STGOD 2k8 background thread

[SirNitram]

Quite. The Enclave are 'nice'. The people in charge are professional and don't bother with cruelty because it's self-defeating. The problem is, they must run a tight, disciplined order, or it's going to go to hell.

Their biggest dark side is going to be revealed when some podunk nation hurts a civilian from one of the planets they occupy. In fact.

---------

The world of Alexandria had become independent following the war, and thrived on sin now. Slavery, piracy, smuggling.. Things that would not be tolerated in the Empire, were now openly flaunted. It would come to an end one day, when a terrified man from one of the so-called 'Enclaves' occupied territories was kidnapped and found on sale there.

Eager for a chance to humiliate the invaders by demonstrating their powerlessness, the powerbrokers of the planet had made a grand display of how the man, supposedly under the aegis of the invaders, was now their helpless prisoner, and slowly tortured him to death. The broadcasts demanding his return were aired around the world and into space, a further propaganda ploy. 'See how weak the Enclave is, begging!'

All transmissions from Alexandria ceased less than an hour after the man's death was broadcast.

The great ships had arrived in orbit, and slaughtered the defenders like lambs. Then, one by one, they began firing their beam-type weaponry on the world, at maximum dispersal. It was regarded as pointless; it would never cleave through the theatre shields, dispersed and wasting heat in the atmosphere.

Another hour passed, and the world's atmosphere had become so overheated that the rich and fat rulers literally boiled as they tried to reach their ships.

Nothing grows on the world once known as Alexandria. There is a new phrase in the bounds of the old Empire:

I am a subject of the Enclave.

And it is respected, even by those who war with them, for fear of the terrifying, assymetrical demonstrations made of those who violate it.

[Academia Nut]

Nitram, you and I are going to have a beautiful, beautiful relationship.

So much destruction. So much chaos. It will be a glorious sight.

[SirNitram]

Nitram, you and I are going to have a beautiful, beautiful relationship.

So much destruction. So much chaos. It will be a glorious sight.

Of course. The only thing more Awesome than headbangers in space with giant amps headbanging people to death is Space Romans salting Space Carthige, while accompanied to a marching cadence on the bagpipes with the chorus line 'How Many Of Them Can We Make Die?'.

The fundamental stability of the Awesome would be in peril if we bordered one another. Its too much for reality to handle.

[Academia Nut]

Yeah, we definitely can't start together, an Eye of Awesome would definitely open up between us. But by the gods should we ever collide, oh what glory! Oh what destruction! The void shall burn, as impossible as that statement is!

...

...

You know, when you run head first at ridiculousness, you can crash right through and land in awesome. That's a fundamental lesson I learned from Gurren Lagann.

[Covenant]

Nitram, I do want to ask if you're playing as an actual legitimate force or as something normal+ as a modpire. I'm confused how much of what you're saying is personal fluff and how much you want to be considered actual 'canon' theme. I didn't think you controlled more than a planet or three with a sparse few hulls functioning?

[SirNitram]

Nitram, I do want to ask if you're playing as an actual legitimate force or as something normal+ as a modpire. I'm confused how much of what you're saying is personal fluff and how much you want to be considered actual 'canon' theme. I didn't think you controlled more than a planet or three with a sparse few hulls functioning?

That, above us, was fluff. I'm honestly undecided on whether I will be straight or New Game +. It would be legitimate, I think, to go somewhat above, but I also don't want to be seen as abusing my position.

[Covenant]

Ahh, alright. Not that I really mind either way, I was just curious, as it would change the context of the post-war gameplay. I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with something I could see throwing against the lolpires and not feeling wierd about, so I'm trying to pay attention to the current paradigm that we'd be in. I'd still very much like to play but I've had to scrap my previous ideas, as it just doesn't make sense in my head.

I'm considering doing it the other way around and figuring out whose Empire I might want to be a splinter faction of, and then ask them if that'd be okay, since though I've written some fun, dark theme for a hypothetical force it just cannot mesh with the stuff we've got without it seeming like a Jedi on the Enterprise. The more we get this firmed out though, the better I can try to conceptualize something. Right now the different perceptions of what the Empire is are just driving me crazy.

I'm really way, way too influenced by what everyone else things but I can't help it, it's a neurotic compulsion.

[Nephtys]

Proto-OOB Basic Government/People Summary

Beta Aquilae Concordat

Of Terra's original daughter colonies, few were as successful as the original Beta Aquilae system colony mission. While many colonies were closer to Earth, Beta Aquilae V was a world virtually with no need of terraforming. Water and oxygen were on the planet in suitable quantities for rapid growth.

As a subject of the Empire during its peak, Beta Aquilae V (Luminaire) was a highly prosperous planet. It paid its tithes to Terra, kept order in its sector of space with a skilled and highly advanced security fleet, and was the cutting edge of research and development in any of the colonies of Earth. Prosperity ensued for centuries. At the fall of the Empire, the Aquilae Sector was virtually unified and semi-autonomous. Its citizens were on average extremely wealthy and enjoyed a high quality of living compared to many around the galaxy, even on Terra herself. Popular mythos and national identity developed over a century, based on ‘finds’ regarding the ancient origin of Mankind’s expansion into space. Old 2D tapes of space adventures featuring primitive rocketships and spacemen became well enshrined in the popular imagination, defining societal norms over a generation of propagation.

