View manual text
Scanned and compiled by Underdogs for Home of the Underdogs
http://www.the-underdogs.org/
It had been 30 years since we first discovered the alien
technology. Centered on the Jovian moon Callisto, it fell
like mana from heaven. Eagerly, we sought out the alien
plans and copied them, revolutionizing intra-solar travel. A
new age of prosperity dawned- or so it seemed. Who could
have realized what would happen afterwards?
Outer colonies formed; commercial stations were built
and the solar economy thrived. The United Earth League
struggled to control its colonies, but ties to Earth became
less important. Pirates hidden in the Asteroid Belt attacked
more and more and friction between the UEL and the now
powerful Mars Consortium hit an all-time high.
A trigger, a spark, was all that was required to plunge
us into bitter war...
Miri Kovacs, Solar News Network Anchor
from her unpublished memoirs, 2197
Contents
Getting Started
1.1 Starting Terminus
1.1.1 Windows
1.1.2 MacOS
1.1.3 Linux
1.2 Configuration
1.2.1 Requirements for Microsoft Windows
1.2.2 Requirements for MacOS
1.2.3 Requirements for Linux
1.2.4 Graphics Options
1.2.5 Audio Options
1.2.6 Control Options
1.2.7 Game Options
1.2.8 TCP/IP Options
1.2.9 Diagnostics
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14
14
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Basic Game Play
2.1 Game Modes
2.1.1 Training
2.1.2 Gauntlet
2.1.3 Free Mode
2.1.4 Story Mode
2.2 Operating Your Spacecraft
2.2.1 The HUD
2.2.2 Flying In Space
2.2.3 Looking Around
2.2.4 Weapon Types
2.2.5 Basic Combat
2.2.6 Navigation
2.2.7 Docking
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37
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CONTENTS
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
Military and Commercial Stations
2.3.1 Lounge/Concourse
2.3.2 Conversations with Characters
2.3.3 Info/Comm Booth
2.3.4 Pager
2.3.5 Tactical Operations/Contracts
Specific to Commercial Stations
2.4.1 Local Station Exchange
Saving a Game
Loading a Game
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Intermediate Game Play
3.1 Ship Manager
3.2 Spacecraft Design
3.2.1 Choosing a Hull
3.2.2 Outfitting Your Ship
3.2.3 Performance Profile
3.2.4 Ship Painting
3.3 Operations for Experienced Pilots
3.3.1 Flight Lock
3.3.2 Torpedo Avoidance
3.3.3 Engineering
3.4 The Comm System
3.4.1 The Comm Interface
3.4.2 Giving Orders
3.4.3 Calling for Help
3.5 Posting Contracts and Bounties
3.5.1 General Options
3.5.2 Patrol Contracts
3.5.3 Strike Contracts
3.5.4 Spy Contracts
3.5.5 Bounties
3.6 Reputation
3.7 Economy
3.7.1 How the Economy Works
3.7.2 Trading
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Multiplayer
4.1 Joining a Game
4.1.1 Server Stats
4.2 Ping and Bandwidth
4.3 Hosting a Game
4.3.1 Starting a Server
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CONTENTS
4.3.2 Server Diagnostic Screen
4.3.3 Console Dedicated Servers
Multiplayer Modes
4.4.1 Melee: Deathmatch
4.4.2 Melee: Zero-G Hockey
4.4.3 Story Mode and Free Mode
The Bazaar
Multiplayer Scoring
GameSpy Support
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Advanced Topics
5.1 System Overloads
5.2 Retrieving Cargo
5.3 Flying for Stealth
5.4 Managing Heat, Stress, and Radiation
5.5 Overthruster
field
5.6 EM
5.7 Conserving Fuel and Energy
5.8 Specialized Tactics
5.8.1 HPP Assault on Station
5.8.2 HPP Assault on Capital Ship
5.8.3 Capturing Smaller Ships
5.8.4 Blockading
5.8.5 Hijacking
5.9 Handling multiple ships
5.10 The Flight Recorder
5.10.1 Recording A Scene
5.10.2 The Scene Manager
5.10.3 The Movie Sequencer
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4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
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6 Story
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6.1 The Principal Organizations of Sol
6.1.1 The United Earth League (UEL)
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6.1.2 The Mars Consortium (MC)
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6.1.3 The Marauders Pirate Clan
102
6.1.4 Independent Council of Governors
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6.2 Space Stations in Sol
6.2.1 Venus Terraform Research Station
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6.2.2 United Earth Military Station (UEMS) Artemis . 104
6.2.3 Lunar Commercial
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6.2.4 United Earth Military Station (UEMS) Unzen . . 105
6.2.5 Olympia
105
6.2.6 Mars Commercial
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CONTENTS
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6.2.7 M a r s M i n i n g S t a t i o n . . . .
...........
105
6.2.8 Ulysses
106
6.2.9 Belt Station
106
6.2.10 Pirate Base(s)
106
6.2.11 United Earth Military Station (UEMS) Saldrea . . 107
6.2.12 Europa Commercial
107
6.2.13 Callisto Research Station
107
6.2.14 Traeger Aerospace
107
6.2.15 Io Mining
108
6.2.16 Titan Commercial
108
6.2.17 Mimas Station
108
6.2.18 Oberon Station
108
6.2.19 Umbriel Commercial
108
6.3 Dominant Commercial Enterprises in Sol
109
6.3.1 United Earth League Companies
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6.3.2 Mars Consortium Members
110
6.3.3 Independent Space-borne Companies
113
6.4 Terminus Universe Timeline
117
6.4.1 Era of Economic Consolidation (2015-2043) . . . . 117
6.4.2 Era of Colonization (2042-2100)
122
6.4.3 Era of Destabilization (2100-2160)
128
6.4.4 Era of Connection (2162-Present)
134
6.5 Space Flight and Combat Technology
148
6.5.1 Vortex Gates
148
6.5.2 Profiles of Active Space Stations
150
6.5.3 Profiles of Capital Ships
154
6.5.4 Capital Ship Technology
157
6.5.5 Profiles of Single Pilot Ships
160
6.5.6 Ship Propulsion
168
6.5.7 Ship Energy Systems
169
6.5.8 Weapons
171
6.5.9 Non-Combat Devices
175
6.5.10 Computers
177
6.5.11 Scanners . .
180
6.5.12 Defenses
181
6.5.13 Repair Systems
182
6.5.14 Ship Enhancements
183
6.5.15 Miscellaneous Devices
184
6.5.16 Controlled Military Equipment
185
Index
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Chapter 1
Getting Started
1.1
Starting Terminus
1.1.1
Windows
There are two ways to start Terminus on the Windows operating system. On the Start Menu, you will find choices for "Terminus," and
"Launcher." Choosing "Terminus" will start Terminus immediately; this
is the option you will want to use most often.
When you run "Launcher," you will have the option of choosing
whether you want to use Glide or Direct3D rendering, and in the case of
Direct3D, which video card you would like to use in Terminus. For most
systems, Direct3D is the best choice. However, if you have a Voodoo
card, you may prefer to use Glide. The Launcher also allows you to
configure and start a console dedicated multiplayer server. Dedicated
servers are described much later on page 82.
1.1.2
MacOS
There are two ways to start Terminus on the MacOS operating system. In the Terminus folder, you will find icons for "Terminus," and
"Launcher." Choosing "Terminus" will start Terminus immediately; this
is the option you will want to use most often.
When you run "Launcher," you will be able to configure and start
a console dedicated multiplayer server. Dedicated servers are described
much later on page 82.
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CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED
1.1.3
Linux
To start Terminus on the Linux operating system, run the terminus
binary from the installation directory. If you want to start a console
dedicated server, consult the file config.txt.
1.2
Configuration
Terminus has many options which affect its performance on various computer systems. If your system meets the following basic requirements,
you can generally run the game without changing any configuration options. However, in order to customize the game and optimize the speed
at which it runs you may wish to experiment with the game configuration.
1.2.1
Requirements for Microsoft Windows
Terminus will run on the Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows
98 operating systems. The following are the hardware and software
requirements for this system.
• Processor Pentium-II 300MHz or faster
• Memory 64MB or more
• Video A 3D accelerator card with DirectX drivers, or a 3dfx
Voodoo card with Glide
• Sound Any sound card with DirectX drivers. A full duplex sound
card is required for real-time voice communication.
• Input Devices A mouse is required and a joystick is highly
recommended.
• CD-ROM A 4X (quadruple speed) CD-ROM drive or faster
• Required Software DirectX 6 or higher
1.2.2
Requirements for MacOS
Terminus will run on the MacOS operating system version 8.6 or higher.
The following are the hardware and software requirements for this system.
• Processor A G3 400MHz or faster
• Memory 96MB or more
1.2. CONFIGURATION
• Video A 3D accelerator card with OpenGL drivers
• Sound Full duplex support is required for real-time voice communication.
• Input Devices A mouse is required and a joystick is highly
recommended.
• CD-ROM A 4X (quadruple speed) CD-ROM drive or faster.
• Required Software Game Sprockets version 1.7 or higher, the
Apple OpenGL extensions version 1.1.2 or higher and OpenTransport extensions
1.2.3
Requirements for Linux
Terminus will run on the Linux operating system with a kernel version
2.2 or above. The following are the hardware and software requirements
for this system.
• Processor Pentium-II 300MHz or faster
• Memory 64MB or more
• Video A 3dfx Voodoo card with Glide.
• Sound Any sound card supported by Linux. Full duplex support
is required for real-time voice communication.
• Input Devices A mouse is required and a joystick is highly
recommended.
• CD-ROM A 4X (quadruple speed) CD-ROM drive or faster.
• Required Software GNU libc version 2.1, Glide version 2 or
above, and pthread library 0.8 or above.
1.2.4
Graphics Options
Graphics options are accessible from the Options submenu from the main
menu. These options affect how Terminus is displayed on the screen.
Setting up the graphics options properly can have a major effect on
Terminus game performance. The following is a description of each
option on the Graphics Options dialog.
• Rasterizer The rasterizer is the current graphics system used
to draw everything in Terminus. Systems running the Microsoft
Windows operating system have support for two rasterizers: Glide
and Direct3D. Under Linux, only Glide is currently supported,
and systems running MacOS support only OpenGL. The rasterizer
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CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED
can only be changed outside the game using the Launcher, or the
Terminus command line.
• Detail Level The detail level slider represents the complexity of
the graphics that will be drawn with the current set of options.
The farther to the right the slider is, the higher of the complexity.
Moving this slider will affect all graphics options at once. If you
find Terminus runs too slow, moving this slider to the left can
improve speed.
• Transparency Transparency allows you to partially see through
certain effects. Transparency is also used to draw the HUD in
your ship. We recommend you keep this option enabled.
• Lens Flares Lens flares are drawn whenever a bright light appears in the game. For example, the sun uses the lens flare effect.
• Texture Mapping
All objects in Terminus (including ships and bases) are polygonal
models. Texture mapping is the process of drawing color and
surface texture on those models. We recommend you keep this
option enabled.
• High-Poly Models Objects in Terminus are drawn with a variable number of triangles based on how far you are from the object.
Enabling high-poly models tells Terminus to use many more triangles than it usually would to draw some objects. This creates
nicer looking graphics but has a significant impact on the speed
of the game.
• Detail Model Your ship's detail scanner (see page 31) can display a miniature version of your target. Enabling the detail model
option will make this happen.
• HUD Center Marker Your ship's center marker on the HUD
(see page 23) can be drawn in two different styles. Enabling this
option draws the center marker in the traditional style. Disabling
this option draws the center marker in a simpler style.
• Career Colors Ships allied with either Earth or Mars will be
shaded in their respective colors if this option is enabled. Earth
ships will be given a bluish tint and Mars ships will be given a
reddish tint.
• Lighting All objects in Terminus are subject to lighting. This
makes parts of an object facing light brighter than parts of an
object not facing light. Disabling lighting turns off this effect. We
recommend this option stay enabled.
1.2. CONFIGURATION
13
• Nebula The nebula option toggles whether or not a nebula-like
background is drawn in space. While the nebula looks nice it does
have a significant impact on game speed.
• Specular Specular is a more advanced form of lighting that
makes certain parts of objects look more rounded and shiny. This
has a significant impact on game speed.
• Polygon Planets Planets and moons in the Terminus solar system can be drawn as 3-dimensional objects. Enabling this option
causes objects to be drawn in 3D. This has a significant impact
on speed.
• Velocity Lines Velocity lines are drawn on the HUD to show
which direction your ship is traveling. Disabling this option turns
off these lines.
• Ship Trails Ship trails are drawn on the HUD to show the path
of nearby ships. Disabling this option turns off these trails.
• Starfield Density Using this slider you can vary the number of
stars that are drawn in the game.
• Shrapnel Level This slider adjusts how an object explodes. A
high shrapnel level causes many pieces of the object to be ejected
into space. Excessive shrapnel may slow down a server, so it may
be advantageous to lower this setting.
• Gamma Correction This slider adjusts the brightness of all the
graphics drawn in Terminus. As the slider moves, there should be
an observable change in the brightness of the game. Some video
cards do not support this option. See your video card documentation if this slider does not work. There may be another way
outside Terminus to change the brightness of the graphics.
• Capture Gamma Capture gamma is similar to the gamma correction control, but is only applied to screen shots and AVI exports.
At the bottom of the graphics options dialog are two buttons. The
Ok button will close the dialog. The Advanced button will open the
Advanced Graphics options. Changing these options affects some very
basic things about how Terminus uses your video card. Only change
these options if you are familiar with your video card and know what
you are doing. The following descriptions are technical in nature.
• Depth Buffer This option toggles depth buffering (or z-buffering).
We recommend you leave this option enabled. If you disable this
option you will see polygon sorting problems.
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CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED
• Bi-linear Filtering Toggles bi-linear filtering.
• Tri-linear Filtering Toggles tri-linear filtering.
• Anti-aliasing Toggles anti-aliasing for sprites.
• Triple-buffering Toggles triple buffering. On some cards, enabling this option will significantly increase game speed.
• Mip-mapping Toggles mip-mapping.
• Palettized Textures Some video cards are capable of using 8-bit
textures. Using this option saves texture memory.
• Video Modes This is a list of available video modes. Terminus
is capable of using a higher resolution in game. However, while
using any interface screen Terminus will use 640 by 480 resolution.
Furthermore, some OpenGL drivers display 16-bit graphics very
poorly. If you think you might be experiencing this try switching
to a higher bit depth video mode if one is available.
1.2.5
Audio Options
The Audio Options dialog is accessible from the Options submenu. The
audio options allow you to set the volume of four different types of sound.
• Sound Effects This is the volume of all the general sound effects
played in the game and interfaces.
• Dialogue During the game, various characters will speak to you,
either at stations, or over the comm system. This slider represents
the volume of all spoken dialogue.
• Music This slider controls the volume of the CD music.
• Recording Volume In a multiplayer game you can talk to other
pilots during the game. This slider controls our software amplifier
for your microphone.
1.2.6
Control Options
The Control Options dialog allows you to configure the keyboard, joystick, mouse and other input devices for Terminus. At the top of the
dialog is a list of different categories of actions that can be performed in
the game. The middle section of the dialog contains a list of all the actions in the selected category, and the input device (or devices) assigned
to each action. At the bottom of the screen there is a slider and a row
of buttons.
The slider, labeled Joystick Dead Zone, compensates for joystick
"drift." Some joysticks do not center exactly but drift in some direction.
1.2. CONFIGURATION
15
If you find your ship slowly turning in the game while your joystick is
centered, try increasing the joystick dead zone.
In general, movement controls, such as mouse and joystick position,
can be applied to motion controls of your ship, such as pitch and yaw.
On/off controls, such as keys and buttons, are applied to toggles and
functions. To illustrate how to make and remove an assignment between
an input device and action, two examples are provided.
The first example is assigning a new key to the Fire Weapon action.
First, select the Weapons and Targeting category from the topmost list.
Then find Fire Weapon from that list of actions. It should be at the
top. Click on it. Now go down to the bottom row of buttons a click
on Add. A prompt will appear. At this prompt you can press any
combination of keys, mouse buttons and joystick buttons. Try holding
down the Shift key and pressing F. Now in the list under Fire Weapon,
<Shift>-F should be listed. This means whenever you hold down Shift
and press F in the game your weapon will fire. A maximum of 4 different
assignments can be made to one action. To remove <Shift>-F simply
click on it and hit the Delete button at the bottom of the dialog box.
The second example is assigning a new control to yaw your spacecraft. Select Joystick and Mouse from the top list. Find the Yaw action
and click on it. Click the Add button. A prompt will be displayed.
Now move your mouse left and right. A new prompt will come up stating that you moved your mouse on the X-axis. Click Ok. Now you can
turn your ship by moving the mouse left or right. You also have the
option of reversing the direction of the axis.
If you bind a single key or control to multiple functions, you will be
notified of the conflict. You are free to ignore this warning if this is what
you really want, but most often you will want to alleviate the conflict
by reassigning one of the controls.
Your control configuration will be saved for you when you quit Terminus. However, if you want to optionally save your control configuration
to a separate file, click on the Save button at the bottom of the dialog
box. This is primarily useful if you want to share control configurations
with other people.
Once you click on the Save button you will be prompted to enter
the name of the file you want to save. There is also a list of already
existing control configuration files in the save dialog. One of these files
is terminus.ctl. This file is a special control configuration file. It is
always loaded when Terminus starts up and always saved when Terminus
shuts down.
To load an already existing control configuration click on Load and
select the file you want to load. Terminus includes control configuration
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CHAPTER 1. GETTING STARTED
files that mirror (as best as possible) popular space flight combat games.
You can load one of these control configurations if you axe familiar with
another such game. It may help you learn Terminus more quickly.
Pressing Merge is similar to Load, except the merge function does
not remove controls that are currently in use. This allows you to load an
additional set of keys and controls for various functions. As an example,
you can load a set of mouse bindings for flight control, and allow your
keyboard and joystick settings to remain intact. Any duplicate controls
that are loaded are thrown out.
1.2.7
Game Options
The Game Options dialog contains several different general gameplay
configuration options. They are detailed as follows.
• Flight Recorder Buffer This slider controls the size of the
flight recorder buffer. See page 96 for more information about the
flight recorder. The farther the slider is to the right the larger the
buffer and the more memory the flight recorder uses.
• Mouse Sensitivity This slider controls how fast the cursor
moves across the screen in interfaces and the sensitivity of the
mouse in general.
• Force Feedback Sensitivity If you are using a force feedback
device with Terminus this slider controls the strength of the forces
Terminus generates.
• Menu Animations The checkbox controls whether or not the
menu system is animated.
1.2.8
TCP/IP Options
These options are used only for multiplayer Terminus. The first option,
Server Port, is the port number that Terminus communicates on for
all game data. The second option is the port that Terminus uses to
communicate with GameSpy. See page 87 for more information about
GameSpy support in Terminus. If you do not wish to use GameSpy
support within Terminus set this port number to 0. We recommend
that you do not change either of these port numbers, unless you really
know what you're doing.
The final option, Region, is a list of regions around the world. Selecting the region that represents your geographic location will allow
Terminus to communicate with the closest possible GameSpy server.
1.2. CONFIGURATION
1.2.9
17
Diagnostics
The diagnostics dialog is accessible directly from the main menu. This
dialog can be used when troubleshooting hardware related problems with
Terminus. Diagnostics can help when configuring the game. The elements of the diagnostic dialog follow.
• Version The version of Terminus that is running.
• Multiplayer Version The version of the Terminus multiplayer
engine that is running. Generally, to play a multiplayer game all
players must be using the same multiplayer version.
• Processor The name of your computer's processor.
• System R A M The amount of RAM your system has.
• Rasterizer The graphics system used to draw the graphics in
the game.
• Joystick This is a list of joysticks that Terminus has detected
and can use. Also listed are the number of buttons and axes that
each joystick has.
• Force Feedback This box indicates if Terminus has detected a
force feedback device on your computer that it is capable of using.
• Full Duplex Audio In order to send audio communications to
other players in a multiplayer game your sound card must support
full duplex audio. This box indicates the status of full duplex
audio.
Pull duplex audio must be enabled by your operating system to
work properly. Consult your operating system documentation for
information on how to configure this feature.
• Aureal 3D On machines running the Windows operating system, Terminus supports sound cards that use Aureal 3D sound
technology for 3-dimensional sound. This is the status of that
Aureal 3D sound.
• Direct Sound 3D On machines running the Windows operating system, Terminus supports sound cards that support Direct
Sound 3D in hardware. This box indicates whether Terminus has
detected and is using such a sound card.
Chapter 2
Basic Game Play
2.1
Game Modes
There are four modes of play in a single player Terminus game. They
are Training, Gauntlet, Free Mode and Story. Different game modes can
be launched via the New Game/Single Player menu. Each game mode
requires you to specify a difficulty and physics setting before actually
starting the game.
The highest difficulty setting is considered the most "realistic," as
you have no particular advantages over any other character or ship in
the game. Lowering the difficulty setting has three effects: First, the
lower the difficulty setting, the more effective your weapons are against
ships controlled by non-player characters. Second, it becomes harder for
your ship to take damage from either weapons or collisions. Third, the
performance of the non-player ships becomes poorer. All of these lower
the overall difficulty of the game.
The physics setting affects only one thing, the performance of your
ship. Low physics settings allow your ship to stop faster and turn without
"sliding". Sliding refers to your ship traveling in a one direction while
facing another. Players familiar with atmospheric flight simulators or
some space combat games may be more at home with a lower physics
setting. A higher physics setting allows the player ship to use the full
zero-G Newtonian physics model.
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2.1.1
CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
Training
Training allows a novice pilot to learn the basics of space flight in Terminus. Training is highly recommended for those just starting out.
Training starts at a base. By moving your mouse to one of the doors
on the left side of the base screen and clicking, you will be able to go
the mission briefing screen. After you read the mission briefing, you will
be launched into space on a training mission. There are 5 total training
missions. Once you complete them all you should be an able pilot.
2.1.2
Gauntlet
Gauntlet is the player's proving ground. Whether you want to pit your
skill against some of the toughest AI in the game or you just want to
take a new ship out for a test fly, Gauntlet will give you the chance.
The main goal of Gauntlet is to face down many levels of the finest
fighters and emerge victorious. With only one life to live, your only
means of survival is your own skill and a cruiser with which you can dock
and repair. The levels of gauntlet each have a theme and provide waves
of increasing intensity before you advance to the next. Your opponents
vary in skill and attack style ranging from the most basic "one-on-one"
to the intense "free-for-all" of the final waves.
Can you survive the gauntlet?
2.1.3
Free Mode
Free Mode is a much more complex type of game than Gauntlet. Upon
launching a Free Mode game, the career selection screen comes up. After
selecting a career, the game starts. You begin at a base with a standard
ship. You are free to travel the solar system carrying out contracts,
trading items, collecting bounties and much more. Many non-player
characters also exist in the solar system. They will be doing some of the
same things you are in the solar system. Free Mode can continue indefinitely and has no real end. Only players with some experience should
play this game mode. While Free Mode is a rewarding and exciting type
of game to play, it requires that the player understand at least the basics
of Terminus.
2.1.4
Story Mode
Story mode is the heart of the Terminus experience. In story mode,
you become a pilot in the universe of 2197, and experience events as
they happen, flying missions, talking on stations, reading the news, and
2.1. GAME MODES
21
above all, trying to discover the truth. When the story ends, Terminus
transitions to free mode play.
When you start the game in story mode, you are presented with the
choice to follow one of four different career paths. Each path is different,
and greatly influences your experiences in the game, so choose the one
most appealing to your playing style or level.
United Earth League
Recommended for the beginner player, you take on the role of a pilot
for the United Earth League Military. As a member of the elite Ursa
Squadron, you will be expected to partake in numerous missions. Some
of these will be carrying out the needed duties of any military: keeping
intelligence gathering operations running smoothly, transporting supplies to bases, and patrolling for suspect ships. However, you will also
be called upon to perform in critical League operations, in which your
role in the success of the operation is key.
Mars Consortium
Recommended for the beginner player, you become a member of the
Nergal Squadron, a highly commended unit in the Mars Consortium
Military. Because the Consortium forces are viewed by many as a mere
militia, you will often have to confront overwhelming odds. You will partake in routine missions for the military: transporting goods, assisting in
intelligence gathering operations, and rapid attack operations on specific
targets. You are also charged with completing key missions, risking life
and limb in the continuing struggle for Martian Independence.
Pirate
Recommended for the advanced player, the pirate is a blend of roles.
You will be required to manage your own assets while being an active
member of the Marauder Clan. Your standing among other pirates is
key to your continued membership, and any wrong move will get you
ousted. Many of your contracts will involve intelligence gathering, the
hijacking of cargo, and killing those who have crossed the Marauders.
You also have the opportunity to partake in critical sorties, helping to
further the plans of the Marauders to gain power and respect in the
Solar System. Because of your affiliations, your life is always in danger.
Expect to be attacked at every turn.
CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
Mercenary
Recommended for the advanced player, your allegiance as a mercenary
is only to yourself. You may ally yourself with whomever you choose,
but keep in mind that one false move can put your name on the blacklist
of the wealthiest employers in Sol. You will need to constantly monitor your assets and keep abreast of the fluxing socio-political climate.
Many of your missions will involve the transportation of goods, spying
for others, and sometimes even hijacking or killing. You might also be
presented with contracts of dubious origin, for which you might fly with
other mercenaries to complete your objectives. While the rewards for
these dangerous missions are great, the consequences of failure are even
greater.
2.2
Operating Your Spacecraft
Space flight can seem complex at first. But in this section you will
learn the basics of operating your ship. You'll find out about the instruments used in space travel and combat. You'll also learn about using
thrusters to control your ship's movement. Then you can move on to
the summaries of ship weapons and combat strategies, and the overview
of interplanetary navigation. If at any point things get out of hand, you
can press P to pause the game, and review this document. You can also
press Esc to use the in-game menu to change options or exit.
2.2.1 The HUD
Your ship's computer is equipped with a Heads Up Display, or HUD. The
HUD organizes the information you need for both flight and combat, and
displays this data in a transparent layer over your view of space. Once
you become familiar with the HUD, you will quickly grasp your ship's
position, speed, condition and many other variables just by glancing at
different areas of the screen.
Velocity Lines
Your HUD produces velocity lines on your screen to give you a frame of
reference in space. When you are still, velocity lines are visible only as
stationary dots. But when you are moving, the velocity lines streak past
you showing which direction you are moving and how fast. The longer
the lines, the higher your speed.
2.2. OPERATING YOUR SPACECRAFT
23
Center Reticle
The center reticle of your HUD provides information useful primarily
in combat situations (Figure 2.1). When a ship or another object is
targeted, the name of that object will appear at the very top of your
center reticle. In the example shown, "Razor" is the name of the targeted
ship.
Razor
Proton Particle Bolt
Figure 2.1: The HUD center reticle
Just below the target name on the center reticle is a curved, horizontal bar. This is your surge indicator. As you fire weapons, your
surge cells drain. The surge indicator represents this process by filling
in less and less of the horizontal bar. When the bar appears empty, your
weapons will no longer function properly. Over time, however, your
surge cells will recharge, and the surge indicator bar will once again
fill-in. Detailed information on surge cells can be found on page 170.
The curved vertical bar below, and to the left of, the surge indicator
shows your ship's hull strength. As you take damage, the vertical bar
will be depleted in the same proportion as your hull. In figure 2.1, the
player's ship has sustained approximately 30% damage.
The curved vertical bar below, and to the right of, the surge indicator
represents your target's hull strength. In the example shown, the ship
targeted by the player has sustained approximately 10% damage.
On the left of your hull strength indicator are two numbers. These
numbers show your current velocity (top number) and acceleration (bot-
tom number) rates. It is important to realize these rates are measured in terms of the direction you are facing. For the purposes
24
CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
of these measurements, the direction you are facing is considered forward. Therefore, when you are not facing the same direction in which
you are traveling, the velocity and acceleration rates for this backward
movement will be presented as negative values of forward movement. In
the example shown, the player is not accelerating forward or backward,
but is drifting backward at 1.5 km/s.
On the right of your target's hull indicator are two more numbers.
These are your closure rate (top number) and your distance from the
current target (bottom number). In figure 2.1, the closure rate shows
that the player's ship and the Razor are converging at 2.1 km/s. Because
the bottom number in the example indicates that the player is presently
21.1 km from the target, you can deduce that, if the player heads directly
for the Razor, impact will occur in about 10 seconds.
When your ship is armed, a weapon name and number will appear
at the bottom of the center reticle. This display shows which weapon
is currently selected and the amount of ammunition it has available. In
figure 2.1, the Proton Particle Bolt has been selected and 1400 rounds
of helium are available. Note that the ammunition number refers to the
quantity of helium units available, not the number of shots. Because the
proton particle bolt uses two helium units per shot, each shot fired will
decrease the ammunition count by two (from 1400 to 1398, and so on).
You will learn more about specific weapons later.
When a torpedo is selected, you will see a number to the right of
the ammo indicator. This number indicates how many torpedoes your
computer is capable of tracking simultaneously. When you fire a torpedo,
this number will decrease. When you have reached your torpedo limit,
you will not be able to fire until one of your previous torpedoes has
expired.
Inside the center reticle there is a smaller circle which indicates the
exact center of your screen. This center marker is useful in determining
exactly where your ship is heading, as well as for targeting objects during
combat. Aligning the center marker circle with the lead vector (see
below) will improve your aim tremendously.
A ship with weapons also will have one or more small crosses in
the center reticle. In figure 2.1, there are two, one just above and one
just below the center marker circle. Each cross corresponds to a bay
containing one of the currently selected weapons. In the example, the
player has two proton particle bolts, one near the top of the ship, and one
near the bottom. When a ship is very close to a target, the crosses will
move away from the center of the screen, to help with aiming weapons.
The crosses also change color to indicate readiness status. When a
cross is white, this means the corresponding bay is ready and will fire
2.2. OPERATING YOUR SPACECRAFT
25
next. If a cross is red, then the corresponding bay will not fire when
you pull the trigger. When you hold the trigger, bays will alternate in
firing and you will see the crosses alternate from red to white and back
to red.
Targeting Indicators
When you target a ship or another object (Page 37), a target box will
appear on your HUD surrounding the object. (Figure 2.2) The color of
this box gives you information about the targeted object. If the box is
red, then the target is out of range for the currently selected weapon. If
the box is yellow, then the target may be in range, depending on closure
rate and other factors; but neither a hit or a miss can be predicted with
certainty. If the target box is blue, then you are in range and a well
executed shot will likely hit its mark.
Figure 2.2: The HUD target box, lead vector, and trail
The target box has two components. The inner box always follows
the target, but the outer box varies. This outer box is the lock-on
indicator. It shows you when there is a trajectory lock for weapons such
as torpedoes, the force beam, and others which require it. When you
first target an object, the inner box will appear immediately. Then the
outer box will begin spiraling inward toward the target. (Be prepared
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
Lunar
Commercial
Rupture Cannon
Figure 2.3: Offscreen Target Arrow
for this to take longer when targeting ships with high stealth.) When
the outer box has completed its inward spiraling, and it looks like the
example in figure 2.2, you have achieved weapon lock.
If your target is not visible on your screen, your HUD will not show a
target box. Instead, you will see a small red arrow in your center reticle
(See figure 2.3). This arrow indicates which direction to turn to bring
your target on-screen. If the arrow blinks red, then the target is behind
you, and you will have to turn more than 90 degrees to get it on-screen.
The HUD also creates a lead vector on your screen as another aid for
aiming weapons. A lead vector is a line projecting forward from the very
center of your target and ending with a small circle. The circle shows
you where to aim your weapon to hit the target, assuming both you and
the targeted object continue moving at the same velocity. As mentioned
before, aligning the center marker circle of your center reticle with the
circle at the end of the lead vector is the best way to hit the target. In
the example shown in figure 2.2, the player must aim above and to the
right to hit the targeted ship.
There is one last indicator which does not deal particularly with
targeting, but can be important for identifying ships. A special white
diamond-shaped indicator will appear around a non-player ship that is
sending you a message. This will help you determine who is talking as
you play story mode.
Scanner
At the bottom center of the HUD is your scanner. The scanner helps
you track other ships and objects in the area. Every object within your
2.2. OPERATING YOUR SPACECRAFT
27
scanner's range, and which your scanner can detect (ships with high
stealth may be invisible to your scanner), are represented as a dot on
the scanner. The color of the dot corresponds to the career of the ship or
object. Projectiles are colored yellow, and objects with no career (such
as vortex gates) are purple. The dot on your scanner corresponding to an
object you have targeted will have a small square, similar to the target
box, surrounding it.
Any object on the same plane as your ship (that is, neither above
nor below you) will be represented by a dot inside your scanner's oval.
For an object outside of your plane, there will be a line extending from
the imagined surface of your scanner's oval either up or down to the
dot representing that object. By doing this, the scanner allows you
to determine the location of objects, relative to your ship, in all three
dimensions. The lines through the center of the scanner's oval indicate
the center of your scanner and the location of your ship.
Displayed below your scanner is your current scanner range. This
is the maximum distance within which an object can be detected by
your scanner. You can increase or decrease your scanner range with
the equals (=) and minus (-) keys. But remember that increasing your
scanner range will not guarantee detection of all ships within that range
since the stealth barriers of some crafts may keep your scanner from
registering them.
Figure 2.4: The Scanner
For any ship which is unable to see you due to your stealth, the other
ship's weak scanner, or a combination of the two, its corresponding dot
on your scanner will have a small number next to it. That number, which
will range from 1 to 100, indicates how close that ship is to locating you.
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
As long as that number remains below 100, that ship cannot see you.
Therefore, if a ship has a small 90 next to it, you will know that you
probably can't get much closer without being detected. But if a ship has
only a 10 beside it, then you can get much closer before being noticed.
When this small number disappears completely, that ship will then be
able to see you on its scanner.
Ship trails
Your HUD also creates "trails" marking the path of every ship visible
on your screen. These trails help you locate other ships and see their
current trajectory. The color of a ship's trail corresponds to its career
in the same way as scanner dots. This makes it easy to assess a combat
situation, even from a distance, by looking at the trails of all the ships
involved.
One important point to remember about ship trails is that their
direction and their length (which indicates the corresponding ship's velocity) are both relative to your ship's direction and velocity. So, for
instance, if you are stationary, the trails you see from another ship will
indicate that ship's velocity. If you are moving, however, then your direction and velocity become factors in reading the other ship's trails.
No matter how fast you are going, if another ship is moving at the same
velocity, its trail will be very short. In order to be useful, then, ship
trails almost always must be considered along with other information.
Look at the example in figure 2.2. The trails head down and left
from the target ship. This could indicate that the ship is moving up and
right, relative to the player's ship. But it is also possible that the target
ship isn't moving at all, and the player's ship is moving down and left.
Furthermore, looking at the trails alone, it is impossible to know whether
both ships are moving "forward" (into the screen) or "backward" (out
of the screen). If this seems confusing, keep in mind that this concept
will be much easier to understand once you see ship trails in action.
Indicators and Alerts
Your HUD also includes several important gauges. On the left side of
your scanner is the fuel gauge. To the right of the scanner is the energy
gauge. These gauges measure the quantities of fuel and energy on your
ship.
Below the fuel gauge are gauges for heat and stress (Figure 2.5).
Certain ship components, such as your engine, will add heat and/or
stress to your ship. As you fly, you may see these gauges climb to the
2.2. OPERATING YOUR SPACECRAFT
29
right. Under such circumstances, it is usually advisable to ease up on
the accelerator, as well as on other systems, in order to cool down.
Figure 2.5: Gauges
Below the energy gauge are gauges for radiation and oxygen. Monitoring these gauges is important to the health of the ship's pilot. A ship
which produces too much radiation creates a serious, frequently fatal
situation. A ship with insufficient oxygen may be even more perilous.
If something does go wrong on your ship, you will be alerted by signals appearing in a horizontal line above the scanner and multi-function
displays (described below). These warnings include the following :
• HULL Your hull is dangerously weak. Further stress could be
disastrous.
• COLLIDE Your ship is heading toward another ship or object.
Unless you take immediate action, a collision will be unavoidable.
• HEAT Your ship is overheating. This will disable your surge
cells, preventing you from firing weapons. It will also decrease
your ship's tolerance for stress.
• RAD Radiation level is excessively high. Harm to the pilot's
health, including the possibility of death, will follow.
• FUEL Your ship is extremely low on fuel. Soon you will be
unable to fly.
• ENERGY Your ship is seriously low on energy. Running out
will cause your computer and other systems to shut down.
• STRESS Your ship's hull is undergoing serious stress. Hull damage will soon result.
• SPEED You are traveling too fast. Subatomic particle collisions
will increasingly stress your hull.
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
• OXYGEN Breathing will soon become difficult, then impossible.
Message Centers
Under certain circumstances, your HUD produces messages which appear on the left and right side of the center reticle. These messages let
you know particular ship systems have been activated or deactivated, or
warn you of specific dangers, such as an incoming torpedo.
