Please Sir, Can I Have Some More Star Systems?

One of the major issues I've run into while developing this setting is there are far too many stars out there. There's about 50 star-systems within 15 LY of Earth; a fine number of locations for an RPG setting. Particularly given that some are going to have full-fledge histories and some will be unremarkable and barren. For a number of gameplay reasons I want players to be able to travel a few lightyears in a day or so (i.e. interstellar commerce wouldn't be feasible if it took years). That said, if we can travel from one end of known-space to the other in a mere 10 days (30 LY / rating 3 SLIPP-drive = 10 days out-ship time) one would assume we'd have explored further in the 25 years we've had FTL technology.


So I really need a good reason to keep humanity relatively contained to the aforementioned 15 LY sphere around Earth. I decided to simply make it expensive and dangerous: SLIPP-travel requires extremely careful mapping of gravity-wells and tracking of any moving objects, even in deep-space. That work is done by scouts who expect to be well-paid for risking their lives for months at a time out in deep-space. The Trans-War also helps this explanation - as new exploration usually takes a backseat to making war on one's enemies.


On top of this, of course the 50 given system are just those with publicly available astronav data - there's plenty of story-hooks that can start with 'corporation XYZ has some unpublished nav data on a valuable new system....' Or the players themselves can venture-out to the unknown. It should add some possible story-hooks for GMs.


Hopefully this explains a bit more of WHY the slight plot-hole exists.

The Blockade at Whiterock Station

You and your crew are a little down-on-your-luck lately - cargo runs just haven't been as profitable as they should have been.  A run-in with the law around some illegal trade deals with New Eden means there’s a big outstanding fine that needs to be paid-off. Much more cash than the crew could come-up with on short notice. In response, the crew is laying-low in a bar in Gliese 1061 - a mining system that’s off the beaten path.

That’s when the news hits the datasphere - the nearby Whiterock station is under attack by Pirates! While pirate attacks certainly common around these parts, it’s a little odd that they’re actually attacking an entire station - something doesn't quite add-up here. You don’t have much time to ponder this new development when Vix - a cargo-broker you've done business with calls you on your comm-terminal.


Here’s the run-down on Whiterock Station:


Kapteyn's Star and Whiterock Station

Kapteyn’s Star is an otherwise unremarkable red-dwarf star roughly 13 LY from Sol. Initial surveys of the system showed little to no mineral resources, but more recent scans found a small number of asteroids very rich in valuable metals. This has lead to a mini-gold-rush, culminating with the construction of Whiterock station by StarTram Inc.

Whiterock, a large asteroid in the middle of Kapteyn’s asteroid belt, presumably gets its name from the chalky-white calcium-ore deposits that cover it’s surface. The rock itself has no atmosphere, little gravity (0.09 g's) and is quite cold. This does make moving cargo a bit easier to deal with.

A modest-size commodities and docking base has been built on the dark-side of Whiterock, including a drydock for extended repairs. In addition to the usual metals, Kapteyn’s large calcium-oxide deposits make for plenty of Duracrete exports. The station is well-defended with a defensive missile array, a railgun emplacement, and a pair of fighters in case the stationary guns don't solve the problem.

Whiterock station is unfortunately within Kapten's gravity-well minimum-SLIPP-distance, ships must accelerate a significant distance away from the star before jumping out-system. However, this does give local security forces a bit more time to prepare in the case of pirate incursions.

The station itself is very small, something like a big truck-stop from the late 20th century. They cater to the miners in the system, and the cargo-haulers who bring their goods to off-system markets. There’s food and fuel, a couple of beds if you’re tired of sleeping on your ship’s bunk, and a bar to either celebrate a big strike, or to drown your sorrows.

>>>>> Kapteyn DOES have serious potential for long-term mining - just not quite enough to attract the attention of the big-three, as a result, plenty of independents have claimed the bulk of the rocks. <<<<
~Starfisherman

>>>>> The tonnages are there, yes, but you’d be stupid to believe that it’s going to last more than 5 years. The operators of WhiteRock are probably hoping the price of Duracrete stays high, ‘cause that’s the only thing they’re going to be exporting by 70 IE. <<<<<
~Dr.Cash

>>>>> Another ghost-town for sure. Big booms mean big crashes. <<<<<<
~TheSmilingBandit