Star Control Origins

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Star Contol: Origins is both the fourth game in the Star Control franchise and a reboot of it. It takes place in a different universe from previous Star Control games in order to provide a fresh story timeline to work with. It is being developed by Stardock Entertainment for the PC Windows platform, with editions for XBox One and Playstation 4 and Switch expected to be released later. The game is currently in development. A public Beta of its combat mode, "Fleet Battles", is currently in beta with the final release of the full game in summer 2018.

Concept

Star Control: Origins is a space role-playing game which puts the player in command of Earth's prototype interstellar ship. The game features both hyperspace and solar system travel, with a third person lander mode for resource collection and exploration of planetary bodies. Combat between aliens is handled via a top down 2D arcade-style combat system dubbed "Fleet Battles" in which each ship has a range of attack powers and abilities. Fleet Battles is available as an external mode as well, with the additional option of allowing the player to design their own ships.

Plot

Star Control: Origins takes place in the year 2088. Humanity is contacted by a species of aliens known as the Tywom, who claim they have been protecting us from a sinister evil empire known as the Scryve, who have domain over this region of the galaxy. As the player explores the immediate stars around earth they meet a wide cast of alien species, learn their histories, characteristics, and ongoing conflicts with their neighbors. The captain's mission is to prevent the Scryve from destroying the Earth through any means necessary.

Setting

Star Control: Origins takes place in an area of space known as "Orion's Spur". The player starts in a subset of this space known as the Scryve Sector which is approximately 120 by 120 light years containing hundreds of stars and thousands of worlds, each of which is unique.

Game Elements

The Captain

You are the captain of Earth's first prototype, interstellar starship with a mission to save the world. Star Control doesn't give you instructions on how to do that other than that it must be accomplished at all costs. Thus, a great deal of the game is focused on how you accomplish your goals. Through various missions, exploration and interactions you can improve your ship, gain new officers, recruit allies and gain access to many powerful abilities.

Planet Exploration

When the captain visits an alien world, they can review the world by scanning it. Scanning the planet allows the Captain to send down crew to explore the surface to acquire resources, artifacts and make contact with inhabitants. There are over 70 different planet classes and thousands of unique planets. Some contain life while most do not. Planets vary greatly on their conditions such as temperature, toxicity and wind strength. Not all planets are equally hospitable, most planets the player will be able to explore with little risk but some will have conditions that makes exploring dangerous. Examples of hazards include volcanos, methane geysers, fireballs and lightning. Players can upgrade their landing craft with upgrades such as heat resistant plating to allow them to explore inhospitable worlds. If a landing craft is destroyed, the craft and the crew inside of it perish and need to be replaced, but the player can try again with multiple landers.

The main reason for exploring planets is to collect valuable resources with a lander as these can be sold to Star Control headquarters or to starbases. There are many types of resources ranging from chemical compounds to metals, with more rare resources having differing values. Inhospitable planets will often hold the most valuable resources.

Screenshot.

Star System Exploration

There are several hundred star systems in the Scryve sector of Orion's Spur. When a player enters a star system they are able to navigate to planets, other ships, starbases and other elements that one would expect to find in a star system. The many alien races can be found throughout the galaxy, but most aliens will be found in their home region.

Screenshot.

Hyperspace Navigation

The Faster-Than-Light (FTL) technology used by Star Control is called Hyperspace. In Hyperspace, the captain can travel to other star systems or intercept other ships traveling through hyperspace. The only known permanent structures within hyperspace are the mysterious Precursor Starbases. Players can upgrade their Hyperspace Drive to allow for more rapid movement throughout the galaxy, and are able to use autopilot for automated travel or jump between the Hypergate network found within the Precursor Starbases.

Screenshot.

Fleet Battles

Encounters with hostile aliens ins inevitable, and can only be resolved in real-time combat referred to as Fleet Battles. Fleet Battles take place as a series of one-versus-one fights in a small arena, each time a ship is destroyed, the loser has to pick another ship and the battle continues until either the player or the AI runs out of ships. The player assembles a fleet throughout the campaign by recruiting human and alien ships, while the hostile alien fleets are predetermined. Fleet Battles can also be played as a separate stand-alone game including multiplayer.