Multi-Function Displays
At the bottom left and the bottom right of your HUD are the multifunction displays, or MFDs. Each MFD can be configured to present
one of several different packages of information. The MFD cycle keys,
comma (,) and period (.) allow you to choose which information is
displayed, and in which MFD. The package choices are:
• Ship Diagnostic This includes a diagram of your hull, with color
indicating damage to armor. It also shows your current speed, hull
strength, and thrust level. Thrust level is the percentage of full
power at which your engines and thrusters are firing. This MFD
also includes a display of how much space remains in your cargo
bay.
• Detail Scanner This includes the name of your current target,
its hull strength, closure rate, distance, and ETA (estimated time
of arrival). If you have targeted a system on the ship, that is listed
as well, along with the system's strength and armor. To use this
MFD, you must have a functioning detail scanner aboard your
ship .
• Ordinance This shows the name of the weapon currently selected
and the amount of ammunition available for that weapon, along
with a list of all the weapons on your ship. If the names of all
weapons you have will not fit at once on the MFD, the display
will cycle every few seconds. A weapon name will be colored blue
unless there is no ammunition available for that weapon. Then its
name will appear in red.
• Sniffer To use the sniffer MFD, you must have a sniffer device
on your ship. You also must be within 20km of the targeted ship,
depending on the target's stealth, and your own scanner power.
The sniffer device scans the targeted ship and then displays a
complete manifest of what is aboard. However, the sniffer does
not provide information about whether a device onboard the target
ship is active or inactive, or whether it has been damaged or not.
2.2. OPERATING YOUR SPACECRAFT
31
Figure 2.6: Detail scanner MFD
• Scoreboard In multiplayer melee modes, the Scoreboard shows
each player's score.
2.2.2
Flying In Space
Flying in space is flying in a vacuum; there is no air friction to slow
you down. All of the power from your ship's thrusters goes directly
into acceleration. And, because there is no resistance in space, it takes
exactly the same amount of time to slow from one speed to another as
it does to accelerate between these same two velocities. That means if
it requires 15 seconds to go from a stop to your desired speed, you must
begin to slow down more than 15 seconds before reaching your target if
you want to avoid a collision.
Inertia Compensators and Thrusters
Without gravity or air friction in space, a pilot often can use help in
staying properly oriented. To this end, all space ships are equipped with
inertia compensators. When active, inertia compensators will automatically fire the appropriate thrusters to help maintain speed and keep the
ship moving in the direction it is pointing.
With the inertia compensator active, press A to increase speed and
Z to slow down. By pressing Z you can also move backwards. You also
have thrusters to move you laterally, and up and down. However, because a ship's main (forward/reverse) thrusters are almost always more
powerful than its lateral thrusters, facing in the direction you wish to
travel and then moving forward is usually most effective.
CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
32
Thrusters and Unrestrained Flight
Sometimes, however, it may become useful to face one direction while
traveling the opposite way. This occurs most often in combat situations
when a pilot wants to retreat from an enemy without giving up visual
contact. To do this, you must turn off your inertia compensators using
C. Now your thrusters will no longer automatically correct your flight
based on the direction you point.
With your ship's inertia compensators disabled, you can use A to
thrust forward and Z to thrust backward. For moving left, use Q and
use W for moving right. Use 5 to thrust up and X to thrust down.
Thrust Level
When you press the various thruster keys, the thrusters generally fire at
full power. However, there may be times when you want a more precise
level of control over your velocity. In these cases, you will want to change
your thrust level. Thrust level is displayed on the ship diagnostic MFD,
is decreased by pressing D and increased by pressing E. When your
thrust level is 50% for example, your thrusters only fire at half power,
reducing both your acceleration, and sensor signature.
Don't forget to increase your thrust level back to 100% if you need
to make a quick getaway. It will take you much longer to get anywhere
if you leave the thrust level down.
Stopping
During space flight you may be accelerating along more than one directional axis at once - up, left and forward, for instance. Stopping can be
tricky. That's why the "stop" key (TAB) is very useful. Hitting this key
will activate your inertia compensators and coordinate the appropriate
thrusters to bring your ship to a stop as quickly as possible.
2.2.3
Looking Around
Sometimes you can gain a better perspective on your situation by using a
different point of view. In Terminus, several points of view are available:
• Front (Press F1) This is the normal view, looking out the front
of your ship.
• Rear (Press F2) Looks out the rear of your ship. Your HUD
is still viewable, but the center marker is removed.
• Left (Press F3) This view looks out the left side of the ship.
2.2. OPERATING YOUR SPACECRAFT
33
• Right (Press F4) Looks out the right side of the ship.
• Up (Press F5) Looks up.
• Down (Press F6) Looks down.
• Chase (Press F7) Views your ship from directly behind.
• External Padlock (Press CTRL-F7) Views your ship from
the outside, but changes orientation to keep your current target
within view at all times.
• Weapon (Press F8) Chases the most recent torpedo you have
fired.
• Target (Press F9) Chases your current target.
You may change your zoom in any of the views by pressing right
bracket (]) to zoom in, and left bracket ([) to zoom out.
2.2.4
Weapon Types
Before you can go into battle, you should become familiar with all the
different types of weapons you might use or encounter. Keep in mind
that every weapon requires at least one surge cell to operate. Increasing
the amount of surge will enhance the performance of all these weapons,
but to varying degrees.
Energy Weapons
Energy weapons require large amounts of surge to operate. While low
surge will not prevent an energy weapon from being fired, it will reduce
the damage imposed by each shot. Therefore, allow your surge cell to
power up sufficiently in order to get the maximum from the weapon.
Helium-3 is relatively lightweight, so stocking up has little negative impact on your ship's maneuverability.
Although the range of energy weapons is less than mass weapons, the
energy weapons tend to inflict more damage. The helium plasma cannon,
for instance, has the greatest damage factor of any weapon except the
torpedoes.
• Electron Particle Bolt (EPB) The EPB is the weakest of the
energy weapons, and has a moderate range. However, this weapon
is also the lightest and can fit into any weapons bay. This makes
multiple EPB configurations convenient. EPBs can be repelled by
an EM field (see page 93).
Ammo consumption: 1 unit of helium-3 per shot
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
• Proton Particle Bolt (PPB) The PPB delivers medium damage and has a medium range, and is attracted to EM fields. The
PPB is only slightly larger than the EPB, and can be fit into most
weapons bays.
Ammo consumption: 2 units of helium-3 per shot
• Neutron Particle Bolt (NPB) This weapon has a longer range
than a PPB, but offers less damage per shot. It also requires more
ammunition to operate than the EPB or the PPB. However, the
NPB has the benefit of being unaffected by any electromagnetic
fields.
Ammo consumption: 3 units of helium-3 per shot
• Helium Plasma Cannon (HPC) The HPC is a powerful,
rapid-fire energy weapon. Only the largest ship hulls can accommodate this sizable weapon. The HPC is also unaffected by an
EM field.
Ammo consumption: 10 units of helium-3 per shot
• Training Weapon This is a weapon used for training purposes,
which does not fire live rounds.
Mass Weapons
All mass weapons require some surge to fire. But, unlike energy weapons,
mass weapons will inflict the same degree of damage regardless of surge.
Generally, mass weapons have a greater range than energy weapons as
well. It is important to note, however, that mass weapons impart a form
of stress when fired. Therefore, it is not advisable to fire a mass weapon
when a ship is already near its stress limits.
• Rupture Cannon This weapon fires an exploding projectile.
But be aware that the rupture cannon also has one of the shortest
ranges of any weapon. Like the EPB, the rupture cannon can
be fit into any weapons bay. Because it is the lightest of the
mass weapons, rupture cannons are often used in groups of four
or more. These weapons are extremely inexpensive to buy and
maintain, which makes them common additions to many civilian
ships. Rupture rounds are repelled by an EM field.
Ammo consumption: 1 rupture round per shot
• Mass Driver The mass driver is the middle of the road for mass
weapons. This weapon can be placed on almost any ship and offers
a high rate of fire with a reasonable range and damage rate. The
mass driver is a favorite among the Mars military.
Ammo consumption: 1 metallic round per shot
2.2. OPERATING YOUR SPACECRAFT
35
• Rail Gun The rail gun has the longest range by far of any projectile weapon currently available. It also offers an excellent speed
and damage rate. The downside of the rail gun is that it is very
large and heavy. Only the largest ship hulls can accommodate this
weapon. Another negative factor is that the rail gun will degrade
with use. Costly repairs will be necessary when this weapon is
used extensively.
Ammo consumption: 1 metallic round per shot
Torpedoes
You will have to outfit your ship with the appropriate launcher to use
any of the torpedo weapons. To operate effectively, the Icarus and the
Omega torpedoes both require a target-lock. The Rocket is a "dumbfire" projectile weapon and must be aimed at its target.
• Icarus Torpedo The Icarus has the longest range of all the
weapons at your disposal. However, this weapon sacrifices maneuverability for speed. Once fired, it will accelerate quickly. But
the downside is that the Icarus can be "side-stepped" without
great difficulty.
• Omega Torpedo The Omega is slower than the Icarus. But the
Omega has a larger payload, making even a single hit with this
torpedo potentially devastating. The Omega also can turn tighter
than the Icarus, so it is much tougher to "side-step."
• Rocket The rocket has no guidance system at all. It is slow and
it has the shortest range of all the projectile weapons. It does,
however, have the largest payload. The rocket is used mainly to
damage large capital ships. Be forewarned: one hit with the rocket
can destroy even the sturdiest single-seat fighter.
Flares
Flares are used to confuse and divert incoming torpedoes. But the word
"flare" itself is an archaic term. The flares of the late 22nd century
work by duplicating the sensor signature of the user's ship. Be aware,
however, that the actual sensor signature of a ship is always stronger than
the flare's decoy signal. Therefore, to be most effective, flares should be
fired close to the incoming torpedo. Flares can be fired like a normal
weapon, but since it is important to be able to fire a flare quickly, it can
be fired immediately by pressing \.
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
Immobilizers
This weapon will disable a ship's engine permanently. The only way to
repair the damage done by an immobilizer is by bringing in a repair tug.
The number of shots needed to disable an engine will vary depending on
target size. Ammunition for an immobilizer is extremely expensive and
often is hard to come by.
There are two types of immobilizers: Light and Heavy. The Heavy
immobilizer is used only by the military and, consequently, very little
information about it is available.
Related technology
The following items are rarely used as weapons, but because they are
fired in much the same manner as weapons they have been included in
this section.
• Force Beam By attracting objects within its range, the force
beam can be used to move material in space. The amount of
attraction will depend on how close the target is. A weaponslock is necessary for the force beam to operate. The force beam
requires no ammunition, but it does generate a high amount of
radiation.
• Mining Beam Used by mercenaries to mine ore in the asteroid
belt, the mining beam can return a sizeable profit in a short time
span. Be aware, though, you will need a large cargo bay to haul
enough ore to make your effort pay-off. No ammo is required.
• Repair Tug To fix a ship disabled in deep space a repair tug is
required. A ship equipped with a repair tug launches it toward
the immobilized ship to complete the needed overhaul.
• Spy Probe As the name suggests, a spy probe is launched to
gather information about a specific target. Spy probes are necessary for the completion of many posted contracts. When launched,
the spy probe configures itself to transmit on your sensor receive
frequencies, so you can view its telemetry on the navmap. One
of these frequencies must also be set appropriately to complete a
spy contract. See page 69 for information on how to set sensor
frequencies in the Comm interface.
2.2. OPERATING YOUR SPACECRAFT
2.2.5
37
Basic Combat
Targeting
Your HUD's targeting function can be used for finding information about
other ships as well as for aiding you in combat. When you target a
ship, its location is indicated on the HUD systems designed for this
purpose. The targeted ship also can be evaluated using the various
scanner displays on the reticle. Here is a list of all of the targeting
methods:
• Target closest (Press J) Targets whatever object is closest to
your ship.
• Target center (Press U) Targets whatever object is closest to
the center of your screen.
• Target next (Press K) Targets the next object in the sector.
• Target previous (Press H)
previously.
Targets the object you targeted
• Target Earth Ship (Press L) Cycles through all the Earth
ships.
• Target Mars Ship (Press semicolon) Cycles through all the
Mars ships.
• Target Marauder Ship (Press quote) Cycles through all the
Marauder ships.
• Target Other Ship (Press O) Cycles through any ships not in
one of the other three categories.
• Target closest incoming missile (Press I) Targets the nearest missile that is locked onto you.
• Target next incoming missile (Press U) Cycles through all
incoming missiles.
• Target Communicating Ship (Press 0 [zero]) Targets the
most recent ship that sent you a communication.
• Target Subsystem (Press G) Cycles through the various subsystems of the currently targeted ship. This is useful in case you
want to focus your attack on a propulsion bay, or weapons bay,
for example.
• Target Turret (Press Y) If you are targeting a capital ship,
this key will cycle your target through the various turrets on that
ship. The target subsystem key will also target turrets, but because it is often necessary to target turrets very quickly, this key
is provided.
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
• Clear Target Subsystem (Press B) This key restores your
targeting system to target the entire ship.
• Target by Name If you know the name of an object in your
sector, you can target it immediately by using the /target command. For example, to lock onto Ursa 04, simply type "/target
ursa 04".
With the exception of the "target closest" key, all targeting keys only
target ships within your scanner range. You can change your scanner
range using the equals (=) and minus (-) keys.
Key Combat Tactics
Space combat demands the mastery of many skills and techniques. Give
yourself a head-start by reviewing these key tactics:
• Closure To reach a distant destination, your first impulse may
be to travel as fast as possible until you get there. But, because
it takes as long to slow down as it does to speed up, this method
of flying may lead to ramming your target or passing right by it.
It is best to use a more conservative method. As you get closer
to your target, slow down and fix your approach vector to be sure
you reach your destination at a reasonable speed.
If you are approaching a target and realize you don't have time
to stop, try to fly around the object by turning in the appropriate direction and applying your main thrusters. Remember, your
lateral thrusters are usually not as powerful.
Also, if you approach your target too quickly, landing a weapon
becomes very difficult. When you over-fly your target, you make
another high-risk pass necessary as well. Of course, approaching
too slowly will make your ship a more likely target. You must
find a speed between these two extremes that will work for the
situation at hand.
• Weapon Choice The weapon you choose will depend on the
particular circumstances. When you must fire a great distance
at a target, a torpedo is usually best because it has the longest
range and can track any movements made by your opponent during the extended interim of the weapon's travel. For medium to
close range combat, when your ship and/or your target are moving
quickly and thus shortening the lead vector (see below), high-speed
mass weapons are usually best. For slow targets such as capital
ships, bases, or heavy fighters, it is a good idea to use the slower
2.2. OPERATING YOUR SPACECRAFT
39
but more powerful energy weapons, which generally inflict greater
damage per hit. Select your weapon by pressing Enter.
• Leading the Target Speed is all relative. When you fire a
weapon, its velocity will be determined in part by the velocity of
your ship at that instant. You must account for this fact when
aiming the weapon. You can use the lead vector on your HUD to
guide you in aiming weapons, but remember it has its limitations.
The lead vector plots a course for your selected weapon to intercept
the target. It predicts where your target will be, relative to your
ship's position, in the time it will take your selected weapon to
reach the target. To do this, the lead vector assumes the velocities
of your ship, the target, and the weapon itself will all remain
constant.
To maximize your aiming accuracy, try to shorten the distance
between the target and the lead vector. One way to do this is
to change your sideways velocity by using the lateral thrusters.
Another way is to choose a weapon with a greater speed.
When your ship and/or your target is accelerating, then the HUD
lead vector will be much less accurate. If you know this to be the
case, aim your weapon around the lead vector, in the direction of
acceleration.
Once you have lined up your shot, fire your weapon by pressing
Space.
• Evading Weapons An enemy firing at your ship must also use
lead compensation in order to make a hit. By erratically changing
your speed and direction you can make this much more difficult
for your opponent. However, there is a downside to this method of
evasion: it also makes it difficult for you to hit your enemy. This
is another case where you will have to find a balance between two
conflicting goals in order to be effective.
Multifire
Normally when you pull the trigger, a single weapon fires. Some pilots
prefer to use multifire, in which all weapons of the same type fire simultaneously. Multifire results in more damage to the opponent if a shot is
executed accurately, as well as more energy and ammo wasted if a shot
is missed. The use of multifire is entirely up to pilot preference. Feel free
to try turning multifire on and off in combat and see which you prefer.
Multifire is toggled by pressing M.
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
2.2.6
Navigation
Up until this point, the focus has been on flying your ship within a local
area. In this section, navigation between different planetary sectors will
be discussed.
The Navmap
On the navmap, the location of every object for which your ship has
sensor data is plotted. This includes bases, ships, and vortex gates. A
brief description of the features and components of the navmap follows.
• Viewing the Map Press CTRL-N to activate the navmap. It
will appear as in figure 2.7. Initially, the navmap will be centered
on your ship. If you drag the left mouse button, you can rotate
the map on two axes, right-left and up-down. Dragging the right
mouse button (or holding down the Control key while dragging)
allows you to zoom in and out. Move the mouse up to zoom
in, move it down to zoom out. The color of the grid shows the
strength of your sensor data at each point. You will generally be
able to detect ships in the blue region of the grid. Red regions
are outside your sensor range. The grid will also show the sensor
influence of other ships on-screen which are sending you sensor
data.
• Selecting Clicking on any object you see on the navmap will recenter the map around that object. It also will show information
about the object in the detail display located in the bottom left
corner.
The bottom right corner contains a list of all the objects available
for viewing, divided into groups. Selecting one of these object
names also re-centers the navmap. The group names are Inanimate Objects, Fighters, Capital Ships, Bases, Gates, Moons, and
Planets.
• Searching You can seek out objects by using the search box at
the bottom of the navmap. It will find any object name starting
with the string you type in the box and then display the results
in the box in the lower right.
• Detail Display The detail display shows information about the
currently selected object. This includes its name and hull strength,
and your closing velocity, ETA, and alignment. Also listed is
the object on which your navigation system is currently locked
(navlock).
2.2. OPERATING YOUR SPACECRAFT
41
Figure 2.7: The Navmap
• Navlock This button allows you to lock your navigation system
on a particular target. This will allow you to travel through the
gates in the gate path to your destination. You can also navlock an
object without using the navmap by using the /navlock command
from the cockpit. For example, to navlock UEMS Unzen, you may
type "/navlock uems unzen".
• Gate Path This button toggles the display panel to show your
gate path. The gate path will appear only if you are navlocked
on an object. The gate path identifies the vortex gates through
which you have to travel to reach your target. The toll amount
for each gate is also listed.
• Target This button allows you to target an object once you leave
the navmap. This will work only if the object is within the same
sector as you.
• The Registry The registry is a database of all known ships and
their owners. You can access the registry by clicking the Registry
button, and view logs of ships, space stations, and pilots. As a
civilian, you can only access information about space stations.
CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
42
However, military pilots can view detailed logs of ship activities,
such as docking and vortex gate travel. The registry is most useful for finding particular ships or pilots if their whereabouts are
unknown.
Using Vortex Gates
You can use vortex gates if you are navlocked on an object, such as a
space station or a planet, outside your sector. A yellow indicator will
appear on your HUD and point you to the proper gate (Figure 2.8).
If you are not facing the gate, the indicator will appear as an arrow
pointing in the direction to turn. If you are facing the gate, then the
indicator surrounds the gate on your HUD.
Figure 2.8: Navigation Lock Indicator
To activate the gate you must have a navlock. Once you have reached
the gate, simply press V and it will open for ten seconds to allow your
passage.
2.2.7
Docking
Docking at space stations is essential to being a pilot. Recently, the process has been greatly simplified by an automated system implemented
2.3. MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL STATIONS
43
after several deadly crashes prompted revision of the older manual docking method.
Today, the procedure requires only that you approach the docking
bays, marked with blinking lights, at a slow velocity. Then you activate
the docking computer by hitting CTRL-D. If your approach is sufficiently
slow, your ship's engine computers will coordinate the docking procedure
with the station's main computer, firing thrusters as needed. If you
attempt to dock while moving too quickly, or from too far away, your
computer will not be able to compensate and will abort the docking
maneuver.
Stations
• Commercial This is the most common type of station in the
Solar System. Commercial stations have no official military or
group designation, and they can be accessed by civilian pilots. But
not all commercial stations are alike. For instance, some stations
may allow certain goods which are not permitted by others, and
you will find that not all parts and supplies are available on every
station.
• Military There are several military stations throughout the Solar
System, the majority of which are controlled by the United Earth
League. Each military station is accessible only to personnel affiliated with that station's military. All operations are launched
from these bases. For this reason, they often become the targets
of attacks.
• Research There are two research stations. One is a commercial
enterprise. The other is a highly guarded station, at a remote and
secret location in the Jupiter Node. Little is known about activities on either research station. Their lack of openness leads many
in the Solar System to question the nature of these operations.
2.3
Military and Commercial Stations
Military and commercial stations offer many similar activities, as well
as activities which are unique to each. What is and what isn't available
on the two types of stations is a result of the differences between the
military and civilian careers themselves.
The military, by definition, is a highly controlled organization. Pilots
in the armed forces have limits on their freedom. But, at the same time,
everything these pilots need to fulfill their duties is provided to them
with little effort on their part.
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
• By contrast, civilian pilots have much more flexibility. They can
decide which mission contracts to accept and they will get paid for successfully completing them. However, civilian pilots must do everything
on their own - from procuring the right ship for an assignment, to buying
special weapons or cargo. And, because a civilian pilot must accomplish
much more, the commercial stations must have a broader range of facilities to accommodate.
This section describes the features of both military and commercial
stations, distinguishing where appropriate between what's available to a
military pilot and what's available to a civilian pilot. The section which
follows this one focuses on aspects which are exclusive to a commercial
station. Keep in mind that pilots in civilian careers do not have access to
military stations, and military pilots cannot visit a commercial station.
2.3.1
Lounge/Concourse
While docked at a military station, pilots in the armed forces can enter
the lounge. There, they can confer with colleagues, catch up on the latest
media reports, or go into the briefing room to learn about an upcoming
mission.
The concourse on a commercial station serves a similar purpose as
the military lounge. In the concourse, civilian pilots can communicate
with workers and other visitors to the station. They can also review
contracts and buy or sell items, including the materials necessary to
build their own ships.
2.3.2
Conversations with Characters
In story mode, pilots have the chance to converse with non-player characters from many walks of life. These military officers, technicians, doctors, journalists, criminals, business-people and fellow pilots appear from
time to time on certain bases and on capital ships.
To see if a conversation is available, click on one of the character
hot-spots in the lounge on a military station or in the concourse on a
commercial station. A window will appear with a list of characters to
choose from. Select a name and hit the OK button, or hit the Cancel
button to close the window.
Once you select a character, your conversation will begin. A picture
of the character's face appears in the upper left. Your dialog options
appear in the lower window. In the upper right area, you will see the
character's part of the conversation.
You proceed through the conversation by selecting what to say at
each interval. The character will respond, triggering additional dialog
2.3. MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL STATIONS
45
Figure 2.9: Talking to a Pilot
choices for you. This continues until the conversation ends naturally, or
you press the End Conversation button. If you press this button, you
may later resume the conversation from where you left off. You may also
try to converse with the same character at a later time. He or she may
have something new to say.
2.3.3
Info/Comm Booth
The Info/Comm menu provides access to news services, a database for
buying and selling goods, a personal database, and other information
and communications systems. This is available on the military stations
and the commercial stations.
News Screen
The News Screen keeps you up-to-date on current events in the Solar
System. New reports are posted periodically. You will be notified directly of a breaking story if your news pager is turned on (see page 71).
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
The top section of the News Screen lists all of the news items available. Along with the story headline, this section also displays the time
the report was posted and a flag indicating whether or not you have read
it. The stories are listed in chronological order, beginning with the most
recent. Click on a headline to access the story.
The text of the story will appear below. The pages will change
automatically as the text is read aloud by the anchor. You can also use
the left and right arrows to change pages manually. The Audio button
can be used to turn the voice on or off.
Economy Screen
The Economy Screen is a vital resource for success as an entrepreneur.
It contains information on pricing and the availability of merchandise at
commercial bases throughout the Solar System.
To view information about an item, choose the appropriate category
from the list of icons at the left. This will display a list of all the items
in that category. When an item is selected, the window at the bottom
displays a description of the item, including its volume and mass.
The window at the right will display a list of commercial stations in
the Solar System. Each base reports the price at which you can buy and
sell the item, as well as that station's current stock.
Personal Info Screen
The Personal Info Screen has seven sections: Personal Info, Ships, Contracts, Standing, Face, Page Toggles, and Clock. It can be accessed
on the base via the Info/Comm booth, or from your ship by pressing
CTRL-I.
• Personal Info The Personal Info section displays some basic
facts about your character. Here you can find your name, career,
and reputation, along with the number of kills and the amount
of credits you have. Implications of reputation are explained on
page 74.
• Ships The Ships section shows a list of all the ships you own, as
well as their current location. Clicking on a ship name will give
you some basic information about the craft. This section is rarely
relevant for military personnel.
• Missions/Contracts For military players, this window will show
information on your current mission. For civilian players, this window will list all the contracts you are currently working on. By
2.3. MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL STATIONS
47
clicking on a particular contract, you will access detailed information about it. Civilian players may cancel a contract by selecting
its name from the list and hitting the Cancel button.
Civilian pilots also have the option of selecting "Auto-Set Frequencies." When this option is enabled and you accept a contract, your
ship's frequencies will be automatically set to match those specified by the contract.
• Standing The Standing window gives you an idea of how your
work as a pilot is currently rated by each of the other careers. Keep
in mind that this information is only an approximation. Also, an
individual ship may or may not share the same feelings as others
in its career.
• Face The Face window on the upper-right displays a picture of
the face which you selected at the start of the game (free mode
and story mode only, see page 20). Other players see this picture
when you communicate with them.
• Clock The Clock at the lower right shows the current date and
time in the Terminus universe.
Comm Screen
The comm system accessed on a station is exactly the same as the comm
system aboard your ship. Detailed information on its use can be found
on page 68.
Navmap Screen
The navmap accessed on a station is exactly the same as the navmap on
your ship (Page 40), except it uses sensor data collected from the space
station.
2.3.4
Pager
The Pager holds messages sent to you and will relay your responses. The
Pager button can be accessed from the Personal Info, Comm, Navmap,
or Engineering screens on your ship, or from any station screen. It is
the green indicator in the upper-left corner of each of those screens.
The button has three states. When there are no waiting pages, the
button is off. If there are waiting messages, the button will be on. When
a new page arrives, the button flashes. Click the button when a page is
waiting to bring up the pager window.
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
The pager window displays all of your waiting pages. You may cycle
through the pages by pressing the arrow buttons. There are several
types of pages which you can receive.
Figure 2.10: The Pager
If your News Pager option is on (see page 70), you will receive a
page when a news story is posted. You can read the story at the News
Screen (page 45) when you have free time.
When a high-priority mission becomes available for your career, you
will be paged and asked to participate. Since this type of mission is
extremely time-sensitive, you will be given only a short period in which
to respond. If you decline the mission, or don't respond at all, you can
return to your previous activities.
If you agree to participate in a mission, you must travel to the station
indicated, go to the Mission or Contract Screen (see below), and accept
the mission. If you happen to change your mind about taking a mission,
you may return to your Pager and cancel.
2.3. MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL STATIONS
2.3.5
49
Tactical Operations/Contracts
Each mission (military) or contract (civilian) is labeled as a certain type.
The time that the mission was posted is also listed. You can click on
a mission to select it for further review. Additional information will be
presented in the lower left box. In the lower right box, if you are a
military pilot, you get to see the ship you will use. Here are the mission
types:
• Strike On a strike mission, you set out to destroy a certain
ship or ships. The mission is complete when all assigned targets
are destroyed. In your pre-mission briefing, you are told the last
known location of the target (s). Spy probes may also be targets
of strike missions.
• Hijack Hijack missions require taking the cargo away from a
certain ship and bringing it back to a base. In your pre-mission
briefing, you are told the last known location of the ship and where
you are to bring the goods.
In order to hijack a ship you must target it and send the comm
command "Tell target to jettison cargo." The target ship may or
may not drop its cargo at this point. If you need to "convince" a
ship to drop its cargo, you may have to attack it. Dropped cargo
will appear in a canister outside the target ship. To collect it, you
must use a cargo scoop. In the military, you will be provided with
a ship with a cargo scoop.
• Spy On a spy mission, you fire spy probes at a certain assigned
location. In the military, a ship equipped with spy probes is provided for such missions. Once you have fired the spy probe at the
target you must then protect the probe. If the spy probe stays
alive for a period of time, the mission is considered complete. Be
aware that base commanders do not like being spied upon and
probably will issue a strike contract on you and the spy probe.
• Mine On a mine mission, you collect ores from asteroids. Military
pilots are given a ship with a mining beam for such missions. In
your pre-mission briefing, you are told the quantity of material
needed and where you must take it. To complete the contract, you
fly to an asteroid, mine the ore, then bring it to the designated
station.
• Transport Transport missions require moving goods to a certain
station. Military pilots are given a ship with the goods aboard.
You must arrive safely with the goods at the assigned destination to complete your mission. Civilian pilots must purchase the
needed cargo and sell it at the destination station.
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
• Patrol On a patrol mission, you patrol a prescribed area. You
simply fly to a number of pre-determined points, in the sequence
assigned. Once each way-point has been visited the mission is
considered complete.
To accept a particular mission, a military pilot just clicks on the
Launch button. Then you simply wait for clearance, and go.
A civilian pilot will be given more information about the contract
mission, including the pay offered for completing it. The civilian pilot
also has more options regarding contracts. For more details, see the next
section.
2.4
Specific to Commercial Stations
As stated earlier, commercial stations are the domain of civilian pilots
- the entrepreneurial mercenaries and pirates. On the commercial station's concourse, pilots can speak with other characters, operate the
Info/Comm system, and use the Local Station Exchange.
2.4.1
Local Station Exchange
The Local Station Exchange is the hub of economic activity on every
commercial station. Using this networked database, you can engage
in many types of commerce, from trading goods to posting and taking
contracts. There are five interfaces available via buttons on the Local
Station Exchange screen:
Parts/Cargo
Using the Parts/Cargo interface, you can buy and sell parts for your
ship, and trade cargo on that station. These types of transactions are
described in more detail in the section on ship construction on page 56.
Buy/Sell Ship
The Buy/Sell Ship interface lets you purchase, sell, or trade-in ships.
The upper left corner of the screen has several icons, one for each available hull, as well as an icon for "all ships." Clicking on any of these
icons will list all the ships of that kind which can be built with parts
available at your present location.
When you click on one of the ships on the list, information about
it appears on the right side of the screen. The price of the ship and a
2.4. SPECIFIC TO COMMERCIAL STATIONS
51
list' of all its components will be included. You can find out more about
each component by clicking on it.
If you have enough credits to purchase a ship outright, click on the
Buy button to close the deal. The ship will be added to your collection
at that location. If you would prefer to trade-in one of your ships, you
can select the Trade In button. This will bring up a list of your ships,
and you can choose which one to trade-in. When you select a ship, its
trade-in value will be shown.
If you own more than one ship, you can sell one by selecting it from
the list on the left side of the screen, then clicking on the Sell button.
You also can use the Performance Profile button to help you
decide about buying or selling a ship. Clicking this button gives you information about how well a particular ship flies and fights. This function
is described in more detail on page 63.
Select Ship
If you have more than one ship docked at your current location, you can
use the Select Ship interface to switch ships. Your current ship will be
put into storage at that station. You can then pilot the newly selected
ship. For tips on using multiple ships, see page 95.
Contracts
Civilian contracts are more complex than military missions. Clicking the
Contracts button on the Local Station Exchange brings up a dialog box
with three options. The first, and most important, option is Browse
Contracts.
Clicking on this button brings up the contract list screen. In addition to the mission type and other information detailed earlier under
Mission/Contract Analysis (page 49), every civilian contract also has a
fee listed to the right of it. This is what you will be paid for successfully
completing the contract.
In addition, each civilian contract has an Accept button instead of
the Launch button provided for military missions. When you accept
a contract, you will not launch immediately, but the contract will be
added to the others in your Personal Info database (see page 46).
The second option is the Post Contract button. This enables you
to post your own contract and hire someone to carry out a task for you.
The third option is the Bounties button. The bounty interface lets you
see which ships have bounties on them. A bounty is a sum of money
offered for destroying that ship. The bounty interface also allows you
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CHAPTER 2. BASIC GAME PLAY
to place bounties on other ships. Posting contracts and bounty hunting
are both described in more detail on page 72.
Bazaar
The bazaar is an area for conversation and trading where you can swap
credits and goods with other human players at the same station. Of
course, the bazaar is only active in multiplayer games. It is described
more fully on page 85.
2.5
Saving a Game
Saving a game creates a save game file on your computer's hard drive
that records the state of the game universe. Everything from the time
of day, to the gadgets in a ship's cargo bay are saved. At a later time,
this information can be loaded and players can continue where they left
off in the universe.
A couple criteria must be met before a game can be saved. First,
the game must be in story mode, free mode, or training. If the game is
single player, the player must be docked at a base (not a capital ship).
If the game is multiplayer running on a non-dedicated server, only the
player on the server computer can save and that player must be docked
at a base. On a dedicated server, only the server can save.
In a single player game, or multiplayer game on a non-dedicated
server, the game can be saved by exiting out to the In-game Menu and
selecting Save Game. Enter the name of the game to be saved and click
on Ok to save. The save game process itself usually takes a few seconds.
In a multiplayer game on a dedicated server, the game can be saved
in one of two ways. If the dedicated server is running from the console,
entering the "save" command and then the filename will save the game
(see page 82). If the dedicated server is not running from the console,
clicking on the Save Game button on the Server Diagnostic interface will
save the game (see page 81).
If a multiplayer game is being saved, there may be more players on
the server than there are player save slots (see page 80). If this is the
case, Terminus will allow you to increase the maximum player saves so
that all players can be stored. If you elect not to increase the player
saves, only as many players as can fit in maximum player saves will be
stored.
2.6. LOADING A GAME
2.6
53
Loading a Game
Save game files can be loaded from the main menu by selecting Load
Game. The Load Game dialog will appear. Here you can select different
save files and view information about them. To load a game, select it
and click on Ok.
If the save game was of the single player type, you will simply be
returned to the point where the game was saved. If the game was a
multiplayer one, Terminus starts up the game server automatically and
clients will be able to join where they left off. An important note: saving
a multiplayer game does not require that all the clients be at a base when
the game is saved. However, the save game file stores each client at the
closest friendly base to their position when the game was saved.
To load a game on a console dedicated server, see page 82.
Chapter 3
Intermediate Game
Play
3.1
Ship Manager
The Ship Manager allows the player to manage his or her custom and
pre-configured ships before entering a game. The Ship Manager can be
reached from the Main Menu right before you select a game mode. Its
dialog contains two major parts: the pre-configured ship section and the
custom ship section.
The pre-configured ship section lists all the ships that come prebuilt with Terminus. Selecting a pre-configured ship causes it to be the
current ship. The current ship is the ship the player will start with when
a game is launched in Gauntlet or Melee mode. The credit value of each
ship is listed next to its name.
The custom ship section lists all the ships the player has constructed
or edited. Selecting one of these ships causes it to become the current
ship. Custom ships can be copied, renamed, deleted, added, edited,
imported and exported all via buttons below the list.
• Copy Prompts for a name of a new ship and copies the selected
ship into this new name.
• Rename Prompts for a new name to call the selected ship.
• Delete Removes the current ship from the list of custom ships.
• Add Prompts for a hull type and name. A new ship containing
no gadgets is created with that hull and name.
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CHAPTER 3. INTERMEDIATE GAME PLAY
56
• Edit Allows to the player to outfit the selected ship (see page 59).
• Import Prompts the player for the filename of a previously exported ship. This button is useful for moving ships from one computer to another.
• Export Prompts the player for a filename to save the currently
selected ship. After a filename is entered, the ship is saved to that
file.
3.2
Spacecraft Design
You can buy your own single-seat spacecraft, and customize it to your
specifications, using the Local Station Exchange available on each commercial station. Use this menu to access the Buy/Sell Ship interface.
3.2.1
Choosing a Hull
Choosing a hull for your spacecraft is done using the Buy/Sell Ship
interface. Click on one of the ship icons on the upper left of the interface
to review the specifications of that spacecraft. Described in detail below
are the eight types of single-seat spacecraft currently available. A more
detailed look at these ships can be found on page 160.
Durango Class Light Transport
The Durango Class light transport is the only singleseat transport used in Sol. Because it has the most
cargo space of all single-seat craft, it is often used
by merchants and traders to move goods around the
system.
The performance of the light transport varies
wildly depending upon the mass of the current
cargo. Fully loaded, it accelerates very slowly, but
lightly loaded or empty, it can keep up with the
most agile fighters, despite its rather slow turning
rate. It also has a minimal weapons capacity, offering at least a small
line of defense.
3.2.
SPACECRAFT
DESIGN
57
Razor Class Heavy Fighter
The Razor class fighter is the oldest and largest
fighter in use today. For its size, it is quite speedy.
