LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

[The Main Man]

It's another "LET'S HACK" thread, in which we discuss the ways that we might change an official/published campaign setting as well as exploring other possibilities i.e. we "hack" the setting.

 

This time around it's the Terran Empire, HERO's very own Space Opera setting.

 

 

To start this one off, one thing that always felt like a glaring omission was a killer robot race a la the Cybermen*, Cylons, or Daleks*. Terran Empire needs just such a thing to me, and late into 5e, a book was provided that gives everything you need for such a race: Book of the Machine. Mechanon and all the myriad units he employs are ready made for space opera.

 

 

I have other things to say, but I like to start threads lightly. So let's hack!

 

 

*I know, I know, one is a race of genocidal mutants (encased in their iconic... vehicle?) and the other is a transhuman race bent on converting all life into cybernetic organisms. They're both very much associated with robots and the like though. Admit it.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

To start this one off' date=' one thing that always felt like a glaring omission was a killer robot race a la the Cybermen*, Cylons, or Daleks*. Terran Empire needs just such a thing to me, and late into 5e, a book was provided that gives everything you need for such a race: Book of the Machine. Mechanon and all the myriad units he employs are ready made for space opera.[/quote']

 

The space-opera universe of Terran Empire has a high degree of compatibility with the supers universe of Champions as described in Champions Beyond, and the latter book provides a force ready-made for such a purpose: the X'endron Network. The Network was founded several decades before the present day by an AI created by the technologically sophisticated Ixendar race, which decided it was superior to and should rule organic life forms. The AI commandeered one of the Ixendar's most advanced spacecraft and fled. Today the Network exists as a vast fleet of AIs and robots roaming the galaxy, using both infiltration and massive force to attempt to conquer all organics.

 

Obviously the Network's priority to conquer differs from Mechanon's to eradicate, but that would be an exceptionally easy hack to make in this case. I agree that Mechanon's forces in Book Of The Machine would make a fine source for fleshing out this threat, although in a Terran Empire-based campaign the robots' power level would have to be carefully gauged against their non-super opponents. At least as good a source would be the futuristic "Mechanon 3000" and its followers from Galactic Champions. For my own supers campaign I've considered introducing the moon-sized Mechanon from that book as the current form of "X'endron Prime," the AI that started the Network. If you're familiar with the Fourth Edition Champs villain book Creatures of the Night: Horror Enemies, the Monad from that book would also be a natural fit.

 

BTW the current official Champions villain, Syzygy (Champions Villains Vol. 3) is one of the X'endron Network's probes come to test Earth's defenses, although its programming was scrambled leaving it with no memory of its origins.

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

AIs can also serve as an enemy within in a Terran Empire campaign. In fact, if I recall correctly, Mechanon shows up somewhere in Scourges of the Galaxy although I haven't been able to find him there tonight.

 

Or was it Worlds of Empire? It's odd that the Terran Empire ended up so much better supported than the Turakian Age...

[Lord Liaden]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

AIs can also serve as an enemy within in a Terran Empire campaign. In fact' date=' if I recall correctly, Mechanon shows up somewhere in [i']Scourges of the Galaxy [/i]although I haven't been able to find him there tonight.

 

Or was it Worlds of Empire? It's odd that the Terran Empire ended up so much better supported than the Turakian Age...

 

It is in Scourges Of The Galaxy... or rather, a lazy slacker corrupted version of Mechanon's core programming exists as the AI aboard the pirate starship Pelga's Fist, detailed in that book.

 

Support for Turakian Age is not dwarfed by that for Terran Empire, though. During the Fifth Edition years TE received the core book, a book of NPCs for the setting, a book of detailed planets, and a tech-and-starship book using that setting as the default background. Over the same period TA had the core book, an NPC book, and a book of adventures specifically set in it; moreover, two volumes of prebuilt spells, a dedicated bestiary, a book of magic items, and the Book Of Dragons all referred to TA as their default.

[The Main Man]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

Since it was mentioned, I never bought nor thumbed through Worlds of Empire. Is it available on PDF?

