#I exchanged digital currency.

[dennisrockingfuntime]

I have to quit my job…..

[writers-potion]

I'm writing a sci-fi story about a space freight hauler with a heavy focus on the economy. Any tips for writing a complex fictional economy and all of it's intricacies and inner-workings?

Constructing a Fictional Economy

The economy is all about: How is the limited financial/natural/human resources distributed between various parties?

So, the most important question you should be able to answer are:

Who are the "have"s and "have-not"s?

What's "expensive" and what's "commonplace"?

What are the rules(laws, taxes, trade) of this game?

Building Blocks of the Economic System

Type of economic system. Even if your fictional economy is made up, it will need to be based on the existing systems: capitalism, socialism, mixed economies, feudalism, barter, etc.

Currency and monetary systems: the currency can be in various forms like gols, silver, digital, fiat, other commodity, etc. Estalish a central bank (or equivalent) responsible for monetary policy

Exchange rates

Inflation

Domestic and International trade: Trade policies and treaties. Transportation, communication infrastructure

Labour and employment: labor force trends, employment opportunities, workers rights. Consider the role of education, training and skill development in the labour market

The government's role: Fiscal policy(tax rate?), market regulation, social welfare, pension plans, etc.

Impact of Technology: Examine the role of tech in productivity, automation and job displacement. How does the digital economy and e-commerce shape the world?

Economic history: what are some historical events (like The Great Depresion and the 2008 Housing Crisis) that left lasting impacts on the psychologial workings of your economy?

For a comprehensive economic system, you'll need to consider ideally all of the above. However, depending on the characteristics of your country, you will need to concentrate on some more than others. i.e. a country heavily dependent on exports will care a lot more about the exchange rate and how to keep it stable.

For Fantasy Economies:

Social status: The haves and have-nots in fantasy world will be much more clear-cut, often with little room for movement up and down the socioeconoic ladder.

Scaricity. What is a resource that is hard to come by?

Geographical Characteristics: The setting will play a huge role in deciding what your country has and doesn't. Mountains and seas will determine time and cost of trade. Climatic conditions will determine shelf life of food items.

Impact of Magic: Magic can determine the cost of obtaining certain commodities. How does teleportation magic impact trade?

For Sci-Fi Economies Related to Space Exploration

Thankfully, space exploitation is slowly becoming a reality, we can now identify the factors we'll need to consider:

Economics of space waste: How large is the space waste problem? Is it recycled or resold? Any regulations about disposing of space wste?

New Energy: Is there any new clean energy? Is energy scarce?

Investors: Who/which country are the giants of space travel?

Ownership: Who "owns" space? How do you draw the borders between territories in space?

New class of workers: How are people working in space treated? Skilled or unskilled?

Relationship between space and Earth: Are resources mined in space and brought back to Earth, or is there a plan to live in space permanently?

What are some new professional niches?

What's the military implication of space exploitation? What new weapons, networks and spying techniques?

Also, consider:

Impact of space travel on food security, gender equality, racial equality

Impact of space travel on education.

Impact of space travel on the entertainment industry. Perhaps shooting monters in space isn't just a virtual thing anymore?

What are some indsutries that decline due to space travel?

I suggest reading up the Economic Impact Report from NASA, and futuristic reports from business consultants like McKinsey.

If space exploitation is a relatiely new technology that not everyone has access to, the workings of the economy will be skewed to benefit large investors and tech giants. As more regulations appear and prices go down, it will be further be integrated into the various industries, eventually becoming a new style of living.

[yuurei20]

Hullo! I was wondering, is there info anywhere on how much a madol/thaumark is worth? Like, do we have any ideas about what a potential rate of exchange is or something like X number of thaumarks is expensive, Z number is cheap?

Hello hello! Thank you for this question! :>

While not explicitly stated anywhere, the original game's "madol" might be based on Japanese yen, while EN's "thaumarks" are likely based on USD!

While not the case at the moment due to the weakened yen, it used to be that 1 yen = 1 cent USD, and thus 100 yen = 1 dollar USD, which is how the currency was updated for EN: take the original price of something and remove the last two digits, and you have your madol-to-thaumark exchange rate!

Here are some examples from in-game:

An interesting result of this rate-exchange is that it was not updated within the game mechanics in the move to EN!

