Topic: OOC: Species of the Freespace Universe

Astronautica

Date: 2010-10-12 10:53 EST
In order to give the rest of the RPers of RDI a bit of background (since not everyone will have played the game Freespace and it's kickass sequel, Freespace 2), this thread will go over the three types of species in Freespace: Terrans, Vasudans, and Shivans.

DISCLAIMER: These posts will be copied directly from the Freespace Wiki, who in turn takes their descriptions from Volition, Inc., the developers of the game. I make no claim of originality to these posts, and they are used for informational purposes ONLY.

Astronautica

Date: 2010-10-12 10:58 EST
((OOC Note: Yes, I know. We're all familiar with Terrans, aka humans, but for informational purposes I'm putting the Freespace Wiki entry in anyway.))

Terrans, or humans, are bipedal, carbon-based life forms that evolved from primates several thousand years ago on the third planet in the Sol system. They have an internal skeleton that supports and protects all their internal organs, musculature, and external skin.

Physiology

Compared to Vasudans or Shivans, or even many terrestrial animals, humans are physically weak, able to lift only slightly more than their own body weight (although the species encompasses a wide variety of exceptions). Humans have circumvented this weakness by using their relatively compact and powerful brains to develop tools that give them advantages over their adversaries and the ability to manipulate/change their environments. The ability to reason and use logic has enabled this species to outsmart their competitors. The combination of intelligence and versatility has given the Terran species the flexibility it needed to adapt to the various threats it has faced, and allowed Terrans to evolve from tribal, nomadic primates (not entirely unlike their progenitors) to a spacefaring race.

Culture

Terran culture is founded on the premise of social equality of all Terrans.

Terrans are permitted to choose their own careers, and do what they enjoy within the limits of safety. Customs vary widely depending on the original nationality of the individual. Clothing is always worn and is frequently stylized depending on the occasion. Terran language is based on American English, which was a homogenization of several older languages. Religion is entirely dependent on the individual, with little government interference.

While the individual human is usually polite, reasonable, and educated, as a group they can often exhibit irrational behavior. Politicians and dictators in the past have exploited these traits for their own gain. The Vasudans view Terrans as a particularly arrogant and paranoid race.

Technology

Terran ship design has not far departed from the utilitarian cylindrical segments and boxes that made up the first Terran spaceships and space stations. Dull grays and beiges were hallmarks of Terran design through the 24th century. They were utilitarian and cheap to produce, with embellishment limited to stripes of paint and squadron insignia. Despite this, Terran design aesthetics have held to the military-industrial themes. Legendary warships like the GTF Apollo, GTB Medusa, and GTD Orion are considered by many to represent the finest in unadulterated Terran design. The familiar lines and sturdy blocks are reassuring reminders of the durability and power of the ships. After Vasudan and Shivan technologies began being implemented, Terran design took a softer turn. Fighters and bombers became the hot-rods of their generation, with the sleek GTF Hercules Mark II, GTB Artemis, and GTCv Deimos adorning many a Terran teenager's wall.

Weaponry on Terran ships is very diverse, reflecting both Terran adaptability for different circumstances and the philosophy that pilots should be able to customize their loadout to their own tastes. All-purpose weapons such as the Subach HL-7, Avenger, and Prometheus are complemented by weapons that have a special effect upon their targets, like the kinetic effect of the Flail rifle and the energy-draining abilities of the Lamprey. Kinetic-energy weapons were widely used until pulse cannons were developed. Early energy-based weapons were distinctly gaseous in their aural signatures and visual identifications, due to the use of gases like argon and nitrogen used to intensify the laser pulses. Later weaponry used during the second Shivan conflict put more of an emphasis on plasma and electromagnetic weapons, such as the Circe.

Terran missile design is mostly dependent on brute force, rather than finesse. Heavy ordnance like the Phoenix line of heavy missiles and the Cyclops torpedo annihilate large targets, as Terrans prefer to use their primary weapons against smaller, faster targets. Many of the lighter missiles, such as the Interceptor, used by Terran fighters were only made possible through Vasudan improvements in aspect lock times and engine speeds.