Alien Contact

The captain is the only human traveling outside the home solar system, so every every contact is an alien. Most aliens are not able to communicate with humans (only the Tywom and Arilou have learned our language that we know of). However, through the Tywom universal translator, many aliens will be able to communicate with us in real-time while some may only have their words transcribed while still others are simply impossible to communicate with. Some aliens such as the Scryve and their loyal subjects will attack us on sight, while others may be more friendly and open for potential alliances and trade. Most aliens are sceptical of the young and brash humans, so earning their trust will take some work. Each race of aliens occupy a cluster of stars near their homeworld, where the player must travel to and interact with for discussing important matters such as alliances and completing quests.

Screenshot.

Ship Upgrades and Customization

Resources earned from exploring planets can be used to upgrade the player's command ship.

Known Species

These are some of the species you may encounter in Star Control: Origins:

Historical Timeline

c. 250,000 BCE The Precursors appear on the galactic scene.
c. 200,000 BCE The Eternal Wars. Formation of Quasi-Degenerate worlds.
c. 25,000 BCE Drall Alliance formed with Taalo and Mael-Num
c. 22,500 BCE Taalo discover Ur-Quan
c. 22,000 BCE Discovery of the first Origin. Destruction of Drall Alliance. Disappearance of Ur-Quan to unknown space.
c. 20,000 BCE Rise of the Dnyarri Hegemony
c. 19,000 BCE Taalo flee known space.
c. 17,000 BCE Location of first Origin lost, arrival of the Xraki and domination by the Dnyarri.
c. 16,000 BCE Dnyarri begin breeding Xraki into different castes.
c. 15,000 BCE Dnyarri Hegemony spreads throughout the Orion Spur.
c. 11,000 BCE Rise of the Faction of Eight to contest the Dnyarri Hegemony
c. 9,000 BCE Dnyarri Hegemony falls, exiled to unknown region. Xraki disappear.
c. 8,000 BCE The Scryve are discovered by the Faction of Eight.
c. 7,500 BCE The Scryve overthrow the Faction of Eight. Survivors disperse to unknown parts.
c. 6,500 BCE The Measured discovered by the Scryve. Made wards of the Empire.
c. 4,000 BCE Discovery of the "contagion" which is engineered into a sentient virus by the Scryve.
c. 3,000 BCE The "Ancient One" enters this area of space seeking refuge. Scryve leave it alone.
c. 2,500 BCE Scryve begin discovering Precursor artifacts. An Origin is found allowing them to explore realities above and below their own.
c. 2,450 BCE Destruction of several major species. Scryve adopt new policies towards ward species, vowing to eliminate future threats before they fully develop.
c. 400 AD Drenkend discovered by the Scryve. Extensive genetic modifications commenced to forge them into creatures of war.
c. 1500 Tywom discovered by the Scryve. Made wards of the Empire.
1620 Menkmack discovered by Bylaw Enforcement officers of The Measured. Made wards of the Empire.
1825 Phamysht discovered by the Scryve. Made wards of the Empire.
1853 Overmind discovered by the Scryve. Made wards of the Empire.
1901 Precursor receiver on Ceres stops recording data.
1990 The Tywom discover and uplift a species called the Zalence.
1992 Scryve exterminate the Zalence, warn Tywom not to get "too curious" again.
2035 The Tywom pick up radio broadcasts from Earth. Become enthralled by human culture.
2046 Mowlings discovered by Scryve. Made wards of the Empire.
2047 Humans develop strong AI.  The technological singularity.
2048 Jeff enters this area of space.
2055 Race of strong AI beings develop on Earth, become known as the "Lexites".
2061 Scryve pass Act of Youthful Aggression, prohibiting any further addition of ward species to the Empire.
2079 Scryve detect Earthling broadcasts. Begins searching for origin point.
2081 Lexites depart Earth to Mars.
2085 Lexites departure from known space.
2086 Star Control formed to discover fate of the Lexites.
2086 Scryve 7th fleet is destroyed by an unknown force allowing the Tywom to warn Earth.

 

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