Game Play: Projects

This system allows characters in SA to create a long- standing asset to solve a problem: a new cure for a disease, a smaller wormhole generator, a memetic virus, a better computer system, an entire society.

Follow these steps to start a Project:

1. Determine the type and level of technology required for your project. Assign a minimum Capability.
2. Determine the general type of the project:
   • Great Works – projects that have long-lasting impact on society or fundamental science - take a baseline of 50 years and can substantially change the game.
   • Major Projects – incremental improvements to existing technology, or rapid social change - take a baseline of 5 years and can alter large regions or groups.
   • Minor Projects – use of existing technology in a substantial manner, or making minor modifications to an existing technology - take a baseline of 3 months and typically have local or minor impact.
   • Craft Projects – making something from a template or performing something well-practiced - take 12 hours and typically have a small, immediate, tangible product.
3. Determine how long the project will take. Start with your type of project, and apply steps on the Time Ladder (below), using these modifiers:
   • Each increase in Profession (above 2) or Capability (above the minimum for this project) moves you down the time ladder one step.
   • Access to outside resources (such as the infosphere) moves you down the time ladder one step.
   • The GM may rule some items to be particularly simple (down one step) or complex (up one step).
   • Altering the skill level required is also reasonable for complex or simple projects, but the required Profession rating should never exceed 3.
   • If your project would affect an entire group with Infrastructure, increase the time. Infrastructure I adds 2 steps, II adds 4 steps, and III adds 6 steps. You may also need a successful Conflict to pull off this project.
   • If you have people capable of helping, divide the time by your Teamwork modifier. If you yourself have the Infrastructure descriptor, use the +4 Teamwork modifier that you usually receive.
4. Decide whether to invest Reserve in this Project. If you do, each point you invest buys you one time step. You cannot invest more points of Reserve on a project than you have points in an appropriate Core Value, or points in the appropriate Capability, whichever is lower. Reserve that is invested in a project stays there until the project ends, either in success or because you had to interrupt it. In the meantime, your maximum Reserve is reduced by the amount that you keep invested.

Spend the time and your project will be complete!

Time Ladder

100 years
50 years
20 years
10 years
5 years
2 years
1 year
6 months
3 months
1 month
2 weeks
1 week
3 days
1 day
12 hours
6 hours
3 hours
1 hour
30 minutes
10 minutes
5 minutes
1 minute
30 seconds
10 seconds
5 seconds
1 second

Links

• Complications and Advantages
• Basic Actions
• Conflict
• Projects
• Theme Use
• Plots
• Infrastructure
• Existentialism