[hr][h1][b]ENDLESS HORIZON[/b][/h1]
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[color=6ecff6][i]"Space is for everybody. It's not just for a few people or a select group of astronauts. That's our new frontier out there, and it's everybody's business to know about space."[/i][/color]

Welcome to Endless Horizon, the newest iteration of Guild's known brand of space nationgames. Create your civilization, explore space, meet others and strive for superiority. This simple concept what defines these games to which Endless Horizon is no exception. You start as a civilization relatively fresh to the stars wishing to expand to the other corners of the galaxy. To achieve this you'll need to develop your FTL infrastructure and to do so you'd require the unique material Eltreum. As a rare resource sought by everyone this quest could easily turn into conflict and this is before all the other aims and ideological differences. Wars are on the horizon before we could achieve true galactic peace.

[b]Discord Channel:[/b] https://discord.gg/VfnhJPM

[hr][h2][b]Game Primer[/b][/h2]
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Endless Horizon is a freeform and primarily narrative based nationgame. It emphatizes player interaction and pure roleplaying elements while eschews game mechanics. To join technically all you need just to post a nation sheet (see bellow) and have it approved by me or any of my co-GMs. In effect this means trying to insert a faction into this world that fits and potentially leads to interesting plotlines. Forum roleplaying is basically writing a collaborative story and there is a sorts of "honor system" in place of hard rules to keep this enjoyable for all parties involved. The end goal is to write a mutually engaging story rather than competing with each other for the first place.

As for the setting itself, in Endless Horizon you are supposed to be rising space nation still in process of exploring the Milky Way. Unlike most space opera worlds FTL travel is limited to between hypergates and the region covered by hyperfields. You have means of expanding the reach of your hyperfields but only through spending Eltreum which inspire you to further explorations. As outlined in the intro your civilization is supposed to be relatively "new" to interstellar travel. Galactic community has yet to be established and most players are going to be initially strangers to each other. First contact encounters will be fairly common. That doesn't mean you are forbidden to have relations with other players, just to a limited extent. Endless Horizon is a nationgame inspired by classic sci-fi shows and space opera. Rigid adherence to science is thrown out in favor of more exciting storytelling. That being said in a sense this game's take on sci-fi can be considered "low end". Firepower is more restricted (with planet razing and planetary destruction both being rare occurrences if any), more overpowered technologies are banned to prevent cheap abuses, space empires rarely exceed 10 systems in size and so forth. This is done in an effort to give more gravitas to your actions and overall enhance the feeling of the game while closing off a few classical plot holes. That being said the setting overall has a few unique quirks, starting from the FTL. Because of this maps are not neccessary and probably for the better as the Milky Way is too gigantic to accurately portray our tiny holdings. As for what else you should know I complied a list of lore posts you could read below (grabbed off Discord).[hider=Lore Posts][b]Official Lore Issue #1 --- FTL Travel[/b]
Our universe somewhat overlaps with another, more chaotic world called the "hyperspace". This is represented in the appearance of the hyperspace rifts that connect the two realms. The universe normally does not allow faster than light travel of any kind but through manipulating the rifts it is possible to generate something called the hyperfield. Faster than light drives only work in space that is under the influence of hyperfield, no exceptions. Hyperfields themselves are mostly generated by the secondary function of hypergates, huge constructs made to exploit hyperspace rifts. Hypergates also allow near instantenous travel between each other. The galaxy is big, enough so that it takes an eternity to cross it without the use of FTL measures. As hyperfields only exist around hypergates it means interstellar civilizations only formed under their influence and the overwhelming majority of the Milky Way Galaxy is still unexplored. FTL mechanisms that coast in zones influenced by hyperfields are called hyperdrives. There are many popular methods of FTL travel with their own unique mechanisms, advantages and drawbacks. Some examples are: jumpdrives, warp drives, slingshot drives, submarine drives, etc.

