Oolite Bulletins

Where is the GalCop Headquarters?

Lave: Wikipedia GalCop page: (http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/GalCop)
Theory 2 (Selezen, 2010): based at Lave (President, Chiefs of Staff, Worlds Council)
"This building (Administrative Building on Lave) is where GalCop is actually run, and contains the offices of the President and Chiefs of Staff. The day-to day running of the affairs of the GCW are centred here, but the majority of the actual staff are in residence on Lave Coriolis One. "

Lave: GalCop galactic registry OXP (in-game docked F4 pages):
This lists the GalCop sector HQ as Lave (ie Galaxy 1 HQ)

Zadies: Famous Worlds OXP (in-game F7 pages):
Zadies: The planet houses the main administrative headquarters of GalCop
Lave: nothing about GalCop, just about the pilot's exam! (Disembodied's page in the Rough Guide also says nothing about GalCop)

Zadies: The Traders Almanach: (http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Sector1/Zadies)
The Zadies system is the administrative HQ of GalCop, and the spaceway L2 turns in the L3. This means there is a lot of business, and also a lot of traffic around the clock.

Neither: Planet Scanner OXP: (http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Catego ... er_Galaxy1)
This lists only 4 systems for Galaxy 1, and includes both Lave & Zadies! The pages on each system use identical language amusingly saying that GalCop recognises each as home systems and maintains an orbital station there! And on http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Planet_Scanner: Disclaimer: Violations with other versions of Canon are expected.

Neither: Classic Elite in-game F7 page (http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Oolite ... t/Galaxy_1)
Neither description mentions GalCop headquarters:
Lave: "Lave is most famous for its vast rain forests and the Laveian tree grub."
Zadies: "The planet Zadies is famous for its inhabitants' exceptional love for food blenders but scourged by dreadful solar activity."

Inconclusive: Spaceways: (http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Sector ... L1_(Route))
The concept of Spaceways seems to have been tied up with the Famous Planets stable (Povray Planets, Liners, etc).
Lave is the start of Spaceway 1 (to Xexedi/Lerelace) and of Spaceway 2 (to Zadies). They split at Aronar.
Zadies is where Spaceway 2 (to Lave) turns into Spaceway 3 (to Teraed - where it turns into Spaceway 4 to Tianve


I'm pretty sure that I've come across other references elsewhere. If I find them, I hope to add them into this thread for future reference.


Now, one can certainly find various ways of combining the various sources. For example:
a) Zadies' GalCop is the Police, not the Galactic Co-operative of Worlds.
b) The administration on Lave is that for the executive and serving the legislature, the administration on Zadies is for the day-to day running of Galaxy One.
c) The administration on Lave is for Galaxy 1, The administration on Zadies is for The Eight.



But, does anyone know about the history of how the difference developed - or has any other comments? Or might there be some relevant discussion elsewhere on this board that I've not seen?

In witchspace where it's run by a Thargoid collective

Colonies mean stations, stations mean trade, trade means hyperspace, hyperspace means... prey

Redspear wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 4:35 pm

In witchspace where it's run by a Thargoid collective

<chortles>



I think the Galactic Cooperative of Worlds is a Frontier thing, based in the Old Worlds region.
I don't know if it's mentioned in The Dark Wheel - but AFAIK, it doesn't exist in Oolite.

If it were truly a cooperative then might it make sense that there were no permanent headquarters but rather that meetings take place and agreements be signed in various systems of perhaps the safer government types?

Redspear wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 5:17 pm

If it were truly a cooperative then might it make sense that there were no permanent headquarters but rather that meetings take place and agreements be signed in various systems of perhaps the safer government types?

Yes, agreed. Much depends on whether you see the Co-operative as something organised and centralised, or if it's just a loose set of accords patched together for the purposes of interstellar trade and not much else. Personally, I prefer the latter: a patchwork of who-knows-what is more interesting than a big homogenised empire.

Disembodied wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 5:42 pm

a patchwork of who-knows-what is more interesting than a big homogenised empire.

And arguably more likely to explain the rampant piracy and chaotic distribution of government types.

What Big D and Redspear said!

Probably not the answers you wanted, Cholly, but hey... we don't even know where HIMSN's HQ is located (or do we?). We know it has a base in Xeer, but which Xeer? Most likely the Xeer in G1 - but it could be the other Xeer in G7.

Cody wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 6:49 pm

We know it has a base in Xeer, but which Xeer? Most likely the Xeer in G1 - but it could be the other Xeer in G7.

There's an absolutely terrible pun in there somewhere

<grins> The large yellow bug-eyed frogs would have something to say about that, I'm sure!

Cody wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 7:13 pm

<grins> The large yellow bug-eyed frogs would have something to say about that, I'm sure!

Now I remember...

They told me, "Don't think you'll ever make it through Xeer
A bounty on your head, ECM needs repair
Your fuel is just too low and it's dangerous here
So heed it, I'll repeat it:"...

...You have to know it's multi-government here,
These yellow bug-eyed frogs, they really just don't care
They'll shoot you, then they'll scoop you, then sell you at Isceer
Defeat it? Why? You gotta be mad

Cody wrote: ↑Tue Jun 29, 2021 4:40 pm

I think the Galactic Cooperative of Worlds is a Frontier thing, based in the Old Worlds region.
I don't know if it's mentioned in The Dark Wheel - but AFAIK, it doesn't exist in Oolite.

