Several thousand years ago, and the Galaxy is a different place. There is a Republic, but not the same Republic that exists subsequently. No period of Government lasts the centuries needed for the corruption of the contemporary Republic to set in- though Senators and others in power are still liable to be greedy, or incompetent, or evil, or all three.
In these times, the one constant is the Jedi. From the founding of interstellar civilisation itself, these tireless warriors have been the defenders of peace and justice. Many, of course, are the threats that beset the Jedi, but the greatest threat of all are the Sith.
There are as many legends as to the Sith's creation as there are stars in the sky- an old race of people corrupted by fallen Jedi. The name of an ancient and evil star God. Maybe just an inevitable part of creation, and the Force. All that is important is that the Sith forever lruk at the edges of the Galaxy, vying with each other for power- and seeking the opportunity to destroy the Jedi forever, and rule the Galaxy in darkness. Their ways are quick and easy, and they are not bound by morals and political necessity. Their true power is terrible to behold- yet they are their own worst enemy, for unlike the Jedi, they cannot focus their powers, forever wasting their energies on internal struggle. It takes a truly legendary Sith Lord to bring enough power together to truly threaten the Republic and the Jedi...
---
It is a time of war. Under the leadership of Darth
Malphas and his legions of fanatical Jovano warriors
the Sith are threatening the existance of the
Republic. Darth Varus, Malphas' feared lieutenant, has
destroyed the Third Republican fleet at the Battle of
Urian. Now the way is open for Malphas to launch an
invasion of Tarantis, "the hinge of the Republic".
Should Tarantis fall, the Republic will be cut in two
and a Sith victory must surely follow.
For the Jedi
As the Republic rushes re-inforcements to the
beleagured world of Tarantis, a small group of JEDI
KNIGHTS embark on a secret mission to Saralind. Their
goal is to rescue the last members of the royal house
of Kazarin before Saralind falls to Malphas' armies...
For the Sith
Acting swiftly before the Republic can bring in
re-inforcements, Malphas entrusts the assault of
Tarantis to his most promising acolytes. If they
succeed, they will have proved themselves as true
Sith. If they fail, only death awaits them...
---
This pitch forms the basis for the in-development pre-prequel era game, known loosely as the KOTOR game, as it is being written with the same theoretical basis- of examining a time when the Jedi and Sith clashed in large numbers- as that game, and the bulk of EU that it set itself within.
However, a deliberate creative decision has been taken to separate it from the KOTOR plotline. Although this game is set 'thousands' of years ago, as is KOTOR, that leaves plenty of room for it to be centuries apart from Revan's time. This is because the campaign needs creative room to not be impaired by a separate plotline. It also means the game is equally accessible to any Star Wars fan, not just one who has engaged with the earlier plot gumf.
The Jedi, as noted above, are a constant. Their role in this game is exactly the same as that in the current game, except on more of a war footing. Therefore, Jedi play is recommended for the following categories:
1. People who have never played the Light Side before and want to try it
2. People who have played it before and want to take a leading role in directing newer players, as Masters.
It is not recommended, on the whole, for those who are already playing the Light Side to just play again because the game won't actually be any different for you- and in this timr in particular, I reserve the right to reject any bid to play a Master from a player I do not think is 100% suitable.
Sith play is different- it is TOTALLY different to current Dark Side play. This part of the game is going to be where the largest differences are. It is also probably going to be pretty difficult! Anyone from either side of the current game can try this, and in fact probably better if veterans of the current game, rather than new players, look in this direction.
The game will probably feature some rules tweaks, especially in the use of powers (Force Lightning will almost certainly feature, because the Darths will be there in force), and the possibility of advancement in the Sith will exist.
There will be no Renegades or Marauders. Renegades hardly have time to not work for the Council when the Galaxy is threatened by the Sith- everyone is in the same boat, and besides which, the Order will not really tolerate such dissension with civilisation at stake. The Sith, desperate for numbers, will have recruited every potential Marauder in sight, ands they either work for the Sith or die. Sith templates will be like current Dark Jedi templates, though the Revenant will likely be replaced with a Sith version of the Acolyte.
