy Star 3, and that the worldships were actually originally habitats that orbited Palma during the time of Phantasy Star 2 until the Gaira prison satellite impacted with the planet.
The habitats were established to relieve the population pressure on Palma without having more Palmans migrate to Motavia or Dezolis.



– Ryuon Power satellite

A large artificial satellite that houses hundreds of power reactors, energy conversion technology, and emitters that beam the energy in the form of microwaves to receiver stations on all of Palma and most of Motavia.
Most of the internal space of the satellite is filled with machinery and support equipment that are run and controlled by robots and computers that on their turn are overseen by living workers and command personnel.
The station is always in a state of refit, modification and expansion of its systems, and as more settlements and industrial parks on the planets and moons will receive their energy from it, it will increase in size and energy output.

Recently expansion has started on one of the station's poles, as a large number of energy focusing coils and energy converters are being installed along with targeting computers and long range sensor arrays.
All of this is directly overseen by the Palman government and the Space Fleet.

(in a PS game idea I have it would be revealed that the Palman government and the Space Fleet are installing a weapons system into the satellite that is capable of hitting any target within the Algo System, increasing Palma's hold onto the rest of the system.
Schematics to this weapon would be stolen by mercenaries working for the Motavian Independence Front but would later be revealed to be Space Pirates in disguise who were using the MIF to gather resources for their own version of Ryuon complete with a similar weapon to give the dominance over the star system)




– Palma moon

Over the centuries large colonies have sprung up on the surface of the moon as well as mining facilities and manufacturing centers where ore is processed and converted into building material and components that are sent back to Palma or one of the other planets.
Large automated Helium 5 harvesters move across the surface to mine the element that has been deposited over the millions of years by Algo's star.

A lot of research including stellar observation of the Algo System and the greater galaxy is also undertaken here.

One section of the moon is reserved by the Space Fleet who uses it as a training ground for non atmospheric combat, and as a weapons range for spaceships.
The Space Fleet also installed an observation and early warning facility in this area.


Motavia

Once a primarily desert world, that was only broken up by mountain ranges and a couple of bodies of water including one sea, Motavia is currently undergoing a large scale terraforming program with the aim of turning the entire surface completely habitable.
Wells and canals have been dug to pump water from underground wells to the surface, and modified plants and micro organisms have been released that have turned large sections of desert wasteland into green fields.

Key to this success have been planetary control installations such as the Climate Control Network and the Plate System that have stabilized Motavia's weather patterns and surface conditions.

In order to provide for food agricultural domes which designs are borrowed from the Dezolis domed cities have been constructed that grow a variety of crops for the inhabitants and cattle farms.
These domes contain their own micro climates designed to be the most suitable for agriculture.

As Motavia grows more self sufficient and economically stronger its population has expressed its desire for their world to become truly independent from Palma and its leaders, instead of still being treated as a colony.
There has been some movement within its government to realize those goals that have resulted into more autonomy, but Palman leaders have strongly intervened in the past into any attempt at a real secession through their influence within the parliament.

As a result a number of political movements have sprung up which advocate that Motavia should make Palma interfere less in its internal matters and if necessary take up an anti Palma stance in order to achieve true political freedom from its 'parent'.
One of the most extreme factions, the Motavian Independence Front, has taken up arms against the Palman government and its armed forces, advocating that true independence can only be gained through military action.


– Piata



– Uzo



– Climate Control



– Plate Control Center



– Motavia orbital station



– Motavia moon 1



– Motavia moon 2

Though technically falling under the rule of the Motavian government the moon has been leased to corporations who run most of the life and business on the moon.
The Motavian government only has a token presence on the moon and little influence outside some matters as even maintaining public peace is mostly handled by the corporations' own security organizations.

A number of the corporations are actually sympathetic to the Motavian Independence Front, supplying them with funding, weapons, and equipment, but also helped the construct a secret shipyard on the moon where the Front together with the corporations is constructing their own version of the Ryuon Power Satellite.

(The Front is planning to use their own power satellite to prevent Palma getting a monopoly on energy production by centralizing it all on their satellite. But their ambitions go further by using it to become the new dominant political power in the Algo System)



– Motavia moon 3




Dezolis

The frozen world, also called 'the corporate world' because of the large number of corporations who have their offices, factories, and laboratories on Dezolis, in orbit around it, or on its moon.

