Sunday, 23 February 2014

Spaceship Crew (WIP)

The exact composition of a ship's crew should vary depending on the ship's mission, such as military, scientific, diplomatic, privateer, armed merchantman, and so on. On a small ship:
  • Pilot steers the ship, activates weapons and defenses, and acts as Captain.
  • Co-Pilot handles navigation, sensors, and communications.
  • Engineer keeps the ship together, does routine maintenance, and manages specialized engineering parts and tools.
  • Steward manages finances and general supplies, and takes care of cooking and cleaning for the crew and any passengers, and also acts as medic.
On a big ship:
  • Command
    • Captain makes the important decisions.
    • Executive Officer assists the captain, manages duty rosters and crew discipline.
    • Boatswain?
  • Flight Control Department
    • Pilot steers the ship.
    • Gunner activates weapons and defenses.
    • Navigator plots the best course based on star charts and other information.
    • Sensors officer monitors sensors, probes, and other devices and analyzes incoming data.
    • Communications officer handles incoming and outgoing communications, encryption/decryption, and possibly translate alien languages.
  • Engineering Department
    • Chief Engineer keeps the ship together, does routine maintenance, and manages specialized engineering parts and tools.
    • (Other Engineers - WIP)
  • Steward Department
    • Steward is responsible for finances and general supplies, and manages cooks and housekeeping staff.
    • Chief of Security is responsible for internal ship security, including passengers and the brig.
    • Medic looks after any sick or injured, and manages any specialized medical supplies.
    • (Other Crew - WIP)

Saturday, 22 February 2014

Designing Plausible Aliens (WIP)

interbreedable hominid = no
eldritch horror = no

chimeras = yes

uplifted animals = yes
genetic engineering = yes

+ bilateral symmetry
+ internal skeleton

. head with brain, mouth, most sensory organs
. 2+ eyes capable of facing forward
. limbs attached to one or more additional segments
. 2+ arms, 2+ legs
. upright posture

. mouth: teeth, beak, maybe mandibles
. locomotion: bipedal, centauroid, part-arboral, amphibious

* hearing might be distributed

. interbreedable with creatures evolved on other worlds
. exoskeleton
. tentacle walkers
. fully aquatic


. Butt = likely if bipedal and tailless