Of the single seat fighters, only the Eclipse has a
larger weapons loadout than the Razor. The Razor
is also equipped with a large cargo bay, making it a
favorite among mercenaries and outlaws. The Razor has one major drawback, however: repairs and
fuel for such a large fighter are very expensive.
Eclipse Class Heavy Gunboat
The Eclipse gunboat is a gunboat in the truest sense
of the term. Of all the single seat spacecraft, the
payload of the Eclipse is by far the largest. Like the
Razor, it has six weapons bays, but two of them
have been specifically designed to carry torpedo
launchers, along with an immense stock of torpedoes. Of course, such a payload has its detriments.
The Eclipse is also one of the slowest and least dextrous of the single seat spacecraft. To compensate for its awkwardness,
the Eclipse hull has been constructed to take a huge amount of punishment.
Bee Class Light Fighter
The Bee class is the smallest light fighter in use
in Sol. Although it has only one weapon bay, the
Bee can be equipped with up to four engines, giving
this fighter astonishing speed and maneuverability.
If not properly managed, however, the Bee tends
to overheat. And, even with its tiny size, the Bee's
survivability is low. But a skilled fighter pilot at the
helm of a Bee won't let anything touch her ship, let
alone destroy it.
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CHAPTER 3.
INTERMEDIATE GAME PLAY
Talon Class Medium Fighter
The Talon is attractive to civilian pilots because
of its blend of maneuverability and cargo capacity. It is a moderately capable fighter, though its
weapons loadout is reduced in favor of price and
performance.
Jackal Class Light Gunboat
The Jackal class gunboat is a much smaller gunboat
than the Eclipse. But do not mistake this ship for
a light fighter. The Jackal can carry an impressive
payload, especially considering its size. The ship is
outfitted with one weapons bay expressly designed
to accommodate 50% of the torpedoes an Eclipse
can carry. The Jackal can be surprisingly fast, too
- except when at full capacity. Since the ship is
manufactured for convoy duty, or for situations where it can fire its
payload and run, the Jackal's sluggishness with a full load is not a major
concern.
Hyperion Class Assault Fighter
The Hyperion was designed as the successor to the
Razor. Small sacrifices in weapons loadout and
cargo space make the Hyperion one of the fastest
crafts in the Solar System. With this profile the
Hyperion compares very favorably with the Razor
in battle. The single drawback of the Hyperion is
lower survivability because it is not as heavily armored as the Razor.
3.2. SPACECRAFT DESIGN
59
Rayskate Class Light Fighter
The Rayskate is extremely fast and agile. Unlike the
Bee with its single weapons bay, the Rayskate has
two, although each of the Rayskate's weapons bays
are about one-third smaller than the Bee's. The
optimized Rayskate design allows for increased performance using less propulsion. However, this optimization necessitated leaving the Rayskate with
minimal armor, although it has a higher level than the Bee. The
Rayskate also is the first spacecraft fighter designed without an external
viewing cockpit. The pilot is entirely reliant on the imaging system in
the internal cockpit.
3.2.2
Outfitting Your Ship
Once you choose the hull you want, you can add or remove the equipment
of your choice. Or, by choosing an empty hull, which is available in each
category, you can add your own selections and build a ship from scratch.
Either way, you must outfit your ship with the gadgets necessary for the
kind of trade or missions you will seek.
There are certain items every ship must have, however. These items
include a reliable energy system with adequate backup. Remember,
nearly every device in your ship requires energy. If the energy supply
goes down, then nothing will work. One reason for the failure of energy
systems is the drain caused by an insufficient power supply. Whenever
possible carry extra energy storage devices like capacitors or batteries.
Another crucial item is fuel. Without fuel your engines and thrusters
will not operate. If you are using a reactor, this will shut down as well.
This, in turn, could cause an energy problem.
Another essential item is a life support system. If the life support
system fails, then everything else on your ship will be of little use to
you. Consider having backup life support systems as insurance for your
future.
From the Buy/Sell Ship interface, select Parts/Cargo. On the left
side of the Parts/Cargo interface, icons for each category of items with
which you can outfit your ship appear. Select the specific equipment you
want from each category. The categories are described briefly below in
the order they appear in the interface.
• Computers Needed to access the HUD display, and guide missiles. Different computers can manage a different number of simultaneous missiles. May be placed in any bay.
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CHAPTER 3. INTERMEDIATE GAME PLAY
Figure 3.1: Parts/Cargo Screen
• Scanners Needed for scanner displays. Better scanners allow
greater range.
• Detail Scanners Allow you to gain information on a targeted
object.
• Devices Include items such as life support, heat sinks, comm
system and repair system. While life support is essential, all the
others are not required. May be placed in any bay. (For more
information on unique gadgets available for your ship, see "Ship
Enhancements" on page 183.)
• Engines Engines provide forward and reverse movement. While
thrusters can give some forward or reverse thrust, engines are more
efficient and are available with greater capacities. Must be placed
in the engine bay.
• Thrusters Thrusters provide lateral thrust for your ship. They
are required, as engines do not provide any lateral thrust at all.
Must be placed in the thruster bay.
• Fuel systems Provide fuel for engines, thrusters and reactors.
All fuel systems come with a fuel pump. If your need warrants,
3.2. SPACECRAFT DESIGN
61
• you may add fuel pump(s). Be aware that if your fuel demand
exceeds supply, engines, thrusters and any active reactors will be
shut off. To reinstate them requires going into engineering and
turning them back on, however you must do so carefully to avoid
overloading again. Fuel systems may be placed in any bay.
• Energy systems These include batteries, reactors and capacitors. Batteries and capacitors both store energy, while the reactor
generates it through consumption of fuel. Batteries are used for
long term storage, the capacitor for short term, burst applications.
Capacitors help prevent energy starvation which could lead to a
fuel pump shut down. When turned on, reactors provide continuous energy flow, whether or not that energy is used. It is sometimes smart to turn off your reactor when it is not needed, but
this usually requires having a battery back up. Energy systems
may be placed in any bay.
• Weapons All weapons require at least one surge cell onboard
to operate. Most energy weapons require a great deal of surge,
while torpedoes and rockets require very little. Weapons must be
placed in a weapons bay. Be sure to load the same bay with the
appropriate ammo pack.
• Surge cells A form of capacitor linked to your weapons system.
With low surge, you can still fire an energy weapon but the damage
inflicted will be diminished. May be placed in any bay.
• Cargo This category lists various cargo types ranging from exotic
metals to cheap labor. May be placed in any bay, though the cargo
bay is usually the best choice.
• Ammo Includes Helium-3 for your energy weapons, metal rounds
for the mass weapons and the appropriate ammo for light immobilizers and flares. You will also find interesting additional items for
unique missions. Must be placed in the same bay as the weapon
it will be fired from.
• Armor Armor sustains damage before anything else on your ship.
When the armor fails, your ship's hull and its gadgets will begin
to take damage. Must be placed in the armor bays.
• Refuel, Repair, Reload Ammo Actually these are three separate categories. Access the appropriate item whenever you dock
at a base and need to refuel or repair your ship, or re-load your
ammo.
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Transferring Items
To buy an item, simply drag it from the window on the left to one of
the bays captioned on the ship schematic on the right. The appropriate
amount of credits will be deducted from your account. If you want to see
what is in a particular bay, click on its name and a window will appear
listing its gadgets. Items can also be dragged in and out of this window.
Items can be moved and rearranged on your ship to optimize available
space and performance.
If you need extra space, you can place items temporarily in your
personal storage, in the lower-right corner of the schematic window.
Items in personal storage can also be sold to other players at the Bazaar
(page 85). Be aware, however, that items left in personal storage will
not remain after you leave a particular station.
In loading items on your ship, remember that each item has a particular mass, and this cumulative mass has an effect on your ship's acceleration rate. If you are designing a ship for combat, take care to
use lighter components, and sufficient engines and thrusters to maintain
agility. Use the performance profile to assess the effect of these factors
on your acceleration.
As you look at the different bays, notice the unique properties they
have: bay type, exposure, and space. Bay type determines in part what
types of devices will operate in that bay. For example, engines can only
operate in propulsion bays. Another property is exposure. Many devices
require exposure to space to operate properly. Thus, they will only work
in an exposed (or open) bay. Finally, space determines how much each
bay can hold. Different bay types are:
• Propulsion Bay A propulsion bay is exposed to the front and
rear of the ship, and has fuel ports designed to connect to highthrust engines. Because of these unique properties, engines will
only operate in a propulsion bay. However, other items that require exposure, such as scanners will operate in this bay as well.
• Thruster Bay Thruster bays are exposed so that thrusters can
fire in any direction, to move and rotate your ship. For this reason,
thrusters will only work in a thruster bay.
• Weapons Bay Weapons bays are forward-exposed, and have
energy conduits designed for the high surge and mechanical stress
of spaceborne weapons. Weapons will only operate in a weapons
bay. Larger weapons bays are often called "torpedo bays," because
they have a greater capacity for a torpedo payload, but in fact any
weapon will work in any kind of weapons bay it can fit into.
3.2. SPACECRAFT DESIGN
63
• Avionics Bay The avionics bay is a small bay designed to provide exposure for scanner devices. Many pilots also place small
devices such as computers in this bay to save space in the central
equipment bay.
• Equipment Bay The central equipment bay is designed to hold
fuel systems, energy systems, surge cells, and other items that do
not require exposure. Although these items can be placed in any
bay, this is often a good location because on most ships, this bay
is centrally located and well-armored.
• Cargo Bay The cargo bay is for anything else you wish to carry
onboard your ship. No item in cargo bay can be activated, since
the bay does not have any fuel or energy ports. However, items
that do not need fuel or energy, such as hull struts or heat sinks,
will still be effective.
• Armor While armor is not stored in bays, it appears the same
as a bay on the ship schematic. The caption shows the type of
armor mounted at a particular point on the ship. If an armor box
is blank, it means that region of the ship is covered by only a basic
alloy that offers no protection against damage.
3.2.3
Performance Profile
Click on the Performance button in Buy/Sell Ship, or the folder icon
in the Parts/Cargo interface, to get detailed information about the capabilities of the ship you've selected. You can also use it to compare the
performance of your ship to that of another.
On the lower left of the Performance Profile interface, you will find
the Analysis window. This window displays any serious flaws in your
ship. If flaws are detected, a warning light flashes and a list of the
problems appears.
The Ship Tolerances window, found on the lower right, will tell you
how close your ship is to failure. This window displays your ship's Stress
Level, Fuel/Energy Consumption, and Radiation Level. If any of these
levels is at or above 100% your ship is not safe to fly. Even values under
100% can be dangerous, since any subsequent damage to your ship can
push these levels into the critical zone. Note, however, that the levels
presented are based on the devices that are activated on your ship by
default. Items such as the overthruster can easily push you over the
limits, even if the tolerances shown are under 100%.
Using the buttons on the upper right, you can select a list of ships
to compare against yours. Each button represents a different hull type.
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INTERMEDIATE GAME PLAY
Figure 3.2: Performance Profile
By selecting a hull type (or 'All' to see all ships), you can see a list of
ships. Selecting a ship will display a comparison in the window to the
right.
Two ships are compared based on the amount of armor each has,
the hull strength of each, their relative stealth, their defensive and their
offensive capabilities, and their acceleration.
3.2.4
Ship Painting
You can customize the colors applied to your fleet of ships with the Ship
Painting interface. First, select which of the three areas of the ships you
want to work on by using the buttons labeled Region 1, 2, and 3. Then,
use the color palette on the right to choose the color you want to apply
to that part of your ships. If you change your mind, press Clear to reset
the color. Repeat the process for all three areas of your ships.
It is important to note that the colors you choose belong to you as a
player, not to a particular ship. The colors you pick here will be applied
globally, effecting the colors on all of your ships.
3.3. OPERATIONS FOR EXPERIENCED PILOTS
3.3
Operations for Experienced Pilots
3.3.1
Flight Lock
65
Using the flight lock function of your ship's computer makes it easier to
pursue another ship or object. Once activated, flight lock adjusts your
ship's "zero" speed to that of your target. Flight Lock allows you to fly
in a normal fashion while the computer compensates for the changes in
speed and direction of the object you choose. To enable flight lock, press
F.
Here is an overview of how flight lock works. First, remember that
when your ship's inertia compensators are turned on, your computer
identifies a desired velocity and direction in which to move the ship.
Normally, that speed and direction is relative to fixed objects in the
space around you. With flight lock turned on, however, the desired
velocity and direction become relative to your chosen target.
For instance, if you fly toward your target while flight lock is engaged,
and your target moves laterally, your ship will also move laterally. If
you try to stop your ship with flight lock on, you will cease all forward
momentum and appear to be still relative to your target, but you will
not actually stop unless your target has. With flight lock on, however,
you can choose to accelerate to overtake your target. In effect, flight
lock works to maintain your ship's minimum speed and its direction to
match your target's.
Unfortunately, your computer cannot update flight lock continuously.
It must make several readings of your target's position and velocity to
accurately calculate your new desired speed and direction. Because of
this, flight lock revises your ship's movement at intervals of about 8
seconds.
Flight lock can be used in combat situations, making it easier to
maintain proper approach speeds and to keep a steady view of an enemy.
It is also very useful when trying to scoop cargo canisters in space (see
page 89).
3.3.2
Torpedo Avoidance
There are three basic ways to try to avoid an incoming torpedo: by using
flares, by side-stepping, and by attempting to shoot the projectile.
When the incoming torpedo alert sounds, press I. Doing this will
show you where the torpedo is coming from. Aim the nose of your ship
at the torpedo and fire a flare. If the flare is well-aimed, and well-timed,
it will divert the torpedo's guidance system, decoying the projectile away
from your ship. See page 175 for more detailed information.
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CHAPTER 3. INTERMEDIATE GAME PLAY
Figure 3.3: A Close Call
To side-step a torpedo, you must accelerate at a 90 degree angle to
the approach vector of the projectile. You can try to do this by using
your lateral thrusters, but it is very difficult with a heavy ship. Instead,
you can turn your ship and apply your main engines. Both maneuvers
have drawbacks, however. If you side-step using your lateral thrusters,
you risk taking a torpedo hit on the front of your ship. If you use your
main engines, you may not be able to return fire on your enemy.
You can destroy a torpedo by shooting it with one of your torpedoes
or another weapon. But this is hard for even the best marksman and
may be suicidal for less seasoned combat pilots. In the end, trying to
shoot down a torpedo should be a last resort.
3.3.3
Engineering
The Engineering screen allows you to view the status of, and make
changes to, the hardware on your ship. Using the Engineering screen,
you can turn gadgets on and off, jettison unwanted items, assign hotkeys
to gadgets, and change the priority queue of your repair system. You
can get to the Engineering screen by pressing CTRL-E.
The Engineering interface is divided into two sections. The first
section is activated by selecting a gadget category using the buttons on
the upper left. The second section, the Repair Queue, is activated by
3.3. OPERATIONS FOR EXPERIENCED PILOTS
67
pressing the wrench button on the lower left.
When you select a gadget category, you will get a list of all your
ship's gadgets which fit into that category. You will see the name of the
gadget, the quantity of that item, the amount of damage to the gadget,
its power status, and the current hotkey, if any.
Status
There are five possibilities for the Status of a gadget. "Off" means that
the gadget is currently inactive, and will remain so unless you turn it on
yourself. It may also indicate the gadget is one which cannot be turned
on and off, such as ammo. "On" indicates that the gadget is currently
on and will remain so until turned off manually.
The Status of auto-power gadgets may read "Auto|Off" or "Auto|On."
"Auto|Off" means that the auto-power gadget is currently off, but will
be activated automatically by the ship's computer if needed. "Auto|On"
means the opposite: the auto-power gadget is on, but will be shutdown automatically when no longer needed. Auto-power gadgets can
be turned off, which means they will not be activated even if needed.
Turning an auto-power gadget back on will return its control to your
ship's computer. Examples of auto-power gadgets are engines and surge
cells.
The fifth and final Status possibility is "Cargo," which means that
the gadget is in a cargo bay and cannot be used or altered at that time.
The Status of a gadget can be changed by double-clicking on it, or by
selecting it and pressing the Toggle Power button at the bottom of the
screen. In an emergency situation, it may be useful to quickly reset the
power of all your gadgets to their default settings. To accomplish this,
press the Default Power button at the bottom. Be aware, however,
that if your systems are damaged you could overload the fuel or energy
system. See page 89 for more details.
Hotkeys
A hotkey can be assigned to a gadget by selecting the gadget and pressing
the + or - buttons at the bottom of the screen. Any of the five Aux
keys you configured in the Control Options interface (page 14) can be
used as hotkeys. By default, these keys are CTRL-1 through CTRL-5.
However, no two gadgets can have the same hotkey. To remove a hotkey
from a gadget, use the + or - buttons until the key field is blank.
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Jettison
To get rid of a gadget, just select it, then press the Jettison button at
the bottom of the screen. The gadget will be removed from your ship
and end up floating in a canister in space. Canisters can be retrieved by
using the Cargo Scoop (see page 89).
Repair
If your ship is equipped with a Repair System, then any damaged gadget
can be scheduled for repair by dragging its name from the gadget list
onto the wrench icon at the lower left. Make note, however, that an
item which is 100% damaged cannot be repaired. Gadgets that have
been dragged onto the wrench go into the Repair Queue. You can view
the Repair Queue by clicking on the wrench.
The Repair Queue screen shows the order in which gadgets will be
repaired. You can drag and drop items within the list to change this
sequence. You can also alter the level to which an item is repaired
before the Repair System moves on. For instance, you may want your
Surge Cells to be repaired only to 50% damage, then have the Repair
System restore your Engines completely, finally returning to your Surge
Cells to finish the job. To accomplish this, set your Repair Queue as in
figure 3.4. The Repair Level can be changed by selecting a gadget and
moving the slider at the bottom of the screen.
All ships have a default repair queue. You may clear this list, or
clear any queue you create, by pressing the Clear button at the lower
right.
3.4
The Comm System
The Comm System is your tool for communicating with other ships in
the Solar System. To access the Comm Interface while on your ship, use
CTRL-C. On a station, access the Comm Interface via the Info/Comm
menu.
3.4.1
The Comm Interface
The Comm interface allows you to communicate through both voice and
written text. The interface is divided into several sections.
The large area at the top displays a log of incoming communications.
As they arrive, these messages are also displayed on your HUD. But the
comm screen provides a list of recent messages as well.
3.4.
THE COMM SYSTEM
69
Figure 3.4: The Repair Queue
Below and left of the message log, you will find buttons for your
ship's comm and sensor frequencies. By clicking the comm button, you
can change your comm frequencies. Clicking the sensor button lets you
change sensor frequencies.
You may set up to four frequencies for transmission, and four for
reception. Each transmit/receive slot has a check box which allows you
to turn the frequency on and off. It also has a field in which you can set
the frequency to any four digit number. At times, frequencies may be
reserved for official military use and cannot be changed.
Comm frequencies determine which ships your broadcasts reaches,
as well as which broadcasts you receive. Any ship set up to receive a
frequency on which you transmit can hear your communications. You
see and hear only those broadcasts transmitted on a frequency you are
set up to receive.
Sensor frequencies work like comm frequencies, except they transmit
sensor data instead of communications. Any two ships with matching
sensor frequencies can see each other's scanner data on the navmap (see
page 40).
To the right of the frequency section, in the center of the screen, is
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CHAPTER 3. INTERMEDIATE GAME PLAY
Figure 3.5: The Comm Interface
the "Enter Text" area. You type your message in this box and then
press return. What you have typed will be broadcasted to anyone with
matching comm frequencies. You can also send text by pressing T from
the cockpit.
On the far right of the screen is the Talk button. When holding this
button down, you can use a microphone to transmit voice messages to
anyone with matching comm frequencies. Your computer must have full
duplex audio capability to use this function (see page 17). You can also
transmit voice in the cockpit by holding down R.
Page Service
At the bottom right of the screen is the Page Service window. A list to
the right side of the Page Service window shows you all the players in
the current game and their pager status.
You may page anyone with an active pager by selecting them from
the list and pressing the Page button. When you receive a page, press
the Ack. Page button to acknowledge the page. When a page is acknowledged, the ships' computers will set both players' comm frequencies
3.4. THE COMM SYSTEM
71
to match, allowing communication to take place. Pressing the Update
button will update the list of players.
Personal and news pages can be turned on and off using the check
boxes provided. Turning off personal pages blocks other players from
attempting to page you through their Comm interface. Turning off news
pages will eliminate notifications when news stories are posted.
3.4.2
Giving Orders
There are many other people flying ships in Sol with you. You may
sometimes want to ask them for help - or demand that they do your
bidding. The Communications Command Menu is an excellent way to
do this. By pressing the accent (') key you bring up a list of special
commands you can issue to all your transmit frequencies. Here is a
rundown of what each command communicates:
• Destroy target Summons ships in your area sympathetic to
your cause to attack the ship you currently have targeted.
• Destroy target subsystem Calls sympathetic ships to attack
the subsystem you have targeted.
• Disable target Calls sympathetic ships equipped with immobilizers to attempt to disable the ship you have targeted.
• Cover me Summons ships in the area to help defend you.
• Protect target Instructs ships to defend the ship you have targeted.
• Tell target to jettison cargo Instructs your target ship to
place their cargo in a canister and jettison it. This is most often
used by pirates after immobilizing a transport. Issuing this order
is considered hostile and may carry serious consequences. On the
other hand, issued to the right ship, this order could help boost
your wealth tremendously. Remember, though, ships won't automatically submit, especially if they do not recognize you as a
sufficient threat, or if they want to challenge you.
• Ignore previous order Instructs all ships to ignore the last
order you sent.
The keys 1-7 will also send these messages immediately, circumventing the menu.
3.4.3
Calling for Help
When things look bleak, and you are unable to fly your ship to a station
where you can dock, press CTRL-H. Whether your engines or thrusters
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CHAPTER 3. INTERMEDIATE GAME PLAY
are destroyed, or you are out of fuel, a rescue ship will be dispatched
to your location to provide basic repairs. Your ship will not be restored
to fully-operational, but you will at least be able to fly your ship back
to a space station to complete the repairs. Be aware, however, that
this service comes at a considerable fee. If you are unable to afford the
rescue, one more option remains; press CTRL-Delete for self-destruct.
3.5
Posting Contracts and Bounties
To post a contract or a bounty, first access the contracts database using
the Local Station Exchange available at every commercial station. In
the contracts database, you will find interfaces for posting contracts and
for reviewing and posting bounties.
3.5.1
General Options
The Post Contract interface is divided in half. The left half presents
options specific to each of the different contract types you may post:
Patrol, Strike, or Spy. These are explained further on. The right half
of the Post Contract interface deals with options that are the same for
each contract type.
Start with the right side of the interface. The Duration section has
two fields: Mission Limit and Contract Life. Mission Limit refers to
the amount of time within which the mission must be completed to
be considered a success. If you enter a zero in this field, or press the
Forever button, there is no time limit. Contract Life is how long the
contract will remain available. If no one takes the contract within this
time, the contract is removed and your money is refunded. No contract
can be posted for more than 60 minutes.
The Employees section lets you set criteria for the person you wish
to hire, as well as how much you will pay. Set your price by typing the
desired number into the Credits field. This amount will be deducted from
your account when the contract is posted. If the employee completes the
contract, this money will be paid to him or her. If the contract is not
completed, the money will be returned to you.
The Min Reputation field allows you to specify the minimum reputation an employee must have to take the contract, from 0 to 150. Setting
this field to 'None' permits anyone to take the contract.
Using the Hire Mercs and Hire Pirates check boxes allows you to
restrict your contract to just one of these careers. But at least one of
these boxes must be checked.
3.5. POSTING CONTRACTS AND BOUNTIES
73
The Frequencies section allows you to assign Comm and Sensor frequencies to the contract (see page 69). By doing so, you require the
employee to use these particular frequencies for the duration of the contract. This allows you to monitor the employee's progress on the navmap
(see page 40), or communicate with them during the mission. The Select button will allow you to choose from your current frequencies to set
these fields.
Also in this section is the Secure check box. If you check this box,
potential employees will not be able to see the details of the contract
until they have been hired. By using the Authorize checkbox, you can
review each prospective employee and reject those you do not wish to
hire.
Below are facts about each type of contract you may post.
3.5.2
Patrol Contracts
You may select up to six waypoints for a patrol. The employee must
proceed to each waypoint in the order stipulated. When all the selected
waypoints have been reached, the contract is complete.
3.5.3
Strike Contracts
For a strike mission, you may select up to six targets. All the selected
targets must be destroyed for the mission to be complete. The Location
field allows you to specify an area where the target (s) may be found. Be
aware that if a target is not at the named location, some employees may
not be enterprising enough to complete the mission.
3.5.4
Spy Contracts
Select the target you wish to spy on. The employee must drop a spy
probe near the target, then defend it for a period of time. The contract
is complete if the target is still under surveillance after that time. To
view the data from the spy probe, use your navmap (see page 40).
3.5.5
Bounties
The Bounty interface lets you both browse and post bounties. A bounty
list will be displayed on the left side. Each entry consists of the name
of the target and the price on his or her head. Clicking on an entry
provides a list of employers for that bounty. Bounties are removed when
an employer dies.
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CHAPTER 3. INTERMEDIATE GAME PLAY
To post a bounty, use the window in the lower right. The Select
button allows you to choose a target for the bounty. The Credits field
is where you to enter the amount of the bounty. When you press the
Post button, the bounty is made available to the general public and the
credits are deducted from your account. The bounty remains in effect
until the target is killed and the assassin is paid, or until you die.
To claim a bounty, find and destroy a target on the bounty list.
When the kill is confirmed, the bounty will be automatically credited to
your account.
3.6
Reputation
Your reputation is key to maintaining good relations with your superiors or employers in Sol. Reputation is primarily based on continued
involvement in the activities of the Solar System. No activity is just
as detrimental to your standing as poor performance. In order to keep
your reputation high, you will need to accept missions or contracts and
successfully complete them.
If you choose a career with the UEL, Mars, or the Marauders, you
will need to maintain a positive reputation at all times. Should you find
yourself with a low reputation in any of these careers, you will be given
a warning to improve your performance. When your reputation reaches
zero, you will be expelled from your career, and forced to fend for yourself as a mercenary. If you're in the middle of a priority mission when
your reputation reaches zero, you will be given the chance to successfully
complete your mission, but, should you lose, you will be expelled. Once
expelled, you can never rejoin and must continue as a mercenary. As
a mercenary, your reputation does not directly determine your continued survival. However, it becomes increasingly difficult to find work as
your reputation among employers decreases, so it is just as important to
maintain good standing.
You can inspect your reputation on the Personal Info screen (page 46).
3.7
Economy
The economy of the Terminus universe is complex and dynamic. It
responds to the ever changing dictates of supply and demand. Although
each commercial station has its own independent economy affecting the
prices of goods and services, each is also influenced by economic and
political events throughout the solar system.
3.7. ECONOMY
3.7.1
75
How the Economy Works
The price of an item at a particular station consists of two components.
What is called the sell price is the amount at which you can sell an item
to the station. A markup is added to the sell price to determine the
price at which the item may be bought.
The current supply and demand of a particular item impacts both
the item's sell price and its markup. If supply of an item exceeds demand
for it, the price and markup of the item may be reduced in an effort to
raise demand. On the other hand, if a station has a shortage of an item
which is in demand, the price on that item will go up to increase profits
as well as to encourage more deliveries of the item.
Information about prices for goods are available at the Economy
screen at each station (see page 46).
3.7.2
Trading
You can make money in many ways by trading in the solar system. The
most obvious method is to buy low and sell high, but this isn't always
easy. Fortunately, there are other options available.
The Economy screen (page 46) is an essential tool for the successful
trader. Use it to locate stations where you can buy an item at a low
cost. Then you can transport it elsewhere to sell at a profit. Keep in
mind, however, that prices are always changing. Remember to factor
in fuel, energy, and gate toll costs to your overall expenditure as well.
Also, transporting items through some areas of space is dangerous. Any
damage to your ship also will cut into your bottom line.
Mining asteroids can be lucrative. The startup cost is little more
than the expense of a mining beam. Note, however, that most ores are
in low demand at stations near the Asteroid Belt, so you will probably
turn a tidier profit transporting it elsewhere to sell.
For the less scrupulous entrepreneurs who may crave extra excitement, you can get cargo for free by hijacking other ships. Don't overlook
the downside of this method of building wealth, however. Angering a
pilot with powerful friends can get you into serious trouble.
Another way to make money is trade with other players using the
Bazaar. With this interface, you can engage in almost any type of commerce, from bartering for better prices to loaning cash to others at high
interest rates. The Bazaar is explained in more detail on page 85.
Chapter 4
Multiplayer
In a multiplayer game, you can play with and against several other
players on a computer network. Terminus can be played over a LAN or
the Internet in several different game modes. These modes include Melee,
Story Mode and Free Mode. A Melee game can be either Deathmatch
or Hockey, and is scored on a point system (see page 86). Melee games
can also be timed, played in different areas of space and played in team
mode. In team mode, players on the same team are unable to damage
each other's ships.
There axe two components to a multiplayer game, the game server
and the game client. The game server is a computer that controls a
Terminus game. It handles the game simulation and allows clients to
join or leave the game at anytime. The game client is a computer that
receives game information from the server and handles drawing graphics
and playing sound effects. In short, the server tells the client what to
do. In a multiplayer game there is one server but many clients.
4.1
Joining a Game
To join a multiplayer game, go to New Game/Multiplayer/Join Game
from the main menu. The Join Game dialog box has two sections. The
first section lets you specify information about yourself. This includes
your character's name and ship name. By going to the Ship Manager you
can select which ship you wish to fly. See page 55 for more information
on the Ship Manager. Finally, in a story or free mode game, you can
use a password. If you use a password, you will only be able to re-join a
game by using the same password. If you choose to not use a password,
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then when you leave, anyone can join the game and impersonate your
identity (and use your money and ships!) just by choosing the same
name as you.
The second section of the Join Game dialog contains information
about servers hosting games you can join. If you are on a LAN the
Local Games list will show a list of all the Terminus servers on your
LAN. Clicking the Update button refreshes this list. If you see a game
you wish to join in the Local Games list, simply click on it and hit the
Join button under the list. If you want more information about a server
in the list, select it and hit the Stats button. Server Stats is described
in the next section.
If you want to play games not on a LAN you must enter its Internet
address in the address area below the Local Games list. Hitting the Join
button will join the server at this address. Hitting the Stats button will
display Server Stats.
If you join a team game you may be prompted to pick a team color,
but only if there is an equal number of players on each team. If the teams
are uneven, you will be assigned to the team with the fewest players.
4.1.1
Server Stats
The Server Stats dialog contains information about a Terminus game
server. The first line is the server's name. The second line is the type
of game being played. The third item tells whether or not the server
hosting the game is a dedicated one. See Hosting a Game on page 79
for more information about dedicated servers.
The next group of information starts with your ping. Ping is described in detail in the following section. The next item is the number
of human players in the game. The last item in this group is the maximum number of players. You will not be able to join the game when the
maximum number of players is reached.
The last section of this dialog is a list of players in the game. Each
player's name, ping, points and team are listed. The points and team
information is only valid for Melee games. To join the game, simply
click on the Join button at the dialog. To go back to the main join game
dialog box, click on the Back button.
4.2
Ping and Bandwidth
Ping and Bandwidth are terms used when describing the performance
of a multiplayer game (or, in general, a network connection).
4.3. HOSTING A GAME
79
Your ping is the time it takes for information to travel from your
computer to the server's computer and back. Terminus measures ping
time in milliseconds. A server that is far away from your computer or a
server that is very busy processing other game data will have a higher
ping. The higher the ping means more lag. A game with a lot of lag
takes a while for an action performed on the client to actually occur in
the game. An example of lag would be if you pressed the fire weapon
key, then one second later you actually see the weapon fire on screen. In
this case there would be one second of lag. As you can imagine, playing
a game with one second of lag is very difficult and frustrating. A ping
of 250ms or less is preferable.
Another factor in multiplayer game performance is bandwidth. Bandwidth is a measure of how much data can be sent or received in a certain
period of time. If a game has many players or is a more complex game
(like Free Mode) it may require more bandwidth than a simpler game.
In other words, more complex games require more data to be sent. If
you are playing a Terminus game with an ordinary modem you may not
be able to effectively play some of the more complicated Terminus multiplayer games. This is because an ordinary modem may not be capable
of sending the required amount of data fast enough. Terminus does not
include a measure of the bandwidth from the server to client. In general,
however, telephone modems have lower bandwidth than cable modems
or other dedicated connections.
4.3
Hosting a Game
Hosting a multiplayer game generally requires a more powerful computer than either joining a game or playing single player games. Hosting
a game also requires more network bandwidth than joining a network
game. An under-powered server makes the game difficult to play for
all clients. If you are trying to start a multiplayer Terminus game with
friends, the person with the faster computer and best network connection
should generally be the server.
To host a multiplayer game, go to New Game/Multiplayer from the
main menu. From this menu there are options to host three different
types of games: Melee, Story and Free Mode.
4.3.1
Starting a Server
Before any type of game server can be launched, the server must be set up
through the Host Game dialog box. The Host Game dialog varies slightly
based on the type of game being launched so only the common elements
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will be discussed here. The dialog is split into three sections. The
topmost section contains the server name, maximum players, dedicated
server option and maximum player saves information.
• Server Name A string that identifies the server. This name will
be shown to clients using the Join Game dialog.
• Maximum Players The maximum number of players allowed
to join the game.
• Dedicated Server The server can be placed in dedicated mode
with this option checked. A dedicated server is one that only runs
a server and no client. Someone hosting a game as a dedicated
server will not be able to play the game. Dedicated servers have
the advantage of being faster than non-dedicated servers because
the computer only has to run the server side of the game and not
the client side.
• Maximum Player Saves Every player in a multiplayer game
that leaves while docked at a base is "saved" on the server. When
rejoining the game, the player's data (including ship, outstanding
contracts, and credits) is restored. The maximum player saves is
the maximum number of players that can be preserved. Since each
player save slot takes a significant amount of memory, this option
is provided.
The middle section contains information about the local player. That
is, if the server is non-dedicated, this player will join the game on the
host computer. This information is the same as the player information
in the join game dialog (see page 77).
The final section of host game dialog allows you to set the difficulty
and physics as well as ship value and immobilizer option for the server.
• Difficulty and Physics These settings affect the difficulty level
for every player in the game. See page 19 for details.
• Ship Value The ship value is the maximum cost of ship allowed
on the server. This can prevent players with "super" ships from
joining a network game. To find out the cost of a ship see the Ship
Manager section on page 55.
• Players Can Be Immobilized This checkbox defines whether
or not players can immobilize other players with the immobilizer
weapon.
4.3. HOSTING A GAME
4.3.2
81
Server Diagnostic Screen
The server diagnostic screen displays a large amount information about
the performance and status of the server. This screen is displayed if the
server is started as a dedicated server from the Host Game dialog. Additionally, if the server is non-dedicated, pressing the server diagnostic key
(CTRL-S) from the main cockpit view can activate the server diagnostic
screen. The elements of the server diagnostic screen are as follows.
• Server Name The name of the server.
• Game Type The type of game the server is running.
• Bandwidth The number of bytes the server sends per frame.
See page 78 for a discussion of bandwidth.
• Complexity A measure of the number of objects in the game
universe compared to the maximum number of objects the server
can handle.
• Frame Rate The number of frames the server is processing per
second.
• Players The number of players currently on the server.
• Max Players The maximum number of players the server allows.
• Player List The player list displays the name, ping, points and
team of each player on the server.
• Kick Selecting a player from the player list and clicking on the
Kick button will kick the player off the server.
• Ban IP Selecting a player from the player list and clicking on
the Ban IP button will do two things. First, the player will be
kicked off the server. Second, any player attempting to join the
server from the same Internet IP address will not be allowed to do
so. The offending player's IP is stored in the file terminus.ban.
To remove an IP address from the ban list, terminus.ban must
be edited using a standard text editor (or deleted entirely).
• Messages List The list of the last several server messages. Server
messages are generated for many different events. These events
include players entering and leaving the game, comm messages,
and more.
• Enter Text Box Entering text in this box and pressing enter
causes the server to send a global message. A global message is
one that is transmitted to all clients. Global messaging is helpful
when informing clients of actions the server is taking (such as
shutting down). You can also send a globalmessage by typing
"/globalmessage <message>" in the cockpit.
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• Save Game Pressing the Save Game button opens the save
game dialog in Free Mode and Story games. Melee games cannot
be saved. See page 52 for more information on saving games.
4.3.3
Console Dedicated Servers
In addition to starting dedicated servers from inside Terminus, dedicated
servers can be launched in a text-only console.
Starting on Windows and MacOS
Use the Launcher to create a console dedicated server.
Starting on Linux
Since there is no Launcher on the Linux platform, consult the file config. t x t
for command-line arguments to launch a console dedicated server.
Dedicated Server Commands
Once the server is running there are several commands that can be used
to get the status of, and maintain the server. They are listed below.
• help Displays a summary of console server commands.
• status Displays the current number of players, frame rate, complexity and network bandwidth on the server.
• listusers List all the players in the game along with their user
number, ping, kills and team.