 

That said, I'll have to give Champions Beyond another look because I didn't notice the Xendron Network.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

I think the biggest hack I would make to the Terran Empire setting for my own purposes, would be the diminution or elimination of the Empire itself. I find the alien civilizations of the Milky Way Galaxy described in that book and Worlds Of Empire, as well as Alien Wars and Champions Beyond, to be much more intriguing. Rather than have a Terran Empire that's one of the foremost powers of the galaxy, I would like to make Terra more of an interstellar backwater. Humanity can still be in its main exploration phase, encountering and being drawn into the affairs of the other republics, empires etc. they share the galaxy with.

 

Mind you, this is for an heroic level sci-fi game. For a supers game with a focus on outer space, I would (and have) set the campaign in the present day and just draw on all the above books for inspiration and source material for superhero adventures.

 

EDIT: BTW here's an earlier thread on much the same subject: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/74350-Terran-Empire-changes

[Erkenfresh]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

It's been YEARS since I ran a campaign in this setting, so I'm a bit rusty on it. It seemed to me that maybe the starships weren't detailed very well. Maybe they were relying on The Ultimate Vehicle to fill in those gaps. The starship combats we did have ended up being a bit dull. They were more of a slugfest where positioning seemed to have no tactical advantage (or disadvantage). Looking back, more of a Robotech-ish fighter combat would have been much more exciting. Imagine controlling the big gun on the carrier, which of course would be too inaccurate to shoot down fighters but would pack a wallup against an enemy carrier!

 

I also felt like the hand weapons were a bit too lethal. It seems like you had RKA autofires where the average roll would deal significant damage against average defenses. Couple that with the targetting computer and you could toast most anyone instantly. I thought it would have been cool to encourage more melee combat, similar to Dune.

[The Main Man]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

I had a reverse idea: not the Terran Empire, but the Galactic Federation. That said, I do like the idea that it goes through both phases. Would make time travel adventures interesting.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

What I dislike about the Galactic Federation in this context is that it's too big, powerful, and peaceful. That's great as the home field for a galaxy-spanning four-color superhero campaign a la the Legion of Superheroes. For an heroic-level space-opera game I prefer the galaxy to be more balkanized.

[The Main Man]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

To me, the Galactic Federation is basically the Federation from Star Trek; peaceful and idealistic. As TNG eventually suggested and DS9 drove home though: is it really all that upstanding?That's how I'd run GF; a projection of idealism, hope, and tranquility with something of a necessary evil (or at least rather gray) side that holds it together. Perhaps it consists of organizations and institutions that were started during the Terran Empire era but were only officially disbanded in the record books.

[The Main Man]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

I think the main distinction is whether someone wants Star Wars (Terran Empire) or Star Trek (Galactic Federation).Of course, I want Farscape, so that means Terran Empire.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

To me' date=' the Galactic Federation is basically the Federation from Star Trek; peaceful and idealistic. As TNG eventually suggested and DS9 drove home though: is it really all that upstanding?That's how I'd run GF; a projection of idealism, hope, and tranquility with something of a necessary evil (or at least rather gray) side that holds it together. Perhaps it consists of organizations and institutions that were started during the Terran Empire era but were only officially disbanded in the record books.[/quote']

 

I think the main distinction is whether someone wants Star Wars (Terran Empire) or Star Trek (Galactic Federation).Of course' date=' I want Farscape, so that means Terran Empire.[/quote']

 

For those purposes, you might want to look at rolling the setting back a few centuries to "United Earth," just before the Xenovore War, as described in Alien Wars. The way it's described has a lot to recommend it. The federal government, the Senate, is divided and often ineffectual. The Senatorial planets can govern their own colonies pretty much as they please, and are sometimes very oppressive. For most of humanity, though, life is good, and the general outlook for the future is optimistic.

[Nolgroth]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

Terran Empire is one of those settings that I just love. My only problem with it is me. Terran Empire is based in the Milky Way and I have this weird OCD thing about making sure my facts about stars, and other astronomical bodies, are correct. I spend way too much time looking up data than I do planning adventures. On the flip side, Terran Empire has a treasure chest of ships, weapons, equipment, species packages, etc to rip from. My biggest hack, for me, was removing it from the Milky Way via a surrogate setting. I am not suggesting that for this project though. Just stating what worked to allow me to use all of the great resources. In fact, I would probably describe the "space" settings from Alien Wars through Terran Empire the best Steve Long authored setting. Those, along with Star Hero, Spacers Toolkit and Worlds of Empire are my most treasured books. Okay, WoE I got in PDF only, but the fact still stands.

