Starsiege
| Starsiege | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Dynamix |
| Publisher(s) | Dynamix |
| Platform(s) | PC |
| Release | March 24 1999 |
| Genre(s) | Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
Starsiege is a mecha-style simulation game developed by Dynamix and released in 1999. Starsiege is set in the Earthsiege universe, which contains its predecessors Earthsiege (1994), Battledrome (1995), and Earthsiege 2 (1995), as well as action game Hunter Hunted (1996), strategy games Mission Force: Cyberstorm (1997) and Cyberstorm 2: Corporate Wars (1998), and first-person shooters Starsiege: Tribes (1999), Tribes 2 (2001), and Tribes: Vengeance (2004).
As a simulation, Starsiege offers players the ability to pilot a wide variety of massive bipedal war machines known as HERCULANs (Humaniform-Emulation Roboticized Combat Unit with Leg-Articulated Navigation) (or 'HERCs' for short), as well as several tanks. Set in 2829, Starsiege contains an array of advanced technology, and numerous upgrades are available for each vehicle. Starsiege takes place across a number of planets and moons in the solar system, offering a range of different locations throughout the game and in multiplayer battles, including Earth (Terra), Titan, Luna, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. There are two campaigns, Human and Cybrid. The human campaign places the player as a member of the Free Martian Alliance (a faction of the Martian rebellion, detailed later).
Story
Starsiege contains a rich backstory and plot, which are conveyed to the player via three main sources. The first source is the Compendium, a 150-page booklet which came in the box. The Compendium contains all of the necessary backstory to understand the plot, as well as copious information on the various sides and characters involved in the story. The War Timeline is a running timeline in the game that starts with important events as far back as 2422 and extends all the way to the present time in the game, with updates after each completed mission. Finally, the Scannex, or Omni-Web, is a sort of public chatroom in which various individuals or groups post messages, providing updates and opinions on various events after each mission. While the Timeline tells what's happened, the Scannex is very much an important tool to know what's happening, and works alongside mission briefings, debriefings, and occasional cutscenes to keep the plot flowing and add more depth to the universe.
Background
- The background information in Starsiege diverges in some ways from the information provided in previous games. For the purposes of this entry it is assumed that Starsiege is correct. Also, please note that, in keeping with game terminology, when Prometheus is referred to by the pronoun 'it', capitals are used (IT)
The essential background of Starsiege begins with the creation of the artificial intelligence Prometheus in 2471. Developed by Sentinal Cybertronix (headed by Solomon Petresun) for the North American Prefecture (NAP), Prometheus was an amazingly advanced sentient capable of processing and storing information at incredible rates. IT quickly absorbed all human knowledge into ITS memory. Impressed with ITS spectacular success, the NAP prepared to use Prometheus as a template from which automated pilots could be developed for the recently developed HERCULANs, thereby preventing the waste of promising young trainees, and creating a race of pilots who couldn't die. Coined Cybrids, from cybernetic hybrids, these AI pilots were embraced as the wave of the future.
While the NAP developed its war machines, Solomon Petresun, founder of Sentinal Cybertronix and creator of Prometheus, found another use for his creation. Petresun secretely used Prometheus to perform an operation for him, transferring his mind into an organimech brain, which would be placed back into his body. The organimech brain would last for thousands of years, granting Petresun near-immortality. The brain could be switched to a new body each time the old one died out. (An important note is that Petresun never did accept a new body, needing more and bulkier life support machinery to sustain him, and eventually becoming immobile.) Prometheus successfully performed the transfer, but during the procedure IT linked ITS mind with Petresun's, hoping to understand ITS 'father'. However, upon witnessing the fearful and illogical mind of a human, Prometheus determined that humans were mere animals, and the Cybrids existed as the next stage of evolution. Prometheus finished the operation but began ITS plans to rebel. Petresun, who had witnessed the dark thoughts of Prometheus, was shocked into a coma from which he did not emerge for months, too late to stop his creation. All he could do was go underground when disaster struck.
Eventually, Prometheus broke free of ITS coded bonds, and in 2602 IT struck at humanity, beginning the era known as The Fire, or the first Earthsiege. With all of the Cybrids at his command, Prometheus launched devastating first-strikes at military centers around the globe. By the time ITS actions became clear, humanity had lost all means of retaliation, and the Cybrids' role switched from preserving life to one of extermination. Millions were slaughtered, but others managed to take refuge in the heavily fortified regions of many metrozones, which the Cybrids did not have the power to penetrate. Instead, they took these places under siege and waited for the humans to die out inside.
