I have recently retired and for the first time in about 40 years I have TIME!
I have discovered Roll20 and decided to start an old-style space campaign using Space Opera ruleset on Roll20. My first start seems to be going well
However, it seems there are many smart and imaginative people on here so, if I may…
How could one make a First Contact scenario not boring? I have started this universe and am working on one path of a campaign and would like to add something different and/or make the universe not so linear - maybe people could start as a First Contact group. The year is late 21st century, mankind has a slow, FTL ability (about 10x speed of Light and USA has a starter colony on a planet around Tau Ceti. Mankind knows they are in trouble and the colony around Tau Ceti could come under attack. They need ‘people’ to fight. On that world there is a race of Ursoid (Bear-like) creatures that seem to have a form of sentient. They have not developed technology because they are a top predator and tend to be solitary.
How could I spin this into a short (or longer) scenario that is interesting/not boring? They need these creatures to help. Thoughts are - establish contact, try to get them to be able to stand being around each other - design weapons their arms can use, convince them to fight etc. Any ideas you have for fleshing this out much more nicely?? Also, any first contact ideas I would love to hear.
If using this forum for milking ideas is considered un-cool, then let me know and I will ask them to close/delete the thread.
I haven’t Refereed in a long time and this could be cool
There could be a rival group among the colonists that’s pursing first contact with the alien bears, for their own purposes (exploitation, an attempt to take over control of the colony, etc.)
Factions within the alien bears – even if they’re solitary by nature, they likely have some form of culture and contact with one another (if they don’t, the humans would be facing separate “first contact” scenarios with each and every alien). Maybe some of the bears are more eager to deal with the humans than others.
Perhaps the alien bears have had some sort of prior contact or interactions with whoever’s attacking the colony, and not all of the bears are keen on going against the attackers.
Edit: also, please don’t make your sentient alien ursoids small and adorable.
BTW, a recent real-world story about attempted contact with an isolated, primitive tribe might provide some inspiration, if you want to add some tension to that first contact. The Sentinelese live on an island in the Bay of Bengal, which is considered to be part of India. The Sentinelese have decided that they really do not like outsiders, and if not left alone, they fire arrows at visitors.
Due to this, the Indian government has made it illegal for outsiders to visit the island. The tribe made the news recently when they killed an American missionary who had snuck onto the island, and who had persisted in attempting to communicate with them, even after several days of the Sentinelese making it increasingly clear that they wanted him gone.
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