The heavy beam cannons mounted on most NTF era Terran warships were first known to be mounted on the GTI's pet project, the GTD Hades, and was poised to overtake the surviving forces of the GTA and PVN towards the end of the Great War. The ill-fated rebellion of these engineers in their bid to overthrow the Galactic Terran Alliance apparently led to the development of the comparatively advanced weaponry. Many ship classes were re-outfitted with these new weapons, but, according to the tech room, this wasn't always practical, the primary motivation for the decommissioning of many GVD Typhon destroyers was their particular problems with the integration of large beam cannons. Several variants appear to exist, some firing a steady, unmoving beam, other "slashing" across the hull area of the target. These 'slash' beams maximize the spread of the beam fire on a wide arc across the target's hull, increasing the chances of disabling subsystems and turrets. Both Slash beams and Line-of-Sight (LOS) beams are standard by the time of the Second Shivan Incursion on Terran and Vasudan warships.

Astronautica

Date: 2010-10-12 11:06 EST
http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/images/Vasudans.jpg

Vasudans, much like Terrans, are carbon-based bipeds, standing upright with their two arms and hands used to manipulate tools. Usually standing at least several feet taller than Terrans, the skeletal-looking Vasudan frame conceals a powerful musculature. Vasudans have brown, mottled skin, and a durable biological system that allows them to withstand the extremely harsh conditions of their homeworld.

History

Vasudans originated on the fourth planet of the Vasuda system, the only planet in that system that is capable of supporting life. Known as Vasuda Prime, it is a relatively hostile world. Both of the twin continents of Vasuda Prime are almost entirely desert, and most of the above-ground water is, even by Vasudan standards, undrinkable. In order to adapt to these surroundings, Vasudans developed quite rapidly.

The Vasudans made first contact with the Terrans sometime prior to 2321, the starting date of the Terran-Vasudan War. Little data is available on the early days of Terran-Vasudan contact, but it can be assumed to have been quite strained, as it took what seems, through Terran eyes, to be a relatively minor event (a Terran mishandling of a Vasudan ritual known as "The Conversation") to trigger a war between the two species. This war dragged on for fourteen years, until the arrival of the Shivans in 2335.

The Shivans were not selective in their xenocide, attacking both Terrans and Vasudans indiscriminately, and technologically superior to both. Faced with such a foe, the Terrans and Vasudans formed a military alliance against them. Through this alliance, both Terran and Vasudan technology advanced considerably, with the development of fighter-based shields and subspace drives, and subspace tracking, but it came with a terrible price. The Shivan flagship, the SD Lucifer, attacked the Vasudan homeworld from orbit, bombarding it for over seventeen hours, leaving the surface uninhabitable and killing billions. Shortly after this, the Lucifer was destroyed in the Delta Serpentis-Sol jump corridor, effectively ending the war against the Shivans.

Despite the loss of their homeworld, Vasudan society continued on in the post-war era, and managed to recover relatively well. With Vasuda Prime uninhabitable, the capital was moved to Aldebaran and for several years Vasudan society continued in a vein similar to that of the pre-war years. In 2339, however, this came to an abrupt end when the parliament that had ruled the Vasudan race during the previous years was put aside by the Vasudan emperor, Khonsu II, and a new government was formed. Led by the emperor, a leader of unusual acumen and wisdom, this new government led a species-wide economic, social, and industrial reconstruction that considerably surpassed the fractured efforts of the Terrans.

Ten years after the Great War, in 2345, the first official Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance was signed. This treaty recognized the autonomy of the two member races, but provided the framework of mutual defense and trade agreements that would become the founding principles of a far stonger alliance. Following the signing of this treaty, Khonsu instigated the Colossus project, a massive joint project that would have theoretically defended both species from any future Shivan incursions.

It took twelve years, but in 2358 the Beta Aquilae Convention (BETAC) solidified the alliance that already existed, recognizing the Vasudan Imperium as one of the three supreme authorities in Terran-Vasudan space (along with the General Assembly and the Security Council) as a part of the unified government of the Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance. Though the Vasudans and Terrans maintain separate fleets, these flees exist under a common command structure. Technology and information are openly and freely exchanged between the two species.