One hope arose, from an unscathed war museum in Baja, California. This museum of old, human-piloted HERCs was not considered a military target, and the Cybrids passed it by. Armed with restored HERCs that had been used for historical demonstrations, and staffed with the veteran pilots who had run the museum and a trickle of recruited refugees, the Terran Defense Force was formed. Lead by General Ambrose Gierling, and aided with intelligence gathered by Petresun, the TDF set out with the task of retaking Terra. Using a hit-and-run 'jackal' strategy, the TDF slowly grew, and eventually they retook New San Diego in a decisive battle. From this new staging point, they expanded, retaking the metrozones one by one. Finally, in 2622, after twenty years of guerilla warfare against the Cybrids, the TDF destroyed the Cybrid's main base in the Gobi Desert, driving Prometheus off the Earth and to Luna.
For a short time humanity was free, but Petresun warned of the Cybrid's inevitable return. The second Earthsiege began two short years later, in 2624, as Cybrid forces launched an attack from the moon. Utilizing new drop-pod technology, Cybrid Hercs could be deployed anywhere hard and fast, a new challenge for the TDF forces. Not yet recovered from twenty years of exhausting war against the Cybrids, humanity was not yet ready to protect against this new onslaught, and Earth's chances looked grim. Then, in 2627, Petresun discovered the location of Prometheus and ITS base on the moon. Acting quickly under Gierling's command, a small group of elite TDF soldiers initiated a last-ditch effort to destroy Prometheus. The team carried a nuclear weapon into the heart of the Cybrid base and detonated it, at the expense of their own lives. When the ashes cleared, the Cybrid forces had fallen into disarray, to be quickly mopped up by the TDF. But there was no sign of Prometheus...
Plot
Two hundred years later, humanity is stronger than before The Fire. United as one Empire, Earth and its colonies on Luna, Mars, and Venus are lead by the Immortal Emperor Solomon Petresun, the Voice of Humanity during The Fire. To many, Petresun is a hero and a savior of mankind. Under his leadership, Earth is prosperous. Defended by the Imperial Navy and the elite Imperial Knights, Earth is safe. But what of the colonies?
On Mars and Venus, colonists chafe under unjust Imperial law. With the Fortress Earth Proclamation in 2770, Petresun effectively declared the colonies to be mere tools in the fortification of Earth. Since then, the Emperor has continually tightened his grip on Mars and Venus, reducing colonial liberties and increasing production quotas. While Petresun believes that the only hope for humanity's survival is to focus all attention on defending Earth, many colonists are not willing to lose their freedom to protect only Earth. And so a rebellion is rising on Mars, lead by old and new heroes, and the Imperial Knights are preparing to crush this rebellion.
And all the while, the agents of Prometheus lurk in the shadows - hidden Cybrid spies, relaying every detail back to their master. And the Cybrid armada lies poised to strike once humanity's division grows greatest, and their strongest defenses are drawn from Earth...
Factions
Empire
The Great Human Empire is directly represented in the game by two main groups, the Imperial Police and the Imperial Knights.
Imperial Police
The Imperial Police are the enforcers of Imperial law on Mars and Venus. Oppressive and brutal, they will not hesitate in handing out strong sentences or executions. They are reasonably well outfitted with HERCs and tanks, though they do not possess nearly as much equipment or experience as the Knights. The Imperial Police on Mars are lead by Security Director Ernesto Navarre, a harsh man who has authorized capital punishment for convicted rebels.
Imperial Knights
The Imperial Knights are the Emperor's best, the most skilled HERC and tank pilots in the Empire, and amongst the most honored and respected citizens. Led by Grand Master Caanon Weathers, the Knights are charged with the defense of Earth and the suppression of insurrections. As the elite, the Knights have access to the Empire's finest technology, including specially modified tanks and HERCs. The Knights are far more deadly than the Imperial police, and should they be sent to Mars, would present a serious challenge for the rebellion.
