[Play-by-Post] Astropolitik: SWN Faction Space Opera

How to prepare

You will need a Discord account and roll20 account. Both are free Willingness to embrace the unpredictable and actively contribute to the narrative. Since this is play-by-post, you'll need to check the Discord at least once daily to stay updated with developments. Familiarity with Stars Without Number is helpful but not required; I'll provide all necessary rules explanations. Be ready to engage with both the strategic and narrative aspects of faction play. The most successful players will be those who can think both tactically about their faction's immediate goals and strategically about their long-term vision for their place in the galaxy. Most importantly, bring your creativity and willingness to collaborate in building this shared universe. Your faction will both shape and be shaped by the actions of others, creating a dynamic, ever-evolving galactic landscape.

What I provide

We will play over Discord and/or rolegate game. I also have Foundry and roll20 if needed. I will be checking the game multiple times per day. Complete virtual tabletop with maps and character tokens if needed. Visual references for NPCs and important locations. Digital tools for tracking resources and character states. Thematic ambient music and sound effects for different scenarios and settings. Experience facilitating emergent and non-linear narratives where your decisions have real and lasting impact. Willingness to improvise in response to your unexpected actions, embracing the unpredictable. Commitment to narrative depth and creative freedom. Some custom rules optimized for the play-by-post format may be needed for smooth gameplay. I am open to requests for other play-by-post games (you can see all the games I have GMed over 29 years in my profile).

Gameplay details

We will use the first week as our session 0. During Session 0 we will talk about any specifics of the game, express and clarify safety tools and go through faction creation. The game will be asyncronous, play-by-post. This format works exceptionally well for faction play, allowing for thoughtful strategic decisions and diplomatic communications between factions. I check for updates multiple times daily and commit to responding within 24 hours. Players can expect a strategically rich but mechanically streamlined experience. Faction turns will occur approximately every 1-2 days of real time, giving everyone a chance to submit their actions. Between formal faction turns, roleplay, negotiation, and espionage between factions will drive the narrative forward continuously.

Content warnings

Safety tools used

How will character creation work

Since this is a faction-based game, "character creation" will actually be faction creation. Before our first session, I'll provide templates and guidelines for creating your faction according to SWN's faction rules. You'll define your faction type (Megacorp, Government, Faith, etc.), homeworld, assets, etc. During Session 0, we'll collectively review all factions to ensure they fit cohesively into the setting while still maintaining their unique identities. We'll also establish starting relationships between factions—alliances, rivalries, or neutral stances. I encourage creative faction concepts that bring interesting cultural, technological, or philosophical elements to our shared universe. The most important aspect is creating a faction with clear motivations and values that will drive interesting decision-making.

Combat / Tactics

Medium

Roleplay

Medium

Puzzles

Low

Experience level

Open to all