In approximately 2366, Vasudan society was shaken by the emergence of the Neo Terran Front, a Terran rebel group with a strong anti-Vasudan ideology. The NTF exploited the Terran bitterness and jealousy over the near-miraculous recovery of the Vasudan society and economy after the Great War, and brought to light simmering tensions between the two theoretically unified species.

In 2367, eighteen months after this rebellion began, however, a greater threat presented itself, in the form of the return of a stronger Shivan armada. This new Shivan fleet was far more dangerous than the Lucifer fleet, and managed to destroy the entire Capella system. At the same time, however, the NTF rebellion was finally put down, largely by the GTVA Colossus and its fleet. It is not known what impact these events will have on Vasudan society into the future.

Culture

At their core, the Vasudans are a civilization of philosophers, artists, and scholars rather than warriors. They immerse themselves in the teachings of those who came before them, perceiving history not as a linear chronology of events but as a space inhabited by both the living and the dead. To the Terran outsider, Vasudan society appears convoluted and ritualistic. The Vasudans themselves may seem arrogant, treacherous, and superstitious. On the other hand, Vasudans tend to view Terrans as aggressive, paranoid, and stupid. Thirty years of peaceful interaction between Terrans and Vasudans has helped to deconstruct these stereotypes.

Vasudan society is complex and filled with peril for the outsider ignorant of their culture. Vasudans have a range of social tests and protocols, such as The Conversation. A Terran mishandling of "The Conversation" is presumed to be one of the major causes of the Terran-Vasudan War. Prior to the ascension of Khonsu II, The Vasudan government was parliamentary in nature, though it was technically presided over by the Imperial family, in a dynasty that had endured for over ten thousand years, and the Ambassadors, who are quasi-royal go-betweens for the Parliament and the Imperium. This parliament was notorious for its Byzantine treachery, corruption, and arrogance.

The crowning achievement of the Vasudan civilization is its language. For the average Terran, the formalities governing its usage are beyond comprehension. Syntax and vocabulary are dictated by such factors as the speaker's age, rank, and caste, the time of day and the phase of the Vasudan calendar, and the relative spatial position of the speaker to the Emperor. This is further compounded by the existence of several alphabets, dozens of verb tenses, and thousands of dialects. A translation device is standard on all GTVA communications systems, enabling Terrans and Vasudans to mutually understand each other.

Technology

Vasudan space exploration has been driven primarily by the need to find planets capable of sustaining their species. During the Great War, Vasudan technology was approximately on par with that of the Terrans, though it remains unclear whether this was the result of independent development, or theft of advanced technology by one or both parties. As the military and social links between the two races became stronger following the war, technological development homogenized due to the free exchange of technology and information promoted by BETAC. Despite this, Vasudan technology remains superior in some areas, such as reactor development. They also have quirks which promote technological development along specific lines, such as the Mekhu HL-7, a Vasudan variant of a Terran weapon, altered to increase the range and firing rate, though at the cost of sheer hitting power.

Because the Vasudan homeworld was primarily desert, the Terrans used Egyptian names to designate Vasudan warships during the Terran-Vasudan War and the Great War. After the defeat of the Shivans, the Vasudans insisted on maintaining this convention. The Emperor strongly identified with the history of Ancient Egypt, particularly the longevity of its civilization. Following their Emperor's example, Vasudans will take on what they call a Terran name from the myths and history of Ancient Egypt.

Astronautica

Date: 2010-10-12 11:21 EST
http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/images/Shivans.jpg

Physiology

Shivans have multiple eyes, some of which seem to have the function of compound eyes, not unlike some varieties of insects. Shivans also have five legs, and can run equally well over a floor or over a ceiling. It has been hypothesized that Shivans may have spent their evolutionary process in a zero-gravity environment. Each Shivan leg ends in a very strong claw, capable of crushing even the sturdiest of known alloys. Parts of their thorax seem to act as compartments, such as ones that might be found on a space suit. It has been suggested that what we have actually seen have been either robots or organic creatures in some sort of exo-skeleton. However, we have, at present, no reason to support either hypothesis.

