Gilamar Skirata
The most important step is always the next one
Summary: A Professional Sport with roots in Gladitorial droid combat and primitive animal racing.
Submission: (Which submission is this for? Provide a link here.)
Type: Culture
Description:
Images are from Absolut Vodka official commercial
Droid Races, or "The Races" as its often called in underground and illegal circuits are a set of challenges where professional "Racers" utilize animal-like droids to race against each other for credits.
As simple as it may sound, there are several dozen complexities within the sport itself and incredibly difficult to get started in the legal curcit where, arguably, the most money is to be made for the racers. To begin, one must have a clean criminal record as well as a license to purchase or produce many of the necessary parts such as neural implants and droid brains. Credits are also a huge problem for up and coming racers. If the licenses weren't expensive enough the parts that you need for repair and upkeep are even more so. Thus the game often revolves around who has the better sponsor.
While the later part is still true in the Underground circuits of the game, many of the restrictions in the legal form of Droid Races do not exist in illegal races. Certain weapons such as blasters and neural implant interference for example are illegal in official droid races for risk of serious injury to the droid and or the Rider, making underground races much more dangerous. It is also illegal to gamble on these races, however this is most often the only source of income for un-sponsored Riders.
In its early stages the sport was simply drop your droid and let it race. However, as the game has progressed throughout the centuries, simple programming gave way to the use of control yokes and now we have come to the use of powerful neuro-links and solid-state hologram interfaces that are dedicated to controlling a Rider's Hound. These links are often permanent and by themselves are not a cause for concern to the Rider.
Riders are often on scene of a race, within a room designed to enhance the signal of the powerful neuro-links they utilize to control their Hounds. On the track, a scout droid guides Riders through the track, relaying map data to their implants. The implants themselves are connected directly to a Hound's droid brain.
Usually the point of each game is to race from one designated location to another in a straight line. More recently however more complex courses have reached the official circuit of Races offering obstacles and various routes to get to the desired location. It is also common for teams of Riders to come together and form what are officially known as "Packs". Packs are often led by coaches that are paid by Pack sponsors, if they have one, if not they are paid significantly less (usually) by the Intergalactic Droid Racing League (IDRC).
Rules:
1st Place: 50
2nd Place: 30
3rd Place: 20
4th Place: 10
5th Place: 5
6th Place: 0
Scoring {Pack}:
1st Place: 45
2nd Place: 25
3rd Place: 15
4th Place: 10
5th Place: 5
6th Place: 0
History:
The sport has its roots in the decline of Podracing and other gladiatorial sports throughout the Republic. Around 567 ABY a group of retired Podracers observed the brutality of Gladiatorial Droid battles. In a nostalgia of their own racing days they got together and dedicated a large strip of land on Tatooine for their race. Pitting customized droids against each other, armed to the teeth they raced. At this time however, the droids were simply programmed to run in a straight line and destroy anything that got in their way.
It was a success, at least to them. Being a part of the underground Podracing scene, they took their idea to a local Hutt Lord whom found great pleasure in the sport and began funding the three racer's endeavors. Soon more and more gear heads and droid lovers fell into the sport. However, as the sport grew and grew droids rights activists began to catch on. In an attempt to keep the money flowing and keep the Republic off of his back, the Hutt founded the Intergalactic Droid Racer's League and made the sport a semi-official sport. This was around 589 ABY.
With more and more credits flowing into his pockets and more and more people tuning into the sport the Republic slowly became suspicious of the Hutt's motives and revenue. It turned out the Hutt was a major part of an illegal spice trade and had been using the Riders to transport the spice throughout the Republic. Taking quick action, the then acting Chancellor shut down the races and Republic security forces arrested the Hutt. The scandal nearly brought the organization to its knees until a Corellian business tycoon swept it up and into his pocket. Seeing the potential of the sport he cleaned up the rules and the game in general. He paid Mandalorians to take out known drug dealers from the game and designed and initialized a procedure in which Riders became a part of his community and for the most part this is the game we have today.
Centuries later the game popped back up on Mandalore and the headquarters which had been all but abandoned during the Gulag Plague moved to Sundari, Mandalore. The company has since broken all ties to any one Galactic Power and given the sport new life.
Submission: (Which submission is this for? Provide a link here.)
Type: Culture
Description:
Images are from Absolut Vodka official commercial
Droid Races, or "The Races" as its often called in underground and illegal circuits are a set of challenges where professional "Racers" utilize animal-like droids to race against each other for credits.
