Game Stories

[Matryx]

Thanks for the suggestions dmm
That reference for 'thirsty' engines was back to the captains 'thirst for exploration' but perhaps I could re-word it.
I like the suggestions of the communication but I might alter it to a test with a communication probe first.

As the race develops they will undoubtable encounter other races and turn back to the religion they lost during their expansion to the stars. Perhaps I should elaborate that section and make it a bit clearer in the history.

Anyway.. back to work Storytime will have to wait for now.

[spacefan]

GalacticCorp

2405.6 Supplemental Log of CEO Edward Mason:

A most surprising event was relayed to HQ from the Guard frigate #1.

The Guard carries a low amount of supply storage by comparision, with two missiles in place of that. It is the opposite of our Recon class which was designed for long range exploration.

The Guard faced off 3 EEE ships of unknown composition, which turned out to filled with close range cannonry, the same kind on our early escorts.

Utilizing superior range, our Guard managed to destroy two of the Destroyers and hobble the third. This changes our strategic possibilites, though it is likely that their Destroyers will be upgraded soon.

Meanwhile the 4th destroyer, inside our territory has not been destroyed yet, but we are in pursuit.

Colonization plans will continue as normal, but we plan on beefing up defenses with Guard ships, wherever possible within our budget.

[spacefan]

Galactic Corp
2407.0

Mason walked to the podium in the press room, and began speaking.

"On the date of 2405.5 we spotted 4 ships of a empire known only as the EEE. Since then, they have destroyed every ship we had on 2405.5, as well as several created since, totalling a dozen ships, most of them Guard class frigates. The Guard ship design is our only defense against the newest EEE light cruisers, which use some sort of sophisticated energy weapon.

As of a few hours ago, our colonies on Lenoltris are under attack, and Lenoltris IV has been destroyed despite a recently built weapons platform. Our presence in Lenoltris will be wiped out soon.

We have declared war on the EEE for these atrocities, and with war comes sacrifice. With reserves of 300,000 Minerals, 200,000 Organics and 200,000 Radioactives, we have but one way to stop the EEE. We must draw upon our reserves by creating a large fleet of guards. I am estimating around 20 Guards in the first wave. Construction is in process in Obotron and Lundra, and our Guard ships will protect these systems until we acquire enough to attack the enemy stronghold.

The research department is working on an improved missile design, which will be put into force as soon as it is finished. With enough Guards we WILL take back Lenoltris and wipe out the enemy.

Any questions?"

A young reporter asked, "What are your operating procedures for Guard ship captains?"

"Well, first a bit of background. Our first battle between Guards and enemy ships, resulted in the destruction of all three enemy ships, with no damage to ours. We were not sure what tactics of the captain led to the victory.

After that, we lost a few Guards, and looking into the matter, we found that the Guards MUST advance towards the enemy presence, so as to have room for retreating after the enemy has fired. Our Guards lose when they are forced to close range with the enemy.

Problems with this occured in a later battle, where we lost 2 Guards and 3 Explorers to 3 Light Cruisers and a Destroyer of theirs. In that battle, after all of our Guards launched missiles on one target, that target moved away from our missiles, whereas earlier targets had moved towards them to do more damage to our ships.

We recommend advancing on the enemy until we are in missile range, and then targetting multiple ships. Then retreat until the missiles are reloaded.

This meeting is over. Remember, whatever our sacrifices, we will stop the EEE."

[ 19 February 2002: Message edited by: spacefan ]

[Varelen]

Dreevan part 1: Finding the Few in Space

Dreevan have no gender, but translation to this language requires gendered words, therefore 'he' is used. Because of the differences between Dreevan and this language culture, some phrases may fail to adequately convey the appropriate meaning, even sounding awkward to the ear

"The belief that more is better is the essense of all wrongs, every Dreevan, no matter how different, knows that. In such numbers as Dreevan exist today, a greater burden falls on the bindings and the watchers than in the days long past. That is the crisis of our time."
- Watcher Maiv
Binding of the Head Watcher
Hrokono, Dreevan Consortium

The windflow was too gentle for a glide, Maiv noticed, feeling little bend in his body, which could shape itself many ways from the winds' liking. "Rare it is, from 180 days, to only three this gentle," the bonded Delehi approaching him as he spoke.
"Rare things are best," Delehi said.

