Hi All,
I am just gearing up to run my first Eclipse Phase campaign. I'm just a bit of a lost of where to start the PC's and the setting is so deep I want to focus on one area and work my way out.
Is there a quick summary somewhere of the major Solar system colonies/planets (Ie who controls them, what life if like on X, and potential adventures).
Ideally I'm trying to find a good starting local that has large enough cities for some intrigue and urban play but not so urbanized that the players can't venture off to go exploring. My PC's have not made characters yet but I have been gaming with the players for years and they generally end up with a mixed party (Ie some socialites who want to talk through everything, establish reputation. and some who want to kick down door)
I'm planning on using firewall but I'm not sure if I will introduce it right away. As I feel the characters will need to play a bit before The get the invite, so I can get an idea of what would motivate them to join.
Thanks for any help!
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First Campaign Where to start the PCs?
Tue, 2016-01-05 17:59
#1
Flamephoenix
First Campaign Where to start the PCs?
Tue, 2016-01-05 18:46
#2
atamajakki
Sunward is your best bet
Sunward describes the Inner System (the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth Orbit, Luna, and Mars), which tends to be the more recognizable part of the setting to one of us stuck here in the present day. I'd say Luna or Mars are your best bet for new players, as they can get introduced to the basics of the setting (the ever-present Mesh, the reality of immortality and exotic morphs) while having a classic cyberpunk feel to lean back on and feel familiar with. Luna lets you focus on the oppression of those "clanking masses" and stuck in synth bodies, while Mars is all about corporate greed fucking over the common man.
The factions are easier to keep track of in the Inner System, and don't quite go as balls-to-the-wall crazy like the autonomists and Scum get out past the asteroid belt.
Tue, 2016-01-05 22:55
#3
thepedant
"Get your ass to Mars"
Mars is where your campaign should be. It's a place where you can envision a nice party, but then actually flee that party by shooting your way out of the place and having a 100 km Mad Max road race through red desert, followed by possibly anything - monster attack to dodging iceteroid fall to taking the Olympus Mons elevator up into space.
You can plausibly use any kind of rep for pretty much any level of favor on Mars. There are autonomists, scientists, criminals, celebrities, hypercorps, and of course Firewall agents there in significant numbers.
And because of all that, you can tell any story on Mars. You can play noir detective in the cities, or Wild West in the country. You can have corporate conspiracies or fight the good fight with the Barsoomian Movement (or, if you're a contrarian like me, and then your story can be like Peaky Blinders where the liberation movement is just another dangerous force like the government that has to be coopted or dodged). Plus, there are monsters in the TQZ and there's a decent planetary mesh for hacking fun.
And because it's Mars, you can switch each adventure. One adventure could be a noir chase around a Martian city dealing with a corporate conspiracy; the next a monster hunt out in the wilderness, and you're still on the same planet.
Nowhere else has quite that versatility.
Tue, 2016-01-05 22:58
#4
SquireNed
I like Mars. I'm not going to
I like Mars. I'm not going to write as much as has already been written, but it's perfect for a little of everything. Plus, gravity and a somewhat livable environment mean that even if players do something catastrophically stupid, they won't find themselves drifting through vacuum for the next three decades (unless it's extra-catastrophically stupid).
Wed, 2016-01-06 00:19
#5
Flamephoenix
Thanks for the help!
After reading these and talking to my players we have decided to go with mars. Going to start with them all being in debt for some reason or other, so they picked up a job to meet some smugglers in the tqz to make so quick credits.
Figure this will use negotiation skills and combat skills so I can get a feel for the party than see where it goes from there
Wed, 2016-01-06 02:50
#6
uwtartarus
While I like the zaniness of
While I like the zaniness of the outer system, like the Saturn and Uranus space, the prior posts are spot on, read through SUNWARD, re: Mars.
If your group isn't able to dive right in to nanotech stuff, consider Luna. Mars is very open tech, even among the hypercorp stuff, it requires an appreciation for nigh-post-scarcity. Luna is restrictive in a useful way.
—
Exhuman, and Humanitarian.
Wed, 2016-01-06 10:37
#7
ORCACommander
Chuck's eclipse phase wiki is
Chuck's eclipse phase wiki is handy for a quick reference if yo do not have pdf access
Wed, 2016-01-06 21:40
#8
GreyBrother
One thing that speaks for
One thing that speaks for Luna is, that in Luna you still have Earth cultures that are celebrated and well alive, while Mars tends to have created its own culture.
Luna also features Luna Orbit and Earth Orbit is close. Means you can have reasonable "Spacetravel".