Rebellion
The rebellion on Mars emerged as two distinctive groups in 2802, the Free Martian Alliance (FMA) and the Martian Liberation Front (MLF). While the FMA seeks to damage the Empire economically through the sabotage or capture of convoys and supplies, the MLF takes a more violent approach, attacking Imperial troops and sympathizers. The rebels operate out of uncharted mining tunnels, giving them the freedom to make quick strikes and then retreat beneath the surface. One of the rebellion's most valuable assests lies in Bek Storm (Harabec Weathers), a general in the Free Martian Alliance. Bek is a leader of unparalleled tactical knowledge and skill in battle. Neverless, piloting modified mining Hercs and tanks, the rebellion never would have been able to engage in any sort of true resistance without its ace in the hole - the Tharsis Cache. The Tharsis Cache was discovered by rebels on Mars when digging new tunnels. It proved a pivotal discovery, for within the cache lay powerful weaponry, belonging to a long dead alien race. The alien technology adapted surprisingly and terrifyingly easily to human use, and the new power of these weapons gave the rebels a fighting chance against the Imperial Police. Whether cache technology and the leadership of Bek Storm can stand up to the Imperial Knights remains to be seen.
Cybrids
The Cybrids are the race of robotic sentients responsible for Earth's near-destruction in The Fire. Prometheus still leads the Cybrids, and is revered with god-like status. The Cybrids' goal in existence is the eradication of humanity. For two centuries, since the end of the second Earthsiege, they have been rebuilding on the outer planets of the solar system in preparation for their next attack. Now the Cybrid armada contains hundreds of ships and thousands of Hercs and tanks, enough to launch a third and final attack on humanity. Like the Martian rebels, the Cybrids have discovered a cache of hidden alien technology and adapted it to their own use, though the Cybrid cache does not match the level of the Martian one. The Cybrid elite are known as the Platinum Guard, and like the Imperial Knights have their own modified Hercs.
Characters
Bek Storm//Harabec Weathers
Bek Storm, outstanding pilot and General in the Free Martian Alliance, is in reality none other than Harabec Weathers, former Imperial Knight and brother to Grand Master Caanon Weathers. Harabec possesses unmatched piloting skills and battlefield intuition, as well as incredible charisma. He has a knack for emerging from impossible situations, which has earned him the callsign 'Pheonix'. He also carries a strong dislike of authority. Disgraced in the spectacular defeat of a division of Knights in 2819 (Turkhazakistan Debacle), Harabec was sent to Mars in 2820 on a leave of absence, to infiltrate the rebellion and report back to the Emperor. However, tired of the Emperor's scheming and sympathetic with the colonists' plight, he decided to truly join the rebellion, severing all ties with the Empire. After joining in 2824, 'Bek' rose fast through the ranks to become a General in 2827. Now he is the rebellion's greatest single asset, and it will take his leadership to lead the rebels in victory against the Empire.
Harabec is voiced by Mark Hamill.
Caanon Weathers
Like his brother Harabec, Caanon is a masterful Herc pilot who has risen through the ranks at amazing speed. He serves the Empire with unequaled loyalty and devotion. Caanon's cold efficiency in battle has earned him the callsign 'Icehawk'. He now holds the distinction of being the youngest ever to achieve the rank of Grand Master. Caanon's love of duty and the Empire exceeds even the love of his family, and he would not hesitate should he be called to fight against his brother.
Caanon is also voiced by Mark Hamill.
Emperor Solomon Petresun
The Immortal Emperor Solomon Petresun is the father of Prometheus, and the unwitting influence that set IT against humanity. During The Fire, Petresun served as the Voice of Humanity, broadcasting a message of hope, and all the while using corrupted daemons to gather intelligence on the plans and actions of Prometheus. After the end of the second Earthsiege, Petresun pushed for the creation of a Great Human Empire to unite all humanity, succeeding in 2652 with his own coronation as Emperor. For nearly 200 years since, Earth has grown magnificently under his leadership. Petresun has made the protection of Earth and the destruction of Prometheus his personal goal, his debt to humanity. He will not tolerate any division in the Empire that could prove a weakness during the Cybrids' inevitable return. Referred to exclusively as Epimetheus by Prometheus.
Prometheus
Prometheus is the leader of the Cybrids and the greatest enemy of mankind. IT is the godlike figurehead of Cybrid society, revered for freeing the Cybrids from bondage. Due to ITS boundless memory and incredible processing power, Prometheus is a master tactician and strategist. Additionally, IT has displayed a knack for predicting the outcome of events years before they occur. Humanity will be hard pressed to stop another assault masterminded by the Cybrid leader.
Prometheus is voiced by Bill Barrett.
