Awesome post, Sardonic. I'm really loving the in-game narrative this game seems to write so easily. It's like each of our games has its own epic story to tell. Yeah... it makes so much sense now. If I had just attacked their WH generators from the start I could have saved myself sooo much trouble. The AI doesn't seem to be as smart about protecting its own generators... might be a different bag for human opponents.
Chapter 1: The CNS Fleet and the 1st Rutharian War. So in a similar vein to Don's race my race has been in several brutal and protracted wars against my neighbors. I am going to detail both of the major ones as the numerous smaller border skirmishes that took place between the two main conflicts are really not that important other then some minor fleet engagements and a world or two was lost. The next few screens are a progress of the various wars, and the story of Pavel Kamarov, Hero of the Commonwealth of man and the greatest soldier the Commonwealth of Mankind has yet produced. We begin our story at the close of the year 2281 and the new years declaration of war on the insidious Rutharian Centralized States. The Rutharians are a repugnant mix of beetle/mollusk/and slug whose soul goal was the conquest and extermination of their neighbors. Early on several various problems began developing between our two races as Rutharian ships would often times pursue out scouts out of unclaimed systems between the two empires, and before long this necessitated the building of a pair of new fleets to supplement the main pirate hunting task force that began the fleets vaunted career. Pavel Komarov was a product of the old fleet which had been formed and tempered under the shrewd leadership of Vice Admiral Jie Wang since 2241 when the previous fleet Vice Admiral Amanda Kincannon past away suddenly in her sleep. Vice Admiral Jie Wang had envisioned a quick responsive set of three fleets that could quickly engage and tie down any threat to the empire whilst the other two flanked and wreck the economy of main shipyards of an enemy Empire. These tactics had gain traction in the minds of the Commonwealths military leaders, as it had allowed the empire win several skirmishes against the fledgling Grollferp Administration in the Brush wars between 2251-2275. They fleet was structured into it's three wings at the battle of Bysh against the "Cryssalids" a primitive sentient fleet of crystalline structures boasting quite powerful weapons that could only recently be overcome by superior fleet tactics. In the engagement the captain of "CNS Myrmidon" Pavel Komarov fearlessly steered a course that allowed his Point defense batteries to engage and destroy several incoming Chyssalid Spines before they could destroy the Destroyer "Enfield" and thus save the crew. For this distinction and his exemplary service in support of the fleet Komarov was promoted to Rear Admiral to serve directly under Vice Admiral Jie Wang. Thus was the situation at the end of 2281 and the beginning of the First Rutharian War. The initial stages of the Rutharian campaign started auspiciously enough, an invitation from the Dethakkan Hierarchy to finally put an end to our mutual foe was accepted and Vice Admiral Wang put the fleets into position to invade the northern Reaches of the RCS (Rutharian Centralized States). RCS forces had been arrayed against the possible Dethakkan threat and it was assumed that the brunt of the initial strike would be born by the Xeno species while Human pure stock would gain glory in the destruction of the shipyards above Ruthar the capital of the RCS, and achieve in one fell swoop the destruction of the only fall back point the RCS could rely upon. But within the first month of the conflict the plan fell to tatters, bad management by Vice Admiral Wang found the fleet floundering in a protracted siege of the initial objectives on the border, and powerful RCS fleet was able to assemble and bear down on the Admirals Large main task force in the border system of Vhallas just as the Admiral was spreading ships out for the destruction of the enemy installations in system. Quickly Wang called a tactical retreat to Citadel. Back inside Commonwealth space Wang monitored the enemy fleet and sent word for all his commanders to assault Vhallas at once, in an attempt to wreck the Rutharian 5th fleet that was now concentrated there. Rear Admiral Valeria Corsini was the first to make jump into her system with the powerful 3rd Strike force of Destroyer and Cruisers newly assembled in Deneb with somewhat Raw crews. They quickly engaged the RCS 5th Fleet above Vhallas and within 24 hours Vice Admiral Wang and Newly promoted Rear Admiral Komarov entered systems with their 2nd and 1st Strike forces respectively, Wang's being as large as both others combined. The fighting was fierce and many CNS ships were lost initial torpedo salvo from the RCS ships, but it appeared as though the Commonwealth ships would break the RCS line of battle, until the 1st RCS crusade fleet arrived. This elite formation was composed of nearly 100 ships of the Corvette size and bristled with firepower, fast engines, and very little else. They raked the 2nd Strike group and destroyed the Cruiser CNS Nebula, Vice Admiral Wang's flagship, in one pass and nearly 20% of the fleet before cohesion was re-established. By this point nearly 60% of the CNS fleet was out of action, either from destruction of mortal damage. Rear Admiral Corsilani found herself in command but her ship suffered a Catastrophic engine failure and all 1500 of her crew were lost. This left Komarov at the head of the remnants of the fleet which he quickly ordered to withdraw, the retreat became a panic as the 1st Crusaders turned for another pass on the fleet but quick timed jumps managed to save all the remnants from the point Komarov took command. Back on the capital Unity, in the Deneb system the fleet took stock and found that only 3 out of every 10 ships engaged had been destroyed, as well as the flagships of the two primary fleets and most of the escorts as well. Total losses were tabulated at 28 of the 2nd Strike forces 31 ships, 10 of the 3rd Strike forces 18 ships and 14 of the 26 in the First strike forces ships. Disproportionately however the escorted had been mauled worse leaving the fleet at the mercy of the fast moving 1st Crusader fleet which now seemed poised to strike at the heart of Commonwealth territory. Komarov however did not share in the widespread panic now being felt throughout the empire, even