 

Battles between ships can often take a very long while. The big cap ships are especially tough nuts to crack. I am not certain as to whether I would change that or not, but it was one of the things my group noted when we playing the Gemini Ascendant campaign. We basically liberated quite a bit from Terran Empire, with ship-to-ship combat being one of those things. Every time we ran ship-to-ship it would take up an entire session at least, and possibly even two. That was for two ships slugging it out. I imagine that mass fighters would whittle down the cap ship shields much quicker. I never got to test that in game though. I often thought that Terran Empire space combat was purpose-designed to emulate Star Trek. I think reducing the overall shield strength, by a few points, would make space combat quicker and more deadly. A-ha! My first suggested hack; convert all ship stats to 6th Edition. Hey, it's relatively simple and would bring the setting up to date with the latest rules.

 

Hmmmn. Looking at it, the existing rules are almost perfectly consistent with 6E as written. Change the names (FF to Resistant Protection, Costs END for example). Well that was a simple hack.

 

In regards to the Federation versus Empire thing, I say you take a page from Star Trek. Instead of the Empire being the "Mirror" dimension, the characters encounter more altruistic and high-minded versions of themselves from an alternate reality where the Galactic Federation has evolved. Gives the whole "new spin on the old story" gimmick.

[Ranxerox]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

In regards to the Federation versus Empire thing' date=' I say you take a page from Star Trek. Instead of the Empire being the "Mirror" dimension, the characters encounter more altruistic and high-minded versions of themselves from an alternate reality where the Galactic Federation has evolved. Gives the whole "new spin on the old story" gimmick.[/quote']

 

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Nolgroth again."

[Lord Liaden]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

Excellent suggestions, Nolgroth. However:

 

I would probably describe the "space" settings from Alien Wars through Terran Empire the best Steve Long authored setting.

 

To be fair, a lot of Terran Empire was written by James Cambias; while the principle writer for Alien Wars was Allen Thomas.

 

(Hmm... wonder if that's indicative.)

[The Main Man]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

Speaking of all that gear, I'd like to take this time to plug the "1000 Star HERO Weapons" project (link in my sig).

[Nolgroth]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

Excellent suggestions, Nolgroth. However:

 

To be fair, a lot of Terran Empire was written by James Cambias; while the principle writer for Alien Wars was Allen Thomas.

 

(Hmm... wonder if that's indicative.)

Good points. I knew James Cambias co-wrote the Star Hero book. I did not know about the Terran Empire. And I forgot about Allen Thomas altogether. Shame on me.

 

As to indicative or not, I have and will continue to contend that Steve Long is a master at writing rules and campaign books and less proficient at setting design. Just my opinion based on his works. The one thing I will give Steve is that he knows how to give you an outline and let you build it from there.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

Speaking of all that gear' date=' I'd like to take this time to plug the "1000 Star HERO Weapons" project (link in my sig).[/quote']

 

Then I guess it's only fare to plug the Spacers Toolkit, the official published tech sourcebook for the Fifth Edition Star HERO line. It's heavier in starships than you would guess from the title, but does also include a good selection of other vehicles, weapons, varied personal gear, and robots. And like all 5E books it's half price from the Hero Games online store. (Only hardcopy, though, no PDF.)

[Erkenfresh]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

Maybe I need to go back and re-read Spacer's Toolkit. I bought the book and used very little from it the first time around. Hmm, all this talk about Terran Empires makes me want to run another campaign in this setting.

[Nolgroth]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

I want to run another space opera game. I want to liberally steal from Terran Empire again. Good enough for me.