• ban Ban a specific user number. (See page 81.)
• kick Kick a specific user number. (See page 81.)
• exit Shutdown the console server, "quit" is a synonym.
• save Save the current game to a given file name. (See page 52.)
• globalmesssage Broadcast a global message. (See page 81.)
4.4
Multiplayer Modes
The are three major multiplayer modes: Melee, Story Mode and Free
Mode. A Melee game can be either Deathmatch and Hockey.
4.4. MULTIPLAYER MODES
4.4.1
83
Melee: Deathmatch
A Deathmatch game is one where all the players interact in a small
area of space and the object of game is to destroy as many enemy ships
as possible. By going to New Game/Multiplayer/Host Melee from the
main menu you can start a Deathmatch game server. Simply click on
the Game Options button at the bottom of the Host Game dialog to
setup the Deathmatch game. This will open the Melee Options dialog.
The Melee Options dialog has several configuration options.
• Game Type For a Deathmatch game, select Deathmatch from
the list.
• Time Limit This is the maximum length of the game in minutes.
After the time limit expires, the game will end and start over.
A time limit of 0 specifies that a single game should continue
indefinitely.
• Point Limit This is the maximum number of points any player
can receive before the game ends. A point limit of 0 specifies that
there is no point limit. See page 86 for details on the scoring
system.
• Area selector Deathmatch games can be played in three different areas. They are: "Arena without Boundaries," "Arena with
Boundaries" and "Solar System." Arena without Boundaries is
simply an empty area of space. Arena with Boundaries is a small
area of space enclosed in a cubic grid. This cube contains all the
players in the game. Finally, the Solar System area is the entire
solar system.
• AI ships Up to 8 computer controlled ships can be placed in a
Deathmatch game. These ships will not be on any team and can
make a Deathmatch game with only a few players more exciting.
• Teams If teamplay is used, 2 to 8 teams can be created for
a Deathmatch game. Each team will be assigned a team color.
Players are not able to damage their teammates during the game.
Once configuration of the Deathmatch game is complete you can
launch it by going to Start Server in the Host Game dialog.
4.4.2 Melee: Zero-G Hockey
Zero-G Hockey is a game for two teams played in a bounded arena. At
two ends of the arena are vortex gates. A small puck is also in the arena.
The object of the game is to move the puck into the opposing team's
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vortex gate. The puck can be moved in several ways. Colliding with
the puck or shooting it with a weapon moves the puck forward. Using
a force beam, a ship can pull the puck. Using the mining beam, a ship
can push the puck forward. To use either the force beam or the mining
beam the player must be within 20km of the puck and the player must
have a weapon lock. Press and hold the fire button to use either beam.
The closer the puck is to the player, the stronger the effect of the beams.
Figure 4.1: Hockey Puck and Goal
By going to New Game/Multiplayer/Host Melee from the main menu
you can start a hockey game server. Click on the Game Options to open
the Melee Options dialog.
In the Melee Options dialog, select Hockey from the game types list.
You can also set a point limit and time limit. These limits are described
on page 83.
4.5. THE BAZAAR
85
Figure 4.2: Zero-G Hockey Action!
4.4.3
Story Mode
and
Free
Mode
'"
Story Mode and Free Mode are multiplayer versions of their single player
counterparts. No special setup options exists for these two types of
multiplayer games.
4.5
The Bazaar
The Bazaar allows you to trade gadgets, armor, ships and credits with
other players. This interface is only useful in a multiplayer game when
there are other players to trade with. To trade with another player, you
both must go to the Bazaar in the same base. Any number of players
can use the Bazaar at the same time.
In the lower right hand corner there are two windows which allow
you to chat with other traders. To send a message, just enter it at
the Enter Text prompt and press return. Messages from those you are
trading with will appear in the Communications window above.
The For Sale window in the upper right displays a list of items being
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offered for trade. To get more information about an item, click on it
and a detailed description will appear in the window at the lower left.
If you wish to buy an item, select it and press the Buy button at the
bottom of the list. Your offer will be sent to the person selling the item.
A window will pop up to inform you of this, along with a Cancel button
if you wish to change your mind. If the seller approves of the deal, you
will be informed, the item(s) for sale will be transferred to you, and your
payment will be transferred to the seller.
To see which items you may offer for sale, use the Storage window
at the upper left. There are three buttons which allow you to select a
category: Personal Storage (see page 62), Ships, or Credits. You may
only offer stored ships at the current base, not your active ship. See
Select Ship on page 51 for more info. Once you've selected a category,
click on an item in the resulting list and more detail will be displayed in
the window at the lower left.
Once you have found an item to offer, drag it into the Offer window
below. You will be asked how much you would like to charge for it,
as well as how many you want to offer if more than one is available.
Once you've completed this procedure, the item will appear in the Offer
window and will be available in the For Sale window of the other traders.
To remove an item you are offering, drag it out of the Offer window and
back to the Storage window above.
When another player wishes to buy an item you are offering, a window will pop up to inform you. You have three options. First, you can
accept the offer, which will automatically transfer the item and payment.
Second, you can refuse the offer. Third, you can ignore the player, which
will block any future offers from that player. The list of ignored players
is erased when you leave the interface.
4.6
Multiplayer Scoring
Melee games are subject to the scoring system. Players receive 1 point
for a destroying another ship. They lose a point for destroying their
own ship. Hockey games award 10 points for putting the puck through
a vortex gate to every member of the team that scored.
To see the current Scoreboard in a Melee game you can switch to the
Scoreboard MFD on the HUD.
4.7. GAMESPY SUPPORT
4.7
87
GameSpy Support
Terminus supports GameSpy to allow players connected to the Internet
to find Terminus servers. If you wish to make your server available to
users of GameSpy, see page 16. GameSpy provides an application to
browse Terminus servers (and many other games) on the Internet. On
the World Wide Web, visit www.gamespy.com to download this application.
Chapter 5
Advanced Topics
5.1
System Overloads
Both the fuel and energy systems are capable of overloading. In the
case of an energy system, if the gadgets on a ship draw energy faster
than the system can handle, the energy system overloads. When an
energy system overloads, all the gadgets that use energy are shut down.
The energy system itself will also shut down for at least 5 seconds. An
overload may occur when a ship's energy systems are damaged and thus
not able to provide as much energy as they can undamaged.
To recover from a system overload go to the engineering screen (see
page 66). Turn on the ship's energy systems, including batteries and
capacitors. All the gadgets that use energy will be off. Some gadgets
that use energy can be powered back on. However, if too many gadgets
are turned on, the energy system will overload again. Therefore, make
sure to enable critical devices, such as life support and computers, first.
The fuel system is also capable of overloading. A fuel system overload
can be handled in a similar manner as an overloaded energy system.
5.2
Retrieving Cargo
A cargo scoop gadget is used to retrieve canisters and shrapnel floating in
space. Canisters can contain any type of gadget while shrapnel contains
only minerals.
In order to collect a canister or piece of shrapnel, approach the object
to be collected at a speed of less than 2 km/s. When your ship is close
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CHAPTER 5. ADVANCED TOPICS
enough, items (gadgets or minerals) are extracted and placed in the
ship's cargo bay. If there is not enough space in the cargo bay, only
as much as will fit is extracted. Additionally, if a canister or piece of
shrapnel is depleted, it will disappear.
A cargo scoop will work in any bay on your ship.
Figure 5.1: A Cargo Canister
5.3
Flying for S t e a l t h
There may be circumstances when you don't want to be seen, either
because you are in a dangerous section of space, or there is a contract or
bounty on you. In these situations, you may want to think about ways
that you can avoid being detected.
The most obvious thing you can do to avoid detection is to stay away
from ships and bases. If a ship or base detects you, that information is
broadcasted to anyone using the same sensor frequency. But there are
other things you can do to make your ship inherently less scannable.
5.4. MANAGING HEAT, STRESS, AND RADIATION
91
The first is to simply buy a stealth device. Stealth devices dampen
emitted radiation to decrease the magnitude of your sensor signature. A
more detailed analysis of this effect is presented on page 183. A smaller
sensor signature means that an enemy will have to get closer to you in
order to detect you. To remain hidden, you will want to stay outside of
this range. Below a certain minimum distance, generally, you will always
be detected.
You can tell if your stealth is effective by examining the scanner.
As described previously on page 27, a ship that cannot detect you has
a number displayed next to it on the scanner. The closer that number
comes to 100, the closer they are to detecting you. However, when the
number is present, they cannot see you at all.
There are other more mundane ways than stealth devices to be more
stealthy. Since detection often is a result of emitted radiation, restricting
the use of radiation-emitting devices is beneficial. The worst offender in
this category is energy weapons, however any weapon, including force
and mining beams, will make you stand out. Next are the engines. If you
want to move about stealthily, it is advisable to turn off your engines,
maneuvering with only thrusters. You may also achieve additional effect
by reducing your thrust level (page 32).
Your scanner and detail scanner also emit telltale radiation. Turning
off your detail scanner is not too much of a hardship, but turning off your
scanner, although it increases your stealth, also makes you blind, making
it useful only in the most dire of circumstances.
If you do not have a stealth device and need to reduce your sensor
signature very quickly, you can toggle off main power by pressing CTRLP. This will power down your entire energy system, and every device
except for engines and thrusters. Of course you will have no scanner
or computer, and your surge cells will stop charging, but assuming you
do not fire engines or thrusters, you can be assured that your sensor
signature is as low as it can be. Press CTRL-P again to restore power.
If your ship requires an auxiliary fuel pump, it is inadvisable to turn off
main power and attempt to use the engines. A fuel system overload can
result. This will leave you blind and drifting.
5.4
Managing Heat, Stress, and Radiation
At times, heat, stress, and radiation can be your biggest enemies in
space. Nearly everything in your ship produces all three in some quantity. Here is how these factors affect your ship:
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Stress is caused by your engines and thrusters pushing on your ship.
Your hull can handle a certain amount of stress, and if your ship is welldesigned, simultaneously using your maximum engines and thrusters
should not cause your ship to over-stress. When your ship exceeds the
stress limit, the hull will begin to be damaged. This is unfortunate, because as your hull becomes damaged, your stress limit is reduced further,
exacerbating the problem. Therefore, it is in your best interest to make
sure that your stress is well within limits.
Stress is also imparted to your ship by external forces, most often
a weapon or force beam. To better survive these encounters, it is good
to have a stress limit that is much greater than that exerted by your
own engines, so that you can tolerate the external stress as well. (That
is, if you are flying near your stress limit already, an opportunistic force
beam may mean curtains for you!)
You can increase your stress limit by adding hull struts to your ship,
or choosing a larger hull. You can also build a ship that produces less
stress on itself, such as choosing smaller engines, or simply lowering your
thrust level.
Heat is another dangerous factor. Engines, thrusters, scanners, computers, and weapons all produce heat. When your hull builds up excess
heat, your ship becomes more susceptible to stress damage (i.e. it lowers your stress limit). Also, high-energy type capacitors used in surge
cells are very sensitive to heat, and will drain quickly during an overheat
condition. Energy weapons, both fired by you and those that hit you,
will increase heat as well.
To increase your heat limit, add heat sinks to your ship, or choose a
larger hull. You can also produce less heat by using smaller engines, using your engines less often, or decreasing your thrust level. Also, certain
scanners and computer components produce more heat than others.
Heat and stress are detrimental to your ship, however radiation is
your personal foe, as exceeding the radiation limit over a period of time
will kill you, the pilot, directly. Radiation is produced by most of the
same things that produce heat. Heat sinks have a small effect on radiation, but more often than not, the best way to protect yourself from
radiation is to avoid it.
5.5
Overthruster
The overthruster, despite its name, is not a thruster at all. It is a compact, very powerful, and very fuel-thirsty engine modification. Under
certain circumstances you may want to use it for a quick escape, or to
accelerate to top speed very quickly. Although it produces a massive
5.6. EM FIELD
93
amount of thrust, the amount of fuel that is used is much greater, even
at lower thrust levels, so it should never be used routinely. Also, the
overthruster produces a dangerous amount of heat and stress, so great
care must be used to ensure that you don't put yourself in even more
danger than that which prompted you to use the overthruster in the first
place.
5.6
EM field
The EM (electromagnetic) field emitter is a device intended as a defense
against certain types of weapons. It emits a negative static charge to
repel them. Because of the negatively charged nature of the EPB and
rupture cannon, these weapons can be repelled by an EM field. Unfortunately, since the neutron bolt (NPB) is electrically neutral, the EM field
has no effect. It also has no effect on mass weapons or torpedoes. However, be aware that because the proton bolt (PPB) is positively charged,
it is attracted to the EM field. Always turn off your EM field when your
opponent is using a PPB.
5.7
Conserving Fuel and Energy
Fuel and energy can be expensive at times. Here are some ways you can
conserve:
• Fly slower If you accelerate to 20kps to go 1000km, you will get
there in 50 seconds. If you only accelerate to lOkps, it will take
you twice as long, but use half the amount of fuel. Remember,
there is no friction in space, so this is always the case.
• Use the overthruster sparingly The overthruster uses several times the normal amount of fuel as your engines. This fuel
consumption is far greater than the additional amount of thrust
it gives you. Use the overthruster only when you need to make a
fast escape.
• Turn off the reactor If you're not using a lot of energy, and
the energy meter reads 100%, that means the extra energy being
produced by your reactor is being wasted. If you turn off the
reactor, it will save fuel. You can turn it back on later, when your
energy supply gets low enough. (Definitely remember to turn it
back on before going into battle!)
• Turn off the EM field emitter If you're not in battle, or your
opponent is not using charged energy weapons, then there is no
CHAPTER 5. ADVANCED TOPICS
94
sense in wasting energy by producing an EM field around your
ship.
• Go easy on energy weapons It's often tempting in battle to
lay on the trigger and fire as often as possible. This will use energy
at the maximum rate of your surge cells, and in many cases drain
the surge cells completely. When the surge cells are drained, it
also means your weapons are firing with low power, and will not
be very effective.
• Turn off the inertia compensators The inertia compensators
make many corrections per second to ensure that your velocity is
kept in line with your orientation. If this precision is unnecessary,
turn them off, and use manual thrusters when you need them. If
you coordinate the thrusters well, and don't waste any momentum,
you can save a considerable amount of fuel.
5.8
Specialized Tactics
5.8.1
HPP Assault on Station
In a typical HPP attack on a station, the attackers have one or more
cruisers to launch HPPs, along with a number of fighters to protect them.
Those defending the target usually have a squad of fighters to repel the
HPPs, and some heavier fighters, or another capital ship, to drive away
the attacking cruiser (s).
According to the Hague convention of 2175, destroying HPPs is illegal. The only approved method of stopping an HPP assault is to immobilize the pods. However, particularly ruthless (or desperate) individuals
have been known to fire on the pods.
Normally, one group of attacking fighters is charged with defending
the pods en route to the station, while another guards the launching
cruiser(s). In a similar way, defending fighters divide up the task of
immobilizing the pods and destroying the cruiser(s). If a sufficient number of marines are able to board the station from the HPPs, they can
overpower the local defenses, and secure control of the station.
5.8.2
HPP Assault on Capital Ship
To capture an opponent's capital ship also requires a cruiser (or cruisers)
to launch HPPs. The fighter crafts on the attacking side must fill many
roles, and their job is much more difficult than when trying to invade a
station. Since HPPs are unable to attach to a non-immobilized ship, a
5.9. HANDLING MULTIPLE SHIPS
95
gunboat equipped with a heavy immobilizer must first disable the target.
If the target is a cruiser, its exterior turrets can be lethal to incoming
HPPs, so they must be destroyed as well. They can be shot clear off the
side of the target ship.
Defending a capital ship is the same as defending a station. The
HPPs, heavy immobilizer ship(s), and attacking cruiser(s) are all targets.
5.8.3
Capturing Smaller Ships
To capture a single seat craft, it must first be immobilized and not
spinning. Once it is in this state, a shuttle can dock with the ship. A
boarding party can then take control.
5.8.4
Blockading
To trap an enemy, or to keep certain ships from using a gate or a station,
sentry pods and mines can be deployed to create a blockade around the
object. Corvettes are the only craft with the launchers needed for sentry
pods and mines. Since it is best to mount a blockade uninterrupted, a
corvette will call for fighter backup if enemy forces are in the area. Once
a blockade has been erected, enemy fighters may attempt to destroy it.
That is why the owners of the blockade typically position fighters to
protect it.
5.8.5
Hijacking
Hijacking, and other pirate activities, are still common in the Solar System, and especially in the heavily traveled Asteroid Belt. Mining ships
and cargo-laden transports make attractive targets for daring individuals. Generally, a hijacker will intimidate the victim ship between gates,
where quick escape is difficult. With the victim disabled, or simply
scared, the hijacker orders the jettison of cargo. Some people are brave
enough to refuse these orders, but the safest course is compliance. The
hijacker then scoops the cargo, then usually sells it as his own.
5.9
Handling multiple ships
As a civilian in Terminus, you can own more than one ship. This can be
useful in many circumstances. For example, you may at times work as
a trader, moving goods across the system, but at other times, you may
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CHAPTER 5. ADVANCED TOPICS
want to take on strike contracts. Owning a transport as well as a more
capable fighter might be helpful.
When you buy a second ship, both ships will be located at your
current station. This is important to remember, as when you take off
in your new ship, your old ship will still be at that base. Therefore, if
you want your old ship back, you will need to return to that base. For
that reason, it might be important to buy your ship at a central and/or
safe location, that you know you can return to often. If you buy a ship
at a remote location, then your old ship will also be left at that remote
location, which might be inconvenient.
To move items between ships, if necessary, use "Personal Storage"
at the Parts/Cargo screen. (Items will remain in the storage locker until
you leave the base, so remember to take your items before you launch.
Otherwise they will be lost.) At the Select Ship interface, choose the
ship you would like to take parts from. Then, go to the Parts/Cargo
screen, and drop the items into the storage locker. Return to the Select
Ship screen, and choose the other ship. Return to Parts/Cargo and move
the items from the storage locker onto your ship.
You can sell any of your ships at any time, but you can never sell
your last ship.
5.10
The Flight Recorder
The Flight Recorder is very powerful system to edit and view recorded
in-flight sequences, divided into two parts: The Scene Manager edits
individual scenes of a flight recording. The Movie Sequencer organizes
individual scenes into a complete movie.
5.10.1
Recording A Scene
The flight recorder can be activated at any time during the game from
the main cockpit view by pressing the flight recorder toggle key, F12.
If the flight recorder is engaged, a small bar graph in the upper left of
HUD will be displayed. The gray portion of bar graph represents the
total remaining space in the flight recording. The red portion of the bar
graph represents the used space in the current recording. The line on
the bar graph represents the current record position.
While flight recording is activated everything that happens around
your ship will be written to a flight recorder scene. Toggling flight recording off causes that scene to be closed and written to the disk with a
sequential filename such as "flt004.scn."
5.10. THE FLIGHT RECORDER
97
• A couple of important notes. First, if the entire flight recorder bar
graph is red the flight recorder will write over previously recorded data.
You can adjust how much data the flight recorder can store before overwrite occurs by going to the Game Options menu and moving the Flight
Recorder Buffer slider (see page 16).
A second note, the flight recorder will not record what happens while
at a base or in ship interface screens (such as Engineering or Personal
Info).
5.10.2
The Scene Manager
After you record a scene using the flight recorder, you can edit it using
the scene manager.
Start the Scene Manager by going to Flight Recorder/Scene Manager from the main menu. The Scene Manager contains three major
windows: the Navmap window, the Preview window and the Camera
window. Between the Navmap window and Camera window there are
some playback controls. Finally, in the lower right, there are several
buttons.
The first step in editing a scene is to go to the Load Scene button
in the lower right. Pressing it will display a dialog box with a list of the
previously saved scene files. Select the scene to edit and click on Ok to
load.
With a scene loaded, the Navmap window will display all the objects
near your ship when the scene was first started. The Navmap window
can be manipulated in the same way that the Navmap interface is used
(see page 40). Clicking on an object's name in the Navmap window
selects it by turning its name white. Notice that the true object names
are not displayed, instead, every object is given a type and numerical
designation.
The Preview window shows the view from the current camera at the
current point in the scene. A camera is simply a location and orientation
in space from which you can view a scene. When a scene is first loaded
the Preview window shows the view out of the ship that recorded the
scene. Pressing the Full Screen button in the Preview window will
playback the entire scene in full screen mode. Pressing a key during full
screen playback will halt the playback.
The playback controls below the Navmap window can be used once a
scene is loaded. The bottom row of buttons here control playback in the
Preview window. There are, from left to right: rewind, play, stop, pause
and fast forward. Notice that when playback is running the Navmap
window and Preview window change to reflect the current position in
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CHAPTER 5. ADVANCED TOPICS
Figure 5.2: The Scene Manager
the scene.
To jump to a particular point in a scene use the slider directly above
the playback buttons. The button to the right of the slider, the jump
button, will also let you jump to a particular point in the scene. When a
scene is first loaded this button is labeled by a "0". Pressing the button
will bring up the Set Frame dialog box. Here you can enter a frame
number to jump to. The range button directly above the jump button
gives the range of valid frame numbers.
The range button allows you to set the range of frames to be played
back. For example, if to play only frames 0 through 100 (assuming there
are at least 100 frames in the current scene) press the range button and
enter 0 for the first frame and 100 for the last frame. Any changes to
the playback range will be reflected in the range bar graph above the
slider. The mouse can also be used to set the range of playback. Simply
click on range bar graph where the playback range should start and drag
until playback should end. The frame numbers will be reflected on the
range button.
The real power of the Scene Manager lies with cameras. Cameras
5.10. THE FLIGHT RECORDER
99
axe controlled in the Camera window. The Camera window is divided
into two parts, a list of all cameras on the left and a camera script on
the right. When a scene is first loaded there are six default cameras
shown in the camera list. They are the standard cockpit views for the
ship that recorded the scene. On the right the camera script contains
only one camera, "0: COCKPIT: Front". The "0" signifies that the
"COCKPIT: Front" camera is active starting at frame 0. Other cameras
can be selected from the camera list. If the Preview Selected checkbox is
enabled, any camera selected from the list will be shown in the preview
window.
To make a selected camera part of the camera script, simply hit the
Switch Cams button. This will make the current camera active at the
current frame. To remove a camera from the script, press the Delete
button.
New cameras can be added to the camera list by pressing the Newbutton. This brings up the properties dialog. Before creating a new
camera it's a good idea to make sure Preview Selected is checked so you
can see your changes to the new camera as you make them.
The first camera property is the name. It defaults to "New camera"
but can be changed. The second property is the camera orientation.
Clicking and dragging the Set Y / P button, the yaw and pitch of the
camera can be changed. Precise yaw and pitch values can also be directly
entered (in degrees). The Clear button clears the yaw and pitch to 0.
By clicking on the Track Obj button the currently selected object in the
Navmap is "tracked" by the camera. This means that the camera always
attempts to point at that object. Any yaw or pitch values previously
entered become offsets to the tracking orientation.
The camera location property is similar to the orientation. The Set
X / Y and Set Z buttons can be dragged to set the x, y and z camera
position. The Track Obj button forces the camera to always follow the
tracking object. Pressing the Ok button at the bottom of the dialog
commits changes to the new camera.
Cameras can be edited by simply double clicking on them in the
camera list. Cameras can be deleted by pressing the Del button under
the list.
Once editing of a scene is complete it can be saved. The Save
Segment button in the lower right group saves only the part of the scene
that is currently selected by the range button. The Save Scene button
saves the entire scene regardless of range. The Back button returns the
Flight Recorder menu. Next, scenes can be compiled together to form
movies using the Movie Sequencer.
CHAPTER 5. ADVANCED TOPICS
5.10.3
The Movie Sequencer
The Movie Sequencer is started through Flight Recorder/Movie Sequencer from the main menu. It contains three major windows: the
Scenes window, the Film window and the Preview window. Additionally, there is a group of playback control buttons under the Preview
window.
The Scenes window contains a list of all the scene files and the dates
they were last modified. Individual scenes can be dragged from the
Scenes window and dropped in the Film window.
The Film window is a list of scenes that make up a movie. The movie
will be played starting at the topmost scene, moving down. Scenes can
be removed from a movie by pressing the Delete button. The Clear
All button removes all the scenes from the list. The Load Film button
will load a previously saved list of scenes. The Save Film button saves
movies.
Any scene saved into a movie can be extracted out with the Save
Scene button. Simply select the scene from the film window and hit
the Save Scene button. Finally, on Microsoft Windows based computers, movies can be saved as AVI files. Standard movie players outside
Terminus can play these files. (Linux and MacOS versions of Terminus
have not implemented the AVI export feature.)
To save an AVI file click on Export AVI. This will show the Save
AVI dialog. The name of the AVI can be entered on the bottom line or
an existing file can be selected from the file list. On the right side of the
dialog there are a few options. First, the size options specify the size of
movie to output. Smaller sizes equal smaller AVI file sizes. The second
option is the Anti-Alias checkbox. Anti-Aliasing makes AVIs of smaller
size look smoother. However, this option, when enabled, increases the
time necessary to save the AVI. A warning about AVI files: they can
be very large depending on the options selected and the length of the
movie. In fact, they can easily be hundreds of megabytes. The movie
sequencer will inform you if you do not have enough disk space to save
an AVI file.
The Preview window functions in the same manner as it does in the
Scene Manager. The playback controls under the Preview window are
also identical to those in the Scene Manager. The Back button in the
lower right exits the Movie Sequencer.
Chapter 6
Story
6.1
The Principal Organizations of Sol
6.1.1
The United Earth League (UEL)
In the waning years of the 22nd century, the United Earth League still
holds its dominant position in the Solar System. The UEL has immense
military resources, a strong presence in space, and the allegiance of many
of the wealthiest nations and corporations on and off the planet.
Convened in 2076, the UEL was chartered as an overseer government
with a policy of non-interference in the internal matters of its member
blocs, but sole authority in off-world affairs. The UEL Premier functions as the chief executive of the government and a senate acts as the
lawmaking body. Jakarta serves as the capital city.
Since its founding, the UEL has had to face many challenges, including Earth-wide epidemics, space piracy, and ruthless terrorist attacks.
Most vexing, however, has been the UEL's relationship with the colonies
and companies of Mars. As the people developing the resources of Mars
have become richer and more self-sufficient, they have sought greater
and greater independence from the UEL. Because of the resistance of
the Martians, the UEL's efforts to make the environment of Mars more
hospitable for mass colonization have been continually delayed. The
discovery of Callisto technology in 2167, and the construction of the
Sol Gate Network in the years following, has only intensified the rivalry
between the UEL and Mars.
(See page 125 in the "History of Terminus" Timeline for more details.)
101
102
6.1.2
CHAPTER 6. STORY
The Mars Consortium (MC)
The Mars Consortium was established in 2158 by the Martian Mining
Corps and other companies operating on Mars. The new organization
was planned as a way to protect the economic interests of Martian businesses and to eliminate the infighting between competitors that had gone
on since the first days of the planet's colonization.
Twenty-five years later, Kareem Muhammad, Director of the Martian Mining Corps, was elected as Governor of the Martian Protectorate,
the colonial governing body set up by the UEL. Muhammad, and many
other members of the Colonial Congress with ties to the Consortium,
pressured the UEL to restructure the Protectorate. They wanted to
incorporate many of the proven elements of the UEL framework into
the Martian government. With the support of UEL Premier Monique
Gerard, the Martian Colonial Congress was replaced with a junta-like
body controlled by the Consortium. It was named the Board of Directors. In 2194, the Board appointed Julianne Hobbes to the newly formed
position of Director of the Consortium.
The economic boom which followed completion of the Sol Gate Network has benefitted the Consortium enormously. They have plowed
large portions of their new wealth into developing their armed forces and
their presence in space. In 2196, the Consortium converted Olympia and
Ulysses, two of the commercial stations in Martian orbit, into military
stations. Tensions between the UEL and the Consortium have never
been higher - and the Consortium has never been more of a threat to
the UEL.
(See page 133 the "History of Terminus" Timeline for more details.)
6.1.3
The Marauders Pirate Clan
The expansion of mining activities in the Asteroid Belt at the end of the
21st century attracted the inevitable rogues and thieves. Shipments of
refined metals and volatile materials, much of it transported on drone
ships and unpowered containers, fell prey to hijackers hungry for an
easy profit. Over time, many of these outlaws formed alliances with one
another. A number of clans evolved. Today, the Marauders are believed
to be the largest, most well-equipped, and best organized of these pirate
groups.
The Marauders are extremely secretive, even among their own clan
brothers and sisters. What little is known by the public about them
comes from government or corporate spies who have infiltrated their
ranks, the rare pirate prisoner who talks, or rarer still, the one-time
Marauder who has gone straight.
6.2. SPACE STATIONS IN SOL
103
Many of the people who join up with the Marauders do so because
they have become disillusioned with their lives elsewhere. They seek
greater riches, greater respect, and perhaps, a greater sense of belonging.
Ex-military pilots, former miners and laborers, even doctors and lawyers
have teamed with career criminals, drug dealers and assassins inside the
Marauder clan.
The Marauder leaders demand loyalty. Some observers believe the
dedication and discipline they get from at least the core members of the
clan is the key to their strength. Pressure from the UEL and the Mars
Consortium, as well as from security forces of the corporations around
Sol, together with heavy competition from other pirate clans, makes life
as a Marauder tough. For those in the clan who fully embrace the vision
of their leaders, the challenges may be even more difficult. Rumors
persist that head Marauder, Muldante Kerr, and his Inner Circle, have
a quest unique among the Belt pirates: to take the Marauders beyond
hijacking and hiding out in the Asteroid Belt and somehow create a new,
more powerful role for all pirates in Sol.
6.1.4
Independent Council of Governors
In 2181, the governors of all the commercial stations in Sol gathered
to discuss ways to improve conditions for business enterprises in space.
During this historical meeting, the governors drafted their own regulations on free trade to be applied to transactions at commercial stations.
These new rules had far fewer restrictions on the sale and marketing of
goods than those imposed by either Mars or Earth.
Perhaps more significantly, the governors also agreed to form the
Independent Council of Governors. The ICG is an oversight group which
manages relations between the commercial stations in Sol and represents
the group to the UEL. They have become an important and powerful
lobby, many times influencing the direction of UEL policy on commerce,
off-world migration, technology development, military affairs and other
matters. The Council has its headquarters at Mimas Station.
6.2
Space Stations in Sol
There are three types of space stations which you will encounter: commercial stations, military stations, and research stations. Brief descriptions of individual stations appear below. For more detailed descriptions
of the technical aspects of each type of station, see page 150.
Commercial stations are the most common type of station. Commercial stations have no official military affiliation and are usually con-
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CHAPTER 6. STORY
trolled by a governor elected from the companies based on that station.
All civilian pilots can dock at these stations. Keep in mind that not all
commercial stations are alike. Some allow goods that others may not,
and not all parts and supplies are available on every station.
There are five military stations throughout the Solar System. The
United Earth League controls three of them, while Mars has constructed
two military stations of their own. These stations are accessible only to
pilots in the military with which the station is affiliated. All military
operations are launched from these bases - which makes them the target
of frequent attacks.
There are two research stations in the Solar System. One is a
commercial enterprise and the other is a highly guarded operation. The
careers allowed to dock on either of these stations will vary with the
political situation.
The following stations are listed generally in order of their distance
to the sun, starting with Venus Terraform Research Station, at the heart
of the system, to Umbriel Commercial, orbiting a moon of the distant
Uranus:
6.2.1
Venus Terraform Research Station
Venus Terraform Research Station is one of two research stations in the
Solar System and it is the only station orbiting Venus. As the station
name implies, the research on this station focuses on finding new and
improved terraforming methods for Venus. The station also occasionally
contributes research to the Martian terraforming effort.
The station governor allows any civilian ship to use their facility.
But be forewarned: station security strictly forbids illegal goods to come
aboard. Violations will result in confiscation and heavy fines.
6.2.2
United Earth Military Station (UEMS) Artemis
UEMS Artemis orbits Earth, serving the UEL as their primary patrol
station. Artemis is the first line of defense for guarding Earth from
all enemies. Only UEL military pilots in good standing may dock at
Artemis.
6.2.3
Lunar Commercial
As the gateway for deep space trade and travel to Earth, Lunar Commercial is one of the most heavily used commercial stations in the Solar
System. Flights leave from Lunar Commercial to other stations in Earth
orbit as well as to the planet's surface. Goods produced on Earth are
6.2. SPACE STATIONS IN SOL
105
shipped through this station to points beyond. A fair number of UEL
member companies are based on this station as well.
Lunar Commercial abides by strict trade rules imposed by the League.
These rules forbid certain goods from entering or leaving the station.
Persons caught with banned items will have all their possessions confiscated and fines levied against them.
6.2.4
United Earth Military Station (UEMS) Unzen
This UEL military station resides in Earth Node II, on the opposite
side of the planet's orbit from Artemis station. UEMS Unzen serves as
the supply station for all UEL off-planet military interests. From here,
both Artemis and UEMS Saldrea are resupplied on a daily basis. UEMS
Unzen also provides protection for the Tycho Shipyard and will assist
Artemis when necessary. Only UEL military pilots may dock at Unzen.
6.2.5
Olympia
This station orbits Mars and serves the Consortium as their primary
patrol station. Olympia is the principle line of defense for protecting
Mars from its enemies. Only Consortium military pilots in good standing
may dock at Olympia.
6.2.6
Mars Commercial
With nearly as much traffic as Lunar Commercial, Mars Commercial is
also a very popular spot for travelers and traders. Mars Commercial
serves as a gateway station for Mars much like Lunar Commercial serves
Earth. Most goods produced on Mars are shipped through this station.
As might be expected, a number of Consortium companies have their
headquarters on Mars Commercial.
Mars Commercial abides the free trade manifest stipulated by the
Independent Council of Governors. But officials there will confiscate any
illegal goods entering or leaving the station. Anyone caught with such
items will be fined.
6.2.7
Mars Mining Station
Mars Mining Station is a trading post in Mars Node II. This station
serves primarily as a supplier of minerals and ores mined in and around
Martian orbit. But being located away from the principle gate paths
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CHAPTER 6. STORY
deters some traffic to and from Mars Mining Station. Still, many merchants tolerate its inconvenient location because the alternative of traveling through the Belt means risking a pirate hijacking instead.
Mars Mining Station follows the free trade manifest established by
the Independent Council of Governors. But Mars Mining will seize any
illegal goods found at the station. The penalty for possessing such items
includes a heavy fine.
6.2.8
Ulysses
Ulysses resides in Mars Node II, on the other side of the planet's orbit.
This military station serves as the supply station for all Consortium military interests. Ulysses also provides protection for the Nugent Shipyard
and is available to back up Olympia when needed. Only Consortium
military pilots may dock at Unzen.
6.2.9
Belt Station
Situated in the Prime Node of the Asteroid Belt, the Belt Station is the
only stop between the outer nodes of Sol and the main centers of activity
around Earth and Mars. The station handles high levels of traffic, with
ships carrying manufactured goods and raw materials to and from the
far reaches of the Solar System.
Even though the station is a key portal for many travelers and
traders, it is not free from problems. Pirates operating in the Belt have
become bold enough to hit transports as they try to pass through the
node. Many people believe the governor of Belt Station has been corrupted with kick-backs from pirate clans and that is why such activity
can thrive around the station.
6.2.10
Pirate Base(s)
The Asteroid Belt is home to many outlaws, including pirates. Rumors
have spread that a massive pirate base orbits somewhere deep within the
Belt. These rumors remain unconfirmed to this day. However, informers
have confirmed that a pirate outpost does exist much closer to the gates,
although its existence is not widely publicized.
Those pilots who don't let ethics interfere with their livelihood often
seek out the pirate strongholds when they need to boost their income.
Such employment is rarely easy and never safe, however. Pirates have
never been known for loyalty to anything but their own clans. They will
attack anybody they see as a threat, especially if it can result in a profit.
6.2. SPACE STATIONS IN SOL
6.2.11
107
United Earth Military Station (UEMS)
Saldrea
UEMS Saldrea is the UEL patrol station in the outer nodes and as such
is the only military presence beyond the orbit of Mars. Because Saldrea
is situated at the crossroads between Jupiter, Saturn, and the Asteroid
Belt, all ships traveling into deep space must pass by Saldrea.
Because of Saldrea's strategic location, the UEL holds a distinct
advantage over anyone bold enough to challenge them in the outer nodes.
Only UEL military pilots in good standing may dock at Saldrea.
6.2.12
Europa Commercial
Europa Commercial is situated in its own node, one jump away from
Saldrea station. Europa is one of several commercial stations in orbit
around the gargantuan planet of Jupiter. Like many of the stations in
the outer nodes, Europa doesn't specialize in any one type of commercial
endeavor. Instead, there is a variety of companies based on the station,
most of them offering a unique opportunity.
6.2.13
Callisto Research Station
Orbiting the Jovian moon Callisto, this research station is quite far from
even the closest gate. Governed under its own charter, Callisto operates
as an independent entity. As a result, little is known about the activity
aboard this station, except that it has resulted in the development of
the vortex gate technology.