Originally most settlements of both native Dezolisians and Palman descended colonists were underground with only a few exceptions in more temperate regions.
But the development of pressure dome settlements and limited climate engineering large settlements have started to appear all over the surface, the largest of them being home to millions of inhabitants.
In general these citizens enjoy a high standard of living and comfort.

Unlike Motavia Dezolis enjoys a greater degree of independence and self rule and only cooperates with Palma's government to a limited degree, much to the frustration of the Palman politicians.
This makes Dezolis an attractive world for all those who wish to avoid being observed or monitored by Palma and allied authorities.
Many companies and corporations that wish to avoid government regulations and restrictions have established facilities or even their headquarters here.

As a result Dezolis is quite a financial powerhouse and yields a degree of technology comparable to Palma and even surpassing it in some areas.



– Skure

The space city, originally a small Palman colony set up underground for Laconia miners and later those people who sought to escape Lashiec's rule, Skure has grown into a major metropolis that is home to the largest civilian and military space port on Dezolis.

Skure itself is home to various companies and industries tied to space travel and support to it as shipyards, components manufacturers, and fuel refineries, but also the Dezolis Space Academy where most civilian and military pilots and ship technicians on Dezolis are trained.

Next to the city is the space port consisting of the main complex, support buildings, and kilometers of ground covered in launch towers, blast pits, and landing fields for every type of spacecraft imaginable.


– Aukba

Back during the Royal Age it was the single native Dezolisian settlement on the surface but in the centuries it has been greatly expanded in size as more Dezolisians but also Palmans settled here.
With the development of domed cities Aukba was converted into one and now boasts more that a million inhabitants.
It is one of the most advanced and richest cities on Dezolis and various stores, services and industries can be found here.

Aukba has no space port of its own but is connected to Skure through an airport and hover train.


– Carsonville

A corporate city, somewhat smaller than the large metropoles, it is no less significant as some of the more reclusive and secretive organizations and corporations have established laboratories, design bureaus, and corporation manufacturing centers here.
The corporations have a lot of influence on the city and as a result its government and law enforcement is rather corrupt.
The major corporation in this city is Baron Laboratories that employees a large percentage of the citizens.

A minor civilian spaceport is located next to Carsonville.


– Zosa

The party town, Zosa is home to various entertainment for all ages and families, from theme parks to casinos and night clubs, Zosa has it all.
Despite how this sound the city's inhabitants are relatively on the level and corruption and organized crime is minor and under control.


– Jut

The capital for those Dezolisians who are not part of Dezolisian/Palman society.
The settlement handles the Dezolisians' native architecture style though modern conveniences and improvements have been cleverly installed in buildings in such a way that it is hidden from view.

In the center of the city is a temple dedicated to the Dezolisians main religion and its symbol; the Eclipse Torch to which a majority of the population belongs.

Jut is more traditional and focused on Dezolisian culture but it does not shun Parman tourists who come for sight seeing.


– Esper Mansion

Located deep in the wilderness of Dezolis, well away from curious eyes and the governments.
Though the Espers of Lutz maintained his academy on Palma for many generations after he went into cryogenic hibernation, when he was woken up roughly a century ago to be informed about the changes in the Algo system Lutz deemed it necessary to relocate the academy to Dezolis due to the increasing fear and suspicion of outsiders towards the Espers. (this fear might have been fuelled by the followers of the Church of Dark Force)

Concerned that the government on Palma that had replaced the Royal Family might take action against the Espers, perhaps even seeking control of them for use in some government or military program, Lutz believed it was necessary to isolate himself and his followers in order to preserve and continue their mission of protecting Algo from Dark Force and other threats.

Only a handful of people know of the Esper Mansion, mostly those who provide the Mansion inhabitants with goods, equipment, and information.
For the rest the Mansion maintains its secrecy, only sending Espers under cover out to investigate rumors and seek out new potential recruits.


– Climate Control

The main command center of the climate control network similar to the one on Motavia,
This facility monitors conditions throughout Dezolis through a network of sub stations and orbital satellites and can manipulate the weather and the environment to a limited degree.

