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Foundry Exploration Project

Aside from a T6 Connie, what’s the most asked for content in game? The answer: exploration!

While Foundry authors cannot create any kind of complex exploration system, what we can do is make some great exploration-themed missions. So let’s get to it! The Foundry Roundtable is going to facilitate a free-form exploration anthology, much like the successful Iconian War Anthology. There will only be three requirements.
  • It has to be about exploration in some way
  • It must start from a location we will be choosing soon
  • The title must start with a three letter tag in brackets (taking suggestions on the letters)

Any and all authors may make missions for this series, and other than those requirements, you may create any kind of story you wish!



For fun, we’ll also be providing some resources that authors may use in their missions at their discretion. These will all be made with input from the community.

First: we’ll be inventing a new Starbase. The exact plot hasn’t been finalized, but in broad strokes, the base will be a joint Klingon-Romulan-Federation installation serving as the launching point for a new exploration initiative for a previously uncharted area of space.

On the next episode of the Roundtable (Sunday, 4:30 US Pacific), we’ll be designing the interior and exterior maps for this station with the help of anyone who joins us in the chat room (twitch.tv/thefoundryroundtable). These will need to be fairly simple, so authors can easily re-create them. We also haven’t named this starbase yet, and we want to open it up for suggestions. Once we have some nominations, I’ll run a poll.

The location for this starbase hasn’t been determined yet, but it will be the Foundry door that we’ll be asking people to use.

Second: a space station needs a crew! Once we pin down the crew positions that need filling (Station commander, science officer, etc), I’ll post a thread for nominations. Authors can nominate their own characters, create new characters, or Cryptic NPCs that are no longer around because of updates. Once we get enough nominations, we’ll have a pole for each crew position.

We’ll make a master thread with the map coordinates and sliders for each character. Authors will be free to use these characters, or not, as they choose.

Third: once we get all these details finalized, we will be running a mission contest with prizes that will mark the start of this Exploration Anthology. More details on this as we get close. Missions can also be added at any time after the contest. Existing missions can also be re-purposed for this, but only new missions will be accepted for the contest.
The Foundry Roundtable live Saturdays at 7:30PM EST/4:30PM PST on twitch.tv/thefoundryroundtable
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Comments

  • thay8472thay8472 Member Posts: 6,100 Arc User
    Foundry Exploration Project ... F.E.P. or [FEP]

    2gdi5w4mrudm.png
    Typhoon Class please!
  • starfarerthetastarfarertheta Member Posts: 740 Arc User
    Can I make a little banner for this project? Like the one I made for the Iconian War Anthology?
  • drogyn1701drogyn1701 Member Posts: 3,606 Media Corps
    Can I make a little banner for this project? Like the one I made for the Iconian War Anthology?

    For sure! We haven't done any artwork yet.
    The Foundry Roundtable live Saturdays at 7:30PM EST/4:30PM PST on twitch.tv/thefoundryroundtable
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,867 Arc User
    edited January 2016
    Awesome sauce all 'round. As I've mentioned previously I'll definitely have an episode for this...but because I have been working on it for a while now (~50% done, it's a big head start) I'm going to decline to have it entered into the contest. Could start something new but I do know what I'm working on, what it's setting up, and altogether this is going to be the most fun approach. :)
    Post edited by duncanidaho11 on
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • captainhunter1captainhunter1 Member Posts: 1,626 Arc User
    Sounds like fun :)

    This might actually get me to create a new mission (despite the fact that the Foundry UI is still borked to heck and back for finding missions).

    I would like to suggest something simple (and subtle) for the three letter lead - [EXP]. Simple in that it stands for Exploration, subtle in that it is also a common game term for 'experience' (as in both game points earned and story enjoyment :p )

    Can we name the starbase, "Nimbus 2 - the station of galactic peace"? -and then place it in a completely out of the way place that has nothing to do with the three major powers running it? Oh, wait. That was the fail idea from the Star Trek Star Charts. Nevermind. ;) (Sorry that whole thing just bugs me to no end, ugh)

    Placing the station near Babel might be possible location as a lot of Federation diplomatic action seems to occur there - and I would assume the Feds would be the ones spearheading the effort (just don't call the station Babylon 5....lol). Just brainstorming here...the name should probably have something cool to do with the exploration theme - like Farpoint (but that's already taken :D ) Or how about, "New Dawn Station" to tie in with the official theme? So many possibilities... :)
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,867 Arc User

    I would like to suggest something simple (and subtle) for the three letter lead - [EXP]. Simple in that it stands for Exploration, subtle in that it is also a common game term for 'experience' (as in both game points earned and story enjoyment :p

    My only concern with that is possible confusion with EXP grinders. [EXPL] might be the thing to do if we don't find a more pleasing acronym.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • captainhunter1captainhunter1 Member Posts: 1,626 Arc User
    My only concern with that is possible confusion with EXP grinders.