The station is vigorously guarded by the Callisto Squadron, an elite
corps of fighters, most of them hand-picked from the UEL and Consortium military. The Callisto Squadron will stop at nothing to ensure
Callisto technology does not fall into the wrong hands.
No unauthorized vessels are allowed in Callisto space, no matter if
they are UEL ships, Consortium ships, or even just someone who is
lost. Anyone not invited to Callisto will be asked to leave. Anyone who
refuses will face forced ejection.
6.2.14
Traeger Aerospace
As its name indicates, this station is home to Traeger Aerospace, the
largest producer in Sol of spacecraft, ship components, capital ships and
even stations. In orbit around Ganymede, Traeger Aerospace manages
a high level of traffic, bringing in raw materials and sending out finished
products to destinations all over the Solar System.
CHAPTER 6. STORY
108
Like most upstanding members of the Independent Council of Governors, Traeger follows the organization's free trade manifest. Be aware,
however, that officials on Traeger will commandeer any illegal goods
coming or going from the station. Anyone detained with such items will
be hit with substantial fines.
6.2.15
Io Mining
This is a small mining station orbiting the moon Io. Very little traffic
moves through here, although Io is a major exporter of raw materials.
Because of the remote location and low profile of Io Mining station,
many questionable goods are also exchanged here.
6.2.16
Titan Commercial
This station orbits Titan, a moon of Saturn. Many companies are based
on this station, most of them in the gas mining business. Titan is situated on the gate path between Jupiter and Uranus, so it receives greater
traffic than Mimas, the other station in Saturn's shadow.
6.2.17
Mimas Station
This station orbits Mimas, one of Saturn's moons. A few small companies are based here. More importantly, however, is the fact that Mimas
is the home of the Independent Council of Governors (ICG). Prom Mimas, the Council represents the independent stations and oversees all
fair trade agreements.
6.2.18
Oberon Station
Orbiting Oberon, one of Uranus' largest moons, this station is little
more than a remote production facility for Haldeman Industries. Oberon
abides by the free trade manifest stipulated by the Independent Council
of Governors. But Oberon officials will seize any illegal goods found
coming in or going out of the station. Anyone held for handling such
items will face stiff financial penalties.
6.2.19
Umbriel Commercial
Umbriel Commercial is the farthest and most remote station in the Solar
System. The station orbits Umbriel, a moon of Uranus. Just a small
number of industries operate at Umbriel.
6.3. DOMINANT COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES IN SOL 109
• Most of the companies on Umbriel have chosen this location to escape
the bustle of the inner nodes. But all the businesses based around Uranus
know they are positioned to profit tremendously if travel to other star
systems ever becomes possible.
6.3
Dominant Commercial Enterprises
in Sol
6.3.1
United Earth League Companies
Tanaka Heavy Industries
Tanaka Heavy Industries, a conglomerate of several large Asian industrial companies, stands among Earth's corporate titans. A leader in developing fusion reactors since the first days of the Asian Economic Bloc,
Tanaka also constructs an enormous variety of products for planet-side
consumption. But the primary focus of the company today is building
propulsion and fuel systems for the space market. Their market share in
the transportation industries, especially in advanced fusion space-planes,
is one of the reasons the AEB has gained dominance in the League.
In recent years, however, Tanaka abandoned plans to extend their
market beyond Earth orbit, partly because of the relative low demand for
deep space ships, but mainly because of the tight hold Traeger Aerospace
has on that segment. Tanaka executives believe Traeger uses unfair
practices to maintain their dominance, and Tanaka has leaked stories to
the media about Traeger pay-offs, sabotage and industrial spying.
Although Tanaka has their main headquarters on Kyuushu, one of
Japan's southern islands, their construction facilities are located at the
Tycho Shipyard in Earth's orbit. Most of their merchandise is shipped
to Lunar Commercial station to be sold.
The Asian Digital Aggregate
The Asian Digital Aggregate is based on mainland China. The ADA
pioneered a process for micro-gravity crystal growth which propelled the
organization to world dominance of the electronics industry. Today, the
ADA continues to sell more electronic data processing, communication
and entertainment systems than any other company in the United Earth
League.
The ADA has a production facility on Lunar Commercial, where
most of the their merchandise can be purchased. The ADA also collab-
CHAPTER 6. STORY
110
orates frequently with the UEL military and has a research facility on
UEMS Unzen that specializes in electronic and digital countermeasures.
Mukhtar Biotech
Founded in 2135, Mukhtar Biotech came to prominence by developing,
with financial assistance from the UEL, a cure for the Pandemic Virus.
Mukhtar is now the largest supplier of biotechnology for all UEL interests
in space, with the largest micro-gravity research labs in the Solar System.
The Mukhtar labs, located at the center of Lunar Commercial, specialize
in pharmaceutical production, advanced tissue generation research, and
in seeking new ways to counter the physiological effects of low gravity
and micro-gravity.
In micro-gravity, a number of changes occur in the human body. A
person's bones become less dense and lose calcium, making them more
brittle. A loss of muscle mass, strength, and reflex-response occurs, as
well as fluid imbalances, including head congestion. The heart becomes
smaller and blood flow diminishes. In low-gravity environments such
as Mars (with about one-third the gravity of Earth) similar problems
exist, but to a lesser extent. People living under such conditions face
considerable health risks when exposed to Earth gravity.
Mukhtar has invested considerable intellectual and financial resources
into overcoming the long-known hazards of low gravity living, but without any great success to date. With the ever rising number of people
leaving Earth, however, the potential profits in solving these problems
continues to propel Mukhtar's quest.
6.3.2
Mars Consortium Members
Santos Materials Research Inc.
Santos Materials Research Inc. is a company headquartered in Martian
orbit. They have spent years developing aerogels for space-planes and
certain components in spaceships. Currently, most of Santos' research
is focused on developing new and better memory-alloys for repairing
stations and spacecraft. To manufacture memory-alloys successfully requires a micro-gravity environment. Otherwise, the wide variances in the
density of the component materials prevent attaining a uniform mixture.
Santos was one of the founding companies of the Mars Consortium.
They enjoy a strong, positive reputation among professionals throughout
the Solar System. An extremely high number of scientists and engineers
from both Earth and Mars apply each year to work for Santos, even with
the political pressure on the Consortium intensifying.
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In the past, Santos has formed joint-ventures with other companies,
including Traeger Aerospace and Kologorov-Meischt. Recently, however,
Santos has backed away from cooperative deals with any companies outside of the Consortium. Though Santos gave no reason for this new position, many have speculated that the cause for the change is the recently
initiated partnership between Santos and Parkhurst Manufacturing.
Parkhurst Manufacturing
Parkhurst Manufacturing is the largest of the heavy industrial manufacturers in the Mars Consortium. They produce a variety of spaceship
components at the Nugent Shipyard. Their merchandise can be purchased on Mars Commercial Station.
Top management at Parkhurst has had a high-turnover rate in recent
decades as the company's Board of Directors has unsuccessfully sought a
way to gain market share from Traeger Aerospace, by far the dominant
player in the market. This policy of revolving door leadership has only
added to the perception of Parkhurst's mediocrity.
Santos & Parkhurst
Santos & Parkhurst is a cooperative formed two years ago from a limited partnership between Parkhurst Manufacturing and Santos Materials. The spin-off company produces such equipment as engines and
spaceship systems. Their research and production is conducted at the
Nugent Shipyard. S & P products can be found at Mars Commercial.
Because of past acclaim for the research and development efforts of
Santos Materials, many people wonder about the lackluster performance
of much of the S & P product line. Some critics have speculated that,
because the management of Santos Materials did not want to work with
Parkhurst but felt pressured to do so by the Consortium Board of Directors, they may be channeling the best design ideas away from S &
P.
Mangala Technologies
Mangala Technologies produces digital equipment for the Consortium.
They have facilities on Mars Commercial, where most of their consumer
and business products are made. Despite the high standards of Mangala's manufacturing process, however, products manufactured by the
Asian Digital Aggregate continue to sell better.
Mangala also has research facilities at an undisclosed location on the
surface of Mars, probably inside one of the higher mountains, where the
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lower gravity can help accelerate their tests. There, at what is called
the Adleman Center, Mangala has been focusing on advanced computing technology. The tight-lipped corporate culture at Mangala keeps
outsiders guessing about the exact nature of the company's research. It
is easier to know what Mangala is not doing; in recent years, they have
publicly steered away from quantum research.
These facts have raised suspicions among certain detractors of the
Mars Consortium. They point to Mangala's secretive ways, and their
unwillingness to share any research findings, as evidence the Consortium
may be aiding Mangala in the unlawful use of Callisto artifacts in their
studies. Others have speculated that what is behind Mangala's closed
door policy is the Consortium's desire for a Martian company to create
a product revolutionary enough to make the efforts of the Asian Digital
Aggregate and other Earth companies obsolete.
O'Connor Research Laboratories
O'Connor Research Laboratories was established in 2162 when Colleen
O'Connor left Muktar Biotech with a number of her colleagues to form
a pharmaceutical research firm on Mars. After promising research into
xenovirology, O'Connor Labs was granted membership in the Mars Consortium in 2170. With this, O'Connor Labs became the youngest company in the Consortium. Soon after, Colleen was appointed to the Consortium Board of Directors. With Colleen's death in 2187, her seat on
the Consortium Board went to her son, Patrick.
O'Connor Labs is the largest manufacturer of Pharmaceuticals in
the Consortium. They have substantial production facilities on Mars
Commercial, but some people allege O'Connor also has labs on Ulysses.
The company vehemently denies these rumors.
O'Connor continues to publish results from their xenovirology research. With the discovery of the Callisto Artifacts thirty years ago, the
company began working in conjunction with the Joint Research Team
(JRT) at Callisto to isolate any and all alien viruses uncovered at the
site. Though no alien strains have been discovered, O'Connor has developed a thorough protocol to cope with a potential outbreak. Both
the JRT and the UEL military have incorporated much of O'Connor's
containment methods into their daily practices.
Martian Mining Corps
Since its beginning, the Martian Mining Corps has strip-mined Mars
and asteroids for every mineral and ore of value. Their operations now
extend to Deimos, the Asteroid Belt, and beyond.
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The MMC is one of the founding members of the Mars Consortium; in fact, the MMC is the oldest company in the Consortium. The
company was started by the former OPEC nations who sponsored the
so-called rogue colonies on Mars, most of them populated by people not
affiliated with any of the three major economic blocs on Earth. Dozens
of small mining operations, run by some of the poorest nations on Earth,
combined forces in the MMC.
The MMC continued to recruit people largely from Third World
countries without ties to the major economic blocs. Because of the
poor conditions of these regions of Earth, the people there welcomed
the chance to work as cheap labor for the MMC. The result has been a
massive influx of people to Mars over the past century.
Over the last few decades, automation of mining operations has
evolved to where robotic devices have now replaced a majority of the
human mining crews. Some of the miners have been trained to operate
and maintain the automatons, but most of the laborers have had to seek
other employment. Fortunately, the Consortium has been able to absorb
many of these displaced workers, primarily into service industry jobs.
The MMC has undergone other changes as well. Due to the population expansion on Mars, many of their mining operations on the planet
have been shut down. But now the MMC supervises construction of
underground communities on Mars. The MMC also has taken an active role in the terraforming of the planet, although in recent years the
Consortium has held back these efforts for fear of Terrans overrunning
the Martian communities. That fear may be unfounded, however; most
Terrans don't want to live on a planet as miserable as Mars, despite
what they have to tolerate on Earth.
Since the discoveries at Callisto, the MMC has been specializing in
the mining of valerium, the compound needed to power all vortex gates.
To this end, the MMC has established offices at both Io Mining and
Europa Commercial stations.
6.3.3
Independent Space-borne Companies
Traeger Aerospace
Traeger Aerospace is the largest aerospace company in Sol. They produce an extensive line of products, including fighter hulls, capital ships,
and even space stations. They have their own station and shipyard orbiting Ganymede.
Traeger's first major successes came with the company's design,
manufacture and marketing of space-planes. For a long time, however,
founder Donald Warren Traeger resisted venturing into any new areas
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of business. Even when his daughter Dr. Kelly Traeger developed a new
and highly efficient fusion reactor system she had to look elsewhere for
funding.
Ultimately, however, Kelly Traeger's design for the KT- Alpha MFCPS
became the impetus for what business commentators of 2134 called "the
merger of the century" between Traeger Aerospace and Haldeman Industries. Haldeman-Traeger Industries built stations, cruisers, and transports. In the late 2170's, the merged company won a UEL military
contract to design and manufacture the first single fighter spacecraft.
Although the fighter - called the Razor - delighted pilots, the cost
overruns on the project soured the marriage of Haldeman and Traeger.
After losing nearly 6 billion credits, the two companies went their separate ways, reverting to their original corporate identities. Haldeman
Industries now focuses on weapons and ship components, along with
creating space stations.
But Traeger has stuck it out building space ships. Their first solo
attempt at producing a single seat fighter, the Eclipse Class Gunboat,
slowly became a favorite of such organizations as the Mars Consortium.
With the post-Callisto boom in space travel, Traeger Aerospace has
grown rapidly. They moved to their present location in 2181.
Haldeman Industries
Haldeman Industries produces weapons and other ship components. The
company is based on Oberon Commercial Station.
Haldeman Industries was founded in 2049 by Joseph Haldeman. As
an engineer for NASA, Haldeman designed and developed the first orbital Earth colony in 2042. With his newly found fame, and valuable
connections in the UNAE military, Haldeman became a major player in
the aerospace business.
For decades, Haldeman Industries focused primarily on building space
stations. The company became known for its quality and its constant innovation. In many ways, Haldeman drove the evolution of space station
design and construction.
In the mid 2130's, Haldeman began shopping for a business partner
to share the growing financial risk in the aerospace industry. Competition had heated up, especially with Tanaka Heavy Industries taking an
interest in the construction of space stations. Finally, Haldeman Industries entered a merger with Traeger Aerospace.
Haldeman-Traeger Industries designed the first single seat space fighter.
But fulfilling their contract with the UEL cost the corporation 5.8 billion credits over their production expenses. After that experience, James
6.3. DOMINANT COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES IN SOL 115
Haldeman, director of development, vowed the family company would
never produce another space fighter.
The board of the company disagreed. Ultimately, James Haldeman
resigned from Haldeman-Traeger Industries and resurrected Haldeman
Industries.
Cosmospatiaele
The success of Traeger Aerospace's Eclipse Class Gunboat lured many
other fledgling aerospace manufacturers into developing single seat spacecraft. One of the first companies to do so was the small European
firm Cosmospatiaele. Though their expertise was limited at the time to
the development of submersibles, their first space ship, the Bee Class
Fighter, enjoyed considerable popularity.
But Cosmospatiaele has not been able to shrug off the sophomore
jinx. They have not gotten a new design into production for over a
decade. Currently, the company has just a few propulsion system items
in production. Constant changes in the management of the space division have resulted in often contradictory goals for their future. It is
rumored that, despite their promising start, Cosmospatiaele may pull
out of the space industry for good.
Kolgorov-Meischt
Spurred by the success of Traeger's virgin jump into the space ship building business, Kolgorov-Meischt also went into spacecraft manufacturing
with little prior experience. They made up for their lack with perseverance, however. In 2184, they produced the Vulture Class Shuttle, which
was a runaway hit. From there they have had their stumbles (the Talon
Class) as well as other triumphs (the Hyperion Class).
Attracted by the opportunity of operating independently of Earth
and Mars, Kolgorov-Meischt moved all of their production facilities to
Umbriel Commercial shortly after that station was complete in 2186. Although far from being the largest aerospace firm in Sol, Kolgorov-Meischt
does produce the highest quality in the industry. Pilots who want superior performance propulsion systems generally chose K-M products.
Kolgorov-Meischt is constantly courted by Earth and Mars and maintains sizable military contracts with both governments.
Wheltraum Systeme
Wheltraum is a small company spun off of parent company KolgorovMeischt in 2196. Whetraum has specialized in the design and production
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of high performance fuel systems. Like Kolgorov-Meischt, they are also
based on Umbriel Commercial.
Belt Colonies Manufacturing
Belt Colonies Manufacturing (BCM) is a small company based on Belt
Station. Although BCM has a roster of competent engineers, the company has grown very little since their establishment in 2192.
The trouble BCM has had expanding their business can be directly
traced to the company's difficulty in attracting new talent. Few ambitious professionals want to live on Belt Station, much less raise a family
there. Crime on Belt Station is higher than at any other station in Sol.
Pirates and other outlaws come and go as they please.
Efforts by BCM employees aimed at improving this situation have
been met with resistance from the governing forces on Belt Station. The
prevailing assumption is the governor of Belt Station has been corrupted
with kick-backs from pirate clans, which is why such activity can thrive
around the station in the first place.
Cronus Interplanetary Mining
Cronus specializes in the mining of gaseous materials. The company is
one of the few in Sol with all of their operations, including administration, located in space. Their headquarters is located on Titan Commercial Station, where they have ready access to Titan, the atmosphere of
which provides them with abundant mining opportunities.
Working in an environment such as that of Titan - low gravity,
low temperatures, no oxygen - is difficult enough. When that work
involves extracting gases, many of them quite volatile, the task becomes
more arduous, and more dangerous. Minuscule miscalculations or minor
equipment malfunctions can trigger vast shifts in pressure capable of
destroying expensive equipment and imploding the bodies of the workers.
Development of safe, yet practical, mining methods continues to be a
goal of Cronus.
The Io Corporation
The Io Corporation, as the name implies, is based on Io Mining Station.
Like many companies in the Solar System, Io Corp is a mining company.
But, unlike many others, they have succeeded at pulling a profit from
the forbidding environment of Io.
The success of Io Corp can be contributed largely to what seem
like archaic mining techniques. Io Corp relies minimally on automated
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technology, using humans almost exclusively to control machinery, and
depending on a vast number of human laborers. Although this may
seem less efficient, the fact that automatons fail almost hourly in the
horrendous conditions on Io makes flesh and blood miners more reliable
- and less expensive - in the long run.
Mining on Io is extremely unpleasant. Aside from volcanic eruptions,
the surface of Io is dotted with lakes of molten sulfur. The atmosphere
is composed mainly of sulfur dioxide. It is commonly believed that Io
Corp ships in cheap labor from the most impoverished member blocs of
the UEL.
Peter Newton Agricultural Center
The Peter Newton Agricultural Center (PNAC) was founded in 2191
with a grant from the United Earth League by botanist, engineer and
inventor Peter Newton. The PNAC is currently based on Mimas Station where they have been developing new hydroponic techniques and
researching other agricultural methods to make stations more self sufficient. The scientists at the PNAC have published papers exposing the
deficiencies of the current station recycling technology. The ultimate
goal for PNAC is to incorporate their research into new station designs.
Last year, the grant from the UEL expired, leaving the PNAC in
search of new funding. Peter Newton and his associates have been pursuing a partnership with Traeger Aerospace after rumors of that company's
plans for new station construction. At this time, however, Traeger has
decided not to sponsor the PNAC's research. The hunt for funds will
continue.
6.4
Terminus Universe Timeline
6.4.1 Era of Economic Consolidation (2015-2043)
2019 - First Manned Mission to Mars
Under the guidance of NASA, the first manned expedition to Mars lands
safely on the planet's surface. Sponsors of the mission include the United
States, Russia, Japan, and the European Union. Transit between Earth
and Mars takes 138 days. The six man crew touches down on Mars on
June 19, 2019.
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2021 - First Mars Mission Crew Returns
After spending 600 days on the planet's surface, the first Mars mission
crew returns to Martian orbit. Then, using the ERV (Earth Return
Vehicle), the crew travels back to Earth, finally landing on July 3, 2021.
A second crew launches for Mars later that year.
2022 - The Second Manned Mission to Mars
The second Martian manned expedition lands on Mars at the beginning
of the year.
2023 - EU and Japan Pull Out of Third Mars Mission
In September, the second Martian crew boards the ERV for their long
trip home. As the second crew heads toward Earth, the European Union
and Japan both unexpectedly announce they will pull out of the third
Mars Mission. They give no reason for their decision at the time. Later,
it becomes known that each of them did so to focus on building Lunar
Bases.
The remaining Mars mission sponsors forge ahead with their plans.
They are able to find other governments to help finance the third mission.
2024 (Jan. 12) - Second Mars Mission Crew Returns
After 612 days on Mars, the second crew returns to Earth. The remaining sponsors proceed with the third manned mission to Mars.
2024 (June 7) - Third Mars Mission Crew Launches
The third Martian crew launches. Extra equipment has been launched
ahead of them to help extend their stay to at least 800 days. Their goal
will be to explore major portions of the planet surface and research the
feasibility of Martian terraforming (creating an Earth-like environment
on the planet).
2024 (August 3) - Third Mars Crew Dies
Nearly two months into transit between Earth and Mars, the third crew's
command module, the Demeter, is struck by meteoroids. The life support system suffers irreparable damage. The entire six person crew perishes three days later. This loss, combined with other events in the years
to come, will postpone further missions to Mars for over a quarter of a
century.
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2026 (Feb. 14) - Japan First With He3 Fusion Reactor
Japan becomes the first nation to have a fully operational He-3 Fusion
Reactor. Unlike other attempts at fusion reactors, which use only hydrogen isotopes, the Osaka University-designed reactor uses helium-3.
And, when fused with deuterium (heavy hydrogen), the helium-3 yields
more useful energy than the other methods. The DHe3 reactor also produces much less radiation and waste, making it safe for widespread use.
Though helium-3 is rare on Earth, it is abundant on the Moon.
2026 (Feb. 20) - EU Begins Race For Lunar Real Estate
The European Union has a Lunar Mission crew on standby. With the
announcement of the Osaka Reactor, the EU mission launches. Five
months later, the Joint European Torus station is online. Japan soon
launches a Lunar Mission as well. In the coming years, many other
countries also will launch Lunar Missions, all trying to claim a piece of
the now valuable real estate on the Moon. Each of these missions will
have the same purpose: to build a facility to extract the helium-3 from
the lunar regolith (the surface soil of the Moon).
2027 - New Moon Agreement Proposed (and Rejected)
Key members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) propose a new Moon Agreement based on the previous Moon
Agreement of 1979, and the Antarctic Treaty of 1959. Neither the EU,
Japan, China, Russia, or the United States will ratify this agreement,
however.
As retribution, the same OPEC members decide to collaborate on
an accelerated space program of their own.
2029 - EU Establishes First He-3 Extraction Facility on
Moon
The European Union helium-3 extraction facility is situated on the nearside of the Moon where scientists have predicted high concentrations of
the substance. Once the EU begins shipping helium-3 from this facility
back to Earth, they will initiate construction of a second extraction site.
The Japanese facility will be completed soon after the first EU facility.
Chinese and American facilities are under construction as well.
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2031 - Unified European Economy (UEE) Founded
Many corporations, as well as other governments, begin pressing for
property rights on the Moon. Members of the EU decide the best response is to form an economic bloc to coordinate their ventures in Earth
orbit and on the lunar surface. With this effort, the Unified European
Economy is born. By allowing open membership to all European countries and European international companies, the UEE becomes a major
force off-planet.
UEE founders base their organization on the European Union (1998),
itself based on the European Economic Community (1957). UEE member nations try to maintain peaceful relations within the group by using
the threat of expulsion from the organization as a deterrent to would-be
aggressors. Economic exclusion manages to keep most countries in line,
but a few Balkan nations are expelled in less than five years.
2033 - United North American Economy (UNAE) Founded
Comprised of Mexico, the United States, and Canada, the UNAE is
founded in response to the creation of the UEE. The UNAE is initially
based on the NAFTA protocols of the 1990s. The organization soon
expands to include other select American nations, but no country contributes as much to the UNAE as its three founding members. Most
of the production facilities owned by the UNAE are constructed by the
United States, indicating that this economic consolidation is primarily
a means to protect interests planetside.
2035 - OPEC Lunar Mission Crew Lands on Moon
By the time the OPEC crew reaches the moon in 2035 and begins construction of a He-3 extraction facility, most of the lunar surface has been
unofficially claimed by one of the moon's current residents. OPEC demands possession of territory occupied by EU facilities. The land dispute
is brought before the United Nations.
2036-2038 The Lunar War
The Lunar War, as it becomes known, is a misnomer. Very little fighting
actually occurs on the Moon. But the conflict does have its origins on
the lunar surface. In early 2036, after the UN has failed to settle the
lunar land disputes between OPEC and the UEE, the UEE launches
a security crew to the Moon to protect their interests. Rumors have
surfaced that the OPEC crews are armed.
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After a terse verbal exchange between a UEE extraction crew and an
Arab construction crew, fighting breaks out. Although each side blames
the other for the event, the result is the same: three members of the
UEE and the entire OPEC crew die.
In retaliation, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirate, and Iran
launch air strikes on cities in the UEE, initially using conventional explosive weapons. The UEE respond in kind. The UNAE, unwilling to
face-off with the UEE, pulls all military support from Saudi Arabia and
its neighboring countries. Desperate now, the Middle Eastern nations
target biological weapons on major European cities. Although most
missiles are destroyed before reentry, one does slip through the UEE's
orbital defenses, hitting Paris. Over 100,000 people perish in the initial
viral outbreak.
Fearing further escalation of the conflict, the UNAE and Japan reluctantly join with the UEE. This alliance, bolstered by intelligence
provided by the UNAE, cripples the missile capabilities of OPEC. But
Saudia Arabia, Iran and many of the other smaller nations still persevere. From mid-2037, through most of 2038, battles rage in and around
the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea. Casualties rise beyond 2 million. It is not until UEE forces invade Tehran, then target
Riyadh and Mecca, that the OPEC alliance finally surrenders.
2039 - Lunar Treaty of 2039 Signed
In order to prevent new land disputes on the Moon, all lunar property
holders agree to sign the Treaty of 2039. The agreement prohibits expansion of operations beyond the boundaries laid down before the Lunar
War. None of the OPEC countries that participated in the Lunar War
can establish a permanent presence on the Moon.
2040 - Asian Economic Bloc Formed
The Asian Economic Bloc, or AEB, is formed in March of 2040, confounding most mainstream analysts who had discounted the possibility
of cooperation between the nations involved. The consolidation of efforts
on Earth and on the Moon by China, India, Japan, the Little Dragons
of southeast Asia and Indonesia, and several of the former Soviet Republics, comes as a mighty blow to the UEE and UNAE. With vastly
greater natural and human resources, the AEB wields superior power
over the other two major economic blocs.
The AEB grants their member countries a good deal of internal selfgovernance, but all international relations are handled through the AEB.
Member nations are expected to contribute to the AEB as best they
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can. If a country does not meet expectations, they are penalized or even
expelled. This fosters a sense of competition between the members, but
rarely any serious hostility. The strength of the coalition helps ensure the
AEB will maintain political, economic and social dominance for decades
to come.
6.4.2
Era of Colonization (2042-2100)
2042 - First Colony in Earth Orbit at L3
The first orbital Earth colony becomes operational in June, 2042. It is
constructed at the 3rd LaGrange Point in Earth orbit. The UNAE, the
sponsors of the project, see this as a significant step toward coping with
crisis level overpopulation on the planet's surface.
This first colony is designed by Joseph Haldeman, then an employee
of NASA. Haldeman goes on to found Haldeman Industries, a company
later renowned for creating space stations.
2050 - The Return to Mars
The UNAE launches the first manned mission to Mars in over a quarter
of a century. By dubbing it the Renaissance Mission, the UNAE hopes
to signal the rebirth of human travel to Mars, as well as the economic
and spiritual renewal of the nations in their bloc.
Using fusion-powered rockets, the transit between Earth and Mars
takes only 60 days, rather than the 130- to 180-day Hohmann transfer
orbit necessary only twenty-six years before. The twelve person crew
consists of scientists from key UNAE companies. Their two-year mission
focuses on cataloging the planet's resources and preparing Mars for a
UNAE colony.
2052 - Renaissance Mission Crew Returns
Once the Renaissance Crew returns to Earth, the UNAE begins the rigorous planning of the new Martian Colony. They establish a terraforming
protocol to be initiated once key segments of the colonization strategy
are in place.
2068 - Tanaka Completes First Fusion Powered Spaceplane
Tanaka Heavy Industries, a conglomerate of Asian industrial giants, has
been a leader in developing fusion reactors since the first days of the
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AEB. With the cooperation of Osaka University, Tanaka finally designs
a reactor efficient enough both in power and in mass to propel one of
their space-planes. With the superiority of this advance as a method
for escaping a planet's gravity, the fusion powered space-plane virtually
negates the need for space elevators. Large scale mining of planets and
asteroids is now seen as only a few years away.
2069 - The Ares Colony
A harsh economic downturn forces the UNAE to delay the launch of their
Martian colonists until 2069. That year, one hundred colonists arrive on
Mars to establish a habitat site at Ares Vallis. Priorities include building
additional habitats to allow more specialists to join the effort on Mars.
The UNAE has a great many hopes pinned on the success of their
Martian colonies. They want to replenish their dwindling natural resources, find a permanent solution to their population explosion, and
regain the prestige lost by North America in the previous century.
Analysts of the time label the Ares Colony an unwise investment.
They feel the initial cost is too high, and that the UNAE's resources
would be better applied toward gaining influence on Earth.
2071 - Asteroid Mining Begins
Orbital and asteroid mining is established as a parallel venture to the
Ares Colony, but soon the two grow in synergy. Mars provides a convenient local market for the metals, carbon and volatiles mined from
the Belt and also serves as a nearby shipyard. As the mining activity increases, small outpost colonies are formed by independent miners
throughout the Belt. .
2072 - United Nations Disbanded
The United Nations, founded in 1945, is disbanded in 2072. The poor
performance of the organization, as evidenced by its handling of the
Lunax War, and its inability to effectively sanction the major economic
blocs, renders the UN obsolete in the eyes of most world leaders.
2073-2074 - N e w Martian Colonies Appear
In five years, the number of UNAE colonists living in the network of
habitats in the Ares Colony grows to nearly five thousand. The completion of two domed colonies over the next year will allow the population to
swell to 25,000. With the announcement of the new dome construction,
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many smaller nations sign on to the fledgling colony. People volunteer
from all areas of life - from once doubting scientists to poverty stricken
laborers from Central and South America. Because the construction of
these new colonies will be automated with advanced robotics, however,
very few people are accepted for the journey right away. The majority
of those who want to live in the UNAE's Martian colonies will have to
wait for the full-scale terraforming effort.
There are alternatives, however. Other colonies begin springing up
all over Mars. With the decreasing cost of travel between Earth and
Mars, some nations not affiliated with the three large economic blocs,
including the former OPEC countries, establish colonies of their own.
Lacking the advanced robotics of the Ares Colony, these unregulated
colonies will evolve on pure determination. Unfortunately, human error
and miscalculation will cost the lives of many of these rugged pioneers.
Efforts to tame the Martian frontier revitalize a practice in near
dormancy for 400 years. Indentured servitude, in which a company pays
for a colonist's transport in return for several years' service, proves to
be an effective means to exploit something most poor nations have in
abundance: unemployed workers. Some Martian colonies even make
back door deals with the most desperate countries to ship segments of
their populations to Mars for work in construction, mining, and service
positions. By taking advantage of the antiquated labor laws of these
poor nations, the unregulated colonies subject the indentured servants
to dangerous situations with few of the amenities enjoyed by laborers
from the three major economic blocs.
Soon, the unregulated colonies begin to undercut the Ares Colony,
which the UNAE has expected not to turn a profit for another ten years.
The financial hit causes the North American bloc to fall even further
behind its rivals. Ironically, however, the stress on the UNAE nations
has the effect of encouraging emigration of their people to Mars in the
decades which follow.
2075 (Aug 12) - Completion of Apsu and Tiamat, First
Two Domed Colonies
With the completion the two dome colonies, Apsu and Tiamat, the population of UNAE colonists swells. Most of the new arrivals on Mars will
be involved with terraforming operations.
Engineers and their crews start construction of a giant mirror to
orbit over the South Polar region of Mars. Once in place, the mirror
will raise the polar temperature by about 5 degrees. This will melt the
polar ice caps, releasing carbon dioxide trapped in the caps, as well as
in the Martian permafrost. The carbon dioxide is predicted to create
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a greenhouse effect which will continually raise both the temperature
and the pressure in the Martian atmosphere - the first goals of Martian
terraforming.
2075 (Dec 6) - Market Crash Spawns New Tech Standards
After years of unprecedented growth in the technology industry, the entire sector heads for a crash. Worried that incompatible standards in
the global market place will hinder continued growth, major investors
quickly liquidate their high tech holdings. The resulting run on technology stocks wipes out large corporations worldwide. The AEB is hit
especially hard.
Realizing the severity of the situation, the AEB rushes to solve the
standards issue, and pushes for the creation of a body to oversee technology standards worldwide. The resulting organization, the Computing
Standardization Forum, is first met by heavy criticism. By the end of
the following year, however, nearly every country in the world is a member of the CSF. The boost to economic growth which results helps a
fledgling new government take hold.
2076 - United Earth League Founded
Led by the AEB, the United Earth League (UEL) is officially convened in
2076, four years after the disbanding of the UN. All economic blocs and
unaffiliated countries are invited to join. The UEE reluctantly ratifies
the League Charter, recognizing that with the even larger power base
of the UEL, the AEB would be stoppable. Many other smaller powers
sign on with the UEL as well. But a few nations, mainly those with offworld interests, do not. These countries are labeled as rogues, and they
are continually pressured to ratify the League Charter. The UNAE also
declines to attend the First League Congress, and refuses to recognize
the UEL.
The UEL government structure is very similar to that used by the
AEB. The UEL acts as a overseerer; there is a policy of non-interference
in the internal affairs of an economic bloc. However, off-world affairs
are handled solely by the League. A premier is appointed by the key
members of the major economic blocs. Lei Chen serves as the first
premier of the UEL. A senate is created as the lawmaking body. Jakarta
is designated as the temporary capital of the UEL until a final location
is agreed upon. The UEE will lobby for Geneva to be the permanent
capital for many years to come
Since the previous decade, plans for the UEL have been circulating
in the higher echelons of government and inside the board rooms of
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international corporations. Rumors of a government body to replace the
UN have been surfacing for even longer than that.
2079 - UNAE Finally Joins League
After three years under intense economic and political pressure, and still
no profits from their Martian colonies, the UNAE can no longer resist the
United Earth League mandate for them to join the organization. UNAE
member countries also officially become members of the CSF. UNAE
representatives travel to Jakarta to ratify the League Charter. In doing
so, they concede control of their Martian colonies to the League.
UNAE critics claim the North American bloc stalled in joining the
UEL to buy time for their Martian colonies to pay off. The way the
detractors see it, the UNAE hoped increased economic power would
translate into political leverage once they finally entered the UEL. In
fact, the UNAE's huge investment of time and finances into the colonies
has the opposite effect. This reinforces the opinion that the UNAE's
Martian colonies, ten years old at this point, have always been a mistake.
2082 - Two New UEL Domes Begin Construction
Profits slowly trickle in from the UNAE's original colonies, two years
before expectations, but three years too late to benefit the North American bloc. With continued growth all but assured, the UEL tentatively
approves the construction of two more domes on Mars.
2085 - Conflicts Between Competing Colonies
Reports come from Mars about the unregulated Martian colonies and
the UEL colonies in conflict over territory. A rogue Venezuelan colony
is said to have sabotaged one of the Tiamat Colony's automatons. Irate
members of the Tiamat mining crew lash out at a passing prospectors
from the Nigerian colony. Equipment owned by a UEL corporation is
destroyed. There is alleged tampering with oxygen stores at the Iranian
colony. Such skirmishes soon lead to increased destruction and broader
fighting.
2086 - Martian Orbital Mirror Destroyed
Apparently in retaliation for the destruction of an Algerian-habitat, the
unregulated colonies coordinate their efforts. They launch a salvo of
missiles and manage to destroy the orbital mirror.
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The Martian terraforming effort is halted. Many people believe the
rogue colonies destroyed the mirror in anger. But others think it was an
act of resistance. If the Martian environment is made more hospitable,
the UEL can easily unload their surplus population on the planet, as well
as establish their own government there. The rogue colonists, and their
sponsor nations, see this as a threat. Because they view Mars as a way
to reclaim lost glory, they want to establish and maintain dominance
there.
Back on Earth, following the destruction of the polar mirror, the
UEL calls for the creation of a Martian colonial government. The UEL
also increases pressure on the nations sponsoring the rogues to acquiesce
to their demands.
2089 (April 17) - Colonial Congress To Establish Martian
Government
The leaders of the UEL sponsored colonies and of the rogue colonies
meet at the Apsu Dome. They all agree that the conflict has gone too
far. No one wants to repeat the mistakes of the Lunar War.
After lengthy debates end four days later, the territorial disputes
are still not settled and a form of government cannot be decided upon.
The Congress calls a recess for two months. In the meantime, the UEL
applies renewed pressure on the rogue colonies' sponsor countries back
on Earth.
2089 (May 8) - Formation of Martian Mining Corps
Mining companies from the unregulated colonies agree to pool their resources, forming a conglomerate company they call the Martian Mining
Corps. Outsiders believe part of the reason for this decision is to create a stronger power base for the so-called rogues as they continue to
negotiate with the UEL.
