I need a bit of help

omegar

Mongoose
Hey,

I am working on a oneshot scenario for a few friends of mine, however the plot i have is throwing up a few Questions, and so instead of doing the research, i am going to ask here and get opinions.

Now Did IPX exist prior to the Earth-Minbari War?

Assuming yes:
What kind of ship would they use to move teams from world to world?
This is of course in the Time period prior to the E-M War

Thanks for any help you can give.
 
omegar said:
Hey,

I am working on a oneshot scenario for a few friends of mine, however the plot i have is throwing up a few Questions, and so instead of doing the research, i am going to ask here and get opinions.

Now Did IPX exist prior to the Earth-Minbari War?

Assuming yes:
What kind of ship would they use to move teams from world to world?
This is of course in the Time period prior to the E-M War

Thanks for any help you can give.

Yes. In fact, they helped create the first Mars colony in 2100. They've been around for a long, long, time.
 
Now Did IPX exist prior to the Earth-Minbari War?
Yes, IPX has been around for quite a while. Though they only came into their present incarnation around 2175 or so, when the EA started expanding into a major power after their encounter with the Cenaturi. As they realized that most of their neighbors have better tech, the EA initiated a aggressive R&D program to raise their tech base, and one of the tricks was to have IPX try to find technology among the ruins of dead civilizations, from mars (the shadowship Dr. Kirkish found on mars wasn't the first find of shady artifacts - and the "mouse" Dr. Sheridan examined wasn't either. Read the Psi-Corps trilogy, part 1) to any dead world they could reach.

What kind of ship would they use to move teams from world to world?
This is of course in the Time period prior to the E-M War
Well, the small "Icarus" type science ship does not seem like a terribly new design (it shares more similarities with the old -Hyperion, Kestrel shuttle, Skylark Transport, Olympus, Aries-to-Aurora Starfuries- then the new -Omega, Warlock, Thunderbolt- designs); I'd assume it had been around since before the Dilgar war, quite possibly even since the first days of EA interstellar exploration. The earliest design I know of that has some similarities dates back to 2168...

For more understanding - IPX Modus Operandi:

First regular Explorers ("Explorer" class ships after the Minbari war, "Oracle" and "Pathfinder" -a Nova variant trading many big guns and half the fighters for a rotational section and long-range stores, looks almost like an Omega, most likely the ones seen in "ItB"- class ships before) find the new system and establish a reliable jump route. If they report any ruins...
...an IPX ship comes, carrying a science team (see "Thirdspace" or the scenes about the "Icarus" landing on "Alpha Omega Three" aka "Z'ha'dum"; and read "The Shadow Within" for more info) to investigate and maybe find something of interest - or some info pointing to something usable.
Since they don't usually risk their people in first investigations (after all, IPX specialists are too higly paid to check out all planets, they get sent only once indication of an ancient civilization has been found), they don't usually need big and jump-capable ships (though they might have some - or they just ask Earthforce to help them if they need something with a jump engine).

Sooo... if any mongoose guy sees this, how about doing a "IPX Science Vessel" part complete with stats and deckplans for "S&P" or some other supplement? :wink:
 
ShadowScout said:
Sooo... if any mongoose guy sees this, how about doing a "IPX Science Vessel" part complete with stats and deckplans for "S&P" or some other supplement? :wink:

Indeedy :)

Also, the same for the standard EA atmospheric shuttle (IPX uses them as well as witnessed in "Warzone", where the IPX team had been left behind with a pair of them as transport, presumably by some larger vessel.
 
I really, really want to do an IPX sourcebook for the rpg. Indiana Jones with PPGs and spacesuits, going after the Vorlon Grail....
 
Also, the same for the standard EA atmospheric shuttle (IPX uses them as well as witnessed in "Warzone", where the IPX team had been left behind with a pair of them as transport, presumably by some larger vessel.
The Kestrel? Yeah, that'd be nice. And miniatures for both... Actually I have long wanted miniatures for all the small civilian ships, those are vital when one wants to combine tactical mini starship combat with RPG encounters... and I do hope that the mongoose guys over at CtA will one day provide...

I really, really want to do an IPX sourcebook for the rpg. Indiana Jones with PPGs and spacesuits, going after the Vorlon Grail....
Hmmm... would that include a Psi Cop with half of the map to it's location burned into his palm? IPX employees with PPG's, hats and Agony Whips? Centauri rivals with french accent? Traps guarding Soul Hunter Galleries including big rolling stone balls? Or maybe a temple full of crazed Markab cultists?

:wink: :D :lol:

Seriously though, it'd make sense. A section about IPX, including everything you'd need from standard equipment to operations, one section with sample digs and such (from "mostly harmless" to what happens if you dig too deep...), and maybe a small adventure and ideas for a few more... (though if someone was after that he could just take "The Fiery Trial" and "Into the Crucible" as they're all very much IPX-connected)
 
Thanks for all the help.

I was 90% sure that IPX was around, but couldn't recall a date so thought to check.

Also thanks for the advice on ships.

Just have to get through the characters (First time i have done B5 chars and i am still trawling throught The minbari book) and then write up the rest of the scenario. Thanks.
 
In Season 1 (Infection), Dr. Franklin says he's never heard of IPX. Is this just a slip on the part of JMS?
 
Dr Franklin does indeed say he's never heard of IPX. Although later in the series, IPX is advertising on the TV.

The 'Corporate Strategies' article in S&P issue 9 contains info on IPX (now available on drivethroughrpg.com) and the EA Factbook has a little as well.
 
In Season 1 (Infection), Dr. Franklin says he's never heard of IPX. Is this just a slip on the part of JMS?
Why should it be?

Have you heard of every company there is, especially one that doesn't produce anything and is waaayyy out of your area of expertise?

Why should a doctor have heard of an archeological company after all?

Of course, later IPX for some reason gets a PR department (I wonder why though - usually you advertise because you want people to buy your poducts or services, and IPX doesn't really have products or services. Maybe they had some bad press, and tried to make people like them so the politicans wouldn't withdraw funding...)
 
ShadowScout said:
Why should a doctor have heard of an archeological company after all?

Cos he hitchiked all over the galaxy, because he's a xenobiologist and one of the things IPX pick up is organic tech, because Vance Hendricks (Infection, Season 1) was an archaeologist type and was one of Franklin's old tutors. But there's just as many reasons why he wouldn't. Like my workaholic suggestion.

LBH
 
Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. I think it was an over sight on the writter. But I know I'll forgive him for it! Because it was only one little itty bitty mishap.
 
Perturbatio said:
Maybe he lied.
Maybe he did all sorts of biological research for IPX and would rather keep it quiet. :wink:

Could make extended stays in Medbay risky....

or visits to his underground clinic....
 
Maybe IPX didn't run any commercials until then. Like you never saw science specials that showed the inside of Navy nuclear submarines until they were threatened with budget cuts.

Kizarvexis
 
Back
Top