When Terra was destroyed merely ten years ago, the Beta Aquilae Concordat was formed as a confederation between Luminaire and six other major worlds, with several lesser ones in a compact stellar radius. The old system defense force and anti-piracy unit of Spacelane Patrol expanded into the powerful entity of Astro-Fleet, which now moves to expand for the benefit of the revitalized BAC in the power vacuum of the Empire’s collapse.


The people of BAC (or BETAC) are a race of Transhumans with a high degree of similarity with the baseline terran stock. Some differences are noticeable however. Notable variations included slightly larger eyes, somewhat thinner bodies, more angular profiles and a peculiar ability to use popular genetic augmented embedded stem cells to alter or adjust personal shape for aesthetic reasons, or to create particularly dramatic facial expressions for social occasions. Entertainment and epicurean enjoyment are particularly highlighted elements of BETAC society, with extensive interests in space exploitation and colonization.

The ruling body of BETAC is a council of eleven individuals elected from the main bodies of productive society: Science, Medicine, Industry, Military, Art, Entertainment, and so on. They preside over a larger elected body, with paired governors that run each world of BETAC.

Astro-Fleet is the military wing of BETAC. While smaller than many, Luminaire’s status as a scientific center for it’s sector of space has given this new navy a fleet of highly modern ships, each packing equipment almost as good as the Imperial Standard. Powerful defense screens protect the stylishly-shaped fusion torch craft of the fleet, while broadsides of high-powered particle beams lash out on enemies, often directed by powerful localized energy fields to curve for devastating ‘double broadsides’ against a single target. Other weapons include antimatter powered missiles and torpedoes for strikes against craft at long range.

The Concordat Marines aboard every Astro-Fleet ship take damage control roles and are in charge of both internal security and boarding disabled enemy vessels. Each are equipped with traditional ‘diving’ styled battle armor, and equipped with destructive ray guns. Concordat ships are co-ed, with different uniforms for male and females in accordance with the cultural mythos in order to create a solid esprit d’corps. Despite it’s excellent training, Astro-Fleet remains unblooded in conflict beyond small regional wars following the collapse of the Empire.

[Dahak]

My timid additions.

Earlier Times:

• Early colonization: First colony ships launched from Earth. The colony fleet that would eventually land in the Nashtari star cluster is one of several sponsored by the United States and former British Commonwealth powers. Former Eastern Bloc nations and several influential Asian countries launch their own colonial expeditions at roughly the same time.
• Worldwide Hegemony: Well after the departure of the colony ships, but while the fleets are still en route, the beginnings of the Empire begin to emerge. The catalyst for the formation of the Empire is the invention of a practical FTL drive by an ideologue scientist named Victor Prokofiev; Prokofiev envisions a grand destiny for the human race among the stars, one far beyond the scope of the original colonial expeditions. A coalition of nations join together to better exploit this new technology and carry humanity across the galaxy; they begin to fall under the sway of corruption and internal infighting on matters unrelated to their star-spanning ambitions.
• Empire Established: Military leaders stage a coup using the warships developed to conquer the cosmos; the Empire is born. Imperial vessels move out to colonize inhabitable worlds, starting with the ones targeted by the earlier colony ships. In many cases, the FTL-equipped Imperial ships arrive at their destinations before the massively slower colony fleets.
• Sometime between the establishment of the Empire and the pre-Final War era: The Haruhi and Sasaki Heresies.
• Sometime between the establishment of the Empire and the pre-Final War era: Khan Union civil war and reorganization as the "Humanist Union"; Father's ascendancy to Union leadership and rebirth as an advanced posthuman.
• Imperial Academy of Science founded, uniting many major universities and research institutions. The Academy provided the Empire with a stream of scientific advancement and a means of keeping tabs on (and punishing) heretical thoughts and ideas common among academics.
• The Golden Cloud Institute founded. Growing into naval secret research outpost, lost by the authorities.

Pre Final War:

• Increasing numbers of Imperial Academy of Science members arrested for heresy.
• Surge in Humanist Union military buildup and increased xenophobia and isolationism from the rest of the Terran Empire.
• Death of the last high general from the Khan Union civil war, leaving Father as the sole surviving command figure from that period.
• Institute found again by the Empire. Conflicts or problems avoided by Institute's seemingly positive reaction at being integrated again in the Empire.

Commencement of the Final War:

• Academy plot to overthrow Emperor fails due to Enclave invading.
• Enclave invades.
• Humanist Union isolationism hits its peak, with the first traces of open anti-Imperialism appearing.
• Humanist Union openly offers to accept refugee humans and lends military assistance to the Empire.
• Token military assistance to the Empire, planning begins for a break-away from the Empire at opportune times.

Early Final War:

• Academy becomes an enemy of the Empire, members captured/executed/exiled.
• Academy springs "heretics" from Imperial prison colony during Empire/Enclave battle.
• Academy Vanguard formed.
• Haruhi's offer of open military assistance is rejected by the Empire.
• Open anti-Empire sentiment within the Humanist Union grows, resulting in the withdrawal of some formal military support from the Empire.

Mid Final War:

• Sasaki convinces the Canopy Domain to lend several battle fleets to openly assist Enclave operations.
• Haruhi authorizes the lending of covert military assistance to nearby Imperial worlds in need of it.
• The Humanist Union withdraws most of its military support from the Empire in favor of fortifying its home territories.
• Naval build-up and fortfying the home planets of the Institute.