[b]Official Lore Issue #2 --- Hypergates[/b]
Huge constructs built on hyperspace rifts made to exploit its features and facilitate FTL travel. Most hypergates were made by the Builders, an ancient race thought to be long extinct. Hypergates have two main functions. Upon activation they can generate hyperfields which allow FTL drives to function under its influence. Its second and perhaps chief function is to allow near-instantaneous travel between other hypergates. This function consumes Eltreum a strange and extremely rare substance thought to originate from hyperspace. Due to the additional difficulties most civilizations don't unlock the hypergate's travel functions until decades if not centuries, a period during which they develop their own local FTL travel measures. Whether this is intentional design by the Builders or just pure coincidence is unclear. Hypergates can connect to other hypergates for instant travel. Yet even if the transit is instant the establishment of the connection takes time, depending on the amount of mass transported. Large amount of ships take longer to send out than a few freighters. When two gates are connected no other gate systems can access these two. In addition when properly operated the staff serving the gate could both detect incoming connections and can measure the amount of mass and energy about to be transported, along with some other nuances. A skilled staff can easily determine if the incoming mass is a freighter fleet or a force of enemy warships. If threatened the hypergate has the ability to cut connection, preventing the enemy from using your own gate. Although it can not completely destroy the corridor and even if with some extra delay a channel opens to a section close to the outer bounds of your hyperfield. Meaning if the enemy is determined they could appear at your borders. Although given the delay most defense fleets have sufficient time to prepare against the enemy invasion. Currently the overwhelming majority of the ancient hypergate network are still dormant. In order to activate them you have two means. The easiest one is to discover a gate and have it manually activated on site. This naturally have problems when trying to reach distant gates. The second method involves lot of experimentation and cracking codes in order to remotely command another hypergate to open. This is rare and usually happens after analyzing ancient Builder ruins. Even so there aren't many civilizations that can claim they activated more than one hypergate on their own.

[b]Official Lore Issue #3 --- Hypernodes[/b]
As soon as hypergates were discovered most civilizations launch an effort to copy them. This is at times further assisted by archeological finds on Builder records but some reverse engineer gate technology on their own. Hypergates can be only established on hyperspace rifts, of course. Yet reusing the same technology offers an alternative: hypernodes. These "sub-gates" are smaller in scale and act as "boosters" to the hypergate's own field, expanding its range. Of course hypernodes are also effectively small hypergates and though to a limited extend but can transport ships between other gates. Yet their primary function is to expand the reach of the owner, allowing faster than light travel on a wider area. In addition they reinforce the field at the (former) outskirts, pushing the "border" that is in immediate danger of enemy attacks. Hypernodes do have a few issues, though. First, their construction and function requires a rare material called Eltreum. You can't have many hypernodes without a constant flow of Eltreum. Second issue is that hypernodes can't generate hyperfields on their own and rather amplify the one surging forth from the hypergate. If cut off from the hypergate the node is soon rendered useless. Large hypernodes used as the empire's infrastructure also require to be put on stable orbit in order to reduce errors and lessen the strain. Small node devices might be made mobile although with considerably reduced reach.

[b]Official Lore Issue #4 --- Eltreum[/b]
Strange material and principal resource for FTL technology. Eltreum can take many forms including minerals, liquid, gas or even plasma. That is because Eltreum refers to the material which traps "hyperspace energy" seeping into our world. Hyperspace is a realm without any of our conventional laws of physics. As such energy originating from hyperspace is imaginary, less like something measured in joules and more like a phenomena. Eltreum is the only way hyperspace energy can be acquired which is essential for technologies pertaining to hyperfields, especially for traversing gates and maintaining the node network. Eltreum can be effectively mined and while rare it tends to accumulate in specific deposits. The proper conditions that make a zone ideal for trapping hyperspace energy is unclear and still at the beginning of its research. After mining it the raw Eltreum is usually "refined" into more usable forms. Some may have even developed special condensers to store the extracted hyperspace energy. Conversely less technologically advanced civilizations might use Eltreum as it is without any refining process.

[b]Official Lore Issue #5 --- Interstellar Warfare 101[/b]
Space is perilous and only thin slivers of the galaxy allow FTL travel so one could even ask: How to wage war between distant star systems? A zone under the gate's hyperfield influence is essentially an island. In order to cross the void between these islands one must rely on hypergate travel. This requires establishing a stable corridor within the depths of hyperspace which does take time depending on the amount of mass and raw energy to be transported. A large warfleet is unmistakable from a freight caravan and as such attempts to just pass straight through the enemy's gate is promptly blocked. This can be compared to cutting the cord. Yet just as severed cords can still transmit electricity it is plausible to "re-attach" the cut off corridor to the edge of the enemy hyperfield. As such during invasions the enemy nearly always drops out at the border. This somewhat makes the invader exposed yet a definite threat to which the defenders must respond to immediately. The ultimate objective of such a campaign is of course the capture of the enemy hypergate but before that in order to have a safer foothold they have to either build or capture a sufficiently large hypernode that allows them safe two way passage. With a node of their own warfare gets simpler and not much unlike fighting at home. Also while it could be tempting to shut down hypernodes to deny the enemy's advance it rarely if ever works out. Most fleets have mobile hypernodes that might be unable to transport ships but can still provide hyperfields for the drives to work. Rather than that the common denial method is through hyperjammers. These provide waves that interfere with hyperfields and temporarily nullify them. This is used both defensively to prevent the enemy advancing too deep into one's territory and offensively to prevent using FTL to escape. Space warfare tend to be a little telegraphed. Gate activation can sends out an early warning, FTL activity is easy to detect and ships are mostly unable to use their FTL drives for interplanetary distances, reducing in-system travel to slower than light methods.