2089 (June 21) - Martian Protectorate Founded
When the Colonial Congress is reconvened, a startling announcement is
made. The unregulated colonies propose a compromise solution which allows Mars-based companies to maintain some authority in how they run
their businesses and related services, as well as a degree of independence
in other areas. In return for the UEL pushing through this agreement,
the rogue nations on Earth will become members of the League.
Although suspicious of the proposal, the UEL finally approves a modified version. What is agreed upon limits the freedoms of the Martian
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companies without forcing them to relinquish total control. With this
agreement, all territorial disputes are resolved and the Martian Protectorate is founded. As anticipated by many in the former rogue colonies,
however, most of the officials initially elected to the Protectorate are
from the UEL colonies.
In the coming years, the UEL grants the Martian Protectorate increasing latitude in managing the colonies. Thirteen years after the
UEL's formation, the organization is still united in name only. With
commitments to solving problems on their home planet, and the lengthy
interplanetary travel time, it remains difficult for the League to shape
the new colonial government. Instead, the UEL must rely on the implicit
threat of punishment to keep the colonies in line.
2090 - The Protectorate's Ecopoesis Manifest
The Martian Protectorate, at the behest of the UEL, puts forth the
Ecopoesis Manifest. It calls for Mars to reach a state of ecopoesis within
eighty years using a new method: the release of perflurocarbons by factories on the surface of the planet. Like the orbital mirror, the factories
will increase the greenhouse effect, thereby warming the ice caps and
permafrost, and releasing carbon dioxide. During the first twenty years
of the plan, the Protectorate will also determine the best course for
introducing more water into the Martian biosphere.
Ecopoesis is the stage in terraforming at which the temperature and
air pressure of the Martian atmosphere is hospitable enough for a person
to move freely on the surface without an exoskeletal suit. However, the
air still contains poisonous amounts of carbon dioxide. People must
continue to wear breathing units. With water vapor introduced into the
biosphere, genetically engineered plants could produce more oxygen in
the atmosphere.
Feeling the strain of overpopulation, the UEL lauds the Ecopoesis
Manifest. But they will spend the coming years lobbying the Protectorate for measures to keep accelerating the terraforming process.
6.4.3
Era of Destabilization (2100-2160)
c. 2100 - Rise in Piracy
As mining activities in the Asteroid Belt expand through the end of the
21st century, the inevitable parasites evolve as well. Shipments of refined
metals and volatile materials, much of it transported on drone ships and
unpowered containers, fall prey to hijackers hungry for an easy profit.
Overall, however, piracy proves only a minor nuisance.
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c. 2105 - Martian Economic Boom
In the years around 2105, the Martian economy makes rapid strides.
Existing companies continue to grew, while new businesses, such as
Parkhurst Heavy Industries and Mangala Technologies, are founded. In
response to the boom, the UEL increases tariffs on the Protectorate.
The strong economic growth on Mars, coupled with the promise of a
more hospitable environment in the future, lures more and more people
from Earth to live on the red planet. The Martian terraforming effort,
however, proceeds slowly. And Earth's population keeps expanding.
2108 - Construction of the Civitas in Jakarta
After decades of wrangling, the UEE finally agrees to let the capital remain in Jakarta. To commemorate this event, construction of the UEL's
new military headquarters, the Civitas, begins. The Civitas is designed
to withstand any attack, including nuclear assault and planetary bombardment.
2120 - Terraforming Effort Fails to Reach 30-Year Milestone
The Martian terraforming effort does not meet its thirty-year milestone.
The Protectorate calls for releasing greater volumes of perflurocarbon
into the atmosphere to intensify the greenhouse effect. The Colonial
Congress considers construction of a new orbital mirror, but the idea is
defeated. A majority feels the mirror is too vulnerable to sabotage.
The UEL, now less distracted by troubles at home, warns the Protectorate to come up with a way to speed the terraforming process or
lose authority in the matter to the Earth government. Protectorate scientists try to ease UEL fears by claiming the Manifest's targets soon will
be reached.
2121 - Pendleton Harvests Meta-Atom
After years of research, Dr. Stewart Pendleton publishes his paper,
"Super-Molecular Reconstruction of Atomic Structures Through Magnetic Particle Acceleration and Separation." His work delves into the
theories of meta-atoms, establishing breakthrough understandings which
will form the basis of fusion and weapon development for many years to
come.
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2130 - Traeger Designs KT-Alpha MFCFS
Dr. Kelly Traeger designs a multiple fuel cycle fusion system, composed
of several reactor modules, to be used in space stations. Called the KTAlpha, the reactor builds on ancillary techniques in Pendleton's research.
The KT-Alpha is fueled by hydrogen. The first stage reactor uses a
modified deuterium-deuterium reaction to produce helium-3 to fuel the
second stage reactors, as well as to produce helium-3 for new He3-He3
reactors used in spaceships.
Unfortunately for Dr. Traeger, the company her father founded,
Traeger Aerospace only has experience building space-planes. The company is not equipped to construct the KT-Alpha. Dr. Traeger must seek
outside investors, and the process is made difficult by so many competitors flooding the market with reactor designs.
2134 - Haldeman-Traeger Industries Is Formed
For four years following her discovery, Kelly Traeger has been unable to
sell her design for the KT-Alpha reactor. She fears design knock-offs will
appear at any time. Finally, however, there is good news. Haldeman
Industries proposes a merger with Traeger Aerospace.
Haldeman wants to incorporate the KT-Alpha into the company's
next station design. Haldeman also wants a business partner to share
the growing financial risk in the aerospace industry. Competition is heating up with Tanaka Heavy Industries, already an experienced aerospace
developer, taking an interest in the construction of space stations.
2140 - Terraforming Effort Fails to Reach 50-Year Milestone
After the Protectorate missed two previous milestones, the UEL gave
the Martian body one last chance to meet the timetable of the amended
Ecopoesis Manifest. Now, after efforts have once again fallen short at
the fifty-year mark, the UEL calls for a special session of the Colonial
Congress to be led by their delegation.
Earth populations are at an all-time high, despite the UEL's efforts
to lower the birth rate. Migration to orbital colonies and the current
Martian domes has had no significant impact on Terran overcrowding.
The prevailing attitude of the UEL is that ecopoesis must be reached
within twenty years. The UEL delegation to the Colonial Congress demands new measures to make this happen.
Research has shown that vast amounts of carbon dioxide reside within
carbonate minerals on the Martian surface. However, current techniques
won't release this stored CO2; a more drastic approach is required. Three
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options are proposed: a heat beam concentrated on certain areas of Mars,
buried nuclear explosives, and an asteroid impact with the surface of
Mars.
The Colonial Congress finds all of these options unacceptable - and
the last two particularly disturbing. Led by the Martian Mining Corps
representatives in the Congress, they protest by shutting down all terraforming plants on the surface of Mars.
After three months of deadlock, the UEL and the Protectorate come
to an agreement. The Protectorate will construct an orbiting platform
equipped with a heat beam in return for certain concessions, including
lower tariffs. The UEL ultimately agrees.
2141 (May 1) - Saar Appointed Premier of UEL
Marcus Saar holds many distinctions within the UEL. To date, he is the
only politician from the UNAE to be appointed Premier. He is the first
Premier to die in office as well. And Saar is the first UEL Premier to
gain his office primarily by maligning Mars.
After taking office, Saar vows to push forward with the terraforming
of Mars and Venus no matter what. "The people of Earth deserve these
options," Saar declares. "We will not stand for undue delay because of
the selfishness of those already enjoying the financial benefits of living
and working off-planet."
2141 (Sept. 5) - Terraforming Resumes Under New Manifest
With the revised Ecopoesis Manifest secured, Premier Saar gets Martian
terraforming moving once more. Construction of the orbital heat beam
begins. Other efforts resume. But the rate of change never reaches its
former tempo.
2144 - Construction of Heat Beam Complete
Two weeks after the completion of the heat beam, terraform engineers
use it to carve a canal between two sections of the Martian landscape
several scientists predict will evolve into a pair of seas. In carving the
first canal, carbon dioxide is released as theorized. But, in the middle of
carving of a second canal, trouble arises. The heat beam malfunctions
and fries the control system. The beam is shut down for investigation.
2145 - Saar Pushes For Increased Vigilance Against Piracy
In a series of public speeches and addresses to the UEL Senate, Premier Marcus Saar promotes his plan to build up Terran military forces
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around Earth, Mars and the Asteroid Belt in response to increased pirate activity. "We've seen the rate of space hijackings double in the
last years," Saar tells one group. "And we've seen these pirates evolve
from lone wolves to sophisticated clans equipped with much of the latest
technology. It's time the UEL put a stop to this trend."
One pirate clan, the Marauders, grows in dominance, apparently after capturing and upgrading retired UEL spacecraft and weapons. After
a string of highly publicized raids by the Marauders, which result in
dozens of deaths and financial losses near half a billion credits, Premier
Saar gets his way. Funds are appropriated for increased patrols by the
UEL of all trading lanes between the Belt, Mars and Earth.
2157 - Martian Colonial Militia Established
The Martian Protectorate decides it also must respond to the increased
pirate activity. They create a space militia, doing so without the consent
of the UEL. The militia is small and disorganized; its only function is to
protect Martian space traffic.
2158 (Jan. 18) - The Earth Pandemic
Displeased by the formation of the Colonial Militia, the UEL prepares to
send another delegation to Mars. These plans fall apart, however, when
members of the delegation become suddenly and severely ill. Premier
Saar experiences the same dire symptoms the next day. The deaths of
these government officials within three days confirm that they are among
the first victims of a viral plague sweeping Earth at an unparalleled rate.
Tens of thousands of people die the first week of the outbreak, with
millions diagnosed with the virus the second week. Within hours of
exposure to the virus, a victim experiences debilitating pain in the limbs,
followed shortly by muscle paralysis. Within days, the paralysis advances
to vital muscle areas. Typically, the victim dies from heart failure or
suffocation due to the lungs being incapacitated.
Early medical study shows the virus is spread through the air as well
as through direct contact with bodily fluids and wastes from the human
victims. One cough from a contaminated individual is enough to cause
infection. Other studies indicate the virus has a dormant phase in which
it is transmitted from unaffected carriers, probably mosquitoes and/or
flies, to human victims.
By the third week, the devastation caused by the plague brings about
widespread civil unrest. Earth citizens riot when demands for medical
treatment cannot be met. With the weakening of local and regional law
enforcement agencies, looters run rampant.
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Just three months after the outbreak, the Earth's population already
has been reduced by an estimated 10%. Before the end of the year,
however, the plague is contained to designated Quarantine Zones. But
the lawlessness that began in the early weeks will continue for many
years even after a cure for the plague is found.
2158 (Jan. 31) - M a r s C o n s o r t i u m F o u n d e d
The Mars Consortium is founded by the companies operating on Mars
to protect their collective economic interests and to eliminate the infighting between competitors, and certain nationalities, that has gone
on since the first days of Martian colonization. Acting as a consortium,
the various companies on Mars can better represent themselves in the
Protectorate and to the UEL.
Because the UEL is preoccupied by the pandemic on Earth, their
reaction to the formation of the Mars Consortium is muted. With the
UEL temporarily out of the picture, the Consortium unofficially halts
terraforming on Mars once again.
2158 (March 1) - N e w UEL Premier Promises Cure
Anjali Johar is appointed as the UEL's new premier. She promises to
find a cure to the Pandemic Virus within the year. She takes a hard
stance against rioters, but is even tougher on those trying to flee the
Quarantine Zones. "We must be vigilant," Johar says. "Even if the cure
seems at times more cruel than the ailment, we cannot shirk from taking
our medicine." Many infected people trying to escape the QZs are shot
dead.
Johar maintains that if people with the virus can be kept in isolation,
the plague will be curtailed. Even with the best efforts of the military,
however, small outbreaks of the virus continue to crop up outside of the
QZs. The premier's no nonsense policies, although justified, make her
very unpopular.
Despite the chaos the plague causes for the economy of Earth, the
UEL still polices the commercial transit lanes between the Belt, Mars
and the home planet. Johar justifies this expense by pointing to the
ongoing pirate activity in space. She vows that "these outlaws shall not
benefit from our grave misfortunes here on Earth."
2161 ( J u n e 4) J u p i t e r Observer 3 Launches
The Observer 3, along with her sister ships, launch to reinvestigate the
Jovian moons as prospective sites for both mining and human coloniza-
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tion. Past probes of Jupiter were too limited in their scope. New data is
required to satisfy the growing interest in the commercialization of the
outlying planets stirred by the Earth Pandemic and the slow Martian
terraforming process.
Premier Johar leads the call for expanding Earth's frontiers. She
vows to take humanity to the farthest reaches of the Solar System. "We
must reach far beyond the confides of our native planet if we want to
survive as a species. I believe it is that simple."
2161 (July 25) - Cure for Pandemic Virus Found
After three years of grueling research, Mukhtar Biotech discovers a cure
for the Pandemic Virus. This breakthrough will not be put to use saving
lives immediately, however. Over the last two years, the disease has been
largely contained through diligent policing of the Quarantine Zones. So,
for the now long dead victims of the virus, Mukhtar's discovery has
come too late. But, with a cure in hand, people need no longer fear
the dormant virus will resurface. This means the arduous process of
decontaminating the QZs can begin.
Nearly one-third of Earth's population (including over one-half of
the planetside military forces) has succumbed to the virus. Premier
Johar still pushes for the terraforming of Mars, but with the need for
massive population relocation much less urgent, the issue is not given
priority. Soon, another new discovery will keep the topic on the back
burner indefinitely.
6.4.4
Era of Connection (2162-Present)
2162 - Unknown Element Discovered on Callisto
The Jupiter Observer 3 lands on Callisto and begins drilling beyond
the depths of previous mining probes. During this process, an unknown
element, believed not native to Callisto, is found. This new element is
named valerium. A fragment of a non-indigenous artifact is also found
in the valerium vein.
Immediately, more mining probes are dispatched to the other Jovian
moons. Plans for a fully manned expedition to Callisto are drawn up
and put on the fast track. A short list of team members are drawn up,
including three respected scientists from the Mars Consortium. Knowledge of the discovery is kept from the public.
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2163 - Callisto Expeditionary Team Lands
The engineering team of the Callisto Expeditionary Team (CET) arrives
at Callisto first. They build habitats at the Asgard Basin, the planned
location of colony housing for many of Earth's greatest scientific minds.
The archeological team arrives shortly after the construction of the operations base is complete. They immediately set up excavation sites all
over the surface of Callisto.
Upon realizing this operation could continue for decades, the UEL
puts out a bid request to the civilian sector for the construction of a
research station in Callisto's orbit. Haldeman-Traeger Industries beats
out Tanaka Heavy Industries for the contract. Haldeman-Traeger plans
to use a new station design (informally known as Station VII) which
will incorporate many novel features, including the KT-Beta, a second
generation MFCFS. Construction crews are launched to Callisto near
the end of the year.
2165 - Callisto Observatory Completed
Haldeman-Traeger crews finish the new station which has been dubbed
the Callisto Observatory. The station functions as a variable gravity
workplace for the CET to study what they uncover on Callisto. To this
point, however, the team has found nothing except a few fragments of
unknown origin and small pockets of valerium.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, rumors about the reasons for the station
occupy much of the media. One day there are news stories about vast
mineral deposits on Callisto; the next day tales circulate about Callisto
station as a site for new weapons tests; another day discovery of an alien
culture is the chosen topic. Finally, media companies begin sending
probes to the Observatory in a race with each other for a glimpse at
what is going on.
2167 (March 3) - Gate Artifacts Discovered
On March 3, 2167, just as the moon Callisto slips into the vast shadow of
Jupiter, the CET makes an astounding discovery. Deep below the Gipul
Catena, the archeological team breaks through a layer of magnesiumlaced stone, opening up what would be described in subsequent communications to Earth as an ancient burial chamber. Embedded in the
chamber, the team finds artifacts later verified to be millions of years
old. The signs and symbols of what appears to be an unknown language
are engraved over the chamber walls and the artifacts.
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CHAPTER 6. STORY
The CET excavates all the intact artifacts and transports them to the
Observatory for study. Two artifacts are also sent to Earth for further
study. The findings are kept confidential.
2167 (December 22) - CET Has Breakthrough
A team of cryptographers and linguists finally decipher the writings on
the Callisto artifacts and the burial chamber. The writing tells how
the artifacts were once components of giant structures known as Gates.
The Gates would allow whatever passed through them to jump from one
gate to another, across the vast areas of space. The CET also learns that
valerium is used to power these monstrous devices. Again, the public is
not officially informed of these findings.
2168 (July 3) - UEL Loses Communication with Callisto
Observatory
With no warning, communication transmissions stop between the UEL
coordinating team on Earth and Callisto Observatory. The UEL launches
a secret investigative team to discover why they have lost contact not
only with the CET, but with their military units around Jupiter as well.
2168 (November 29) - Public Learns of "Vortex" Gate
Technology
The UEL investigative team arrives at the Callisto Observatory to find
every member of the CET dead. The team searches the station for three
days, unable to find enough clues to discern exactly what happened or
who is responsible.
On the fourth day, November 29, a frantic message broadcasted by
the investigative team is received on Earth. The message begins with a
mayday, then focuses on the findings of the investigative team thus far,
detailing as much information on the "Vortex" Gates as the team can
muster. Their transmission, like that of the CET, ends abruptly.
Major media outlets go public with the content of the investigative
team's broadcast. All of Earth learns about what appears to be remnants
of an alien technology found on Callisto.
At first, the UEL tries to discredit the broadcast. Then the leadership makes a realization. They will need to try building these Vortex
Gates before anyone else does, and they will need to contract much of
the work to the civilian sector. Therefore, attempting to squelch the
truth would be pointless. The UEL reluctantly confirms the accuracy of
6.4. TERMINUS UNIVERSE TIMELINE
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the Callisto broadcast just before the end of the year. They also confirm
that the Observatory was destroyed by unknown assailants.
Public speculation about the mysterious destruction of the Callisto
Observatory runs the gamut of possibilities. The entertainment industry
concocts several wildly successful theatrical submergies, as well as homeuse interactive games, based on the events. Of course, in the versions
to come out of the Bombay studios, diabolical aliens are responsible for
demolishing the observatory and a few UEL team members survive to
tell their tale.
2169 (Feb 3) - Locations Chosen for 1st Two Vortex Gates
The UEL moves forward with their plans to construct the first two vortex
gates, guided by the information deciphered from the two artifacts sent
to Earth after their discovery. The location for the Earth Gate is chosen.
Tycho Shipyard is locked down and moved there. Asteroids are then
moved into Callisto orbit for construction of the second gate.
2169 (August 9)- UEL Expeditionary Force Heads to Callisto
A UEL military expedition heads to Callisto. They will oversee the
safety of the Second Gate Construction Crews, during the long voyage
and throughout construction of the gate. The military will also build,
then guard, a new base on Callisto for a second archeological team to
continue the work of their murdered predecessors.
2169 (Nov 26)- Burial Chamber Rediscovered
The second archeological team manages to find their way to the ancient burial chamber. They collect the remaining artifacts, despite the
damaged condition of many, and return them to Earth for study.
2170 - O'Connor Warns of Potential Xenoviral Infection
After the existence of Callisto artifacts became public, Dr. Colleen
O'Connor, of O'Connor Laboratories, began study of the potential for
transmission of xenovirus from exposure to the alien articles. She insists
that current protective measures are not good enough and she continues to publish papers urging the adoption of more stringent standards.
Soon, she will begin work with the archeological team on Callisto to establish protocols to take the risk of a xenoviral infection as close to zero
as possible.
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2171 - First Two Vortex Gates Built
Surprising many observers, the Callisto Gate, scheduled to be ready one
month after the Earth Gate, is completed first. A week later, crews
finish the Earth Gate. The UEL military performs the first test. A
cruiser with a skeleton crew successfully jumps from Earth to Callisto.
The scientists presiding over the construction project rejoice. Dr. Peter
Thistle, head of the prototype development group, declares, "It is an extreme understatement to say that the success of this technology heralds
a new dawn for mankind."
One thing bothers Thistle and his colleagues, however. Though they
have officially named the new transport "Hyperspatial Field Generators," the moniker "Vortex Gate," coined in the infamous Callisto broadcast, continues to be used by the media, military and politicians. "HFGs
don't create a vortex at all," Thistle protests, "it's more... well, like a
bubble." But his objections fall on mostly deaf ears.
Plans for a network of gates throughout the Solar System are finalized within days of the Earth-Callisto test. Government contracts are
signed with every capable company to begin the massive undertaking.
The plan calls for minimized valerium consumption after all the gates
are in place. Once the plans become public, the Consortium moves the
Nugent Shipyard to the location they have chosen for their first vortex
gate.
With the public announcement of the successful test, several antiCallisto organizations take shape. Most notable among them is a group
who call themselves the Lidless Eye (as a symbol of what they claim
is their "eternal vigilance for the good of humanity"). Over the next
year, protests against the adoption of Callisto technology by the Lidless
Eye become more frequent - and more confrontational. The Lidless
Eye's Luddite tendencies, and their willingness to intimidate, makes it
easy for the media to vilify the group. Soon people begin to wonder
aloud if the Lidless Eye is responsible for the destruction of the Callisto
Observatory.
2173 - Lidless Eye Incites Skirmish in Earth Orbit
As part of their protests, the Lidless Eye keep harassing travelers passing
through gates, following them for some distance, and announcing that
"each time you pass through one of these hellish contraptions, you're
bringing humanity one step closer to its demise."
A pair of transports threatened by the Lidless Eye's actions opens fire
on the protestor's ships. Fortunately, a UEL cruiser on patrol interrupts
the skirmish before any ships are destroyed. This incident does not sit
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well with many people, including some members of the Lidless Eye who
resign from the group a short time later.
2175 (April 4) - "The Vault" Is Discovered
The second Callisto archeological team fulfills a prediction made by the
CET years before when they uncover another ancient chamber. Dubbed
"The Vault," this new chamber is much larger than the others. New
artifacts are found inside it as well, but no information is released about
their nature. With this news, the UEL commissions the construction of
a new research center in Callisto orbit.
2175 (June 12) - The Three Days of Terror
The discovery of the Vault compels the Lidless Eye to take more drastic
action. In a surprise maneuver, they capture two UEL corvettes and
their crews at Tycho Shipyard and begin a three day orgy of destruction
around the Solar System. Because the cruisers used by the UEL at this
time had not been updated since 2162, they prove nearly useless against
the newer corvettes hijacked by the Lidless Eye.
Finally, in the seventy-first hour of their violent spree, the Lidless Eye
is stopped when the UEL rams specially outfitted TROVs (telemetric
rovers) into their engine bells. Unfortunately, the boarding parties do
not arrive in time to stop the Lidless Eye from killing the crews and
committing suicide. In the minds of many, this incident costs the UEL
a great deal of their prestige, a handicap which haunts them to this day.
In the coming months, Domestic Affairs Minister Monique Gerard
becomes instrumental in tracking down most of the living members of
the Lidless Eye. Her fierce efforts to bring the terrorists to justice boost
her popularity in the upper echelons of the UEL. Even former political
foes now seem willing to overlook her pacifist leanings.
2175 (Aug 19)- The Hague Convention of 2175
The Three Days of Terror serves as a wake-up call for the UEL. Military
leaders arrange a top level meeting between the UEL, the Martian Protectorate, and the other recognized colonies and stations. Convened in
the Hague, on August 19, 2175, the convention focuses on standardizing
the rules of engagement for combat in space. Included among the new
regulations are stipulations against the destruction of Vortex Gates and
breaching pods.
Shortly after the Hague Convention, Bernard LaRiviere, the Minister
of Defense, cites the need for an improved UEL space force. He envi-
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sions squadrons of short range space fighters operating from stations
strategically located near Vortex Gates. These fighters will safeguard
traffic moving from node to node. Minister LaRiviere argues that, with
the reduction of the range, size, and crews of these ships, they will be
more cost efficient than having capital ships patrolling these same areas.
After being taken up by several influential UEL Senators, LaRiviere's
ideas soon become reality. These developments later earn LaRiviere the
nickname, "Father of Modern Gate Warfare."
Haldeman-Traeger wins the bid to design the first of the new fighters
for the UEL military. Their ship, known as the Razor, is projected to
be ready for service in 2178.
2176 - Construction of Callisto Research Station Complete
Callisto Research Station, completed in June of 2176, is designed to
support a moderate security team. Initially, the UEL military serves that
function, with personnel on the station and UEL corvettes patrolling the
node. The two remaining asteroids in Callisto orbit are soon converted,
one to a storage facility, and one to a testing facility.
2177 - UEMS Unzen Goes Online
In anticipation of the first order of space fighters to be delivered by
Haldeman-Traeger Industries, United Earth Military Station Unzen is
constructed in Earth orbit. The station officially goes on-line in March,
2177 - a full nine months before Haldeman-Traeger will finally have their
ships ready.
2178 (May 1) Monique Gerard Appointed UEL Premier
Premier Johar steps down from office after twenty years as leader of the
UEL. In her resignation announcement, she requests that the Senate replace her "with someone who can help carry Earth forward into the new
century with pride and dignity." Premier Johar goes on to recommend
Monique Gerard for the job.
With a majority in favor, the Senate appoints Monique Gerard as
the new premier. In her inaugural speech, Gerard recalls how the many
disparate factions of the UEL managed to coalesce in response to the
Three Days of Terror. Then she asks for the same spirit of unity and
peace among all citizens of the Solar System. "As representatives of
humanity, we stand poised to expand our influence beyond Sol. We
must strive to spread peace and good will as well as prosperity."
6.4. TERMINUS UNIVERSE TIMELINE
141
2178 (Sept 15) - Callisto Neutrality Pact Ratified
Premier Gerard's first act is to draw up a charter for governing Callisto and all the stations in its orbit. Gerard firmly believes the Callisto
technology should be used solely to benefit humanity. She believes the
technology should be under the constant watch of an organization which
maintains this focus. The Callisto Neutrality Pact, as Gerard's charter
comes to be known, calls for the establishment of two independent organizations, each answerable only to Terran Law. The Pact is ratified on
Sept 15, 2178.
The two Callisto organizations are the Joint Research Team (JRT)
and the Joint Security Team (JST). The JRT is granted the right to
unhindered research on the new station. All of their noteworthy findings
are to be made available to the public. Development of new technology
must follow strict guidelines; the JRT is absolutely forbidden to develop
any weapons based on Callisto technology.
The JST comes to be known as the Callisto Squadron, after fighter
pilots are added to the security team a year later. The Callisto Squadron
is given broad authority to operate as they see fit in order to promote
the best interests of humanity. They will protect Callisto technology
from falling into the wrong hands. They are even allowed to deny any
unwarranted military operations in the Callisto Node. If either the JRT
or the Callisto Squadron fails to adhere to the regulations governing
their existence, or if they fail to uphold Terran Law, their charter will
be dissolved and all members will face prosecution.
Members of both Callisto teams come from the UEL military, the
Protectorate's militia, and even some civilian sectors. The most rigorous
standards are used in their selection. The Callisto Squadron, in particular, gains a reputation of being the best of the best. The myth of their
elite-level skills and discipline grows in military circles, and in the media,
over the coming years.
2179 - First Razor Finally Available
Haldeman-Traeger Industries finally rolls out the first production models
of the Razor, almost a year and a half behind schedule.
2180 (March 24) - Break-Up of Haldeman-Traeger Industries
Haldeman-Traeger Industries has no choice but to sell each Razor fighter
at a huge loss: fulfilling their contract with the UEL costs the corporation 5.8 billion credits over their production expenses. James Haldeman,
director of development and grandson of the founder of Haldeman Indus-
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CHAPTER 6. STORY
tries, vows the family company will never produce another space fighter.
After his experience with the Razor, he is convinced there is no way to
make a profit.
The board of the company disagrees. Not only do they believe there
is money to be made in the new industry, they think they can recoup
their losses on the Razor with their very next model.
Ultimately, James Haldeman resigns from Haldeman-Traeger Industries and resurrects Haldeman Industries. Haldeman-Traeger Industries
re-incorporates as Traeger Aerospace.
2180 (Aug 25) - UEL Academies Open to All of Sol
As a gesture of good faith to all citizens in the Solar System, Premier
Gerard opens the UEL Academies to applicants from all parts of the
Solar System, including the Mars Protectorate and other small colonies.
Enrollment in the academies had been limited previously to Earth-born
applicants only. In return for an education at one of the UEL academies,
a cadet must serve at least three years in the League military forces.
2180 (Sept 16) - First Top Dog Fighting Competition Held
Using the newly purchased Razors, the UEL holds the first ever Top
Dog Fighting Competition. Nali Squadron, based on UEMS Unzen,
easily defeats the newly formed Argus Squadron.
2181 (Feb 25) - Traeger Aerospace Announces Move to
N e w HQ
The Board of the newly reconstituted Traeger Aerospace decides to take
the company off-planet. They begin construction of a new station and
shipyard in Ganymede orbit in anticipation of the economic boom to
follow the completion of the Sol Gate Network. Production facilities for
their fighter ships will re-locate to Traeger Aerospace station once the
station is completed.
2181 (June 7) - Independent Council of Governors Founded
At the urging of Traeger Aerospace, a meeting occurs between the governors of all the commercial stations which have sprouted in recent years.
The governors draft their own regulations on free trade, with far fewer
restrictions than those imposed by either Mars or Earth. They also
form the Independent Council of Governors, an oversight group which
6.4. TERMINUS UNIVERSE TIMELINE
143
will manage relations between the commercial stations in Sol and represent the group to the UEL in important matters. The Council moves
its headquarters into Mimas Station once it is completed.
2181 (Aug 25) - Flight Academy Adds New Classes
Gerard authorizes a new set of classes for the Flight Academy curriculum
to train fighter pilots for the squadrons to be deployed at the UEL's new
military stations.
2183 - Mars Consortium Comes to Power
Kareem Muhammad, Director of the Martian Mining Corps, is elected as
Governor of the Martian Protectorate. This means the Mars Consortium
now controls the majority vote within the Colonial Congress.
Muhammad and many members of Congress contact Premier Gerard with the request to restructure the Protectorate. They want to
incorporate many of the proven elements of the UEL framework into the
Martian governing body. They do not dare push for independence from
Earth, however. They feel that would be something not even Gerard
could muscle through. As it happens, Gerard urges the League to pass
legislation to allow the restructuring of the Protectorate. The law is
passed by a slim margin in the League Senate. The pressure Gerard
brings to bear on this matter ultimately polarizes the Senate. The fact
that two distinct camps are created - one pro-Gerard, one anti-Gerard
- will dog the premier for some time to come.
With the support of Premier Gerard, the Colonial Congress is replaced with a junta-like body controlled by the Consortium, and named,
appropriately, the Board of Directors. Muhammad dissolves the title
of Governor of the Protectorate. Now, only the Board will rule Mars.
Soon, instead of referring to themselves as members of the Protectorate,
all Martians will say they are citizens of the Mars Consortium. The
UEL, however, continues to refer to Mars as their colony.
2184 - Michael Moser Captured on Io Mining Station
Michael Moser, the last of the Lidless Eye leaders still at large, is captured on Io Mining Station after nine years of evading authorities. He
had been working as a foreman for Io Corp under an assumed identity
for three years. After a failed rescue attempt by a band of mercenaries,
Moser is transported to Earth.
In Jakarta, Moser stands trial for his crimes. After eight days in
court, Moser is convicted. Two months later, he is executed. His wife,
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Isabella Moser, is sentenced to thirty years in prison for treason and
aiding and abetting a known felon. Their son, Joseph, is placed in a
government custody program.
2186 - Last Three Uranus Gates Completed
Before March of 2186, the three vortex gates orbiting Uranus are completed. Construction of Oberon Station and of Umbriel Commercial
station is finished less than three months later. The governor of Oberon
entices Haldeman Industries to move to Uranus orbit.
The completion of all the planned vortex gates brings new prosperity
to Sol. The boom benefits the Mars Consortium most. But the UEL
and the outlying colonies have significant growth as well. The Sol Gate
Network also proves to be a hindrance to piracy. But the clans remain
resilient. They manage to develop - as well as pilfer - new technology,
including tracking viewers and blockers, to mask their movements from
gate to gate.
2192 - Premier Gerard Calls for Martian Independence
In response to the deterioration of relations between the Mars Colony
and the Mars Consortium, Premier Gerard takes action. In an address
to the League Senate, she calls for the United Earth League to grant the
Consortium independence. Because rumors had indicated Gerard would
announce trade sanctions or military action against the Consortium, her
actual announcement shocks even her closest supporters.
A motion for independence is brought before the Senate, but it is
easily defeated. Gerard's detractors call for her resignation. Pressure
mounts on the premier, and, at the end of the year, Gerard announces
she will step down.
2193 (May 1) - Chen Appointed Premiere of UEL
After Gerard's resignation, the Senate votes to appoint a new premier:
Junho Chen, a politician with what many Senators feel is a much needed
hard-line attitude toward Mars and the other Earth colonies.
2193 (Aug 25) You Graduate from UEL Flight Academy
August 25th is your graduation day from the United Earth League Flight
Academy.
6.4. TERMINUS UNIVERSE TIMELINE
145
2194 (Jan 31) - Hobbes Appointed 1st Director of Mars
Consortium
The Maxs Consortium Board of Directors appoints Julianne Hobbes to
the newly formed position of Director of the Consortium. Respected
both on Earth and on Mars as a well-informed and fair minded politician, Hobbes is deemed by many to be the ideal choice to help improve
relations between the UEL and the Consortium.
2194 (Apr 13) - UEL Academies Return to Policy of Earth
Exclusivity
Junho Chen pushes a measure through the Senate to restrict acceptance
to the UEL military academies. Once again, only Earth-born applicants
will be considered for enrollment.
2195 (May 4) - Sabotage At Valerium Mines
With the number of ships using the Sol Gate Network escalating on a
daily basis, and many scientists speculating about future uses for the
Callisto technology, efforts intensify to mine more valerium, the compound which powers the vortex gates. As production of valerium begins
to reach new heights, however, incidents of apparent sabotage occur at
several mining sites. The first hit comes on May 4th to operations run
by a confederation of Earth companies on Io. The next week the Consortium's Mars Mining Corporation suffers significant damage at two sites
on Europa.
The destruction of mining equipment, transports and the valerium
stores themselves is blamed on an environmental terrorist organization
called the Siblings of Vissar. "This group of misguided vandals is at
least an equal opportunity outfit," UEL Premier Chen jokes at one press
conference. "But that won't stop the UEL from clamping down hard on
these overgrown juvenile delinquents."
2195 (July 16) - Consortium Pushes to Phase-Out UEL
Tariffs
In a planned news conference, Consortium Board of Directors member
Kareem Muhammad tells media representatives that Martian companies
want to phase out paying tariffs to the UEL. "The Consortium already
maintains much of the infrastructure of Mars on its own," Muhammad
says. "Without the undue burden of these tariffs, we could take full
CHAPTER 6. STORY
responsibility for public services to Martian businesses and Martian citizens. We know what's best for Mars and we want to see that our money
goes to the right places."
"It is the considered opinion of the Board of Directors," Muhammad continues, "that the tariffs imposed by the UEL unfairly benefit
Earth-affiliated businesses by inhibiting the growth of Martian companies. These are the reasons we want to eliminate tariffs to the UEL."
Muhammad ends his announcement with a call for "a future of free and
open trade throughout the Solar System."
The UEL government makes no official reply to the Consortium announcement, which most media outlets interpret as a purposeful snub.
Rumors from Jakarta insiders indicate that Premier Chen became visibly
angered after learning of the Martian statement.
2195 (Sept 9) - Mars Boycotts Top Dog Fighting Classic
As many have expected in light of the recent rise in tensions between the
UEL and the Consortium, Mars boycotts the Top Dog Fighting Classic
this year. The competition continues without them. Nali Squadron
narrowly manages to take home the trophy this time.
2195 (Oct 10) - Haldeman Elected Governor of Oberon
Station
Engineer, businessman and staunch UEL supporter, James Haldeman
easily wins election as governor of Oberon Station.
2196 (Feb 16) - Mars Begins Conversion of Olympia and
Ulysses
The Mars Consortium decides to reinforce their defenses in Martian
orbit. As part of their plan, they begin conversion of two of their commercial stations, Olympia and Ulysses, to military stations.
2196 (Sept 9) - Mars Again Boycotts Top Dog Classic
Once again this year, pilots from the Mars Consortium boycott the Top
Dog Fighting Classic. The competition continues without them, however. Ursa Squadron wins the trophy this year.
2196 (Oct 11) - More Damage at Valerium Mines
Despite increased security provided by Consortium armed forces, valerium mining operations on Europa lose three production days after an
6.4. TERMINUS UNIVERSE TIMELINE
147
explosion at one of the excavation sites. The next week two UEL mining
sites on Io suffer even greater damage following a series of unexplained
explosions. Two miners are killed in this incident. With the Siblings of
Vissar still at large, it is assumed they are behind the sabotage.