This game is heavily into development and may well be available to play within about six months, either concurrently with the current story, or as a means of taking a break from it. Sharp-eyed players might spot a few links between the two...
__________________
"We've got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds everybody into Jawa burgers and not one of you buds has the midi-chlorians to stop her!"
It is ten years since the Battle of Coruscant. The Jedi Order is gone, perhaps forever. The Old Republic has fallen in the chaos of war. Only the New Order can control the fractured Galaxy now. At its head is the Emperor. His Empire, under the direction of the Imperial Senate, now controls all of what was once the Old Republic.
Except some resist. Drawn together by mutual need, opposition to central control, moral standing and- in some cases- knowledge of the truth of the Emperor and his origins, some stand and fight, This Alliance of Rebels is no rag-tag band of unarmed peasants. It is a disciplined and well-equipped force- and it will do anything to prevent the Empire gaining total dominion over the Galaxy. Driven to the Outer Rim, they prepare to start their work.
Just as memories of the Clone Wars die down... a Civil War is beginning again.
-
The last of the Emperor's plans is now coming into place. The Jedi are dead. The Inner Worlds are secure. The plans that will lead to the evenutal removal of the Imperial Senate are in place. His secret weapon is well into development, His grand plan he put into effect twenty years earlier is nearly complete. He just needs to tie up the final loose end.
At the personal command of Lord Vader, an Imperial Fleet has travelled to the world of Lanzar. Much of the Galactic fleet is still involved in securing the Galaxy. Putting forwards the resources for this operation has not been easy. Yet it has been given a huge priority for completon. The Fleet Admiral, his Captains, the assault commanders, squadron leaders, and administrators know that success in this mission is a matter of life and death- knowing, as they do, the short lifespan displeasing Lord Vader tends to bring.
Their mission is not easy, but it is simple. It is genocide. Lanzar is to be totally destroyed- every life form on it oblitterated. It must be cleared! Its inhabitants are evil, twisted abominations, a threat to the security of the Empire. Crush them!
Yet it will be a little harder than they wanted. Controversially, the Rebel Alliance has made a daring decision- they will aid in the defence of Lanzar. They do this out of altruism- the Empire is to be resisted at all costs, and no species deserves annhilation. Yet, it was a difficult decision. The inhabitants of Lanzar are not moral creatures. They are no-one's defintion of good guys. But there can be no more moral grey areas. The Empire is evil, it must be stopped, and letting it destroy an entire race when you could have helped is too much for the Alliance to stomach. It is a shame, though, for the inhabitants are a people much of the Galaxy would be happy to see the back of, and who have ensured that the Galaxy is in the state it is in. They helped destroy the Jedi.
For Lanzar is the homeworld of the Osokans.
Admist the wooden halls of the Hunting Lodges, the Rebels prepare the Osokan defences, to meet the coming onslaught of the Imperial invasion...
---
My answers in the quiz section talk of the three stage Bureau plan- hunting criminals, hunting Dark Siders, hunting Jedi. It left out part 4- self-destruction. The political side of the Bureau is no longer needed; the Agents are now full members of the Empire itself. And its combat arm, the Osokan hunting teams, are no longer needed- the Jedi are dead. Which leaves this world full of psychopathically dangerous pig-beings, heavily armed and trained with specific specialities in destroying Force users. Who in their right mind would leave THEM around? So the Emperor takes the simple solution that the Empire now affords him. Extermination! From the very start of the Bureau plotline in the recent Dark Side campaign, their end at the hands of the Empire was in place.
It is for this reason it is intended that the current Dark Side players play the Empire. Not simply for a continuity of bad guys- but because it will be EVERYTHING they wanted, based on the game so far! Every thought of revenge and irritation about the pig beings will be satisified. There will be no question over their motivation! The theme is meant to be something along the lines of:
"A neurowhip, eh? Nice piece of technology, Not quite as nice, though, as... MY AT-AT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
(all is destroyed)
Indeed, what the Imperial templates lack in tricks and fortune points, they make up in sheer force of power behind them; from Assault Generals to Star Destroyer captains, the players are in the vanguard of true Imperial might.