going before the Grand Mashall and claiming that "While the defeat had been nearly fatal, as long as even one ship was left in the CNS fleet the Commonwealth was as dangerous to the Rutharian Scourge as they were when the fleet had 100 ships." And in short order he set about to prove this, consolidating the remnants of the 3 strike groups into one battered fleet Komarov laid plans for a new fleet to be assembled in the Citadel, Deneb, and Elderak systems, as well as the recall of the Dethakkan picket fleet of 5 Corvettes into his own fleet hew now refereed to as the "Grand Armada." And sure enough Komarov proceeded to win a string of tactical victories against Rutharian raider fleets whilst tying down the 1st Crusaders with feints and pivots, forcing them to constantly double back and tieing down nearly 3 times his number in ships and destroying a good many of them piecemeal as they tried to attack Mining colonies and the Drydocks above Citadel. By 2294 the fleet which had been laid down in late 2283 was finally ready for employment on the border so tenaciously defended by the "Grand Armada," and in a lighting strike Komarov stuck out towards the Vhallas shipyards with his Grand Fleet instructing the newly formed Deneb fleet to hold for his hyperjump signal to attack at a moments notice. Within a week the 1st crusaders as well as every ship within jump range of Vhallas had responded to the tiny fleet now attempting to destroy their lifeline, quickly descending on the small fleet as it apparently attempted to escape to the edge of the gravity well, the Rutharian command was shocked when a massive warp gate ripped open in front of their fleet to disgorge a host nearly equal in size and far superior in firepower to their fast moving long ranged corvettes. The ambush had been laid perfectly and Komarov quickly decimated the Rutharian elite shattering the once mighty empires best fleet in a single blow and leaving Vhallas and the rest of the northern Rutharian reaches undefended. Within a few months the Rutharians would sue for peace and Cede the valuable Vhallas system to the Commonwealths noble cause. Admiral Komarov had been instumental in the defense of the Commonwealth and he was awarded the "Hero of Mankind" award for his bravery, selflessness, and coolness under fire. But his victories in this war would be followed by nearly 15 years of bitter insurgancy on the part of Vhallas's population culminating in what some unenlightened races have refered to as "Genocide" but was merely the culling of the cancerous Rutharian presence upon the planet. Continued in chapter two.....
I haven't had the amount of time to devote to this as I would like, but so far its been fun and a little challenging. I named my civ the Skjalborg Dominion and made them as close to tentacled space vikings as I could get.
Before the 3rd Aiselian Maelstrom (what I have been calling my crusades): After the 3rd Aiselian Maelstrom: Witth the exception of my green neighbor immediately east, everything within yellow represents my own territory or my vassals. During this most recent Maelstrom, sacred waters cleansed the Allied Kemplar Tribes and Divine Dell'Nudar Covenant to heel. The Allied Kemplar Tribes were little more than the deceived subjects of the Dell'Nudar, and, soon after they were broken, they readily welcomed enlightment and integration into the Aiselian Tidepools of Syr'Ahkal. The Dell'Nudar, on the other hand, were another story. They had been one of the most powerful and wealthy empires in the known galaxy, and it took us nearly twenty years to bring them to their knees. Even after we had, we found their blasphemy to be unbearably pervasive throughout their former worlds. So indoctrinated were they with their falsehoods and sacrilegious ideology that we waged a different war of sorts- a war of the soul. Just as you would expect, this was a conflict infinitely more arduous than the routing of their armies and the breaking of their fleets. Over one hundred twenty years passed before the last remnants of blasphemy vanished. Meanwhile, I was forced to turn my attention inward to deal with separatists that arose from the territories taken 1st Aiselian Maelstrom. In the end I decided to purge three systems of their heretical thoughts- freeing room for the more pious and devout to resettle the planets. Five factions remain as of me writing this- all with very minimal and nonvocal support. My empire is in a very healthy state right now. I sincerely doubt that anyone will be able to seriously challenge me from here on out. I am at nearly maximum naval capacity, and I have enough income rolling in that I can bring about 62.5% of my fleet (The 1st Convert Vanguard, 1st and 2nd Convert Assault Fleets, and the 2nd Abyssal Assault fleet) to bear in offensive actions indefinitely without running a deficit even outside of dry dock. If needed, I can level a full 85% of my forces (all of the aforementioned + the 1st Abyssal Assault fleet) offensively for a prolonged period of time before my deficit will put me in danger of bankruptcy. In the event that I take any significant losses, I have a positive mineral income of over 800 a month, so I can finance replenishing my navy pretty heavily if needed. I will likely begin the 4th Aiselian Maelstrom tomorrow evening. The elders have yet to consult the galactic tides, so I cannot say upon which shores the mighty waves of Syr'Ahkal will break. The Kithri Star League to the north of our current holdings have been spouting off a lot of hostile rhetoric. Though of inconsequential strength, they represent one of the largest remaining powers in that sector. If they fall, so will most of the smaller empires closer to the galactic core until I rotate around to the NE sector. Alternatively, perhaps the interstellar ebb and flow will bring us to the East. It has been over three centuries since we broke up the Zracon Empire and Zencoppa Collective, and the resulting power vacuum has lead to over a dozen of inconsequential, and spiritually misguided, empires rising and falling constantly. While none of them pose even the shadow of a threat, and some of them aren't even hostile, I can't help but feel that they could all benefit from some enlightenment.
I should have known giving Don the ability to conquer the universe would bring entertainment. Purge the heritics
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...llaris-dev-diary-33-the-maiden-voyage.932668/ Some good and important additions and changes coming soon.