2197 (Jan 5) - Announcement of Trade Summit
In separate, but simultaneous, news conferences the UEL and the Mars
Consortium each make a short but startling announcement to the citizens of Sol. "In an effort to ease tensions between Earth and Mars," the
UEL spokeswoman declares, "we will hold a summit before the end of
this month to iron out our disagreements on trade and related issues."
After a nearly identical statement, the Consortium spokesman adds:
"We want to settle our differences peacefully and equitably." Neither
spokesperson fields questions from the media.
2197 (Jan 16) - Surprise Top Dog Announcement
The UEL announces they will hold the Top Dog Fighting Classic early
this year and will invite Mars to attend as a way to help strengthen relations between all the people of the Solar System. The UEL spokesman
says, "We need peace now more than ever, and the Top Dog has always
promoted a healthy competition and respect between all pilots." Mars
agrees to participate in the annual contest.
2197 (Jan 22) - Callisto Squadron Convoy Hijacked
A Callisto Squadron convoy carrying newly designed Callisto broadcast
transmitters from Earth to the Callisto Station is hijacked by unknown
assailants, widely assumed to be the Marauders pirate clan. The transmitters, created to make real-time broadcast communication possible
between all parts of the Solar System, are said to be gifts from the UEL
to the citizens of Sol.
These are excerpts from a statement released by Senator Klaus Enger of the UEL: "To compensate for past infractions of the Callisto Neutrality Pact, and other acts which some have interpreted as counter to
the common good, the UEL voluntarily notified the Callisto authorities
about these devices and our intention to share them with all of humanity.
"We admit our past mistakes and we humbly ask for forgiveness. For
the sake of peace and stability, we urge Mars to do the same,
"We chose to forego commercial profit from these broadcast transmitters and instead present them to the public with no strings attached.
CHAPTER 6. STORY
148
Because the transmitters were produced in private, using Callisto technology, however, the Callisto Squadron was obliged to confiscate them.
Unfortunately, that act has resulted in the theft of this new technology.
We ask everyone and anyone who can to help us recover these items.
Not only because of their intrinsic value, but because of their symbolic
role as a tool for re-integrating the community of man."
2197 (Jan 23) - The Start of Terminus
The UEL-Mars Consortium Trade Summit is being held today at an
undisclosed location. Hopes run high that Earth and Mars will be able
to negotiate a settlement of their differences.
6.5
Space Flight and Combat Technology
6.5.1
Vortex Gates
Vortex Gates are giant constructs in space which allow near instantaneous travel from one point to another. To use a gate, a space ship
pilot must select a destination, then transmit that information to the
initiator gate. The initiator gate will lock to whichever gate, within its
limitations, is nearest the ship's destination. Once locked, each gate will
activate and form a bubble-like energy field in the center of its structure.
These bubbles serve as the portal between the two gates. A ship passes
through to the destination gate, arriving in a new node of space.
Vortex Gates are based on Callisto technology and they are powered
by valerium, an element discovered in abundance on Jupiter's moons.
The first Callisto Expedition found artifacts which contained the information to construct the gates. Only the top minds in Sol know exactly
how a Vortex Gate is constructed, but how they work continues to be
open to speculation. The predominant opinion is that each gate contains a Callisto artifact which somehow uses valerium to create the bubble through which a ship can pass. The rest of the gate is constructed
to support the artifact and its energy needs, as well as the hardware
necessary to lock the gates.
Like the first gates in 2171, most of the Vortex Gates were built by
moving an asteroid to the location of the gate and using it as a base of
construction. The asteroid then served both as a foundation on which
to begin construction and as a source of raw material.
After the construction of the first two gates, the Sol Gate Network
expanded from the inner nodes to the Belt, then to Jupiter, Saturn, and
finally to Uranus. To construct the gates in the outer nodes, the asteroid
6.5. SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT TECHNOLOGY
149
and crew had to travel out there. Construction crews were able to use
the gates they had previously constructed to shorten the trip to the
next gate location. Only after a gate in a node was operational would
construction begin on any stations in the area.
An important characteristic of valerium consumption was discovered
during the initial expansion of the Sol Gate Network. The amount of
valerium required to make a jump increases exponentially as the distance
increases between the initiator gate and the destination gate. Therefore,
it is more economic to make several shorter jumps than one long jump.
Upon discovering this fact, a plan was drawn up for the Sol Gate Network
to conserve consumption of valerium, which is always in short supply.
Certain locked (dedicated) gates are used to jump long distances.
These gates are locked to each other and require a toll for passage to
subsidize the cost of the valerium. Examples of these gates are the EarthMars Gate or the Saturn-Uranus Gate. Other unlocked gates, known as
node gates, are used for short distance travel, typically around planets.
Node gates are able to lock onto other node gates in the local vicinity.
Node gates don't require a toll because valerium consumption for these
jumps is relatively minimal. Examples of node gates are the Saldrea
Node Gate (Jupiter Node 1) and the Ganymede Node Gate (Jupiter
Node 4).
When the Sol Gate Network began to grow, many citizens feared
that the military would take control of the Vortex Gates. However,
commercial lobbyists with stakes in the Sol Gate Network pressed for
legislation to keep the Sol Gate Network available to everyone. The
Hague Convention of 2175 ensures that the Vortex Gate is considered
an independent entity. The Hague Convention also expressly forbids
the destruction of any Vortex Gate for fear of what it might do to the
environment. Stations in the same node as the gate cannot shut that
gate down remotely, nor deny passage through any gate. The stations are
only able to govern the space surrounding the gate. Generally, stations
are not able to determine the destination of a ship leaving through an
unlocked gate. But the UEL military has developed technology that will
allow it to view a ship's gate path after it has jumped.
Before the discovery of vortex gate technology, real time communication across the solar system was simply impossible. Because electronic
signals could travel no faster than the speed of light, the delay between
adjacent sectors was several minutes. When gate technology came into
use, a faster method of communication was designed almost overnight,
and has been in place ever since. The new communication network requires the Vortex Gate to have a discrete auxiliary gate opened to an
adjoining gate at all times. Comm-signals broadcasted from a ship are
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150
picked up by transceivers, and encoded into a particle stream. This
stream is sent through the Vortex Gate, a receiver on the destination
gate decodes the particle stream, and broadcasts the signal via standard
electronic transmission methods. Real time, two-way communication
has since become standard, and bandwidth has been increased to accommodate the growing number of ships in Sol.
6.5.2
Profiles of Active Space Stations
Ennis Class Commercial Station
• Manufacturer: Haldeman-Traeger Industries
• Production Year: 2172
The first Ennis Class Commercial Station went online in 2172. The
design was based in part on the architecture of the colony stations in
use over the preceding decades. But
the Ennis Class focused on providing
a dedicated platform for spaceborne
commercial activities.
The Ennis Class incorporated accommodations for crew and visitors,
trading areas, ship servicing areas,
and rooms for commercial processing
machinery. Laboratories and production facilities are located throughout
the rotating section to take advantage of variant gravities caused by rotation. The Ennis Class is also
capable of supporting a small security force under the jurisdiction of the
station governor. The Ennis Class station has been adopted by almost
every corporation in the system.
6.5. SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT TECHNOLOGY
151
Mayes Class Research Station (Mk VIII)
• Manufacturer: Haldeman-Traeger Industries
• Production Year: 2176
Based on the design of the Station VII model built in 2165, the
first Mayes Class Research Station was built in Callisto orbit to replace
the destroyed Callisto Observatory. Like the Station VII design and
the Ennis Class stations, the Mayes Class station has been built with
research laboratories at various levels of gravity throughout the rotating
section. The Mayes Class is equipped to conduct virtually any type of
research.
Unlike the Station VII, the Mayes
Class station design can accommodate security personnel, as well as
a modest hangar for shuttles and
transports. However, with the signing of the Callisto Neutrality Pact,
more security personnel than originally anticipated had to be housed
on Callisto Research Station. To
provide more room for security personnel, and eventually for the Callisto Squadron, some research facilities had to be refitted. The two asteroids in orbit with the station have
been converted into smaller satellite
bases for research teams supplanted by security forces. It has been rumored among Traeger Aerospace employees that a new, larger station is
under design to replace the Callisto Research Station and eliminate the
need for the asteroid satellites.
The only other Mayes Class station currently in use in Sol is Venus
Terraform Research Station. Unlike the Callisto Research Station, Venus
Terraform has not had major modifications made to the original design.
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CHAPTER 6. STORY
LaRiviere Class Military Station
• Manufacturer: Haldeman-Traeger Industries
• Production Year: 2177
UEL Defense Minister LaRiviere
called for the upgrade of the UEL
space forces following the Hague Convention of 2175. LaRiviere sought
to take advantage of the expanding
Sol Gate Network. The integral component in his plan was the creation
of military stations to guard strategic nodes near the Vortex Gates.
Squadrons of small fighters would be
based at these stations. Several military stations could work in conjunction to extend the range of fighters
and allow coverage of nearly all the
gate traffic lanes. All LaRiviere Class military stations were to house a
battalion of Marines to defend the station from any attempted invasion.
United Earth Military Station (UEMS) Unzen was the first LaRiviere
Class station to go online in 2177. Unfortunately, the station could
not fulfill its mission immediately because fighter ships on order from
Haldeman-Traeger Industries were drastically behind schedule. UEMS
Unzen remained idle for nearly two years until the Razor Class Heavy
Fighters became available. In 2180, the UEL commissioned the newly
formed Traeger Aerospace to construct a second LaRiviere Class station,
UEMS Artemis, which now serves as a patrol station in Earth orbit.
After the Sol Gate Network had been completed, the UEL realized
the need for a stronger military presence beyond the Asteroid Belt. They
issued a request for bids on a third station: UEMS Saldrea. UEMS Saldrea was constructed in Jupiter's orbit, on the main gate path between
the Asteroid Belt and Saturn. Once online in 2185, UEMS Saldrea allowed easy patrol of the outer nodes.
The Mars Consortium, feeling the need for a better defense position
in orbit, constructed their own military stations in Mars orbit. The
two stations, Olympia and Ulysses, were in fact originally commercial
stations. Although not technically LaRiviere Class stations, Olympia
and Ulysses have virtually the same functionality as the LaRiviere Class,
with only a few minor modifications.
6.5. SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT TECHNOLOGY
153
Kozura Class Shipyard
• Manufacturer: Various
• Production Year: N/A
The Kozura Class Shipyard is a
vital component of production in a
modern space economy. It serves as
the center of production for items
that stations cannot produce due
to size limitations, including capital
ships and station components. It also
serves as a location to repair and
rearm capital ships, which further increases its value to the organization
that controls it.
There are currently three operational shipyards in range of the Sol Gate Network. Tycho Shipyard orbits
Earth and is under the jurisdiction of UEMS Unzen. Nugent Shipyard
can be found in Mars orbit and is protected by Ulysses. Galileo Shipyard orbits Ganymede and is owned and operated by Traeger Aerospace.
Each was constructed initially from an asteroid that had been moved to
the shipyard's eventual location, using that asteroid as a source of raw
materials and an anchor.
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154
6.5.3
Profiles of Capital Ships
Designation: Yamato Class Cruiser
• Manufacturer: Haldeman-Traeger Industries
• Production Year: 2162 (original), 2179 (refitted variant)
• Armament (refit): 2 Medium Torpedo Bays, 8 Heavy Weapons Turrets,
2 Breaching Pod Launchers
Haldeman-Traeger Industries won
the bid to produce the Yamato Class
in 2162.
This was shortly after
the discovery of valerium on Callisto and the UEL was not satisfied with the range or payload of the
Alexander Class for long range missions such as the Callisto Expedition.
They needed a capital ship that could
both escort larger cargo ships and
sustain smaller shuttles and transports. The Yamato Class performed
both roles extremely well. The fact
that many Yamato Class cruisers are
still commissioned is a testament to
Haldeman-Traeger's innovative design.
The Yamato's role in the military changed very little over its first
decade. Even when the construction of the Sol Gate Network began,
the Yamato Class cruiser was still used to escort construction crews into
the deep regions of the Solar System. However, the need for a cruiser
to sustain smaller ships became less important as the number of Vortex
Gates and stations positioned near those gates grew. A new role had to
be found for the aging Yamato.
The proliferation of stations in the Solar System, as well as the trouble the UEL had boarding the Lidless Eye controlled corvettes during the
Three Days of Terror, spurred Minister LaRiviere to conceive a new duty
for the Yamato Class cruiser: that of conqueror. Beginning in 2179, the
Yamato Class cruisers were slowly phased out from their duties as long
range escorts to be refitted with new components. Many of the areas
on the ship dedicated to support crews and services was restructured to
accommodate a company of Marines. Launchers were added to the hull
to fire highly maneuverable breaching pods, known as Hull Penetration
Pods, or HPPs. A captain of a Yamato Class cruiser could conceivably
capture a ship or a station with the Marines he had onboard. Several
unmodified cruisers, each of them indistinguishable at first glance from
the revised Yamato, are kept in reserve for deep space missions.
6.5. SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT TECHNOLOGY
155
Designation: Dauntless Class Corvette
• Manufacturer: Haldeman-Traeger Industries
• Production Year: 2175
• Armament: 2 Heavy Torpedo Bays, 3 Heavy Weapons Turrets, 1 Mine/Sentry
Launcher
Bernard LaRiviere's first act as Defense Minister was commissioning
a long-term mission capital ship with more firepower than the cruiser.
The design of the Dauntless Class Corvette focused on firepower and
heightened maneuverability, but, because of the expansion of the Sol
Gate Network, the capability to sustain other ships was not necessary.
Stalwart developer Haldeman-Traeger Industries won the bid to produce the Dauntless Class, basing their design in part on their successful
Yamato Class cruiser. Minister LaRiviere also required equipping the
Dauntless Class with a mine launcher to blockade Vortex Gates and
other spaceborne objects.
The first combat test of the
Dauntless Class Corvette came unexpectedly. As the first two production
models awaited commissioning at Tycho Shipyard, the Lidless Eye seized
control of them with their skeleton
construction crews onboard. This,
of course, was the beginning of the
Three Days of Terror. The corvettes
proved their prowess during this ordeal - no UEL cruisers could capture the corvettes until their engines
had been damaged. The UEL increased their order of corvettes soon
after this.
The enormous price tag of the Dauntless Class, however, has prevented all but the wealthiest governments and corporations from purchasing them. In fact, soon after the split of Haldeman Industries and
Traeger Aerospace, Traeger cut back production of the Dauntless Class.
The decreased demand for the corvette could not justify the current
rate of production. Instead Traeger concentrated their efforts on the
production of gunboats. Dauntless Class corvettes are still constructed
periodically, but nowhere near the rate achieved between 2176 and 2179.
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Designation: Vulture Class Atmospheric Shuttle
• Manufacturer: Kolgorov-Meischt
• Production Year: 2184
• Armament: None
This Vulture Class shuttle was
'newcomer Kolgorov-Meischt's first
entry into the growing field of spacecraft construction. The size of the
shuttle was decreased from previous
shuttles to allow for a smaller crew
and less expensive construction costs.
Even so, the Vulture can accommodate up to forty passengers.
Typically, a ship this size would
be restricted to transferring personnel from ship to ship, or ship to
station. But Kolgorov-Meischt ingeniously extended the functionality of
the Vulture by designing it for atmospheric as well as space flight. The Vulture's oversized propulsion bays
allow it to be outfitted with engines that can reach escape velocity from
all but the largest planets. The Vulture is also able to spread or retract
its wings depending on the environment in which it is flying. With its
wings retracted, the Vulture can easily dock in the station docking bays
designed for single pilot ships.
The military instantly took to the Vulture because of its dual functionality. Since the military's adoption of the Vulture, many civilian
corporations and cruise lines have also adopted it as well - the Vulture
is still a money maker for Kolgorov-Meischt.
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Designation: Princess Class Space Liner
• Manufacturer: Traeger Aerospace
• Production Year: 2192
• Armament: None
As spaceborne recreation became
more affordable, companies wanted a
way to shuttle people from planet to
planet that was more luxurious than
what was offered by the Dakota Class
heavy transports. To meet this need,
Traeger Aerospace was contracted to
produce the Princess Class Liner,
the first of which they completed in
2192. Providing far greater comforts
and more elaborate entertainments
than any ship built to this day, the
Princess instantly made traveling on
a space liner a symbol of status.
Today, the Princess Class serves a
variety of functions. Vacation companies have purchased Princess Class
Liners to use as cruise liners traveling all over Sol. A popular cruise is
through the rings of Saturn. Other liners have been purchased to serve
as places for quiet meetings between government officials or corporate
executives. One liner, the Lucky Dog, has been converted into a traveling
casino complete with slot machines, gaming rooms, restaurants, floor
shows, and boxing rings - all to bring "a hot hot time to deep deep
space."
6.5.4
Capital Ship Technology
HPPS
The Hull Penetration Pod, or HPP, is a maneuverable, short-range
breaching pod. Like all breaching pods, HPPs are devices for delivering
boarding parties, usually armed space marines. Essentially an enlarged
canister with a life support system and thrusters, each HPP can carry up
to sixteen marines and their equipment. Unlike other breaching pods,
the HPP is designed to be specially fired from a Yamato Class cruiser.
The Yamato Class is the only ship class large enough to be outfitted with
the HPP launcher and to carry the full company of marines necessary
to mount an attack on a station.
After being launched from the cruiser, the HPP thrusts toward the
intended target, usually a station or capital ship. Using an electromagnet
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or a claw, it attaches to the surface of the target. Once attached, the
HPP uses plasma torches to slice through the enemy hull. A complete
seal is then formed, and the airlock within the pod is opened. The
marines can then storm the ship.
Earlier breaching pods were much larger and more readily targeted
than the HPP. But because of the momentum from its launch, and the
shorter distance to its target, an HPP can use smaller thrusters and less
fuel, reducing the size of the pod and its scanner profile. This reduced
size makes the HPP more easily steered than its predecessors as well.
Earlier breaching pods relied on the marines aboard to slice through
the enemy hull. This proved unsatisfactory, however, because of the
danger when the seal between the pod and hull was broken.
There are still problems with the HPP. For one thing, its survivability
is low. But since the destruction of any breaching pod is outlawed, this
flaw has not been corrected in current designs.
When they were first designed, breaching pods most often aimed for
the central, spinning section of a cruiser or station. This placed the
marines close to the Command Information Center (CIC) of the target,
minimizing the resistance they faced en route. To counter this, it became
common practice to add sweep bars around the rotating section of capital
ships and stations. Any pod which attached to one of these would be
obliterated by the collision before the marines could enter the target.
Now, pods must attach to more distant points on the ship, making it
more difficult for the boarding party to reach critical locations.
Mines, Sentry Pods and Blockading
Mines are simply devices that contain a limited thruster, a small scanner,
and a deadly explosive charge. A mine does not maneuver - it remains
in a single location. If any ship collides with the mine, the charge will
explode, causing significant damage to anything within a certain radius.
Sentry pods, on the other hand, are slightly more complex devices.
Their shell contains a scanner, rotational thrusters, optimized energy
and fuel systems, and, most importantly, a weapon and ammunition.
A sentry pod will track targets within its weapon range and fire upon
them with the equipped weapon. Mass weapons and low powered energy
weapons are used most often in sentry pods because they have low surge
requirements.
Before the expansion of the Sol Gate Network, mines and sentry
pods were used on a limited basis. Most frequently, they were positioned around stations or other locations of importance to help defend
the potential target. Because of the vast number of space lanes available
to a ship traveling in pre-gate times, mines and sentry pods served few
6.5. SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT TECHNOLOGY
159
other purposes. Though these devices continue to be used for defensive
reinforcement today, they have found a new use as well.
With the rise in importance of the Vortex Gates, mines and sentries
have taken on a new role in the military. Minister LaRiviere conceived
the notion of gate blockading - a tactic to deter most ships from jumping
through a particular gate. Minister LaRiviere ensured that the military's
next generation capital ship, the Dauntless Class corvette, has the capability to position blockades around a desired location using a specialized
launcher.
In a blockade, mines are positioned close to the center axis of the
gate to damage any capital ships that attempts to jump through it. If
the mines are positioned correctly, no capital ships can maneuver around
them. Smaller ships, however, often can avoid the mines. Sentry pods
are placed closer to the structure of the Vortex Gate to engage any ships
which pass through the mines. One pod poses only a moderate threat to
most ships. But the large number of pods deployed in a typical blockade
is lethal to all small craft.
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6.5.5
Profiles of Single Pilot Ships
Designation: Durango Class Light Transport
Manufacturer: Haldeman-Traeger Industries
Production Year: 2172
Armament: 2 Heavy Weapons Bays
Hull Length: 43m
Hull Mass: 26000
Hull Strength: 3S5
Mech Stress Limit: 17000
Thermal Limit: 360000
The Durango Class light transport is the smallest transport used in
Sol. Of all the single seat ships, however, it has the most cargo space.
This alone has endeared it to self-made merchants who can't afford to
pay the crew needed for a larger transport. The Durango's performance
varies dramatically depending on the size of its cargo load. But when
its cargo bay is empty, the Durango can keep up with the best of them.
The Durango was first constructed in 2172 by Haldeman-Traeger
Industries to ferry parts and labor through Vortex Gates. The model
established the need for short-range, single pilot ships, and most likely
influenced the UEL military's decision to adopt fighter spacecraft in their
fleets. Although old, the Durango has retained its popularity because it
costs much less than its heavier interplanetary counterparts, the Dakota
Class transports. However, the lower price tag has come at the expense of
functionality - the Durango Class transport cannot be used for extended
flights and its cargo space is dwarfed by that of the Dakotas. Despite
the Durango's drawbacks, however, the model remains a favorite with
many of the Solar System's small entrepreneurs.
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Designation: Razor Class Heavy Fighter
Manufacturer: Haldeman-Traeger Industries
Production Year: 2179
Armament: 2 Heavy Weapon Bays, 2 Medium Weapon Bays,
2 Light Weapon Bays
Hull Length: 20m
Hull Mass: 16384
Hull Strength: 100
Mech Stress Limit: 16384
Thermal Limit: 180000
The Razor Class fighter is the oldest and largest fighter in use today.
For its size, it is quite speedy. Of the single seat fighters, only the
Eclipse has a larger weapons loadout than the Razor. The Razor is also
equipped with a large cargo bay, making it a favorite among mercenaries
and outlaws. The Razor has one major drawback, however: repairs and
fuel for such a large fighter are very expensive.
Shortly after the Three Days of Terror in 2175, UEL Minister of
Defense Gerard LaRiviere called for development and deployment of
an improved space force to prevent such calamities in the future. His
plan called for strategic placement of military stations around the Vortex Gates, with each station housing a short-range fighter squadron.
Haldeman-Traeger Industries won the bid to develop a space fighter and
immediately began design of the Razor.
Began in November of 2175, development of the Razor was to be
completed in 2178 to coincide with the construction of the new military
stations. However, the development cycle extended a year and a half
past its deadline. As a result of budget overruns, Haldeman-Traeger
Industries had to sell the 300 ships in their UEL contract at a loss of 2
million credits each.
Although the Razor eventually became a popular model in the early
eighties, the loss affected the company more than financially. Traeger
and Haldeman parted ways soon after the Razor project was complete.
The Board of Directors at Traeger felt there was still a solid market
for fighters and they have continued production. But Haldeman Industries have focused their efforts on production outside of the aerospace
industry.
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Designation: Eclipse Class Heavy Gunboat
Manufacturer: Traeger Aerospace
Production Year: 2183
Armament: 2 Medium Torpedo Bays, 4 Medium Weapon Bays
Hull Length: 26m
Hull Mass: 18000
Hull Strength: 210
Mech Stress Limit: 24000
Thermal Limit: 240000
The Eclipse Class is a gunboat in the truest sense of the term. Of all
the single seat spacecraft, the payload of the Eclipse is by far the largest.
Like the Razor, it has six weapons bays, but two of them have been
specifically designed to carry torpedo launchers, along with an immense
stock of torpedoes. Of course, such a payload has its detriments. The
Eclipse is also one of the slowest and least dextrous of the single seat
spacecraft. To compensate for its awkwardness, the Eclipse hull has
been constructed to take a huge amount of punishment.
The Eclipse was the first single seat spacecraft designed by Traeger
Aerospace. The goal was to fit as many weapons as possible into the
smallest frame. Because the Eclipse was to operate as a member of a
convoy, not as a lone wolf, its potential clumsiness was not an issue.
Upon release in 2183, the Eclipse initially met with little success.
But soon the ship became a favorite with younger organizations, such as
the Mars Consortium, who needed a heavy gunboat to fill the role of the
much more expensive Dauntless Class corvette. Later, even established
militaries, such as the UEL, found uses for the Eclipse. The enormous
torpedo bays could be equipped with a variety of large weapons, such
as the heavy immobilizer, which could not be accommodated by any
other single seat craft of the time. This made the Eclipse an invaluable
addition to anyone's fleet.
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163
Designation: Bee Class Light Fighter
Manufacturer: Cosmospat:aele
Production Year: 2186
Armament: 1 Medium Weapon Bay
Hull Length: 8m
Hull Mass: 5096
Hull Strength: 30
Mech Stress Limit: 16700
Thermal Limit: 60000
The Bee Class is the smallest light fighter in use in Sol. Although
it has only one weapon bay, the Bee can be equipped with up to four
engines, giving this fighter astonishing speed and maneuverability. If not
properly managed, however, the Bee tends to overheat. And, even with
its tiny size, the Bee's survivability is low. But a skilled fighter pilot at
the helm of a Bee won't let anything touch her ship, let alone destroy it.
Newcomer Cosmopatiaele introduced the Bee Class light fighter in
2187. With the rise of pirate activity, and tensions between Earth and
Mars still high, there has been an increasing need for a small craft that
could perform both escort and reconnaissance duties. The Bee fits the
bill. Its small scanner profile has quickly endeared the ship to the UEL
squadrons, who made a large purchase of Bees to use as scouting craft.
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Designation: Talon Class Medium Fighter
Manufacturer: Kolgorov-Meischt
Production Year: 2187
Armament: 2 Medium Weapon Bays, 1 Light Weapon Bay,
1 Light Torpedo Bay
Hull Length: 16m
Hull Mass: 11000
Hull Strength: 70
Mech Stress Limit: 15384
Thermal Limit: 180000
Conceived as a multiple role fighter/gunboat, the Talon failed to
live up to its promise. The ship was first designed to carry an impressive payload of medium weapons and torpedoes, but Kolgorov-Meischt
engineers soon realized the payload would have to be reduced to gain
the fleetness the manufacturer was already promoting. Ultimately, the
revised design retained the maneuverability and cargo capacity advertised by Kolgorov-Meischt, which has made the Talon attractive to some
civilian pilots.
Soon after its release in 2187, the Talon was phased into military
squadrons throughout the Solar System. But the ship met immediate
ridicule from most experienced pilots. Manufacturer Kolgorov-Meischt
had been riding high with the success of their Vulture Class shuttle, and
with the Talon tried to pack too much functionality into one design.
After its poor reception in military circles, surplus Talons soon found
their niche as inexpensive medium fighters for the growing number of
mercenaries employed by outer node companies.
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Designation: Jackal Class Light Gunboat
Manufacturer: Traeger Aerospace
Production Year: 2190
Armament: 2 Light Weapon Bays, 1 Medium Torpedo Bay
Hull Length: 16m
Hull Mass: 7000
Hull Strength: 70
Mech Stress Limit: 14000
Thermal Limit: 240000
The Jackal Class gunboat is a much smaller gunboat than the Eclipse.
But do not mistake this ship for a light fighter. The Jackal can carry an
impressive payload, especially considering its size. The ship is outfitted
with one weapons bay expressly designed to accommodate 50% of the
torpedoes an Eclipse can carry. The Jackal can be surprisingly fast, too
- except when at full capacity. Since the ship is manufactured for convoy
duty, or for situations where it can fire its payload and run, the Jackal's
sluggishness with a full load is not a major concern, however.
Soon after sales of Traeger's Eclipse heated up, engineers at the company began plans for a lighter and speedier gunboat. But it took seven
years until the Jackal was unveiled to the public in 2190. The main
selling point for this new ship was that, although it was less survivable
than the Eclipse, the Jackal could easily outmaneuver its predecessor.
The Mars Consortium immediately took to the Jackal and placed a large
order. However, other potential customers -most notably the UEL military - decided against a large purchase of Jackals. They felt a gunboat
should have a higher level of survivability.
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Designation: Hyperion Class Assault Fighter
Manufacturer; Kolgorov-Meischt
Production Year: 2192
Armament: 2 Heavy Weapon Bays, 2 Medium Weapon Bays,
1 Light Torpedo Bay
Hull Length: 16.5m
Hull Mass: 12000
Hull Strength: 85
Mech Stress Limit: 17000
Thermal Limit: 120000
Designed as the successor to the Razor, the Hyperion Class fighter
triumphed on nearly every front. Small sacrifices in weapons loadout
and cargo space make the Hyperion one of the fastest crafts in the Solar
System. With this profile the Hyperion compares very favorably with
the Razor in battle. The single drawback of the Hyperion is lower survivability because it is not as heavily armored as the Razor.
The Hyperion was unveiled by Kolgorov-Meischt in 2192. Initially
the design was met by residual skepticism, from the less than sterling
performance of K-M's Talon. However, K-M seems to have learned from
the mistakes of that earlier fiasco. The Hyperion has had broad critical and financial success since that first year, becoming the superiority
fighter of choice for most military forces.
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Designation: Rayskate Class Light Fighter
Manufacturer: Kolgorov-Meischt
Production Year: 2195
Armament: 2 Light Weapon Bays
Hull Length: 13m
Hull Mass: 8192
Hull Strength: 65
Mech Stress Limit: 14384
Thermal Limit: 80000
The Rayskate Class is the newest fighter produced by KolgorovMeischt. It is extremely fast and agile. Unlike the Bee with its single
weapons bay, the Rayskate has two, although each of the Rayskate's
weapons bays are significantly smaller than the Bee's. The optimized
Rayskate design allows for increased performance using less propulsion.
However, this optimization necessitated leaving the Rayskate with minimal armor, although it has a higher level than the Bee. The Rayskate
also is the first spacecraft fighter designed without an external viewing cockpit. The pilot is entirely reliant on the imaging system in the
internal cockpit.
Kolgorov-Meischt released the Rayskate in 2195. Despite the fact
the ship's externally mounted weapons and engines make an inviting
target, Mars ordered a sizable number of Rayskates for their squadrons.
Unfortunately for Kolgorov-Meischt, the Rayskate hasn't caught on that
quickly anywhere else. But the company feels that as the reputation of
the Rayskate grows, sales volume will follow.
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6.5.6 Ship Propulsion
Engines
Modern magnetic fusion engines using Helium-3 as an energy source can
produce thousands of times more power than their fossil or synthetic fuel
predecessors. By harnessing the unique characteristics of Phase Correlated Gaussium Aramide (PCGA), the reactors feeding these engines
generate an extremely powerful and precise magnetic field to control the
He3-He3 fusion reaction and direct the plasma propulsion, all without
the use of an external power source.
PCGA was discovered by scientists looking for a way to produce a
highly electromagnetic material. Instead, what they found is a material
with an inherent magnetic field, the properties of which can be set during
manufacture or installation by applying a current to its skin. PCGA is
also lightweight and cheap to manufacture. All of these characteristics
have proved invaluable for creating a fusion reactor capable of the power
and durability required for a space ship engine.
Today, PCGA is used in the housing which contains the He3-He3
fusion reaction used to propel spacecraft. This reaction leaves no radioactive components within the system.
Thrusters
Thruster systems use a much smaller, simpler, and lighter version of
the engine's design, but the thruster operation follows the same principles. Thrusters are positioned in various locations around the ship's
hull to enable movement along all three axes - up/down, back/forward,
left/right. Unfortunately, like engines, thrusters are also susceptible to
the effects of immobilizers.
Overthrusters
Due to safety concerns and fuel conservation, the engine and fuel system
are tuned so as not to use large amounts of fuel, or over-stress a ship.
However, there are companies that produce overthrusters to cater to
the crowd who lives on the edge, despite their danger. These devices
interface between the engine and fuel system, utilizing a super high flow
rate pump combined with a massive cyclotron to add enormous amounts
of energy to the fuel. This high energy fuel is then pumped into the
engines, where the reaction releases a substantial increase in energy over
a standard reaction.
Because of their design, it is possible to use multiple units; however,
it is not recommended. Many pilots have met their fate when they
6.5. SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT TECHNOLOGY
169
added overthrusters and subsequently obliterated their ship. After safety
concerns put a damper on their manufacture, only two overthrusters
remain on the market, and their price puts them in range of the select
performance enthusiasts.
Fuel System
The best fuel systems provide the highest possible storage of He-3, while
keeping their internal temperature within operational limits. This is
done with a Magnetic Cancellation Holding Chamber. The MCHC uses
a network of powerful magnets to create a space of Magnetic Purity the absolute zero of magnetism - to store an enormous number of He3 atoms. Years of research have led to the production of fuel storage
systems which have an MP rating over 90%. This indicates that less
than 10% of the space is unused in the storage of He-3 atoms inside the
magnetic bubble.
With slight alterations of the magnetic field, atoms of He-3 can be
filtered from storage, piped through a special pump that adds energy,
and sent to the engines, thrusters, and reactor. The constant adjustments made by a fuel system require highly advanced electromagnets.
Due to the cost of electromagnets, and the wide price differences in
the many different materials available, there is a great deal of disparity
among storage systems. Some manufacturers lower their prices by using
low quality parts which reduce the pump rate and require supplemental
pumping systems.
6.5.7
Ship Energy Systems
Batteries
Batteries are the most common source of energy on ships. While battery
technology has vastly improved since its discovery, the limitations in the
ratio of a battery's stored energy to its weight still creates problems.
Current battery technology is advanced enough to power electronics and
other systems for several weeks without adding considerable weight to
the devices in which they are used. But for ships the power requirements
are so high that battery weight remains an issue. Also, batteries drain
quickly when used with such devices as weapons or mining beams.
Nonetheless, batteries are widely used in the military where longterm energy drain is rarely a consideration. Both the UEL and Mars
use cruisers for most long range operations. This leaves the fighter with
a scope of operations contained enough to warrant using batteries as the
sole means of energy storage. By eliminating the need for a reactor, and
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allowing a smaller fuel system, the use of batteries can actually help cut
the weight of a fighter.
Reactors
Reactors are meant to be used with batteries as part of a hybrid system.
They consume fuel to recharge batteries and will continue consumption
whether or not the energy generated is used. Therefore, reactors should
be shut down when battery storage capacity has been reached to avoid
unnecessary fuel loss. The rate of charge depends on the size of the
system, but they do not recharge quickly.
The reactor is similar in principle to the engine, but it does not use
the more expensive and exotic PCGA in the reactor chamber. Instead,
cheaper magnetic structures are used to create the reactor housing, reducing size and cost at the expense of output. The advantage of this
system is that an immobilized ship with nearly drained batteries can still
charge them while awaiting repairs, and safely dock without worrying
about a loss in energy.
Capacitors
Capacitors were designed to augment the transfer of energy between
batteries and high demand systems such as surge cells. In battle, surge
cells drain quickly and frequently, exceeding many times the delivery
capabilities of the batteries. Capacitors serve as small storage, quick
charge/drain devices that can bring surge cells back up to effective
strength, while smoothing the load on the battery.
Capacitors do add weight to your ship and they have a significant
footprint. But using several of these devices on your ship will help
disperse the load on your energy system, and assure faster and more
reliable charging of your surge cells.
Surge Cells
Surge cells are the most advanced of the energy systems on a ship. These
highly optimized devices are specifically designed to store a large amount
of energy, release it in the shortest possible amount of time, and to
recharge quickly to continue powering weapon systems.
Earlier models of surge cells, built almost 100 years ago, were basically advanced versions of hybrid battery-capacitor devices. But they
easily powered the mass-based weapon systems. With the introduction
of He-3 weapon systems, however, the need for larger capacities, and
higher charge and discharge rates, prompted a flurry of research into
6.5. SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT TECHNOLOGY
171
the use of exotic materials. The results of this research hit the market
several years ago. Currently, the prices for the most advanced surge cells
remain far out of reach for the average consumer.
6.5.8
Weapons
There are several types of weapons used on spacecraft in Sol. They
include energy weapons, mass weapons and torpedoes. Below are descriptions of these weapons.
Energy Weapons
In 2121, Dr. Stewart Pendleton pioneered a process to create "metaatoms." His paper, "Super-Molecular Reconstruction of Atomic Structures Through Magnetic Particle Acceleration and Separation" proved
to be the defining work in the field. But it was many years before these
techniques became broadly used in practical applications. The process
separates the core particles of atoms (protons, electrons, and neutrons)
then reconstitutes structures with several orders of magnitude of protons
in the core, and an equal number of electrons in orbit.
Even more amazing, Pendleton managed to produce "inverse metaatoms" where the core of the conglomerate was composed of electrons,
and the protons constituted the orbiting shell. To create this phenomenon, helium atoms are fed into one end of a solenoid shaped tube.
An intense positive charge on the surface of the tube literally tears the
electrons from the helium, and stores them for later use. The remaining
neutrons and protons are then subjected to an intense negative charge.