"Rare things are few, and few are best. Yet it is not a gliders day, is it?"

"No contact for a couple days, This is time for the binding, rare such that is, for us. Such a numerous binding we are, and you stress yourself much of it," Delehi looked at Maiv, sighing.

"I've taken more bonded, I've fallen to imperfection in this, else the Watchers and others would not criticize so much."

"They criticize because they listen to you. It would be worse to try to be drastic. You know all bonds are eternal."

"Then I have to take it on, its not even our binding alone, they've built some grand thing past Mount Elkei around there. Two bindings working on it. Thats got to be ten of them. Ten. Ten is not few. The watcher watches for just that, but of course they listen to my criticism, and then go off to work on more."

"Last we heard from that watcher Lauo, they didn't like it either, but it was something truly amazing according to Lauo."

"Amazing is probably meaning large, few is better, small is more efficient. How do they ever find food enough for ten in one place, and wastes as well must be horrible. Plus all that they have claimed in order to build that thing. But it is an omen of the fact that there are ever more of us on this rock. It is only our seperate, unique places and crafts that keep us all from going mad."

"LOOK! What is that!" Delehi was trying to see the Last of a red streak heading fast spaceward.

"Some foolishness. What could be larger than the vastness out there? All I see there is more, larger, MANY. I've heard of some tests like that. They were trying to throw something up to that blackness. Some way other than gliding. Usually the mountains hide them to us. Leaving gliders to tell what they will. Even a watcher can't know everything, to know every little binding in all the vast places of even this rock. What of trying to know the same for that blackness."

"Lets find our writings, Watcher, inside. The stresses are much on you, let us be few without the sight of the blackness of many."

First Spacebound Binding
Orbiting Hrokono

"Very different. So odd to see it all, home to so many we never knew or even saw the place of. Never been any closer to the Watcher than Elkei mountain. But its the same too, just no gliding in search of trade. Thrusters sure are different from gliding," said Olo, who had choosen to be pilot of the escort.

Druina responded, "The space Watcher Garin said we'd find enough up here to stay, no gliding, but there should be a couple spaceyards built. They supposedly have partitions to keep bindings apart. But even he doesnt' really know how it all happened, one binding made the first engines, first artificial propulsion, and tested a couple craft that were planetbound, from there some other binding came to him with an engine thats what we use now. All these different people, some met him, some met others, but somehow all these pieces came together. Took ages. He says the first engine makers were making them for a new idea with gliding for years and years, till they showed them to him. Same with most of the other components, binding tradition, passed on for years and years."

Druina was a new watcher, "Ships Watcher" to look for any other ships that showed up. Garin said he hasn't heard of any but who knows what others might be working on.

"Thats huge, how do we get in there to talk with them?" Kelli said excitedly.

"Easy, you'll have to learn these systems soon enough, only three of us, and I did say its all new, but small enough for three. See, there, it says, talk inbinding, talk spacer, talk other. They are not our binding so I guess the spacer button. Then just speak up, or whatever seems to work"

[ December 07, 2002, 02:33: Message edited by: Varelen ]

[Varelen]

A glossary for the Dreevanly challenged

Binding - The marriage contract and social unit of the Dreevan. This is not a 2 person deal like Terran marriage, but is usually 3, 4 or 5 members, sometimes less or more briefly. To join a binding, all the exisiting members have to make an oath to work together, understand, cherish forever. Likewise the new member has to make the same oath. There are no annulments or divorces heard of in Dreevan history since the beginning of this system. There are romantic commitements in a binding as well, but these are yet harder to explain in terran language.