Late Final War:

• The Eighth Dictate reorganizes into the Consolidated Dominion of Gemude to combat the growing threat of organized marauders from the wilds of space, effectively declaring independence and triggering a wave of open separatist movements across the mid-range colonies.
• Haruhi seizes several outer colonies under the cover of "peacekeeping and military assistance purposes," taking full advantage of the chaos provided by the Empire/Enclave conflict and the separatist movements in the middle colonies.
• The Academy Vanguard, after noting various powers attempting to carve out their own little empires, begins supplying random colonial militia with alien technology, including small arms and planetary guns. There's widespread confusion as various colonies resist seizure.
• Humanist Union Navy ships start attacking vulnerable Imperial vessels passing through Union space.
• Alien sapients are blocked from setting foot on Humanist Union territories without formal permission (ex. research populations).
• Institute begins seizing of assets around its former borders, believing that the time of the Empire is gone and Institute wants to be prepared for the aftermath.

Post Final War:

• The Humanist Union formally declares independence and starts a campaign to denounce the Empire, its works, and its remaining authority figures, vowing to free oppressed populations from the shackles of petty warlords.
• Institute formally breaks away from the Empire.

[Dahak]

The Golden Cloud Institute was never a loyalist of the Empire, but they accepted them and liked the stability it provided. The destruction of Earth really shocked them, and they were uncertain of their own future. This lead to a phase of wild ideas raised and discarded. In the end, it was decided (for the time) that the Institute would stay and not resist any re-emerging Empire, as long as it was a reformed one with more rights and independence to the provinces.

[consequences]

I'm wondering if we should make it mandatory for each nation to have a dark side. Every nation has something or someone in it that twists its principles in a way that would cause widespread suffering if left unchecked.

Are you going to make it mandatory for me to have a deeply hidden light-side instead?

I mean, right now, I'm planning to dispatch teams to every world an Enclave citizen is on and torture them horribly to death on camera, while shouting "Long live the Glorious<insert planet's name here> revolution!"and wearing appropriate cultural garb. And that's just based on the last few posts.

[Spyder]

Yeah, that might be nice. "There's good in there somewhere..."

But anyway, one thing with the timeline is that breaking away from the empire is probably going to be a rather moot point given the the last entry under "Late Final War" is going to be 'Earth Explodes'.

Anyway, I tacked something on to one of Dahak's ones. It's tentative for the moment, I'm just looking for ways to tie the different events together.

Earlier Times:

• Early colonization: First colony ships launched from Earth. The colony fleet that would eventually land in the Nashtari star cluster is one of several sponsored by the United States and former British Commonwealth powers. Former Eastern Bloc nations and several influential Asian countries launch their own colonial expeditions at roughly the same time.
• Worldwide Hegemony: Well after the departure of the colony ships, but while the fleets are still en route, the beginnings of the Empire begin to emerge. The catalyst for the formation of the Empire is the invention of a practical FTL drive by an ideologue scientist named Victor Prokofiev; Prokofiev envisions a grand destiny for the human race among the stars, one far beyond the scope of the original colonial expeditions. A coalition of nations join together to better exploit this new technology and carry humanity across the galaxy; they begin to fall under the sway of corruption and internal infighting on matters unrelated to their star-spanning ambitions.
• Empire Established: Military leaders stage a coup using the warships developed to conquer the cosmos; the Empire is born. Imperial vessels move out to colonize inhabitable worlds, starting with the ones targeted by the earlier colony ships. In many cases, the FTL-equipped Imperial ships arrive at their destinations before the massively slower colony fleets.
• Sometime between the establishment of the Empire and the pre-Final War era: The Haruhi and Sasaki Heresies.
• Sometime between the establishment of the Empire and the pre-Final War era: Khan Union civil war and reorganization as the "Humanist Union"; Father's ascendancy to Union leadership and rebirth as an advanced posthuman.
• Imperial Academy of Science founded, uniting many major universities and research institutions. The Academy provided the Empire with a stream of scientific advancement and a means of keeping tabs on (and punishing) heretical thoughts and ideas common among academics.
• The Golden Cloud Institute founded. Growing into naval secret research outpost, lost by the authorities.

Pre Final War:

• Increasing numbers of Imperial Academy of Science members arrested for heresy.
• Surge in Humanist Union military buildup and increased xenophobia and isolationism from the rest of the Terran Empire.
• Death of the last high general from the Khan Union civil war, leaving Father as the sole surviving command figure from that period.
• Institute found again by the Empire. Conflicts or problems avoided by Institute's seemingly positive reaction at being integrated again in the Empire.

Commencement of the Final War:

• Academy plot to overthrow Emperor fails due to Enclave invading.
• Enclave invades.
• Humanist Union isolationism hits its peak, with the first traces of open anti-Imperialism appearing.
• Humanist Union openly offers to accept refugee humans and lends military assistance to the Empire.
• Token military assistance to the Empire, planning begins for a break-away from the Empire at opportune times.

Early Final War:

• Academy becomes an enemy of the Empire, members captured/executed/exiled.
• Academy springs "heretics" from Imperial prison colony during Empire/Enclave battle.
• Academy Vanguard formed.
• Haruhi's offer of open military assistance is rejected by the Empire.
• Open anti-Empire sentiment within the Humanist Union grows, resulting in the withdrawal of some formal military support from the Empire.

Mid Final War:

• Sasaki convinces the Canopy Domain to lend several battle fleets to openly assist Enclave operations.
• Haruhi authorizes the lending of covert military assistance to nearby Imperial worlds in need of it.
• The Humanist Union withdraws most of its military support from the Empire in favor of fortifying its home territories.
• Naval build-up and fortfying the home planets of the Institute.

