Public communications during the Empire era.

[scott2978]

So how do you portray public comms during the Empire? Do people use a special phonebooth to make "reeeeaaaaaaally long distance" calls? Do they have to use a special company like Western Union to transmit a pre-recorded emssage? How much does it cost?

Post your thoughts.


Scott

[Krayt]

Well, there aren't any scorcebooks that state this (I think), but in a WotC adventure, they mention communications sattilites capable if transmitting across the galaxy. So, I always played it like you send messages (Pre-Recorded) through hyperspace. I dont think you can have actual conversations with other planets. For on-planet comms, I usually say that comm-links use comms-sats and broadcast across the planet, like cell phones (Weird that SW and Star Trek both invented Cell Phones before Earth), and can broadcast up to a few meters under the ground. These comm-links may be able to transmit inbetween planets in the same system. That's about it. 8)
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"Your lack of faith disturbs me." - Vader

[gollummen]

As far as I remember the holonet is galaxy-wide, real time holographic communication. It is very expensive so it is almost only used by big coorporations and the empire.

What would it cost to use?
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[scott2978]

I have some notes on communications that I got from an official source, but I just wanted to know how you other GMs handle it in your games.

[gollummen]

Source: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Holonet

"HoloNet
From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki.
(Redirected from Holonet)


A HoloNet transmission.The HoloNet, sometimes Holonet, was a Galaxy-wide communications grid that was developed and used by the Galactic Republic and, later, the Empire.

Messages were routed along millions of non-mass transceivers buried in hyperspace to reach their sometimes very distant destinations. This technology enabled data to be sent and received at faster-than-light speeds, ensuring near-instantaneous communication even from far across the Galaxy.

The HoloNet system was an extremely costly expenditure, both for transceiver placement/maintenance (funded by the government) and for consumer HoloNet equipment. During the time of the Galactic Empire, the HoloNet was strictly controlled, used mostly for Imperial military communications. This greatly inhibited the ability of groups like the Alliance to Restore the Republic to communicate, and arguably also had an isolating affect on the many planets over which the Empire held power.

During the Clone Wars, the Confederacy created a similar network of hyperwave transceivers as a HoloNet substitute.

Near the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Yuuzhan Vong succeeded in disabling the HoloNet. It resumed operation after the end of the invasion.

After the Yuuzhan Vong War, many shuttles were equipped with HoloNet receivers and transmitters, including Jacen Solo's own private shuttle. "

[MA-3PO]

I read somewhere that the holonet transceivers were very expensive, so much so that the Empire actually dismantled portions of the holonet and installed those transceivers on capital ships to give the Imperial fleet a tremendous communications advantage.

[scott2978]

It's clear from the movies that at least the starships of important people like Vader had Holonet transceivers on board. I read somewhere that all Star Destroyers were equipped with one.

But, more on topic is the subject of how the average galactic citizen communicates during the Empire era. The Holonet is obviously out of the price range and or ability of the average citizen, even in the Core. I have a good deal of notes on the subject which I'll post here after work since it seems most GMs here don't really have much to go on.


Scott

[Xynar]

There are courier services that can take physical messages around the galaxy (it was in an Adventure Journal). Also slower subspace tranceivers were common for intra-sector communication.
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Xynar
The Great Adventurer

[Jedi Skyler]

Plus, you have to remember that non-holographic communication (read:voice only) would be a whole lot less data-intensive, provided it wasn't seriously encrypted. It would take less, both in effort and cost, to transmit this kind of messages.

But generally speaking, most long range communications from system to system, if not done on the HoloNet, was done by the classic "send your message, wait for response" format.

[Mikael Hasselstein]

So... thread necromancy!

I'm interested if people have evolved/developed their thinking on interstellar communications any. Off the HoloNet, how do people communicate with one another over galactic distances?

Is it like email? I think it shouldn't be because email works because time is no longer a problem and we can make communications instantaneous on our planet. However, in a setting where signals take time, I imagine one would have to be able to direct one's signal's route to its destination. How would this be done?

[jmanski]

I'm still waiting for scott2978 to get off work. Over 5 years... sheesh.
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Blasted rules. Why can't they just be perfect?

[Mikael Hasselstein]

[Guardian_A]

[Nico_Davout]

Some good rules about Communications can be found in Hero's Guide. I use them for my D6.
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Nico,

Han Solo shot first, midichlosomething do not exist, Rebel Alliance was created as in the WEG books and indoctrination theory is the true ending of ME3.

[ZzaphodD]