[The Main Man]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

I like the Champions Beyond book and believe it is a good starting point for doing something I am sure we've all done or thought of doing: importing CU characters into the Terran Empire setting. Naturally the more Sci-Fi characters fit in better.I think a quick master list of characters who could fit in like a glove would be an interesting endeavor. Transferring Focus-based powers into Equipment, but it's hardly insurmountable. The trickier part is rebalancing them against the setting.Part of the fun for me is speculating the idea of various villains being nonhuman races. What if The Warlord was a Thorgon? What if Menton was a Varanyi? Do I dare make Doctor Destroyer a Mandaarian?

[Erkenfresh]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

I think it's quite reasonable that Dr. D would still be around. With all that science, surely he's got a cure for aging. However, given battleships with RKA 12d6's, he wouldn't be nearly as tough as in the Champions timeframe. He'd have to be even more careful to manipulate things from behind the scenes. Or perhaps he's souped up his armored suit with futuristic gadgets, making him nigh invinicible.

 

I have been thinking about the space combat in TE quite a bit today. EVE online has some real awesome space combat mechanics that would translate well into HERO. The idea is that each ship class has it's own function that it excels at. Frigates are best at destroying other frigates, but also for tackling. Battleships are great at taking and dealing out damage. And while battleships have incredible range, they have difficulty hitting those tiny frigates once they get close, making a swarm of frigates a threat for any battleship.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

I like the Champions Beyond book and believe it is a good starting point for doing something I am sure we've all done or thought of doing: importing CU characters into the Terran Empire setting. Naturally the more Sci-Fi characters fit in better.I think a quick master list of characters who could fit in like a glove would be an interesting endeavor. Transferring Focus-based powers into Equipment' date=' but it's hardly insurmountable. The trickier part is rebalancing them against the setting. Part of the fun for me is speculating the idea of various villains being nonhuman races. What if The Warlord was a Thorgon? What if Menton was a Varanyi? Do I dare make Doctor Destroyer a Mandaarian?[/quote']

 

Not being terribly fond of the backstory for Shadow Destroyer, I considered using him as the template for a Malvan who became interested in studying the history and culture of his people's ancient enemies, the Elder Worm, only to be seduced and corrupted by the Worm's Qliphothic gods.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

Since Champions Beyond essentially describes the past astropolitical history of the the same Milky Way Galaxy as in the Terran Empire era, the two books can generate much synergy. For example, TE's cultural information would greatly flesh out a number of the alien races more superficially described in CB. OTOH if one prefers a more balkanized Milky Way one could easily insert any of the races from CB into TE, or roll back the history of TE races to the earlier period described in CB. I've considered doing the latter for a TE game to address a detail that rather bothers me: the rapid expansion of the Empire to dwarf the territories of much older starfaring races. A smaller Empire would leave space open for some of the other CB civilizations.

 

If I did that I would definitely change the Hzeel from an interstellar Mafia, as presented in Terran Empire, to the civilization richly described in Champions Beyond. Their culture is unique and fascinating IMHO, and their racial lack of super-"human" members would allow the Hzeel from CB to be ported to the TE era with almost no changes.

 

Much the same situation applies to Galactic Champions, which takes the TE setting centuries into the future. If you did want superhumans in space, most of the ones from GC could be used in earlier eras with little modification. One such element I considered adapting to my present-day Champions Universe games is "Mechanon 3000," which I would make the current form of the rogue AI which founded the X'endron Network described in CB.

 

And if you do allow supers in the Terran Empire era, the "Void Messiahs" of the Church of the Infinite Dark, as written up in Scourges Of The Galaxy, can easily be upgraded to a cosmic-level threat to any galactic heroes.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: LET'S HACK: Terran Empire

 

Then I guess it's only fare to plug the Spacers Toolkit' date=' the official published tech sourcebook for the Fifth Edition Star HERO line. It's heavier in starships than you would guess from the title, but does also include a good selection of other vehicles, weapons, varied personal gear, and robots. And like all 5E books it's half price from the Hero Games online store. (Only hardcopy, though, no PDF.)[/quote']

 

and it's generic as all hell. Which is fine when it comes to general equipment, but not so much when it comes to weapons and armor. They need some flavor. Who made it? What kinda physics (rubber or otherwise) is its operation based on? What are the variations sold by different weapons corps and how do they differ from one another? Spacer's Toolkit needs to answer these kinds of questions, which it does not do very often.