This makes sense as EN players would require far fewer thaumarks for shop purchases and leveling if the exchange rate was obeyed, but it means that EN players are paying $80,000USD for leveling that technically only costs $800USD.

The two zeroes are being removed from dialogue, but kept in tact everywhere else!

This change over from yen to USD resulted in a challenge for Aniplex USA: sometimes characters will say that something costs 1 madol, which is 0.01 thaumarks. As 1 madol = 1 yen (1 cent USD) this is something the original game can do with madols, but EN cannot do with thaumarks.

Aniplex USA's solution? Invent an entirely new form of currency that does not exist in the original game! :> Thus "sorcents" were born!

Interestingly, there have been at least two instances of EN not adhering to its own exchange rate:

The Albert chain that Kalim loans to Lilia is said to be 10,000,000 madol/yen which should be only 100,000 thaumarks/USD, but it was translated literally as "10 million thaumarks," instead.

And in the Prologue the chandelier is 1 billion madol/yen, so it should be only 10 million thaumarks/USD, but for some reason it was translated literally as "1 billion thaumarks," instead. Interesting!

A few more examples of the exchange rate at work:

Jamil haggles for a lamp during Firelit Sky, getting it down from 10,000 madol/yen (100 thaumarks/USD) to 7,000 madol/yen (70 thaumarks/USD).

Ruggie sells 30 cat carvings to Kalim for 60,000 madol/yen (600 thaumarks/USD).

Ruggie asks about a jeweled bracelet valued at 1,000,000 madol/yen (10,000 thaumarks/USD).

Jamil calculates for Grim how two shares of the 5,000,000 madol/yen (50,000 thaumarks/USD) prize for winning the VDC equals 1,420,000 madol/yen (14,200 thaumarks/USD).

[ohmenai]

Carnal Repair

The day the plumber came to fix my kitchen, I never imagined I would end up paying him in such an unusual and erotic way. We had finished, and I found myself without cash; in a quandary, I proposed something bold: a session of erotic photos, anonymous, without revealing his identity. 

He didn't take long to accept, and with a ski mask covering his face, the sensual game began. His body stood majestic, a bear in its habitat, flaunting with pride the thicket of hair under his arms and those nipples that seemed freshly stimulated. The atmosphere was charged with lasciviousness as he posed with his arms raised high, showing me nooks filled with testosterone. 

Then came what I least expected, his proposal to explore further. His knotty hands guided me to his hirsute virility, uncircumcised, a robust member accompanied by pendulous balls that suggested an unretouched masculinity. 

From my caresses, the most primal reaction sprouted; his phallus let loose a river of pre-cum with each touch, announcing that the day's work had taken a deliciously dirty turn. His liquid, thick and shiny, intertwined with my fingers, and I understood that this was the most visceral and satisfying currency of exchange one could desire.

[cerebrocentric-bullet]

I'm opening 5 digital art commission slots in exchange for 40 euro (or equivalent in your local currency) donations to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (also known as UNRWA.

If you're interested in a commission, please fill out this form and I will get back to you as soon as possible. At the same link, you will also find all the necessary information you need to know before commissioning me: [Link to Google Form].

🇵🇸

[gryficowa]

Boycott!

Do you remember those times when people said outright that they would not allow a holocaust? Today it sounds so cynical it hurts…

Now that I have your attention:

[sunnydaworm]

Y’all I’m gonna make a post about livestream etiquette bc some of y’all need to realize that Vtubers are real people too.

Here’s a list of the do’s and don’ts of talking to streamers.

Do: interact with them in a safe way/ collab with them if they are ok with it. Send them gifts like digital ones. On the app I use which is called Reality they can be used to help win prizes and be exchanged for in app currency that the streamer can spend for themself or for other streamers gifts! On TikTok it apparently gives them money so that’s a plus too! Be sure to share the live with others to give them more of an audience!

DONT: spam them unless specifically told it’s ok, give constant romantic expressions because there is a 99% chance they ARENT into any of that, self promote without permission no one is gonna look at some random kids YouTube just because you’re begging for subs, don’t make alts if you do any of the following and they block you just to harass them.

If you follow those it will be a safe experience for all! And who knows you might have a Vtuber moot by the end of the day!