Their insect-like carapace does not appear original to the creature's physiology, suggesting the Shivans are a cybernetic fusion of biology and technology. The integrated plasma weapon also exhibits properties of an organic artificial fusion. The weapon may be a kind of focusing device powered by the energy of the being itself, though this point is the subject of heated controversy. These details are cited as evidence that the Shivans could not have evolved as the Terran or Vasudan species had, but that they were likely constructed by another entity. Only a handful of Shivans have ever been captured, and all research on live specimens ended with the Galactic Terran Intelligence's (GTI) Hades Rebellion in 2336. The results of these studies remain highly classified.

History

Despite what information we've been able to obtain, Shivans still remain, on many levels, an enigma to both the Terrans and Vasudans. Their origin and their destination remain unknown. While many have offered up possible explanations as to why the Shivans seem focused on the destruction of all other sentient species, we still do not know why they seem bent on total xenocide.

According to Ancient artifacts, the Shivans seem to possess some kind of sensitivity to subspace disturbances. While it is unknown why the Shivans returned to now-GTVA space in 2335 and 2367, it may have been by chance, cycle, or by the detection of Terran-Vasudan subspace travel and/or conflict.

In the ending of Descent: Freespace, the protagonist speculates that the Shivans as a race are not necessarily evil, saying that "the Shivans are the great destroyers but also the great preservers". Their role was to exterminate other species who advanced beyond their ordained place in the cosmic order. It is postulated had it not been for the Shivans' intervention 8000 year ago, the Ancients may have grown so powerful that the Terrans and Vasudans may not have been able to survive. In turn the protagonist realizes that the Terrans' expansion would have made them a threat to any other fledgling species.

One theory, suggested by Admiral Petrarch in the end monologue of FreeSpace 2 (the ending where the player survives), is that the Shivans are a nomadic race cut off from home, much like the Terrans are from theirs since the end of the Great War. This theory goes on to speculate that the Shivans used the Capellan supernova to create some form of "bridge", allowing travel to another (their home) universe.

Culture

Xenobiologists know very little about Shivan society. A leading hypothesis is the hive mind theory, arguing that Shivan society is broken down in specialized functions driven by a collective intelligence. The most convincing evidence supporting this theory is the behavior of Shivan forces following the destruction of the SD Lucifer, the turning point of the Great War. Other experts caution against attributing insectoid properties to the Shivans, regardless of their appearance and behavior. Shivan communication seems to occur through quantum waves; Admiral Aken Bosch's ETAK project was successful in decoding their transmissions, but all data concerning that project has been classified at the highest level.

However, due to the capture of the specifications of the ETAK project, it is possible that the GTVA may try to communicate with the Shivans at some point in the future, or possibly create a device to monitor and/or disrupt their communications. Either of these possibilities may hold the key to surviving a future Shivan incursion, as from the last two major encounters, it is evident that the Shivans exponentially increase their power between campaigns against other beings.

Technology

Shivan technology has proved baffling for both Terran and Vasudan scientists. Although their weapons and technology by necessity obey the same physical laws, the systems of Shivan craft seem to be fully integrated with the pilot's biology, making it difficult, but still possible, to use their spacecraft for espionage and spying. Only three documented successful missions have been carried out using retrofitted Shivan spacecraft to traverse Shivan territory under disguise.

Shivan technology is also much more advanced than most Terran or Vasudan capabilities, since reverse-engineering captured Shivan technology has led to tremendous advances in shielding, beam weaponry, energy and other weapon systems. Shivan primary weapons are portrayed as inferior to their Terran and Vasudan counterparts, though this is arguably simply a matter of game balance. Shivans also rely on their heavy shielding and use little armor plating on their fighters. The Shivans also have an inclination towards the color red; almost all Shivan vessels exhibit a red color scheme. Oddly enough, most if not all Shivan warships are somewhat modeled after animals; for example, the SJ Sathanas appears to be a huge insect with wings as a shielding; the SD Demon, which appears to have tentacles; the SD Ravana, which clearly resembles a strange-looking insect.