As simple as it may sound, there are several dozen complexities within the sport itself and incredibly difficult to get started in the legal curcit where, arguably, the most money is to be made for the racers. To begin, one must have a clean criminal record as well as a license to purchase or produce many of the necessary parts such as neural implants and droid brains. Credits are also a huge problem for up and coming racers. If the licenses weren't expensive enough the parts that you need for repair and upkeep are even more so. Thus the game often revolves around who has the better sponsor.
While the later part is still true in the Underground circuits of the game, many of the restrictions in the legal form of Droid Races do not exist in illegal races. Certain weapons such as blasters and neural implant interference for example are illegal in official droid races for risk of serious injury to the droid and or the Rider, making underground races much more dangerous. It is also illegal to gamble on these races, however this is most often the only source of income for un-sponsored Riders.
In its early stages the sport was simply drop your droid and let it race. However, as the game has progressed throughout the centuries, simple programming gave way to the use of control yokes and now we have come to the use of powerful neuro-links and solid-state hologram interfaces that are dedicated to controlling a Rider's Hound. These links are often permanent and by themselves are not a cause for concern to the Rider.
Riders are often on scene of a race, within a room designed to enhance the signal of the powerful neuro-links they utilize to control their Hounds. On the track, a scout droid guides Riders through the track, relaying map data to their implants. The implants themselves are connected directly to a Hound's droid brain.
Usually the point of each game is to race from one designated location to another in a straight line. More recently however more complex courses have reached the official circuit of Races offering obstacles and various routes to get to the desired location. It is also common for teams of Riders to come together and form what are officially known as "Packs". Packs are often led by coaches that are paid by Pack sponsors, if they have one, if not they are paid significantly less (usually) by the Intergalactic Droid Racing League (IDRC).
Rules:
- Weapons that could cause bodily harm to Riders, patrons or officials are strictly prohibited from use in the Races. Riders found utilizing such contraband will receive strikes up to a total of three. On the first strike, their Hound will be impounded and their Rider's license will be confiscated for the remainder of the season. On the Second Strike their droid will be impounded for an indefinite amount of time and their license will be confiscated for the remainder of the season and the Rider will be fined appropriately. On the Third strike they will be banned from Intergalactic Droid Racing League permanently. NOTE: Any sponsor found to be an accomplice will be fined each appropriately at each strike of their Rider.
- Repulsors and other propulsion technology is strictly prohibited on the grounds that it gives an unfair advantage and may cause damage to IDRC property. Violators will be fined and their repulsors will be confiscated
- The Official's word is final. Coaches who decide to raise their voices at officials will find their Riders penalized in the final scoring of the Race
- Races are individual events, however to provide winners for overall in an IDRC event, scores will be provided based on place achieved in each individual Race.
- In the case that a Rider is part of a Pack, they will receive less points per race than solo Riders.
- Hounds must have at least two appendages to be counted as a Hound
1st Place: 50
2nd Place: 30
3rd Place: 20
4th Place: 10
5th Place: 5
6th Place: 0
Scoring {Pack}:
1st Place: 45
2nd Place: 25
3rd Place: 15
4th Place: 10
5th Place: 5
6th Place: 0
History:
The sport has its roots in the decline of Podracing and other gladiatorial sports throughout the Republic. Around 567 ABY a group of retired Podracers observed the brutality of Gladiatorial Droid battles. In a nostalgia of their own racing days they got together and dedicated a large strip of land on Tatooine for their race. Pitting customized droids against each other, armed to the teeth they raced. At this time however, the droids were simply programmed to run in a straight line and destroy anything that got in their way.
It was a success, at least to them. Being a part of the underground Podracing scene, they took their idea to a local Hutt Lord whom found great pleasure in the sport and began funding the three racer's endeavors. Soon more and more gear heads and droid lovers fell into the sport. However, as the sport grew and grew droids rights activists began to catch on. In an attempt to keep the money flowing and keep the Republic off of his back, the Hutt founded the Intergalactic Droid Racer's League and made the sport a semi-official sport. This was around 589 ABY.
With more and more credits flowing into his pockets and more and more people tuning into the sport the Republic slowly became suspicious of the Hutt's motives and revenue. It turned out the Hutt was a major part of an illegal spice trade and had been using the Riders to transport the spice throughout the Republic. Taking quick action, the then acting Chancellor shut down the races and Republic security forces arrested the Hutt. The scandal nearly brought the organization to its knees until a Corellian business tycoon swept it up and into his pocket. Seeing the potential of the sport he cleaned up the rules and the game in general. He paid Mandalorians to take out known drug dealers from the game and designed and initialized a procedure in which Riders became a part of his community and for the most part this is the game we have today.
Centuries later the game popped back up on Mandalore and the headquarters which had been all but abandoned during the Gulag Plague moved to Sundari, Mandalore. The company has since broken all ties to any one Galactic Power and given the sport new life.