Glide - The process of using the wind to coast or direct yourself somewhere else. This is the main means of travel as the wind is sufficiently strong and Dreevan are light enough to be carried by it with as little as 60 miles an hour unaided by implements, or with the proper equipment the best gliders use, as little as 30 miles an hour. Because Dreevan evolved from flying creatures, even newborns have some sense of what it means to fly, physiologically.

Newborn Glide - Caring for born is not considered the responsibility of the one who created them, which may be a shock to Terrans. Birth is considered both a affirmation of the Bindings' strength and sacredness, and a gift to the whole of Dreevan. The newborn is light enough that in early history they would be thrown off into the windflow unless held tightly. The conclusion was not to hold tightly, but to let the wind guide the fates of the newborn. Some never make it to adolescence, others do.

Typically, the child will glide for years, with an innate sense for food sources and a loathing for land just as innate. Sometimes bindings will take in the child and feed them, but usually they let them loose to glide again, because at that age children still retain the primal flying instincts and only wish to fly (they think they are flying, though they only glide). Usually the urge for land and family takes over (the equivalent of human puberty) at from 13 to 17 years old. (They start to need more food than they can get by instinct soon as well)

Watcher - A rare Dreevan who enjoys watching and hearing about the sight of successful Dreevan and all their varied exploits. They offer suggestions to some bindings who respect them, and many listen to them, but that is the only form of their leadership.

Dreevan - A herbivore, evolved from species that fly only. Because of this their frame is quite light. It is also remarkedly flexible. Almost completely without agression, the response to predators in the past was to hide in places underground or caverns where the flying had less success finding there way.

Hrokono - A very rocky mountainous planet, dominated by hardy vegetation accustomed to the wind and sloping mountains. Evolution was very tough on vegetation, and as a result, what remains is very accomodating to the wind and tough to break at all. Also dominated by flying animals over any other type of complex animals, though a few live in enclosures within the mountain depths. Water is rare, and most species have evolved to having only a tiny amount of it.

[Varelen]

The whole dreevan story kinda got boring, and I dropped Se4 for a while, but I'm back, with just a small taste of something I'm writing now.

Its already 6+ pages and I'm only at 2400.8.

Its a very investment oriented race and culture. Just imagine an entire planet of people who love complex investments and speculations, even as they go to their regular 9 to 5 jobs, they still keep up on the bonds and meta investments and so on. So just a taste here, they've met their first foreigner.

Radio contact from the Foreign, in addition with the earlier radio signals gave the AI translator enough information to decipher the message. The Foreign reported that they were known as the Amon'Krie Continuum. The CEO guessed that Amon'Krie was just the proper name for their company, but he wondered what sort of complex financial instrument control of Amon'Krie must be held under, if it is called an unknown term such as Continuum.

If Anderson Holdings is known as a Holdings because subsections of Anderson have their own Tracking Bond issues, and new programs always include investment in new bonds by citizens, and thus Anderson is both monolothic as it manufactures everything and also many seperate entities, as each seperate Bond tracked component has unique ownership, then Amon'Krie as a Continuum must have some unique structure behind that meaning.

Securities speculated for the CEO on the meaning of the term Continuum. "It could be a Security based particularly on time sensitive elements, thus the Continuum of time under which hedging must be made, past, present future. If they know what potential flows are available at times, they may be skillful at advanced temporal investment."

[Ragnarok]

Sounds great.
I look forward to reading the entire story.

Its already 6+ pages and I'm only at 2400.8.

That's actually not very much. Well it is but it isn't at the same time.
In the story I am writting - The Hevordah Imperium - it is 22 pages long so far and I am just now to 2400.3 I believe. I managed that due to some early events in Hevordian history.
Check it out...http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...3;t=007148;p=1

Also I suggest checking out Atrocities new story. It is far longer then mine because of alot more detail to the empire before space flight. Very good read.

But anyways... I liked the preveiw you gave.