Meanwhile, the Rebel templates have the luck and the skill but BOY, do they lack the resources! Well equipped the Alliance may be, but they are designed to hit and run, not take on the Empire in pitched battles- and the Osokans may be very worthy allies, but their combat style is not designed for field warfare!
It is a different sort of game- no force powers, no Sith plots to destroy the Galaxy (except the very successful one to own it already in place)- but one that should be great fun to play. Aside from the Osokans themselves, several other links might exist from the current game, though it is not intended to be totally wedded to it.
One major problem of an Imperials vs. Rebels game is the possible dullness of it- indeed, in an interesting inversion, it is easy to write Imperial plots, but tricky to give the Rebels interesting things to do. It is for this reason that the Imperial Senate is mentioned. Imperial control is not quite complete in this time frame- remember, even by the time of ANH, Vader plans to fake the destruction of the Tantive IV in order to not look like he killed everyone, and until the Senate is disbanded, sympathy for the Rebellion exists. So it's not quite a matter of the Empire doing whatever it wants, and there might be considerable oppostion to it in some places! In the political arena, good guy Statesmen and Imperial administrators will clash to gain advantage in their ultimate plans.
Thematically, the game is the opposite to this one- the bad guys start out triumphant, and good guys beaten... but as time goes by, the good guys will gain in power, until, of course, the final undoing of everything that is going wrong in the current game.
The Battle of Lanzar is meant to be a fun starting point, a 'pilot' for the game, as it were. Much of that story is complete, though when this game is truly ready to run, I cannot really tell you. Still- I thought you woild like to know!
Any comments on either game, more than welcome.
__________________
"We've got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds everybody into Jawa burgers and not one of you buds has the midi-chlorians to stop her!"
"You've never had any TINY bit of sex, have you?"
BtVS
Last edited by Ushgarak on Apr 26th, 2005 at 08:52 PM
Gender: Male Location: St. Marys, Ohio
United States
Well, I for one think the Empire/rebellion game sounds interesting. I would like a chance to explore what may have happened between ROTS and ANH. When the game is ready to go, I'd like a chance to partiicpate. Did you mean by mentioning the Senate that there amy be senatorial characters open? That would be interesting. Politics has always interested me, and dealing with the Emperor's schemes would be a challenge. Sounds like fun, just let me know.
-Andy
__________________
'Jedi are at their best when things don't go as planned.' - Anakin Skywalker, whom we now know never met Andro Fenris.
Yes- the 'Heroes and Scoundrels' templates include two Senator variants. As I say, they will be opposed by the Imperial Administators, which is an Imperial template. It gives an extra dimension to the game to stop it being just one string of battles, which would run out of steam pretty fast.
Well, glad to see there is good feedback here! Nothing is going to happen in a hurry, but plot ideas are in place.
__________________
"We've got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds everybody into Jawa burgers and not one of you buds has the midi-chlorians to stop her!"
It is the time of the New Jedi Order, and the Vong invasion. The Galaxy, shattered by long civil wars, crumbles in the face of the relentless alien invasion. The planets of the New Republic give in to the invaders, or are shattered by invasion. Master Luke Skywalker's fledgling Jedi order cannot defend aginst such dreadful forces, and his Knights have not the maturity, wisdom, power or skill of the Order of old.
When Coruscant falls, the Republic falls into pieces- and even then, the Vong have not yet finished unleashing their power. Unleashing their long-hidden Reserve Strike Fleet, let by one of their deadliesr Warlords they attack the back door of the Republic, determined to quickly strike and crush all remaining areas that could provide powerful resistance outisde the now subjugated Inner Worlds. The New Jedi Order and the remants of Republican resistance can offer no help. The worlds are on their own. All Master Skywalker can do is wait, and feel the cries of the dying.
But then, amazing news. A vast ground and fleet battle has been fought around the world of Vita Five. The system, offering unexpected resistance to the fleet, felt the full might of the Vong war machine, as the entire Vong fleet was called in to baslt the system, and all those surrounding it, into oblivion.
