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this is preliminary, but i thought i'd put it up anyway, in order to get feedback. in particular, you'll notice a couple of cards that have no meanings, because i'm not sure if they should be cards, and nothing came to mind for them. also, some of the card meanings are kinda close--too close? and are there meanings that ought to be represented by a set of game-playing/divinatory cards like these but aren't? card images that should be in a set of scifi tropes but aren't? double pipe ("||") is being used as an "or" when i have 2 different names or meanings for a card that don't seem to be something i can just amalgamate.
| card | upright | reversed |
|---|---|---|
| Black Hole | unknowable meaning; all laws and knowledge end within a black hole | |
| The Universals | ||
| Big Bang | The Beginning | The End |
| Gravity | reliable constants | struggling against the inevitable |
| The Governments | ||
| The Frontier | the unknown, danger | unexpected gains |
| The Colony | growth | a hard struggle |
| The Empire | Dystopia: tyranny, ignoring individuals, exploitation, beaurocracy/inefficiency | Utopia: organization, civilization, protection and benefits |
| Societal Elements | ||
| Law | justice, equality | tyranny, misapplied rules |
| Religion | freedom from temporal concerns | Opiate of the Masses: false authority controls |
| Trade | opportunity, betterment, gain | greed, profit before ethics |
| Science | The Force Field, new discoveries brought to bear | The Superweapon, |
| The Heavenly Bodies | ||
| Asteroid | resources freely available | unpredictable danger |
| Gas Giant | great potential: source of hydrogen | untapped resources |
| Wormhole | Hyperspace, gains far outweigh costs | Time Travel, manipulation and chaos |
| Neutron Star | death, loss of power/function | new purpose, a Beacon in the Night |
| The Star | The Sun, life-giving power | Nova, energy uncontained, unstoppable destructive forces |
| The Technologies | ||
| The Clone | Lack of individuality | cooperation, efficiency |
| The Mutant | Abberation, unseen flaw | Psychic abilities, new-found talents |
| The Cyborg | Integration (of human and machine), two disparate things working together | lack of self/humanity || perversion |
| The Android | Verisimilitude, | deception, |
| The Starship | Travel, freedom | homelessness, restlessness, wanderlust |
| The AI | The Computer, Great analytical power | logic overriding reason |
| The Robot | great labor | single-mindedness |
| The Professions | ||
| The Outlaw | piracy, selfishness | rebellion against false authority, selflessness |
| The Explorer | freedom | foolhardiness, alienation |
| The Scientist | knowledge, discovery | lack of imagination, elimination of mystery |
| The Pilot | self-confidence, leadership | overconfidence, not looking before you leap |
| The Hacker | secret knowledge revealed | subterfuge, lack of respect for other's rights |
| The Soldier | necessary defense | The Mercenary, conflict without reason |
| The Mentor | Maturity, experience | sheltering, out-moded values |
| The Mystic | spiritualism, inner strength | misunderstanding: the mystic is often out of place in a highly scientific world; "ancient beliefs & hokey religions are no substitute for a good blaster" |
| The Leftovers | ||
| The Net | self-definition, the ability to be who you wish, overcoming personal limitations | Anarchy, equalization || indulgence, hedonism |
| The Ancients | Lost knowledge | Secrets Man was not meant to Know |
| The Alien | alternative perspective | otherness, paranoia |
| The Energy Being | ascension, apotheosis | loss of touch with reality |
| Terraforming | Rebirth | Destruction, holocaust |
| Bioengineering | Adaptation | ill-considered ramifications |
some work has been done on the cards, and this list will be updated shortly.