Unlike Motavia Dezolis can not be fully terraformed as it lies at the outer edges of Algo's life zone, and doesn't get to close to Algo during its orbits to receive and capture enough heat to make it more like Palma and Motavia.
But through the climate control network the brief summers the planet experienced can be lengthened and the more severe weather effects lessened, creating a more hospitable environment outside the domed cities.

The facility is controlled by the Dezolis government and is off limits to civilians if they do not carry the right permits or have received authorization of the government.
The facility is overseen by a main computer that also operates security systems and robots that patrol the corridors and the perimeter.


– Plate Control Center

Similar to its Motavian counterpart, the Plater Control Center monitors Dezolis' geological structure and intervenes when pressure is build up that could lead to earthquakes.
It is the main control center that controls a network of sub stations spread throughout the planet which contains technologies designed to stabilize and prevent pressure build up.

Though Dezolis is geological wise a lot more 'quiet' than Motavian it is not a geological dead planet and below the surface is still quite active, occasionally drastically altering parts of the crust and causing the creation of large crevices.

The facility is controlled by the Dezolis government and is off limits to civilians if they do not carry the right permits or have received authorization of the government.
The facility is overseen by a main computer that also operates security systems and robots that patrol the corridors and the perimeter.


– Dezolis space station

A large civilian space station that serves as both an orbital dock and shipyard as is home to thousands of technicians, engineers, researchers, administration personnel, and their families.
Some of the corporations have holdings on the station such as interplanetary transport companies and Zero G manufacturing centers



- Dezolis moon(s)


The Academy

The furthest oupost of civilization in the Algo system, the station known as the Academy is located on the edge of interplanetary and interstellar space.
The station is both a research facility and a training center where some of the most promising minds of Algo come to to follow studies in various fields.
And last but not least, the Academy is the space port from which the interstellar colony ships are launched to distant star systems.



Palman government


Palman Armed Forces


Palman Space Fleet (or simply 'the space fleet')

The largest space based military force in the Palma system, the Space Fleet's task is to safeguard Palma planetary space from any hostility by Space Pirates or should the impossible happen, Motavian and Dezolisian attacks (a ridiculous notion but one that is opted from time to time by politicians)
Like its planetary counter it is divided up in various specialized divisions though its capacity to operate on planets themselves is limited, instead the Space Fleet transports Palman Armed Forces for such operations and campaigns.
These divisions include the Navy and the Space Marines which on their turn are divided up into smaller divisions. (Navy; ship personnel, gunners, technicians, engineers, medical, intelligence. Space Marines; infantry, demolitions, technicians, engineers, pilots)

The current space fleet consists of patrols ships, fighters, bombers, interceptors, corvettes, frigates, cruisers, destroyers, battleships, carriers, at least one dreadnought class heavy battleship/carrier that serves as the flagship of the fleet, spy ships, transports, research ships, medical ships, orbital shipyards, defense stations, intelligence stations, and command centers.

The Space Marines themselves operate a number of personnel and vehicle transport ships that are usually stationed on board space fleet vessels.

Like with the Palman Armed Forces there have been questions within the Senate of why the Palman government is operating and financing such a large number of ships when a much smaller fleet would suffice just as much.
Space Piracy has never reached such extremes in decades that it requires such spending, and the likelyhood of a war with either Motavia, Dezolis or the space colonies is also very small, especially now that the Palman government seeks to make these more into satellite states of itself.


Motavian government


Motavian Armed Forces


Motavian Space Forces

Motavia's space forces in comparison to that of Palma is a rather modest organization which mostly focuses on security of its planetary space and that of its three moons, and it handles any rescue and aid operations within these territories.

Their fleet mostly consists of small ships such as shuttles, fighters, and patrol ships, and larger ships such as transport ships, survey and monitoring vessels, and frigates, with only one large capital ship that serves as its flagship.


Dezolis government


Dezolisian Armed Forces

The military and emergency relief forces of the Dezorian government.
The Dezolisian army is unique to that of the Palman and Motavian army is that it consists of both Palman born and native Dezolisians who fill its many ranks (its current commanding officer is a native Dezolisian), giving it the image if far better representing its people than their otherworld counterparts.

