Outposts in space...what's out there?

[djdurant]

I'm trying to get a good size list of what kind of outposts you would see in faraway starsystems. Not looking for large colony size operations(that's a different list...)

The list...(PLEASE HELP ME ADD TO THIS!)

-Military, Scout Base (<20 Active Duty, base for 2 to 3 long distance scouts)
-Military, Magazine/Armory/Depot (resupply base - ammo, fuel, other consumables)
-Military, Listening Post (observation post, pointed towards enemy territory)
-Military, Research and Development (weapon and ship design testing)
-Military, Decommissioned Shipyard
-Military, Minor Base (<100 Active Duty)
-Military, Hidden Base (<100 Active Duty, maintains a secret presence)
-Trading Outpost (above board trading post - fuel, supplies, etc.)
-Trading Outpost, Black Market (well defended black market trading post, home of some fixers - fuel, supplies, weapons - no questions asked.)
-Mining Operation (largely automated mining/refining post)
-Mining Operation, Penal (hard labor prison) [JollieRoger]
-Corporate, Research and Development (similiar to the military version, but wider array of projects - dimensional/time travel, new ships, new weapons, etc.)
-Repair Depot (maintenance yard/minor repairs)
-Homesteaders (independant colonizers - left their home world for freedom of religion/beliefs/trade/etc)
-Science Outpost (government/military/private sponsored science post - studies the star, local space/time anomaly, flora/fauna of local planet/moon, or some other science orientated project)
-Pirate Base (space pirates!)
-Mercenary Base (base of operations for a mercenary band.)
-Communication Outpost (Communication relay) [dagger75]
-Long Range Sensor Outpost (watched the border) [dagger75]
-Fuel Depot (Space Gas Station, rest stop) [dagger75]
-Smuggler Base (place to rest, relax, and recoup between smuggling runs)
-Prison Facility [Turanil]
-Monastery/Commune (population <1000) [Turanil]
-Space Hotel/Motel/Hostel (possibly near a unusual or just nicely looking phenomen) [Mustrum_Ridcully]
-Private Residence (private home of a wealthy individual, likely well guarded) [Mustrum_Ridcully]
-Massive Particle Accelerator Station (special type of science station, placed remote from colonies for safety reasons) [Mustrum_Ridcully]
-Jump Gate (depending on FTL technology) [Mustrum_Ridcully]
-Navigation Buoy ("You Are Here.") [Pbartender]
-Military, Adminstrative (military base focused more on logistics, training, and administration)
-Business Center (financial/administrative focused outpost, it pays to be outside of a governmental oversight) [Imperialus]
-Scrapyard (junked ships, spare parts, etc) [Imperialus]
-Military, Minor Training Base (<1000 active duty) [JollieRoger]
-Hazardous Waste Dump/Containment Facility [JollieRoger]
-Archeological Dig (<100 academics, guards) [JollieRoger]
-Diplomatic Outpost (neutral territory/meeting place) [kingpaul]
-Cache (fuel, ammo, weapons, droid army, etc) [Danip]
-Terraforming Facility (automated systems) [Danip]
-Ruin/Abandoned (pick above, then trash it) [Danip]
-Under Construction (pick above, builts it is just being built) [Danip]

 

[Dagger75]

Communication Outpost (Communication relay)
Long Range Sensor Outpost (watched the border)
Refueling Depot (Space Gas Station, rest stop)

Thats all I could think of right now.

 

[djdurant]

Communication Outpost (Communication relay)
Long Range Sensor Outpost (watched the border)
Refueling Depot (Space Gas Station, rest stop)

Thats all I could think of right now.

Sounds great! I'm adding them in.

 

[Turanil]

-- Prison / Jails (maybe for an unknown alien race, and maybe an horrific one)
-- Monastery

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Space Hotel (possibly near a unusual or just nicely looking phenomen)
"Summer Residence" station. (similar as above, except only for a small group of people, like a family)
Massive Particle Accelerator Station (special type of science station, placed remote from colonies for safety reasons)
Asteroid Mining Facility (possibly 100 % automated)
Jump Gate or Fuel Station (depending on FTL technology)

 

[Pbartender]

Navigation Buoy... "You Are Here."

 

[Imperialus]

Business center: Similar to trading outpost but with less focus on goods, more on money, finances projects, grants loans, tracks stocks ect.

Scrap yard: Deals with old run down ships, may be a source of valuable (but cheep) spare parts, particularly if the PC’s operate an older vessel.

Scrap yard (military): Like the civilian scrap yard except military yards deal with surprisingly enough decommissioned military vessels. Unlikely to sell parts but since they are typically not as well defended enterprising privateers may be able to raid the installation for outdated but still functional weapons and systems.

 

[djdurant]

Great ideas, added where appropriate! Keep the ideas coming!

 

[GuardianLurker]

Science Outpost (Applied Research): biowar weapons, new starship engines, new secret weapons, etc.

Manufactory: a small space-based manufacturing facility; Zero-G metallurgy, Zero-G drugs/pharmaceuticals, ship parts, etc.

Manufactory, Black Market: as above, but the goods are illegal

Manufactory, Hidden: a hidden, possibly illegal manufactory placed by a corporation near resources, where it's not supposed to be. The goods aren't necessarily illegal, but the base itself is.

Corporate Surveillance: a hidden base designed to gather business intelligence. Usually based along internal communications links, near major nodes.

Resort/Entertainment Center: a space-based Disney-land
Resort/Gambling: a space-based Las Vegas

 

[JollieRoger]

Military fast response base - squadron of fighters or a small military unit designed to quickly respond to enemy acts of aggresion, patrol local space, etc.

Military Special forces training base

Law enforcement facilities - to keep the piece in the system. Maybe a few corvette sized ships (3-10 people each) and a frigate (20-30 people) or destroyer (40-50 people) vessel. Small jail for prisoners and barracks for police.

Relay stations

Spy bases

Rich ecentric's compound - Those strange rich folks build in the darnest places for the stranges reasons.

Forward deployment base - where military or corprate forces can gather prior to an attack. Not nessasarily a supply base.

Command center - Be it government, military or corprate.

Biohazard dumps - Got to put the dangerous stuff somewhere why not in someone elses backyard.

Energy manufacturing/collecting plant

Religious compound - Be it monestary or cult compound.

Pinal colonies - Have to put all the bad guys somewhere. Especially the ones that you don't want around anymore.

Pinal mining operations - Prisioners serve their terms through hard labor.

Secret weapon test sites - Not where they build them but where they try them out.

Medical station - For a sector of space or a single star system.

Weapon platforms(automated or manned) - Small space stations, on asteriod, small planets or moons.

Archeological research site - Digging up ancient alien artifacts and civilizations.

Academic research facility - Schools conduct research and need places to protect their personel and projects.