Bohua Zhao, Aonan Shi

Overview: Interstellar Society is a society LARP game based on the background of Interstellar Age of Discovery. Players need to establish effective society rules to make sure they complete different goals of starfield discovery. 

Background: In the distant future, 90% of the Earth’s soil is considered to be non suitable for most crops to grow. In search of a new home, humans developed the spaceship with a speed of 15% of lightspeed. Each spaceship is large enough for a whole state of people on it. Also, each ship has their own ecosystem to raise and maintain the life of these crews.  Meanwhile, it’s important that these crews are in the right place and doing the right jobs in order to let the explorations become sustainable. The ships are made up of 70% people under the age of 30, and 30% with people over the age of 30, everybody is trained to be a part of the ship’s crew and wants to make it to Alpha Centauri for a better life. However, this still leaves a large population of humans back on earth.

Settings: Your ship is on its way to Alpha Centauri. You have elite crew members with you. The mission goal is to explore the terrestrial planet in Alpha Centauri and check whether it is suitable for human beings, and the possible future mass immigration. You and other players need to take charge of the possible social problems such as interpersonal disputes, possible crimes. Also, the health conditions in ships, the possible osteoporosis problem. Also, how to let people feel less homesick when they are under a long space travel. The whole trip from Earth to Alpha Centauri may take up to 30 years. 10 years into the trip, the ship receives news from Earth that there has been a huge volcanic eruption, it killed countless number of people and Earth was covered by ashes for almost a year, but scientists have found that the eruption gave Earth’s soil new minerals, making it suitable for agriculture again. This news was uneasy for the ship’s crew, some people want to return back to Earth as they would’ve never left if it wasn’t for it being not habitable anymore, some people want to continue the trip and start life fresh at the new planet Alpha Centauri, where they know is habitable.

Objective for people wanting to continue the trip: Make sure the ship and its crew makes it to the destination safely by persuading them to continue the trip peacefully, and prevent a rebellion from happening.

Objective for people wanting to return to Earth: Other people think because Earth is the planet that humans are from, no matter how much scientific knowledge we have on the new planet, life won’t be smooth sailing. So now that Earth’s problem is no longer an issue, we should return and protect it from becoming uninhabitable this time. However, the ship was supposed to go to Alpha Centauri no matter what, so they are planning a protest to have a vote of whether they go or stay on course, players shall protest using whatever methods they desire.

Game Mechanics:

1. Starship Management: Players command their own starships, managing resources, crew, and navigation. The game includes starship combat mechanics for space battles and encounters with hostile entities.
2. Planetary Modules: Physical modules represent different planets, space stations, and celestial locations. These modules serve as immersive environments for encounters, negotiations, and challenges.
3. Resource Gathering: Players gather resources from planets, asteroids, and other celestial bodies. These resources are used for trade, research, and the maintenance of their starships and equipment.
4. Alliance Council: A governing body within the game, composed of player-elected representatives, helps shape the overarching narrative and influences the direction of the Alliance. Decisions made by the Council impact the entire player community.

Each section will have discussion about the future of the ship.

Player base:

Each role will have people that are given different opinions: 40% people that want to go to Alpha Centauri (Group 1), 30% people that want to return back to Earth (Group 2), 30% people that aren’t sure what should be done (Group 3).

Outcome:

In a case of an unsuccessful protest, where people do not feel the need to vote on whether the ship should return to Earth or not, Group 1 wins.

In the case of a successful protest, it goes to a vote on whether or not the ship returns back to Earth, and the vote outcome favors the return to Earth, Group 2 wins, otherwise, Group 1 wins. 

Group 3 wins when they side with the correct outcome.