[life-winners-liveblog]

The making of the teapot is actually quite tedious but fascinating! I wouldn't normally tell anyone about the production process, business confidentiality and whatnot, but you can't leave the Winner's Void, so it's fine.

The teapot itself is made with porcelain that's enchanted to be practically indestructible and decorated using gold and mother of pearl. As for how it makes tea, it's a very complicated process that involves both magic and chemistry.

See, by the laws of magic, science, and the world in general, something cannot come from nothing, there must be something there. Essentially the conservation of material. So the tea doesn't just come from nowhere, I actually have to magically link the teapot to something that already exists, like a large body of water or a celestial object (after checking to make sure it's not particularly important and no living organisms exist, of course. thankfully I've only needed to do that once). The link basically creates a portal which the teapot siphons materials from. This is the first magic part.

Then comes the chemistry part. The materials, whilst being siphoned, go through a process of purification to remove any contamination and germs. Then it goes through another process called transmutation. By definition, that means "the action of changing or the state of being changed into another form". In chemistry or physics, it's the action of one element becoming another element through the exchange of protons and electrons.

And after the transmutation process comes liquidization, which is exactly what it sounds like as the materials become liquid form, which isn't always needed because water is both very common and the most used ingredient as the teapot primarily dispenses drinks. Plus, water is a relatively simple compound consisting of two hydrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule- 

*five minutes later*

-then the mixture goes through another process of purification-

*ten minutes later*

-so by holding the handle or any part of the teapot, the teapot connects to the mind of the user and identifies what the user wants the teapot to dispense-

*five minutes later again*

-This all happens within the body of the teapot. And because the production process is extremely tedious, the teapot is so expensive that it exceeds all monetary value by multiple digits and regular currency can't be used to buy it. You're quite lucky I gave this to you for free, really. I've only sold six teapots, and five of them were to gods. In fact, it was actually my second customer who suggested the idea of being able to make complex drinks, so I added three more components that put the drink through the process of-

*twenty minutes later*

-and this part happens in the spout. So that’s how the teapot can make latte art and ice-cream sundaes! There's also a feature that prevents the lid from falling off and spilling anything. And that happens through the process of- Ha, no, I'm kidding. It’s called “not making an actual lid”, it just looks like there is one.

Rae-non

Pearl: I totally know what most of that meant, yep.

[Am I stupid for not understanding?]

Pearl: No! No, of course not Olive, It's just a very very complex thing, It's ok...

[reinemichele]

(2nd one not my pic)

You wanna buy THBU thoschei zine and 77 Years Dhawan!Master zine from @77yearsteam here before they go out of stock on January 28th 2024 soooo badly 🕰️

Oh, and they also have digital editions, and THBU has an audiobook edition! I think these physical copies are worth it because they're huge books (when I got my THBU copy, my brother said "What did you order, a brick???") but if you're unsure about committing or can't afford it, the digital editions run pretty cheap (like, $3 for 77 yrs and $6 for THBU but it depends on currency exchange fluctuations)

[davidson-eric]

Don't keep quiet as they have keep deceiving us that everything is fine, everything is not fine no matter what, the bank and exchanges will still crash and all money in there will be lost forever and nothing we can do about it but only Quantum Financial System (QFS) will save the world with the biggest reserve as it's backed up by digital gold and silver known as the ISO 20022 stellar XLM silver and ripple XRP gold and backed by precious gold 🥇 and silver 🥈 well secured on the stellar Blockchain technology and being guided 🔐 by Quantum stellar initiative QSI.

I hope everyone have started stocking up on this recommended currency as it's going to take over the fiat $ currency and become the world 🌍 currency used for future transactions paying bills and others trading, the whole world will be using one currency and all evil will be getting rid off dept and mortgages will be cleared from everyone as the new system will save the world and NESARA GESARA retirement payouts will be paid to all QFS users as well...we can be reached via email (check bio for email) or a dm away.