    Would that be a bad thing? Might actually get some people who would never try some good stories a chance to. (I'd hate to lose a good designator because of Admiral Bobo. Darn you Bobo! Darn you to heck! lol)

    As an alternate, [EXO] is another one I was thinking about that might work (for EXplOration, and stuff like Exobiology, etc.)
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,867 Arc User

    Would that be a bad thing? Might actually get some people who would never try some good stories a chance to. (I'd hate to lose a good designator because of Admiral Bobo. Darn you Bobo! Darn you to heck! lol)

    It could also work the other way, people looking for good stories may glance at [EXP] (especially if they just see it in the sector block, no chance of explaining) and dismiss it for a grinder.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • johnnysnowballjohnnysnowball Member Posts: 399 Arc User
    My first thought was also [EXO]. Sounds a bit nicer outloud than FEP
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,867 Arc User
    edited January 2016
    I've found a system that might be worth consideration: SPR-5195 (was used for one of the old Cardassian arc mission). There's nothing in the top 3, it has a big unexplained thing floating nearby (baby space amoeba?), its at the edge of FED territory but isn't too far off from the KDF, and it's pretty close to the sector block entry point (almost en route to DS9).

    I'll also throw some names out there:
    Starbase Magellan
    "Fools' Landing"
    Babel 1-5 :P
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • johnnysnowballjohnnysnowball Member Posts: 399 Arc User
    Sounds like a great location. How about a bar called Captain Cook's? lol
  • thay8472thay8472 Member Posts: 6,100 Arc User
    My first thought was also [EXO]. Sounds a bit nicer outloud than FEP

    If I'm honest... I was lacking sleep when I thought [FEP] was a good idea.

    Location:

    Anything really works.

    2gdi5w4mrudm.png
    Typhoon Class please!
  • starfarerthetastarfarertheta Member Posts: 740 Arc User
    Banner concept 01,

    0wa3c5R.png

    Thoughts?

  • captpfdenniscaptpfdennis Member Posts: 156 Arc User
    [EXP] does seem the most obvious, and was my first thought. [EXM] for EXploration Mission may work if the former is an issue. There's always just [EX] for those not opposed to a 2 letter version. Then there's always [AEI] to go along with starfarertheta's title artwork.

    Anyhow, I have a few ideas for exploration/first contact missions. I will probably enter one for consideration. Sounds like a great idea. I have always thought a non-combat mission could be just as satisfying as a full combat mission if done well enough. Hopefully, there will be plenty of them.
    25971704528_706d57fcf0_n.jpg
  • johnnysnowballjohnnysnowball Member Posts: 399 Arc User
    Yeah my most popular mission and the one i get more compliments on is my noncombat delta volanis exploration first contact mission.
    I think you want to go with a tag that forms a word one can easily say like ICO. "Just published my ico mission"' - that sorta thing.
  • captainhunter1captainhunter1 Member Posts: 1,626 Arc User
    'Discovery' recently hit me as a name to throw in the starbase name pool. As in, 'Discovery Base', 'Starbase Discovery', 'Discovery Station', etc.
  • rangerryurangerryu Member Posts: 284 Arc User
    Banner concept 01,

    0wa3c5R.png

    Thoughts?

    Looks nice but personally I'd pick the Federation Seal over the Starfleet Delta,but that's just me.

  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,867 Arc User
    edited January 2016
    'Discovery' recently hit me as a name to throw in the starbase name pool. As in, 'Discovery Base', 'Starbase Discovery', 'Discovery Station', etc.

    Over my last few missions I've actually been setting up a U.S.S. Discovery (Nebula class) as a lead into my new exploration series. That'll stick whatever we name the station, but one thing I was thinking about is maybe having a ship (or set of ships) associated with this station that players could pull from to setup plot points and setting.

    Ex. "Several days ago the U.S.S. Discovery discovered X around Y, and had to limp back home with half a nacelle gone. Now it's your turn to try harpooning the thing. Good luck!"

    We wouldn't have to go into any detail about bridges and crews (could be up to individual authors) but a reference list could come in handy as another little bit of cross-mission coordination.
    Post edited by duncanidaho11 on
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • captainhunter1captainhunter1 Member Posts: 1,626 Arc User
    'Discovery' recently hit me as a name to throw in the starbase name pool. As in, 'Discovery Base', 'Starbase Discovery', 'Discovery Station', etc.

    Over my last few missions I've actually been setting up a U.S.S. Discovery (Nebula class) as a lead into my new exploration series. That'll stick whatever we name the station, but one thing I was thinking about is maybe having a ship (or set of ships) associated with this station that players could pull from to setup plot points and setting.

    Ex. "Several days ago the U.S.S. Discovery discovered X around Y, and had to limp back home with half a nacelle gone. Now it's your turn to try harpooning the thing. Good luck!"