Like the two other armed forces organization it is divided up in various divisions that are concentrated on the role they play; infantry, mechanized forces, artillery, support, intelligence, engineering, and so on.
The only military branch they lack is a dedicated navy as there are barely any bodies of open water on Dezolis, though through a treaty Dezolisian forces are allowed to train at Motavian navy facilities.

Like with Motavia their equipment, gear, and vehicles are partly bought from Palma and other sources, and for the rest developed and constructed on Dezolis itself.
Because of the large corporate presence on Dezolis, its armed forces have a higher standard of equipment than that of Motavia, most of it almost reaching Palman standards and some of it even rivaling and surpassing that of the Palman army. (something that has note gone unnoticed by the Palman Senate who is seeking to restricts these developments)

Dezolis Space Forces




Corporations


These are some of the largest corporations currently in the Algo System

– Luveno Industries

Founded by the descendants of the Dr Luveno, an important designer and engineer in the field of spaceships during the Royal Age, Luveno Industries continues the tradition and is one of the leading manufacturers of various types of spaceships, probes, satellites, and related technologies such as life support systems.


– Baron Laboratories

A large weapons research and development corporation established by the Baron family, Baron Laboratories focuses on the development of new weapons, defenses, but also designs and manufacturers support devices and equipment as well as some security and defense robots which compete with Arbek's security and military robot designs.


– Biological Laboratories

A company mostly focused on creating plant and animal lifeforms for establishing new biospheres or modifying existing lifeforms such as those for livestock industries.
Some of their other products include bio technologies for medical purposes.


– Arbek Robotics Concern

A large robot manufacturer, Arbek controls large portion of the civilian robot market and also manufacturers security robots for civilian and government agencies, and military robots for the various armed forces in the Algo system.
They are also the leading developers on the field of androids, having moved beyond fully synthetic models to models that combine cybernetics and living artificial tissue which designs are leased from Biological Laboratories.

One of their daughter companies is a major computer and communications developer that develops computers and communication devices for civilian purposes and government agencies.
They are also a leading software developer and publisher.


– Kolduris Colony Works

A company focused on the development and manufacture of colonies on the moons and asteroid clusters as well as free floating habitats, manufacturing centers, and space fortresses.
They are also specialized in micro terraforming/climatizing and constructing pressure domes for settlements.
Robot workers used by Space Works are based on schematics purchased from Arbek.


– Selis Communications

A large multimedia and communications corporation that is involved in publishing, radio, television and public computer networks.
It handles a lot of the communication of the Algo system's planets and space stations, operating communication stations and satellites throughout it.

Some of its daughter companies include publishing houses of books and magazines, and television networks.
It also owns software houses specialized in operating systems, application software, and games.


Motavia Motors

A small company that primarily designs and manufactures planetary vehicles such as land rovers, hovercrafts, and flyers, but also has a few spaceship designs in production such as suborbital shuttles and small interplanetary ships.


Eclipse Corps (working name)

A native Dezolisian founded corporation that is specialized in energy production but also handles a number of defense contracts and is one of the primary arms supplier to the Dezolisian Armed Forces.
Eclipse Corps also designs and builds space drives.

One of its subsidiaries is a steelworks that works with metals such as Laconia.
It also owns several mining companies.

Eventually another subsidiary, Dezo Arms, would commission the construction of an automated weapons manufacturing plant that later be run by Mother Brain.


Motavian Independence Front (working name)


Party for Dezolisian Interests (working name)


Bandits/Terrorists


Space Pirates


The Church of Dark Force


Creatures

– Natural wildlife



– Magical creatures

Since the Royal Age the number of encounters with magical creatures or sightings of them has been steadily decreasing over the decades.
Some of them have either become completely extinct or so rare that one would actually have to look for them.
It is theorized by scholars and scientists that this decrease might be connected to a force that generated them in the first place either has disappeared itself or has weakened so greatly it is incapable of creating these entities in large numbers any more.

Many of these creatures, especially the ones that have intelligence and are self aware have gone into hiding. Those few places on Palma and Motavia that have not been settled yet and still contain old ruins and caverns that have not be thoroughly investigated, or the wilderness and ruins on Dezoris far aware from the metropoles and industrial areas.