#EyesOpenAmerica

#GESARANESARA #FinancialRevolution #NESARA #QFS #Decentralized #XRP #GESARA

[awakenallpatriots]

Don't keep quiet as they have keep deceiving us that everything is fine everything is not fine no matter what the bank and exchanges will still crash and all money in there will be lost forever and nothing we can do about it but only Quantum financial system QFS will save the world with the biggest reserve as it's back up by digital gold and silver known as the iso 20022 coins stellar XLM silver and ripple XRP gold and backed by precious gold 🥇 and silver 🥈 well secured on the stellar Blockchain technology and being guided and secure 🔐 by Quantum stellar initiative QSI. I hope everyone have started stocking up on this recommended currency as it's going to take over the fiat $ currency and become the world 🌍 currency used for future transactions paying bills and others trading,the whole world will be using one currency and all evil will be getting ride off dept and mortgages will be cleared from everyone as the new system will save the world and NESARA GESARA retirement payouts will be paid to all QFS users as well..

[novelconcepts]

Hi! Love you work! Can I ask for 9 and 14 for adult Taivan?

9 - Confessions; 14 - Vulnerability

"Why do you do this?"

Van jumps. She hadn't expected Taissa to return so quickly; had been banking on a little peace and quiet in the apartment. Tai had sounded distracted and irritable this morning. Something about needing to find clothes outside of Van's closet. Something about needing to make sense of some paperwork, needing to return some emails.

Something, in short, about trying to piece together her life. Evidently, moving in with her ex in Ohio had not been on her bingo card.

Now, Tai is leaning over the back of Van's couch, her eyes fixed on the television screen. Figures move about, wedding dress and tuxedo, laughing and kissing over cake. Pretty strangers striding around a pretty, unfamiliar story.

"It's a service we provide," Van says. "Digitizing family videos."

"No," Taissa says, "I get that. I've watched you do it enough times. I just don't know why."

"Be-cause video is a dying art form, and I have to keep the lights on somehow?" Van cranes around to look up at her, puzzled. "The exchange of currency for services is still a thing in Jersey, is it not?"

Taissa doesn't pull her gaze from the screen. Her expression is stiff. "But it bugs you. Watching strangers on the happiest day of their lives."

Van snorts. "That's some bold shit."

"What? It's obvious. Your face goes all..." Taissa twists her own features into an extravagantly-despairing mask. Van rolls her eyes.

"I mean that it's the happiest day of their lives. But fuck you very much, while we're on the subject."

A slim silence stretches between them, so fine, Van imagines slicing it with a breath. Taissa isn't looking at the screen anymore.

"Why do you say that?"

"The happiest day of their lives?" Van shakes her head. "Shit, we've both been to enough weddings to know better. Was Shauna's wedding was the happiest day of her life? Was yours?"

Every muscle in Taissa's face freezes, her shoulders sweeping back in a taut arch. "How can you--"

"Was it?" Van repeats. She slings an arm over the back of the couch, her body twisted to face Taissa. A bloom of irascible heat is rising up her neck. It's the fire of a fight well-picked, an argument decades in the making, and though she isn't entirely sure she wants to have it out here and now, she is equally uncertain about her ability to contain its fury.

Tai's looking at her with unreadable dark eyes. Not angry, in kind, but...weary. Flayed.

More vulnerable than Van's seen her in years.

"No," she whispers. "You know it wasn't."

The happiest day of her life is lost to her, to both of them, cast out into the woods. When Van closes her eyes, she imagines the shape of it between her hands, seated astride her hips. When Van closes her eyes, she can make it out. The thorny stretch of vines coiling a pale wrist to a brown one. The thunder of pulse beneath the smooth stretch of Taissa's throat. The crowns placed upon their brows, the delight of their friends, the sense of homecoming that couldn't be replicated even when they set foot back in the civilized world.

Empty bellies. Hearts filled to bursting. Taissa claiming her mouth in a kiss that, even after forty-odd years on this earth, remains unmatched.

"I do it," Van says, "because they pay me. And because I know that--" She jabs a thumb over her shoulder, at the screen cast with strangers. "Isn't the happiest a person can be."

Happiness--true happiness--is too raw for a camera. Too bloody for white dresses and clean smiles. True happiness cuts so deep, the scars will never fade. Taissa used to know that.

With or without the words, Van suspects she still does.

[celestial-coordinates]

Introduction

Finally decided to make a Tumblr for my sci-fi project that's been languishing on Amino for literal years.

The City

Astar City sits in the heart of the Atlantic, an artificial island that breaches the boundary of earth and the greater reaches of space. I is here that the greatest minds are trained, taught and cultivated to carry humanity forward in the pursuit of betterment--and to avoid the mistakes of the past. Guiding them are our allies and friends from beyond the stars, each bringing to the table something unique that enriches the lives of those living with and without gravity keeping them on the ground.