Late Final War:

• The Eighth Dictate reorganizes into the Consolidated Dominion of Gemude to combat the growing threat of organized marauders from the wilds of space, effectively declaring independence and triggering a wave of open separatist movements across the mid-range colonies.
• Haruhi seizes several outer colonies under the cover of "peacekeeping and military assistance purposes," taking full advantage of the chaos provided by the Empire/Enclave conflict and the separatist movements in the middle colonies.
• The Academy Vanguard, after noting various powers attempting to carve out their own little empires, begins supplying random colonial militia with alien technology, including small arms and planetary guns. There's widespread confusion as various colonies resist seizure.
• Humanist Union Navy ships start attacking vulnerable Imperial vessels passing through Union space.
• Alien sapients are blocked from setting foot on Humanist Union territories without formal permission (ex. research populations).
• Institute begins seizing of assets around its former borders, believing that the time of the Empire is gone and Institute wants to be prepared for the aftermath. A battle breaks out when Institute troops try to take a nearby outpost, only to find local residents are armed to the teeth. Outpost deemed 'not worth it'.
• Earth Explodes

Post Final War:

• The Humanist Union formally declares independence and starts a campaign to denounce the Empire, its works, and its remaining authority figures, vowing to free oppressed populations from the shackles of petty warlords.
• Institute formally breaks away from the Empire.

[consequences]

Yeah, that might be nice. "There's good in there somewhere..."

Frankly, I ain't seeing it. If the mechanics allow, I'm contemplating plundering my own worlds in the first phase of the game. Even if they don't allow, I'll probably be doing it for fluff anyway. Turning innocent schmucks into horrific controlled tentacle rape abominations is going to be practically a standard tactic, while leaving the mind intact with control over the vocal chords just to traumatise the soldiers who put them down that extra little bit.

I mean, I can throw in a bit about the initial rebellion being due to the perceived complacency and rot eating away at the Empire, but that will have fallen long by the wayside with the progressive insanity of Admiral Tarnok, and have become a massively moot point when the Enclave arrived anyway. I guess I can try to play it that it was a case of horribly lousy timing, and the admiral going completely bugfuck was mostly a result of realising that his attacks had crippled the Empire's military at exactly the worst possible moment, but the only good that these fuckers are going to perpetrate if played as intended is a reason for people to set aside their petty bullshit and unite.

[Dahak]

Yeah, that might be nice. "There's good in there somewhere..."

But anyway, one thing with the timeline is that breaking away from the empire is probably going to be a rather moot point given the the last entry under "Late Final War" is going to be 'Earth Explodes'.

Anyway, I tacked something on to one of Dahak's ones. It's tentative for the moment, I'm just looking for ways to tie the different events together.

Interesting, I like it
We should try to do more of this intermeshing. After all, we were all (more or less) in the same boat, so there's bound to be some ruffled feathers, past histories...

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

Earlier Times:

• Early colonization: First colony ships launched from Earth. The colony fleet that would eventually land in the Nashtari star cluster is one of several sponsored by the United States and former British Commonwealth powers. Former Eastern Bloc nations and several influential Asian countries launch their own colonial expeditions at roughly the same time.
• Worldwide Hegemony: Well after the departure of the colony ships, but while the fleets are still en route, the beginnings of the Empire begin to emerge. The catalyst for the formation of the Empire is the invention of a practical FTL drive by an ideologue scientist named Victor Prokofiev; Prokofiev envisions a grand destiny for the human race among the stars, one far beyond the scope of the original colonial expeditions. A coalition of nations join together to better exploit this new technology and carry humanity across the galaxy; they begin to fall under the sway of corruption and internal infighting on matters unrelated to their star-spanning ambitions.
• Empire Established: Military leaders stage a coup using the warships developed to conquer the cosmos; the Empire is born. Imperial vessels move out to colonize inhabitable worlds, starting with the ones targeted by the earlier colony ships. In many cases, the FTL-equipped Imperial ships arrive at their destinations before the massively slower colony fleets.
• Imperial Academy of Science founded, uniting many major universities and research institutions. The Academy provides the Empire with a stream of scientific advancement and a means of keeping tabs on (and punishing) heretical thoughts and ideas common among academics.
• The Haruhi and Sasaki Heresies.
• Khan Union civil war and reorganization as the "Humanist Union"; Father's ascendancy to Union leadership and rebirth as an advanced posthuman.
• The Golden Cloud Institute is founded. As it grows into a secret naval research outpost, it is lost by the authorities.

Pre Final War:

• Increasing numbers of Imperial Academy of Science members arrested for heresy.
• Surge in Humanist Union military buildup and increased xenophobia and isolationism from the rest of the Terran Empire.
• Death of the last high general from the Khan Union civil war, leaving Father as the sole surviving command figure from that period.
• Institute rediscovered by the Empire. Conflicts and/or problems are avoided by the Institute's seemingly positive reaction at being reintegrated into the Empire.
• Admiral Daggair Tarnok authorizes the refitting of the 5th Imperial Battle Fleet with advanced man-machine interfaces. Shortly after completing the upgrade cycle, Admiral Tarnok destroys the 6th and 7th Fleets.

Commencement of the Final War:

• Enclave Invades.
• Academy plot to overthrow Emperor fails due to Enclave invading.
• Humanist Union isolationism hits its peak, with the first traces of open anti-Imperialism appearing.
• Humanist Union openly offers to accept refugee humans and lends military assistance to the Empire.
• The Institute offers token military assistance to the Empire as planning begins for secession from the Empire at an opportune time.