[b]Official Lore Issue #6 --- The Builders[/b]
Ancient civilization thought to be traveling the galaxy before the birth of the younger races. Also called the Gatebuilders they are responsible for making most of the currently existing hypergates. Builders are thought to be long extinct albeit some fringe theories say they must have left the galaxy or ascended to a higher plane of existence. Others even think that the Builders are alive but hidden, watching over the young races like gods. Nobody knows the truth since the only evidence for the Builders are ancient and at times millions of years old ruins of the once great galactic civilization. Due to the scarcity of information relics and archeological finds about the Builders are highly valued. Furthermore while heavily degraded it is possible to find logs and semi-functional devices that could help improve a nation's own efforts in science. Many believe that researching Builder artifacts could lead to the discovery of even more advanced measures of hyperspace travel. With the ongoing race for FTL development it also means a race for exploring Builder ruins, even if such ventures might be misguided.
[/hider][hider=Setting Limitations]This is a non-exhaustive list of things that you might be restricted to do or possess during this game. Most of these are for balance reasons and to keep the power creep low. A few are aesthetic choices that was voted by the community prior. You can talk with me if you have an idea that might require exception to these rules. I am considered a flexible and reasonable person so if your idea happens to be good and don't break the setting it indeed could get a pass. Also like I said this list is non-exhaustive which means there are items not specifically listed here that might be troublesome. I'll notify you if there is something that might require tweaking so don't worry. I work with you, not against your ideas.

[b]Firepower is at the 'lower end"[/b]
Many who aren't so engrossed in space opera settings might find this confusing so I clarify. In sci-fi you could have simple warships that can wipe out planetary populations, blow up planets and do other crazy feats. This isn't exactly such a setting. Ship firepowers are still in a range where nuclear devices could be considered a impressive (at least in pure energy output) and while orbital bombardment is devastating it does not invalidate ground invasion by regular troops (unless you are really willing to spend extreme amount of effort to raze the surface so it usually isn't practical). To some extend the same applies to ground combat, you really don't wish to make mushroom clouds the standard visuals after weapons fire. Possibly this limit on firepower can be also followed up by a general unwillingness to use weapons of mass destruction too liberally. Oh and naturally planetbusting superweapons are generally not something I'd allow for this game.

[b]Rules on FTL Drives[/b]
As said before you are free to invent whatever local FTL you use: warp drives, jump drives, anything. But your FTL drive can be only useful within the influence of hyperfields, no exceptions. Gate travel is utilized to travel between distant places. Another limitation is on the so-called "FTL combat". While micro jumps and similar maneuvers are fine they should have drawbacks. Casual short range or interplanetary FTL usage should be mostly absent. FTL weapons are also more of a curiosity than something you'd commonly rely on. Without these restrictions, space combat would be weird and not really what most players would want. And I repeat, no FTL drive usage outside of hyperfields. Without this some players would get a cheap edge at exploring the galaxy.

[b]Only moderate supernatural elements are allowed[/b]
Supernatural powers are surprisingly prevalent in sci-fi. You often have random psychic characters, mind reading aliens, borderline gods and so forth. Supernatural adds to mystery and can be valuable when the author wants to have religious themes. I can't ignore this trend but I can limit its problematic impact for the game. Psychic abilities are allowed but it must be relatively subdued. Mind control and such easily abusable abilities are not something you're supposed to be capable of. Telepathy is fine but don't think of it as a free pass at trying to communicate with others. And no matter how amazingly gifted your psychics are, their powers can't just outpace technology. Lastly as per sci-fi traditions even supernatural abilities are something that can be understood by sufficient science, devices to control it should be plausible. Psychic doomsday weapons that take over planets from a distance or anything similar? Yeah, you gotta nix that. Outright use of magic is also something that might irk people the wrong way so unless you have a really fitting idea, try to avoid that. This is still science fiction, not science fantasy.

