Hey guys, I’m working on background and info for a campaign for our group here in VA. I’d love to hear opinions. Looking at using the Alternity system.

http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/rainbow

Would really like to get some ideas for names of the Heroes’ space ship.

I think Redemption is a great name for a ship built with that purpose. But that’s just me.

Exodus or Odyssey might also work.

I hadn’t thought of Redemption or Odyssey, but I certainly didn’t miss out on Exodus as an idea.

I am somewhat shying away from Exodus though for a couple reasons.

1. We’re not transferring massive amounts of people in what would traditionally be an Exodus. Likewise Diaspora is not a valid name
2. I went a bit heavy on the biblical theme in the preface, so was considering avoiding that theme in the ship name
3. Even after the Heroes leave the Sol system, there will still be millions of people left behind, some on Earth, some on colony worlds, and some in the asteroids. So it’s not as if the whole population just left either.

I definitely want the name to be one with a hopeful or upbeat theme, so Redemption sounds like a good one.

Any other ideas?

Oh, and so what size ship do you guys think would be appropriate for this. I was originally thinking a Cutter, but now considering a Light Cruiser. Technology from PL7/8 is how the Heroes will be equipped on the ship side. Yes, that means they will be heavily armed, but I intend to really give them more defense than offense. Their mission is to survive after all, not to conquer. Neutronite Armor and Ablative Shields will be the order of the day.

Is hyperspace an option at your tech level and in your setting? Even just little short hops would be fine. I’m just thinking of that brilliant pearl of wisdom from The Karate Kid II: “Best block, no be there!”

My intent is actually that each race in the campaign uses a different technology package.

The Terrans, and by extension the heroes, would have Hyperdrive, Laser/Maser tech, and in general be the highest tech species around (PL7/8), although with little ability to reproduce their tech.

The Medurr would actually be using Stardrive as an FTL drive, projectiles and missiles, but only be PL6, with a few PL7 items (like Stardrive).

I intend for the T’sa and the Mechalus to have followed their canonical pre-first contact timelines as used in the StarDrive universe. First contact would happen with the heroes, obviously, rather than in the way it happenes in StarDrive. As my players might read this, I won’t give much detail beyond that.

Insofar as using hyperdrive to avoid a fight, it takes some multiple of 10 minutes to kick into hyperdrive, so that option isn’t feasible if you can’t survive the fight for a little bit. Although, brute acceleration will most likely be on the side of the heroes.

Oh, I can totally see that, and heck, that in and of itself makes for a really great encounter.

“Yikes! They’re coming at us from two different directions and we have to hold on for a good TEN MINUTES before we can get away! Aaaaaah!”

I’m certainly looking to seeing how it plays out. The Alternity system is excellent at handling tense fast paced moments, and a good Space Opera will have quite a few of those.

Any other suggestions?

I’m sufficiently unfamiliar with a sci-fi setting that all else I’d have are cliches.

Drop me a private line if you need more ideas for names, though – I’m apparently pretty decent at that. Did that a lot for the newbies at A-Kon who didn’t know what to name their characters.