Early Final War:

• Academy becomes an enemy of the Empire, members captured/executed/exiled.
• Academy springs "heretics" from Imperial prison colony during Empire/Enclave battle.
• Academy Vanguard formed.
• Haruhi's offer of open military assistance is rejected by the Empire.
• Open anti-Empire sentiment within the Humanist Union grows, resulting in the withdrawal of some formal military support from the Empire.

Mid Final War:

• Sasaki convinces the Canopy Domain to lend several battle fleets to openly assist Enclave operations.
• Haruhi authorizes the lending of covert military assistance to nearby Imperial worlds in need of it.
• The Humanist Union withdraws most of its military support from the Empire in favor of fortifying its home territories.
• Naval build-up and fortification of the Institute's home planets.

Late Final War:

• The Eighth Dictate reorganizes into the Consolidated Dominion of Gemude to combat the growing threat of organized marauders from the wilds of space, effectively declaring independence and triggering a wave of open separatist movements across the mid-range colonies.
• Haruhi seizes several outer colonies under the cover of "peacekeeping and military assistance purposes," taking full advantage of the chaos provided by the Empire/Enclave conflict and the separatist movements in the middle colonies.
• The Academy Vanguard, after noting various powers attempting to carve out their own little empires, begins supplying random colonial militia with alien technology, including small arms and planetary guns. There's widespread confusion as various colonies resist seizure.
• Humanist Union Navy ships start attacking vulnerable Imperial vessels passing through Union space.
• Alien sapients are blocked from setting foot on Humanist Union territories without formal permission (ex. research populations).
• The Institute begins seizing assets around its former borders, believing that the time of the Empire is gone and that the Institute needs to be prepared for the aftermath. A battle breaks out when Institute troops try to take a nearby outpost, only to find local residents are armed to the teeth. Outpost deemed "not worth it."
• Earth Explodes.

Post Final War:

• The Humanist Union formally declares independence and starts a campaign to denounce the Empire, its works, and its remaining authority figures, vowing to free oppressed populations from the shackles of petty warlords.
• The Institute formally breaks away from (what's left of) the Empire.

[Tanasinn]

Another OOB sneak peak; naval weaponry. Comments welcome.

Republic Naval Weapons

Railcannon
Railcannons make up the primary armament of any Union capital ship. They operate by sending an electrical charge through one of the cannon's rails the travels through the projectile to the other rail. Once a force is applied to the projectile, this results in a round being accelerated out of the cannon at extremely high speeds, giving it excellent penetration against even well-armored and shielded targets. Small and medium Union railguns fire an unguided projectile with an insulated explosive core that detonates upon penetration of a target. Heavy railcannons, which fire more slowly and thus must make their shots count, usually fire rounds fitted with small booster rockets that allow for course corrections or an acceleration burn before impact. Railcannons fire fairly slowly, but make up for it in damage.

Missile Pods
Missile pods are typically the secondary armament of any Union capital ship. Modern anti-missile systems make missile-based weapons somewhat risky: missiles must accelerate as they're launched and tend to be bulkier and more fragile than hard rounds. Standard Union missile systems overcome this by firing clusters of independent high-explosive missiles that can overwhelm anti-missile fire with sheer volume of fire. These clutches have the additional advantage of being able to be spread over an area of varying size, unlike a singly-launched missile. Missile pods vary in launch tubes from ship to ship, and the missiles themselves vary in both yield and size based on ship class and launcher purpose. Missile pods are able to launch their payloads all at once or can stagger their firing.

Cruise Missiles
Specialized weapons typically limited to support ships or large capital ships, cruise missiles are expensive and extremely dangerous. Guided by a relatively advanced AI to compensate for their singular nature and large size, Union cruise missiles are adept at predicting and thus avoiding enemy anti-missile defense firing patterns. They are often fired behind large volleys of standard missiles in a technique typically called “screening” or “flak-walling.” Cruise missiles are usually fired at areas perceived to have been weakened by other, lighter fire: they serve to crack open wide what the railcannons gut and the missile pods mangle. Besides precision fire from larger railcannons, cruise missiles are the primary weapon utilized by the Union for capital-ship-based orbital bombardment.

Autocannons
Autocannons are relatively primitive weapons that rely on chemical propulsion to fire streams of fairly large, explosive, unguided rounds at a target. Autocannons are usually only mounted on smaller capital ships to save on energy costs or as defensive weapons for dealing with fighters and missiles. Their primary advantages over lasers as defensive weapons are their far lower power requirement and ability to fire rounds that explode into flak mid-vacuum, making direct hits unnecessary to mangle or kill both missiles and fightercraft. Modern Union warships usually fire “pulse” shells that, upon being fired, are briefly enveloped with a high-temperature energy field that aids in penetration through the massive heat provided. Autocannons are the standard dueling guns of most Union fightercraft, and are found as the main guns on most shipping vessels: their low energy and material costs make them more practical than railcannons here.

Lasers
Union laser arrays are strictly defensive weapons, and specialized at that. Lasers are considered somewhat inefficient due to their low lethality and high energy cost. They are, however, terrifying and efficient anti-fighter and anti-missile weapons: laser emitters will typically drop all by the most lucky or tough fighters and missiles in a single hit. Lasers propagate at light speed, making “dodging” a firing laser emitter literally impossible. The invisible nature of the beam (except when artificially made visible by ship equipment) has some psychological effect, as well. Their slow firing rate and high energy cost, however, means that most capital ships have only a light array of defensive lasers that fire on priority targets; autocannons handle most other riff-raff. Lasers are fairly unpopular on fightercraft: support railcannon or large autocannon are preferred “heavy” weapons due to their usefulness against capital ships and smaller craft.