At the northernmost point stands the base of the great Gravern-Tybbs Space Elevator, the hub of planetary travel and resource management for Astar City and the very reason for the island to be built. The city itself consists of three 'rings' with the outermost zone being subdivided at the cross-quarters:

Northeast: the docks that import and export goods from the elevator to the rest of the world.

Northwest: the factories that shop materials used in the city itself or to be exported.

Across the midline is the Elgiss Channel that separates the industrial zone from the rest of the outer ring.

Southeast: Glassgow Park, a touch of nature to greet the incoming visitors and new citizens of Astar City.

Brightside amusement park lies at the southern tip of the island, full of neon and fiber optics.

Southwest: Elysium Square, named for the fields of heroes, this part of the outer ring is a type of nature reserve where festivals, recreation and camping occurs.

The secondary ring is the widest and most densely populated, hosting the library, museum, businesses, apartments, the university, etc. Different zones have developed based on local population and need, with various cultures carving out corners of the city for themselves, each connected by the monorail that covers the middle ring.

The inner ring is also known as Pillar Place and hosts only three buildings the locals refer to as "the ladies of Astar City" for their nicknames: Astrid, Ingrid and Ester.

Astar Technology, Research & Development (AsTReD) is the jewel of the city where the greatest minds of all species bring their skills together to move forward. There is a direct landing zone for small ships on the roof of the building which stands the tallest at 123 floors.

The Inter-Global Resource Department (InGReD), or “trade center”, manages the accounts and resources of Astar City, regulating repairs, jobs, money and relationships between earth and the colonies. Boasting 119 floors, it is the second tallest building in the city.

The third building is colloquially called “the ambassador apartments” but it's legally named the Exo-Endo Suites for Terran Relations (EESTeR) which are somewhere between a hotel, a timeshare and an apartment block for political figures to stay and to house the ambassadors of the Kuana which handle the translations and interactions on behalf of their patrons. The Lofted Gardens sit atop the spire, capping it at 115 floors.

No building in the city is allowed to exceed 100 floors as to not conflict with The Ladies.

The digital currency of the city is the kibb, which has an exchange rate of 100KBB=1.25 USD (kibb are counted like Japanese yen with no decimals or fractional dollars).

The Citizens

Boasting a colorful array of denizens, Astar City boasts not only the greatest diversity of new-earth cultures in one place, but also the most non-earth cultures as well. In the wake of The War for Change (also dubbed WWIII or the Eco-War), many cultures and countries on earth were fractured, lost or sub-divided as populations were deposed and borders redrawn. In an effort to preserve history and their memories, surviving groups were approached to document their culture and struggles post-war; some of these survivors eventually migrated to Astar City for work, settling in the new districts and reshaping their identities into what they are today.

Of the races/species represented, there are:

Humans, both Enhanced (robotic) and Modified (gene spliced)

Robots, the smallest faction, consisting of pure synthetic 'life' developed from rapidly advancing AI made by humans

Viispaa, currently majority Primes, some Curantis and Puer, a few Inimicus and Artifex (other subtypes coming soon)

Aska'a Thani, the second most common non-human under Viispaa

Kuana, though they remain in orbit and rarely come to the surface

Ravulcaba Mercs and Merchants, the most recent inclusion to the roster having appeared after responding to distress caused by stray Miscreant activity

Lem'iran, a single individual currently in hyper sleep with an unknown wake date

The System

By the onset of the 3030s, earth (also known as Terra, Geos or Gaia) and its resident sapient species, the humans, have touched the corners of their solar system and set up stations of one kind or another on most available surfaces. In 2375, the three races agreed that all space within 40 AU of Sol/Helios (our sun) would belong to humans by right and thus determined by them how it would be distributed and moderated. [dates are temporary and under reconsideration]

Moon/Luna/Selene: colonization of the moon started in 2260 as the first major unification project between the Kuana, Aska'a and humans. However, political and bureaucratic policies on earth forced the colony to declare independence in 2269, dubbing themselves the Greater Alliance Lunar Commonwealth, later dubbed Galuc. They celebrate the birth of the first off-world infant which opened the filed of psionics in 2272, with the colony town developing into something of a college-town. The University of Galuc is the only facility in the system greater than Astar University in terms of academic scope, with focus on the study of psionics, low-gravity survival and colonization of hostile landscapes, and deep-space communications and observation through the use of Arecibo II. Sim chambers are a staple of the lunar economy, with the short ride from the space elevator to the docking bay being little more than a train ride for citizens of Astar City.

