DEPARTMENTS

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Building a Setting - The Galactic Trade Authority


For a while now, I have been trying to come up with a good setting in which I can use all the different 15mm scifi miniatures I've accumulated. I've got a million different humans and aliens in various numbers and state of combat readiness. I'd like to come up with a use for them all but some of them are either too few or duplicates on a theme that I really cannot find a unique place for.

To make use of some of these figures, I have created an organization that can make use of these odds and ends and still have them have an overall effect on the setting. Enter, the Galactic Trade Authority (GTA).

The GTA is an organization created originally by the Nalween Mercantile Houses as a way to protect their own warehouses and later those of other species (for a price). Functioning primarily as a for hire organization but with a mind on maintaining and promoting free trade throughout the galaxy, the Nalween offered armed protection, escort, interdiction and recovery services as well as general security. As time passed and more and more species came to trust the implacable Nalween, the Galactic Council took notice.

After several sessions, investigatory committees and more than a few long nights of deliberation, the council came to the conclusion that the Nalween's private ventures be made official and their methods and tactics expanded on a galactic level. This organization would become the Galactic Trade Authority with the Nalween placed at it's head and given and official office. However, there were to be a few provisions made to this new arrangement.

In an effort to assuage any fears of monopoly or some sort of fascist invasion, the council decided that each species would be allowed the option to provide its own GTA agents on their own worlds. Also, worlds officially shared by multiple species would be allowed the same concession. Worlds with no official ownership or who were held by a species incapable of maintaining their own GTA office could have one designated by the GTA or have another species' GTA provide for them. GTA operations would be maintained by their parent species, armed and equipped from their own resources, all confirmed, scrutinized and certified by the Nalween and their agents.

Under this new measure, GTA operatives would very greatly in equipment but would generally be supporting their own people. All would wear the orange and white of the original Nalween GTA so as to be instantly recognizable. All GTA would operate only on their respective worlds or vessels registered to worlds they policed and technically only within designated trade zones surrounding civilian space port facilities. Normal planetary defense and police duties would continue as they always had as would off-planet operations.

What Miniatures to Use?
For my first few GTA teams, I have picked two groups from my miniatures collection. For my human GTA, I decided to use my Control Battalion minis from Khurasan Miniatures and for an alien unit of GTA, I decided to go with the Ygs from Critical Mass Games. Both have a look, that to me fits nicely with my idea for the GTA and both have armor that will allow me to come up with a nice orange and white color combo.

-Eli


5 comments:

  1. Now that's what I call "the use of a brilliant imagination which has been let loose to create new adventure in a new universe...that Eli built!" Can't wait to see it materialize, Eli!

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  2. Great Stuff Eli! By weird coincidence I started working on a background last night as well, but in a very different way. Writing up the post now!

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  3. I'm going to totally steal this.

    ;)

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  4. "uh...we are just sharing the inspiration!

    ReplyDelete

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