    We wouldn't have to go into any detail about bridges and crews (could be up to individual authors) but a reference list could come in handy as another little bit of cross-mission coordination.

    This is a great idea. B)

    It gives a chance to promote other missions within the Project through compelling narrative, giving players many threads to pull on depending on what interests them the most.
  • drogyn1701drogyn1701 Member Posts: 3,606 Media Corps
    Great feedback so far guys. I love the artwork @starfarertheta

    So we had a bit of a false start. We were going to design the starbase maps and determine some other things on the show Sunday, but Greendragoon, who handles the livestreaming, lost internet and didn't get it back until late. So, next time we will be doing that! Probably Sunday again. We were going to have Rogueenterprise join us, since he had started a similar project last year that didn't end up going anywhere.

    In the meantime, combing through the thread, here are the tag suggestions so far.

    [EXP]
    [FEP]
    [EXPL]
    [EXO]
    [EX]
    [EXM]
    [AEI]

    I like EXO personally :)

    And here are the starbase name suggestions.

    New Dawn Station
    Starbase Magellan
    "Fools' Landing"
    Babel 1-5
    Discovery Station
    Discovery Base
    Starbase Discovery

    Dragoon had suggested Frontier Station as a working title as well.
    The Foundry Roundtable live Saturdays at 7:30PM EST/4:30PM PST on twitch.tv/thefoundryroundtable
  • theyredeadjimtheyredeadjim Member Posts: 243 Arc User
    edited January 2016
    Given that the new base is a co-operative effort between the Klingons, Romulans, and Federation, I'll suggest "Amity Station" as a possible base name. A Mirror version could be called "Enmity Station".
    Post edited by theyredeadjim on
  • rangerryurangerryu Member Posts: 284 Arc User
    going off the Magellan theme can I also suggest Starbase Cook, after James Cook.
  • thay8472thay8472 Member Posts: 6,100 Arc User
    edited January 2016
    'Foundry One' ?
    'Unity Starbase' ?

    'Deep Space ###' ? (I.E. Deep Space 7)
    '[Name] or [System Name] Station' (I.E. Mckinley station, Cameron Station etc)

    Actually is this Starbase in space or one of those ground ones?
    2gdi5w4mrudm.png
    Typhoon Class please!
  • drogyn1701drogyn1701 Member Posts: 3,606 Media Corps
    thay8472 wrote: »
    'Foundry One' ?
    'Unity Starbase' ?

    'Deep Space ###' ? (I.E. Deep Space 7)
    '[Name] or [System Name] Station' (I.E. Mckinley station, Cameron Station etc)

    Actually is this Starbase in space or one of those ground ones?

    Space. The idea is to use the original Earth Spacedock, since it isn't used anywhere anymore.
    The Foundry Roundtable live Saturdays at 7:30PM EST/4:30PM PST on twitch.tv/thefoundryroundtable
  • guljarolguljarol Member Posts: 979 Arc User
    Is it Fed-side only project, or missions for KDF would be good too?​​
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,867 Arc User
    guljarol wrote: »
    Is it Fed-side only project, or missions for KDF would be good too?​​

    Well, the Empire is supposed to be cooperating with this thing. I don't see how they could be left out of the anthology. :)
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • captainhunter1captainhunter1 Member Posts: 1,626 Arc User
    drogyn1701 wrote: »
    The idea is to use the original Earth Spacedock, since it isn't used anywhere anymore.
    Ugh. That thing is horrendous; an eye-sore that should have never made it into the game.

    There are so many better options in the Foundry assets now. Why go with that thing?

    Oh, and I like 'Unity Starbase' mentioned above as a moniker...good suggestion!
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,867 Arc User
    edited January 2016

    Oh, and I like 'Unity Starbase' mentioned above as a moniker...good suggestion!

    Unfortunately Starfleet Command III did it first and I suspect that making such a direct reference (basically same thing but for general diplomacy) isn't covered by the EULA.
    Post edited by duncanidaho11 on
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • thegreendragoon1thegreendragoon1 Member Posts: 1,872 Arc User

    Oh, and I like 'Unity Starbase' mentioned above as a moniker...good suggestion!

    Unfortunately Starfleet Command III did it first and I suspect that making such a direct reference (basically same thing but for general diplomacy) isn't covered by the EULA.

    Well, technically, it's only a EULA violation if we're referencing THAT station. Since our station would look nothing like/and have no connection to the base from Starfleet Command, it's just a coincidence.
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,867 Arc User

    Well, technically, it's only a EULA violation if we're referencing THAT station. Since our station would look nothing like/and have no connection to the base from Starfleet Command, it's just a coincidence.

    Ah, I see. Still in being the only other joint starbase project like this in Star Trek mass media (that I know of) I'm not so keen on "Unity." Sounds nice but it's a little too perfect.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
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