The author of this blog has been fortunate enough to have been given early access to a sociological and demographic survey of the ███████████████ Sector. One part that stood out was a brief section on some of the popular games and sports played under varying gravity conditions, which I have been given permission to publish more broadly. I am still working on getting similar permission for other parts, by other authors of the survey, and will keep you all in the loop as that happens.

While a number of the systems in ███████████████ Sector have gravity close to Terran normal, there are numerous habitats that are in orbit or on smaller moons, with lower gravity. There are also handful of higher gravity worlds. All of this has led to the development of some unusual sports that are better suited to either high or low (or zero) gravity environments.

Many of them are derived from various Terran games and sports, adapted for the enclosed spaces of habitats and the constraints of higher or lower gravity. This brief pamphlet is offered in hopes of aiding your enjoyment of these interesting sports which will appear on vidcasts in the bars and newscasts everywhere.

Professor Riaan Walker
Department of Kinetics, Sports, and Fundraising
Zolabudd University

Low-Gravity Sporting Codes

A number of specialised sporting codes have become prevalent in the various space habitats and moons of ███████████████ Sector in the centuries since settlement. Most of them have their roots in various Terran games of skill, while others are purely feats of prowess that are watched but most do not partake. This report details some of them, along with the most common version of the rules used. In almost all cases individual habitats will modify the rules to suit their own environmental constraints or predilictions.

Low-gravity makes some things easier, in particular throwing. Falling is also less dangerous, due to the lower speed and impact on various players. On the other hand, movement becomes much more difficult, due to the lack of ability to control direction, especially in zero-g. This makes full-contact games of manoeuvre the most common in this environment.

Open Gates

One name for a range of games played in zero-g for theoretically any number of players. They need a large space, usually with tethered obstacles to provide places to change direction.

All involve one side (the floaters) calling out a zoomer from the other side, who needs to get past the floaters to the other side of the space without getting touched. Should the zoomer be touched, then the zoomer joins the floater’s team and they call out another zoomer. If the zoomer gets past the floater, then all players on the zoomer’s team need to get across the space at once. Any touched will join the floaters.

Most games start with a single floater and end once there are no zoomers left, or a predetermined time-limit is reached. Common variations involve starting with more balanced team numbers, moving obstacles between rounds, or having a specific order of zoomers. The Inner Band Marine Academy has an open space variant played by senior students who are each given standard military thruster packs.

Important skills are the judgement of angle and speed to intercept, and, especially if the gates are opened, ability to quickly reorient for a new target. This makes it almost ubiquitous amongst the various military academies with formal scores being kept for number of zoomers tagged, gates successfully opened, and similar. It is a common game due to low equipment requirements but remains one that is played, not one that has become a spectator sport.

Wall Stingers

Another zero-g game. One surface is made adhesive in some way (handholds, mag-clamps, loop and hook fasteners) and one team is started on that wall. The other team, sometimes starting as an individual, is given a projectile to throw. Hitting an opposing player on the wall either knocks them out or moves them to the throwing team. Letting go of the wall completely is allowed, but will likely leave a player stranded and an easy target.

The projectile usually bounces, allowing for rapid second throws. Wallhuggers need to keep a close eye on the projectile in order to avoid being hit.

In games with fixed teams, the wallhuggers and throwers usually swap positions after a given time or when the entire team is eliminated, with the winner being the team with the fewest hit as wallhuggers. The author has recorded a variation for fixed teams where teams lose one point per wallhugger hit, but the wallhugger stays in, with the highest point total after a given time being the winner.

• Other variations:
  • Multiple projectiles: This is most common in fixed-team games and makes life considerably more difficult for the wallhuggers. Throwers are able to coördinate their attacks to bracket wallhuggers. Usually there are only two or three projectiles in play, and there are rules about how far apart the throwers at a single wallhugger are allowed to be.
  • Non-throwing Variations: are not very common, but some regions utilise low-velocity launchers, usually of riot goo. This is most often seen in games at military academies, but is also played recreationally.
  • Valshanian Rules: are an uncommon variation that allow for the projectile to be returned by the wallhuggers leading to the throwers being targeted as well. The rules around returning are somewhat too arcane for this brief pamphlet, but in general: only one hand can touch the projectile, any fumbling is converted to a hit, and the projectile can not be held.

