Lore

[Shezza]

Do we give a fuck about lore?

Can i start PR'ing laser weaponry?

[callanrockslol]

Where do you think we are?

[Anonmare]

Don't really see a reason to alter it.

Maybe rename that annoying as fuck phoron to what it actually is and just call it plasma

[Screemonster]

I remember fucking facepalming hard when I realised where they got the name phoron from

panch phoron is a blend of fenugreek, nigella, cumin, black mustard and fennel

a mixture of spices

a spice melange

[Rustledjimm]

Personally I'd like it if we distanced ourselves even further from the Aliens IP as much as possible.

[Lumbermancer]

Remember that thing called Planet Station? Well there's your chance.

[Anonmare]

I've actually thought about this and I have written an abridged synopsis composed of low-quality autism. It's your own fault for reading if you do read it.

Spoiler:

The year will be the current one plus 540 years, as we do for the /tg/ server, simply because it's easy to remember.
Credits is the currency and the language is Sol Common. WY doesn't exist and neither does the US. Consider it to be in the same universe as /tg/ but with a slightly more 'serious' tone.

Who we're fighting for

The Sol Confederation, colloquially referred to as SolCon, is the main governing body and who the marines directly work for. The Sol Confederation Colonial Marines (SCCM) force is a military organisation, overseeing the defence of Sol and its colonies. Marines are typically pooled from Sol, who benefit from full citizienship, but may be recruited from the core and outer colonies, who possess limited citizenship. Serving in the SCCM on a green card basis grants full citizenship.
Due to the vast distances between each colony, many of them can be considered autonomous but most generally acknowledge the Sol Confederation's legitimacy, those that don't are either annexed or become separatists. Non-Humans are rare to non-existent in SolCon space, and the SSCM's official recruitment policy is strictly Human-only. Those possessing genetic modifications are disbarred from service and not declaring the existence of such during or after recruitment is grounds for dismissal.

Nanotrasen is a gigantic, multi-system spanning megacorporation and a "generous sponsor" of the SSCM. Nanotrasen has a number of businesses but their most well-known product is plasma and is essential for practical space travel. NT also supplies the SSCM weapons, appliances, Artificial Intelligences and even the spaceships they operate on. This affords Nanotrasen many rights and privileges from SolCon, much to the dismay of smaller organisations swept away by the waves of the megacorporation. It's an open secret that NT consider the SSCM to be just another franchise of theirs in all but name.
'Officially', NT do not supply the SSCM with energy weapons or any second-generation 'smart' AIs, instead, it sells them (by their standards) outdated ballistics, slower-than-light travel drives and non-sentient first-gen AI systems. NT has many detractors, opponents, critics but it also has just many people who sing their praises and their terraforming initiative for SolCon colonies is too invaluable to simply ignore.

Who we're fighting against
Xenomorphs
As far as the general public are concerned, Xenomorphs do not exist. However, the SSCM are both aware of their existence and are regularly informed of such by Nanotrasen due to irregular encounters with the species. The SSCM are aware of their capabilities but where they come from is not known. The SSCM and Nanotrasen's official policy is to secure, sterilize and retrieve any samples for further study or destroy them if that is not possible. Nanotrasen are especially eager in their desire to study due to their ability to naturally produce plasma and may 'pressure' the SSCM to acquire samples at all costs.

The Syndicate
Terrorists of the 26th century and rabidly opposed to both Nanotrasen and SolCon, for their apparent corporate whoredom. The Syndicate isn't so much one group, as a load of groups, each vying for power. Various companies (mostly those unable to compete with Nanotrasen), criminal families, and paramilitary groups make up what is known as "The Syndicate". Some Syndicate members aren't even human according to various rumours. The SSCM's official stance on the Syndicate is that they are violent terrorists and the SSCM does not negotiate with terrorists. Marines are encouraged to report anyone they suspect of being a member of the organisation to their superiors, or their superior's superiors in extreme cases.

The Union of Soviet Socialist Planets (USSP)
The revived remains of the Soviet Union and a rival to the SolCon government. Relations between both governments remain frosty at the best of times and is equally as active as SolCOn are in colonizing the frontier, though they lack the terraforming technologies that NT have granted them. There is no official conflict between SolCon and the USSP, there have been minor skirmishes but such engagments have never escalated beyond that. Though, some may think that the 'cold war' between the two powers may grow hot any day now...

Others
Space is a big place and big players like the SSCM and Nanotrasen are bound to make a lot of enemies, some whisper of Clown terrorists armed with pranks and buffoonery the likes the Universe has never seen...

[BeeSting12]

We could make DMCA into a prequel to SS13, about 14-15 years earlier.