That was their plan. Instead, the Vong found themselves ambushed by a fleet flying the Republican flag, which no-one knew existed. The battle of Vita Five was a victory for the Republic. The Vong forces were soundly defeated on ground and in space, the survivors hunted down and destroyed. Rumour has it that the young General who masterminded the counterstroke boarded the Vong flagship and slew the Warlord in single combat.
As the Vong Reserve Fleet is annhilated, suddenly the Vong find their flanks at risk to these unexpetced enemy forces. Briefly, they pause their campaighn, as they re-organise their strategy. To the Republic, this is nothing short of a miracle.
The New Jedi Order, and remaining Republican forces, rush to try and form some form of strategic link with these new forces. They fear that this fleet will meet them with disdain, as no hope was offered to these abandoned worlds. But instead, the General sends a message, saying he will be happy to meet General Skywalker and give the Order any help it requires.
Many were there to witness the arrival of the general. He landed in a glorious frigate of classic design, armed to the hilt and carrying itsbattle scars, and the flag of the Republic. A full honour guard, smartly dressed and well-drilled, accompanied the General- yet it stood to one side as the General stepped into the Jedi temple. He went in alone.
Perhaps feeling the force of his personality, no-one spoke as he walked through the ancient halls and made his way to the Council Chamber of Master Skywalker himself. And only as he entered his chamber did the attendant Jedi realise the General was carrying the weapon with wheich he slew the warlord- because at his belt, there hung a lightsabre.
The General entered the chamber and met the gaze of all around him. Then, he knelt down in front of Master Skywalker, and lay his Lightsabre out in front of him.
"Master," he said. "My name is Elian Kuylen. And I want to be a Jedi... like my father before me."
-
Extract from Elian Kuylen's interview with one of the Council
"You seem curiously well trained for someone seeking instruction."
"These are times when one has been forced to look to one's own talents. Only now has the opportunity for formal training become available."
"How could you have slain that warlord with your sabre without training?"
"I am a Charnel. I do not need training to know how to use a weapon."
"You are too old! There is too much danger in your training!"
"From what I hear, the Jedi Order today has trained people more dangerous than I!"
"That is no reason to compound the error!"
"I think you should ask yourselves if you can afford to turn down my help."
"At what price! How can we be convinced of your stability? It is known what happened to your father."
"And what was that?"
"He became a Sith!"
"NO!"
A moment of silence.
"My father was killed by the Sith! And I know which side I am on."
-
The report to Master Skywalker
"I cannot recommend it. Talented he may be, but he is too old. Besides, evemn if he speaks the truth- how can we possibly justify training a Jedi whose main motivation is to get revenge on the forces of evil that killed his father? That's just... um..."
(The Council member petered to a halt as he met Skywalker's amused look)
"I meant no disrespect, Master."
"Of course not. How good is he?"
"Is that relevant?"
"The whole Galaxy is under threat. He can help. Yes, it is relevant."
"... He has been sparring with the others."
"And?"
"He's better than any of them. I..."
"Say what is on your mind."
"I am not sure if you are better than him, Master Skywalker."
"Hmmm..."
"He can't be trained! If he turns out like his father..."
"And if he does not? He might save EVERYTHING. This... will bear investigation...."
---
When Kuylen's son turns up at the New Jedi Order, asking to have his self-taught training completed by Master Skywalker himself, there are some who see him as divine deliverance, and some who see him as a greater threat than the Vong Warmaster. The truth must be found.
The players would play a panel of NJO members, Repuiblican military forces, or Republican politicians (in the Mothma mould) who form a small group with the singular purpose of assessing Elian Kuylen's suitability for training. If he is genuine, then Skywalker is right- he could save everything. But if something is wrong... well. That can only too easily be gussed.
Where did he come from? Who was his mother? Is he REALLY self-taught? And is there something more to his victory over the Vong than there seems?
And what is that stone tablet he carries with him at all times...?
__________________
"We've got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds everybody into Jawa burgers and not one of you buds has the midi-chlorians to stop her!"
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Apr 26th, 2005 05:21 PM