[Adrian Laguna]

Their biggest dark side is going to be revealed when some podunk nation hurts a civilian from one of the planets they occupy. In fact.

When my armies engage in "block clearing" they don't mean it the way the US Army might. It's more in the Russian sense, like they demonstrated when they got serious about taking Grozny from the Chechen rebels. Thus there might be some collateral damage. Does this qualify as hurting civilians?

[SirNitram]

Their biggest dark side is going to be revealed when some podunk nation hurts a civilian from one of the planets they occupy. In fact.

When my armies engage in "block clearing" they don't mean it the way the US Army might. It's more in the Russian sense, like they demonstrated when they got serious about taking Grozny from the Chechen rebels. Thus there might be some collateral damage. Does this qualify as hurting civilians?

Yes, but if you're on my worlds, one can generally assume there's going to be a line drawn in front of the city blocks, and there will be an insane amount of effort to keep you on the far side. This fleet is many things the main Enclave is not.. But they will still never abandon civilians to be harmed if they might stop the assault.

[Nephtys]

Earlier Times:

• Early colonization: First colony ships launched from Earth. The colony fleet that would eventually land in the Nashtari star cluster is one of several sponsored by the United States and former British Commonwealth powers. Former Eastern Bloc nations and several influential Asian countries launch their own colonial expeditions at roughly the same time. Planet Luminaire in the Beta Aquilae system colonized by North American and Eastern Asian settlers.
• Worldwide Hegemony: Well after the departure of the colony ships, but while the fleets are still en route, the beginnings of the Empire begin to emerge. The catalyst for the formation of the Empire is the invention of a practical FTL drive by an ideologue scientist named Victor Prokofiev; Prokofiev envisions a grand destiny for the human race among the stars, one far beyond the scope of the original colonial expeditions. A coalition of nations join together to better exploit this new technology and carry humanity across the galaxy; they begin to fall under the sway of corruption and internal infighting on matters unrelated to their star-spanning ambitions.
• Empire Established: Military leaders stage a coup using the warships developed to conquer the cosmos; the Empire is born. Imperial vessels move out to colonize inhabitable worlds, starting with the ones targeted by the earlier colony ships. In many cases, the FTL-equipped Imperial ships arrive at their destinations before the massively slower colony fleets.
• Imperial Academy of Science founded, uniting many major universities and research institutions. The Academy provides the Empire with a stream of scientific advancement and a means of keeping tabs on (and punishing) heretical thoughts and ideas common among academics.
• The Haruhi and Sasaki Heresies.
• Khan Union civil war and reorganization as the "Humanist Union"; Father's ascendancy to Union leadership and rebirth as an advanced posthuman.
• The Golden Cloud Institute is founded. As it grows into a secret naval research outpost, it is lost by the authorities.

Pre Final War:

• Increasing numbers of Imperial Academy of Science members arrested for heresy.
• Increase in nationalism across Aquilae Sector as ancient reconstructed 'Gordon Who' and 'Buck Armstrong' recordings are discovered, depicting heroic historical figures achieving great deeds in local space.
• Surge in Humanist Union military buildup and increased xenophobia and isolationism from the rest of the Terran Empire.
• Death of the last high general from the Khan Union civil war, leaving Father as the sole surviving command figure from that period.
• Institute rediscovered by the Empire. Conflicts and/or problems are avoided by the Institute's seemingly positive reaction at being reintegrated into the Empire.
• Admiral Daggair Tarnok authorizes the refitting of the 5th Imperial Battle Fleet with advanced man-machine interfaces. Shortly after completing the upgrade cycle, Admiral Tarnok destroys the 6th and 7th Fleets.

Commencement of the Final War:

• Enclave Invades.
• Academy plot to overthrow Emperor fails due to Enclave invading.
• Humanist Union isolationism hits its peak, with the first traces of open anti-Imperialism appearing.
• Humanist Union openly offers to accept refugee humans and lends military assistance to the Empire.
• Loyal Imperial Sector Commands from Altair to Rasalhauge are unified under a single command for the duration of the war by Terran Authorities, as the Beta Aquilae Sector Defense Concordat (BETAC). Sector civil defense fleet drafted into Imperial Reserves.
• The Institute offers token military assistance to the Empire as planning begins for secession from the Empire at an opportune time.

Early Final War:

• Academy becomes an enemy of the Empire, members captured/executed/exiled.
• Academy springs "heretics" from Imperial prison colony during Empire/Enclave battle.
• Academy Vanguard formed.
• BETAC begins conversion of scientific and industrial assets to military production. Actively begins supplying Imperial escort and light cruiser-type vessels.
• Haruhi's offer of open military assistance is rejected by the Empire.
• Open anti-Empire sentiment within the Humanist Union grows, resulting in the withdrawal of some formal military support from the Empire.

Mid Final War:

• Sasaki convinces the Canopy Domain to lend several battle fleets to openly assist Enclave operations.
• BETAC sector Imperial Battlefleet deploys to the front lines. Sector defense left entirely to local powers. Archeology-derived 'historical fiction' skyrocket in popularity from war fever.
• Haruhi authorizes the lending of covert military assistance to nearby Imperial worlds in need of it.
• The Humanist Union withdraws most of its military support from the Empire in favor of fortifying its home territories.
• Naval build-up and fortification of the Institute's home planets.