[b]Terraformation is heavily restricted[/b]
Some science fiction settings (and especially 4X games) have incredible technologies that can quickly transform lifeless rocks into lush garden worlds. This obviously devalues planets and has strange implications on a civilization's industrial capabilities as a whole. To avoid this the only forms of terraformation allowed are slow and borderline realistic concepts. If you don't know much about those, google up topics about terraforming Mars as a starter. Of course the Milky Way as a whole has millions of potentially habitable planets but the number of those within the reach of your hyperfields is still very limited thus this renders planets a precious asset.


[b]Godlike technological devices are banned[/b]
Yeah, this is worded a bit nebulously so let me clarify. When a technology is "godlike" it tends to have terrifying potential that could be easily a game changer. Such techs are "get out of jail free cards" per storytelling or means to hijack the plot due to their sheer dominance. Examples include devices that rewrite reality, time machines, mega constructs of particular type, grey goo style self-replicating nanomachines, mass replicator machines and so forth. By their existence these can tip the balance of power and while a milder variation of these might be interesting for future plots, godlike technologies get overboard with it. As you can guess it is case sensitive what counts as "godlike" and I am willing to engage in a discussion about these. Of course as a GM I have the final say but as I told, I am a reasonable person.
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Alright, so you are intrigued by this game. What to do? Well, two things. First, join our Discord chat ([url=https://discord.gg/VfnhJPM]link[/url]) to better interact with players there. Second, your application is done through making a sheet for your dear faction. [hider=Civilization Sheet Guide/Scheme]
[center](SYMBOL/FLAG OF YOUR CIV - OPTIONAL)[b][h1][hr]YOUR CIVILIZATION'S NAME[/h1][/b][/center][hr]

[h2][b]GENERAL INFORMATION[hr][/b][/h2][h3][b]Faction Overview[/b][/h3](Describe your faction in one or a few paragraphs. If you want you could also make an infosheet about the basic stats. Some examples: name, government type, capital, population, number of star systems owned, etc.)

[h3][b]Territory Overview[/b][/h3](You can describe your holdings here, what are the most notable locations in your empire? Also you could pick a code for identifying your Hypergate which has one letter followed by 3 numbers, example: A101.)

[h3][b]History[/b][/h3](Of course you can also tell the history of your civilization. It doesn't need to be novel length or I'd say this is even optional but eh, most players love to do this.)

[h2][b]SOCIETY INFORMATION[hr][/b][/h2][h3][b]Demographics[/b][/h3](This is basically where you can describe your race(s). If there are more than one notable species or ethnicity you can of course talk about their ratios and overall relations to each other.

[h3][b]Cultural Overview[/b][/h3](The overall culture and mentality of your civilization. Are they pacifists? A warrior society? Perhaps they wish to preserve the environment? Feel free to introduce us to how your civilization thinks.)

[h3][b]Government Overview[/b][/h3](Of course you can't really forget the Big G here. How's your nation governed? Are there any unique elements to this? Who are the ones in power?)

[h2][b]TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION[hr][/b][/h2][h3][b]Tech Overview[/b][/h3](Basically you describe your civilization's tech here. You can mention their overall development, which fields they excel in and which fields are weak.)

[h3][b]Notable Technologies[/b][/h3](If you have unique pieces of technology this is the place where you can talk about them.)

[h3][b]Industrial Overview[/b][/h3](Basically you can describe your industry here. Chief technologies employed, most important industrial areas. Strengths and weaknesses in the industry. Etcetera. I predict this subcategory is going to be ignored the most.)

[h2][b]MILITARY INFORMATION[hr][/b][/h2][h3][b]Military Overview[/b][/h3](Basically this is where you can talk about your military in general. Use this as a sorts of intro and if you have things to say that don't belong purely to army/navy. Ignore this otherwise)

[h3][b]Army Overview[/b][/h3](Describe your army here, surface combatants, infantry, combat vehicles, atmospheric fighters, etc.)

[h3][b]Navy Overview[/b][/h3](Lastly your space navy, your ships and space combat doctrine. You aleady know what to do here.)

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You don't necessarily have to follow this. There are many styles to write a sheet like this and everyone has their favorites. I just find this form aesthetically pleasing. On the other hand your sheet need to describe the four key topics in a somewhat satisfying manner: general info, society overview (including race), tech overview and some information on your military. With this both me and other players can properly envision your faction which is important for roleplays. Once sufficient number of civilization/faction sheets are approved we can start the IC. I'll probably make the opening post there.