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Star Conquest: Catalyst: Not at all like Star Control!
Gorelab
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
In 2133, humans first cheated the speed of light, flinging a starship through an artificial wormhole between Earth and Jupiter and arriving after a travel time of 0 seconds.
By 2297, starships filled Known Space. Humans had dispersed to myriad worlds and space stations, but most of these joined into great alliances, each alliance of worlds spanning lightyears.
The year 2297 was a year for changes. The Jinu introduced themselves to humanity, giving humans their first contact with an alien species. Fortunately, it was a friendly introduction, and humans gained a powerful, though often not well understood, ally.
In the same year a second alien species became known. This species is still known by the name given to them when they were known only through the half-mad mumblings of pilots who had ventured too far and ghost stories told on the edge of Known Space. They are called the Outsiders, and they are not friendly.
The year is now 2309, and many things have changed.
The above is abridged from the Star Conquest: Catalyst website. Some of you will remember Star Conquest. More of you, will remember the people who created Star Conquest, Squidsoft, who also ran Galaxy Web: Stellar Epoch and Fortharlin.
Three years ago, Squidsoft went offline.
But they're back and Star Conquest is better than ever.
The Outsiders, an alien species who had existed on the fringes of events in the Star Conquest world since 2297, swept in and attacked Humanity, bombing our worlds, destroying our stations, and wiping out our fleets. The Alliances all fell, one after another, until each was subjugated completely. Now, our production output goes to the Outsiders, our ships our built from scrap, our research facilities have been wiped out.
All because of EAOS leader James Korie taking an explorer vessel named Percival Lowell deep into Outsider space, thereby breaking a strange peace humanity had had with the Outsiders.
Star Conquest: Catalyst is an Roleplay Heavy MOO set 300 years into our future, when humanity has spread throughout the galaxy. The player characters are all Pilots for the various Alliances, who are just now getting back into Space intent on throwing out their alien overlords.
The Alliances are as follows:
* The League of Old Earth Democracies, aka League. This is the oldest Alliance, centered on Old Earth. This Alliance is most like our current world, and is considered to be somewhat beleaguered by ancient laws and traditions. They are viewed as Old Fashioned.
* The Alliance of Extra-solar Unions, aka AEU. The AEU was a coalition of the first Human colonies to seek independence from the League. They are defined by an explorers spirit. There goals are often viewed as too lofty, and not practical enough in the face of the reality of humanities presence in space.
* The Egalitarian Order of Sentients, aka EAOS. This is a small alliance founded from some bizarre instructions left on the ancient alien artifact they use as their capital, the Torus. They seem to have a mysterious plan, which they do not see fit to reveal to anyone. They are generally disliked because of their condescending manner to the rest of humanity, and the fact that they 1) caused the current conflict, and 2) ran and hid like bitches during it. This alliance is only available to players in short-term, special circumstances.
* The Confederation of Fringe Worlds, aka Fringe. These are the newest Human colonies, located furthest from Old Earth. They live on what are generally the poorest worlds, but are intensely proud and known to be quite vicious. Their capital world, Chetumal, was the last to fall to the Outsiders in the war.
* The Sovereign Mutuality of Disparate Freemen, aka Mutuality. These represent a new Alliance of space-born-and-bred humans who until recently lacked any such legal status. They were known as "Unregistered" pilots and were disliked and distrusted, a fact exacerbated by the fact that some of them were used by the Outsiders to try to conquer humanity in 2297's war with the Renegades. The Mutuality is very small, and quite insular. This alliance is only available to players under special circumstances, and one of the hosts describes it as "SC Hard Mode". If you've never played Star Conquest before, you probably shouldn't try to be Mutuality.
Star Conquest is an RP-heavy MOO. Due to this there is a requirement that all players complete a Profile prior to becoming a full pilot (you will be allowed to play as a Cadet prior to approval). Players are expected to be in character, but players have devised ways to communicate game-mechanic stuff without breaking that rule. Also, while being in character is enforced, the world is similar to our own.
The story which recently began is told entirely through in-game 'events' ran by the hosts. Many of these events begin with a space-battle between the Alliances and the Outsiders.
If you're at all interested in MUDs or MOOs, this is one of the best I've ever played. It's complex enough to be engaging, but not so complex as to be frustrating. Outside of jumping to combat whenever the outsiders show up, there are several activities pilots engage in regularly:
* Salvaging - Some sectors in space are littered with Debris. Any ship with cargo room to do so can collect that debris and sell it to most space stations for a decent amount of money.
* Asteroid Mining - This is described as a 'simplified Dwarf Fortress' by the hosts. Essentially it's a mini real-time strategy game where your goal is to successfully mine as many resources as possible from a section of asteroid, while fighting off occasionally rounds of poacher drones, and trying to balance the number of drones you run yourself.
* Asteroid Hauling - This involves searching the areas beyond sector boundaries to find asteroids and haul them back to certain space stations. Be a 'Roid Cowboy today!
* Mail Delivery - Pick up mail, take it where it needs to go. Simple as that.
* Taxi Service - Pick up fares and take them to their destination, you get paid more the faster you fly.
New activities, as well as new ships, are constantly getting released in order to keep things interesting. I know there are a few goons who are already playing Star Conquest, and I'll leave it to them to introduce themselves.
If you already have a Squidsoft account, you can connect to squidsoft.net port 7777 with your favorite MOO client with your old account, otherwise head here to sign up for your free account.
Come join us.
Gorelab on
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My Backloggery
I got a non-Star Control game that isn't like Star Control.
I'm 50% satisfied, but 100% confused . . :P
I think so but they're trying to upgrade them and give them time to be better than before. As far as I know Star Control is pretty different than before with a lot more differences per side.