Good question. I checked it out:

GalCop is mentioned in Classic Elite:

1) Dark Wheel - chapter 1 onwards

2) Imprint - Frontispiece onwards

3) Elite Manual:
Introduction: Welcome aboard your Cobra ... supplied to you by Faulcon deLacy by arrangement with the Galactic Co-operative of Worlds whose ... pilot exams you have just ... completed. ....
Navigation Chapter: The Galactic Co-operative is only one - although the largest - of several planetary federations, and maintains trade and diplomatic links with over 2000 planets spread throughout 8 galaxies...
Coriolis Space Station: Every world registered with the Galactic Co-operative has several Coriolis Space stations in orbit at various altitudes. Coriolis stations are "neutral territory" controlled equally by GalCop and the Planetary Government

4) Game Code: No easy way for me to check. The F7 entries don't seem to mention either Galactic or GalCop, but I've no idea about the missions texts. Or how things moved on from the original BBC game to the other later versions such as ArcElite.

5) Elite Player's Guide (unpublished, written by Bell & Braben: http://www.elitehomepage.org/playguide.htm#A0)
- 'Legal Status' refers to your Galactic Police record.
- However, because of the recent decline in the Galactic Government, piracy is on the increase,...
- On slaves, narcotics & firearms: * - These items are defined as illegal by the Galactic Government, so trading in them is risky.
- The slave trade, once almost eliminated by the Galactic Government, is now returning, despite the efforts of the Galactic Police Force to suppress it.
- The Galactic Banks, who often insure the larger trading convoys, abhor pirates and will pay a bounty for any pirate ship destroyed.
A ship's computer will transmit photographic evidence of any kill to the planet side branch of one of the major Bank chains. The IR signature of the destroyed ship is then tallied with all known pirate vessels, and if a match is found the pilot's account will be credited.
- VIPER PATROL SHIP
This is the standard ship used by the Galactic Police Force. Being fairly small, it carries only one missile, but is very fast. The police force are not directly associated with the space stations, but are an independent agency, financed by the rapidly collapsing Galactic Government. Their main aim is to prevent trading in items still declared illegal by this Galactic Government, but they are being ignored in these rebellious days, even by most space stations, since a great deal of profit can be made from trading in such goods. They will try to come to their comrades' assistance if they are attacked, and will reap their revenge on a ship that destroys one of their own.
- SIDEWINDER SCOUT SHIP
This one man assault ship was originally designed to Galactic Navy specifications as a city-strafing, reconnaisance, and infantry air-support vessel.
- PRESSURISED CARGO CANISTER
For many years these chromalloy canisters have been used to store cargo during space flights. They hold approximately a tonne of goods kept under standard atmospheric pressure (as defined by the ancient Galactic Government), and can withstand even the roughest handling in star-bases.
Tales have been told of such barrels being discovered after over a hundred years on barren moons, their contents still intact even though the ship carrying them was completely destroyed. Because of this resilience, pirates have been known to plunder even the largest of trading ships, and pluck surviving barrels from the wreckage.
- ASTEROIDS
These are large chunks of rock, usually containing valuable trace elements for which they are mined by "Belters".
Since they are a navigational hazard, a pittance is paid by the Galactic Banks for asteroid clearance.
- THARGOID INVASION SHIPS
The Thargoids are a highly technologically advanced insectoid race and are usually at war with most other life forms. They are fearless, utterly ruthless in combat, and appalling conversationalists. Though most of the Thargoid Space Fleet is currently engaged by the Galactic Navy in Intergalactic Space, a few of the smaller battle ships make occasional sorties into Human Space. These ships are extremely fast for their size and invariably have ECM (this was originally a Thargoid invention to counter Navy Missiles, subsequently copied by the Navy from captured Thargoid ships).
Additionally, most Thargoid battle ships carry a few small remote-controlled ships, each equipped with a single pulse laser. It is rumoured that the Galactic Navy are designing their own remote-controlled fighter, and will pay well for Thargoid ones to study.
The Galactic Banks will pay a handsome bounty for any Thargoid battle ships destroyed, since they suspect that the Thargoids may be behind the frequent disappearances of trading ships from the hyperspace lanes.

As regards Frontier, I presume that it is not mentioned - I had understood that Selezen had to create a history explaining how the GalCop which existed so influentially in Elite had utterly disappeared by the days of Frontier - and then had to come up with something for Oolite which falls in between the two for his chronology.

Links to links for all the above are on the Lore page on our wiki: http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Lore

Good work, Cholly! Has your question been answered? Plenty of mentions of a Galactic Government too. I don't recall any mention of such in-game (BBC Elite), and AFAIK the Oolite mission texts are exactly the same as BBC Elite. Someone may be able to correct me on that.

It's understandable, but it's a shame Ian Bell never became an active forum member.



If there's one thing I learnt from ED, it's that history in the Frontier universe is mutable. Something I believe Drew and Selezen also discovered.


As an aside on the subject of ED: I can understand why the Home Worlds from Elite were included in ED (and in the two Frontier games), but I have always been puzzled by the inclusion of the other Elite worlds in ED.

For reference (in case anyone is interested), those other worlds (all from G1) are:

• Aona
  Arexe
  Ededleen
  Ensoreus
  Erlaza
  Isinor
  Larais
  Legees
  Leoned
  Oresqu
  Quator
  Qube
  Qucerere
  Qutiri
  Ra
  Ritila
  Teorge
  Teveri
  Tianve
  Tibionis
  Zarece

There may be more, but that was all we could find back then (I've been parked-up at Teveri for 7 years now).