The protons are accelerated so quickly by the attractive force that they
too are torn from the neutrons, leaving all three particles separated. At
this point, hyper-magnetic fields are used to harvest and guide the three
types of particles into larger structures.
• Electron Particle Bolt The Electron Particle Bolt (EPB) is the
smallest, lightest, and cheapest energy weapon available. Thus, it
is fairly common on both UEL and civilian ships. It makes use
of first generation meta-atom technology to create a huge shell of
electrons around a core of protons and neutrons.
• Proton Particle Bolt The Proton Particle Bolt (PPB) is a
larger, distant cousin of the EPB. Using advanced Pendleton technology to create inverse meta-atoms, it fires deadly bolts of protons
orbiting around enormous cores of electrons and neutrons. When
the PPB impacts, the positive charge of the shell wreaks havoc on
ship systems.
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• Neutron Particle Bolt The last of the weapons based on metaatom technology is the Neutron Particle Bolt (NPB). It uses a solid
core of electrons and protons with a damaging shell of neutrons
in their orbit. In its current stage of development, however, this
weapon uses more helium than either the EPB or the PPB to
generate a single bolt. But there is an upside to the NPB. Its lack
of a net charge on the outer shell of the bolt prevents these shots
from being deflected by electromagnetic fields. (See page 93).
• Helium Plasma Cannon The Helium Plasma Cannon (HPC) is
a large and powerful energy weapon used most often for assault on
larger ships. The HPC is unique in that when it fires, the weapon
uses all the current surge available to fire a barrage of bolts at the
intended target.
The helium ammunition is injected into a small chamber at the
end of the barrel. Here, it is compressed and super-heated to form
a volatile plasma. Once sufficient pressure has been created, the
chamber opens, exposing the bolts to the remainder of the barrel.
At this point, the incredible pressure of the plasma causes it to
expand, propelling it through the barrel. Once the plasma ball
reaches space, it expands beyond the size of the barrel, until it
reaches a stable state. It continues traveling at a high velocity
until the plasma cools, ultimately reverting to helium, which then
dissipates.
Mass Weapons
• Rupture Cannon The Rupture Cannon is the lightest and
smallest weapon available for single seat spacecraft. It uses an
enhanced version of 20th century firearms technology. Each projectile is a block of solid propellant, with a metal core that explodes
on impact. The caseless ammunition minimizes the accumulation
of debris. The cannon itself loads the rounds into a traditional
barrel, then applies a small current to ignition material embedded
in the propellant. The propellant ignites, eventually burning away,
but not before generating enough pressure to launch the explosive
core at the target.
• Mass Driver The Mass Driver is a simple concept that produces
a devastating weapon. A large disc rotates at tremendous speed
(1500 revolutions per second). Hollow tracks run from the center
of the disc to the outer edge. As the disc spins, metal projectiles
are fed to the center of the disc, then pushed along the tracks by
6.5. SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT
TECHNOLOGY
173
centrifugal force to the outer edge. A magnetic field holds each
projectile at the edge of the disc until that particular track rotates
in line with the barrel of the gun. At this point, the magnetic field
is switched off, and the shot is released along a tangential path,
down the barrel. The multiple tracks in the disc allow for a very
high rate of fire.
• Rail Gun The Rail Gun has been under development since the
end of the 20th century. It still has not been perfected, but when
used under the right circumstances it can be highly lethal. The
barrel of the rail gun contains a large, powerful solenoid coil which
generates an electromagnetic field. This field then pushes a simple metal projectile through the coil, reaching very high velocity
in a short distance. Unfortunately, the recoil from the device is
transferred to the solenoid coil directly, which ultimately breaks
down under the strain. Therefore, after extended use, the rail gun
essentially destroys itself.
Self-Propelled Weapons
• Torpedoes There are two types of torpedoes in use throughout
Sol, the Icarus torpedo and the Omega torpedo. Both are based on
the same technology. The basic design is a throwback to 20th century air-to-air missiles. A single stage rocket carries an explosive
warhead to the target. Once a target has been selected, its scanner signature is uploaded to the torpedo's guidance computer by
the ship's computer. However, the torpedo's own scanner is much
weaker than a ship's. Therefore the torpedo requires periodic uploads from the ship's computer to track the target throughout the
burn cycle. This drawback effectively links the number of torpedoes actively tracking a target to the power of the ship's computer.
The Icarus torpedo has a long burn cycle, but possesses limited
maneuverability and only carries a moderate payload. The Omega
torpedo has a much shorter burn cycle than the Icarus, but is much
more maneuverable, and delivers a larger payload to the target.
• Rocket Launcher Rockets do not have guidance systems like
torpedoes, so they are not much use in fighter combat. But rockets
do have a very long burn cycle, and they deliver a staggering
payload to the target. This makes them the perfect weapon for
eliminating large, slow moving capital ships.
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Immobilizers
After the Three Days of Terror in 2175, UEL authorities realized they
needed a new way to disable ships without destroying them. Ramming
a rover into the corvette seized by the Lidless Eye was a desperate last
resort that depended more on dumb luck than military acuity for its
success. UEL researchers went to work looking for a reliable method to
immobilize ships. In 2180, they came up with a solution.
The researchers knew Phase Correlated Gaussium Aramide, or PCGA,
had become integral in the construction of all spacecraft propulsion systems. They discovered that PCGA reacts with a high energy particle
which they dubbed "gamion." These gamions fuse with the PCGA and
render its magnetic field useless.
An apparatus called an immobilizer was produced that could deliver
gamion particles to the engine of a target ship. The immobilizer operates
by accelerating the gamions in a straight line particle accelerator to
about two-thirds the speed of light. At the same time, a small powered
device, known as a stasis round, is also activated.
The stasis round produces an intense but small range magnetic field.
Gamions are fired into the magnetic field where they can remain in their
high energy state. The stasis round is then accelerated through a barrel
via a powerful electromagnet and delivered to the target ship. Because
of the need to maintain the excited state of the gamions, and keep the
immobilizer small enough to fit all ships in service (including single seat
craft), each stasis round has a limited range and very little internal
power.
The first generation immobilizer went into production in 2182 to
equip small patrol craft. Propulsion manufacturers scrambled to redesign engines and thrusters with enough PCGA to withstand the gamion
reaction. But there was no way they could create propulsion systems for
smaller ships which could withstand the immobilizer without increasing
the size of the engines beyond practicality.
With capital ships, however, it was a different story. Testing of first
generation immobilizers on them revealed that the immobilizers were
not able to deliver enough stasis rounds to neutralize the PCGA used in
the massive reactors. But, by 2184, researchers had a new design.
The heavy immobilizer, as it came to be known, operated somewhat
differently than the first generation immobilizer. A large and heavy
cyclotron was used to accelerate the gamions until they approached the
speed of light. To contain these higher energy particles, multiple stasis
rounds were clustered together. Fewer gamions were in each cluster, but
each gamion was now at a higher energy state. The heavy immobilizer
was then capable of disabling even the largest ship's fusion reactor.
6.5. SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT TECHNOLOGY
175
The result of this new system is increased cost, and a considerably
higher mass and volume for the entire weapon system, when compared
to the original. Only gunboats have the weapon space required to deploy
the heavy immobilizer. Because of the powerful capabilities of the heavy
immobilizer, and the desire to keep it out of the 'wrong' hands, the
military restricts its use. Any operation of the immobilizer without
authorization is illegal.
Flare Launcher
The Flare Launcher is used as a countermeasure against torpedoes. Each
flare contains a small transmitter which reproduces the radar signature
of the ship which fires it, thereby acting as a decoy to the incoming
torpedo.
To avoid expending a power source with each flare, its metal casing
is made slightly larger than the barrel; as the flare is expended from the
launcher, friction heats up this outer shell. This heat is then used to
power the transmitter for a short period of time. During this time, the
flare is intended to lure the incoming torpedo away from the targeted
ship.
Training Weapon
The Training Weapon is actually a scaled down version of the EPB. It
fires traditional meta-atoms one order of magnitude smaller than those
of its more powerful sibling. The bolts from the training weapon cannot
damage a target, but they are useful in training exercises because the
bolt's negative charge can be detected by ship systems.
6.5.9
Non-Combat Devices
Spy Probes
Spy probes are used to expand observation of an area without dedicating costly manpower or ships to the endeavor. Spy probes are small
devices which require a launcher to be activated. The launcher provides
propulsion and also locks the probe's transmit frequencies to the launching ship's sensor frequencies. The probe itself contains a small scanner,
thrusters, transmitting equipment, and a self-destruct device.
Upon launch, the probe coasts for five seconds, then activates its
scanner and transmitting equipment. The thrusters fire, slowing the
probe and setting it into position, where it stays to transmit sensor data
on the set frequencies. The probe is built with a powerful explosive
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intended to discourage attacks. Use caution if your mission is to destroy
one of these probes.
Force Beams
A discovery by the Joint Research Team at Callisto in 2192 made the
development of the force beam possible. The force beam generates a
focused ray of gravity capable of moving objects of great mass. Just
like natural gravity, the strength of the beam decreases as the distance
from its source increases. Many people in Sol feel the development of
this device is the first step towards creating artificial gravity. The more
cynical believe the existence of the force beam confirms that artificial
gravity has already been developed away from the public eye.
As force beams were readied for production in 2195, orders came in
from nearly every commercial sector with salvage or construction operations. But the UEL responded to this demand by blocking the sale
of force beams. Prom the military's perspective, this seemingly benign
device could be used to literally rip a ship apart. UEL officials managed
to classify the force beam as a weapon only two weeks after production
of the devices began. Because the force beam was based on Callisto
research, it's classification as a weapon made it a controlled technology
and the UEL could impose sanctions on any manufacturer who made
the device available to the public.
The UEL Senate is currently discussing legislation to make the force
beam completely illegal. The legislation has not yet been passed because
of a sharp division between Senators on the matter. Some see no need for
the action. In their minds, the force beam would benefit the commercial
sector and should not be withheld because of a remote chance it would
be used as a weapon. Others feel that the measure does not go far
enough. They would expand the legislation to include the mining beam,
which is based on similar technology. The fact that the issue is being
debated with such fervor has fueled beliefs the government is withholding
artificial gravity from the public.
Mining Beams
The mining beam is a highly modified version of the force beam. Instead
of a concentrated gravity beam, the mining beam widens the scope, decreases the power, and pulsates the beam in opposing directions. The
field created resonates the asteroid material at which it is aimed and
eventually breaks it apart. A more concentrated force beam directed at
the center of the pulsating field directs the asteroid fragments into the
6.5. SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT TECHNOLOGY
177
ship. An internal mechanism sorts the fragments, then crushes and purifies them, discarding unusable material, and storing harvested elements
in the cargo bay.
The mining beam was put into production shortly after the force
beam in 2195. But a safety mechanism was incorporated into the mining
beam, in response to the lesson learned from the UEL legislation over
the force beam. With this safety mechanism in place, the mining beam's
pulsating field will not activate if directed at a ship's composite hull.
The safety feature has enabled the mining beam to avoid being labeled
a weapon and kept the government from interfering in its marketing.
Sales of the mining beam have been dramatic. It has revolutionized the
mining industry; now any pilot can become an asteroid miner for the
cost of a mining beam.
6.5.10
Computers
After rapid growth in its first century, computing technology has gradually become more stable and reliable, principally because of the Computing Standardization Forum. Formed through the efforts of the AEB, the
CSF is a citizen elected board which oversees standardization in important aspects of computing, including all upgrades to existing computer
infrastructures and all major transitions in technology.
The creation of the CSF has been hailed as the true beginning of the
information age. Before it's inception, sharing knowledge was easy only
between similar technologies. During the reign of American-based companies, the multi-standard system was stable enough to provide years
of high growth in the industry. As other countries began to catch up,
however, and especially with the rise of the AEB, the lack of a single standard became a serious problem for businesses trying to market
products globally.
Investors soon realized that expansion into new markets would be
hindered by the mishmash of technologies in competition. With no standards for the most essential aspects of computing, such as data storage,
data formats, data processing, and network communication, a majority
of investors saw liquidating their computer tech holdings as the best
strategy. The resulting crash wiped out many businesses, and there
was widespread fear that the world would revert to a pre-computer era.
Realizing what this would do to societies the world over, as well as to
colonization efforts throughout the Solar System, the AEB helped formulate a plan, which involved the creation of the CSF.
In the over one hundred years of its existence, the CSF has continued to play an important role in the advancement of computing in
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CHAPTER 6. STORY
society. The ability of computers and components from any CSF compliant manufacturer to communicate without a glitch has been heralded
as one of the most important advances facilitating space exploration
and commercialization. The CSF has also kept growth in check, allowing manufacturers and consumers to purchase equipment with much less
concern over short-term obsolescence. At the same time CSF ensures
that computing technology continues to advance. The following are the
key technologies currently in use.
Quantum Calculation
Theorized in the mid- to late-1900's as a possible way to increase processing speed, it wasn't until 2109 when a major discovery made the
quantum computer a reality. There were several problems that had
plagued researchers. In order for the quantum characteristics of particles to be used, a medium to hold the particles was needed. The medium
used had to be able to hold the molecules in place, while at the same
time allowing for manipulation of the states of its member particles.
Finally, in the early 2100's, new micro-gravity crystal growth techniques were discovered, and researchers finally had the tools to create a
structure for quantum computing. After several years of research, they
were able to create the Superposed Crystalline Architecture. The structure of SCA crystals permitted designers to manipulate gates made of
the material using Condensed Amplitude High Frequency Lasers (see
below). These lasers, combined with crystal-structured pathways just
larger than the photon which passes through it, provided the path between gates, and the SCA crystals were used for the gates themselves.
The resulting product was the first quantum processor.
Within ten years, the CSF had ratified a standard architecture which
allowed manufacturers to begin producing the chips and using them in
new computers. These new chips were several orders of magnitude faster
than their serial computing electron based predecessors. They are credited for assisting scientists and engineers in creating the many new materials and processes used in the commercialization and industrialization
of space.
Condensed Amplitude High Frequency Lasers
Used in everything from quantum chips to network communications,
these lasers have the ability to emit photons with an amplitude not much
larger than the theoretical size of a single photon, while at the same time
increasing flow rates far beyond previously known limits. First developed
to transmit massive amounts of data, the CAHF lasers gained a stronger
6.5. SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT TECHNOLOGY
179
hold when they became critical in running quantum processors. Able
to transmit gigabytes of data through a pathway only several microns
across, the lasers revolutionized the flow of data, and now provide a
surplus of bandwidth throughout the Solar System.
Crystalline Memory Architecture
The crystal growth experiments yielding this technology were the precursors to those responsible for the creation of the quantum computer.
Scientists were able to perfect the science of high density, low-error crystal growths, and used that material to develop a non-volatile memory
system with almost unlimited speed capabilities. The speed itself is
governed only by the speed at which data can be input and output.
The memory operates using a laser which scans a material made up of
millions of layers of crystal lattices, each just one molecule in thickness.
These layers of crystal do not naturally form bonds between themselves,
but when hit with a correct amount of laser energy, a single lattice will
form between the layers, at the point which the laser was focused on the
two molecules. By focusing the laser on different depths of the material,
scientists are able to build three dimensional architectures millions of
bits thick and trillions of bits wide.
With current solid state laser technology, it is possible to contain
all of the components necessary for this system inside of a single chip.
Its size, speed, and capacity are the best of any design currently on the
market.
Universal Data Transfer Protocol
Perhaps the most important creation of the CSF, this protocol was designed with the future in mind. It uses IMbit packet transfers to connect
any device with any computer supporting the protocol. Due to the CSF's
power in enforcing standards, almost every device uses this system.
The design is quite simple and allows even the slowest of computers
to connect to UDTP devices. The beginning 256 bits specify the device
type, name, type of data encryption being used (if any), and Packet
Data Type. The PDT signatures tell the computer the other data being
sent in the packet and how and where it should be applied. All of this
information is broadcasted unencrypted. The encryption type and key
are broadcasted only in the first connection between devices.
Once the devices have settled on an encryption type and key, that information is never broadcasted again unless the encryption type changes
or the device disconnects and reconnects. The PDT information can
continuously change, updating the status of the device, and cycling the
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information so several cycles will be used to transmit all data. Although
the header information is unencrypted and can be easily read with any
packet sniffer, the actual information being sent is highly secure. An
advantage of having an unencrypted header is that no calculations need
to be made to read it. Therefore, slower computers can connect with
almost any device and receive data from it.
8.5.11
Scanners
The scanner system has two components, the main scanner and the
detail scanner.
M a i n Scanner
The main scanner surveys space within a given radius from the ship to
detect and identify objects by reading their radiation emissions. Interfacing with the main ship computer, the main scanner then maps all
detectable objects onto the scanner display at the base of the HUD. The
main scanner also works with the main computer to calculate closure
rate to a target, and generate ETA based on velocities of both ship and
target. With object tracking information supplied by the main scanner, the ship computer also calculates data for other display units of
the HUD. These include the target vector trail, target lead vector, and
distance to target.
The main scanner is an essential component of ship operation. However, because of the power required by scanners, they consistently generate internal and external radiation. With recent developments in materials research, manufacturers have built some scanner models which
are quite small, generate little radiation, and have drastically improved
scanning power. The downside is cost: the smallest and most powerful new scanners are much more expensive than their larger and older
counterparts.
Detail Scanner
The detail scanner is used to learn specific information about an object.
After the main scanner locks on a target, data on the target's position is
sent to the detail scanner, then continuously updated as that object is
tracked. The detail scanner can determine the signature and orientation
of most targets. It sends this information to the main computer to be
displayed on the MFD.
The detail scanner also can calculate the percentage of damage to
individual points on a ship. Known ship structures and the radiation
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181
signatures emitted by certain components are the basis of this analysis.
The detail scanner can detect PCGA magnetic fields as well, alerting
the pilot when the field is not present, which indicates the target is
immobilized.
Because of the detail scanner's scope of analysis, it is limited to one
target at a time. On average, the detail scanner generates less radiation
and is smaller than the main scanner. However, the detail scanner does
require a large amount of power to complete its tasks, which makes it
another substantial contributor to radiation output. The same research
that has yielded better performance for the main ship scanners has been
applied to detail scanners. However, cost is still an issue with the newer
models.
6.5.12
Defenses
Armor
Several advanced composite materials are currently in use for protecting
a ship's hull from damage. They all rely on the effective transfer of
energy, both mechanical and meta-atomic, to diffuse impact to the hull.
Each specific material has its own particular characteristics, and each
has its own rates at which it will protect from the two types of energy
transfer. But all of these different materials provide a certain degree of
protection from both.
Armor works by absorbing and dispersing energy through itself and
away from the hull. In the process, of course, the armor itself is damaged.
Therefore, it must be regularly repaired to function effectively.
Electromagnetic (EM) Field Generator
This device operates on a continual basis, generating a negatively charged
electromagnetic field which surrounds the ship. When a negatively
charged particle comes close, the field repulses the particle, deflecting
it away from the ship. However, when a positively charged particle
comes close to the field, it is attracted to the field.
The only weapons which carry a charge are the EPBs, PPBs, and,
to a lesser extent, rupture rounds. The electromagnetic field generator
is effective in deflecting EPBs and rupture rounds, but attracts PPBs.
Unfortunately, it is also useless against the many other weapons available
on the market. This drawback has limited the EM Field Generator's
widespread use.
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CHAPTER 6. STORY
Repair Systems
Repair Tugs
The repair tug, or repair drone, as it is sometimes called, is a device
launched at a ship in need of repair. The device has a small set of
thrusters it uses to maneuver itself into position over its target. Using
an electromagnet, the repair tug then attaches itself to the docking point
on the helpless ship and begins rehabilitation.
Repair tugs are equipped with raw materials and Standardized Repair System (SRS) droids which can move between ship compartments
and access all devices. A computer directing the repair effort from the
tug releases both Repair Bots and Material Bots through the SRS access
port (right next to the docking point).
The Repair Bots travel to each section of the ship and determine the
extent of damage, and what materials and tools are required for the job.
Once this assessment has been computed, the Material Bots move in.
The Material Bots use the raw material available on the tug to create
much of what is necessary for repair. The Material Bots also have access
to prefabricated parts, which they can obtain through the distribution
system on the repair tug or manually carry from the tug to the damaged
equipment.
Perhaps the most important item stored on a repair tug is PCGA,
which can replace a ship's PCGA damaged or rendered inert by immobilizer rounds. But because of the amount of PCGA used in engines, plus
the amount needed to calibrate an engine before the reactor can go back
on-line, repair tugs can only bring engines to a fraction of their original
capacity. This is enough, however, for the ship to reach a station where
it can dock and be fully repaired.
The same holds true for most equipment on a crippled vessel. The
SRS droids only repair critical systems to a fraction of their optimal
operating efficiency. These systems include the aforementioned engines
and thrusters, as well as computers, scanners, and life support. Because
a ship cannot operate while leaking fuel or energy, all systems involved
in the production, storage, and distribution of energy and fuel are fully
repaired by the SRS droids.
Internal Repair System
In contrast to the repair tug, the internal repair system resides within the
spacecraft itself and it continually make repairs as long as it is powered.
Most internal repair systems used by most single seat spacecraft are
much slower than a repair tug, however. Unlike the repair tug, which
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183
was designed to get a severely damaged ship up and running quickly, the
internal repair system is designed to be used over an extended period of
time. Fewer SRS droids are used in the internal repair system to make
room for more repair materials. This allows the internal repair system
to take a ship to optimum status over time, as opposed to the repair tug,
which can only repair systems to a fraction of their original efficiency.
6.5.14
Ship Enhancements
Heat Sinks
Heat sinks are special coolant systems which dissipate heat from the high
temperature equipment used on a ship. These small, lightweight devices
can be found on all but the smallest of ships. By keeping temperatures
cooler, heat sinks help optimize all ship functions, but especially surge
cell performance. And because of the properties of the material used
in heat sinks, and the fact that they can be placed in any bay in the
ship, heat sinks also serve to shield the pilot from radiation from energy
systems, computers, and propulsion systems. All of this makes heat
sinks highly recommended.
Hull S t r u t s
Hull struts are used to strengthen a ship's structure. Like heat sinks,
hull struts can be placed in any bay. Although they take up considerable
volume and add substantial mass to a ship, hull struts are extremely useful for ships that endure large amounts of stress, such as heavy fighters.
For these ships, hull struts are worth the sacrifice to cargo capacity.
Stealth Systems
The stealth system works by suppressing its host ship's radiation, which
other ships' scanners try to lock on for tracking and identification. Based
on noise cancellation techniques, the stealth system monitors its host
ship's radiation signature, then generates an inverse radiation field. This
dampens the strength of the radiation signature perceived by other ship
scanners.
The more powerful the tracking ship's scanner is, the more powerful
a stealth system must be to hide its host ship. Likewise, as the host
ship's external radiation increases, so must the stealth system increase
in strength to obscure its signature. Of course, the more powerful the
stealth system, the more energy it will use, and the greater the risk to
the pilot of over-exposure to radiation.
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CHAPTER 6.
STORY
Miscellaneous Devices
Life Support System
An absolute requirement for every space vehicle and habitat, the life
support system must be operational and powered for humans to survive.
Using only a small store of water and air supplied to the unit during
routine maintenance, the life support system continuously recycles and
filters these products to minimize waste. If the system goes down, oxygen storage provides the pilot with a limited amount of breathing time
before suffocation. If this reserve level drops, and then the system is
repaired, an additional carbon dioxide recycler starts up to bring the
oxygen reserve back to full.
Comm System
The communication systems on ships have grown smaller and smaller.
Most comm systems on single seat ships are short range and rely on
the Sol Gate Network to transmit information. They do not carry the
broadcasting power of the comm systems in larger capital ships. However, the communication system on single seaters does have the ability
to broadcast and receive at virtually any frequency set by the pilot.
Distress System
This small device emits a distress call indicating your ship's designation (name) and position when activated. The signal must be activated
through the engineering system interface. It continues to send out a
distress call every few seconds until deactivated.
Floodlights
These devices are non-essential but can be added to a ship for maneuvers
in low-light situations. Floodlights have a limited range, and cannot
be seen unless an object intersects their path. But they do provide
significant illumination given the vastness and darkness of deep space.
Floodlights do require a large amount of power, however, and they should
be used sparingly when a self-renewing power supply is unavailable.
Cargo Scoop
A cargo scoop is an automated arm located in the cargo bay. By interfacing with the ship's computer, it is able to track and grab objects in
6.5.
SPACE FLIGHT AND COMBAT TECHNOLOGY
185
space moving at less than 2 km/s relative to it. The objects snagged by
the scoop are placed in the cargo bay.
6.5.16
Controlled Military Equipment
Sniffer
Operating at extremely close range, the sniffer listens in on data transfers
from a ship's components. It does this by exploiting the Computer
Service Port on the ship's main computer to create a phantom receiving
port. This process is fairly simple because the Computer Service Port
was designed to allow ship diagnosis from an external system at a docking
bay, or by a repair tug. And, although this diagnostic information is
encrypted with the DSA 128 megabit standard, due to use of UDTP,
the header information is not encrypted. The sniffer takes advantage of
this security hole.
By reading all data packets sent to the main computer, the sniffer is
able to determine the gadgets with which the ship is equipped. Because
it cannot decipher the actual data being transferred, or the internal
computer encryption, the sniffer's use is limited. But the equipment
readout provided by the sniffer is valuable enough to warrant its use.
While this technology is used freely by the military to enforce regulations, many citizens believe the intrusion on privacy far outweighs the
gains made by law enforcement. It is also widely speculated that these
devices are used by pirates to discover the contents of a ship before hijacking, although conclusive evidence has been hard to obtain. Despite
the lack of the evidence, sniffers were deemed illegal to own or operate
except by the UEL military. Later, a special amendment was made to allow the use of sniffers in the Martian Colonial Militia (as the Consortium
military is known in the UEL Senate) and the Callisto Squadron.
Tracking Viewer
Another important tool of law enforcement, the tracking viewer allows
a user special access the Registry. The Registry is a giant database of
all known ships and their owners in Sol. With special access, a user
can download the secure logs of any Vortex Gate or station and see who
has traveled through or docked there. By interfacing with the navigation module of the main computer, it allows the user to easily track the
movements of any detectable ship. Tracking viewers are standard equipment on all military vessels; indeed, they are integrated directly into
these ships' hardware. Like sniffers, they are illegal to own or operate
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except by the military. Many privacy advocates claim that use of the
tracking viewer violates citizens' personal freedom.
Tracking Blocker
Touted as the citizen's rebuff to violations of privacy in space travel, the
tracking blocker is also used by many outlaws to hide their movements.
The device operates by generating a powerful pulse of energy on the
wavelength used to transmit data between the user ship's main computer
and travel log or docking computers. The high energy pulse obscures the
Registry transmission on that frequency, and the ship passes without
being recorded. The tracking blocker is illegal to own and operate. Any
ship caught using one by the military will be assumed to be a criminal
vessel.
Index
acceleration (HUD readout), 23
alerts, 28-30
ammunition, 61
armor, 61, 63, 181
Artemis, UEMS, 104
Asian Economic Bloc, 121
assistance, requesting, 71
Asteroid Belt Station, 106
audio options, 14
Aureal 3D, 17
authorizing contracts, 73
auto-set frequencies, 47
aux keys, 67
AVI files, exporting, 100
avionics bay, 63
Callisto Squadron, 141, 147
cameras, scene manager, 98-99
canisters, 89
capacitors, 170
capture gamma, 13
career colors, 12
cargo, 61
cargo bay, 63
cargo scoop, 89-90, 184
central equipment bay, 63
chase view, 33
Chen, Junho, 144, 145
Civitas, 129
client, 77
closure
(HUD readout), 24
in combat, 38
collide alert, 29
comm frequency, 69
comm system, 68-72, 184
commercial station, 43,103, 150
activities, 50-52
computer, 59, 177-178
concourse, 44
conflicts, controls, 15
conservation, 93
contract, 49, 51
life, 72
posting, 72-74
control options, 14-16
conversations, 44
copying a ship, 55
corvette, 155
bandwidth, 78
banning players, 81
batteries, 169
bays, 62-63
bazaar, 85
Bee, 57, 163
Belt Station, 106
blockades, 95, 158
bounty, 73
buy price, 46, 75
buying ships, 50
calling for help, 71
Callisto, 134
Callisto Neutrality Pact, 141
Callisto Research Station, 107,
140
187
188
creating a ship, 55
cruiser, 154
custom colors, 64
custom ships, 55
Dauntless Class Corvette, 155
deathmatch, 83
dedicated server, 80, 82
default power, 67
deleting a ship, 55
depth buffer, 13
detail model option, 12
detail scanner, 60, 180-181
MFD, 30
diagnostics, 17
dialogue volume, 14
difficulty setting, 19
Direct Sound 3D, 17
distress system, 184
docking, 42
down view, 33
Durango Transport, 56, 160
Eclipse, 57, 162
economy, 74-75
gadget prices, 46
screen, 75
editing a ship, 56
electromagnetic (EM) field, 93,
181
electron particle bolt (EPB), 33,
171
employees, 72
energy, 59
conserving, 93
energy alert, 29
energy system, 61, 169-171
energy weapons, 33-34, 171-172
Enger, Klaus, 147
engineering, 66
engines, 60, 168
Ennis Class Commercial Station,
150
INDEX
equipment bay, 63
ETA, 30
Europa Commercial Station, 107
evasion, 39, 65
exchange, local station, 50
exporting a ship, 56
exposure of bays, 62
external padlock view, 33
flares, 35, 175
flight lock, 65
flight recorder, 96-100
buffer size, 16
floodlights, 184
force beam, 36, 176
force feedback sensitivity, 16
forward thrusters, 31
free mode, 20, 85
frequencies
auto-set, 47
comm and sensor, 69
contract, 72
front view, 32
fuel, 59
conserving, 93
fuel alert, 29
fuel system, 60, 169
full duplex audio, 17
game modes, 19-22
game options, 16
GameSpy, 87
options, 16
gamma correction, 13
gate path, 41, 42
gates, see vortex gates
gauntlet, 20
Gerard, Monique, 139-144
global message, 81
graphics options, 11-14
graphics, advanced options, 1 3 14
gunboat, see Eclipse
INDEX
Hague Convention, 139
Haldeman Industries, 114
Haldeman, James, 146
Haldeman-Traeger Industries, 130
heat, 28, 91
heat alert, 29
heat sinks, 183
heavy immobilizer, 36
helium plasma cannon (HPC),
34, 172
help, calling, 71
high-poly models, 12
hijack mission/contract, 49
hijacking, 95
hire mercs/pirates, 72
Hobbes, Julianne, 145
hockey, 83-84
host game dialog, 79-80
hotkeys, gadget, 67
HUD, 22-30
HUD center marker option, 12
hull alert, 29
hull penetration pod, 94-95, 157158
hull strength, 23
hull struts, 183
Hyperion, 58, 166
Icarus torpedo, 35, 173
immobilized, players, 80
immobilizers, 36, 174-175
importing a ship, 56
Independent Council of Governors (ICG), 103, 142
inertia compensators, 31
info/comm menu, 45 47
Io Mining Station, 108
Jackal, 58, 165
jettison, 68
join game dialog, 77-78
joystick configuration, 14-16
189
Kerr, Muldante, 103
keyboard configuration, 14-16
kicking players, 81
Kozura Class Shipyard, 153
lag, 78
LaRiviere Class Military Station,
152
lateral thrusters, 31
lead vector, 26
leading the target, 39
left view, 32
lens flares, 12
Lidless Eye, 138, 139
life support, 59, 184
light immobilizer, 36
lighting, 12
lines, velocity, 22
load game, 53
local station exchange, 50
lock-on indicator, 25
lounge, 44
Lunar Commercial Station, 104
main power, 91
Marauders, 102, 147
markup, 75
Mars Commercial Station, 105
Mars Consortium, 102, 133
Mars Mining Station, 105
Martian Mining Corps, 112, 127,
145
mass driver, 34, 172
mass weapons, 34-35, 172-173
Mayes Class Research Station,
151
melee, deathmatch, 83
melee, hockey, 83-84
message centers, 30
military station, 43, 104, 152
Mimas Station, 108
mines, 158
minimum reputation, 72
190
mining beam, 36, 176-177
mining mission/contract, 49
mission limit, 72
missions, 49
Moser, Michael, 143
mouse configuration, 14-16
mouse sensitivity, 16
movie sequencer, 100
multi-function displays (MFD),
30
multifire, 39
multiplayer, 77-87
multiple ships, 95
music volume, 14
navlock, 41
navmap, 40-42
navmap, scene manager, 97
nebula, 13
network options, 16
neutron particle bolt (NPB), 34,
171
news pager, 71
news screen, 45
Oberon Station, 108
Olympia Station, 105
Omega torpedo, 35, 173
options, 11-16
orders, 71
ordinance MFD, 30
outfitting a ship, 59-63
overload, 89
overspeed, 29
overthrusters, 92, 168
oxygen, 29
oxygen alert, 30
pager, 47-48
pager toggles, 71
paging players, 70
painting a ship, 64
Pandemic Virus, 110, 132
INDEX
parts/cargo interface, 59
password, 77
patrol mission/contract, 50, 73
performance profile, 63-64
personal info, 46-47
personal storage, 62
Peter Newton Agricultural Center, 117
physics setting, 19
ping, 78
Pirate Base, 106
player saves, 80
polygon planets, 13
posting contracts, 72-74
pre-configured ships, 55
Premier, of UEL, 101
preview window, scene manager,
97
Princess Class Space Liner, 157
propulsion bay, 62
proton particle bolt (PPB), 34,
171
radiation, 29, 91
radiation (RAD) alert, 29
rail gun, 35, 173
rasterizers, 11
Rayskate, 59, 167
Razor, 57, 141, 161
reactors, 170
rear view, 32
receive frequency, 69
record volume, 14
refuel, repair and reload, 61
registry, 41
renaming a ship, 55
repair system, 68, 182
repair tug, 36, 182
reputation, 74
minimum, 72
personal info, 46
requesting assistance, 71
requirements, Linux, 11
INDEX
requirements, Macintosh, 10-11
requirements, Windows, 10
research station, 104, 151
reticle, 23
right view, 33
rocket, 35, 173
rupture cannon, 34, 172
Saldrea, UEMS, 107
save game, 52
scanner, 26-28, 60, 180
scene manager, 97-99
scoring system, 86
searching, on navmap, 40
secure contract, 73
select ship, 51
sell price, 46, 75
selling ships, 50
sensor frequency, 69
sentry pods, 158
server, 77
server configuration, 79-80
server diagnostic, 81-82
server stats, 78
server, dedicated, 80, 82
ship diagnostic MFD, 30
ship manager, 55-56
ship trails (HUD), 28
ship trails option, 13
ship value, 80
shipyard, 153
shrapnel, 89
shuttle, 156
Siblings of Vissar, 145, 147
side-stepping, 65
sniffer, 185
MFD, 30
sound options, 14
space liner, 157
space stations, 43-53, 103-109
specular lighting, 13
speed alert, 29
spy mission/contract, 49, 73
191
spy probe, 36, 175
standing, 47
starfield density, 13
stations, see space stations
stealth (HUD readout), 27
stealth devices, 183
stealth flying, 90-91
stopping, 32
story mode, 20, 85
stress, 28, 91
stress alert, 29
strike mission/contract, 49, 73
supply and demand, 75
surge cells, 170
HUD indicator, 23
required for weapons, 33
talking
giving orders, 71
to NPCs, 44
to players, 68, 81
Talon, 58, 164
target box, 25
target view, 33
targeting, 37-38
on navmap, 41
targeting indicators, 25-26
TCP/IP options, 16
terminus.ban, 81
terminus.ctl, 15
texture mapping, 12
Three Days of Terror, 139
thrust level, 32
thruster bay, 62
thrusters, 31, 32, 60, 168
Titan Commercial Station, 108
toggle power, 67
tolerances, 63
Top Dog Competition, 142,146,
147
torpedo avoidance, 65
torpedoes, 35
tracking blocker, 186
INDEX
192
tracking viewer, 41, 185
Trade Summit, 147, 148
trading, 75
Traeger Aerospace, 107, 113, 142
trails, ship (HUD), 28
training, 20
training weapon, 34, 175
transmit frequency, 69
transparency, 12
transport, 56, 160
transport mission/contract, 49
tug, repair, 182
UEMS Artemis, 104
UEMS Saldrea, 107
UEMS Unzen, 105, 140
Ulysses Station, 106
Umbriel Commercial Station, 108
Unified European Economy (UEE),
120
United E a r t h League (UEL), 101,
125
United North American Economy (UNAE), 120
Unzen, UEMS, 105, 140
up view, 33
velocity (HUD readout), 23
velocity lines, 13, 22
Venus Terraform Research Station, 104
video modes, 14
views, 32
Virus, Pandemic, 110, 132
Vissar, Siblings of, 145, 147
vortex gates
description, 148-150
development, 136, 138
using, 42
Vulture Class Shuttle, 156
waypoints, 73
weapon view, 33
weapons, 33-36, 61
weapons bay, 62
Yamato Class Cruiser, 154