fuindordm
Adventurer
TL;DR: This thread is asking you to contribute new reasons for mutiple alien species to come into conflict with each other in a hard science fiction setting.
I'm juggling ideas in my head for a new hard science fiction campaign. I want the PCs to be protagonists of a story involving multiple alien species/empires, and I want the setting to include a compelling and believable reason for the aliens to come into conflict with each other. On the other hand, once a species achieves easy space travel, I find it hard to believe that any mundane resource (e.g. naturally occurring elements/chemicals, energy) is rare enough to drive conflict--it just doesn't make sense to risk damaging a starship over anything that isn't of equally high value.
So why would alien species bother to fight/negotiate with each other, instead of sitting on their own planets and sending interstellar e-mail? What stakes are important enough to risk losing the resource of a starship, which might cost a planet an entire year's worth of economic output to rebuild? The answer to this question will affect everything else in the setting--it is the "big question" of sci-fi. Here's what I've though of so far. Any and all other ideas are welcome.
1. A scarce resource is absolutely necessary for space travel or species expansion
1a. The spice enables advanced mentation and navigation through hyperspace (Dune). But there needs to be a reason that it is impossible to synthesize. All species have a vested interest in the place(s) this resource is produced.
1b. Habitable worlds are extremely rare AND there is only one chemical path for complex life, so nearly all species are looking for the same kind of world (various alien invasion scenarios)
1c. An extremely rare but unsynthesizable naturally occuring resource is necessary for space travel, such as magnetic monopoles. It can be found anywhere, but you know your neighbors have it too. Hence, piracy, smuggling and invasion are common and profitable.
2. Long-distance space travel is possible only at limited locations
2a. The galaxy has a wormhole network, possibly engineered by an ancient species. Species fight to control the entries/exits, if for no other reason than to collect taxes. This sort of setting requires at least a weak FTL technology to reach your local entrance is a reasonable time. (Contact, Mass Effect)
3. Other rare resources enhance the power/prestige of a species.
3a. Presapient species can be uplifted to become a slave race, so there is fierce competition for patronage rights. (David Brin)
3b. Progenitor technologies can be found anywhere, may be worthless or yield real technological advancement.
3c. Progenitor megastructures (e.g. Ringworld) are a mix of 1b and 3b, and again a natural meeting point for multiple species.
3d. A rare, naturally occurring and unsynthesizable substance/species is considered a luxury good by multiple species.
3e. Each civilization has one or two unique technologies that they jealously protect, so industrial espionage is a possibility.
4. Universal/existential threat brings species together (this feels like science fantasy territory)
4a. Self-replicating machine species out of control. (Berserker)
4b. Unexplained dark force corrupting/infiltrating all species (Pandora's Star)
4c. Progenitors have returned, aren't happy with you. (Babylon 5)
4d. Galactic empire has a superweapon that can destroy planets, no defense possible. (Star Wars)
5. Cultural imperatives
5a. Xenophobic species wages war even though it hurts them economically.
5b. Gregarious species invests heavily in cultural contact and exchange even though it hurts them economically.
6. Commerce
6a. A variety of alien goods might be profitable enough to import but not profitable enough to justify manufacturing at home, if it requires creating infrastructure to do so (probably goods with a high price, but a small market). This assumes no transporter/replication technology, of course.
Please help me extend this list!
Thanks,
Ben
I'm juggling ideas in my head for a new hard science fiction campaign. I want the PCs to be protagonists of a story involving multiple alien species/empires, and I want the setting to include a compelling and believable reason for the aliens to come into conflict with each other. On the other hand, once a species achieves easy space travel, I find it hard to believe that any mundane resource (e.g. naturally occurring elements/chemicals, energy) is rare enough to drive conflict--it just doesn't make sense to risk damaging a starship over anything that isn't of equally high value.
So why would alien species bother to fight/negotiate with each other, instead of sitting on their own planets and sending interstellar e-mail? What stakes are important enough to risk losing the resource of a starship, which might cost a planet an entire year's worth of economic output to rebuild? The answer to this question will affect everything else in the setting--it is the "big question" of sci-fi. Here's what I've though of so far. Any and all other ideas are welcome.
1. A scarce resource is absolutely necessary for space travel or species expansion
1a. The spice enables advanced mentation and navigation through hyperspace (Dune). But there needs to be a reason that it is impossible to synthesize. All species have a vested interest in the place(s) this resource is produced.
1b. Habitable worlds are extremely rare AND there is only one chemical path for complex life, so nearly all species are looking for the same kind of world (various alien invasion scenarios)
1c. An extremely rare but unsynthesizable naturally occuring resource is necessary for space travel, such as magnetic monopoles. It can be found anywhere, but you know your neighbors have it too. Hence, piracy, smuggling and invasion are common and profitable.
2. Long-distance space travel is possible only at limited locations
2a. The galaxy has a wormhole network, possibly engineered by an ancient species. Species fight to control the entries/exits, if for no other reason than to collect taxes. This sort of setting requires at least a weak FTL technology to reach your local entrance is a reasonable time. (Contact, Mass Effect)
3. Other rare resources enhance the power/prestige of a species.
3a. Presapient species can be uplifted to become a slave race, so there is fierce competition for patronage rights. (David Brin)
3b. Progenitor technologies can be found anywhere, may be worthless or yield real technological advancement.
3c. Progenitor megastructures (e.g. Ringworld) are a mix of 1b and 3b, and again a natural meeting point for multiple species.
3d. A rare, naturally occurring and unsynthesizable substance/species is considered a luxury good by multiple species.
3e. Each civilization has one or two unique technologies that they jealously protect, so industrial espionage is a possibility.
4. Universal/existential threat brings species together (this feels like science fantasy territory)
4a. Self-replicating machine species out of control. (Berserker)
4b. Unexplained dark force corrupting/infiltrating all species (Pandora's Star)
4c. Progenitors have returned, aren't happy with you. (Babylon 5)
4d. Galactic empire has a superweapon that can destroy planets, no defense possible. (Star Wars)
5. Cultural imperatives
5a. Xenophobic species wages war even though it hurts them economically.
5b. Gregarious species invests heavily in cultural contact and exchange even though it hurts them economically.
6. Commerce
6a. A variety of alien goods might be profitable enough to import but not profitable enough to justify manufacturing at home, if it requires creating infrastructure to do so (probably goods with a high price, but a small market). This assumes no transporter/replication technology, of course.
Please help me extend this list!
Thanks,
Ben
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