The official lore page on the /tg/station wiki (https://tgstation13.org/wiki/Backstory) says Nanotrasen stocks were falling until a Nanotrasen-UEG (United Earth Government) mining group known as Silar Group discovers plasma in a sunless system. The wiki says inside gas giants, but we can easily add some solid planets used to mine solid plasma from. The colonies would be converted to Silar Group mining colonies.

The ship, which will probably be renamed at some point, is fully Nanotrasen funded, but the military onboard is all from UEG. The Syndicate will also be a faction, but probably reserved for admin events.

Alien Races (lizards, catpeople/felinids/whatever, plasmamen (probably not discovered yet), flypeople, etc.): UEG might not hire alien races which could explain why they're not present. If they're added, they could work in civilian jobs, such as doctors, requisitions, cooks (not a thing but could be).

[Stickymayhem]

Prequel sounds awesome. It explains why these things aren't showing up on the regular servers, because we won, and it encourages some RP on that side of things too.

Imagine bumping into a guy you fought with in The Bug Wars on /tg/station from 15 years ago that would be sick

[Stickymayhem]

Update based on #dmca-lorebus discussion: (Do not whine about IP stealing these are just mood board style broad strokes using references)
General attitude is starship trooper like.

The xenos are Bugs (Better name coming soon probably), a zerg-like insectoid race. They're a hivemind with eggs just like xenos, and their evolution went crazy due to their plasma rich environment. They infect humans with parasitic wasp style "Stingers", depositing a larva in the head. Instead of chest bursting, you get more retarded until your head pops. Nice and easy to visually identify popped people and it's unique. They'll be renamed from shit like "Defender" to "Beetle" so the names are thematic to earth insects rather than just dumb video game classes.

Here's the vague story: Nanotrasen, the galaxy-spanning mega-corp is starting to fall on hard times supporting it's mega-empire. After discovering super rare plasma, the finally find a sector full of it 15 years before /tg/station Bagil/Sybil/Terry. They set up mining bases, but soon get overrun by the unexpectedly vicious Bugs, and have to rent or but an army to put it down, fix the stations and do all the regular DMCA shit that happens in a round.

Eventually they win, leading to our modern day SS13.

Now you can say "Hey Jeff, weren't you in the Bug War? I was Alpha squad!" In the bar before the clown slips you with monkey blood and crams a pie in your face

[Ayy Lemoh]

If you don't have hookers and jacks that can upgrade to blackjacks then I'm sorry but you're not living the meme.

When changing the aliums to beetles, you could call the crusher rhino,

We could make DMCA into a prequel to SS13, about 14-15 years earlier.

This doesn't remove bullet guns and lets laser tech slide in as experimental, so I'm game.

Laser tech isn't experimental in tg. The ancient space station has a prototype energy gun and a retro laser gun.

[Stickymayhem]

If you don't have hookers and jacks that can upgrade to blackjacks then I'm sorry but you're not living the meme.

When changing the aliums to beetles, you could call the crusher rhino,

We could make DMCA into a prequel to SS13, about 14-15 years earlier.

This doesn't remove bullet guns and lets laser tech slide in as experimental, so I'm game.

I literally suggested Stag but rhino make way more sense

[BeeSting12]

Laser tech isn't experimental in tg. The ancient space station has a prototype energy gun and a retro laser gun.

Keyword: Prototype.

It might've been experimental 15 years before ss13 in its current state. Or just expensive enough to stop Nanotrasen from making laser guns standard issue.

Whatever government NT is hiring the troops from might not use laser guns either.

[Anonmare]

Why would you sell laser guns to someone when it means you can't sell them ammo any more?

[Luke Cox]

My takeaway from regular SS13 is that laser weapons are used more by civilian and commercial sectors while military units and paramilitary groups use ballistics.

[Stickymayhem]

My takeaway from regular SS13 is that laser weapons are used more by civilian and commercial sectors while military units and paramilitary groups use ballistics.

That's my head canon too. Electricity to recharge energy weapons is more self-sustaining than having to manufacture or order ammunition.

Think about how quickly the assault rifles in /tg/ put shit down compared to a laser gun. Ballistics are still more powerful, just less sustainable.

[Ayy Lemoh]

My takeaway from regular SS13 is that laser weapons are used more by civilian and commercial sectors while military units and paramilitary groups use ballistics.

That's my head canon too. Electricity to recharge energy weapons is more self-sustaining than having to manufacture or order ammunition.

Think about how quickly the assault rifles in /tg/ put shit down compared to a laser gun. Ballistics are still more powerful, just less sustainable.

A few of the laser weapons are military tier (the minigun, ctf laser gun which has a rechargable ammo clip, pulse weaponry, and instakill lasers which shouldn't be used)

Also the survivors on the planet with xenomorphs could have laser weapons still. They are civilians afterall.

[oranges]

I'm glad DMCA has so many ideas guys to increase it's forum post count

[Anonmare]

I'm glad DMCA has so many ideas guys to increase it's forum post count

t. brainless fruit