Curveball

This has much in common with the standard games of basketball, handball and football, played in standard gravity, but is played in low-g (usually less than 0.5) by teams of four players a side. Two goals (the size of standard airlock iris doors) are placed at either end of a narrow field. Traditionally, the playing area is a large corridor or a stabilised mine adit. In the modern game the playing area has been standardised to a 5 m wide, 5 m high, 150 m long enclosed space, along with specially designed straps and handholds on both walls and ceiling.

The aim of the game is getting past one’s opponents with a non-bouncing ball and throwing, kicking or otherwise moving it into a gap the size of a standard airlock iris door, approximately 1.7 m in diameter. When in play, the ball can only be hit, not held and thrown: standard technique is to let it go before striking it with a foot or fist, but any part of the body can legally be used. The game usually allows full-contact for intercepts and tackles, for which players wear padding. Touch-only variants are played, but the relatively close quarters makes it difficult to move with the ball, making it more of a passing game – although usually more space is better for these to allow for easier movement. The handholds on the walls and ceiling allow for players to jump or hang, although the low gravity makes large jumps somewhat predictable in pathing which makes for exciting tackles and interceptions. When tackled, players are obliged to release the ball, although some playground or military variants begin a ruck, trying to get the ball away from the player in a large pile-on.

The professional circuit is widely popular and is fully televised: body cameras on each player as well as small vid-pickups placed throughout the corridor are used. No obstacles are present in the professional game, but pickup games may well be working around various things cluttering the corridor. Currently the Goshen Grapplers are the defending champions in the ███████████████ Sector.

High-G Sports

High-G sports tend to eschew throwing and full contact: throwing is less effective with “heavier” objects, and even small falls and tackles can result in injuries for “heavier” players. Consequently, most high-g sports no contact between players. Objects will usually be slid or rolled instead of thrown, and the accuracy in doing so is the main measure of skill in the game.

Sinkers

The archetypical game involves a large, smooth, circular area, nominally 15 m in diameter with a hole in the centre (termed a “sink”). Each team slides a relatively heavy, colour-coded puck into the space. The pucks must enter the circle within a demarcated chord on the circumference of the playing area. The sink is slightly larger than the puck, approximately 30 cm across.

Should the puck slide into the sink directly the slider scores three points for sinking it. Pucks which miss are left on the field of play and can be used for rebounds or be knocked into the sink themselves for two points to the puck’s owner. Any pucks knocked out of the circle score one point for their opponents, this means that knocking one’s own puck out awards your opponent a point.

Teams consist of three players, who each slide three pucks into play. There are some variations in how this happens, but most commonly one player will slide three, then hand over to the next player. Each player doing one is turn is also a popular option. Usually teams agree before a game on which to use and both will use the same rotation.

The professional circuit is very popular and frequently vidcast. Most bars will be showing the most recent games to have been played in the system.

Coffins

A compact game for any number of players, coffins is often played indoors or on tables, although the professional version is played with larger apparatus. This consists of a small square area that has a number of pins set up within it according to a handful of standard patterns. A vertical pole is placed to one side with weight on a cord attached above it or to the top of the pole. To play, a player swings the weight around the pole, hitting the pins on the backswing.

The game is an elimination game, with players who are unable to knock over at least one pin being knocked out. Any pins knocked over are not reset until all pins are knocked over. Skilled players will attempt to leave one pin in an awkward position for the next player, hoping to eliminate them from the game.

Competitive games are played with a 400 g weight on a 2.8 m cord with 9 pins. This weight may be adjusted to match local gravity. The height of the vertical pole is not important, as long as the weight is able to swing around it. Most professional games are played head-to-head, with a tournament being made up of numerous elimination rounds. Casual games may have any number of players, and many bars will have a gaming area set up for playing.

Notes and Thanks

Thanks to Professor Riaan Walker of Zolabudd University for sending me an advance copy of his pamphlet.

Happy Secret Santa-in-July to the Dusk Witch (again, somehow) who asked for “something with different gravity”. No trains this time, but if it is third time lucky, I promise to really try and squeeze one in….

Hopefully any other readers agree that they are worth including in your own games, whether as background news and flavour or as something for PCs to be involved in: transporting teams, speculating on results, &c.