Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: Brands

Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: Brands

High TL equipment always seemed very generic and impersonal to me, and TheRyujinLP on his blog in his Brand Loyalty post suggests a way to make equipment more fun. So, here's my take on the  human-made brands for my sci-fi settings.

Panlunar Consortium

Originally a corporate alliance of five mining corporations from different countries on Earth, Panlunar Consortium (often shortened to PLC) over time became not only a conglomerate that dominated the mining industry on the Moon, but also a producer of arms, vehicles, life support systems, and spaceships. The company tends to follow safe trends and rarely innovates. PLC products can not only be seen and bought on the Moon, but on almost any other USA world.

Company Type: Baseline.

Standard Modifiers: None.

Ausonia Research Group

Ausonia Research Group (ARG) was founded in Ausonia Republic before the unification of Mars. Researching advanced materials, the ARG quickly became the main constructor of Martian dome cities. Later, it absorbed several weaponry and body armor producers. The company is known for its reliable and sturdy products.

Company Type: Niche.

Standard Modifiers: +1 to HT, +2 DR (+10% price increase).

Malay Callisto Armory

Malay Callisto Armory (MCA) was originally a small weapon-producing company in New Kuala Lumpur on Callisto. The company would not become well known and successful if not for the Callisto Revolution of 2176, when the rebels of New Malaysia required lots of arms and armor to overthrow the colonial government. Malay Callisto Armory sacrificed quality for quantity and started mass production of cheap weapons. Even now, centuries later, it is still known for its poorly made but cheap products.

Company Type: Niche.

Standard Modifiers: -1 to HT, 10% heavier (-10% price decrease).

Goldberg-Matsushito Ltd.

Goldberg-Matsushito Ltd. (GM) was found on Colony Alpha in 2241. Originally producing only life support systems and mining equipment, in 2254, when Joseph Goldberg took over the company, the product range was expanded with pharmaceuticals and handheld weapons. The products of Goldberg-Matsushito Ltd. are known for their efficient, but intricate design.

Company Type: Niche.

Standard Modifiers: 10% lighter, 10% increase of duration or shots for energy weapons, -2 to rolls to repair/maintain/modify (no price increase).

MacroDynamics Tech Alliance

MDTA is an interstellar megacorporation that produces almost anything imaginable. While their products are mostly used within their territories, they can also see use among rebel and guerilla forces in MonoTech territories, and recently in the USA too. While MDTA likes to innovate, their main product range does not have any remarkable features.

Company Type: Baseline.

Standard Modifiers: None.

MonoTech

MDTA is an interstellar megacorporation that produces almost anything imaginable. Being an ultimate monopoly, it produces equipment that is more expensive than normal, but is reliable and ergonomic.

Company Type: Niche.

Standard Modifiers: +1 to HT, +1 to long tasks performed with the gear, -1 to rolls to repair/maintain/modify (+5% price increase).

Jovian Arms Inc.

Jovian Arms Inc. is a large weapon-producing corporation found on Ganymede. Despite being found on there, after the creation of the USA, most of the factories were relocated to Colony Beta, where cheap workforce was available. Factory workers, being used to 0.9g gravity, ended up producing weapons that were heavier than normal for people used to 1g gravity. When the corporation HQ found out about this, it was too late to fix, so they threw their hands up and just reduced the price to compensate.

Company Type: Niche.

Standard Modifiers: 10% heavier (-5% price decrease).

Titania Tech Group

Originally a small laser weaponry research foundation, Titania Tech Group (TTG) became a full-blown corporation with factories not only on Titania, a moon of Uranus, but also in other star systems. TTG is known for their wide range of easily customizable products. Whenever the company starts producing a new weapon, they also produce different modules that can be used to easily modify each individual product.

Company Type: Niche.

Standard Modifiers: +2 to rolls to repair/maintain/modify (+10% price increase).