Mercury: around 2380, in response to changes in the judicial system of earth, a high-security "reformation" station was built on Mercury though everyone knows its a prison. Intended to 'make use' of those who failed to contribute to society, the station ensures escape is impossible due to the harsh terrain of Mercury and its abysmal climate. Considered a one-way trip, the facility doubles as a factory for manufacturing and refining certain materials while utilizing a system similar to the moon's for being solar powered. After a failed uprising by inmates cause massive losses around 2600, the guards were replaced in majority with AI.

Venus: despite rovers surviving for upwards of 36 hours on the surface, in 2400 Venus was deemed "still hell" and quarantined as a waste dump for materials that don't decay, such as plastics; lack of terraforming technology has made planets like Venus "unsuitable" for colonization. Some materials such as radioactive waste are ejected into the sun for removal.

Mars: in 2375, after the Galuc colony debacle settled, Mars was considered for a new base of operations. The founding colony was established as a terraforming research facility, however as they gained space and samples, our alien allies began bringing embryos from other planets to help diversify our resources and fill niches that had not been needed on earth. While the technology for proper terraforming hit wall after wall, advancements in robotic AI allowed for opportunities to better mine asteroids for material. The Mars colony itself turned its focus to conservation and study of exotic animals, becoming the system's largest wildlife preserve and only place currently allowing the display of non-Sol species.

Belt: under control of the InAMi Corporation (Inner Astroid Mining Corporation) since 2727

Jupiter: with the onset of gravity-assist launching methods becoming standard practice and trial runs of quantum radio broadcasting, the year 2572 saw the beginning of Jovian lunar colonization to help facilitate asteroid mining. By 2586, the Jovian Lunar Bases dominate the field in terms of mining exports and AI development for industrial workplaces.

Saturn: while Saturn's moons were under observation for colonization since 2586, the first bases weren't established until 2601 due in part to the fuel requirements and resource limitations, but also from the mysterious, radioactive wreck found floating between Saturn and Uranus in 2590. The make of the ship was not familiar, life signs were absent and no race claimed a missing ship, thus it was hauled to an asteroid base for study and dubbed The Shell. High levels of radiation and no comparisons for deciphering the salvage brings the study to a crawl.

Uranus: 2697 saw the first attempt to colonize Uranus, however energy requirements caused major hiccups along the way, forcing the orbital station to be shut down until alternatives are found. Inami Corp funds a smaller station to facilitate the development of electro-magnetic generators while supplying fossil fuels to the station. A gamble is taken on whether or not Neptune's moon, Triton, has liquid water which could be used for hydro-electric power. After the prototype solar-powered hypercells are perfected, the colony station comes back online on restricted power in 2836 with a focus on using magnetic fields for energy.

Neptune: in 2735 the gamble paid off and a team was sent to try and establish a power facility in the back half of the system. Despite this, tensions arose between the sentient races regarding the withholding of technology, creating The Frozen Period where advancement and colonization effectively stopped until 2825. Proper colonization of Triton begins in 2862, growing it into a power station and foothold to the Kuiper belt by 2870.

Pluto: In 2881, a unknown signal from outside the solar system is detected; origins are unknown and unclaimed, but the possibility of more life on their level existing encourages a project for converting Pluto and the other demi-planets to be fitted with signal transmitters to boost and detect further broadcasts. In 2891, after siphoning most of the unstable radiation from The Shell and spending a considerable amount of time breaking down the remnant of a language, it's discovered the console received a signal whose imprint matched the mysterious signal from a decade prior, which had previously been written off as interference from sunspots. In 2913, the Exo-Solar Communications Station (ESCoS) comes online.

Kuiper belt: under control of Inami Corp's sister company, OKAMi (Outer-Kuiper Asteroid Mining) since 2878.

[frogblast-the-ventcore]

Good day, it's me again!

Got some questions for your Astralverse universe.

I tried scouring your blog for astralverse-tagged posts but didn't find sufficient answers so I figured I should present these questions.

