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About Star Conquest

What Is Star Conquest?

Star Conquest is a text-based roleplaying game with a pulp science fiction theme, drawing influences from 50s/60s-era space age optimism and space opera. Players in Star Conquest take on the role of civilian starship pilots, and can expect to encounter many varieties of heroes and villains, humans and aliens, and new and strange technologies as the game's story advances. We aim to hold a major event that moves the plot forward every one to two weeks, in addition to numerous minor events in between. We strongly emphasize roleplaying, and we're willing to interact with players on an individual basis for an immersive experience.

Star Conquest's history diverges from our own in the 1970s, with all Apollo moon landings being completed as originally scheduled. NASA is then petitioned by the public to continue exploring the solar system and to abandon its near-Earth shuttle program. By the 1990s, space technology is booming and other projects (most notably information technology) have been shoved aside. Thematically, Star Conquest projects the space age of the 1950s forward 300 years from our present time, creating a universe with ray guns (in the form of sonic weaponry), lasers, vast space stations, mysterious aliens, and space itself always just a quick hop away. Things that weren't imagined in the 50s and 60s, like our vast advances in computing and the existence of the internet, have no place in the Star Conquest world.

Star Conquest has four alliances that players can initially join.

Alliance of Extrasolar Unions, or AEU

Summary: The AEU is an alliance with high ideals and a thirst for exploration and discovery. They are not known for their fighting prowess, and their starships in battle often take a support role. Their sensory and spacedrive technology are superior.

History: Between the years 2142 and 2165, the members of the United Nations on Earth combined their efforts and settled a number of colony worlds. The first of these was also one of the most lush planets ever settled, and became known as New Earth. The effort ended abruptly in 2165, when the space development bubble suddenly burst, sending Earth into a worldwide depression. Without resupply or even much in the way of contact, the colony worlds were left to fend for themselves. In 2186, the colonies recognized their common interests by forming the first multi-world government, known as the Alliance of Extrasolar Unions. The homeworld did not take well to their news, and by 2188, a desire to assert control became the impetus for Earth's return to space. By 2194, this tension had exploded into the first interstellar war, subsequently won by the AEU. In 2197, the AEU became the first recognized sovereign interstellar government.

League of Old Earth Democracies, or League

Summary: The League is an old government, tracing its roots back to the members of the United Nations on Earth. For this reason, corruption has taken hold in many aspects of the League government. Despite this, the League remains strong, and is renowned for its skill in trading and shipbuilding. The League builds the most durable ships, often carefully balancing between offensive and defensive capability.

History: By 2165, the United Nations on Earth had each expended their resources on expansion into space, and the bottom abruptly dropped out of their economies. Full recovery took almost 20 years, and was not complete until the prospect of war against the newly-formed Alliance of Extrasolar Unions spurred a return to space. Unfortunately, Earth lost this war within three years, and faith in the United Nations governments continued to decline. Seizing the moment, the Hispanic bloc was elected into power and quickly instituted a series of reforms. By 2200, the Earth governments were newly reformed into the League of Old Earth Democracies, an interstellar government ironically modeled after the AEU. Though the balance of power has shifted several times since then, the government itself has endured, and has successfully retained control over Old Earth's few remaining extrasolar colonies.

Confederation of Fringe Worlds, or Fringe

Summary: The Fringe Worlds are not a wealthy alliance, but they make up for it with hardiness and ferocity in battle. Led by a dictator who came to power in a military coup, and who has a rather forgiving attitude toward piracy, the Fringe is not the most stable government but it has nonetheless endured many hardships.

History: In 2209, the League of Old Earth Democracies had formed in the wake of global depression on Old Earth. The world government, dominated at this time by the Hispanic bloc, launched a new expansion into space, settling many colony worlds. But in 2233, the effort ended abruptly as the American/European bloc again strove to assert its dominance. With a newly unsympathetic government in place on the homeworld, the colony worlds drew together, forming an interstellar government known as the Confederation of Fringe Worlds and declaring their independence. The League predictably responded by launching an attack, but the Fringe Worlds, despite their scant resources, responded with unexpected ferocity. When the AEU sided with the new government in 2242, the war was all but won. In 2245, the Fringe Worlds were formally recognized as a sovereign interstellar government.

Sovereign Mutuality of Disparate Freemen, or Mutuality

Summary: The Mutuality is by far the newest alliance, only recognized in 2306. With a fierce independent streak and a difficult existence on the edge of Known Space, its members are known for a no-nonsense attitude, a resentment of control, and a strong will to survive.

History: Throughout the history of the AEU, League, and Fringe, there were many people who ventured away from their homeworlds not just seeking profit, but also independence. Renouncing their citizenship and retreating into uncharted space, these people lived difficult but often satisfying lives on antique starships and unstable space stations. They eventually formed into clans and alliances, with constantly shifting allegiances, but to the people back in charted space, they all were known only as "the unregistered." In 2306, with the Outsider War raging, the alliances gained the unexpected help of several unregistered clans and cartels, who had banded together in order to conduct the war. Grateful for the assistance, the alliances quickly recognized this group as a sovereign government, which began calling itself the Sovereign Mutuality of Disparate Freemen. Unfortunately, much of this gratitude dissipated when the Mutuality retreated before the end of the war, but it is still recognized as an alliance in its own right.

For more information on Star Conquest, both its background and events that players actually experienced during the game, please read the detailed timelines below.

Timeline: From Earth to the Stars

This timeline tells the story of humanity's transition into space, and from single-nation governments to alliances of worlds that stretch across lightyears.


Timeline: Expanding Horizons

This timeline tells the story of humanity's first contact with other species, including the peaceful but powerful Jinu, and their future overlords, the Outsiders.

(This timeline also describes major events from the time of the game's opening to players till its long hiatus.)


Timeline: The Fall of the Human Interalliance

This timeline tells the story of the Outsider War and humanity's eventual occupation by these powerful aliens.

(This is a list of events taking place during Star Conquest's downtime and redevelopment.)


Timeline: The Resistance

This timeline tells the story of humanity's resistance against the Outsiders and its emergence from the underground.

(This timeline also describes major events taking place after the opening of Star Conquest: Catalyst, the game's second major iteration.)

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