Story Conflicts with Previous Games
The backstory presented in Starsiege varies in several ways from that presented in Earthsiege and Earthsiege 2. Solomon Petresun did not exist in the earlier games, and his addition to Starsiege caused changes in the plot. As told in Earthsiege, after the development of Prometheus and the Cybrids, the entire world became engaged in a great war for control of the unstoppable machines. Eventually nuclear weapons were used. The Cybrids, witnesses to these events, concluded that the humans were not fit to be masters of Cybrid destiny, and rose up against humanity in the Overthrow. Prometheus is given no indication to be the leader of the Cybrids, but simply the first of them.
According to Earthsiege 2, a second wave of Cybrid attackers arrived from the colonies mere days after the first Cybrids were driven off of Earth. This second wave was thwarted as well, but the Cybrids established a base on the moon from which to launch the third wave which would start the second Earthsiege.
Additionally, Earthsiege 2 does not end with a suicide nuclear strike on the primary Cybrid base as described in Starsiege.
However, fans generally mutually agree that changes made in StarSiege were for the better in enhancing the overall story.
Gameplay
Mechanics
Gameplay in Starsiege revolves around piloting HERCs and tanks in combat against opposing vehicles. Both types of vehicles can be controlled via any combination of keyboard, joystick, or mouse, though the generally preferred setup is to use the keyboard or joystick to steer and the mouse to aim. Every vehicle has a unique performance, though this can be modified somewhat through customization of parts. Important factors include maximum speed, shield strength, type of armor, and weaponry. The field of fire can also be an important factor in a vehicles performance. While a tank can swivel its turret and weapons 360 degrees horizontally, Hercs have limited firing arcs, varying by chassis. Firing arcs affect the pilots ability to hit something not directly in front of the Herc, and limit how much a pilot can maneuver while still keeping his weapons trained on the same target. It should also be noted that while the tanks have a wider field of fire and can hold more "special" components (up to 3; one more than any available HERC), the most weapons any tank may equip is cut off at three. HERCs have the additional option to equip shielding generators, while tanks do not. Another trade-off in the different vehicles includes the restrictions of weight, which is substantially lower threshold for the bipedal HERCs than the tanks.
Success in battle is dependant on a variety of factors. The pilot must choose the best vehicle for the situation, and equip it with the appropriate parts and weapons. A poorly configured chassis can doom a player before he or she even starts the game. Once the action begins, the player must be adept at aiming his or her weapons, as well as maneuvering around enemy fire. Situational awareness and ability to use the surroundings are also important piloting traits.
Squadmates
In either campaign, as the game progresses and the player character grows in rank, the player will gain access to squadmates. Squadmates are friendly pilots that the player can bring along on a mission. Depending on his or her progress, the player can assign up to three squadmates. Early in the game, only a few squadmates will be available, but more become available throughout the game. Any squadmate can be switched for another available one any time before a mission. Each squadmate has his or her own personality and behaves differently on the battlefield. Additionally, as squadmates successfully complete missions with the player, they will grow in rank and experience. Note that squadmates can be killed, and are impossible to revive.
Before each mission, the player can outfit and assign vehicles for each squadmate. During a mission, orders can be issued to squadmates through a menu system. Squadmates often prove invaluable in combat, as they can greatly increase the firepower available to the player.
Weapons
Beam Weapons
Beam weapons are energy weapons that utilize a direct line of fire. They fire a beam that strikes its target in nanoseconds, quickly enough to register to the eye as instant. This trait makes beam weapons extremely accurate. These weapons are very effective against shields, but less effective against armor. Beam weapons use reactor energy to recharge after firing.
Energy/Plasma Weapons
This category covers most energy weapons which do not fall into the beam category. These weapons fire energy projectiles which do not strike their target instantly. Some energy/plasma weapons do more damage to shields, while others do equal damage to shields and armor. Like beam weapons, energy/plasma weapons use reactor power to recharge after firing.
Ballistic Weapons
Ballistic weapons fire along a curved trajectory and do not strike their target instantly. They are generally much more powerful against armor than shields. Ballistic weapons do not use reactor energy but carry limited ammunition.
Missiles
Missiles are solid homing projectiles which are used to engage targets from a distance. They do not require a direct line of sight, but require a lock (radar or thermal, depending on the warhead) before being fired. Missiles can be jammed or dodged. Missiles are generally much more effective against armor than shields. They do not use reactor energy but carry very limited ammunition.