Those that remain can still of course be very dangerous, both physical or through the unusual powers they yield.

In general Bio monsters have taken the place of Magical creatures.


– Bio monsters

A rather new presence on Palma and Motavia, as the knowledge on the field of bio modification and genetic engineering increased so did the research and development of plants and creatures that are not the result of nature.
Some of these are designed to serve as working beasts, food sources, or part of the modified biospheres that are set up, and in general behave as they should.

Unfortunate there are also the ones that are the result of failed experiments that managed to escape and survive in the hidden parts of settlements or in the wilderness and are now increasing in numbers.

There are even Bio monsters that have been created on purpose for conflict, being designed as organic weapons to compete with the military robot market, and they are not always under control.

Some Bio monsters only act on simple instinct and have animal like behavior while others have a degree of intelligence and cunning and are dangerous predators.
Forms, sizes and abilities also range with the combat models having been designed with terrible abilities such as secretic acid or poison, becoming invisible through chameleon like camouflage, or being able to parasitize other beings.

The major governments seek to curtail the development and creation of new military grade bio monsters but as the companies making these have a lot of influence amongst the politicians it is difficult to monitor or control this development.


Technology




Robot and android technology has greatly improved since the Royal Age, with the increase of companies designing and manufacturing them and the formations of corporations there is now a variety available on the civilian market and to the military.

Robots like before tend to range from barely humanoid to nearly humanoid depending on their tasks and what kind of environments they are designed for.
Household robots tend to be simple forms where as models for more advanced tasks tend to approach the humanoid form to some degree or another.

New are androids, robots so advanced that they are designed to look and even act like genuine living beings, being able to interact with people as if they are true individuals themselves. (There is a debate going on that some androids might actually have gained self awareness and that any emotions they display are genuine. If this is true is not known at the moment but it has the governments greatly worried so any evidence to support this is kept away from the public)
Androids tend to be designed to look like Palmans (of course it would be possible to design an android that looks like a Motavian, a Dezolisian, or even a Musk Cat), but most models tend to be designed so to incorporate features that make them distinguishable from real Palmans such as antennae or visible sensor arrays.

But with the rise of corporations and the formation of armies on each of the three worlds and the space colonies restrictions on robots and androids capable of violence have also severely diminished, and there are far more armed security models and military ones in use now by both the military and in some of the corporations security forces and private armies.

As a result there has been somewhat of a backlash in Palman society towards robots and an increase in the number of anti robot weapons and devices on the market.
Last edited by TDG on Mon Feb 2, '15, 8:38 pm, edited 10 times in total.
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Re: Fan made Phantasy Star setting; cyberpunk/sci-fi

Postby Snorb » Mon Feb 2, '15, 2:32 pm

This is awesome stuff. Keep it up, TDG, and fill in the blanks. That is the important thing: Fill in the blanks, no matter how outlandish you think the result will be; you can always come back and refine it later.

Also, you have subheadings for three Motavian moons, but Motavia's space forces are described as "security of its planet and two moons." Oh no one of the moons floated away ;_;
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Re: Fan made Phantasy Star setting; cyberpunk/sci-fi

Postby TDG » Tue Feb 3, '15, 5:00 pm

Hi Snorb

Oopsiedoodle, I forgot to update the Motavia space forces article when I revised the text after finding out from an illustration in the Phantasy Star 2 manual that Motavia has three moons.
Corrected now.

Edit: Something I wanted to add, I got the idea of Palma being surrounded by habitats (the worldships from PS3) from the Revelation Space books in which a popular setting is the colony world of Yellowstone that is surrounded by the Glitter Band; ten thousand space habitats, some the size of small moons, and inhabited by millions.
Last edited by TDG on Tue Feb 3, '15, 5:00 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Fan made Phantasy Star setting; cyberpunk/sci-fi

Postby myau56 » Sun Jan 8, '17, 12:47 pm

Yes, what a fantastic work here ! Honestly, I haven't read already all of it but I've read a good part and that is a fantastic writing work : congratulations ! :clap:
I'll try to finish reading it as soon as possible.
And about the three moons, yes I've checked it and there seems to have 3 of them !
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