Late Final War:

• The Eighth Dictate reorganizes into the Consolidated Dominion of Gemude to combat the growing threat of organized marauders from the wilds of space, effectively declaring independence and triggering a wave of open separatist movements across the mid-range colonies.
• Aquilae-origin Battlefleet destroyed in deep space engagement. BETAC worlds begin developing independent sector government due to isolation from central Terran authorities. A fully fledged deep space command, Astro-Fleet formed at first as a mobile defense and response unit.
• Haruhi seizes several outer colonies under the cover of "peacekeeping and military assistance purposes," taking full advantage of the chaos provided by the Empire/Enclave conflict and the separatist movements in the middle colonies.
• The Academy Vanguard, after noting various powers attempting to carve out their own little empires, begins supplying random colonial militia with alien technology, including small arms and planetary guns. There's widespread confusion as various colonies resist seizure.
• Humanist Union Navy ships start attacking vulnerable Imperial vessels passing through Union space.
• Alien sapients are blocked from setting foot on Humanist Union territories without formal permission (ex. research populations).
• The Institute begins seizing assets around its former borders, believing that the time of the Empire is gone and that the Institute needs to be prepared for the aftermath. A battle breaks out when Institute troops try to take a nearby outpost, only to find local residents are armed to the teeth. Outpost deemed "not worth it."
• Earth Explodes.

Post Final War:

• The Humanist Union formally declares independence and starts a campaign to denounce the Empire, its works, and its remaining authority figures, vowing to free oppressed populations from the shackles of petty warlords.
• BETAC Officially declares itself an independant commonwealth. 'Manifest Ascendancy' party gains power in Governing Council. Astro-Fleet begins to annex nearby neighbors in the aftermath of Terra's destruction.
• The Institute formally breaks away from (what's left of) the Empire.

[Spyder]

Some Tentative ideas for BETAC-Vanguard relations.

Mid Final War:

BETAC forces receive orders from Emperor to hunt down Academy survivors and capture Dr Julius Vance.

Late Final War:

Aquilae-origin Battlefleet destroyed in deep space engagement after encountering an unexpectedly strong Vanguard battlegroup, Academy Vanguard take heavy losses. BETAC worlds begin developing independent sector government due to isolation from central Terran authorities. A fully fledged deep space command, Astro-Fleet formed at first as a mobile defense and response unit.

Post Final War:

BETAC Officially declares itself an independant commonwealth. 'Manifest Ascendancy' party gains power in Governing Council. Astro-Fleet begins to annex nearby neighbors in the aftermath of Terra's destruction. Encounters resistance from well armed colonial militia.
Vanguard make contact with BETAC in an attempt to improve relations.

[Covenant]

Quick reality check--are we all okay with the idea that we were neighbors all to each other? I'm unhappy with the timeline but I'm not going to cry about it, since if we're all cool with the timeline and the amalgamation of theme we've come up with, then that's a more functional game than we've had yet, and that's not so bad. But it's clear that a few of the ideas people have for their own forces, like the Awesome, conflicted with some other people's ideas. We handled that, but are there any other little issues with consistancy in this theme? Let's read each other's fluff now instead of later, so we don't have people suddenly spazzing when they learn someone has something they find ridiculous.

I just want people to look at their Empires and realize that while they were very unique they were also, all of them, part of an Empire with the power to crush a Starsystem without a huge effort. That's the one gripe I have: The idea of a large amount of seperatists, or assassination-happy folks, is really kinda bizzare--since it seems likely that open dissent would first be dealt an Inquest, then an invasion, and lastly just erased via bombardment. I can't imagine someone had the idea that they could actually defeat the Imperials--our Empire has most planetary-suppression firepower than the Galactic Empire did (at least, according to theme) and their vessels are still going to be far in excess of anything we would be able to field even now without restrictions.

These just don't seem like successor states. I can see how they are--someone's already mentioned to me the differences between Arabia, England and Greece when it came to the Roman Empire itself. And Rome was different than all three of those also. So it's not outside the realm of believability. I just don't see a lot of consistancy, be in in weapons or philosophy or so on, that would make them feel like they were actually really linked. I mean, for an oppressively enforced religion, I don't see many people still really all about the Centrality of Earth. Were the Inquests really that ineffective? Was the threat of planetary obliteration for uprising really that weak of a deterrant?

Anyway, so I'm not a themenazi and I'm not trying to get anyone to change an idea, just to ask if this is the theme they wanted--since it makes the Empire a lot more pourous--and if everyone is mostly okay about their neighbors being within the same fictional universe as them. Can you see your forces interacting in the past? Are you able to visualize how these groups lived in the Empire before? Just want to head off issues now, what with the little flareup about the Awesome not long ago--I doubt it's the only matter of contention.

[Adrian Laguna]

Yes, but if you're on my worlds, one can generally assume there's going to be a line drawn in front of the city blocks, and there will be an insane amount of effort to keep you on the far side. This fleet is many things the main Enclave is not.. But they will still never abandon civilians to be harmed if they might stop the assault.

It's not like they demolish buildings for kicks. It is, if nothing else, a waste of ammunition. Just that sending infantry to clear every single building can be rather bloody, so the artillery is called in on occasion. If there are no troops in the city itself, and the civilian population doesn't start getting cute with home made bombs and back-alley ambushes, the city won't be touched at all.