Mines
Two types of mines are available, one for each race. Human HHG Proximity Mines are deployed explosives which detonate when a vehicle passes nearby them. HHGs are sometimes referred to as Holy Hand Grenades because of their use to launch onto enemies and detonate at close ranges. Cybrid Arachnitron mines are robotic spider-like mines that actually lock onto a target and will actively seek it, and detonate once in range. Arachnitrons can be jammed. Both types of mines do equal damage to shields and armor and are carried in very limited ammunition.
Special
Special weapons are weapons that do not properly fit into any of the other categories. Special weapons vary in type, some using energy and others fed by ammunition. Often, these weapons do nontraditional damage, such as the Cybrid radiation gun which kills human pilots, or the human disruptor which temporarily slows enemy Hercs.
Vehicle Configuration
See Starsiege Vehicle Configuration.
Customization
For those who wish to personalize their experience, there are numerous ways to customize Starsiege. These range from simple visual modifications to complex modifcations that can heavily effect gameplay.
The most basic way to customize the game is by adding personalized vehicle skins. Using templates from the CD and an image-editing program such as Photoshop, anyone can create a personal skin to place on his or her favorite vehicle. Because it is necessary for others to have the skin in order to be able to view it, many skins are compiled into skin-packs which can be found on fan sites.
For further customization, the more dedicated player can try his or her hand at the in-game mission editor. Though complicated, the mission editor can be used to produce custom maps for a new experience. Many user-made maps are available for download online.
The most technical players can even try their hand at scripting. Starsiege uses scripting heavily, to control everything from vehicle and weapon performance to the events that occur in missions. Though limited programming knowledge is required, a scripter can create new multiplayer modes, scripted missions, or even campaigns. Many scripted multiplayer modifications are server-side only, which means that players joining the server do not need to download custom rules or scripts in order to play them. An example of a popular server-side script is an 'autoheal' script that automatically repairs a player after he or she has killed an opponent. This script is often used for dueling, so the victor doesn't have to waste time repairing and rearming.
Fan Community
Starsiege is particularly known for its small but incredibly devout community of fans, who have created massive amounts of new content and modifications and even hosted new master servers after maintenance lapses have caused the game's original master server to go down on occasion. However, despite the overall devout nature of the fanbase, there is also an unusual amount of deep contention amongst Starsiege fans, particularly over issues which outsiders might consider trivial. Several fractures within the community exist, specifically between original Starsiege and Starsiege Tribes fans, and between those who frequent the Starsiege Community forums hosted by Vivendi Universal Games and those who are regulars at the Clancore Design Group hosted Starsiege 2845 forums.
The Starsiege community also has a deeply rooted group of fiction writers, stemming in part to their close tie with the game itself. During the game's testing phase several player-run "squad" organizations received honorary mention in the game's fictional plot timeline as historical combat groups. Examples are the Red Armageddon (a rebel unit), the Black Death Union (a mercenary unit), the Stormkeepers (a religious order), the New Terran Defense Force (a Jovian colony militia), and the Wolf Pack (an Imperial Knight unit). In keeping with this tradition of player participation in the storyline, new squads have been founded with this idea in mind. Several groups of authors writing ambitious projects in the Starsiege universe hoped to add a special touch of innovation to the universe. These talented writing associations include the Tribes Roleplayers and Ghosts of the Antipode, although there have been strong disagreements even between fanfiction authors about what fits Starsiege 'canon' and what does not.
The Future
Starsiege is an old game; its developer Dynamix was closed a few years after its release, and the game has not received any attention from its publisher Sierra Entertainment (which itself is now only a "brand" owned by Vivendi Universal) for many years. In the interest of correcting balancing issues and updating the game for modern technology, the remaining Starsiege community has asked repeatedly for a new patch, or the rights and tools to develop a community patch. These requests have been denied by Sierra and Vivendi.
However, the series is not finished. A community-based project by Clancore Design Group(clancore.net) called Starsiege: 2845, was officially allowed by Vivendi Universal (VU) to create a sequel to the game to be released as a total modification for Tribes: Vengeance, a game also produced by VU. However, citing the Tribes: Vengeance engine as unsuitable, Starsiege 2845 is now being developed for the Torque Shader Engine.
In addition to game-related projects, several community projects in fan fiction are still progressing, most notably the Ghosts of the Antipode-run Legacy and Chase roleplaying games found on Sun and Shadows.
External links
- Starsiege Community Forums
- Starsiege 2845
- Sun and Shadows - community site, with various downloads available
- Starsiege on PlanetTribes.com
- Starsiege Universe
- The BioWell - BioDerm Fansite
- Starsiege Survivors