It's mentioned in the doc that FTL travel is commonplace but FTL comms is only in experimental stage, by the looks of it. Which is weird in my mind because I thought it should be easier to solve FTL comms first. What's the in-universe lore/explanation for this?

Still on the topic of FTL technology, who's the primary user? Everyone in the Confed, just the founders, a handful of trusted races? And who was the first to kickstart the development for FTL? Is it before or after the Confed was formed?

How is currency handled between races? Is there a unified currency that everyone uses (a la present day European Union with EUR), or is currency exchange/conversion still required?

The flag for The Plex appears to be a flat grey rectangle. I thought it was a bug on my end but it's also displayed like that on desktop. Is that actually what their flag looks like? Or just a placeholder for now maybe?

This one isn't really a question but the Lamian Assembly is described as "society of semi-humanoid serpents" which I glossed over at first, but then clicked with something that I know of: the Lamia people in Elder Scrolls, who also resemble humanoid serpents. I don't know if that's where you took the name from or simply a mere coincidence, but I felt I wanted to bring that up.

Heya! Always happy to answer questions!

1. The specific method of FTL travel in the setting requires some manner of actual mass to work - sending information which has no mass was long thought impractically difficult. The Va'ruun's creators could do it, and consulting with the few of them that are left is how the experimental systems have come to be.

But until recently the method of "FTL" communication was just loading up a communication nano-satellite with messages, having it be carried by an FTL capable vessel into orbit of a given planet, and released, whereupon it transmits it messages to the surface. Not quite instantaneous communication, but decent enough. And importantly, it's fairly cost effective.

2. Everyone in the Confederation has FTL technology. FTL travel (like a lot of the more advanced technology in the setting, was originally a product of the same race that also created the Va'ruun.

The Va'ruun, after inheriting the creators' empire, and being a generous people, gave FTL to any species they befriended - which, when you are the Va'ruun, is extremely easy - any civilization is very likely to respond positively to them for any number of reasons.

3. There is indeed a common currency - the Confederation Unified Exchange note - the CUEnote. It exists both as physical currency (largely for governments, banking, and the like) and digital currency (for most average civilians). They are backed by the Confederation Central Reverse Bank, and derive value from both the largest reverse of physical precious metals in the known galaxy, and a significant reverse of physical member state currency.

Physical CUEnote designs are flat, plasticised sheets roughly 150 x 60 mm in size (roughly equivalent to a modern day US dollar). They exist in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10000 note varieties - though only notes up to 500 are in widespread circulation.

Regardless, individual member state currencies still exist, and are fully legal tender - conversion rates are calculated by the CCRB and change on a yearly basis. Currencies used by sub-states of member states are also accepted, especially when a member state is not an entirely unified government (to quote a famous Confederation economist: "The oft-cited 'most member states have 4.5 currencies' factoid is actually statistical error. Most member states have a single currency. The Terran Alliance, who lives in the Sol system and has over 180 currencies on one planet, is an outlier and should not have been counted. Please stop counting them, they're giving me nightmares.")

4. That is, in fact, their official flag! The Plex government insists, and has always maintained, that there is a "very beautiful design" adorning it.

Most people are convinced this is the Plex playing a species wide joke.

5. I took the name from more mythological sources there, but so did Elder Scrolls, so convergent evolution.

Ironically enough, the Lamia would actually be better described as "nagas", at least in a modern (furry) sense of the term.

They are, after all, essentially just the Vipers from XCOM:

[saltminerising]

Okay i was gonna challenge the MS from fire thing by saying I got tons of valuable stuff and currency from friends who quit when I joined (Light Sprite, some 5 digits) but they joined and immediately were doing currency exchanges in the forum and then straight to G1 auctions with all the proper lingo like they're a site veteran and their lair is full of g1 doubles for sale. Something is very weird about that account.

🌱

[thefigmented]

HEY YOU!!

Do you wanna support this silly uni student? Want me to draw your blorbos? WELL I will do that in exchange for currency!

I've just made a neat little carrd for my commission prices, so check it out!

Wanna support me, and get a physical item out of it? I've got a Redbubble for stickers + pins, AND an Inprnt shop for high quality art prints!

Even if you don't have money to spare, consider reblogging this post! I'd appreciate it a lot :]