[Spyder]

Quick reality check--are we all okay with the idea that we were neighbors all to each other? I'm unhappy with the timeline but I'm not going to cry about it, since if we're all cool with the timeline and the amalgamation of theme we've come up with, then that's a more functional game than we've had yet, and that's not so bad. But it's clear that a few of the ideas people have for their own forces, like the Awesome, conflicted with some other people's ideas. We handled that, but are there any other little issues with consistancy in this theme? Let's read each other's fluff now instead of later, so we don't have people suddenly spazzing when they learn someone has something they find ridiculous.

I just want people to look at their Empires and realize that while they were very unique they were also, all of them, part of an Empire with the power to crush a Starsystem without a huge effort. That's the one gripe I have: The idea of a large amount of seperatists, or assassination-happy folks, is really kinda bizzare--since it seems likely that open dissent would first be dealt an Inquest, then an invasion, and lastly just erased via bombardment. I can't imagine someone had the idea that they could actually defeat the Imperials--our Empire has most planetary-suppression firepower than the Galactic Empire did (at least, according to theme) and their vessels are still going to be far in excess of anything we would be able to field even now without restrictions.

These just don't seem like successor states. I can see how they are--someone's already mentioned to me the differences between Arabia, England and Greece when it came to the Roman Empire itself. And Rome was different than all three of those also. So it's not outside the realm of believability. I just don't see a lot of consistancy, be in in weapons or philosophy or so on, that would make them feel like they were actually really linked. I mean, for an oppressively enforced religion, I don't see many people still really all about the Centrality of Earth. Were the Inquests really that ineffective? Was the threat of planetary obliteration for uprising really that weak of a deterrant?

Anyway, so I'm not a themenazi and I'm not trying to get anyone to change an idea, just to ask if this is the theme they wanted--since it makes the Empire a lot more pourous--and if everyone is mostly okay about their neighbors being within the same fictional universe as them. Can you see your forces interacting in the past? Are you able to visualize how these groups lived in the Empire before? Just want to head off issues now, what with the little flareup about the Awesome not long ago--I doubt it's the only matter of contention.

The timeline's far from final, it's an open project just to give us something to work from, once we have a rough history we can go through it and edit as required. Also, I thought I was the only one with an assassination plot.

Anyway, a lot of the elements actually do fit. Anyway, Nitram mentioned that the primary reason the Enclave attacked was that they believed that the Empire was barbaric and wanted to make sure that any planet busting weapons were kept out of their hands. This reminds me of modern day US and Iran. There are some that argue (let's leave whether or not anyone agrees with this for N&P) that Iran would be a lot more progressive were it not for US meddling.

Long story short, we had an Empire that if left to its own devices would likely have quite happily reformed itself. The Emperor would have been slain, the military divided and the various vassal states would have gone their own way. Unfortunately, the Enclave came along and ruined everything. Instead of a nice clean split we've now going a dozen paranoid states running around seizing territory and Earth is a collection of expanding debris. Humanity, if you can still call it that given the rampant transhumanism, is seeing its darkest days ever.

[Covenant]

I'm just seeing very sparse, if any, support for the Empire itself. I figured that there'd be a few sucessor states, a handful of barbarians, and an alien or two--but what we're seeing is that Ire's force is about as loyalist as it gets, with everyone else running the gamut between seperatist and outright assassination (and yes I think you may be the only one) or an outsider force entirely. It seems to stretch plausability that we've achieved a successful zero-approval-rating, with open attempts at rebellion simmering below the surface, despite the fact that no rebellion could ever possibly succeed outside of writer's fiat.

I might just make myself a non-Imperial force, possibly some tattered shred of a nonhuman species that'd been ground nearly to dust out in an expansion region. Trying to conceptualize this Empire puts my brain in knots! Then I can be as dark and horrifying as I please without it looking out of place within the human spectrum. I was originally going to make a loyalist group, but after all this, I have no idea what they'd be like. The Empire is pretty schitzoid.

[consequences]

The timeline's far from final, it's an open project just to give us something to work from, once we have a rough history we can go through it and edit as required. Also, I thought I was the only one with an assassination plot.

Anyway, a lot of the elements actually do fit. Anyway, Nitram mentioned that the primary reason the Enclave attacked was that they believed that the Empire was barbaric and wanted to make sure that any planet busting weapons were kept out of their hands. This reminds me of modern day US and Iran. There are some that argue (let's leave whether or not anyone agrees with this for N&P) that Iran would be a lot more progressive were it not for US meddling.

Long story short, we had an Empire that if left to its own devices would likely have quite happily reformed itself. The Emperor would have been slain, the military divided and the various vassal states would have gone their own way. Unfortunately, the Enclave came along and ruined everything. Instead of a nice clean split we've now going a dozen paranoid states running around seizing territory and Earth is a collection of expanding debris. Humanity, if you can still call it that given the rampant transhumanism, is seeing its darkest days ever.

So Tarnok's not-so-little uprising helped cement the Enclave's perception of the Empire as barbarians to begin with, as well as making the Imperial loyalists overreact more from their perceived sense of being threatened on all sides. The realisation that he had singlehandedly(as he sees it anyway) caused the obliteration of what he was hoping to prompt to forge itself anew drove him completely around the bend(exacerbated by the instability caused by the experimental Fleet control techniques used). As a result, his desire to be in the end brought to justice for the crimes he felt it necessary to commit has been warped into acting as heinously as possible in the subconscious hopes of provoking an overwhelming response to eliminate him.

I guess I can live with that. I was really trying to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever this time around though.