Editing FederalSpace:Main Page (section)

== Other Variants ==

'''Snichmalu:''' Here is my ideas. It is the 28-29th Century. Earth is the center of an Empire roughly 500 light years across. The empire is run by a caste system with super-bright, long lived people at the head of major corporations. Earth is a museum outside the vast city states, most country borders exist on a map in reality. Then there are the Warrior caste made up of sociopaths supermen. Then the technocrats/middle class and the poor. Most genetic engineering is done to improve health but radical changes are prohibited. Life is good, as long as you stay in line. Rebels and trouble makers are routinely deported to the frontier. 
Earth is not alone since humanity has had FTL (stutterwarp, whatever) since the 24th century. To rimward we have the Alliance made of various ideologies from democratic anarchy to infosocialism to transhuman and so on. Mostly they agree that individual rights are sacred but a common foreign policy and defense are needed to secure trade defend against earth. The Alliance Navy and Marines are small but well trained and well equipped since they sometimes act as peacekeepers between member conflicts. They also are backed up by a collection of Planetary Guard and System Fleets of various member planets of size and quality.

To Earth Spinward we have the Federation. In the 2040's a new ideology called infosocialism was developed in which the state owned all intellectual property and grants licenses to manufacture items and sell them in certain areas. Example: you develop a better Wonder Widget, the state grants you the license to manufacture and sell the Widget in the country and when you die, the idea becomes the state's. The Federation is composed of some of the first colonies to break away from domination by earth and having to pay user fees for accessing ideas every time. It is more like the TNG Federation. Social programs are available and many people have access to basic goods and services. No one is really hungry or homeless. But if you want better goods and a lifestyle you still have to work at it. Starfleet is large since all citizens have to perform community service and many volunteer to serve in military service.

To Anti-Spinward we have the Clans. During the Infosocialist Rebellion, Earth's military was ordered to retake the planets at all costs. Facing vicious resistance along with needless casualties and collateral damage many military units rebelled and left the Empire. Grouped around Armies and Divisions they migrated away from Earth. Overtime those armies and division became clans as soldiers married and had children. Stressing service before self in order to become a full fledged member of a clan one must serve in the military of their Clan. The Clans compete against each other for new minerals, trade routes, settlements and bragging rites but bid against each other on who can win with the least amount of units. Clan militaries are better trained and more experienced than many elite units.
Then you have the various splinters. One or two planet states, collections of orbitals, planetoid states, religious and techno cults. Ideologies of every stripe. They exist in the remote areas of all the states and beyond.

Many have asked why doesn't the Empire with all it's wealth and might conquer all the states. The answer is that to mass enough force to conquer one the Empire would need to pull forces from the other borders. The same goes for the other states. So we have constant border friction, pocket empires and deals being made.

That is where you come in. You are the elite of the states. You have full backing to investigate and bring justice to those who abuse the system. You are troubleshooters sent to fix the problem quickly and with minimal mess. In the Empire you are called the Watchmen. In the Federation you are the Regulators. In the Alliance you are the Feds and the Clans know you as the Inspectors.

'''Shadowjack:''' Interesting! Feels like a much bigger, star-spanning setting—kind of a Star Wars-y / Classic Traveller pulp attitude toward the whole thing. 

The Intellectual Property angle is one I think I may swipe. And I like the names for the troubleshooter groups! (Though I may switch 'em around a little… :D)