Galactic Regions
Disputed Space
Star systems where both Meteor Corp and Terra Co have a presence. Sometimes the result is open warfare, sometimes cold stalemates, sometimes a negotiated “collaboration”. Lacking any real “foreign policy” that governs how they should interact in these systems, the details are usually left to the discretion of local representatives.
Tech in Disputed Space
Often a hodge-podge of equipment originating from both factions patched together with after market hack jobs. If you know who to talk to, or you’re handy with a spanner, you can get the tech talking to one another and reach some semblance of reliability.
Money in Disputed Space
Credits. Originally developed as a fractional banking credit to allow smoother interaction between the Meteor Corp and Terra Co financial systems. It has became accepted as a currency unto itself among unaffiliated parties, in spite of resistance from both Mega Corps. Although intrinsically digital, it is most often loaded onto cryptographically secure chips where it is spent and circulated without ever interacting with a computer system.
Playing in Disputed Space
Political maneuvering, corporate espionage, people trying to live their lives with the constant threat of the two giants being on the edge of conflict looming overhead.
Unincorporated Space
Star systems with little to no presence from either Faction. This is the fringe, the unexplored, filled with people attempting to escape the control and influence of more developed systems. A huge variety in cultures and people, this is where those who didn’t wouldn’t, or can’t fit in ended up.
Tech
Most of the tech originates from one of the two Mega Corps, but has been rebuilt, repaired, and modded so many times over it’s usually unrecognizable as such. Self sufficiency, or knowing a guy, is required to keep your ship flying in unincorporated space. Get used to making what you can find work, rather than being able to locate specific replacement parts for anything that breaks.
Money
Credits are accepted, but trade and barter are heavily preferred. TerraBux and the multifarious Meteor Co associated coins have little use, and will only be accepted at a a significant markup.
Playing in Unincorporated Space
Sci fi western, isolated settlements, ancient xeno-ruins, and exploring the final frontier. Most jobs will be for a specific reward, rather than simply cash. Ship modules, weapons, fuel, favors, and services are all exchanged much more readily than coinage.
Terra Company
An unholy merger of corporations like Disney, Apple, Microsoft, and Google as the only remaining authority or government on Earth and the surrounding bubble of expansion. Near ubiquitous propaganda from corporate idols assuring everyone they’re part of the “family”. Heavy emphasis on Earth as the cradle and home of humanity.
Terra Co Technology
Rounded corners, touch screens, no tactile controls. It all runs off of the same systems which allows all the devices to talk to one another, but it’s very difficult to get any of it to talk to non-Terra Co technology.
Terra Co Money
TerraBux, essentially store credit on the all encompassing TerraNet. Only spendable or transferable within the TerraNet system, and at extremely tightly controlled endpoint terminals.
Playing in Terra Co Space
Theme park gloss covering a sole-less dystopia. Buying and paying for things within Terra Co controlled systems is going to be painful without someone officially registered with the MegaCorp or finding a grey market exchange to turn it into something else. The uniformed, omni-present Terra Security Department patrols controlled systems, and are in constant communication. Getting into trouble in a Terra Co controlled system means getting into trouble across Terra Co Controlled space.
Meteor Corporation
Meteor Corp is less a single unified company, and more a huge amalgamation of nearly independent subsidiaries, ultimately managed (and funded) by a board of rarely seen corporate venture capitalists. Subsidiary companies are constantly in the process of being founded, funded, merged, destroyed, and very often in a state of quiet or open conflict with one another. This state of affairs is actively encouraged by the Meteor Corp board, due to a combination of ideological belief in cutthroat competition and a healthy dose of being able to take advantage of the chaos.
Meteor Corp Tech
Cutting edge, but frequently over-engineered or reliant on some subscription service that will cease to function when the manufacturing subsidiary inevitably disappears. Think every bit of startup produced, crowd-funded, over-hyped, always online bit of shiny gadgetry. Individual bits of tech will rarely communicate with each other, lacking any sort of unified standard, without significant effort from the end user.
Meteor Corp Money
Crypto currency on whatever the current flavor of the month chain is. You’ll usually have to rely on exchanges to move them around, paying out the nose in fees in the best case and losing everything in the worst.
Playing In Meteor Corp Space
Chrome and neon cyberpunk dystopia. Private Security Companies bid for authority over various systems, often amounting to barely legalized space cops extracting money from locals or warring among themselves. Little stability as the governing bodies are exchanged with the same irregular frequency as the controlling corporate subsidiaries.