That Space Game

For general reference a good example for our type of ship would be Nostromo from Alien, Millenium Falcon from Star Wars or Serenity from Firefly. Other good examples are Silent Running, Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5 or even Dark Star. Spaceships are glorified surface ships, or aeroplanes, but they conveniently don't seem to have affected day to day life.

Argolid Merchant is an obscure joke. The Argo Merchant was an oil tanker that ran aground southeast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, on December 15, 1976. Six days later, on December 21, the shipwreck broke apart, causing one of the largest oil spills in history.

Starships

What they Can and Can't Do

The Starship and its Technology

Okay. For starters, let's ditch Star Trek and everything associated with it. For one thing, we both know that since there is no time/space problem which cannot be solved by a suitable application of transporter technology, Star Trek roleplaying games tend to get out of hand pretty quickly anyway. Star Wars would be a much better reference....plenty of neat-looking technology, but nearly everything is just a souped up version of what we have now, except it can go into space.

Since this is a light game, rather than go into great detail on technology and space travel, we'll gloss this one.

Dull 20th Century things that Copernicus has:

Airlocks

Loading cranes

Atmosphere-recirculating plant

Microwave Radio

Light-imaging Radar

Space Suits

Air-tight bulkheads

Plastic armor over

Internal pressure sensors, automatic collision bulkheads

PA system and intercoms

Dull 20th Century things that Copernicus doesn't have:

Cameras everywhere

Handheld "communicators"

Self Destruct devices (yeah, I know I cited Nostromo, but let's be real...who designs a commercial ship to blow up on purpose)

Neat Science-Fiction things the Copernicus has:

Fusion-powered Faster than Light Drive

Maneuvering Drive

Magnetic Atmosphere Containment (keeps air in the event of a hull breach)

Particle Weapons

Escape Pods (No FTL, but Subspace Radio)

Subspace Radio (there is still a lag, but it will summon help in the event of a disaster)

Anti-Gravity landing/takeoff pads - useless in deep space

Laser-rifles and other neat "blaster" weapons

Artificial Intelligence Mainframe Computer

Medical Diagnostic Computer

Artificial Gravity (but like most sci-fi, few other applications of this technology)

Things that some science-fiction sources depict, that the Copernicus does not have:

Transporters, or spin-off technologies (replicators)

Omniscient "Scanners" that tell you what people a thousand miles away had for breakfast, when it is convenient for the plot

Time or Probability affecting technologies

"Tractor" beams (though the loading equipment makes some use of magnetic traction fields)

"Shields"

Pre-designed equipment for selectively poisoning or irradiating sections of the vessel

Any other devices that are clearly designed to endanger people on board the ship

Willing suspension of disbelief:
In any science-fiction simulation, it is difficult or impossible to simulate certain types of things in game, without actually having them.

As in most science fiction, the GM's will arrange for any inconvenient technologies to be on the blink. It will be perfectly possible to solve all problems in the game without using any device which effectively allows PC's to effect the game without having to interact with anyone. IE: "I'm finding him with the ships cameras, then turning off life support to the section he is in." Players who persist in attempting to gain indirect power by working on systems that are not functioning because we don't have a good simulation for them will find that they are beating their heads against ferroceramic bulkheads. You have been warned - the time you waste is your own.